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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Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy

By Tony Medina
Published by Penny Candy Books, 2018
Young Readers
Cover image of Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy

Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards

Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award 2019 Honor Book

Medina’s tanka poems evoke highly specific and emotionally charged images of the preciousness of Black boys’ lives from varied perspectives.

In 13 Ways of Looking at a Black Boy Tony Medina uses the tanka, a less-known poetic form which he explains in the book, to present a variety of snapshots of the lives of young African-Americans. The poems are each illuminated by the work of a different artist and the book is a visual and auditory delight.