AJL Book Awards

Sydney Taylor Book Awards

Tuesday, June 25, 3:00–5:30 pm

To Everything There is a Season: The 2024 Sydney Taylor Book Award Winners

Richard Ho and Lynn Scurfield will discuss their multicultural picture book winner, Two New Years; Mari Lowe will take us into the life of a lonely teen in The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman; and Elana K. Arnold will bring us to Holocaust-era Romania in The Blood Years.

Into the Unknown: The 2024 Sydney Taylor Honor Winners

Celebrate the authors and illustrators of this year's Honor books. Presenters include Tziporah Cohen (Afikomen), Elissa Brent Weissman (Hanukkah Upside Down), Deke Moulton (Don't Want To Be Your Monster), Josh Levy (The Jake Show), Susan Lynn Meyer (A Sky Full of Song), Noa Nimrodi (Not So Shy), Neal Shusterman (Courage to Dream: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust), and Aden Polydoros (Wrath Becomes Her).



Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award

Join us as we honor long-time Kar-Ben publisher Joni Sussman for her myriad contributions to Jewish children's literature.

Book Signing

Tuesday, June 25, 6:00–6:30 pm

Purchase the award-winning titles from our onsite bookseller, Warwick's of La Jolla, and get them signed by the authors and illustrators!

Awards Banquet

Tuesday, June 25, 6:30–8:30 pm



Celebrate the winners of the AJL Jewish Fiction Award, AJL Judaica Bibliography Award, AJL Judaica Reference Award, Sydney Taylor Book Awards, Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award, and Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award at our awards banquet!

Hotel Availability

As of May 1, all rooms at the special AJL conference rates of $234 and $254 per night at the Holiday Inn Bayside have been booked. After much discussion, the hotel has agreed to provide 10 additional Premium rooms at $269 per night. Once these rooms have been booked, the hotel will be sold out. Full booking instructions are available in the conference FAQs.

If you are unable to reserve a room at the Holiday Inn Bayside, we suggest trying these nearby hotels:

• Homewood Suites by Hilton San Diego Airport-Liberty Station
• Best Western Yacht Harbor Hotel

If you are looking for a roommate, post a message on Hasafran or post a message in Sched, the conference app. Go to "Chat" and select "Event Lobby."

Tour Availability

The Wednesday afternoon tour is sold out! Add your name to the waiting list.