The 2025 Children鈥檚 Book Awards, announced at the Children鈥檚 Book Awards Luncheon on November 23 in Boston, was a thrilling experience full of love, laughter, and high energy鈥攏ot to mention Heart, Hope, and Humanity. A highlight was the number of Indigenous stories selected for these prestigious awards, including the announcement of the 2025 Orbis Pictus Award庐 winner. This selection was timely, as it was announced during Nonfiction November, a celebration of nonfiction within the publishing and literature community, and during Native American Heritage Month.
听by Dan SaSuWeh Jones was named as the 2025 winner, and the author was able to be in the room when his honor was announced. He received a standing ovation from the 250 attendees, always a powerful experience.
“At the luncheon when it was announced that Stealing Little Moon听won the Orbis Pictus Award, there was a standing ovation that nearly dropped me to my knees. In those few minutes it was all I could do to hold back the tears from flowing from me. Not for myself but for my family and the hundreds of thousands of American Indian who endured the boarding school era.听During the applause, a young woman stood up from another table and made her way to me. I could see she was Native鈥攕he wore the traditional tattoos on her face of her Turtle Mountain Ojibwe heritage. I would later find out it was the听New York Times听bestselling author Carole Lindstrom. She wrapped her arms around me and her tears were flowing. At that point I couldn鈥檛 hold back either. As she hugged me, I could feel the pain either she or her family had endured within a boarding school and now the pain was being released like a wildfire. I know it will burn across this nation. Let the truth-telling begin!”
The room was electrified during this announcement, and many people witnessed the special embrace of these two authors. Carole Lindstrom, attending the Luncheon as a 2024 Charlotte Huck Honor book winner for , had this to say about her encounter with the fellow Indigenous author:
“My grandma sent Dan SaSuWeh Jones as a gift to heal a piece of my heart. I could feel my grandma speaking to me through him. His kind and comforting embrace, his words of kindness and care. To be able to release those long-held tears and emotions to someone who understands was a tremendous gift that I shall treasure always.”
The Orbis Pictus Award recognizes excellence in the writing of nonfiction for children. The committee selected Stealing Little Moon as “a compelling depiction of the miseducation and mistreatment of Native American children and youth, while highlighting their resilience and strengths” and a shining example of high-quality nonfiction literature for children. NCTE鈥檚 Position Statement on the Role of Nonfiction Literature (K鈥�12) further highlights the value of nonfiction literature, including this title, as it “addresses historical silences; explores historic and contemporary events rooted in racism, oppression, and violence; and highlights courageous trailblazers and organized groups working toward societal transformation and liberation.” The unique and personal encounter between these Indigenous authors further highlights the power of literature that honestly portrays lived experiences, as well as the power of making a space to celebrate those stories in community.
The committee also selected by Belen Medina and illustrated by Natalia Rojas Castro as an Orbis Pictus Recommended Book. It tells the story of an Indigenous athlete who competes in her traditional clothing to honor her people and history. Both of these nonfiction texts provide students with vital information about people and experiences that will enhance their understanding of the world.
Both of NCTE鈥檚 other book award committees also chose to highlight Indigenous texts. The 2025 Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels List includes by Tonya Simpson (a member of the Pasqua First Nation) and illustrated by Delre茅 Dumont (a member of the Onion Lake Cree Nation). The book honors the beauty of the Prairies and the Plains with a poetic lullaby. The 2025 Charlotte Huck Award庐 for Outstanding Fiction for Children list includes by Nadia Sammurtok (an Inuit writer) and illustrated by Simji Park, which was named as an Honor Book. This picturebook explores forced residential schooling, examining the hardships and emotional turmoil on Indigenous families. Much like Stealing Little Moon, the book explores the emotional toll on families and communities that school separation caused.
These titles and all of the rest of the books selected can be found on the award websites linked above. You can also purchase them on our , selecting these high-quality books for inclusion in your classroom or as holiday gifts for readers, young and old!
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