We were boys together, and we called him “Sandy”, which was a cool name for a guy growing up in Hawai'i.  He was a popular guy with powerful talents, and he didn’t know it. Instead, he saw his own reflection in the eyes of a strong, quiet Stepfather with hard edges.

Sandy was a runner. Like ancient runners, he served his tribe by telling us all what he had seen, and often that was what lay ahead. His talent was that he saw the things that were important to us.. Things like love that might be found. He ran ahead of us in his heart and mind, diving into streams of music, roadside romances and thundering blue mountains offshore. These were the things that captured our hearts, and we listened to our runner.

The genius of Graham H Salisbury is that he saw that his observations were important, not just recollections or accounts. He saw that the ways of the young formed paths that could be followed or avoided, and made critical differences in the journeys of those who followed. He cared deeply about that. His stories are his gifts that simply swell with his love for the young minds everywhere, waiting to hear from the one who ran ahead.

Bill Jardine

Kamuela, HI

Congratulations on receiving the 2026 Hall of Fame Award; it is very well-deserved!   Your books have provided vital role models for children and young adults navigating choices of decency, honor, and integrity.

Personally, it has been such an honor to collaborate with you on the adaptation of Under the Blood-Red Sun from book to screen.   As a first-time screenwriter, you were an invaluable partner—enthusiastic, humble, and deeply understanding of the choices needed to translate a story from page to screen.  On set, you weren’t just an author; you were a champion for our cast and crew, inspiring everyone with your eagerness to learn their different arts and techniques.

Your collaborative spirit and commitment to your Hawaii roots serve as a daily reminder of the local-style values that we hold dear.

Sandy, we’re your biggest fans and very excited that you are receiving this latest recognition.   

With much aloha, Dana (Hankins), Tim and Mardi (Savage)

Aloha,

Tammy

It would not be his only first. At a writer’s conference, he got talking to a woman during lunch about his unpublished young adult novel-in-stories set in Hawai’i. That woman happened to be the now-legendary editor Wendy Lamb, and two weeks later, she made him an offer to publish what would become his first book, Blue Skin of the Sea. It was the beginning of a career-long twenty-novel collaboration between them. 

So thank you, Graham "Sandy" Salisbury, for your classic stories, and for pursuing your gifts in a way that also inspires and gives to others, especially to the young and to other writers and creators. And yes, congratulations on your well-deserved Hall of Fame Award!

Sue Cowing, writer friend

Honolulu