2025 Award Winners
Children’s Literature
Set in South Korea
Sarang Saves the School
Set in South Korea
A Spoonful of the Sea
Set in China
Mama’s Special Wonton Soup
Set in Japan
Chidori: A Story of One Thousand Birds
Set in China
Big Enough
Set in Vietnam and United Kingdom
The Endless Sea
Set in China
Picking Tea with Baba
Young Adult / Middle School Literature
Set in Southeast Asia
The Beasts Beneath the Winds: Tales of Southeast Asia’s Mythical Creatures
Set in Indonesia
Seabird
Set in The Philippines
The Boy, the Mountain and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon
Set in Japan
Never Silent: A Hiroshima Survivor’s Story
Young Adult / High School Literature
Set in Vietnam and America
My Mother, the Mermaid Chaser
Set in The Philippines and America
Wild Song
Set in a fictional world inspired by Korean history
The Last Tiger
Set in Japan
Songs for Ghosts: A Novel
Young Adult / Middle & High School Graphic Novels
Set in Japan
Spacewalking with You, Volume 1
Set in Japan
Hikaru in the Light! (Volume 1)
Set in Korea
Okchundang Candy
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Are You a Teacher?
NCTA has developed Culture Notes and Curriculum Connections to help you bring these books into your classroom. Visit individual book pages to view. NCTA also has a list of additional titles about East and Southeast Asia. Explore Recommended Books
About the awards
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Submission Guidelines
Honoring East And Southeast Asian Titles for Children and Young Adults
National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA), the Committee on Teaching about Asia (CTA) of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), and Asia for Educators (AFE) at Columbia University sponsor the annual Freeman Book Awards for new young adult and children’s literature. The awards recognize quality books for children and young adults that contribute meaningfully to an understanding of East and Southeast Asia. Awards are given in two categories: Children’s and Young Adult on the several countries of East and Southeast Asia.