#FridayReads: National Book Award Finalists!
The National Book Award Finalists for 2016 were announced on October 6th. Every year the National Book Foundation selects five finalists in four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people’s literature. The award was begun in 1936, but soon was halted due to WWII. It was resumed in 1950 under a restructured organization as an annual event. Titles submitted for award consideration are reviewed by a panel of judges, who include authors, librarians,
critics, booksellers, and others. All finalists receive a $1000 prize, a medal, and become members of the National Book Foundation. Each category winner will receive a $10,000 prize and a bronze sculpture.
We would like to congratulate all of this year’s chosen authors on this momentous achievement! The winner in each category will be revealed on November 16th, but until then we suggest reading the following finalists:
FICTION
THE ASSOCIATION OF SMALL BOMBS by Karan Mahajan
Woven among the story of the Khurana and Ahmed families is the gripping tale of Shockie, a Kashmiri bomb-maker who has forsaken his own life for the independence of his homeland. Karan Mahajan writes brilliantly about the effects of terrorism on victims and perpetrators, proving himself to be one of the most provocative and dynamic novelists of his generation.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colson Whitehead
As Whitehead brilliantly re-creates the unique terrors for black people in the pre–Civil War era, his narrative seamlessly weaves the saga of America from the brutal importation of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is at once a kinetic adventure tale of one woman’s ferocious will to escape the horrors of bondage and a shattering, powerful meditation on the history we all share.
NONFICTION
BLOOD IN THE WATER: THE ATTICA PRISON UPRISING OF 1971 AND ITS LEGACY byHeather Ann Thompson
Drawing from more than a decade of extensive research, historian Heather Ann Thompson sheds new light on every aspect of the uprising and its legacy, giving voice to all those who took part in this forty-five-year fight for justice: prisoners, former hostages, families of the victims, lawyers and judges, and state officials and members of law enforcement. Blood in the Water is the searing and indelible account of one of the most important civil rights stories of the last century.
YOUNG PEOPLE’S LITERATURE
RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE by Kate DiCamillo
As the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw three girls into an unlikely Summer friendship — and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways.
THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR by Nicola Yoon
”A love story that is smart without being cynical, heartwarming without being cloying, and schmaltzy in all the best ways.“—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review
See the complete NBA 2016 Finalists list by visiting www.nationalbook.org.
Visit a collection of our favorite 2010-2016 NBA Finalists by clicking here.