Michael L. Printz Award

I.  Background to the Award.

The Michael L. Printz Award is given annually by the Young Adult Library Services Association ("YALSA") to "a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature" (YALSA, Michael L. Printz Award).  The award is sponsored by Booklist, a magazine published by the American Library Association ("ALA").  The award is named after Michael L. Printz, who was a school librarian at Topeka West High School in Kansas until his retirement in 1994, and then he was a marketing consultant at Econo-Clad Books.  Mr. Printz was active in YALSA, serving on both the Best Books for Young Adults Committee and the Margaret A. Edwards Award Committee.  Mr. Printz passed away in 1996.   The award is selected by a nine person Printz Award Committee.  The award winner, and any honor books, are announced at the midwinter conference of the ALA, and the award is presented at the annual conference of the ALA.  To be eligible for the award, a book must have been published during the previous year and be intended for readers in the 12 through 18 year old age range.  Up to four honor books may be selected each year.  On the left is a picture of the seal for the Michael L. Printz Award (from YALSA's website).  The award winner seal is gold and the honor seal is silver.  Publishers may put the seals on books that win the award or receive an honor.  The first Michael L. Printz Award was given in 2000.  Below is a list, by year, of the Michael L. Printz award winners and honor recipients.

II.  Award Winners and Honor Recipients.

   2008

• Award:

  • The White Darkness, written by Geraldine McCaughrean (HarperTeen, 2007).

• Honors:
  • Dreamquake: Book Two of the Dreamhunter Duet, written by Elizabeth Knox (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007).
  • One Whole and Perfect Day, written by Judith Clarke (Front Street, 2007).
  • Repossessed, written by A.M. Jenkins, (HarperTeen, 2007).
  • Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath, written by Stephanie Hemphill (Alfred A. Knopf, 2007). 

   2007

• Award:

  • American Born Chinese, written by Gene Luen Yang (First Second, 2007).

• Honors:

  • The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, written by M.T. Anderson (Candlewick Press, 2006).
  • An Abundance of Katherines, written by John Green (Dutton Juvenile, 2006).
  • Surrender, written by Sonya Hartnett (Candlewick Press, 2006).
  • The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak (Alfred A. Knopf, 2006).

   2006

• Award:

  • Looking for Alaska, written by John Green (Dutton Juvenile, 2005).

• Honors:

  • Black Juice, written by Margo Lanagan (EOS, 2005).
  • I am the Messenger, written by Markus Zusak (Alfred A. Knopf, 2005).
  • John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth, written by Elizabeth Partridge (Viking Juvenile, 2005).
  • A Wreath for Emmett Till, written by Marilyn Nelson and illustrated by Philippe Lardy (Houghton Mifflin, 2005).

   2005

• Award:

  • How I live Now, written by Meg Rosoff (Wendy Lamb Books, 2004).

• Honors:

• Airborn, written by Kenneth Oppel (EOS, 2004).

• Chanda's Secrets, written by Allan Stratton (Annick Press, 2004).

• Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, written by Gary D. Schmidt (Clarion Books, 2005).

   2004 

• Award:

  • The First Part Last, written by Angela Johnson (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2003).

     

• Honors:

  • A Northern Light, written by Jennifer Donnelly (Harcourt Children's Books, 2003).
  • Keesha's House, written by Helen Frost (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003).
  • Fat Kid Rules the World, written by K.L. Going (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2003).
  • The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, written by Carolyn Mackler (Candlewick Press, 2003).

   2003

• Award:

  •  Postcards from No Man's Land, written by Aidan Chambers (Dutton, 2002).

     

• Honors:

  • The House of the Scorpion, written by Nancy Farmer (Atheneum, 2002).

  • My Heartbeat, written by Garret Freymann-Weyr (Houghton Mifflin, 2002).

  • Hole in My Life, written by Jack Gantos (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002).

• Award:

  • A Step from Heaven, written by An Na (Front Street, 2001).

     

• Honors:

  • Freewill, written by Chris Lynch (HarperTeen, 2001).

  • Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art, written by Jan Greenberg (Harry N. Abrams, 2001).

  • The Ropemaker, written by Peter Dickinson (Delacorte, 2001).

  • True Believer, written by Virginia Euwer Wolf (Atheneum, 2001).

   2001

• Award:

  •  Kit's Wilderness, written by David Almond (Delacorte, 2000).

     

• Honors:

  • Many Stones, written by Carolyn Coman (Front Street, 2000).

  • The Body of Christopher Creed, written by Carol Plum-Ucci (Harcourt Children's Books, 2000).

  • Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging: Confessionsl of Georgina Nicolson, written by Louise Rennison (HarperTeen, 2000).

  • Stuck in Neutral, written by Terry Trueman (HarperTeen, 2000).

   2000

• Award:

  •  Monster, written by Walter Dean Myers and illustrated by Christopher Myers (HarperCollins, 1999).

     

• Honors:

  • Skellig, written by David Almond (Delacorte Press, 1999).

  • Speak, written by Laurie Halse Anderson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999).

  • Hard Love, written by Ellen Wittinger (Simon & Schuster, 1999).

(List adapted from YALSA, Michael L. Printz Award).

III.  Resources.

Marks, Diana F.  (2006).  Children's Book Award Handbook.  Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Young Adult Library Services Association.  (n.d.).  The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature.  Retrieved on March 9, 2008 from:

http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/printzaward/Printz.cfm

Young Adult Library Services Association.  (n.d.).  Michael L. Printz Winners and Honor Books.  Retrieved on March 9, 2008 from:

http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/printzaward/previouswinners/winners.cfm

Young Adult Library Services Association.  (n.d.).  Policies and Procedures.  Retrieved on March 9, 2008 from:

http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/printzaward/aboutprintz/michaellprintz.cfm

Young Adult Library Services Association.  (n.d.).  Who was Mike Printz?  Retrieved on March 9, 2008 from:

http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/printzaward/whowasmikeprintz/whomikeprintz.cfm