2021 ALA Notable Books (Awarded by American Library Association)

Awards List

Children

Black Is a Rainbow Color
(*)
Angela Joy

Catherine's War
(*)
Julia Billet

From the Desk of Zoe Washington
(*)
Janae Marks

Go With the Flow
(*)
Karen Schneemann

Overground Railroad
(*)
Lesa Cline-Ransome

This Light Between Us
(*)
Andrew Fukuda

Where's Baby?
(*)
Anne Hunter

King and the Dragonflies
(*)
Kacen Callender

Ohana Means Family
(*)
Ilima Loomis

Snail Crossing
(*)
Corey R. Tabor

Snapdragon
(*)
Kat Leyh

When You Trap a Tiger
(*)
Tae Keller

The Bear in My Family
(*)
Maya Tatsukawa

Black Brother, Black Brother
(*)
Jewell Parker Rhodes

The Blackbird Girls
(*)
Anne Blankman

Dragon Hoops
(*)
Gene Luen Yang

Home Base
(*)
Nikki Tate

Mananaland
(*)
Pam Munoz Ryan

The Only Black Girls in Town
(*)
Brandy Colbert

Prairie Lotus
(*)
Linda Sue Park

Salma the Syrian Chef
(*)
Danny Ramadan

Show Me a Sign
(*)
Ann Clare LeZotte

The Three Billy Goats Buenos
(*)
Susan Middleton Elya

Vamos! Let's Go Eat
(*)
Raul the Third

A Way with Wild Things
(*)
Larissa Theule

We Are Water Protectors
(*)
Carole Lindstrom

A Wish in the Dark
(*)
Christina Soontornvat

The Cat Man of Aleppo
(*)
Irene Latham; Karim Shamsi-Basha

Echo Mountain
(*)
Lauren Wolk

Efren Divided
(*)
Ernesto Cisneros

One Little Bag
(*)
Henry Cole

Outside In
(*)
Deborah Underwood

What Stars Are Made Of
(*)
Sarah Allen

When Stars Are Scattered
(*)
Victoria Jamieson; Omar Mohamed

Wink
(*)
Rob Harrell

The Camping Trip
(*)
Jennifer K. Mann

Cat Dog Dog
(*)
Nelly Buchet

Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures
(*)
Tricia Springstubb

Lift
(*)
Minh Le

Our Friend Hedgehog
(*)
Lauren Castillo

Santiago's Road Home
(*)
Alexandra Diaz

Southwest Sunrise
(*)
Nikki Grimes

Superman Smashes the Klan
(*)
Gene Luen Yang

Swashby and the Sea
(*)
Beth Ferry

We Dream of Space
(*)
Erin Entrada Kelly

What About Worms!?
(*)
Ryan T. Higgins

Nana Akua Goes to School
(*)
Patricia Elam Walker

Prairie Days
(*)
Patricia MacLachlan

Brother's Keeper
(*)
Julie Lee

A Place Inside of Me
(*)
Zetta Elliott

The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez
(*)
Adrianna Cuevas

Elatsoe
(*)
Darcie Little Badger

Fighting Words
(*)
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Letters from Cuba
(*)
Ruth Behar

Me & Mama
(*)
Cozbi A. Cabrera

Raybearer
(*)
Jordan Ifueko

Before the Ever After
(*)
Jacqueline Woodson

Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away
(*)
Meg Medina

I Am Every Good Thing
(*)
Derrick Barnes

I Talk Like a River
(*)
Jordan Scott

Land of the Cranes
(*)
Aida Salazar

Lupe Wong Won't Dance
(*)
Donna Barba Higuera

See the Cat
(*)
David LaRochelle

Telephone Tales
(*)
Gianni Rodari

Three Keys
(*)
Kelly Yang

Zip, Zoom!
(*)
Kelly Starling Lyons

All Because You Matter
(*)
Tami Charles

Becoming Muhammad Ali
(*)
James Patterson; Kwame Alexander

Julian at the Wedding
(*)
Jessica Love

The Magic Fish
(*)
Trung Le Nguyen

The Most Beautiful Thing
(*)
Kao Kalia Yang

A Polar Bear in the Snow
(*)
Mac Barnett

Sugar in Milk
(*)
Thrity Umrigar

Fiction

Run Me to Earth
(*)
Paul Yoon

Shuggie Bain
(*)
Douglas Stuart

Deacon King Kong
(*)
James McBride

Temporary
(*)
Hilary Leichter

Breasts and Eggs
(*)
Mieko Kawakami

Little Eyes
(*)
Samanta Schweblin

The Vanishing Half
(*)
Brit Bennett

Hamnet
(*)
Maggie O'Farrell

Piranesi
(*)
Susanna Clarke

Leave the World Behind
(*)
Rumaan Alam

The Office of Historical Corrections
(*)
Danielle Evans

Award Categories

Children

Fiction

Award Years

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999