Himawari House by Harmony Becker, illustrated Harmony Becker
This young adult graphic novel follows three young women who stay at a share house in Japan, and their lives together. The book’s “remarkable mastery of graphic novel conventions and its perceptive exploration of emotionally resonant, evergreen themes relating to family, friendship, and identity” stood out to the judges.
This year’s young readers’ literature judges were Jerry Craft, Junko Yokota, Alec B. Chunn, and Laura Simeon.