Michael L. Printz Award

The Michael L. Printz Award is an American Library Association literary award that annually recognizes the "best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit". It is sponsored by Booklist magazine; administered by the ALA's young-adult division, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA); and named for the Topeka, Kansas, school librarian Mike Printz, a long-time active member of YALSA.[1] Up to four worthy runners-up may be designated Honor Books and three or four have been named every year.

Michael L. Printz Award
Awarded forthe year's "best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit"
CountryUnited States
Presented byYoung Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association
First awarded2000
Websiteala.org/yalsa/printz

History

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The Printz Award was founded in 2000 for 1999 young adult publications.[2] The award "was created as a counterpoint to the Newbery" in order to highlight the best and most literary works of excellence written for a young adult audience.[3]

Jonathon Hunt, a Horn Book reviewer, hopes that the Printz Award can create a "canon as revered as that of the Newbery."[4]

Michael L. Printz was a librarian at Topeka West High School in Topeka, Kansas, until he retired in 1994.[5] He was also an active member of YALSA, serving on the Best Books for Young Adults Committee and the Margaret A. Edwards Award Committee.[6] He dedicated his life to ensuring that his students had access to good literature. To that end he encouraged writers to focus on the young adult audience. He created an author-in-residence program at the high school to promote new talent and encourage his students. His most noteworthy find was Chris Crutcher.[2] Printz died at the age of 59 in 1996.[7]

Criteria and procedure

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Source: "The Michael L. Printz Award Policies and Procedures"[8]

The selection committee comprises nine YALSA members appointed by the president-elect for a one-year term. They award one winner and honor up to four additional titles.[2] The term 'young adult' refers to readers from ages 12 through 18 for purposes of this award.[9] The Michael L. Printz Award is sponsored by Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association (ALA).[10]

  • Non-fiction, fiction, poetry and anthologies are all eligible to receive the Printz Award.
  • Books must have been published between January 1 and December 31 of the year preceding the announcement of the award.
  • Titles must be designated 'young adult' by its publisher or published for the age range that YALSA defines as "young adult," i.e., 12 through 18. Adult books are not eligible.
  • Works of joint authorship or editorship are eligible.
  • The award may be issued posthumously.
  • Books previously published in another country are eligible (presuming an American edition has been published during the period of eligibility).

Recipients

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The Printz Medal has been awarded for one work annually without exception.[11] Only A. S. King has received the award twice, one for a single-authored book in 2020 and another as editor and contributor to an anthology in 2024.[12]

Printz Award winners and runners-up
Year Author Book Result Ref.
2000 Walter Dean Myers Monster Winner [13]
David Almond Skellig Honor
Laurie Halse Anderson Speak
Ellen Wittlinger Hard Love
2001 David Almond Kit's Wilderness Winner
Carolyn Coman Many Stones Honor
Carol Plum-Ucci The Body of Christopher Creed
Louise Rennison Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging
Terry Trueman Stuck In Neutral
2002 An Na A Step From Heaven Winner
Peter Dickinson The Ropemaker Honor
Jan Greenberg Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art
Chris Lynch Freewill
Virginia Euwer Wolff True Believer
2003 Aidan Chambers Postcards from No Man's Land Winner
Nancy Farmer The House of the Scorpion Honor
Garret Freymann-Weyr My Heartbeat
Jack Gantos Hole in My Life
2004 Angela Johnson The First Part Last Winner
Jennifer Donnelly A Northern Light Honor
Helen Frost Keesha's House
K. L. Going Fat Kid Rules the World
Carolyn Mackler The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
2005 Meg Rosoff How I Live Now Winner
Kenneth Oppel Airborn Honor
Allan Stratton Chanda's Secrets
Gary D. Schmidt Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
2006 John Green Looking for Alaska Winner [14]
Margo Lanagan Black Juice Honor
Markus Zusak I Am the Messenger
Elizabeth Partridge John Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth, a Photographic Biography
Marilyn Nelson A Wreath for Emmett Till
2007 Gene Luen Yang American Born Chinese Winner
M. T. Anderson The Pox Party (Octavian Nothing, Vol I) Honor
John Green An Abundance of Katherines
Sonya Hartnett Surrender
Markus Zusak The Book Thief
2008 Geraldine McCaughrean The White Darkness Winner
Elizabeth Knox Dreamquake Honor
Judith Clarke One Whole and Perfect Day
A. M. Jenkins Repossessed
Stephanie Hemphill Your Own Sylvia
2009 Melina Marchetta Jellicoe Road Winner
M. T. Anderson The Kingdom on the Waves (Octavian Nothing, Vol II) Honor
E. Lockhart The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
Terry Pratchett Nation
Margo Lanagan Tender Morsels
2010 Libba Bray Going Bovine Winner [15]
Deborah Heiligman Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith Honor
Rick Yancey The Monstrumologist
Adam Rapp Punkzilla
John Barnes Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973
2011 Paolo Bacigalupi Ship Breaker Winner
Lucy Christopher Stolen Honor
A.S. King Please Ignore Vera Dietz
Marcus Sedgwick Revolver
Janne Teller Nothing
2012 John Corey Whaley Where Things Come Back Winner
Daniel Handler Why We Broke Up Honor
Christine Hinwood The Returning
Craig Silvey Jasper Jones
Maggie Stiefvater The Scorpio Races
2013 Nick Lake In Darkness Winner [16]
Benjamin Alire Sáenz Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Honor
Elizabeth Wein Code Name Verity
Terry Pratchett Dodger
Beverley Brenna The White Bicycle
2014 Marcus Sedgwick Midwinterblood Winner
Rainbow Rowell Eleanor & Park Honor
Susann Cokal Kingdom of Little Wounds
Sally Gardner Maggot Moon
Clare Vanderpool Navigating Early
2015 Jandy Nelson I'll Give You the Sun Winner
Jessie Ann Foley The Carnival at Bray Honor
Jenny Hubbard And We Stay
Andrew Smith Grasshopper Jungle
Mariko Tamaki This One Summer
2016 Laura Ruby Bone Gap Winner
Ashley Hope Pérez Out of Darkness Honor
Marcus Sedgwick The Ghosts of Heaven
2017 John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell March: Book Three Winner
Louise O'Neill Asking for It Honor
Julie Berry The Passion of Dolssa
Neal Shusterman Scythe
Nicola Yoon The Sun Is Also a Star
2018 Nina LaCour We Are Okay Winner [17]
Angie Thomas The Hate U Give Honor
Jason Reynolds Long Way Down
Deborah Heiligman Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers
Laini Taylor Strange the Dreamer
2019 Elizabeth Acevedo The Poet X Winner [18]
Elana K. Arnold Damsel Honor
Deb Caletti A Heart in a Body in the World
Mary McCoy I, Claudia
2020 A. S. King Dig Winner [19][20]
Nahoko Uehashi with Cathy Hirano (trans.) The Beast Player Honor
Mariko Tamaki with Rosemary Valero-O’Connell (illus.) Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me
Nikki Grimes Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir
Geraldine McCaughrean Where the World Ends
2021 Daniel Nayeri Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story) Winner [21][22]
Eric Gansworth Apple (Skin to the Core) Honor [21]
Gene Luen Yang with Lark Pien (color) Dragon Hoops
Candice Iloh Every Body Looking
Traci Chee We Are Not Free
2022 Angeline Boulley Firekeeper's Daughter Winner [23]
Angie Thomas Concrete Rose Honor [23]
Malinda Lo Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Kekla Magoon Revolution In Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People
Lisa Fipps Starfish
2023 Sabaa Tahir All My Rage Winner [24][25]
Lily Anderson Scout's Honor Honor [24]
A. L. Graziadei Icebreaker
Sacha Lamb When the Angels Left the Old Country
Eliot Schrefer Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality
2024 A. S. King (ed.), written by King, M. T. Anderson, E.E. Charlton-Trujillo, David Levithan, Cory McCarthy, Anna-Marie McLemore, Greg Neri, Jason Reynolds, Randy Ribay, and Jenny Torres Sanchez The Collectors: Stories Winner [26]
Moa Backe Åstot [sv] with Eva Apelqvist (trans.) Fire From the Sky Honor [26]
Kenneth M. Cadow Gather
Shannon Gibney The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be: A Speculative Memoir of Transracial Adoption
Candice Iloh Salt the Water

Multiple awards

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As of 2024, only A. S. King has won the Printz twice;[12] she also received an Honor. Marcus Sedgwick and M. T. Anderson have written one Award winner and two Honor Books. David Almond, John Green, Geraldine McCaughrean, and Gene Luen Yang have written one Award winner and one Honor Book. Seven people have two Honor Books but have never won the Award: Margo Lanagan, Terry Pratchett, Markus Zusak, Deborah Heiligman, Mariko Tamaki, Candice Iloh, and Angie Thomas.

Six writers have won both the Printz Award and the annual Carnegie Medal from the British librarians: David Almond, Aidan Chambers, Geraldine McCaughrean, Meg Rosoff, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Jason Reynolds. Only Chambers and Acevedo have won both for the same book; Chambers won the 1999 Carnegie and 2003 Printz for Postcards from No Man's Land,[11] [27] and Acevedo won the 2019 Carnegie and Printz for The Poet X.[28][18] In its scope, books for children or young adults (published in the UK), the British Carnegie corresponds to the American Newbery and Printz awards.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). American Library Association. (ALA). Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  2. ^ a b c Waddle, Linda. "The Association's Associations: YALSA Becomes Printz-Oriented. (Young Adult Library Services Association introduces Michael L. Printz Award) (Michael L. Printz Award) (Brief Article)". American Libraries 30.11 (Dec 1999): 7. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. Hennepin County Library. June 30, 2009.
  3. ^ Piper, Rachel (28 January 2015). "Brooke Young of the Printz Award Committee". Salt Lake City Weekly. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  4. ^ Hunt, Jonathan (July 2009). "A Printz Retrospective". Horn Book Magazine. 85 (4): 395–403. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  5. ^ HOLLINGSWORTH, HEATHER. "Book award named for former Topeka West librarian Michael Printz | CJOnline.com". cjonline.com. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  6. ^ "Michael L. Printz Awards". web.ccsu.edu.
  7. ^ American Libraries, March 1997, p. 76.
  8. ^ "The Michael L. Printz Award Policies and Procedures". YALSA. ALA. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  9. ^ "YALSA Awards Youth Books." Education Technology News 17.3 (Feb 2, 2000): NA. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. Hennepin County Library. June 30, 2009.
  10. ^ "Teen books honored". Reading Today 24.2 (Oct-Nov 2006): 12(1). Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. Hennepin County Library. June 30, 2009.
  11. ^ a b "Michael L. Printz Winners and Honor Books | Young Adult Library Services Association". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
  12. ^ a b Yorio, Kara (January 22, 2024). "'The Eyes and the Impossible' Wins the Newbery, 'Big' Earns Caldecott, and 'The Collectors: Stories' Takes the Printz Award at 2024 Youth Media Awards". School Library Journal. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  13. ^ "Obituary Notes: Walter Dean Myers; Matt Richell". Shelf Awareness . 2014-07-03. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  14. ^ "John Green: Wonders Are Never Far Away". Shelf Awareness. 2021-06-18. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  15. ^ "Rebecca Stead Wins Newbery; Jerry Pinkney Wins Caldecott". Shelf Awareness. 2010-01-19. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  16. ^ "Book Brahmin: Nick Lake". Shelf Awareness. 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  17. ^ "At ALA: Caldecott, Newbery, King, Printz Awards". Shelf Awareness. 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  18. ^ a b "Elizabeth Acevedo, Winner of the 2019 Michael L. Printz Award". Shelf Awareness. 2019-01-31. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  19. ^ "A.S. King: Michael L. Printz Award Winner". Shelf Awareness. 2020-02-28. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  20. ^ "2020 Printz Award". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  21. ^ a b "2021 Printz Award". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2022-01-24. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  22. ^ "Daniel Nayeri: 2021 Michael L. Printz Award Winner". Shelf Awareness. 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  23. ^ a b "Angeline Boulley: 2022 Michael L Printz Award Winner". Shelf Awareness. 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  24. ^ a b Communications and Marketing Office (2023-01-30). "American Library Association announces 2023 Youth Media Awards" (PDF). American Library Association. Retrieved 2023-02-01.
  25. ^ "2023 Michael L. Printz Award Winner Sabaa Tahir". Shelf Awareness. 2023-03-17. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  26. ^ a b "'The Collectors: Stories' wins 2024 Printz Award" (Press release). ALA. January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  27. ^ "Internet Archive: Service Availability". web.archive.org. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
  28. ^ Flood, Alison (2019-06-18). "Carnegie medal goes to first writer of colour in its 83-year history". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
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