“George”” and ““The Porcupine of Truth”” win 2016 Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award

George”, by Alex Gino, and “The Porcupine of Truth”, by Bill Koenigsberg, are the 2016 recipients of the Stonewall Book Awards—. The awards were announced by the American Library Association’s (ALA) Stonewall Book Awards Committee of the GLBT Round Table.

George”, in the children’s book category, is about a transgender girl who wants the role of Charlotte in her school’s performance of Charlotte’s Web. When people look at George, they see a boy. But she knows she’s a girl. With the help of her best friend, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte in her school play – but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

The Porcupine of Truth, in the young adult category, about a straight boy, a lesbian girl, and an epic road trip. Carson is stuck in Billings, Montana, when he meets Aisha. The two head out for an epic road trip that will change both their lives. Their adventure helps them find a community, a history, and a family.

The Stonewall Book Awards are given annually to English-language works of exceptional merit for children and teens relating to the GLBT experience. The awards will be presented to the winning authors or editors at the American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, Florida, in June.

The ALA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) was founded in 1971, and is the world’s oldest GLBT professional organization in the United States. It is committed to serving the information needs of the GLBT library community and individuals at large. The GLBTRT is committed to encouraging and supporting the free and necessary access to all information, as reflected by the missions of the American Library Association (ALA).

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world with more than 55,000 members. Its mission is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.