The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature

The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature is an annual award that honors the best book written for young adults. The award is named after a Topeka, Kansas high school librarian who was a longtime active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The Michael L. Printz Award, which is sponsored by Booklist, a publication of the ALA, is administered by YALSA.

Michael L. Printz died in 1996. The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature was first presented in 2000.

Eligibility for The Michael L. Printz Award

Eligibility and criteria for the award include:

• The award is to be based solely on the literary merit of the book selected.
• The book’s publisher must have designated the book as either a “young adult book” or as being for readers 12-18 years old, the age range defined by YALSA as “young adult.”
• The author can be either an American or a foreign author. The book can have a single author or multiple authors.
• The book must have been copyrighted and introduced during the designated calendar year.
• The book may be fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or anthology.
• Books previously published in another country are also eligible as long as an American edition has been published during the period of eligibility.

In addition, up to four of the books nominated for the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature may be selected as Honor Books.

The Michael L. Printz Award Winners and Honor Books

• The 2009 Michael L. Printz Award Winner and Honor Books
• The 2008 Michael L. Printz Award Winner and Honor Books

The Michael L. Printz Award winners are an excellent resource for parents, teacher, librarians, teens, and others looking for thought-provoking books for mature teens.