Today on OOM we’re excited to celebrate nominees from Scholastic for the NAACP Image Awards! Presented annually and recognized as “the nation’s preeminent multi-cultural awards show from an African American point of view,” this event celebrates the achievements of people of color in the arts. Check out the authors nominated for this year’s awards below. See the full list of nominees here, and tune in to the Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 11, 2017 on TV One! Good luck to nominees from Scholastic!
The Hero Two Doors Down: Based on the True Story of Friendship Between a Boy and a Baseball Legend (Ages 8–12) by Sharon Robinson: Sharon Robinson, daughter of baseball great and civil rights icon Jackie Robinson, delivers a touching novel based on the true story of a boy in Brooklyn who became neighbors and friends with his hero, Jackie Robinson.
Riding Chance (Ages 10–14) by Christine Kendall: Troy is a kid with a passion. And dreams. And wanting to do the right thing. But after taking a wrong turn, he's forced to endure something that's worse than any juvenile detention he can imagine—he's "sentenced" to the local city stables where he's made to take care of horses. The greatest punishment has been trying to make sense of things since his mom died, but, through his work with the horses, he discovers a sport totally unknown to him—polo. Troy has to figure out which friends have his back, which kids to cut loose, and whether he and Alisha have a true connection. Christine Kendall's stunning debut lets us come face-to-face with the challenges of a loving family that turn hardships into triumphs.
Same But Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express (Ages 12 and up) by Holly Robinson Peete, Ryan Elizabeth Peete, RJ Peete: Actress, author, activist, and philanthropist Holly Robinson Peete pairs with her 18-year-old twin children to write Same But Different, a timely young adult novel about the challenges and triumphs of being a teen living with autism and the effects on family, school, friends, and life. Through alternating fictional narratives based on their own lives, teenager Ryan Elizabeth Peete and her twin brother, RJ, who has autism, honestly reveal what it means to be a teen living with autism.
