American Indian Youth Literature Award Books

The American Indian Youth Literature Award is given by the American Indian Library Association and was first presented in 2006 at the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color. AILA's stated standard is work that presents Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity, and the award identifies the best writing and illustration by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America — a judgment about who made the book, not only about what it is about.

It runs on a two-year cycle rather than an annual one: nominations are gathered in odd-numbered years and winners announced in even-numbered ones, in three categories — best picture book, best middle grade book, and best young adult book — with up to five honor books in each. Fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels are all eligible, and the picture book award recognizes author and illustrator together.

The biennial rhythm keeps the winners list short, so the honor books carry much of its usefulness. For a teacher, it is the most direct way to check a Native-themed title against Native librarians' judgment before it anchors a classroom unit; for a family, it is a compact starting shelf assembled by the people the books are about.

Information from the American Indian Library Association.