Aiden Thomas

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Aiden Thomas
Aiden Thomas by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Thomas in 2024
NationalityAmerican
Citizenship United States of America
Alma mater Mills College
Genre Young adult fiction
Notable works Cemetery Boys
Website
www.aiden-thomas.com

Aiden Thomas is a Latino American author of young adult novels, best known for the book Cemetery Boys which was a New York Times bestseller and won numerous awards, including best of the year recognition from the American Library Association, Publishers Weekly , Barnes & Noble, NPR and School Library Journal .

Contents

Early life and education

Thomas was born in Oakland, California, and received a MFA in creative writing from Mills College.

Personal life

Thomas lives in Portland. [1] He is transgender and uses he/they pronouns. [2]

Books

Cemetery Boys

Cemetery Boys was published on September 1, 2020, by Swoon Reads. [3] It tells the story of Yadriel, who is queer, transgender, Latino and a brujo. Unfortunately, his family does not recognize him as a man, which has serious effects on his abilities. The book was named a best seller by TheNew York Times and IndieBound , [3] and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly [4] and Booklist . [5]

Lost in the Never Woods

Lost in the Never Woods was published on March 23, 2021, by Swoon Reads. [6] It is a retelling of Peter Pan . The book, as well as the audiobook, received a starred review from Booklist. [7] [8]

The Sunbearer Trials duology

The Sunbearer Trials, a Mexican-inspired fantasy was published on September 6, 2022 by Feiwel & Friends. [9] It received starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly. [10] [11] The finale in this series, Celestial Monsters, was published on September 3, 2024 by Feiwel & Friends. [12] It received starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus Reviews . [12] [13]

Just Max

In October 2021, Thomas announced the acquisition of Just Max, [14] a contemporary YA novel about a trans boy going to college and navigating all the new experiences that includes. Release is set for Winter 2024. [15]

Awards and honors

Cemetery Boys is a Junior Library Guild book. [16] It was a New York Times and Indiebound bestseller, [3] and Publishers Weekly , NPR, and Barnes & Noble named it one of the best books of 2020. [17] [18] [19] School Library Journal included the audiobook on their list of the top ten audiobooks of 2020, [20] the American Library Association (ALA) included it on their 2020 list of the top ten Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults. [21] The following year, the ALA included it in the top ten on their Best Fiction for Young Adults list, [22] [23] ALA Rainbow Book List, [24] and Teens' Top Ten list. [25]

In 2023, the ALA included The Sunbearer Trials on their list of the Best Fiction for Young Adults and their Rainbow List. [26] [27]

Awards for Thomas's writing
YearTitleAwardResultRef.
2020Cemetery Boys Bram Stoker Award for Best Young Adult Novel Shortlisted [28]
Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science FictionNominee [29]
Goodreads Choice Award for Debut NovelNominee [29]
National Book Award for Young People's Literature Longlisted [30] [31]
2021 Locus Award for Best First Novel Nominee [32]
Lodestar Award Finalist [33]
Lost in the Never Woods Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science FictionNominee [34]

References

  1. ↑ "Aiden Thomas". Macmillan Publishers. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  2. ↑ La Jeunesse, Marilyn (September 6, 2022). "The Sunbearer Trials Is a Window Into a Rich World of Queer Demigods". Them . Archived from the original on August 2, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 "Cemetery Boys". Kirkus Reviews. July 15, 2020. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  4. ↑ March Soloway, Jennifer (June 25, 2020). "Children's Book Review: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  5. ↑ Bittner, Rob (May 1, 2020). Cemetery Boys. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021– via Booklist.
  6. ↑ "Lost in the Never Woods". Kirkus Reviews . May 10, 2021. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  7. ↑ Smith, Candace (June 1, 2021). Lost in the Never Woods. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021– via Booklist.
  8. ↑ Leary, Alaina (February 1, 2021). Lost in the Never Woods. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021– via Booklist.
  9. ↑ "The Sunbearer Trials". Macmillan. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  10. ↑ "The Sunbearer Trials (The Sunbearer #1) by Aiden Thomas". Publishers Weekly . July 21, 2022. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  11. ↑ Cohen, Stephanie (August 2022). "The Sunbearer Trials". Booklist . Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  12. 1 2 "Celestial Monsters". Kirkus Reviews . August 30, 2024. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  13. ↑ Leary, Fin (July 2024). "Celestial Monsters". Booklist . Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  14. ↑ Thomas, Aiden (October 19, 2021). "my way of surviving quarantine was to write a story about a trans boy starting college, experiencing the foibles of being stealth in a co-ed dorm, and falling in love with the cute boy who offered to tutor him in math and now i get to share it!". Twitter . Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Rights Report: Week of October 18, 2021". Publishers Weekly . Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Cemetery Boys". Junior Library Guild . Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Best Books 2020: Publishers Weekly - Young Adult". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  18. ↑ "NPR's Book Concierge". NPR. Archived from the original on July 8, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Cemetery Boys|Hardcover". Barnes & Noble. Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  20. ↑ Klose, Stephanie. "Top 10 Audiobooks of 2020". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  21. ↑ "2021 Top Ten Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). January 5, 2021. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  22. ↑ Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2021. March 15, 2021. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2021– via Booklist.
  23. ↑ "2021 Top Ten Best Fiction". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). January 14, 2021. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  24. ↑ Rainbow List: 2021. March 15, 2021. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2021– via Booklist.
  25. ↑ "2021 Teens' Top Ten" (PDF). American Library Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2023". Booklist . March 15, 2023. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Rainbow List: 2023". Booklist . March 15, 2023. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  28. ↑ "The Bram Stoker Awards 2020". The Bram Stoker Awards. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  29. 1 2 "Cemetery Boys". Goodreads. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  30. ↑ "National Book Awards 2020". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  31. ↑ Kantor, Emma (September 16, 2020). "2020 NBA Longlist for Young People's Literature Announced". Publishers Weekly . Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  32. ↑ "2021 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. June 26, 2021. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  33. ↑ "2021 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. January 1, 2021. Archived from the original on May 13, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Lost in the Never Woods". Goodreads . Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
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