The Pennsylvania Center for the Book celebrates outstanding books, authors, and literary achievement through four signature awards: The Baker’s Dozen: Thirteen Best Books for Family Literacy, The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, The Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, and Pennsylvania Great Reads from Great Places. Together, these programs recognize excellence in family literacy, children’s poetry, graphic novels, and books that reflect Pennsylvania’s rich literary heritage. By honoring exceptional literary works and connecting readers with engaging and meaningful stories, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book promotes lifelong reading, literacy, and a love of literature across the Commonwealth and beyond.
Carmen Maria Machado’s In the Dream House is a powerful memoir of her tumultuous relationship with a volatile partner. Using inventive narrative tropes like the haunted house and bildungsroman, Machado examines her experiences, explores the myth of utopian lesbian relationships, and delves into the history and reality of abuse in queer relationships.
