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ATLANTA– “March: Book Three” created by John Lewis Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell, published by Top Shelf Productions, an imprint of IDW Publishing, has been named the 2017 winner of the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award, the first national award that honors the best nonfiction books for teens. The award was presented today by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) at the 91��ý’s Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits held Jan. 20 - 24, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Powerful and captivating, this graphic novel depicts the Civil Rights movement from fall of 1963 through the signing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Following John Lewis of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and fellow activists, the artwork brings to life the brutality, loss, and successes members experienced while carrying out a series of nonviolent protests to overcome local barriers and exercise their right to vote.

“It was truly a great year for nonfiction publishing,” said YALSA Nonfiction Award Chair Ellen Spring. “We saw a wide variety of topics from history to current events and from murder to mayhem. Our committee of YALSA members were excellent evaluators who appreciated the breadth and depth of the year’s offerings.”

The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a Nov. 1 – Oct. 31 publishing year. Award winners are announced annually during the 91��ý Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits’ Youth Media Awards. The award will be presented to Congressman John Lewis at a reception in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday, January 23, from 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center.

2017 YALSA Nonfiction Award finalists, which were announced in December, include:

• “Hillary Rodham Clinton: A Woman Living History,” by Karen Blumenthal and published by Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
• “In the Shadow of Liberty: The Hidden History of Slavery, Four Presidents, and Five Black Lives,” by Kenneth C. Davis, and published by Henry Holt, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
• “Samurai Rising: The Epic Life of Minamoto Yoshitsune,” written by Pamela S. Turner. Illustrated by Gareth Hinds, and published by Charlesbridge
• “This Land is Our Land: A History of American Immigration,” written by Linda Barrett Osborne, and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS

The full list of official nominations for the award will be available online at .

Members of the 2017 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults award committee are: Chair Ellen Spring, MSAD#40 K-12 District Librarian, Waldoboro, Maine; Meaghan Darling, Youth Services Librarian, Long Hill Public Library, Gillette, N.J.; Christopher Lassen, Youth Material Selector, The New York Public Library & Brooklyn Public Library; Lisa Lechuga, Librarian, Kitsap (Wash.) Regional Library; Jennifer Longee, Librarian, Durham (N.C.) Academy; Karen M. Perry, Adjunct Instructor, Dept. of Library Science, Darden School of Education, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va.; Loren Spector, Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library; Amanda Moss Struckmeyer, Library Media Specialist, West Middleton (Wis.) Elementary School, Middleton Cross Plains Area School District; Katherine Tigges, Children’s Librarian, Chicago Public Library; and Maggie Reagan, Booklist Consultant, Chicago.

The mission of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is to support library staff in alleviating the challenges teens face, and in putting all teens ‒ especially those with the greatest needs ‒ on the path to successful and fulfilling lives. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources go to , or contact the YALSA office by phone, 800-545-2433, ext. 4390; or e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.

For more information on the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults and other 91��ý Youth Media Awards, please visit .

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