DEI Book Awards
Friends Select’s annual DEI Book Awards are presented by our lower school and celebrate the power of storytelling and inclusion. This event was launched in 2023 to continue the legacy of Linda Patterson—a beloved Friends Select educator who retired in 2021 after teaching in Friends Select’s lower school for 32 years—who was committed to encouraging students and colleagues to embrace diversity and creating a learning environment where members of our community can be their authentic selves. The DEI Book Awards continue to honor children’s literature that uplifts diverse voices and promotes equity, justice, and belonging in our communities.
This year’s DEI Book Awards will be held on Wednesday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m. at the Race Street Meetinghouse. Gathering in a space rich with Quaker history reminds us of our ongoing commitment to truth, peace, and inclusion. Come be inspired, connect with others, and recognize the authors and titles making an impact on young minds.
For our DEI Book Awards, Friends Select is proud to partner with Hakim’s Bookstore, which is Philadelphia’s oldest Black-owned bookstore, dating back to the late 1950s. Books are available for purchase through this partnership.
PAST WINNERS
| 2025 |
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Slice of Life: The Linda Patterson Award Best Biography Kids' Choice Award Best Book That Explains Race and Equity Best Book That Celebrates Identity |
| 2024 |
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Best Book That Celebrates Identity Best Book That Explains Race and Equity Kids’ Choice Award Best Biography Slice of Life: The Linda Patterson Award |
| 2023 |
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Best Biography Best Local Authors Best Book That Explains Race and Equity Read to Me Slice of Life: The Linda Patterson Award |
