Awards: Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence Winners

The American Library Association announced the winners of the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction. The medal winners each receive $5,000; all finalists will be honored in June during the ALA's annual conference. The winners are:

Fiction: James by Percival Everett (Doubleday). Judges commented: "In an astounding riposte, Everett rewrites Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a liberation narrative, told from James's point of view. When he is accused of robbery and murder, James flees with an initially gleeful Huck, who only gradually understands the terrifying reality of being a Black man with a price on his head. Determined to return and rescue his wife and daughter, James takes the story in a completely different direction than the original, exemplifying the relentless courage and moral clarity of an honorable man with nothing to lose."

Nonfiction: A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko (Scribner). Judges commented: "Centering Fedarko's lifelong relationship with the Grand Canyon, from reading about it as a child through working as a clumsy canoe guide, A Walk in the Park follows the author on a canyon-spanning group hike and all the steps, missteps, and arguments along the way. He particularly inspires in detailing the ancestral history of the land and some of the Indigenous individuals who continue to fight against overdevelopment and ever-booming tourism."

Allison Escoto, chair of this year's selection committee, said, "On behalf of this year's Carnegie committee, I'm thrilled to honor these exceptional books and to highlight their contributions to American fiction and nonfiction. Percival Everett has written a modern masterpiece, a beautiful and important work that offers a fresh perspective from the eyes of a classic character. Kevin Fedarko's unforgettable journey through the otherworldly depths of the Grand Canyon shows us the triumphs and pitfalls of exploration and illuminates the many vital lessons we can all learn from our precious natural world."

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