We’re thrilled for David Levithan and Gabriel Duckels, whose oral history for young readers THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES: AIDS IN AMERICA (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2025) is longlisted for the 2026 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature!
The news was announced this morning at The New Yorker online, with the following praise for the book from the category’s judges published on the National Book Foundation website:
“Through first-person interviews, poetry, essays, speeches, obituaries, artwork, and more, David Levithan and Gabriel Duckels capture the magnitude of the AIDS crisis in the United States for young readers. By threading together cultural and historical touchpoints, key figures, and medical milestones, The Fight of Our Lives: AIDS in America demonstrates the importance of youth activism to create social change.”
—2026 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature judges
The finalists for all five categories of the 2026 National Book Awards will be revealed October 6th, and winners will be announced live at the 77th National Book Awards Ceremony & Benefit Dinner on November 18 in New York City.
See all of the finalists for this year’s National Book Award for Young People’s Literature here, and discover THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES: AIDS IN AMERICA here.
