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American Library Association · award year

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence 2017

The 2017 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence went to The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (Fiction) and Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond (Nonfiction). 6 books were finalists and 47 books made the longlist across 2 categories.

Winners

Fiction

  1. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whiteheadsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmondsource (opens in a new tab)

Finalists

Fiction

  1. Moonglow by Michael Chabonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Swing Time by Zadie Smithsource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Blood at the Root: A Racial Cleansing in America by Patrick Phillipssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Firebrand and the First Lady: Portrait of a Friendship: Pauli Murray, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Struggle for Social Justice by Patricia Bell-Scottsource (opens in a new tab)

Longlist

Fiction

  1. Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. As Good as Gone by Larry Watsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbuesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Christodora by Tim Murphysource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Commonwealth by Ann Patchettsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thiensource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Dodgers by Bill Beverlysource (opens in a new tab)
  8. Heroes of the Frontier by Dave Eggerssource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasisource (opens in a new tab)
  10. How I Became a North Korean by Krys Leesource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslettsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. LaRose by Louise Erdrichsource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Mister Monkey by Francine Prosesource (opens in a new tab)
  14. My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Stroutsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. Perfume River by Robert Olen Butlersource (opens in a new tab)
  16. Sudden Death by Álvaro Enriguesource (opens in a new tab)
  17. The Angel of History by Rabih Alameddinesource (opens in a new tab)
  18. The Good Lieutenant by Whitney Terrellsource (opens in a new tab)
  19. The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smithsource (opens in a new tab)
  20. The Sport of Kings by C. E. Morgansource (opens in a new tab)
  21. To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Iveysource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Another Day in the Death of America: A Chronicle of Ten Short Lives by Gary Youngesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Cast Away: True Stories of Survival from Europe's Refugee Crisis by Charlotte McDonald-Gibsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World's Largest Refugee Camp by Ben Rawlencesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Exiled in America: Life on the Margins in a Residential Motel by Christopher P. Dumsource (opens in a new tab)
  5. Eyes on the Street: The Life of Jane Jacobs by Robert Kanigelsource (opens in a new tab)
  6. Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War by Mary Roachsource (opens in a new tab)
  7. Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterlysource (opens in a new tab)
  8. How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS by David Francesource (opens in a new tab)
  9. Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul by James McBridesource (opens in a new tab)
  10. Lab Girl by Hope Jahrensource (opens in a new tab)
  11. Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies by Ross Kingsource (opens in a new tab)
  12. Of Arms and Artists: The American Revolution through Painters' Eyes by Paul Staitisource (opens in a new tab)
  13. Paper: Paging through History by Mark Kurlanskysource (opens in a new tab)
  14. The Dragon behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession, and the World's Most Coveted Fish by Emily Voigtsource (opens in a new tab)
  15. The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars by Dava Sobelsource (opens in a new tab)
  16. The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America's National Parks by Terry Tempest Williamssource (opens in a new tab)
  17. The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter by David Saxsource (opens in a new tab)
  18. Truevine: Two Brothers, a Kidnapping, and a Mother's Quest—A True Story of the Jim Crow South by Beth Macysource (opens in a new tab)
  19. White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenbergsource (opens in a new tab)
  20. Writing to Save a Life: The Louis Till File by John Edgar Widemansource (opens in a new tab)

About the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence

Winners, finalists (the shortlist) and longlists from ALA's per-year Carnegie Medals pages. The medals began in 2012. Winners also appear on their year's shortlist; each book is stored once per year at its highest level. No nonfiction medal was awarded in 2018 after Sherman Alexie declined it, so that year has three nonfiction finalists and no winner.

Organization: American Library Association. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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