Children’s Book Committee Awards 2023

Josette Frank 2023 |

Flora Stieglitz Straus 2023 |

Claudia Lewis 2023 |
Josette Frank Award
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys (Penguin Young Readers Group).
From Our Young Reviewers
“The story arc of the main character, Cristian, is masterful. The mistrust and spy elements of the book kept me guessing and rooting for different characters at different parts of the story. All of the characters grow together as they respond to the political unrest of their country, community and families.”
Quade, 13, Encinitas, CA
“The plot was very meaningful, full of detail, and kept my attention through the entire thing. I felt the emotion of the main character through the entire book.”
Owen, 15, Lexington, MA
Flora Stieglitz Straus Award
Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked a Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy; illustrated by Janelle Washington (Roaring Brook Press).
From Our Young Reviewers
“The message of Choosing Brave and persevering, regardless of the tragedies that one is faced with, shines through in this book and encourages readers, young and old, to always do the right thing.”
Nikhil, 16, Englewood, NJ
“Choosing Brave is a very good book. It is a sad story but people need to know about it so we can all be free.”
Chloe, 9, Eastchester, NY
Claudia Lewis Award
Augusta Savage: The Shape of a Sculptor’s Life by Marilyn Nelson (Christy Ottaviano Books; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers).
From Our Young Reviewers
“For my first time reading a biography in the form of poems, it was a moving and captivating way of telling the story of Savage’s life.”
Sarabeth, 16, New York, NY
“The language and structure made this book engaging because the poems in the book alternate between long and short stanzas, depending on the emotions that Savage is experiencing during each period of her life. Because of the varying of the language and structure, the poems are unique, and they make the book one that I couldn’t put down.”
Vimala, 15, Queens, New York, NY