Midwinter Book Awards Beyond Newbery and Caldecott - Part II: Young Adult Books and More

BY WENDY STEPHENS

In addition to the ALSC awards described in the previous post, the Young Adult Library Association (YALSA) also designates award-winning and honor books for adolescent literature. 

Among the best-known awards for adolescent literature is the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, administered by YALSA. However, there are many other opportunities to learn about exceptional literature for teens. The life and legacy of Margaret A. Edwards are honored through two award designations:

• The Alex Awards choose ten adult books with special appeal to teen readers.
• The Edwards Award, honoring her significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens, parallels the ALSC Legacy award, except that it is based on a selection of named titles rather than the author's work as a whole.
  

A shortlist of finalists for two of YALSA's flagship awards -- the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award, honoring the best nonfiction books for teens and the William C. Morris Award, which honors a debut book written for young adults by a previously unpublished author, are announced in December, with the winner of each being part of the press conference. 

Michael L. Printz Award

The Michael L. Printz Award recognizes excellence in young adult literature and designates both an award winner as well as honor books.

2021 Printz Award Winner