Please be advised We Need Diverse Books will cancel the Diversity in Children’s Literature Symposium and the Walter Dean Myers Award Ceremony on Friday, March 13, 2020, out of an abundance of caution.

The health of the authors, educators, librarians, and students scheduled to attend the event is of greatest concern to We Need Diverse Books. In the next several weeks, we will be assessing our options for holding these events at another time and will keep everyone informed.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any questions about this cancellation, you may email carolinerichmond@wndb.local.

Please join us in celebrating the 2020 winners and honorees as well as Walter Dean Myers Award for Leadership and Advocacy in Children’s Literature Recipient Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

We​ ​Need​ ​Diverse​ ​Books announces the​ ​2020​ ​Walter​ ​Dean​ ​Myers​ ​Awards​ ​and​ ​Honor​ ​Books for​ ​Outstanding ​Children’s​ Literature​ Teen​ ​and​ ​Younger​ ​Readers​ ​Categories

January​ 21,​ ​2020

Washington, DC — The​ ​We​ ​Need​ ​Diverse​ ​Books​ ​Walter​ ​Awards​ ​Judging​ ​Committee​ ​has​ ​selected​ ​the​ ​Winners​ ​and Honorees​ ​for​ ​the​ ​fifth​ ​annual​ ​Walter​ ​Dean​ ​Myers​ ​Awards​ ​for​ ​Outstanding​ ​Children’s​ ​Literature.

The ​Awards​ ​comprise two​ ​categories:​ ​Teen​ ​(​ages​ ​13-18​)​ ​and​ ​Younger​ ​Readers​ ​(​ages 9-13​).​ ​One​ Winner​ and two Honor Books ​in​ each ​category​ ​have​ ​been​ ​named.  

2020​ ​Walter​ ​Award,​ ​Teen​ ​Category

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki

and illustrated by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell

2020​ ​Walter​ ​Honors,​ ​Teen​ ​Category

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi 

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

2020​ ​Walter​ ​Award,​ ​Younger​ ​Readers​ ​Category

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman

2020​ ​Walter​ ​Honors,​ ​Younger​ ​Readers​ ​Category

A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée 

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

The​ ​Walter​ ​Awards ​Ceremony​ and Symposium ​will​ ​be​ ​held​ ​Friday,​ ​March​ ​13,​ ​2020,​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Thomas Jefferson Building​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Library​ ​of​ ​Congress.​ ​The events begin at 9:30 AM.  

Award-winning author Grace Lin will serve as Ceremony’s Emcee. Honored guest Christopher Myers, son of the late Walter Dean Myers, will speak at the Ceremony. The Walter Awards will also celebrate special guest Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop.

The​ ​Ceremony​ ​will​ ​be​ ​preceded​ ​by​ ​a​ Symposium​ ​on​ ​diversity​ ​in​ ​children’s​ ​literature,​ ​co-hosted by​ ​the​ ​Library​ ​of​ ​Congress.​ ​The​ ​Symposium,​ ​titled​ ​“There is work to be done! Recognize. Validate. Acknowledge. The Walter Dean Myers Awards Turn Five,”​ ​will be​ ​moderated​ ​by​ ​WNDB Chief Operating Officer and novelist Dhonielle Clayton.

The​ ​Walter​ ​Dean​ ​Myers​ ​Award,​ ​also​ ​known​ ​as​ ​“The​ ​Walter,”​ ​is​ ​named​ ​for​ ​prolific​ ​children’s​ ​and young​ ​adult​ ​author​ ​Walter​ ​Dean​ ​Myers​ ​(1937-2014).​ ​Myers​ ​was​ ​the​ ​third​ ​National​ ​Ambassador for​ ​Young​ ​People’s​ ​Literature,​ ​appointed​ ​in​ ​2012​ ​by​ ​the​ ​Library​ ​of​ ​Congress.​ ​He​ ​was​ ​a​ ​champion of​ ​diversity​ ​in​ ​children’s​ ​books.​ ​The​ ​Walter​ ​Awards​ commemorate ​Myers’​ ​memory​ ​and​ ​his​ ​literary legacy,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​celebrate​ ​diversity​ ​in​ ​children’s​ ​literature. 

The​ ​2020 ​Walter​ ​Awards​ ​Judging​ ​Committee:​ ​Derek Ivie​ ​(Committee Chair, Youth Services Coordinator, Suffolk Cooperative Library System), L. Lee Butler (Upper School Librarian, The Key School), Shelley Diaz (Youth Selector/Supervising Librarian, Book Ops), Sandra Farag (Manager, Collection Development–Youth, Ingram Library Services), Nikki Santiago (UC Berkeley Master’s candidate and former Teen Librarian, Berkeley Public Library), Morika Tsujimura (Science and Math Teacher, Grace Church School), and Ny’ilah Whitaker (Assistant Manager/Young Adult Services, Enoch Pratt Free Library).

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Press Contact: Alaina Lavoie, Communications Manager, alainalavoie@wndb.local