Two 2015 National Book Award Nominees in Young People’s Literature: A Reading

Ilyasah Shabazz, third daughter of Malcolm X, is an activist, producer, motivational speaker, and author of the critically acclaimed Growing Up X and the picture book Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X. X: A Novel (Candlewick Press) —a Longlist selection for the 2015 National Book Award in Young People’s Literature—co-authored with Kekla Magoon, follows Malcolm from his childhood to his imprisonment for theft at age twenty, when he found the faith that would lead him to forge a new path and command a voice that still resonates today. NOMINATED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2015

Steve Sheinkin is the award-winning author of fast-paced, cinematic histories for young readers. His works have won numerous awards, including the Boston-Globe Horn Book Award for Nonfiction, the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, a Newbery Honor, and a National Book Award Finalist. Steve's most recent book, a World War II civil rights story called The Port Chicago 50, is the winner of the 2014 Boston-Globe Horn Book Award for Nonfiction. Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War (Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan Children's Publishing Group) —Finalist for a 2015 National Book Award in Young People’s Literature— is the story of Daniel Ellsberg and his decision to steal and publish secret documents about America's involvement in the Vietnam War. NOMINATED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2015