YALSA Announces Finalists for 2026 Morris and Excellence in Nonfiction Awards

by SLJ Staff
Dec 10, 2025 | Filed in News & Features

The Young Adult Library Services Association announced the finalists for the Morris Award for a YA title by a previously unpublished author and the Excellence in Nonfiction Award for YA nonfiction books for ages 12 to 18.

The Young Adult Library Services Association announced the finalists for the 2026 William C. Morris and Excellence in Nonfiction awards. The winners will be announced at the Youth Media Awards ceremony on Monday, January 26.

 

The five finalists for the 2026 William C. Morris Award, which honors the year’s best books written for young adults by a previously unpublished author, are:

All the Noise at Once by DeAndra Davis

First Love Language by Stefany Valentine

Love, Misha by Askel Aden

Red Flags and Butterflies by Sheryl Azzam

You and Me on Repeat by Mary Shyne

 

The five finalists for the Excellence in Nonfiction Award for the best nonfiction for young adults ages 12 to 18, highlighting excellence in writing, research, presentation, and readability are:

American Spirits: The Famous Fox Sisters and the Mysterious Fad That Haunted a Nation by Barb Rosenstock

Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by Candace Fleming

White House Secrets: Medical Lies and Cover-Ups by Gail Jarrow

White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War, then Rewrote the History by Ann Bausum

A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, A Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes Out by Nicholas Day

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