Category: Young Adult Novel / Works for Young Readers

Senf, Lora

Awards:

The Nighthouse Keeper (Atheneum Books for Young Readers), Middle Grade Novel, 2023

Nominations:

The Losting Fountain (Union Square & Co.), Young Adult Novel, 2024

The Clackity (Atheneum Books for Young Readers), Middle Grade Novel, 2022

BIO: Lora Senf is a writer of dark and twisty stories for all ages, including The Clackity and the forthcoming The Nighthouse Keeper. She credits her love of words to her parents and to the public library that was walking distance from her childhood home. She credits her love of scary words to her first favorite books—the middle grade works of John Bellairs illustrated by Edward Gorey. Lora finds inspiration for her writing in her children’s retellings of their dreams, on road trips through Montana, and most recently while visiting the Anaconda Smoke Stack. She lives in Eastern Washington with her husband, their twins, and two cats who think they’re people. Their house may or may not be haunted. Visit her at lorasenf.com. 

Fraistat, Ann

Nominations:

A Place for Vanishing (Delacorte Press), Young Adult Novel, 2024

What We Harvest (Delacorte Press), Young Adult Novel, 2022

BIO: Ann Fraistat is an author, playwright, and narrative designer. Her debut novel, What We Harvest, is a 2022 Bram Stoker finalist, a Barnes & Noble YA Book Awards finalist, and an ABA Indies Introduce and Kids’ Indie Next Pick. A Place For Vanishing, her second book, is a 2024 Bram Stoker finalist, a BookPage and Kirkus Books Best Book of the Year, and an instant USA Today bestseller. Her co-author credits include plays such as Romeo & Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending, and alternate reality games sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Ann lives in Maryland with her husband and daughter, cats, and an alarmingly large stash of tea. Find her at annfraistat.com or on Instagram @annfrai.

Tirado, Vincent

Nominations:

Burn Down, Rise Up (Sourcebooks Fire), Young Adult Novel, 2022

BIO: Vincent Tirado is a non-binary Afro-Latine Bronx native. They ventured out to Pennsylvania and Ohio to get their Bachelor’s degree in biology and Master’s degree in bioethics. Their first novel, BURN DOWN, RISE UP (2022) was recognized with the Pura Belpré Award, and nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. Their newest haunting novel, WE DON’T SWIM HERE comes out May 2nd, 2023. Visit www.v-e-tirado.com for more information.