2025 Harvey Award Nominees

The nominees for the 2025 Harvey Awards have been announced. These awards recognize the best in comics in the previous year in a variety of categories. Here are the nominees in the juvenile categories:

BEST CHILDREN’S BOOK

The Cartoonists Club by Raina Telgemeier & Scott McCloud

Chickenpox by Remy Lai

Free Piano (Not Haunted) by Whitney Gardner

Mixed-Up by Kami Garcia & Brittney Williams

Song for You and I by Kay O’Neil

Weirdo by Tony Weaver Jr, Jess Wibowo, & Cin Wibowo

BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK

Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang

How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger

Navigating with You by Jeremy Whitley, Cassio Ribeiro & Nikki Foxrobot

Raised by Ghosts by Briana Loewinsohn

Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries

My Quiet Place by Monica Mikai – Book Review

My Quiet Place by Monica Mikai (9781797225319)

A little girl enjoys early morning because it’s so quiet. But soon it’s getting busy and noisy even in their house. Outside more noises are added as the city wakes up. Happily, she has some quiet places around the house to retreat to and spend time alone. She even has a spot at school. The world, especially a city, can be a lot of noise and people, but even then she can find ways to find quiet. It could be a hand to hold or a song to hum. So when she finds another child at a birthday party who can’t take the noise, she knows just how to help. 

Told in the first person, this picture book shares proactive ways that children and families can help when someone is experiencing sensory overload. The little girl does not share a diagnosis, keeping the story focused on her personal experience and ways she finds her quiet place throughout the day and in various settings. The illustrations show the noise as red lines coming from various parts of the room. The little girl’s emotions are shown clearly and help share her experience.

A little quiet book just right for those who need some space. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Chronicle Books.