Press & Awards

Awards and Lists:

  • Winner of the 2024 Rip Van Winkle Award from the School Library Media Specialists of Southeastern New York for “outstanding contribution to the world of children’s literature”
  • Junior Library Guild Selection (Tear This Down, Unstuck, Violets Are Blue, My Life in the Fish Tank, Maybe He Just likes You, Everything I Know About You, Halfway Normal)
  • Winner of New Jersey’s 2024 Garden State Teen Book Award (Grades 6-8) (Violets Are Blue)
  • Child Mind Institute’s Best Kids’ Books on Mental Health of 2024 (Unstuck)
  • Washington Post’s Best Children’s Books of the Year (Maybe He Just Likes You)
  • ALA Notable Children’s Books (Maybe He Just Likes You )
  • ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project (Maybe He Just Likes You )
  • ALA Rainbow List Top Ten (Star-Crossed)
  • SLJ’s Best Middle Grade Books of 2022 (Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet)
  • SLJ’s Best Middle Grade Books of 2021 (Violets Are Blue)
  • Bank Street Best Children’s Books of 2021 (My Life in the Fish Tank)
  • Bank Street Best Children’s Books of 2020 (Maybe He Just Likes You)
  • Bank Street Best Children’s Books of 2019 (Everything I Know About You)
  • Bank Street Best Children’s Books of 2010 (Solving Zoe)
  • 2018 CCBC Choices (Star-Crossed)

Starred Reviews:

“A smart and passionate read” —★ Publishers Weekly, starred review (Tear This Down)

“A top choice” —★ School Library Journal, starred review (Unstuck)

“A timely #MeToo story” —★ Publishers Weekly, starred review (Maybe He Just Likes You)

“Powerful.” —★ Kirkus Reviews, starred review (Halfway Normal)

“Powerful.” —★ School Library Journal, starred review (Halfway Normal)

”An impressive debut.” ★ Publishers Weekly, starred review (Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life) 

Interviews and Podcasts:

Press:

New York Times Book Review: By The Book: Q&A with Amanda Jones (“Put Kids’ Interests First, This Librarian Insists”)  (2024)

People Magazine: Author John Schu Wishes He Read Mental Health Books Like These as a Kid: ‘This Will Save Lives’ (2024)

New York Times: Why More Children’s Books Are Tackling Sexual Harassment and Abuse  (2020)

Kirkus Reviews: 5 Books to Help Kids Face Our Frightening World (2023)

School Library Journal: 2 Middle Grade Novels Exploring Climate Change in Different Ways  (2023)

BookRiot: Let’s Talk About Star-Crossed: Why We Need Bisexual Kids Books, Backlash or Not (2017)

Essays and Guest Posts:

Publishers Weekly: Barbara Dee on How She Got Her Writing ‘Unstuck’ (2024)

SLJ.com’s Teen Librarian Toolbox: Getting Kids Unstuck as Writers (2024)

School Library Journal: “Abnormal Standard Time”: Barbara Dee’s Message to Kids Living Through a Pandemic (2020)

Cynsations Blog: Barbara Dee on the Sound of Middle Grade: Getting the Voice (2022)

SLJ.com’s Teen Librarian Toolbox: The Toughest “Tough Topic” of All (2022)

SLJ.com’s Teen Librarian Toolbox: Knowing and Not Knowing (2021)

Praise for Barbara:

“Dee showcases the power of compassion and understanding during the crucial middle school years of growth and change.”–School Library Journal (Starred Review of UNSTUCK)

“As always from Dee, a thoughtful, compassionate exploration of the changing exterior and exterior landscapes of middle school life.”–SLJ.com’s Teen Librarian Toolbox (UNSTUCK)

“Dee successfully tackles tough topics, making them relatable for middle-grade readers.”—Booklist  (VIOLETS ARE BLUE)

“Dee writes endearing characters that are varied and flawed, allowing readers to easily identify with one or multiple characters.”—Booklist (MY LIFE IN THE FISH TANK)

“Each of Barbara Dee’s books engages readers by embodying honest and authentic middle school feelings. If students read one of her books, they almost always read multiple.” —Edutopia.org (“10 Favorite Writers for Middle School Students”)

“Barbara Dee is an auto-read author for me. Her middle grade books are consistently well-written, interesting, and tackle important topics.”—SLJ.com (Teen Librarian Toolbox on HAVEN JACOBS SAVES THE PLANET)

“Barbara Dee is my favorite middle grade author because she writes kids like actual kids–not like sitcom kids, not like adults in kids’ bodies.”—Kate Olson, Librarian (VIOLETS ARE BLUE)

“Barbara Dee is one of my top 10 favorite middle grade authors. She has an ability to capture the middle school experience better than almost anyone else.”–Laura Gardner, SLJ School Librarian of the Year 2016 finalist (VIOLETS ARE BLUE)

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