Awards

2024 Freeman Book Award Winners

Children’s Literature

The House Before Falling into the Sea

Ann Suk Wang; illustrated Hanna Cha
(Dial Books)

Rats to the Rescue: The Unlikely Heroes Making Cambodia Safe

Scott Riley and Sambat Meas; illustrated by Huy Voun Lee
(Millbrook Press)

Growing Up Under a Red Flag: A Memoir of Surviving the Chinese Cultural Revolution

Ying Chang Compestine; illustrated by Xinmei Liu
(Rocky Pond Books)

Hokusai’s Daughter: A Young Artist in Old Japan

Written and illustrated by Sunny Seki
(Tuttle Publishing)

Noodles on a Bicycle

Kyo Maclear; illustrated by Gracey Zhang
(Random House Studio)

A Tree of My Own

Nui Wilson, illustrated by Kayor, edited by Frances Lu Pai and Gigi Little
(Qilin Press)

Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains

Anita Yasuda; illustrated by Yuko Shimizu
(Clarion Books)

A Roof!

Stephanie Ellen Sy; illustrated by Daniel Tingcungco
(Kokila)

Young Adult / Middle School Literature

A Two-Placed Heart

Doan Phuong Nguyen
(Tu Books)

The Crossbow of Destiny

Brandon Hoang
(Scholastic Press)

The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree

Lucille Abendanon
(Jolly Fish Press)

A Brush with Magic

Flora Ahn
(Quirk Books)

Young Adult / High School Literature

Bridge Across the Sky

Freeman Ng
(Atheneum Books for Young Readers)

Blossoms on a Poisoned Sea: A Novel of Love & Betrayal in Minamata, Japan

Mariko Tatsumoto
(Northampton House Press)

A Crane Among Wolves

June Hur
(Feiwel & Friends)

A Bánh Mì For Two

Trinity Nguyen
(Henry Holt and Company)

Young Adult / Middle & High School Graphic Novels

The Boy from Clearwater: Book 2

Pei-Yun Yu; illustrated by Jian-Xin Zhou; translated by Lin King
(Levine Querido)

The Other Side of Tomorrow

Tina Cho; illustrated by Deb JJ Lee
(HarperAlley)

Your Letter

Written and illustrated by Hyeon A Cho; translated by WEBTOON
(Ize Press)

Pearl: A Graphic Novel

Sherri L. Smith; illustrated by Christine Norrie
(Graphix)

Explore Award Winners by Year

Explore Award Winners by Age Group

Children’s Young Adult / Middle Young Adult / High Graphic Novels
About the awards

Honoring East And Southeast Asian Titles for Children and Young Adults

National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA), the Committee on Teaching about Asia (CTA) of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), and Asia for Educators (AFE) at Columbia University sponsor the annual Freeman Book Awards for new young adult and children’s literature. The awards recognize quality books for children and young adults that contribute meaningfully to an understanding of East and Southeast Asia. Awards are given in two categories: Children’s and Young Adult on the several countries of East and Southeast Asia.

Learn More Submission Guidelines