Winner

The Pecan Sheller
by Lupe Ruiz-Flores
Middle School    Carolrhoda    256 pp.
4/25    9798765610527    $19.99

REVIEW TO COME

Honors

A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez
by María Dolores Águila
Intermediate, Middle School    Roaring Brook    304 pp.
9/25    9781250342614    $17.99
e-book ed.  9781250342607    $10.99

This historical novel in verse is based on the true story of Roberto Alvarez, a twelve-year-old Mexican American boy who was the lead plaintiff in a 1931 school segregation case in California. Mexican American students from Lemon Grove are slated to be sent to a segregated school in a retrofitted barn. The plan, made without public input, angers Roberto’s parents: “We cannot send our son to be educated en / una caballeriza!” The community decides to keep their children home rather than comply. Roberto is expelled for truancy, one family is deported, and others are threatened with job losses and forfeiture of government benefits. But the families persist, choosing bilingual and academically successful Roberto to represent them, and eventually win in court. Águila effectively conveys Roberto’s innocence. When he is first removed from his school, he wonders, “Why are they doing this? /I have the neatest handwriting in my class / and perfect attendance.” He’s also baffled and discouraged to learn that segregation is common in the United States. In shining a spotlight on this important case, Águila lays bare some of the harsh realities of discrimination, including some use of ethnic slurs (greaser, beaner), and readers may notice disturbingly timely parallels. Background information about the incident, an author’s note, and a bibliography are appended. MARVA ANNE HINTON

From the November/December 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

A Hero's Guide to Summer Vacation
by Pablo Cartaya
High School    Kokila/Penguin    288 pp.
5/25     9780451479754    $18.99
E-book ed.   9780451479778    $10.99
Spanish ed.   9798890983145    $12.95

When thirteen-year-old Gonzalo and his famous author abuelo are forced to spend time together over summer break, a rogue road trip helps them bond and heal: Gonzalo from the death of his father and Abuelo from past traumas and loss. Told from several points of view (including an overly involved narrator), the novel is a bit didactic. However, as a teaching tool, this is an enticing entry point to narrative elements for readers ready to delve into literary analysis. MONICA DE LOS REYES

From the Guide/Reviews Database.

The Island of Forgotten Gods
by Victor Piñeiro
Intermediate, Middle School    Sourcebooks    304 pp.
8/25    9781728230559    $16.99

REVIEW TO COME

Read reviews of the 2026 Pura Belpré Illustrator Awards here and of the 2026 Pura Belpré YA Awards here. For more, click on the tag ALA 2026.