Schneider Family Book Award

In this work of speculative fiction, Piper searches for her identity as a Deaf teenager through her art and activism in a futuristic Australia rife with food insecurity, fuel shortages, political corruption, and censorship. She shows strength and determination by learning sign language and through her artwork and community garden.

Ariel and her identical sister were born with a rare condition called Crouzon Syndrome, a disorder preventing the typical growth of the skull, affecting the shape of the face and head. Throughout this memoir, Ariel writes about what it was like to grow up looking different in a society where beauty is valued, and the pressure she feels trying to be a normal kid, dealing with the trauma of numerous operations, bullying and a lack of self worth. Through her strength and emotional fortitude, Ariel has proven that “Beauty is subjective…Pain is Universal.”

Addie is Autistic. She explains to people that it is who she is. Being neurodivergent, she often hears and feels things more deeply than most people. Although she is treated cruelly by her teacher and bullied by some of her classmates, she is strong and determined. When her teacher discusses the community's history of women who were accused of witchcraft and executed unjustly, she lets nothing stand in her way to discover what really happened and to find a way to honor the legacy of these misunderstood women.

Portico Reeves is dealing with a lot in his life - his parents’ impending divorce, his own anxiety, and middle school friendships.  But never fear, because Portico has a secret superpower - and that is making sure all the people in his life stay super, and safe.  No one knows that he is actually...Stuntboy! Told in illustrated novel format, this is an engaging and empowering story of living with anxiety.

Photographer Darren Lebeuf and paper artist Ashley Barron collaborate on the tale of a girl with a visual impairment and her father as they journey throughout their city. The two enjoy many familiar stops along their journey to their final destination, a concert stage in the park.

Myers employs poetry and science to create a bird-loving autistic boy whose disability strongly shapes his identity. As Axel seeks to help heal his broken family and an injured eaglet, he learns to rely on his strength and the people around him, to help his family, the bird, and himself.

Set in Afghanistan, this brightly illustrated picture book shows readers the power of determination and cooperation.  Living with war has impacted many aspects of Aria’s life, including the absence of benches in her school. Her prosthetic leg makes it impossible for her to sit on the floor with her classmates. Using her wit and resources, Aria builds a bench for herself, inspiring her classmates to do the same.

An ode to persistence and determination, this inspiring autobiographical picture book recounts the author’s struggles and triumphs in learning to read. Drawing came easily to Hudson, but reading longer and longer texts was challenging. The illustrations communicate the emotion Hudson felt as he found his own way in a world filled with words.