2023 Award Winners

2021 Award Winners

Social Justice Book Award 2022

Click on the various links below for more information about the authors, illustrators, and publishers. Often these links provide other information about these books including related books which may be of interest. All these titles were published in 2021.

This year's selection committee members are listed at the end of this page.

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Fiction Picturebook:

Nia and the New Free Library by Ian Lendler, author, and Mark Pett, illustrator (Chronicle Books)

When the local library is blown away by a tornado, a little girl, Nia, works to rebuild the library one book at a time with the help of the community. This book shows how children can make a difference and be involved in social justice.

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Fiction:

Take Back the Block by  Chrystal D. Giles, author (Random House)

Wes Henderson is a sixth grader who has great style and likes to play video games. His mom likes to bring him to the protests that she is involved in, but it really isn't his thing until a real estate developer tries to buy up his neighborhood. Wes decides to focus on saving the neighborhood for his class project. Exploring community, gentrification, justice, and friendship, Take Back the Block introduces an appealing 6th grader and asks what it means to belong - to a place and a movement - and to fight for what you believe in.

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Nonfiction Picturebook:

We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know by Traci Sorell, author, and Frane´ Lessac illustrator (Charlesbridge)

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Nonfiction:

(1) Art of Protest: Creating, Discovering, and Activating Art for Your Revolution by De Nichols, author (Candlewick: Big Picture Press)

Activist, De Nichols, shares with readers what revolution looks like with her words and images focused on protest art, both from the past and present day. She also shars ideas of how to make your own protest art and get involved in social justice.

(2) Good Girls Don't Make History by Elizabeth Kiehner creator and author, Keith Olwell, creator, Kara Doyle, author, Micaela Dawn, illustrator, and Mary Sanche, illustrator (Wide Eyed Editions, paperback / Quarto, hardcover)

This engaging graphic novel focuses on the history of the women's sufrage movement activism and the many women involved in it.

Committee Members

This year's winners were selected by the following committee members:

Char Moffit, Ph.D. (Chair), Assistant Professor, Literacy Education, School of Education, California State University, Chico.
Patricia Dean, Associate Professor, Children's Literature, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD.
Lena Marie Lockwood: Assistant Principal, Revere High School, Peabody, MA.
Irene Korber, Senior Assistant Librarian, California State University, Chico.
Aimee Rogers, Ph.D., Library Media Specialist, South Middle School, Grand Forks Public Schools, Grand Forks, ND.
Sara Kraatz, Kindergarten Teacher, Chico Unified School District, Chico, CA.
Lynne Bercaw, Director, School of Teacher Education, San Diego State University, CA.