I’ve been overwhelmed and overjoyed by a flurry of state-level nominations for Simon Sort of Says. I’ve called out California and Texas already, but here’s everything as a nice list. My family printed a blank map, hung it on the fridge, and is happily colouring it in.

• included on Texas Lone Star List

• selected as a “top pick” by the Kansas National Education Association’s Reading Circle Commission.

• nominated for California Young Readers Medal, a readers’ choice award

• nominated for Virginia State Literary Association middle school readers’ choice award

• nominated for Oklahoma’s Sequoyah Medal intermediate readers’ choice award

• nominated for the Great Lakes Great Books readers’ choice award

• nominated for the Kentucky’s Bluegrass Award, a readers choice award

• nominated for the Vermont Golden Dome Award, a readers’ choice award

• nominated for the Rhode Island Middle School Book Award — the RIMSBA — a readers’ choice award

• nominated for the Maine Student Book Award, a readers’ choice award

• nominated for Maryland’s Black-eyed Susan Book Award, a readers’ choice award

• nominated for New Jersey’s Garden State Teen Book Award, a readers’ choice award

• selected as one of two honor books at Alabama’s Yellowhammer Award

These readers’ choice awards — where kids read the nominated books and pick their own favourite — are particularly dear to my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I love the love from librarians, and thank the librarians who made these lists. But middle-grade books should be for middle-grade readers. I love it when kids get to pick their own award winners.

SIMON SORT OF SAYS just won a 2023 Cybil Award for middle-grade fiction!

I am going to quote my editor because it’s more couth to let other people do your bragging: “These awards are organized and judged by book bloggers, influencers, and reviewers, reflecting both quality representation and writing and popular appeal.“

I can’t tell you how huge of an accomplishment this is, on top of all your other decorations. Judged by writers (National Book Awards), librarians (Newbery Honor), and now bloggers, Simon has topped the list for all three. It’s a rare book that gathers such support in every circle. You should be so proud!

SIMON SORT OF SAYS is a finalist for an Audie Award! Huge congratulations to Will Collyer and the Disney audiobook team.

I vividly remember when Disney sent me a recording of Will reading the first chapter. To be honest I do not usually listen to the audiobook versions of my own work, because that's somehow mortifying, but when I heard Will read, it was like falling in love with Simon all over again.

And then ... Will hit that last line in the first chapter and there was the tiniest crack and wobble in "anyway, that's what I tell people." It made tears spring up in my eyes. I knew Will and Disney were going to create something amazing. It seems the Audio Publishers Association agrees!

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My book SIMON SORT OF SAYS won both a Scheinder Family Honor and a Newbery Honor.

Like everyone else in kid-lit, I had a high-stress weekend leading up to the Youth Media Awards. It’s possible I made eight dozen cookies.

Sunday morning, I glanced at the phone and there was a message on it. It was the committee from the Schneider Family Book Award – that’s the book award for putting the disability experience on the page -- and they were asking me to call them back.

I figured if I’d heard from one committee, the other wouldn’t be calling. I tried not to let that be bittersweet.

But if I am honest, I admit the Newbery is the award I’ve wanted my whole professional life. I have a feeling I’m not supposed to admit that, as if ambition were bad, but it’s true. And because the pundits were saying this year there might be a chance, I’ve been on edge since October. So when the phone rang again at 9 PM --- I don’t think I handled it with sangfroid. In fact I think I made some rabid raccoon noises at the committee.

I know I cried.

I did part one, and there is indeed a part two!

• Kirkus joins Publisher’s Weekly and School Library Journal naming Simon Sort of Says as one of the best middle-grade books of 2023.

• Shelf Awareness, which did such a nice interview and review pairing at the beginning of the year, returns with a Best of the Year list.

• Quill and Quire gives Simon some Canadian love

• The Canadian Children’s Book Centre just put out the fall edition of Best Books for Kids and Teens magazine, and not only lists Simon, but gives it a star.

I’m torn by these lists. I am genuinely proud of my little book, though I think I am not supposed to admit that. It’s so good! I love it so much! I hope these lists help all the readers find it! On the other hand, these high expectations are very stressful and weird.

Our heroes at the Texas Library Association have just come out with the thirty middle-grade titles on the Texas Lonestar Reading List.

It’s a great list with titles I have read and loved — First Time for Everything! Door of No Return! The Probability of Everything, which I need to talk to someone about! Stateless, which I read in draft and adored! It’s got two books I’m reading right now — The Fire The Water and Maudie McGinn and Mascot . It’s got more I need to check out — for starters there’s a Frances Hardinge I haven’t read yet and she is one of my household gods.

I’m thrilled that Simon Sort of Says is keeping this company.

Are you ready to face the end-of-year best books list? Me neither. But Simon Sort of Says is already turning up on some of lists of Best Books of 2023. Here’s the early news:

• Publishers’ Weekly

• Evanston Public Library

• Shelf Awareness

• Chicago Public Library

• School Library Journal

I’m thrilled to announce that Simon Sort of Says has been nominated for a Red Maple Award.

Red Maple is part of the Forest of Reading, a huge kids choice award program here in Canada. Kids in grades 7-8 will read nominated titles and vote for their favourite.

There's a party in May where kids come to this huge outdoor event and winners are announced live and authors are treated like rockstars. It's the best.

I'm so happy to see Simon finding new readers like this. Also the rest of the list is awesome.