Children’s literature selections honored for outstanding work addressing human rights issues and themes

A powerful memoir on the hardship and resilience of growing up in Louisiana in the 1950s & 1960s, Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South by author Wade Hudson is the 2022 recipient of the Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children’s Literature, presented by Dodd Human Rights Impact at UConn.

Lauded by critics for its crucial look at justice in the United States, This is My America by author Kim Johnson has been recognized as the 2021 recipient of the Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature, presented by Dodd Human Rights Impact at UConn.