and every dead thing by derrick barnes illustrated by gordon james lays the foundation for black readers to go forth into the world to build with confidence and self-assurance. the title says it all. black boys are every good thing. fighting words by kimberly brubaker bradley. refusing to soft-pedal hard issues, the novel speaks with stringent honesty once hopeful. the girl and the ghost by anna althoff, ripping the heart wrenching and speaks to deeper themes of family, trauma andfriendship . a fascinatingpage turning tail . we are water protectors i carol lindstrom, illustrated by michaela barrett. an inspiring call to action for all whocare about our interconnected planet . stamped by jason reynolds and eva kennedy. worthy of inclusion in every home and in curricula libraries everywhere. impressive and much-needed. as you may have noticed, this category includes two picture books, two middle grade books and 2 young adult 14 books, everyone is a triumph. congratulations to all of finalists. the winner of the 2020 kirkus prize for young readers literature is -- i have every good thing by