The Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children’s Literature

Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children’s Literature

The Malka Penn Award is given annually to the authors of an outstanding children’s book addressing human rights issues or themes such as discrimination, equity, poverty, justice, war, peace, slavery or freedom.

Named in honor of author Michele Palmer, who writes under the pseudonym Malka Penn, the award recognizes works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, or biography which are written for children from preschool to high school. Within these larger themes, the award committee is particularly eager to recognize stories about individuals – real or fictional, children or adults – who have been affected by social injustices, and who, by confronting them, have made a difference in their lives or the lives of others.

2026 Malka Penn Award Winners

Cover of The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri and published by Levine Querido.

Winning Novel

The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story

By Daniel Nayeri
Published by Levine Querido

Set in 1941, The Teacher of Nomad Land tells the story of two orphaned siblings who set out on a perilous journey across Iran – a neutral country occupied by British forces on one side and Soviet forces on the other – in a race for survival set against the backdrop of World War II.

Cover of Coming Home: A Hopi Resistance Story by Mavasta Honyouti and published by Levine Querido.

Winning Picture Book

Coming Home: A Hopi Resistance Story

By Mavasta Honyouti
Published by Levine Querido

In Coming Home, master Hopi woodcarver Honyouti shares the story of his grandfather’s experience at a residential boarding school and how he returned home to pass their traditions down to future generations. Written in both English and Hopi, the book features 16 original painted wood carvings and a testament to one man rising above a painful piece of history to keep his culture alive.

2026 Honor Books

Cover of Wings to Soar, a novel written by Tina Athaide and published by Charlesbridge Moves

Wings to Soar

By Tina Athaide
Published by Charlesbridge Moves

A story of resilience and friendship set in 1972, an Indian family expelled from Uganda and sent to a resettlement camp in England waits to be reunited with their father while grappling with the unwelcome treatment they experience in their new community.

Cover of Song of a Blackbird, a novel written by Maria van Lieshout and published by First Second

Song of a Blackbird

By Maria van Lieshout
Published by First Second

In this graphic novel, two timelines – one set in 1943 and the other in 2011, both in Amsterdam – reveal how art, in the face of political upheaval and nearly insurmountable adversity, can become our greatest lifeline.

Cover of Kindred Spirits: Shilombish Ittibachvffa, a picture book written by Leslie Stall Widener, illustrated by Johnson Yazzie, and published by Charlesbridge

Kindred Spirits: Shilombish Ittibachvffa

By Leslie Stall Widener, illustrated by Johnson Yazzie
Published by Charlesbridge

This nonfiction book bridges two continents, 175 years, and two events in history – connecting Ireland, the Choctaw Nation, the Navajo Nation, and the Hopi Tribe – in a story about paying it forward.

Cover of Call Me Gray, a picture book written by Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen, illustrated by Tallulah Fontaine, and published by Kids Can Press

Call Me Gray

By Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen, illustrated by Tallulah Fontaine
Published by Kids Can Press

A child shares feelings about their identity with their father in this illustrated story about change, acceptance, and love.

About Michele Palmer

Author Michele Palmer’s generous gift helped establish The Malka Penn Award. Ms. Palmer has written over a dozen books for children and adults. Three of those books were children’s literature: The Miracle of the Potato Latkes, The Hanukkah Ghosts, and Ghosts and Golems. As an oral historian at UConn’s Center for Oral History, her most exciting project was co-director of “Witnesses to Nuremberg: An Oral History of the War Crimes Trials,” in conjunction with the opening of The Dodd Center in 1995. Ms. Palmer has also curated numerous art, book, and history exhibits at UConn and elsewhere. One of her exhibits at The Dodd Center – “After Anne Frank: Children’s Books About the Holocaust” – led to her establishing the Malka Penn Collection of Children’s Books on Human Rights in the Archives and Special Collections at The Dodd Center for Human Rights.

Award Details

The winning books of the 2026 Malka Penn Award will be announced in the summer of 2026 and a ceremony will be held in the fall of 2026 at The Dodd Center for Human Rights in Storrs, Connecticut. The award winners will receive a bronze medallion and certificate and will be invited to deliver an address to UConn's faculty, students, and the broader community. A committee of UConn faculty, staff, and community members select award winners each year in addition to honorary books as applicable.

Eligibility

Books for children and young adults originally published in the United States are eligible for consideration for the Malka Penn Award. Submissions may include works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, or biography. Books must be published in physical print form; e-books are not eligible for consideration. Submission deadlines and additional details for the next award cycle will be announced at a later date.

Award Committee

Eileen Angelini
Holocaust Educator and Scholar

Alice Bauer
Author

Ery Caswell
Student Success & Engagement Librarian, UConn Library

Shea Charles
Ph.D. Student, Educational Psychology

Vanessa Garcia
Access & Visitor Services Associate, UConn Library

Douglas Kaufman
Associate Professor, Curriculum & Instruction

Tracey-Ann Lafayette
Third Grade Teacher

Michele Palmer
Author

Susannah Richards
Professor of Education, Eastern Connecticut State University

Jodie Sadowsky
Author

Kiedra Taylor
Ph.D. Student, English

Amber Weinstock
Ph.D. Student, English

Bina Williams
Librarian, Bridgeport Library