# Schneider Family Book Award

The Schneider Family Book Award is an award given by the American Library Association (ALA) recognizing authors and illustrators for the excellence of portrayal of the disability experience in literature for youth. There is a category for children's books, books appealing to middle grade readers and for young adult literature. The award has been given since 2004. The award was founded by Dr. Katherine Schneider, who was the first blind student to graduate from the Kalamazoo Public School system. Schneider had been helped through school as a child by a librarian at the Michigan Library for the Blind who provided books in Braille to her. The award is given out annually and the winners are announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting.

## Criteria

* The person with the disability may be the protagonist or a secondary character.
* Definition of disability: Dr. Schneider has intentionally allowed for a broad interpretation by her wording, the book "must portray some aspect of living with a disability, whether the disability is physical, mental, or emotional." This allows each committee to decide on the qualifications of particular titles.
* Books with death as the main theme are generally disqualified.
* The books must be published in English.
* The award may be given posthumously.
* Term of eligibility extends to publications from the preceding year.
* Books previously discussed and voted on are not eligible again.

## Winners

Schneider Family Book Award :
| Year | Category | Recipient | Title | Citation |
| 2004 | Young Children | Glenna Lang | Looking Out For Sarah | Winner |
| 2004 | Middle School | Wendy Mass | A Mango Shaped Space | Winner |
| 2004 | Teen | Andrew Clements | Things Not Seen | Winner |
| 2005 | Young Children | Diane Bertrand Gonzales, illustrated by Robert L. Sweetland | My Pal Victor/Mi amigo, Victor | Winner |
| 2005 | Middle School | Pam Muñoz Ryan | Becoming Naomi León | Winner |
| 2005 | Teen | Samantha Abeel | My Thirteenth Winter: A Memoir | Winner |
| 2006 | Young Children | Myron Uhlberg, illustrated by Colin Bootman | Dad, Jackie and Me | Winner |
| 2006 | Middle School | Kimberly Fusco Newton | Tending to Grace | Winner |
| 2006 | Teen | Adam Rapp | Under the Wolf, Under the Dog | Winner |
| 2007 | Young Children | Paul DuBois and Pete Seeger, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie | The Deaf Musicians | Winner |
| 2007 | Middle School | Cynthia Lord | Rules | Winner |
| 2007 | Teen | Louis Sachar | Small Steps | Winner |
| 2008 | Young Children | Andrea Stenn Stryer, illustrated by Bert Dodson | Kami and the Yaks | Winner |
| 2008 | Middle School | Tracie Vaughn Zimmer | Reaching for Sun | Winner |
| 2008 | Teen | Ginny Rorby | Hurt Go Happy | Winner |
| 2009 | Young Children | Robert Andrew Parker | Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum | Winner |
| 2009 | Middle School | Leslie Connor | Waiting for Normal | Winner |
| 2009 | Teen | Jonathan Friesen | Jerk, California | Winner |
| 2010 | Young Children | Bonnie Christensen | Django | Winner |
| 2010 | Middle School | Nora Raleigh Baskin | Anything But Typical | Winner |
| 2010 | Teen | Francisco X. Stork | Marcelo in the Real World | Winner |
| 2011 | Young Children | George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Lynne Avril | The Pirate of Kindergarten | Winner |
| 2011 | Middle School | Jordan Sonnenblick | After Ever After | Winner |
| 2011 | Teen | Antony John | Five Flavors of Dumb | Winner |
| 2012 | Young Children | No award given | No award given | None |
| 2012 | Middle School | Joan Bauer | Close to Famous | Winner |
| 2012 | Middle School | Brian Selznick | Wonderstruck | Winner |
| 2012 | Teen | Wendelin Van Draanen | The Running Dream | Winner |
| 2013 | Young Children | Claire Alexander | Back to Front and Upside Down! | Winner |
| 2013 | Middle School | Sarah Lean | A Dog Called Homeless | Winner |
| 2013 | Teen | Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis | Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am | Winner |
| 2014 | Young Children | Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet | A Splash of Red : The Life and Art of Horace Pippin | Winner |
| 2014 | Middle School | Merrie Haskell | Handbook for Dragon Slayers | Winner |
| 2014 | Teen | Elizabeth Wein | Rose Under Fire | Winner |
| 2015 | Young Children | Alan Rabinowitz, illustrated by Catia Chien | A Boy and a Jaguar | Winner |
| 2015 | Middle School | Ann M. Martin | Rain Reign | Winner |
| 2015 | Teen | Gail Giles | Girls Like Us | Winner |
| 2016 | Young Children | Laurie Ann Thompson, illustrated by Sean Qualls | Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah | Winner |
| 2016 | Middle School | Lynda Mullaly Hunt | Fish in a Tree | Winner |
| 2016 | Middle School | Kimberly Brubaker Bradley | The War That Saved My Life | Winner |
| 2016 | Teen | Teresa Toten | The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B | Winner |
| 2017 | Young Children | Jen Bryant, illustrated by Boris Kulikov | Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille | Winner |
| 2017 | Middle School | Jason Reynolds | As Brave As You | Winner |
| 2017 | Teen | Emery Lord | When We Collided | Winner |
| 2018 | Young Children | Allen Say | Silent Days, Silent Dreams | Winner |
| 2018 | Middle School | Shari Green | Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess | Winner |
| 2018 | Teen | Whitney Gardner | You're Welcome, Universe | Winner |
| 2019 | Young Children | Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, illustrated by Scott Magoon | Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship | Winner |
| 2019 | Young Children | Jessie Oliveros, illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte | The Remember Balloons | Honor |
| 2019 | Middle School | Leslie Connor | The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle | Winner |
| 2019 | Middle School | Jacqueline West | The Collectors | Honor |
| 2019 | Teen | Mark Oshiro | Anger is a Gift | Winner |
| 2019 | Teen | Kelly Jensen (ed.) | (Don’t ) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation About Mental Health | Honor |
| 2020 | Young Children | Sonia Sotomayor, illustrated by Rafael López | Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You | Winner |
| 2020 | Young Children | Jenn Bailey, illustrated by Mika Song | A Friend For Henry | Honor |
| 2020 | Middle School | Kelly Lynne | Song for a Whale | Winner |
| 2020 | Middle School | Pablo Cartaya | Each Tiny Spark | Honor |
| 2020 | Teen | Karol Ruth Silverstein | Cursed | Winner |
| 2020 | Teen | Alison Gervais | The Silence Between Us | Honor |
| 2021 | Young Children | Jordan Scott, illustrated by Sydney Smith | I Talk Like a River | Winner |
| 2021 | Young Children | Annette Bay Pimentel, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali | All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything | Honor |
| 2021 | Young Children | Tracy Newman, illustrated by Abigail Halpin | Itzhak: A Boy who Loved the Violin | Honor |
| 2021 | Middle School | Ann Clare LeZotte | Show Me a Sign | Winner |
| 2021 | Middle School | Sarah Kapit | Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! | Honor |
| 2021 | Middle School | Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, illustrated by Victoria Jamieson, color by Iman Geddy | When Stars Are Scattered | Honor |
| 2021 | Teen | I. W. Gregorio | This Is My Brain In Love | Winner |
| 2022 | Young Children | Darren Lebeuf, illustrated by Ashley Barro | My City Speaks | Winner |
| 2022 | Young Children | Hudson Talbott | A Walk in the Words | Honor |
| 2022 | Young Children | Bahram Rahman, illustrated by Peggy Collins | A Sky-Blue Bench | Honor |
| 2022 | Middle School | Alison Green Myers | A Bird Will Soar | Winner |
| 2022 | Middle School | Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Raúl the Third | Stuntboy, in the Meantime | Honor |
| 2022 | Middle School | Elle McNicoll | A Kind of Spark | Honor |
| 2022 | Teen | Asphyxia | Words in My Hands | Winner |
| 2022 | Teen | Ariel Henley | A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome | Honor |
| 2023 | Young Children | Shannon Stocker, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth | Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion | Winner |
| 2023 | Young Children | Erin Hourigan | In the Blue | Honor |
| 2023 | Middle School | C.C. Harrington | WILDOAK | Winner |
| 2023 | Middle School | Natalie Lloyd | Hummingbird | Honor |
| 2023 | Middle School | Gillian Dunn | Honestly Elliott | Honor |
| 2023 | Teen | Erin Stewart | The Words We Keep | Winner |
| 2023 | Teen | Natalia Sylvester | Breathe and Count Back from Ten | Honor |
| 2024 | Young Children | Jenn Bailey, illustrated by Mika Song | Henry, Like Always | Winner |
| 2024 | Young Children | Joanna Que and Charina Marquez, illustrated by Fran Alvarez | Dancing Hands | Honor |
| 2024 | Young Children | James Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George | What Happened to You? | Honor |
| 2024 | Middle School | Sally J. Pla | The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn | Winner |
| 2024 | Middle School | Meg Eden Kuyatt | Good Different | Honor |
| 2024 | Middle School | Erin Bow | Simon Sort of Says | Honor |
| 2024 | Teen | Mariama J. Lockington | Forever Is Now | Winner |
| 2024 | Teen | Claire Forrest | Where You See Yourself | Honor |
| 2024 | Teen | Mazey Eddings | Tilly in Technicolor | Honor |
| 2025 | Young Children | Sarah Kurpiel | A Little Like Magic | Winner |
| 2025 | Young Children | Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan, illustrated by Dion MBD | Monster Hands | Honor |
| 2025 | Young Children | James and Lucy Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George | You’re So Amazing! | Honor |
| 2025 | Middle School | Rob Harrell | Popcorn | Winner |
| 2025 | Middle School | John Schu | Louder Than Hunger | Honor |
| 2025 | Middle School | Sherri Winston | Shark Teeth | Honor |
| 2025 | Young Adult | Maya Van Wagenen | Chronically Dolores | Winner |
| 2025 | Young Adult | Lauren Seal | Light Enough to Float | Honor |
| 2025 | Young Adult | Anna Sortino | On the Bright Side | Honor |