Ruby Between the Cracks Wins In the Margins Book Award

Way back in May, I received a request for copies of Ruby, Between the Cracks for consideration by the School Library Journal In the Margins Committee for their Best Books for Teens award. Then in August, I was excited to tell you that Ruby had been nominated for award. A week ago, I was over the moon to find out that Ruby won the award, landing a place in the top ten! I have had to wait to announce it, but the list was released today and I am free to spread it to the world.

In the Margins Book Award and Selection Committee, (ITM) a committee under the umbrella of Library Services for Youth in Custody (LYSC) announced their top ten book titles for 2015. ITM strives to find the best books for teens living in poverty, on the streets, in custody – or a cycle of all three.  They identify quality, age-appropriate resources for librarians and library workers to share with the teens in urban, lockdown, homeless shelters and other non-traditional venues for teens living in the margins.

“We are thrilled with the second year of this important work finding relevant books for our communities that validate, illuminate and humanize those living in the margins. We have a great list, bringing to national attention books that add to diversity in our collections and world,” said Amy Cheney, Chair of ITM. “The committee members and I are excited to share these books with you for those living and interested in the margins of society.”

If you have contacts in your local library or junior high/high school, please make sure they see this list!

You can download my full press release here or read it on my media page.

A couple of updates: Ruby is going to be featured on the front pages of both Ingram (according to their website, “the world’s largest and most trusted distributor of physical and digital content”) and Wattpad (“the world’s largest community of readers and writers”)! Wow!

If you want to read Ruby for free on Wattpad, here is the link.

Here are the books that made the top ten. They all look fantastic! Click on covers to jump to Amazon. Click here for more details, including a link to the other books that didn’t make top ten.

I have also set up Listopia (Goodreads) and Listmania (Amazon) lists with the top ten: