‘All the Noise at Once’ wins 2026 William C. Morris Award

CHICAGO — "All the Noise at Once,” written by DeAndra Davis, has been named the 2026 winner of the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, which honors a book published by a first-time author. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. The award was announced today by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), during the ALA’s Youth Media Awards Announcements in Chicago.

Aiden has always dreamed of being a football star like his older brother, Brandon, despite the challenges his autism presents. Then Brandon’s arrest at a party due to supposed violence toward a white cop opens up a crucial exploration of racism and the social justice system, highlighting its brokenness and how society often works against those perceived as “different.”

“Davis deftly explores themes of racism, neurodivergence, sports culture, and social pressure in this riveting novel.  The committee members were extremely impressed by this debut,” said Morris Award Chair B. Allison Gray.

The award is named for William C. Morris, an influential innovator in the publishing world and an advocate for marketing books for children and young adults. William “Bill” Morris left an impressive mark on the field of children’s and young adult literature. He was beloved in the publishing field and the library profession for his generosity and marvelous enthusiasm for promoting literature for children and teens.

The 2026 Morris Award finalists, announced in December, include:

“First Love Language,” written by Stefany Valentine, and published by Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, a division of Penguin Random House.

“Love, Misha,” written and illustrated by Askel Aden, and published by First Second, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing.

“Red Flags and Butterflies,” written by Sheryl Azzam, and published by DCB Young Readers, an imprint of Cormorant Books Inc.

“You and Me on Repeat,” written and illustrated by Mary Shyne, and published by Henry Holt  Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

Members of the 2026 William C. Morris Award Committee are Chair B. Allison Gray, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Anne Dame, Einstein Middle School, Washington; Sara Huff, Abington Township Public Library, Pennsylvania; Elizabeth Elvidge Nelson, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Michigan; Carrie Richmond, Racine Public Library, Wisconsin; Keiko Sanders, Kitsap Regional Library, Washington; Nikki Shaw, Harris County Public Library, Houston; and Molly Sprague-Rice, Indianapolis Public Library, Indianapolis.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association is the largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to America’s libraries. The ALA mission is to empower and advocate for all libraries and library workers to ensure equitable access to information for all. For 150 years, ALA has provided resources for information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more information, visit www.ala.org.

About the Young Adult Library Services Association

The mission of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is to support library staff in alleviating the challenges teens face, and in putting all teens ‒ especially those with the greatest needs ‒ on the path to successful and fulfilling lives. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources go to www.ala.org/yalsa, or e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.

For more information on the William C. Morris Award and other ALA Youth Media Awards, please visit www.ala.org/yma.

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