Neal Shusterman was the winner of the Young People’s Literature award for Challenger Deep. Shusterman gave a moving speech about his son Brendan’s struggles as a teenager with mental illness, upon which Challenger Deep is based. Shusterman’s son was present at the award ceremony and supported his father’s novel based on his life.
In addition, New York City Schools chancellor Carmen Fariña presented the Foundation’s Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literacy Community to James Patterson, author of many bestselling series.