A novel and a picture book have been selected as the two recipients of the 2026 Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children’s Literature, presented by UConn’s Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute.

This year’s winning novel is The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri and 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.

This year’s winning picture book is Coming Home: A Hopi Resistance Story by Mavasta Honyouti and 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.

“I am thrilled for The Teacher of Nomad Land to be a part of the Malka Penn Award legacy of books that cherish human stories,” says Nayeri, “and ask the questions that young readers might consider for years to come. In the case of my book, one of those questions might be: ‘No matter our circumstances, haven’t we all been given something worth sharing with the world?’”

“I am blessed that Coming Home: A Hopi Resistance Story has been selected for the 2026 Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children’s Literature,” says Honyouti. “Thank you for allowing my kwa’a’s story of resilience to continue to be shared with larger audiences.”

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

“This year’s Malka Penn Award is especially meaningful, as it reflects the culmination of more than two years of dedicated work and hundreds of volunteer hours from a deeply committed selection committee,” says Nana Amos, the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute’s director of community outreach and engagement and co-director of the Democracy and Dialogues Initiative who has directed the Malka Penn Award since its inception. “That extraordinary level of care and collective effort is evident in the strength and integrity of the books we are honored to recognize.”

For James Waller, director of the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute, “Children’s literature has a unique power to help young readers understand the world beyond their own experiences.  Through books, children can explore themes of justice, compassion, resilience, and human dignity in ways that are deeply personal and lasting. The Malka Penn Award honors books that not only tell compelling stories, but also encourage empathy, critical thinking, and a deeper commitment to human rights.”

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 written for children from preschool to high school. Special consideration is given to stories about individuals who have been affected by social injustices and who, by confronting those injustices, have made a difference in their lives or the lives of others.

“The winners of this year’s Malka Penn Award are both outstanding stories about the effects of war and discrimination on children,” says Palmer. “Moreover, they’re testaments to the power of language in preserving identity and resolving differences.”

In addition to Teacher of Nomad Land and Coming Home, the Malka Penn Award Committee has recognized the following selections as its 2026 Honor Books:

• Wings to Soar, a novel written by Tina Athaide and 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.
• Song of a Blackbird, a novel written by Maria van Lieshout and 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.
• Kindred Spirits: Shilombish Ittibachvffa, a picture book written by Leslie Stall Widener, illustrated by Johnson Yazzie, and 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.
• Call Me Gray, a picture book written by Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen, illustrated by Tallulah Fontaine, and published by Kids Can Press – A child shares feelings about their identity with their father in this illustrated story about change, acceptance, and love.

The Malka Penn Award presentation ceremony and related programming will be held at The Dodd Center for Human Rights in Storrs, Connecticut, in November.

The Dodd Center is home to robust academic programs and innovative external engagement in human rights, including the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute, its Dodd Human Rights Impact Programs, the University Archives and Special Collections, and the Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life.

For more information about human rights programs and education at UConn, visit humanrights.uconn.edu.