The Young People's Literature Longlist for the 2018 National Book Awards

The National Book Foundation has announced the ten books contending for this year’s National Book Award in Young People’s Literature, chosen from a total of 325 books submitted to the foundation by publishers. This year, the Young People’s Literature judges are Robin Benway, who won in this category last year with her novel Far From the Tree, Lamar Giles, Grace Greene, Valerie Koehler, and Mitali Perkins. All of the National Book Award Finalists will be announced on October 10, and the winners will be announced on Wednesday, November 14th at the 2018 National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner in New York City.

The full longlist:

Elizabeth Acevedo, The Poet X
HarperTeen / HarperCollins Publishers

M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin, The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge
Candlewick Press

Bryan Bliss, We’ll Fly Away
Greenwillow Books / HarperCollins Publishers

Leslie Connor, The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle
Katherine Tegen Books / HarperCollins Publishers

Christopher Paul Curtis, The Journey of Little Charlie
Scholastic Press / Scholastic, Inc.

Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Hey, Kiddo
Graphix / Scholastic, Inc.

Tahereh Mafi, A Very Large Expanse of Sea
HarperTeen / HarperCollins Publishers

Joy McCullough, Blood Water Paint
Dutton Children’s Books / Penguin Random House

Elizabeth Partridge, Boots on the Ground: America’s War in Vietnam
Viking Children’s Books / Penguin Random House

Vesper Stamper, What the Night Sings
Knopf Books for Young Readers / Penguin Random House