The Importance of an LGBT Book Award

The Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award has been granted for 2011. The winner is Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher. For more information on the book and the four honor books for this award are as follows-

“Almost Perfect,” written by Brian Katcher, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc. is the winner of the 2011 Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award. The award is given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered experience.



Four honor books were selected: “will grayson, will grayson,” written by John Green and David Levithan and published by Dutton Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.; “Love Drugged,” written by James Klise and published by Flux, an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.; “Freaks and Revelations,” written by Davida Willis Hurwin and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; and “The Boy in the Dress,” written by David Walliams, illustrated by Quentin Blake and published by Penguin Young Readers Group.

Taken from here.

I think it's amazing that an award like this is out there. LGBT fiction should be acknowledged and I must congratulate Mr. Katcher on his win, as well as the other books honored. I'm afraid I haven't read Almost Perfect yet but I do own it and plan to very soon. I have read Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Love Drugged though and would recommend them.

This is the type of award that I would be honored to win. No, I'm not a published author...but I hope to be at some point and I'd love my current manuscript to be the one that gets me there. And if it is, it would be considered an LGBT novel. I suppose it's just something I'll have to strive for...here's hoping!

For now, what are your thoughts on the Stonewall award, winners, and honors? Any LGBT books from 2010 you wish were honored as well?

~Lauren

(don't forget to enter the huge prize pack giveaway! Entries can be found for a variety of things, and it's not that hard...plus, you might just win some awesome LGBT books, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, and some cool stationary. Don't miss out!)