Dilloway's "Five Things About Ava Andrews" won Christopher Award

San Diego-based author Margaret Dilloway was honored with a Christopher Award for Five Things About Ava Andrews (Ages 10 and up, Balzer + Bray/Harper Collins). It is one of 12 books for adults and young people by 17 authors and illustrators recognized as the Awards mark their 72nd year. The authors join creators of 10 winning TV/cable and feature films.

In the book a shy, anxious 11-year-old with a heart condition moves beyond her awkwardness to become a social activist after signing up for improv classes. The author is the descendent of samurai and coal miners and the proud owner of an ICD/pacemaker. She frequently writes about the intersections of race, culture, and invisible disabilities.

The #ChristopherAwards were created in 1949 to celebrate authors, illustrators, writers, producers and directors whose work “affirms the highest values of the human spirit,” and reflects The Christophers' motto, “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness,” said Tony Rossi, director of communications.

Nobody knows that 11-year-old Ava has invisible disabilities: anxiety and a heart condition. Everyone except her best friend, Zelia, thinks she doesn’t talk or is stuck-up. Ava hopes middle school will be a fresh start, but Zelia moves across the country and Ava’s Nana pushes her to speak up about social issues, so she withdraws further. However her writing abilities impress her classmates. They invite her to join their improv group, making up stories onstage. She joins—and discovers what it means to be on a team. But her relationship with Zelia strains, and she learns that it isn’t enough just to raise your voice—it’s how and why you use it that matters.

Dilloway is the author of 10 books for children and adults. She has won the American Library Association Award for Best Women’s Fiction, the Asian/Pacific American Honor Award, and the Children’s Literature Council of Southern California Award. She was chosen to be a Zion National Park Artist-in-Residence in 2020, living in the park and working as an ambassador while writing fiction. In her free time, she is an improv performer and produces an interactive online show at the Pack Theater in LA

The Christophers, a nonprofit founded in 1945 by Maryknoll Father James Keller, is rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition of service to God and humanity More information about The Christophers is available at www.christophers.org.