‘Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown’ wins 2026 Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award

CHICAGO — “Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown,” written by Candace Fleming, has been named the 2026 winner of the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award, the first national award that honors the best nonfiction books for teens. The book is published by Anne Schwartz Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House.

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.

This detailed examination of the rise and fall of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple explores his life and various factors that made its members vulnerable to manipulation. Through pictures and first-person survivor accounts, readers discover what led to the deaths of more than 900 people in Jonestown, Guyana.

“Masterful, immersive, timely storytelling elevates a shocking tragedy to an event that encourages reflection about the influence of charismatic individuals and destructive groups,” said YALSA Nonfiction Award Committee Chair Dr. Barbara A. Ward.

The YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12–18) during a Nov. 1 – Oct. 31 publishing year.

The 2026 YALSA Nonfiction Award finalists, which were announced in December, include:

“American Spirits: The Famous Fox Sisters and the Mysterious Fad That Haunted a Nation,” written by Barb Rosenstock, and published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, a division of Astra Publishing House.

“White House Secrets: Medical Lies and Cover-Ups,” written by Gail Jarrow, and published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, a division of Astra Publishing House.

“White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War, then Rewrote the History,” written by Ann Bausum, and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

“A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, A Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes Out,” written by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Yas Imamura, and published by Random House Studio, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House.

The full list of official nominations for the award will be available online at www.ala.org/yalsa/nonfiction.

Members of the 2026 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults committee are Chair Dr. Barbara A. Ward, Moscow, Idaho; Beth Davis, Berne-Knox-Westerlo MS/HS, Berne, New York; Cheri Dobbs, Detroit Country Day School, Beverly Hills, Michigan; Jenn Hartley, West Regional Library, Cary, North Carolina; Nisa Kesseler, Petoskey District Library, Michigan; Pam Penza, New Hanover County Public Library, Wilmington, North Carolina; Becky Standal, Longview Public Library, Washington; and Bethany Winter, The Blake School, Minneapolis.

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 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults and other ALA Youth Media Awards, please visit www.ala.org/yma.

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