01In brief
The Stonewall Book Awards are American Library Association awards honoring books of exceptional merit relating to LGBTQ experiences. First presented in 1971, the program is described by the Library of Congress as “the first and most enduring award for LGBTQ books.” Honored works include Latin American gay literature and books for young readers that explore identity and friendship.
02Overview
The Stonewall Book Awards are sponsored by the American Library Association’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table. They honor books for exceptional merit relating to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experiences, and the Library of Congress describes the awards as the first and most enduring honor for LGBTQ books.[1]
03Origins
The first award was given in 1971 to Isabel Miller’s Patience and Sarah. Many other books have since been honored.[1]
The awards have recognized works from different literary traditions. Gay Sunshine Press received several National Endowment for the Arts Literature Program grants to publish groundbreaking titles, including Now the Volcano: An Anthology of Latin American Gay Literature. In 1980, the anthology received the Stonewall Book Award.[2]
04Practice
The award’s stated scope is “exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered experience.” A note to Kenneth Kidd’s 2007 essay states that the sponsoring round table had sponsored the awards since 1971 and that forty-eight books had been honored by then; the figure is historical, not a current total.[4]
Reference coverage places the Stonewall Book Award among honors created to advance particular goals or causes in children’s literature. It lists the award among multicultural juvenile-literature honors and describes it as an award for gay literature.[4]
05Significance
Author Lesléa Newman, known for Heather Has Two Mommies and several other children’s books about lesbian and gay families, has received two American Library Association Stonewall Honors.[5]
In 2023, Sacha Lamb’s debut historical fantasy When the Angels Left the Old Country was reported as a Stonewall Book Award winner for LGBTQ works for young readers. The story follows a demon and an angel who are centuries-old Talmud study partners as they travel from a shtetl in the Pale of Settlement to New York City to search for the village baker’s missing daughter. The report notes themes of gender identity and friendship.[3]
06Controversies
Kenneth Kidd’s 2007 discussion situated the Stonewall Book Awards within a wider debate about representation and identity-focused literary prizes. It contrasted the awards with the absence, at the time, of Newbery recognition for books with lesbian, gay, or bisexual content.[4] This is a dated account of the debate’s context, not a current assessment of Newbery recognition or an explanation of the Stonewall awards’ origins.
Sources
- 1Library of Congress, Resources | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month, accessed on October 25, 2026.
- 2Library of Congress, Research Guides: NEA Small Press Collection: About the Collection, accessed on October 25, 2026.
- 3The Jerusalem Post, These books topped this year’s Sydney Taylor Jewish kid’s book awards, accessed on October 25, 2026.
- 4Encyclopedia.com, Children's Literature Awards, accessed on October 25, 2026.
- 5Hebrew Union College, Lesléa Newman: Jewish Stories in Children's Books, accessed on October 25, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
What are the Stonewall Book Awards?
The Stonewall Book Awards are American Library Association awards honoring books of exceptional merit relating to LGBTQ experiences. Sponsored by the association’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table, the awards are described by the Library of Congress as the first and most enduring honor for LGBTQ books.
When was the first Stonewall Book Award given, and which book received it?
The first Stonewall Book Award was given in 1971 to Isabel Miller’s Patience and Sarah. Many other books have been honored since.
What kinds of books are eligible for the Stonewall Book Awards?
The Stonewall Book Awards recognize books of exceptional merit relating to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experiences. Their honorees include works from different literary traditions, such as Latin American gay literature, and books for young readers.
Which Latin American gay literature anthology received a Stonewall Book Award?
Now the Volcano: An Anthology of Latin American Gay Literature received a Stonewall Book Award in 1980. Gay Sunshine Press received several National Endowment for the Arts Literature Program grants to publish groundbreaking titles, including the anthology.
How have the Stonewall Book Awards recognized children’s and young adult literature?
The Stonewall Book Award is listed among multicultural juvenile-literature honors and has recognized books for young readers. In 2023, Sacha Lamb’s debut historical fantasy When the Angels Left the Old Country was reported as a winner for LGBTQ works for young readers; its themes include gender identity and friendship.
What debate has surrounded the Stonewall Book Awards?
Kenneth Kidd’s 2007 discussion placed the Stonewall Book Awards within a broader debate about representation and identity-focused literary prizes. It contrasted the awards with the absence, at that time, of Newbery recognition for books with lesbian, gay, or bisexual content.