The MKB Awards are back for a second year in a row. Last year, we chose multiple winners in each category celebrating our favorites. This year, we thought we would dive deeper. Every year we see incredible books being published and while the number of diverse titles by diverse authors is increasing, it is no where near where it should be. It's why we choose to focus our efforts on making books written by BIPOC & queer authors more accessible. It's these books that are being banned. It's these books that seem to never make their way into our local public library systems. And with little to no funding, it's these books that never make their way into classrooms either. We're actively changing that here in Eastern North Carolina. But we want to highlight the best of the best so people across the country can affordably diversify their shelves too.
All nominees & winners can be found in one book list here:
Without further ado, here are our 2024 MKB Award winners:
Best in board books: on powwow day
This eye-catching, interactive board book is sure to keep young ones engaged. Count one through ten as you make your way through the day of the powwow, looking for colors, family members, jingle dresses, musical instruments, and tribal citizens in this introduction to a traditional Native event. Originally, an award-winning children's picture book, this story was adapted to be read to little listeners in a warm and vibrant board book edition.
Grab a copy here.
best in picture books: My Olive Tree
In this simple, touching picture book about the healing power of a loving community, a girl's grandpa and her neighbors help her grow an olive tree in a war-torn land. Beautifully written & illustrated by Hazar Elbayya, even the littlest readers can understand the hardships of Palestinians, the power in community, and the resilience of a peoples all through the lens of a child. Salam's grandpa says that olive trees are strong and that their roots run deep in their Palestinian land. They connect everyone--from the farmer who presses the olives into oil to the baker who uses the oil in his taboon. Salam plants her own seed and is eager to see it grow. She waits, she waters, she asks the seed to hurry, until finally...a sprout! But one day soldiers come and destroy everything in their path, including Salam's new olive tree. Salam is crushed -- though she doesn't have to worry. Her grandpa gathers their neighbors and, together, they plant olive trees as far as the eye can see. Grab a copy here.
Best in Emerging reader: Wrath of the rain god
This was our 6yo son, Milo's, first ever review for MOSS Kids. We buddy read the book together -- he read in Spanish, while I read in English. Very reminiscent of the Magic Treehouse series, we join 9yo twins, Emma and Martín, who begrudgingly move from Mexico to Chicago. Their abuela gifts them special presents that open a portal to an adventure into a book of Mexican legends. They must help the people of the ancient city of Texcoco save their homes from Tlaloc, the rain god. Milo noted that he liked the book because it had magic and he learned more about Mexican history and mythology. This is great for kids who enjoy shorter stories and books that magically come to life. You'll want to join these two on all of their adventures. The second & third installations are out now.
Best in middle grade: Jax Freeman and the phantom Shriek
This category was the hardest to choose a winner. Every single book was incredible. They are were original and fresh, enticing and relatable. But one, stood out just a bit more. Jax Freeman is unlucky. His entire family is unlucky. On his 12th birthday, as he stands alone at Chicago's Union Station, weird happenings begin and he discovers that he is a summoner -- able to wield magic by summoning the power of his ancestors. At his new school, he accidentally summons an angry spirit, his one true friend disappears, and Jax gets put front and center in an old family feud he knows nothing about. This story weaves in recent events in Black history -- the diaspora to the North as a result of rising violence against newly freed Black individuals; the largely unknown fact that most who worked on the railroads were African Americans; the industriousness of Black individuals to succeed and the violence that occurs when White people get jealous of that success (there are multilayered allusions to the Black Wall Street Massacre); and the heavy prevalence of Black individuals, usually Black young men, targeted and accused of violence/crime. All within a middle grade magical world. This world that Kwame is building really is something beautiful and special. This is the perfect classroom read-aloud, the perfect adult/kid buddy read, the perfect book club discussion pick. We cannot wait to see what happens next in the world of Jax Freeman. Grab a copy here.
Best in young adult: how the boogeyman became a poet
We've never recommended a specific book more. From our book lists on our socials, waiting in signing lines at book festivals, in the public libraries, at our local PRIDE and Juneteenth events -- we have shouted into the void that if there is one book you & your teen need to read together, it's this one. This debut is a powerful memoir in verse, tracing the author's journey from being a closeted gay Black teen battling poverty, racism, and homophobia to becoming an openly gay first-generation college student who finds freedom in poetry. Tony asks us to introspectively reflect, how do you find your poetic voice when you are hiding the most important parts of yourself? And how do you escape the Boogeyman when it's lurking inside you? Lyrical in both the written text & spoken word through the audiobook, which Tony narrates himself, this is a must-read. Grab a copy here.
Overall best in young literature: Home in a lunchbox
This award was one of the hardest to choose with so many incredible releases this year across children's literature. However, we kept coming back to the beauty of this children's picture book that relies primarily on it's illustrations with minimal supporting text. For a book with very minimal words, it speaks volumes. The immigrant experience is illustrated brilliantly, viscerally, as one can feel the emotions as the illustrations leap off the page. Jun has moved to America; to a new country with a new language, with new foods. She struggles with school, with making new friends, however, when she opens her lunchbox, she finally has a taste of home. We haven't stopped thinking about this book since we first read it and we know it will stay with you and your kids too.
Grab a copy here.
Most donated book: The last Stand
We donated 375 (!!) signed copies of The Last Stand this year to children in Edgecombe County across three Title I public schools & at our local Juneteenth Festival. We are incredibly grateful to author Antwan Eady for virtually visiting our communities this past February. The kids still talk about his visit months later. The Last Stand is a tender inter-generational story inspired by Antwan's childhood in the rural south. Welcome to a farm stand, the last farm stand, that represents the importance of family, community, and hope. Grab a copy here.
Community pick: towed by toad
Voted by our community, one of our absolute favorite books of the year (note that it was a nominee for best picture book too), is Towed by Toad. Jashar Awan is one of our favorite authors who continues to produce the best of the best. Hop on a tow-truck ride with Toad as he learns that everyone needs help sometimes, even the helpers! "No time, Pop! Can't stop!" Toad and his tow truck are always on the move to lend a hand to anyone who needs help. Whether it's a flat tire or engine trouble, it's Toad to the rescue! Toad is so used to being the problem solver that when his tow truck breaks down, he does everything he can to fix it himself -- and can't! What happens when the helper needs help? This one is the perfect read-aloud full of fascinating vehicles and endearing characters. Grab a copy here.
We went a little bit over the top this year & ordered MKB Award stickers for each of our winners. We know we are a small nonprofit with a small following. In the grand scheme of things, our award is not prestigious or coveted, really it's just for fun. But we still want to recognize the hard work & beautiful creativity that these authors pour into their books. As LeVar Burton once said to us (yes, he actually said this directly to us & we cried), everyone yearns and deserves to be acknowledged. We want to do our part in bringing you the best of the best, acknowledging them while also diversifying your bookshelves. Congratulations to all of this year's nominees and winners. We are absolutely honored that you choose to share your voice with the world & that we have the opportunity to share it with our local communities through our various initiatives. We cannot wait to see what 2025 brings to us in children's literature -- we're ready for it!
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