Walter Dean Myers Award

The Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children's Literature, known as the Walter, honors books by diverse creators that center diverse characters and experiences. It is presented by We Need Diverse Books and named for Walter Dean Myers (1937-2014), the prolific author and former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature who championed diversity in books for young readers. The first awards were presented in 2016.

A judging committee of librarians and educators reads hundreds of submissions each year. Since 2018 the award has had two categories: Teen, for readers ages 13 to 18, and Younger Readers, for ages 9 to 13, each with a winner and at least one honor book. Winners are announced in January, and a ceremony follows in the spring in Washington, D.C. We Need Diverse Books also buys copies of the winning books and donates them to classrooms in need.

Original works in English by a diverse author that feature a diverse main character or substantially address diversity, first published in English during the prior calendar year and available in the United States. Self-published titles are not eligible.