Printz Award

Looking for selections whose criteria meets, and exceeds, standards set by an esteemed panel of judges?

The Michael L. Printz Award annually honors the best book written for teens based entirely on its literary merit. Additionally, the Printz Committee names up to four honor books, similarly exemplifying the highest in excellence. The awards announcement is made at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting as part of the Youth Media Awards.

The award's namesake was a school librarian in Topeka, Kansas, and an active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association. Passionate about reading, he also appreciated the authors who wrote books for young adults and demonstrated this by initiating an author-in-residence program at his high school.

2017 Winner

March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell – 2017 Winner

This graphic novel is the conclusion of the March trilogy, a gripping auto biographical account of Congressman John Lewi’s experiences during the Civil Rights Movement. It follows Lewis’s involvement with the Mississippi Freedom Summer and the March on Selma, concluding with a call to action for today’s youth.

Asking for It by Louise O’Neill – 2017 Honor Book

After a party, Emma Donovan is found dumped outside her house with no recollection of the previous night. Pictures go viral showing her being raped. Lacking support from her small town, Emma becomes a shell of her previous self, struggling with the question of whether she asked for it.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman – 2017 Honor Book

In a future where death has been eradicated, scythes are selected to control overpopulation by “gleaning” random members of society. Citra and Rowan are selected as apprentices and are thrust into a world of political intrigue. Scythe is a powerful examination of ethics, humanity and the flaws of immortality.

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon – 2017 Honor Book

Like sunlight through a prism, The Sun Is Also a Star is a singular love story told through numerous luminous voices. Skillfully examining ideas of coincidence and fate, the random connections and seemingly small moments that somehow determine our futures, this kaleidoscopic novel shifts and shimmers, until its brilliant and satisfying conclusion.

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby – 2016 Winner

Told from alternating viewpoints, Bone Gap perfectly melds elements of fairy tales, myths, gothic romance, and magic realism into the story of Finn, who lives in a town with gaps in the very fabric of time and place.

The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick – 2016 Honor Book

Sedgwick connects four seemingly disparate stories, each of which feature a character haunted by the ever-present shape of a spiral. Spanning time, space, and genre, each story raises powerful questions about human nature.

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez – 2016 Honor Book

In 1937 East Texas, Naomi and Wash begin a bittersweet romance. Perez’s beautifully crafted novel is a moving portrayal of both powerful love and a period marked by oppressive, destructive racism.

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson – 2015 Winner

Once inseparable, twins Noah and Jude are torn apart by a family tragedy that transforms their intense love for each other into anger. Timelines twist and turn around each other in majestically orchestrated stories of love and longing.

And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard – 2015 Honor Book

Reeling from her boyfriend’s dramatic suicide, Emily hides her anguish at a new boarding school, where she finds healing through poetry. Hubbard’s gem-like prose masterfully balances Emily’s poetry.

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley – 2015 Honor Book

Maggie is dismayed to leave Chicago and her beloved Uncle Kevin behind when she moves to a small Irish town. Yet, it is within this evocative setting that Foley unwinds Maggie’s exceptional coming-of-age tale, discovering music and forgiveness as antidotes for grief.

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith – 2015 Honor Book

Austin is in love with his best girl friend, Shann. He is also in love with his best boy friend, Robby. Smith takes these tender facts and swirls them into a whirlwind of carnivorous praying mantises, the history of the world, and the end of all we know.

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki – 2015 Honor Book

Adolescence in its first bloom is the subject of this graphic novel. A tale of one special summer in Rose’s life, in a brilliant flow of pictures and text.

Brought to you by YA Librarian, Chris.