THE BOOKS OF JACOB, written by Olga Tokarczuk, and translated by Jennifer Croft, follows the comet-like rise and fall of a mysterious, messianic religious leader as he blazes his way across eighteenth-century Europe.

On October 5, the respective 2021 National Book Award judges for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature revealed their short-list selections in each category.

The 2021 Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism, Arts, and Letters were announced at Columbia University on June 11, and four Penguin Random House titles were among the finalists in three categories.

Wonderful news from the January 25 session of the ALA Midwinter Meeting, an annual convocation, held virtually this year, dear to the nation’s library community. One of its most anticipated highlights is the bestowal of numerous prizes and recognition for previous year’s children’s and young adult fiction and nonfiction deemed to be of resonant literary and cultural importance. Chief among them is the Newbery Medal, awarded yearly to “the most distinguished American children’s book.” This year’s Newbery Medal went to WHEN YOU TRAP A TIGER by Tae Keller.

Penguin Random House author Jacqueline Woodson was named the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Laureate, the world’s largest award for children’s and young adult literature. The prize amounts to 5 million Swedish krona (approximately $613,000).  Woodson is the author of more than thirty books, including novels, poetry and picture books. One of her most lauded titles is