Jennifer Robin Barr's "Thunder and Mercy" Wins 2026 Grateful American Book Prize

ARLINGTON, Va. - Rezul -- Jennifer Robin Barr's electrifying novel, Thunder and Mercy [Astra Books for Young Readers/Calkins Creek], has been selected as the winner of the 2026 Grateful American Book Prize, according to co-founder David Bruce Smith.

Described as "fast-paced and full of twists," this suspenseful middle grade novel transports young readers between the 1770s and 1970s as twelve-year-old Theodora "Thunder" Underwood uncovers the truth behind a Revolutionary-era spy network.

Two books received Honorable Mentions:

White House Secrets: Medical Lies and Cover-Ups [Astra Books for Young Readers/Calkins Creek] by Gail Jarrow – shocking, yet true, stories of presidential medical cover-ups from the 19th to the 21st century – a fascinating and provocative new installment in Jarrow's acclaimed Medical Fiascoes book series.

The Four Seasons of Florence Wallace [Tommy Nelson] by Kirstie Myvett, a historical novel about a Black orphan girl grappling for a solid place in Civil War–era New York City.

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About The Grateful American Book Prize

The Grateful American Book Prize is awarded annually for high-quality, 7th to 9th grade level historical fiction, nonfiction, and biographies that explore the personalities and events which have shaped the United States since its founding.

The $13,000 cash award (commemorating the original 13 Colonies) also includes a lifetime membership at The New York Historical, and a silver medallion created by the co-founder's mother, renowned artist Clarice Smith.

Honorable Mention recipients each receive $500 and the medallion.

David Bruce Smith, author and education advocate, co-founded the Prize in 2015 with the late Dr. Bruce Cole, the longest-serving chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities (2001 to 2009).

For more information about the annual award, visit https://gratefulamericanbookprize.org/.