We are pleased to announce the 2025 Association for Mormon Letters Awards finalists in Picture Book, Young Adult Novel, and Podcast. The final awards will be announced and presented online on June 20, as part of the 2026 AML Conference, celebrating AML’s 50th Anniversary. We will be announcing the other category finalists over the coming week. The finalists and winners are chosen by juries of authors, academics, and critics. The announcements include book blurbs and author biographies, usually adapted from the author and publisher websites.
There will not be an award presented for Middle Grade Novel this year. The category will reappear next year.
Picture Book
Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Parts of Us. Harry N. Abrams
This original concept board book celebrates what makes our bodies unique—from head to toe and horn to tail. All are welcome in the kitty-corn club! From head to toe and horn to tail, join Kitty and Unicorn—alongside Gecko, Parakeet, and a new Octopus friend—as they demonstrate, with humor and creativity, the many ways our bodies may be different, unique, and amazing.
LeUyen Pham and Shannon Hale are the team behind the bestselling picture book Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn, the bestselling graphic novels Real Friends and Forever Friends, both of which won AML Comics Awards, and, with Dean Hale, the early chapter book series The Princess in Black. Besides her work with LeUyen, Shannon has won AML Young Adult Novel Awards in 2002 (Enna’s Burning) and 2003 (Princess Academy), and was awarded the 2024 Smith-Pettit Foundation Award for Outstanding Contribution to Mormon Letters.
McArthur Krishna & Anne Pimentel, illustrated by Jessica Sarah Beach. Changemakers: Women Who Boldly Built Zion. Signature Books.
At a time when women are wondering if they matter at church, this book offers a resounding, “Yes!” Stories curated from scripture and global history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints show that women’s voices are needed and have definitively changed the landscape of the faith. Women have played a vital role in growing the worldwide church, with their ideas shaping its structure, policy, and culture. Dive in for a refreshing perspective on why women matter in building Zion.
McArthur Krishna graduated from BYU with her undergraduate and master’s degrees. After retirement and a move to India, she has written nineteen books, including A Girl’s Guide to Heavenly Mother and A Boy’s Guide to Heavenly Mother. Along the way she coordinated some of the first art in the LDS Conference Center that featured women, commissioned and curated global artists’ work in the first art show focused on Heavenly Mother, and had her own art selected for the church’s International Art Competition.
Anne Pimentel is a passionate advocate for people who find themselves on the margins of society, church, or life. Anne is a founder of Meetinghouse Mosaic, an organization working to diversify Christian art. With it, she assisted in curating a successful art show that focused on historically accurate and cultural depictions of Christ. Anne consistently writes about Heavenly Mother, women’s rights and voices, and social justice work on her social media account, The Vision Beautiful.
Jessica Sarah Beach is an artist “out with lanterns looking for” those “hands which hang down.” She wants her art to communicate a warmth where one’s pensive ponderings and wanderings can be welcomed in and given the best chair by the fire.
Micah Player. This Is a Moment. Rocky Pond Books
In this exhilarating and meaningful book, all the happenings in a person’s life—the brave ones, the peaceful ones, the nervous, proud, and grateful ones—combine to make us who we are and to light the way to what’s next. It’s just the right read for a child who’s about to graduate from kindergarten, celebrate a birthday, or move to a new home, or even for a teenager on their way to college.
Micah Player studied Graphic Design at the University of Utah before moving to Southern California to work in the apparel industry. He has illustrated many picture books, including Millions of Maxes by Meg Wolitzer and Paletero Man by Lucky Diaz, and he believes in the power of visual stories to connect people. Micah lives with his wife and two kids in a little house beneath a big tree in the mountains of Utah.
Jean Reagan, illustrated by Lee Wildish. How to Say Thank You. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Discover all the ways to be thankful in this heartwarming story by the New York Times bestselling creators of How to Babysit a Grandma and How to Babysit a Grandpa. What are you thankful for? Whether it’s a BIG moment like Grandpa taking you to a parade, a little moment like sharing a favorite snack, or even an unexpected moment like a new friend moving in next door, there are so many things to be thankful for!
Jean Reagan was born in Alabama but spent most of her childhood in Japan. She now lives in Salt Lake City with her husband. In the summers, they serve as backcountry volunteers in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
Lee Wildish has illustrated a number of children’s books, including the How to… series by Jean Reagan.
Elaine Vickers, illustrated by Samantha Cotterill. Heartfelt. Beach Lane Books
From the creators of Thankful comes a cozy picture book about a child who finds that small acts of kindness can change the world. A child makes paper hearts to give to her teacher, to a friend, at the library, and more. As she spreads kindness around her neighborhood, she soon finds that sharing love is the best gift of all. With Samantha Cotterill’s stunning diorama illustrations, this loving story is sure to capture hearts and inspire acts of kindness.
Elaine Vickers is the author of the middle grade novels Like Magic and Paper Chains, which have received starred reviews, Whitney Award nominations, Mighty Girl’s Book of the Year picks, PJ Library licenses, and sold translations in four languages. Her middle grade novels Paper Chains and Half Moon Summer, young adult novel Fadeaway, and picture books Thankful and How to Make a Memory have been previous AML award finalists.
Samantha Cotterill has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including the Little Senses series, Thankful and Heartfelt by Elaine Vickers, and A Grand Day by Jean Reidy. Samantha lives with her family in upstate New York.
Young Adult Novel
Julie Berry. If Looks Could Kill. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
It’s autumn 1888, and Jack the Ripper is on the run. As London police close in, he flees England for New York City seeking new victims. But a primal force of female vengeance has had enough. With serpents for hair and a fearsome gaze, an awakened Medusa is hunting for one thing: Jack. And other dangers lurk in Manhattan’s Bowery. Salvation Army volunteers Tabitha and Pearl discover that a girl they once helped has been forced to work in a local brothel. Tabitha’s an upstate city girl with a wry humor and a thirst for adventure, while farmgirl Pearl takes everything with stone-cold seriousness. Their brittle partnership is tested as they team up with an aspiring girl reporter and a handsome Irish bartender to mount a rescue effort, only to find their fates entwine with Medusa’s and Jack’s.
Julie Berry is the New York Times bestselling author of the 2020 NCTE Walden Award and SCBWI Golden Kite Award winner Lovely War, the 2017 Printz Honor and Los Angeles Times Book Prize–shortlisted The Passion of Dolssa, the Carnegie Medal– and Edgar Award–shortlisted All the Truth That’s in Me, the Odyssey Honor The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place, and the Wishes and Wellingtons trilogy. Her picture books include The Night Frolic, Happy Right Now, and Cranky Right Now. Julie holds an MFA from Vermont College of the Fine Arts. She lives in western New York, where she owns Author’s Note, an independent bookstore.
Kate Gilbert. Love Canter Action. Union Square & Co.
Nora Green wants out. Out of rural Georgia–and, more importantly, out of the house she’s been resentfully occupying with her father and his wife. It’s been five months since her mama died and the state dumped her on her father’s doorstep, and Nora’s been counting every second. With the sudden closure of the Shep horse ranch, Nora’s last home-away-from-home, comes two surprises: news of her admission to a prestigious equine training program in Montana, and a job wrangling horses on a movie set to cover the costs. To her eternal nightmare, she discovers that the movie stars teen heartthrob Alexander Mathis, hot off the heels of a very public scandal. Not that Nora cares who he is–to her, he’s just the obnoxious stranger who interrupted her dinner the night before. When photos of their argument are misread as a passionate affair, the Internet falls head-over-hooves for Hollywood’s newest couple.
Katie Gilbert was born and raised in south Georgia, where she learned that boiled peanuts and grits are the most important part of a balanced diet. She enjoys telling stories about tough girls with big dreams, and the love they find along the way. Outside of writing, she spends her time reading, hiking, and thinking up new ways to slip cringe-worthy puns into daily conversation. Love, Canter, Action is her debut.
Erin Stewart. Every Borrowed Beat. Delacorte Press
Sydney Wells should have died. She was supposed to die. She never expected, after years of waiting, to receive a heart transplant. Now, seventeen-year-old Sydney doesn’t know what to do with her life. Her daily routine consisted of staying indoors, eating heart-healthy foods, and posting about her transplant list experiences on TheWaitingList with her long-distance BFF (and heart failure buddy) Chloe. Now, Sydney latches onto the one thing that gives her meaning: learning as much as she can about the person whose heart she inherited. After finding the family of her likely-donor, Mia, Sydney falls deep into her world—and may also be falling for Mia’s best friend, Clayton.
Erin Stewart grew up in Virginia and now makes her home in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her husband and their three children. Erin loves using her background in journalism to research and write fiction based on real life. A heart failure survivor and adoptive mother, she believes life throws plot twists and people in our path for a reason–always. She is the author of the acclaimed YA novels Scars Like Wings and The Words We Keep, both of which were AML award finalists.
Podcasts
Considering podcasts produced in 2024-2025.
Called to Create. Hosted by Connie Sokol and a rotating roster of guest hosts. Produced by the LDS Publishing & Media Association (LDSPMA).
Dialogue: Out Loud. Hosted by the editors of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, and produced by Daniel Smith.
Features a variety of content associated with Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, including short stories and poetry read by voice actors, interviews with authors of works published in the magazine, and an annual roundup of books by, for, or about Mormons.
Latter-day Saint Art. Hosted by Jenny Champoux.
A limited series podcast from Wayfare Magazine hosted by Jenny Champoux, who guides the listeners through an examination of the artistic tradition of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Each guest is a contributor to the new book, Latter-day Saint Art: A Critical Reader, from Oxford University Press and the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts.
Mormons in Media. Hosted by Rebbie Brassfield.
Exploring mainstream media representation of the church formally known as Mormon. I’ve covered shows like Under the Banner of Heaven and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, interviewed widely known figures like Gabrielle Blair of Design Mom and niche LDS actors like Kirby Heyborne.
The Storming Journey. Hosted by Adam McClain, El Call, and Liz Busby.
Inspired by other sacred reading podcasts and Casper ter Kuile’s The Power of Ritual, The Storming Journey treats the books of The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson as sacred texts. Additionally, we are interested in examining this series through a Mormon lens. Brandon Sanderson is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; we, the hosts, have also been shaped by the LDS Church in various ways, and we find connections in his books to various elements of Mormon teachings and culture.