Submissions Open Through May 21 for our
2021 Social Justice Book Prizes
The Goddard Riverside CBC Youth Book Prize and Stephan Russo Book Prize celebrate the power of the written word to create change in the name of justice for all people—a value shared by the publishing community and Goddard Riverside.

Youth Prize
Eligible works are nonfiction books for children or teens related to urban life and issues and supporting values such as community, equality, opportunity, mutual understanding, respect, caring and justice – in accordance with Goddard Riverside’s mission. This prize is administered in partnership with the Children’s Book Council.
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Youth Prize Rules
Rules and Requirements of the Goddard Riverside CBC Youth Book Prize for Social Justice
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Online Entry Form
Submit your print or digital book for the youth prize

Adult Prize
Eligible works are full-length, nonfiction books with subject matter related to housing, early childhood and secondary education, older adult life, city arts, social policy and other important aspects of community life that support and promote Goddard Riverside’s mission of investing in people and strengthening community. The prize is named for former Goddard Riverside Executive Director Stephan Russo and honors his appreciation of the works that help us understand the issues of our day.
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Adult Prize Rules
Rules and Requirements of the Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice
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Online Entry Form
Submit your print or digital books for the adult prize
Our 2020 Winners

Congratulations to our 2020 Winners!
Abandoned: America’s Lost Youth and the Crisis of Disconnection and For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World have won our adult and youth book prizes.
2020 Shortlists released on October 2
The shortlists for both book prizes have been released! The winners will be announced online at our Annual Gala on October 29. Get your tickets here!
Launched in 2017, the Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice celebrates the power of the written word to create change in the name of justice for all people—a value shared by the publishing community and Goddard Riverside.
We’re thrilled to announce that in 2020 we’ve added a prize for children’s and youth books in partnership with the Children’s Book Council!
The shortlists for each prize will be released in early October.
Book Prize Judges
Past Winners
2019
(Two Winners)
Jan Haldipur’s No Place on the
Corner: The Costs of Aggressive
Policing [NYU Press]
Alex Kotlowitz’s An American
Summer: Love and Death in
Chicago [Nan A. Talese]
2018
Bernice Yeung’s In a Day’s
Work: The Fight to End Sexual Violence Against America’s Most Vulnerable Workers
[The New Press]
2017
Susan Burton’s Becoming
Ms. Burton [The New Press]