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In addition to the , YALSA publishes a list of vetted nominations for the Nonfiction Award. Seals for nonfiction nominees are available in the 91´«Ã½ Store and may be purchased in bulk. Visit for more information.

Vetted List for Nonfiction 2022

Singled Out: The True Story of Glenn Burke, by Andrew Maraniss. Philomel Books. 9780593116722

In this insightful and overdue biography about one of the most talented stars ever to step onto a baseball field, Glenn Burke’s major league career is cut short by policy and discrimination after he became the first player to publicly announce that he was gay.

Meltdown: Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Disaster in Fukushima, by Deirdre Langeland. Roaring Brook Press. 9781626727007

A day by day account of the historic event from 2011, an earthquake and tsunami, and the effect those natural disasters had on the nuclear power plant and people. The book details the destruction by providing an insightful look at the science behind the nuclear power plant disaster in Fukushima.

In the Shadow of the Moon: America, Russia, and the Hidden History of the Space Race, by Amy Cherrix. Balzer + Bray. 9780062888754

This book explores the Space Race between America and Russian. It highlights the lives of the two men at the head of the Space Race: Wernher Von Braun and Sergei Korolev by elegantly weaving in little known details.

Punching Bag, by Rex Ogle. Norton Young Readers. 9781324016236

A gripping memoir of his teen years in which Ogle shares his experience of physical abuse at the hands of his mom and stepdad while working through the trauma of a sister he never got to know.

Call and Response: The Story of Black Lives Matter, by Veronica Chambers. Versify/HarperCollins. 9780358573418

Chambers uses her writing and editing experience with the New York Times to contextualize the Black Lives Matter movement from the United States’s history with racial injustice to the current protests. Her abundant use of historical and contemporary photography robustly supports the text.

Separate No More: The Long Road to Brown v. Board of Education, by Lawrence Goldstone. Scholastic Focus. 9781338592832

A long view of the historic 1954 civil rights case Brown versus Board of Education, starting with the "separate but equal" doctrine established in 1896, and highlighting important legal cases that lead the way for that doctrine to be overturned.

Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition), by Anton Treuer. Levine Querido. 9781646140459

Using a question and answer format, Treuer addresses topics around Indigenous peoples past, present, and future, in an organized and thoughtful approach for teens. This YA version provides updated commentary on events like the Keystone pipeline as well as thoughts on topics like language preservation for Native people.

Run: Book One, by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin and illustrated by L. Fury and Nate Powell. Abrams ComicArts. 9781419730696

This beautifully illustrated graphic novel covers the period of John Lewis's life after the signing of the Voting Rights Act on Aug. 6, 1965, through his ouster as chairman of SNCC. The first book in a new series from the creators of the March trilogy.

The Burning: Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 (Young Readers Edition), by Tim Madigan adapted by Hilary Beard. Henry Holt & Co. 9781250787699

Bringing together multiple accounts and scenes from Greenwood, Beard adapts Madigan’s original text for a younger audience. Highlighting successful Black businesses and people through first hand accounts and with specificity, the book brings readers back to the time and place that the gruesome event transpired.

When Can We Go Back to America? Voices of Japanese American Incarceration During WWII, by Susan H. Kamei. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. 9781481401449

This exhaustive history discusses the incarceration of Japanese-American young people and their parents during WWII. Using a narrative style and numerous quotes from first-person interviews and oral histories, Kamei highlights the stories of children and teens who endured this terrible chapter in history.

The Curse of the Mummy: Uncovering Tutankhamun's Tomb, by Candace Fleming. Scholastic. 9781338797084

When Lord Carnarvon and Dr. Howard Carter rediscovered Tutankhamum’s wondrous tomb, mysterious illnesses and accidents began to afflict those working on the dig. Fleming tells the engaging story of the search and rediscovery of the famed tomb against the backdrop of a rapidly changing Egypt and rumors of the mummy’s curse.