For immediate release | January 27, 2025

‘Rising from the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992. Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire’ wins 2025 Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award

PHOENIX — “Rising from the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992. Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire,” written by Paula Yoo, has been named the 2025 winner of the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award, the first national award that honors the best nonfiction books for teens. The book is published by Norton Young Readers, an imprint of W.W. Norton & Company.

The award was announced today by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), during the ALA’s LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience held January 24 – 27 in Phoenix.

Paula Yoo astutely tackles the events surrounding the 1992 Los Angeles rebellion through the personal stories of Latasha Harlins, Rodney King and Edward Jae Song Lee. Nuanced, balanced and empathetic, these accounts craft a compelling and unforgettable read about race, injustice and hope.

Yoo’s impressive work is nuanced, thorough and thoughtful, highlighting voices we hadn’t heard before and exploring the lasting impacts of an important moment in history,” said YALSA Nonfiction Award Committee Chair Erica Schimmel.

The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12 –18) during a Nov. 1 – Oct. 31 publishing year.

The 2025 YALSA Nonfiction Award finalists, which were announced in December, include:

“A Greater Goal: The Epic Battle for Equal Pay in Women's Soccer—and Beyond,” written by Elizabeth Rusch and published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

“Homebody,” written and illustrated by Theo Parish and published by HarperAlley, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

“Shackled: A Tale of Wronged Kids, Rogue Judges, and a Town that Looked Away,” written by Candy J. Cooper and published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, a division of Astra Publishing House.

“The Unboxing of a Black Girl,” written by Angela Shanté and published by Page Street Publishing Co.

The full list of official nominations for the award will be available online at www.ala.org/yalsa/nonfiction.

Members of the 2025 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults committee are Chair Erica Schimmel, Arapahoe Libraries, Colorado; Nancy J. Johnson, Bellingham, Washington; C. Ellen Wickham, Kansas City Public Library, Missouri; Adrienne Gillespie, Tumwater Middle School, Portland, Oregon; Maryjean Riou, Hunterdon County Library System, Hunterdon County, New Jersey; Elisa Anais Garcia, New York Public Library (Center For Educators & Schools), New York; Suzan Alteri, Center for Children's Books University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Samantha Westall, Framingham State University, Framingham, Massachusetts.

About the American Library Association

American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. ALA is the trusted voice for libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.

About the Young Adult Library Services Association

The mission of the YALSA is to support library staff in alleviating the challenges teens face, and in putting all teens ‒ especially those with the greatest needs ‒ on the path to successful and fulfilling lives. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources, go to www.ala.org/yalsa or contact the YALSA office at e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.

For more information on the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults and other ALA Youth Media Awards, please visit www.ala.org/yma.

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