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COGNOTES 10 2017 MIDWINTER HIGHLIGHTS ISSUE
March: Book Three Wins 2017 Printz Award
The Printz award, first given in 2000, is named for the late Michael L. Printz, a Topeka, Kan., school librarian known for discovering and promoting quality books for young adults. The award is administered annually by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and is sponsored by Booklist magazine.
March: Book Three, created by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf Productions) has won the 2017 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. This graphic novel is the conclusion of the March trilogy, a gripping autobiographical account of Congressman John Lewis’s experiences during the Civil Rights Movement. It follows Lewis’s involvement with the Mississippi Freedom Summer and the Selma Montgomery march, concluding with a call to action for today’s youth. “Powell’s cinematic use of black-and-white images provide depth and perspective to a critical time in the life of Civil Rights icon John Lewis,” said Printz Award Committee chair Melanie Koss.
Four Printz Honor Books also were named:
Asking for It by Louise O’Neill (Quercus).
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 Irish town, Emma becomes a shell of her previous self, struggling with the question of whether she asked for it.
The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry (Viking Books).
This beautiful historical epic tells the tale of Dolssa, an accused heretic on the run, and the three sisters who find and help her during the time of the Inquisition. Through recollections and testimonies, Dolssa’s layered story unfolds across time periods with rich language and historical detail.
Scythe by Neal Shusterman (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers).
In a future where death has been eradicated, scythes are selected to control overpopulation by “gleaning” random members of society. Teens 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 (Delacorte Press).
On the eve of her family’s deportation, Natasha, an undocumented Jamaican immigrant, meets Daniel, a Korean American boy trapped by his family’s expectations. A series of coincidences leads them through New York City, allowing them to explore to power of science, love, and the possibility of fate.
For more information on the Michael L. Printz Award and other ALA Youth Media Awards, please visit www.ala.org/yma.
Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Awards Announced
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan, published by Disney Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group, and If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo and published by Flatiron Books, are the 2017 recipients of the Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award, respectively. The awards were announced today by the American Library Association’s Stonewall Book Awards Committee of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table.
The Stonewall Book Awards are given annually to Englishlanguage works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience. The award will be presented to the winning authors or editors at the American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition in Chicago in June.
“The Youth Subcommittee selected the two titles that not only showcased exceptional merit relating to the queer youth experience, but also represented the stories we need in our libraries and in the hands of our children and teens,” said chair Casey McCoy.
In Magnus’s second adventure, Riordan introduces readers to Alex Fierro, a gender fluid teen who has “startling eyes, an impressive sweater-vest, and a tendency to hit people.” Alex is a hero and represents the expansive possibilities of gender for future generations.
In If I Was Your Girl, Russo tells the story of Amanda Hardy, a transgender teen who moves to rural Tennessee for a fresh start. Groundbreaking for its skill and authentic representation, this book displays the complexity, power, and hope possible when authors’ #ownvoices are reflected in their art.
Three Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Award Honor Books were named:
When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore (Thomas Dunne Books).
Unbecoming by Jenny Downham (Scholastic Inc.).
Pride: Celebrating Diversity & Community by Robin Stevenson (Orca Book Publishers).
For information on the Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award and other ALA Youth Media Awards, please visit www.ala.org/yma.
