2017 Jefferson Cup Winners and Honor Books Announced

The Steep & Thorny Way and I Dissent win 2017 Jefferson Cup

The Jefferson Cup Committee is pleased to announce that they have selected the 2017 winning and honor titles. The 2017 Jefferson Cup Award winner for Young Adult Readers is The steep and thorny way by Cat Winters. The 2017 Jefferson Cup Award winner for Young Readers is I dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg makes her mark by Debbie Levy. 

 

 

In The steep and thorny way (Amulet Books), Cat Winters has created a stunning portrayal of 1920s Oregon that reflects the diversity and complexity of the American experience. As a modern twist on Hamlet, Winters succeeds in conveying a murder mystery, love story, and supernatural tale set against a historically accurate background of racism, homophobia, and Prohibition bootlegging.

I dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg makes her mark (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) by Debbie Levy is a well-researched, vibrant picture book biography of the second female justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Levy connects young readers with her subject using lively text that allows her readers to understand Ruth Bader Ginsburg within a historical context in an engaging manner. 

 

Honor Titles

Bleed, blister, puke, and purge: the dirty secrets behind early American medicine (Zest Books) by J. Marin Younker and Go south to freedom: based on a true story (NewSouth Books) by Frye Gaillard were chosen as honor books for young adult readers. Women of Action (Chicago Review Press) received the Series Worthy of Note for Young Adult designation.

How Kate Warne saved President Lincoln: a story about the nation's first woman detective (Albert Whitman & Company) by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk and Runs with courage (Sleeping Bear Press) by Joan Wolf were chosen as honor books for young readers. Based on a true story (Feiwel and Friends) the received Series Worthy of Note for Younger Readers designation. 

 

About the Jefferson Cup

The Jefferson Cup honors a distinguished biography, historical fiction or American history book for young people. Presented since 1983, the Jefferson Cup Committee’s goal is to promote reading about America’s past; to encourage the quality writing of United States history, biography and historical fiction for young people and to recognize authors in these disciplines.

The committee has nine members: a chairperson (selected by the previous year’s committee), one person from each Virginia Library Association region (total of six persons) selected by the current chair, the chair of the previous year’s Jefferson Cup Committee, and the chairperson or outgoing chairperson of the Youth Services Forum. All committee members are members of VLA. To learn more about the committee, visit the Jefferson Cup Committee page.