Since 1996, the National Book Foundation has been awarding authors with the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature to middle-grade and young-adult books that have made a profound impact. Vocabulary.com celebrates excellence in literature and we’re excited to congratulate this year's winner: A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat!
A First Time for Everything is a coming-of-age story based on New York Times bestselling author and Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat's awkward middle school years. It celebrates a time that is universally challenging for many of us, but also life-changing.
In this graphic memoir, the author recounts the struggles of middle school and how a three-week European group trip transformed his life in positive ways at the age of thirteen.
Dan's always been a good kid but being a good kid doesn't stop him from being bullied and feeling like he's invisible, which is why Dan has low expectations when his parents send him on a class trip to Europe.
Past winners include All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir, The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, Holes by Louis Sachar, Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, and Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson.
Vocabulary.com has developed curated vocabulary lists for each of the 2023 nominees. Our vocabulary lists focus on the most relevant and challenging words found in each novel. These ready-made resources prepare your students to better comprehend and engage with these outstanding pieces of literature.
Winner: A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
Finalists:
Gather by Kenneth M Cadow
The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine by Katherine Marsh
Huda F Cares? by Huda Fahmy
Big by Vashti Harrison
Long-listed Titles:
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
More Than a Dream: The Radical March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom by Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long
Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick
Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day by Dan Nott
Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang
For Vocabulary.com's comprehensive collection of winners from this and past years, check out our National Book Awards collection.