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BOSTON – “George” by Alex Gino (Oakland, CA), published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.; and “The Porcupine of Truth” by Bill Konigsberg (Chandler, AZ), published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., are the 2016 recipients of the Stonewall Book Awards—Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award. The awards were announced today by the 91��ý’s (91��ý) Stonewall Book Awards Committee of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Round Table, during the 91��ý Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits held Jan. 8–12, in Boston.

The Stonewall Book Awards are given annually to English-language works of exceptional merit for children and teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience. The awards will be presented to the winning authors or editors at the 91��ý Annual Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, in June.

“We are honored to award a separate children’s and young adult category for the first year. In “George,” we found a classic story that speaks to a transgender child’s experience. In “The Porcupine of Truth,” an epic journey takes two unlikely friends into the heart of community, history, family, and themselves,” said Stonewall Book Awards Children’s and Young Adult Subcommittee Chair Marian Mays.

When people look at George, they see a boy. But she knows she’s a girl. With the help of her best friend, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte in her school play – but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

Carson is stuck in Billings, Montana, when he meets Aisha. The two head out for an epic road trip that will change both their lives. Their adventure helps them find a community, a history, and a family.

Two Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Award Honor Books were named: “Wonders of the Invisible World,” written by Christopher Barzak, a Borzoi Book published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC; and “Sex is a Funny Word: a book about bodies, feelings, and YOU,” written by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth, also illustrated by Fiona Smyth, published by Seven Stories Press.

In “Wonders of the Invisible World,” seventeen-year-old Aidan feels like he is sleepwalking through his life until his childhood friend Jarrod returns to his hometown. Jarrod and Aidan are inexorably drawn to each other. Can their connection help Aiden unlock the secrets in his family and find his true self?

A comic book for kids that includes children and families of all makeups, orientations, and gender identities, “Sex Is a Funny Word” is an essential resource about bodies, gender, and sexuality for children ages 7 to 10 as well as their parents and caregivers.

The members of the Children’s and Young Adult Subcommittee of the 2016 Stonewall Book Awards Committee are: Subcommittee Chair Marian Mays, Washington Talking Book and Braille Library, Seattle, Wash.; Caitlyn Colman-McGaw, New York Public Library; Jennifer Suzanne Frencham, San Leandro, Calif.; Kyle Lukoff, Corlears School Library, New York; Angie M. Manfredi, Los Alamos (N.Mex.) County Library System; Casey McCoy, San Jose Public Library, Calif.; Talya Sokoll, Noble and Grennough School, Dedham, Mass.; Hillary St. George, Glendale, Calif.; and Lawral Wornek, F.W. Olin Library, Mills College, Oakland, Calif.

For information on the Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award and other 91��ý Youth Media Awards, please visit .

The 91��ý Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) was founded in 1971, and is the world’s oldest GLBT professional organization in the United States. It is committed to serving the information needs of the GLBT library community and individuals at large. The GLBTRT is committed to encouraging and supporting the free and necessary access to all information, as reflected by the missions of the 91��ý (91��ý).

The 91��ý is the oldest and largest library association in the world with more than 55,000 members. Its mission is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

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