Carter G. Woodson Book Award
3 appearances
-
Edition 37 (2010) Winner
Paula Yoo
パウラ・ユー
Paula Yoo
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- Virginia, United States
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
Career
- Occupations
- Journalist, Children's and Young Adult author, Television screenwriter, Violinist
- Active Years
- 1992-
- Nominations
- YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction — Finalist (2022), National Book Award for Young People's Literature — Longlisted
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avon High School | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism | — | — | Master's | — | United States |
Avon High School
Country:
United States
Public high school in Avon, Connecticut
Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism
Degree:
Master's
Year of Graduation:
1992
Country:
United States
Completed master's degree in journalism
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature (Honor) | Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story | 児童書（ノンフィクション） | Asian Pacific American Librarians Association | オナー（Honor Book） |
| 2021 | Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Nonfiction) | From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement | ヤングアダルト／ノンフィクション | Boston Globe–Horn Book | 受賞（Winner） |
| 2022 | Chinese American Librarians Association Best Young Adult Non-fiction Book Award | From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement | ヤングアダルト／ノンフィクション | Chinese American Librarians Association | 受賞（Winner） |
| 2022 | Children's Literature Council of Southern California Peggy Miller Award for Young Adult Literature | From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement | ヤングアダルト | Children's Literature Council of Southern California | 受賞（Winner） |
| 2017 | Cybils Award (Finalist) | My Kite is Stuck! and Other Stories | 児童書 | Cybils | ファイナリスト |
Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature (Honor)
2006
Work:
Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story
Category:
児童書（ノンフィクション）
Organization:
Asian Pacific American Librarians Association
Result:
オナー（Honor Book）
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Nonfiction)
2021
Work:
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement
Category:
ヤングアダルト／ノンフィクション
Organization:
Boston Globe–Horn Book
Result:
受賞（Winner）
Chinese American Librarians Association Best Young Adult Non-fiction Book Award
2022
Work:
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement
Category:
ヤングアダルト／ノンフィクション
Organization:
Chinese American Librarians Association
Result:
受賞（Winner）
Children's Literature Council of Southern California Peggy Miller Award for Young Adult Literature
2022
Work:
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement
Category:
ヤングアダルト
Organization:
Children's Literature Council of Southern California
Result:
受賞（Winner）
Cybils Award (Finalist)
2017
Work:
My Kite is Stuck! and Other Stories
Category:
児童書
Organization:
Cybils
Result:
ファイナリスト
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement
2021 Young adult / NonfictionA young-adult nonfiction account of the 1982 killing of Vincent Chin and the subsequent trial, exploring how the case galvanized Asian American activism.
RacismCivil rights activismJustice and legal processAsian American identity
Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story
2005 Children's nonfictionA children's nonfiction biography of Olympic diver Sammy Lee, presenting his life and achievements for young readers.
SportsImmigrant experiencePerseverance and achievement
Rising from the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992. Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire
2023 Young adult nonfictionNarrates the 1992 Los Angeles uprising from multiple perspectives—Korean American and Black communities among others—exploring the background and consequences.
Civil unrestInterracial relationsCommunity perspectives
Good Enough
2008 Children's literatureA children's fiction book dealing with self-acceptance and growing up.
Self-acceptanceComing-of-age
My Kite is Stuck! and Other Stories
2017 Children's short storiesA collection of short stories for children that depict everyday challenges and humor.
Everyday lifeHumorChildren's perspectives
Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story
Children's biographyA children's biography introducing the life of Anna May Wong, a pioneering Asian American actress in Hollywood.
Film historyRole modelsImmigrant narratives
Bibliography
- Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story
- Good Enough
- My Kite is Stuck! and Other Stories
- Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story
- From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement
- Rising from the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Nonfiction-leaning narrativeInvestigative/journalistic approachAccessible prose for young readersMulti-perspective narrative
- Recurring Motifs
- Identity and belongingRacism and social justiceCommunity and solidarity
Legacy
Paula Yoo, with a background in journalism, is recognized for her children's and young-adult nonfiction that brings Asian American history and social issues to younger readers. She has received multiple awards and influenced education around social justice for youth.
Academic Societies
- Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (participation/presenter)
- Children's Literature Council of Southern California (award-related)
Trivia
- Has worked as a professional violinist, performing with classical orchestras and contemporary rock bands.
- Of Korean descent.
- Supports organizations such as Stop AAPI Hate and We Need Diverse Books.