2022 Children’s Shortlist
Kekla Magoon writes novels and nonfiction books for children and teens, often exploring themes of identity, community, empowerment, and social justice. Acclaimed titles include The Season of Styx Malone (winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award), How It Went Down (a Coretta Scott King Honor book), and Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People, which was a Michael L. Printz Honor winner and National Book Award Finalist. Kekla received the 2021 Margaret A. Edwards Award, a body-of-work recognition for a significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. Her debut picture book, The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall’s Life, Leadership and Legacy, was a 2022 Jane Addams Award finalist. Other recent titles are Chester Keene Cracks the Code and She Persisted: Ruby Bridges, written with Chelsea Clinton. Kekla grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She holds a BA in history from Northwestern University and an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she now teaches. Find her online at keklamagoon.com.
See all the 2022 winners and learn more about the 2022 Awards. See the entire children’s shortlists.