AICL'S YEAR IN REVIEW: 2025
For several reasons, Jean and I are not able to do our yearly list of best books. We expect to do a 2026 list that will include books we read in 2025.
We usually begin our list by pointing to significant moments. While we aren't presenting a list this year, I do want to share a few of those significant moments.
In November, Canadian media published news items about Thomas King's claim to being Cherokee (you can also find articles in the New York Times and the Washington Post). Do a search on his name and you'll find many articles, essays, and opinions to read. I recommend you study them. For decades, King has been writing books, stories, and essays as if he is Cherokee. The news that King is not Cherokee was devastating to many who had been friends and colleagues and felt betrayed by the trust they had placed in him. For those who had been skeptical of his claims, there was relief that it was now public knowledge. There was anger, too. In June, I wrote that I no longer recommend his children's books. In addition to the news stories, make time to read Cherokee Dispossession Through Claimant Self-Declaration: Cherokee Heritage Claims in the 2020 U.S. Census by Daniel Heath Justice if you or someone you know claims to be Cherokee. It is especially important that editors and agents who are working with someone who claims to be Cherokee read the article. Do you work with someone who says they're Cherokee? Heath's article may provide you with a way to ask the questions you need to ask. And I urge you to order and study -- perhaps with a group of friends -- The Cherokee: People, Culture, and History by Twila M. Barnes. It is a picture book in a new series of non-fiction published by Capstone.
We usually begin our list by pointing to significant moments. While we aren't presenting a list this year, I do want to share a few of those significant moments.
In November, Canadian media published news items about Thomas King's claim to being Cherokee (you can also find articles in the New York Times and the Washington Post). Do a search on his name and you'll find many articles, essays, and opinions to read. I recommend you study them. For decades, King has been writing books, stories, and essays as if he is Cherokee. The news that King is not Cherokee was devastating to many who had been friends and colleagues and felt betrayed by the trust they had placed in him. For those who had been skeptical of his claims, there was relief that it was now public knowledge. There was anger, too. In June, I wrote that I no longer recommend his children's books. In addition to the news stories, make time to read Cherokee Dispossession Through Claimant Self-Declaration: Cherokee Heritage Claims in the 2020 U.S. Census by Daniel Heath Justice if you or someone you know claims to be Cherokee. It is especially important that editors and agents who are working with someone who claims to be Cherokee read the article. Do you work with someone who says they're Cherokee? Heath's article may provide you with a way to ask the questions you need to ask. And I urge you to order and study -- perhaps with a group of friends -- The Cherokee: People, Culture, and History by Twila M. Barnes. It is a picture book in a new series of non-fiction published by Capstone.
In October, I did a comparison of Amazon's list of best-selling books in 2010 and 2025 and was delighted by what I saw. If you've bought books by Native writers, you are part of the change! The comparison showed me the tremendous growth we've seen! It also showed me that we have a lot of work to do as people who read, review, and recommend children's books. The 2025 list includes books that miseducate children. At some point I hope to do a post that describes what I saw.
The year began with a very, very cool announcement. At the American Library Association's 2025 Youth Media Award ceremony, I was sky high when I heard Rob Bittner read the name of the winner of the Caldecott Award. The book? Chooch Helped. Written by Andrea L. Rogers and illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz, it stole my heart when I read it and I was so very pleased to know that a book by a Cherokee author and a Cherokee illustrator would be in every library. Here's a screen cap of the announcement slide:
Last significant moment that I will note before hitting publish on this post is about the American Indian Library Association and winners of its 2024 Youth Literature Award. AICL was pleased to publish the speeches given by authors and illustrators who were able to attend the awards ceremony in Phoenix. I hope you'll take some time to read their remarks. And of course, I hope their books are in your home, classroom, school, and public library.
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