On Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 12 pm EDT, Horn Book Editor in Chief Elissa Gershowitz announced the 2023 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners. If you want to relive the excitement, you can watch the archived video here:

2023 BOSTON GLOBE–HORN BOOK AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED 

Prestigious Program Honors Excellence in Literature for Children and Young Adults

Boston, MA — June 20, 2023 — The Horn Book, Inc., today announced the 2023 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners. First presented in 1967, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards celebrate excellence in children’s and young adult literature.

A winner and two honor books were selected in each of three categories: Picture Book; Fiction and Poetry; and Nonfiction. The winning titles must be first U.S. editions of books published between June 2022 and May 2023 but may be written or illustrated by citizens of any country.

“We are so thrilled to recognize and celebrate the remarkable work of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners and honorees," said Linda Henry, CEO of Boston Globe Media. "We are so inspired by their creativity and commitment to the craft of storytelling for young readers. Thanks to Horn Book for continuing this tradition with us to award this prestigious honor and celebrate the authors and illustrators of children's and young adult literature." 

“A graphic memoir, a novel in verse, two young-adult page-turners, and a slate of picture books that demonstrates just how versatile the format can be,” said Elissa Gershowitz, Editor in Chief, The Horn Book, Inc. “This year’s judges have selected an extraordinary group of titles that are notably and wonderfully inclusive, creative, thought-provoking, and diverse.”

The 2023 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners are: 

PICTURE BOOK AWARD WINNER: 

When You Can Swim by Jack Wong (Orchard Books/Scholastic Inc.) 

Read the Horn Book's review.

FICTION AND POETRY AWARD WINNER: 

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers/Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group) 

Read the Horn Book's review.

NONFICTION AWARD WINNER: 

Sunshine by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Graphix/Scholastic Inc.) 

Read the Horn Book's review.

* * * 

PICTURE BOOK HONOR BOOKS: 

• Remember by Joy Harjo; illustrated by Michaela Goade (Random House Studio/Random House Children’s Books) 

• Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual by Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Frank Morrison (Crown Books for Young Readers/Random House Children’s Books)  

Read the Horn Book's reviews.

FICTION AND POETRY HONOR BOOKS: 

• Promise Boys by Nick Brooks (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers/Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group) 

• When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhhà Lại (Harper/HarperCollins Children’s Books) 

Read the Horn Book's reviews.

NONFICTION HONOR BOOKS: 

• H Is for Harlem by Dinah Johnson; illustrated by April Harrison (Christy Ottaviano Books/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) 

• Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy; illustrated by Janelle Washington (Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group) 

Read the Horn Book's reviews.

* * * 

The awards are chosen by an independent panel of three judges appointed by the Horn Book Editor in Chief. The 2023 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards judges are: chair Erica Marks, Senior Director of Outreach and Programming at Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland, Ohio; Martha V. Parravano, Contributing Editor, The Horn Book, Inc., and Roger Sutton, Editor in Chief Emeritus, The Horn Book, Inc. 

Winners and honorees will be celebrated during the month of October. 

* * * 

About Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC 

Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC ("BGMP") is a multimedia organization that provides news, entertainment, and commentary across multiple brands and platforms. Through its properties, BGMP offers leading integrated advertising solutions that connect communities, ideas, and causes through powerful storytelling and multimedia experiences. BGMP properties include The Boston Globe, Globe.com, Boston.com, STAT, Globe Publishing Services, Globe Events, and Studio/B. 

About The Horn Book, Inc. 

First published in 1924, The Horn Book Magazine provides its readership with in-depth reviews of the best new books for children and young adults as well as articles, interviews, and editorials. The Horn Book website, hbook.com, provides digital access to the Magazine and additional content including commentary, more reviews, and recommended reading lists. The Horn Book Magazine is a publication of Media Source, Inc., which is also the parent company of Library Journal, School Library Journal, Junior Library Guild, and AKJ Education. For more information, visit hbook.com. 

* * * 

For reviews of the winning titles and more, click on the tag BGHB23.