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".^[1] It is sponsored by Booklist magazine, administered by the ALA's young-adult division YALSA, and is named for the Topeka, Kansas school librarian Mike Printz, a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association.^[1]

Four worthy runners up may be designated Honor Books and three or four have been named every year.

John Corey Whaley won the 13th Printz Award (2012) for Where Things Come Back, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers. It was announced during the ALA midwinter meeting, January 23, 2012. Four Honor Books were named.^[2]

History and creation of the Award

The Michael L. Printz Award was first awarded in 2000.^[3] The award highlights works of literary excellence that are written for a young adult audience.

Michael L. Printz was a librarian at Topeka West High School in Topeka, Kansas until he retired in 1994. He was also an active member in YALSA, serving on the Best Books for Young Adults Committee and the Margaret A. Edwards Award Committee. He dedicated his life to ensuring that his students had access to good literature. To this end, he encouraged writers to focus on the young adult audience. He created an author-in-residence program at the high school where he worked to promote new talent and encourage his students. His most noteworthy find was author Chris Crutcher.^[3] He died at the age of 59 in 1996.^[4]

Criteria for the award

Source: "The Michael L. Printz Award Policies and Procedures"^[5]

The selection committee comprises nine Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) members appointed by the president-elect for a one-year term. They award one winner and honor up to four additional titles.^[3] The term 'young adult' refers to readers from ages 12 through 18 for purposes of this award.^[6] The Michael L. Printz Award is sponsored by Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association (ALA).^[7]

• 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 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

Source: "Michael L. Printz Winners and Honor Books"^[8]

Multiple awards

No author has won two of the thirteen Printz Awards. David Almond and John Green have written one Award winner and one Honor Book while three authors have two Honor Books: M. T. Anderson, Margo Lanagan, and Markus Zusak.

See also

Novels portal

U.S. literary awards

• Newbery Medal the first children's literary award in the world
• Caldecott Medal for outstanding American picture books
• Coretta Scott King Award for outstanding children's books related to the African-American experience
• Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for outstanding lifetime contribution to children's literature

U.K. literary awards

• Carnegie Medal in Literature for outstanding children's books published in the United Kingdom
• Guardian Award for works of children's literature written by British or Commonwealth authors
• Kate Greenaway Medal for outstanding works of illustration in children's literaure from the United Kingdom

References

External links

• ALA Youth Media Awards]