Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature facts for kids
The Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature, also known as APAAL, are special awards given each year to the best books about Asian and Pacific Americans. The awards are presented by the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), a group that supports librarians and communities with Asian or Pacific heritage.
The APALA was started in 1980. It grew out of a smaller discussion group inside the American Library Association (ALA), which is the main organization for libraries in the United States. The goal was to help libraries better serve minority communities and to support librarians from those backgrounds.
These awards celebrate books that explore the history and culture of Asian and Pacific Americans. To be considered for an award, a book must be written in English and published in the U.S. The authors don't have to be of Asian or Pacific Islander descent, but they must be U.S. citizens or residents.
Contents
Award Categories
The awards are given in several categories, which have changed over the years. The main categories usually include:
- Adult Fiction: Novels written for grown-ups.
- Adult Non-Fiction: True stories, history, or informational books for adults.
- Young Adult Literature: Books written for teenagers.
- Children's Literature: Books for younger readers.
- Picture Book: Books where pictures are just as important as the words.
Examples of Award-Winning Books
Over the years, many amazing books have won an APAAL award. Here are a few examples you might know, especially from the categories for young readers.
Young Adult and Children's Literature Winners
Many popular books for young people have been recognized.
- 2001–2003: A Step from Heaven by An Na won the Children and Young Adult Literature award. The famous book A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park received an honor in the same category.
- 2005–2006: Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata was the winner in the Youth Literature category.
- 2018–2019: Front Desk by Kelly Yang won the Children's Literature award, and Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram won for Young Adult Literature.
- 2019–2020: The graphic novel They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott won the Young Adult Literature award.
- 2021–2022: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo was the winner in the Young Adult Literature category.
Picture Book Winners
These books use beautiful art to tell stories.
- 2005–2006: The Firekeeper's Son by Linda Sue Park and illustrator Julie Downing won the award.
- 2017–2018: A Different Pond by Bao Phi and illustrator Thi Bui was the winner.
- 2021–2022: Watercress by Andrea Wang and illustrator Jason Chin won the award. This book also won other major awards, like the Caldecott Medal.
Fiction and Non-Fiction Winners
These awards recognize powerful books for adults.
- 2001–2003: The famous novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel won the Adult Fiction award.
- 2009–2010: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford was the winner for Adult Fiction.
- 2015–2016: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen won the Adult Fiction award. This book also won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
