SGPL 2026 Youth Media Awards (Kids)

"Two eleven-year-olds, one in the China of 731 and the other in Manhattan's Chinatown in 1931, embark on challenging journeys to save their families from peril"-- Provided by publisher. In 731 Chang'An, China, Han Yu rises every day with the first beat of the city drums to sell steamed buns in a bustling market full of whispers about his ability to summon tigers. In 1931 Chinatown, New York, Luli Lee spends her evenings gazing out at the city from...

"Page-turning WW2 hidden history masterfully told by award winner Daniel Nayeri 1941. The German armies are storming across Europe. Iran is a neutral country occupied by British forces on one side, Soviet forces on another. Soldiers fill the teahouses of Isfahan. Nazi spies roam the alleyways. Babak and his little sister have just lost their father. Now orphans, fearing they will be separated, the two devise a plan. Babak will take up his father's...

Part poem, part portable fireworks display with a vertical gatefold, this POB picture book from the award-winning team of Matthew Burgess and Catia Chien highlights the simple delights of a steamy July day in the city as two siblings eagerly await a spectacular fireworks display. POP! As a hot day sizzles into evening, everyone on stoops and sidewalks looks skyward on this special summer night--the Fourth of July! Words and art blossom into flowers...

"On a sweltering day, a little boy and his brother prepare to dive into the cool lake waters glistening below. Only this time, Father is not here. And the water looks so far away. How can the boy take the plunge? With exquisite gouache art, debut author-illustrator Angie Kang presents a tender, healing story of brothers holding space for their grief and each other, and of honoring the loved ones and the memories that give us strength and comfort for...

"A look at the author's hometown of El Paso, where the sun reigns over the vast desert and shapes all that it touches. Following a blazing trail of sundust, two curious siblings hop the wall into a place that’s endless and free. Here, prickly old nopal trees beg to be climbed, empty turtle shells invite a closer look, enormous rocks model how to sit still and listen, and a colibrí offers an unexpected ride. In the desert, where life revolves around...

Thirteen-year-old Henson Blayze strives to be seen as more than just a football player in his predominantly white small town of Great Mountain, Mississippi, but when a horrific incident compels him to speak out, he must choose between playing football and seeking justice. In the small town of Great Mountain, Mississippi, all eyes are on Henson Blayze, a thirteen-year-old football phenom who many have wondered if he was super-human. The predominately...

"This captivating biography chronicles the remarkable journey of fashion legend André Leon Talley-from humble beginnings in rural North Carolina to the pinnacle of the international world of fashion. Growing up in the Jim Crow South wasn't easy for young André. He escaped into the glimmering worlds he discovered inside magazines like Ebony and Vogue. He fell in love with all things French, and honed his taste for elegance and style in spite of those...

"Growing up in Puerto Rico, Wanda Díaz Merced wanted to study the stars. But when she lost her sight, she had to find a new way to work. Through the use of sonification, which turns data into sound, she was able to make a path for herself and other scientists with disabilities"-- Provided by publisher.

Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed "Bat") is about to start fourth grade-and unfortunately for him, everything is changing: there's a new teacher, a new classroom, new seats--and new rules. Mr. Grayson, Bat's third grade teacher, had a lovable class rabbit named Babycakes, who Bat could visit anytime he needed a break. But Mr. Pena does not have a class rabbit. In fact, Mr. Pena doesn't believe in class pets at all. And for Bat, that's one change too...

During the worst storm of the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma, twins Howe and Joanna must put their differences aside and work together to save their farm from ruin.