I am thrilled to announce that my book, RISING FROM THE ASHES: LOS ANGELES, 1992. EDWARD JAE SONG LEE, LATASHA HARLINS, RODNEY KING, AND A CITY ON FIRE (Norton Young Readers 2024) has won the prestigious 2025 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award!

From the ALA/YALSA press release (https://www.ala.org/news/2025/01/rising-ashes-los-angeles-1992-edward-jae-song-lee-latasha-harlins-rodney-king-and-city): “Paula Yoo astutely tackles the events surrounding the 1992 Los Angeles rebellion through the personal stories of Latasha Harlins, Rodney King and Edward Jae Song Lee. Nuanced, balanced and empathetic, these accounts craft a compelling and unforgettable read about race, injustice and hope. ‘Yoo’s impressive work is nuanced, thorough and thoughtful, highlighting voices we hadn’t heard before and exploring the lasting impacts of an important moment in history,’ said YALSA Nonfiction Award Committee Chair Erica Schimmel.”

It was an honor to be a finalist with “A Greater Goal: The Epic Battle for Equal Pay in Women’s Soccer—and Beyond,” by Elizabeth Rusch (Greenwillow Books), “Homebody” by Theo Parish (HarperAlley), “Shackled: A Tale of Wronged Kids, Rogue Judges, and a Town that Looked Away” by Candy J Cooper (Calkins Creek), and “The Unboxing of a Black Girl” by Angela Shanté (Page Street Publishing). I admire everyone’s work greatly. These are powerful and beautiful books about personal identity, resilience, and justice — timeless themes that will resonate with everyone. I highly recommend you check out their books. Thank you again to the YALSA Nonfiction Excellence Awards Committee for your passion and drive to promote in-depth nonfiction books for young readers.

For a list of all the ALA YMA award winners from today’s live webcast, go here: https://www.ala.org/news/2025/01/american-library-association-announces-2025-youth-media-award-winners

Thank you to everyone who agreed to be interviewed for my book. I was inspired by your courage, compassion, and resilience. I am especially grateful and moved by the families of Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Lavon Harlins, and Rodney Glen King for opening their hearts and homes to me. Let us continue to work towards peace, harmony, and solidarity between all our diverse communities in honor of Eddie, Tasha, and Glen.

Thank you to my publisher Norton Young Readers (W.W. Norton & Co.) and editor Simon Boughton, my literary agent Tricia Lawrence of Erin Murphy Literary Agency, photographer Hyungwon Kang, Korean translator Aerin Park, and Audiobooks with narrator Kevin R Free.

2024 BEST BOOKS: Kirkus Reviews. The Horn Book. Publishers Weekly. School Library Journal. Chicago Public Library. Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature. The Center for Children’s Books. A 2024 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard. ⭐️ Kirkus ⭐️ Publishers Weekly ⭐️ Horn Book ⭐️ School Library Journal ⭐️ Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. “Nuanced. Compelling. Deeply humanizing. Resonant. Vivid. Moving.” (Pic credits: EMLA Hyungwon Kang Publisher: Norton Young Readers Editor: Simon Boughton Literary Agent: Trish Toney Lawrence Korean Translator: Aerin Park Audio Book Narrator: Kevin R Free) 🔗 https://www.ala.org/news/2025/01/american-library-association-announces-2025-youth-media-award-winners

[ART CREDITS: YALSA POSTER GRAPHIC CREDIT BY ERIN MURPHY LITERARY AGENCY (EMLA); YALSA FINALISTS GRAPHIC BY ALA/YALSA; PAULA YOO AUTHOR PHOTO BY HYUNGWON KANG]