The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year. The award winner will be announced annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting Youth Media Awards, with a shortlist of up to five titles named the first week of December. The award will be presented at ALA Annual Conference.

You can find out more about the YALSA nonfiction award here.

Charles And Emma: The Darwins' Leap Of Faith, Deborah Heiligman; Henry Holt And Company

Best Books for Young Adults, 2010
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Winner, 2010
Printz Honor Book, 2010

“Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species, his revolutionary tract on evolution and the fundamental ideas involved, in 1859. 150 years later, the theory of evolution continues to create tension between the scientific and religious communities. This same debate raged within Darwin himself, and played an important part in his marriage: his wife, Emma, was very religious, and her faith challenged Charles as he worked on his theory of evolution. Deborah Heiligman’s new biography of Charles Darwin is a thought-provoking account of the man behind evolutionary theory: how his personal life affected his work and vice versa. The end result is an engaging exploration of history, science, and religion.”

Almost Astronauts: The True Story Of The "Mercury 13" Women, Tanya Lee Stone; Candlewick Press

Best Books for Young Adults 2010
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist 2010

“When NASA was launched in 1958, 13 women proved they had as much of the right stuff as men to be astronauts, but their way to space was blocked by prejudice, insecurity, and a scrawled note written by one of Washington’s most powerful men. This is the true story of the Mercury 13 women.”

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, Phillip M. Hoose; Melanie Kroupa Books

Best Books for Young Adults 2010
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist 2010

“‘When it comes to justice, there is no easy way to get it. You can’t sugarcoat it. You have to take a stand and say, “This is not right.”’ – Claudette ColvinOn March 2, 1955, an impassioned teenager, fed up with the daily injustices of Jim Crow segregation, refused to give her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Instead of being celebrated as Rosa Parks would be just nine months later, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin found herself shunned by her classmates and dismissed by community leaders. Undaunted, a year later she dared to challenge segregation again as a key plaintiff inBrowder v. Gayle, the landmark case that struck down the segregation laws of Montgomery and swept away the legal underpinnings of the Jim Crow South.Based on extensive interviews with Claudette Colvin and many others, Phillip Hoose presents the first in-depth account of an important yet largely unknown civil rights figure, skillfully weaving her dramatic story into the fabric of the historic Montgomery bus boycott and court case that would change the course of American history.”

The Great And Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life Of Showman P.T. Barnum, Candace Fleming; Schwartz & Wade Books

Best Books for Young Adults 2010
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist, 2010

“Step right up! Meet the astounding . . . the amazing . . . P. T. Barnum! The award-winning author ofThe Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary,Our Eleanor, andBen Franklin’s Almanacbrings us the larger-than-life biography of showman P. T. Barnum. Known far and wide for his jumbo elephants, midgets, and three-ring circuses, here’s a complete and captivating look at the man behind the Greatest Show on Earth. Readers can visit Barnum’s American Museum; meet Tom Thumb, the miniature man (only 39 inches tall) and his tinier bride (32 inches); experience the thrill Barnum must have felt when, at age 60, he joined the circus; and discover Barnum’s legacy to the 19th century and beyond. Drawing on old circus posters, photographs, etchings, ticket stubs—and with incredible decorative art by Ray Fenwick—this book presents history as it’s never been experienced before—a show-stopping event!”

Written In Bone, Sally M. Walker; Carolrhoda Books

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist, 2010
Best Books for Young Adults, Top Ten, 2010

“Join author Sally M. Walker as she works alongside scientists investigating colonial-era graves near Jamestown, Virginia: a teenage boy, a ship’s captain, an indentured servant, a colonial official and his family, and an enslaved African girl. All are reaching beyond the grave to tell us their stories, which are written in bone.”