Awards

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.

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No One Else

By R. Kikuo Johnson
Published by Fantagraphics, 2021
Adult Readers
Book cover of No One Else

Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards

Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize 2022 Honor Book

A brother, sister, and her son must figure out how to be a family again after the death of an elderly father in R. Kikuo Johnson’s No One Else. Johnson’s specificity in this slim, enigmatic graphic novel brings a poignancy to that loss and its impact: the work ID accidentally thrown in the garbage, the grandfather’s ashes under the sink, a runaway cat, and everyday Maui’s traffic lights and backyard parties. Johnson’s finely observed naturalism contrasts with expansive spreads filled with fierce, expressionistic oranges and thick blacks. These impactful images and economical text encourage readers to contemplate the question of what we might find within loss.