The Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators announced winners of the 2024 Crystal Kite Awards, which are peer-selected and voted on by SCBWI members from local regions. The prize recognizes excellence in the field of children's literature in 15 U.S. and international regions. This year's Crystal Kite regional division winners are:
Atlantic: Woven of the World by Katey Howes, illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova
California/Hawaii: A River of Dust: The Life-Giving Link Between North Africa and the Amazon by Jilanne Hoffmann, illustrated by Eugenia Mello
Midsouth: Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story by Jody Jensen Shaffer, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
Midwest: Willow and Bunny by Anitra Schulte, illustrated by Christopher Denise
New England: Wombats Are Pretty Weird: A [Not So] Serious Guide by Abi Cushman
New York: Big by Vashti Harrison
Southeast: I Ship: A Container Ship's Colossal Journey by Kelly Schmitt, illustrated by Jam Dong
Southwest: Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews by Julie Hedlund, illustrated by Ilaria Urbinati
Texas/Oklahoma: Glitter Everywhere! Where It Came From, Where It's Found & Where It's Going by Chris Barton, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat; and Animals in Surprising Shades: Poems About Earth's Colorful Creatures by Susan Johnston Taylor, illustrated by Annie Bakst
West: A Stone Is a Story by Leslie Barnard Booth, illustrated by Marc Martin
Australia/NZ: Hanukkah Upside Down by Elissa Weissman, illustrated by Omer Hoffman
Canada & North America: Deep, Deep Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench by Lydia Lukidis, illustrated by Juan Calle
Europe & Central, South, and Latin America: Lucky Me! by Lawrence Schimel, illustrated by Juan Camilo Mayorga
Middle East/India/Asia: The Light Within You by Namita Moolani Mehra, illustrated by Kamala Nair
U.K./Ireland: Windows to the World by Alice Bianchi-Clark, illustrated by Chloe Chang
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The shortlist has been selected for the 2024 Miles Franklin Award, which honors "the novel of the highest literary merit which presents Australian life in any of its phases." All the shortlisted authors receive A$5,000 (about US$3,325) each, and the winner, to be announced August 1, receives A$60,000 (US$39,920). The shortlist:
Only Sound Remains by Hossein Asgari
Wall by Jen Craig
Anam by André Dao
The Bell of the World by Gregory Day
Hospital by Sanya Rushdi, translated by Arunava Sinha
Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright