Black Eyed Susan Books
2022-2023 Nominees
Picture Book
Avocado Asks by Momoko Abe
Crossings by Katy S. Duffield, illustrated by Mile Orodan
Don't Hug Doug: (He Doesn't Like It) by Carrie Finison, illustrated by Daniel Wiseman
Except Antarctica by Todd Sturgell
I am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story by Martha Brockenbrough with Grace Lin, illustrated by Julia Kuo
Norman Didn't Do It! : (Yes, he did.) by Ryan T. Higgins
The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story by Tina Cho, illustrated by Jess X. Snow
Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Frank Morrison
A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story by Sharon Langley and Amy Nathan, illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Sincerely, Emerson: A Girl, Her Letter, and the Helpers All Around Us by Emerson Weber, illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett
Someone Builds the Dream by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Loren Long
Twenty-one Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by Jeff Gottesfeld, illustrated by Mark Tavares
A Walk in the Words by Hudson Talbott
What's in Your Pocket? : Collecting Nature's Treasures by Heather L. Montgomery, illustrated by Maribel Lechuga
Grades 4-6
The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes
The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf
The Canyon’s Edge by Dusti Bowling
Efren Divided by Ernesto Cisneros
The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca
Unplugged by Gordon Korman
Willodeen by Katherine Applegate
Yusuf Azeem is Not a Hero by Saadia Faruqi
Graphic Novels: Grades 4-6
Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd, illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter
Anti/Hero by Kate Karyus Quinn and Demitira Lunetta, illustrated by Maca Gil
Chunky by Yehudi Mercado
City of Dragons: The Awakening Storm by Jaimal Yogis, illustrated by Vivian Truong
The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith
Just Roll with It by Lee Durfey-Lavoie, illustrated by Veronica Agarwal
Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte, illustrated by Ann Xu
Miles Morales: Shock Waves by Justin A. Reynolds, illustrated by Pablo Leon
Snapdragon by Kat Leyh
The Way of the Hive: A Honey Bee’s Story by Jay Hosler, illustrated by Hilary Sycamore
Grades 6-9
The 47 People You’ll Meet in Middle School by Kristin Mahoney
The Brave by James Bird
Fallout by Steve Sheinkin
Glitch by Laura Martin
Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon
Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt
Ophie’s Ghosts by Justina Ireland
The Shape of Thunder by Jasmine Warga
Starfish by Lisa Fipps
Summer of Brave by Amy Noelle Parks
Graphic Novels: Grades 6-9
Artie and the Wolf Moon by Olivia Stephens
The Ghoul Next Door by Cullen Bunn, illustrated by Cat Farris
Huda F are You? By Huda Fahmy
The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor
Lifetime Passes by Terry Blas, illustrated by Claudia Aguirre
Living with Viola by Rosena Fung
Salt Magic by Hope Larson, illustrated by Rebecca Mock
Shark Summer by Ira Marcks
The Underfoot: The Mighty Deep by Ben Fisher and Emily S. Whitten, illustrated by Michelle Nguyen
Ye by Guilherme Petreca
High School
Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Last Girls by Demetra Brodsky
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Long Way Down: the graphic novel by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff
Pumpkin by Julie Murphy
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson