It’s Book Awards Day! Since we’re a YA site, we’d like to congratulate all of the winners of the 2012 ALA Youth Media Awards but especially to the 2012 Michael L. Printz Award Winner: “Where Things Come Back” by John Corey Whaley and Honor Books:
- “Why We Broke Up” by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman
- “The Returning” by Christine Hinwood
- “Jasper Jones” by Craig Silvey
- “The Scorpio Races” by Maggie Stiefvater (the only book I’ve read of the lot, and one of our favorites from last year!)
We’d also like to point out that our very first Book Club Pick, “Under the Mesquite” by Guadalupe Garcia McCall was an honoree for the William C. Morris Award for a debut novel and also the WINNER of the Pura Belpré Award for Text. Congratulations, Guadalupe, and her publisher, Lee and Low.
As a relative newbie to YA addiction, Diana and I have been using YALSA’s website as a guide to the genre’s must-read titles. I would go to the library or the bookstore with the site loaded on my iPhone and just check out or buy whatever matched the various booklists.
This year, in addition to reading all four remaining honorees from 2012, I’ve pledged to read each of the winners from previous years (I’ve only read four!). It’s perfect, because we’re also doing the ALA YA Award Books Challenge. Here they are:
2011: “Ship Breaker” by Paolo Brancupi
2010: “Going Bovine” by Libba Bray
2009: “Jellicoe Road“ by Melina Marchetta
2008: “The White Darkness” by Geraldine McCaughrean
2007: “American Born Chinese” by Gene Luen Yang
2006: “Looking for Alaska,“ by John Green
2005: “how i live now” by Meg Rosoff
2004: “The First Part Last” by Angela Johnson
2003: “Postcards from No Man’s Land” by Aidan Chambers
2002: “A Step From Heaven” by An Na
2001: “Kit’s Wilderness” by David Almond
2000: “Monster” by Walter Dean Myers
We’re also reading at least the winners from each of the awards announced today:
1. Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults: “Where Things Come Back” by John Corey Whaley
2. Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience. The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is: “The Running Dream” by Wendelin Van Draanen
3. Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences: I’ve picked “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern
4. Margaret A. Edwards Award honors an author for significant and lasting contribution to YA Lit: Susan Cooper is the honoree, and I’ve picked “King of Shadows”
5. Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults. Because I loved it SO much, I’m going to listen to “The Scorpio Races” by Maggie Stiefvater.
6. Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding YA book translated from a language other than English and subsequently published in the United States:
7. Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award -young adult book of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered experience. I’m going to read the honor book “Pink” by Lili Wilkinson.
8. William C. Morris Award for a debut book by a first-time author writing for teens: Since I’m already reading “Where Things Come Back,” and I’ve already read “Under the Mesquite,” I’m going to read “Between Shades of Gray,” which was one of Lily’s favorite books from 2011.
9. YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults: “Music Was IT: Young Leonard Bernstein” by Susan Goldman Rubin.
Yay for “Under the Mesquite!”
I’ve only read four previous winners as well. I’ve read three that you read, but I read “American Born Chinese” and not “Ship Breaker.” 🙂
I really liked “Why We Broke Up.” The illustrations were really cool and I liked the premise since I tend to get sentimental about little mementos, too.
I tried to buy any of the Printz books, but the only one they had was Scorpio Races — bummer! I put Why We Broke Up on my library queue. Hope it’s worth the wait (I think I’m #12).
I’m a little chagrined that I haven’t read any of the Printz books this year! Oops. I am definitely going to get Scorpio Races on audio, though! Can’t wait.
I haven’t read all the previous Printz winners, but my favorites of those I have read would be The First Part Last and American Born Chinese. (We just interviewed Gene Luen Yang on http://authorsarerockstars.com!) Happy Printz reading to you ladies!
Ooh, I should read that, especially since my husband is all but ABC (he came here when he was six weeks old). Definitely get Scorpio Races on audio.Such a fantastic read.
WHERE THINGS COME BACK has been on my radar for quite some time…now I’ll get a copy with two seals on it! and then must get a copy of THE SCORPIO RACES. I’ve read quite a few of the past winners. JELLICOE ROAD was fantastic. Also, THE NIGHT CIRCUS is a very good pick indeed. Erin Morgenstern is going to be in Cincinnati at the local indie Joseph Beth tonight. We Heart YA’s going!
The Scorpio Races is one of my favorites of 2011, as you know. I highly, highly recommend it! I can’t wait to read Where Things Come Back. How exciting that you’re heading to meet Erin Morgenstern tonight! Can’t wait to read about it.