Photo: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The Jacqueline Woodson Award for LGBTQ+ Children’s/YA Literature honors outstanding books for young readers that thoughtfully and authentically explore LGBTQ+ identities, experiences, and themes. The award highlights the importance of representation in literature for children and teens and the power of stories to foster empathy and understanding.
Named for acclaimed author Jacqueline Woodson—winner of major honors including a MacArthur Fellowship, the Hans Christian Andersen Award, and the National Book Award—the prize recognizes works that offer engaging storytelling, compelling characters, and meaningful insight into LGBTQ+ lives.
Eligible titles may include coming-out stories, explorations of gender identity, LGBTQ+ history, and age-appropriate queer narratives for young audiences. A committee evaluates submissions for authenticity, craft, and impact.
The winner receives $1,000. Books must have been published in the preceding year.
The finalists and winners are determined by a panel of judges appointed by the Publishing Triangle’s awards committee. In the listings below, finalists are presented in alphabetical order by book title. Bold type and a triangle
indicate winners.
2025
Canto Contigo, by Jonny Garza Villa (Wednesday Books)
Crash Landing, by Li Charmaine Anne (Annick Press)
They Thought They Buried Us, by NoNieqa Ramos (Lerner Publishing Group)
What I Must Tell the World: How Lorraine Hansberry Found Her Voice, by Leslie Jay and Loveis Wise (Zando-Hillman Grad Books)
2024
Blackward, by Lawrence Lindell (Drawn & Quarterly)
Dragging Mason County, by Curtis Campbell (Annick Press)
The Otherwoods, by Justine Pucella Winans (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
Salma Writes a Book, by Danny Ramadan (Annick Press)