Chapter 8: Awards
Chapter 8: Awards
Knowing awards is paramount to reading selection and
collection development for both the classroom teacher and the school librarian.
The following is a list of some of the most important awards that pertain to YA
literature and collections.
1. Printz- The Printz award is an award
for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in YA literature. The award is
sponsored by Booklist, a publication of the ALA. This award is given during the
Annual conference each year in June.
o
To be eligible for the Printz award, the book
must meet the following criteria:
§
May be fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or an
anthology
§
The book must be published between January 1st
and December 31st of the year preceding announcement of the award.
§
The book must be designated by its publisher as
being YA or for the age range of 12-18.
§
Works of joint authorship or editorship are
eligible
§
Books published in another country are eligible
§
Titles that are self-published or published in
ebook format will not be considered eligible until the first year the book is
available in print or distributed through a US publishing house.
§
If no title is deemed sufficient, no award will
be given that year.
§
Some suggested criteria: story, voice, style,
setting, accuracy, characters, theme, illustrations, design (including format, organization,
etc.)
2. YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction- This
award honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18)
during Nov. 1- Oct. 31 publishing year.
o
The winner is announced annually at the ALA
Youth Media Awards.
o
A short list of up to 5 titles named the first
week in December.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: www.ala.org/yalsa/nonfiction-award
o
To be eligible for the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction
award, the book must meet the following criteria:
§
It honors a work for subject, treatment, and
accessibility for young adults.
§
All print forms of nonfiction are eligible
including graphic formats
§
It must be intended for young adults or for persons
between the ages of 12-18
§
The title must include excellent writing,
research, presentation and readability for young adults
§
Titles from a series will be considered on
individual merits
§
Self-published titles will be considered
eligible until the first year the book is available in print or distributed
through a US publishing house
§
If no title is deemed sufficient, no award will
be given that year.
3. Great Graphic Novels for Teens- This is
a list of recommended graphic novels and illustrated nonfiction for those ages
12-18, prepared yearly by YALSA.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/great-graphic-novels
o
To be eligible for the Great Graphic Novels for
Teens, the book must meet the following criteria:
§
Both young adult and adult titles that have
strong teen appeal can be considered
§
Both fiction and nonfiction are eligible
§
Adapted materials must remain true to, expand,
or complement the original work
§
Books must be published within the specific
calendar year, Jan 1- Dec 31 and also Sept 1-Dec 31 of the previous year
§
Nominations may be accepted from field and the
blogging team
§
The graphic novels do not need to be published
in the US, but they must be widely available for purchase
§
Collections of comic strips will be considered
only if they have an overarching story
4. Best Fiction for Young Adults- This is
a list of recommended by YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults Blogging Team
for ages 12-18 published in the last 14 months.
o
The purpose of the annual list is to provide a
resource to use for collection development and reader’s advisory purposes.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/best-fiction-young-adults
o
To be eligible for the Best Fiction for Young
Adults, the book must meet the following criteria:
§
Titles are selected for their appeal to the
personal reading tastes of young adults
§
Appeal and popularity are not the same
§
Titles in a series can be considered on their
individual merits
§
Nominations may be accepted from the field up to
Nov 1; anyone can nominate titles through nomination forms on www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists
5. Margaret A. Edwards Award- established
in 1988, honors an author with a specific body of work. For significant and
lasting contribution to young adult literature. This award is given annually by
YALSA and sponsored by School Library Journal magazine.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/edwards-award
o
To be eligible for the Margaret A. Edwards
award, the book must meet the following criteria:
§
The “author” may be an individual or a co-author
and must be living at the time of the nomination.
§
The nominees must be aware if the entire range of
books for young adults
 |
| MT Anderson 2019 winner |
§
The following questions help the committee make
its selection:
·
“Does the book(s) help adolescents to become
aware of themselves and to answer their questions about their role and
importance in relationships, society and in the world?
·
Is the book(s) of acceptable literary quality?
·
Does the book(s) satisfy the curiosity of young
adults and yet help them thoughtfully to build a philosophy of life?
·
Is the book(s) currently popular with a wide
range of young adults in many different parts of the country?
·
Do the book(s) serve as a ‘window to the world’
for young adults?”
§
Any (and only) committee members may nominate
titles, but they may nominate as many number of authors or titles
6. ALEX Award- an award given to 10 books
for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12-18. The ALEX
awards were first being given in 1998 and then became an official ALA award in
2002.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/alex-awards
o
To be eligible for an ALEX Award, the book must
meet the following criteria:
§
First selection criteria is the appeal to the
personal reading tastes of young adults
§
When assessing appeal committee members look at:
language, plot, style, setting, dialog, characterization, and design.
7. Odyssey Award- This is an annual award
given to the producer of the best audiobook made for children or young adults,
specifically in English in the US. This award is given by both ALSC and YALSA
divisions of ALA and is sponsored by Booklist.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/odyssey-award
o
To be eligible for the Odyssey Award, the book
must meet the following criteria:
§
All literary genres are eligible
§
The books need to be published between Jan 1-
Oct 31st in addition to those published between Nov 1 and Dec 31st
of the previous year.
§
Audiobooks produced previously in other audio
formats are not eligible
§
The audiobook is intended for young adults or
children
§
Audiobooks previously published in another
country are eligible.
§
Qualities of the audiobook considered by the
committee for winning are:
·
The audio must maintain and stimulate listeners’
interest
·
Production qualities: narration, sound quality,
background music and sound effects, and overall rating
8. Morris Award- Also known as William C.
Morris Debut Award, was first given 2009, honors a book published by a
first-time author for YA literature. The winner is announced at the ALA Youth
Media Awards.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/morris-award
o
To be eligible for the Morris Award, the book
must meet the following criteria:
§
Must be authors of original young adult works of
fiction in any genre, nonfiction, poetry, a short story collection, or graphic
work
§
The award winner must have not previously
published a book for any audience.
§
The book must be published between Nov 1 to Oct
31 of the year preceding announcement of the award.
§
Edited works and anthologies are not eligible.
§
The award can be given posthumously.
§
The title must be widely available in the US to
libraries and teens
9. Outstanding Books for the College Bound-
this is a book list that offers opportunities to discover new ideas, and
provide an introduction to a variety of subjects within an academic area. This
list is developed every 5 years by a YALSA committee.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/outstanding-books-college-bound
o
To be eligible for the Outstanding Books for the
College Bound, the book must meet the following criteria:
§
Standard selection crieteria from the ALA
Library Bill of Rights are used
§
Copyright is not a consideration; all titles
need to be widely available
§
Each category can have a special set of criteria
§
Books can be in or out of print
10. Popular Paperbacks- a list created by a
committee of books that are for young adults to read for pleasure. The
committee is appointed by YALSA’s President-Elect and serve a term of one year.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/popular-paperbacks-young-adults
o
To be eligible for the Popular Paperbacks, the
book must meet the following criteria:
§
Titles must be in print and available in
paperback
§
Both young adult and adult titles are considered
§
Popularity is more important than literary
quality
§
Both fiction and nonfiction may be considered
§
Copyright dates are not a consideration
§
If a book as appeared on a previous list can be
selected after 5 years have passed since it last appeared on the list
§
Nominations from author or publishers for their
own titles are not eligible for the list
§
Standard selection criteria consistent with the
ALA Library Bill of Rights
11. Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers- a
list identifies titles aimed at encouraging reading among teens who dislike reading
for whatever reason. This list uses both fiction and nonfiction.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/quick-picks-reluctant-young-adult-readers
o
To be eligible for the Quick Picks for Reluctant
Readers, the book must meet the following criteria:
§
Anyone may nominate a title for this list
§
The book must have a copyright date during the
current calendar year or have been published from July to December of the
previous calendar year.
§
Books originally published outside the US will
be considered according to its U.S. publication year.
12. Readers’ Choice- this is YALSA’s list
that seeks to engage a wide audience of librarians, educators, teens, and young
adult literature enthusiasts in choosing the popular teen titles in a given
year.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/readerschoice
o
To be eligible for the Readers’ Choice, the book
must meet the following criteria:
§
Titles must be published between Nov 1 of the
prior year and Oct 31 of the current year
§
Titles must be widely available in the US
§
Only titles marketed for teen/young adult
audience
§
Popularity is more important than literary
quality
§
Titles must fit under one of the stated
categories:
·
Horror/thriller, mystery/crime, nonfiction,
realistic fiction, romance, science fiction/fantasy, and the ‘wild card’
§
Materials from different formats are eligible
13. Teens Top Ten- this is a teen choice
list. Teens can nominate and choose their favorite books from the previous
year. Teens that nominate the books come from groups in different book groups
across schools and public libraries nationwide. Teens vote on their top choices
between Aug. 15- Oct. 12. This was previously known as YA Galley.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/teenstopten
o
To be eligible for the Teens Top Ten, the book
must meet the following criteria:
§
Any book of teen interest
§
Fiction or nonfiction
§
Adult or young adult
§
Nominated by a teen in the advisory committee
14. Amazing Audiobooks- This is a annotated
list of notable audio recordings for young adults from books that were released
in the past 2 years. This list was previously known as “Selected Audiobooks for
Young Adults.”
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/amazing-audiobooks
o
To be eligible for the Amazing Audiobooks List,
the book must meet the following criteria:
§
All literary genres are considered
§
Team members vote on titles within the past 2
years.
§
A title will only be considered once and cannot
be considered again the next year.
§
The audiobooks must be available for libraries
to purchase and lend.
§
The audiobook should be intended for appeals to
young adults, ages 12-18.
§
Adult titles are also eligible for consideration
if they have crossover appeal.
§
Audiobooks featuring single or full cast
narration are eligible.
§
The audiobooks should be judged on the following
criteria:
·
Effective use of voices, music, sound effects,
and language
·
Appropriateness of material for audio
presentation
·
Suitability of match between performer and text
·
Professional production quality
·
Correct pronunciation of all text words
·
Clarity of recording
·
Informative packaging
·
Curricular suitability can be positive
consideration
15. YA Choices- is a reading list of new
books with the goal to encourage adolescents to read. The books are selected by
the readers- often popular books for middle and secondary students. This is a
great list for collection development.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: https://literacyworldwide.org/get-resources/reading-lists/young-adults-choices-reading-list
o
To be eligible for the YA Choices Reading List,
the book must
meet the following criteria:
§
Must be published during that calendar year
§
Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and graphic novel
are eligible
§
Must be published for middle or secondary
students
§
Children’s books and middle grade books are not
eligible
§
Must be published in the US
§
Original paperbacks are eligible; paperback reprints
are not.
§
Books published between November to December of
the previous year may be eligible.
16. Lone Star Reading List- a reading list
developed by public and school librarians from the Young Adult Round table.
This list is aimed at students from grades 6-8 in Texas.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: https://txla.org/tools-resources/reading-lists/lone-star/current-list/
o
To be eligible for the Lone Star Reading List,
the book must meet the following criteria:
§
Published within 2 years prior to the year the
list is published
§
Nominations may be accepted from the public and
committee members up to Oct 1
§
The book must be favorably reviewed in a
scholarly journal for grades 6-8
§
Only one book per author per genre can be
included on the list
17. TAYSHAS Reading List- a reading list to
motivate young adults to become life long readers and participate in the
community of readers in Texas. This list is aimed at students from grades 9-12
in Texas.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: https://txla.org/tools-resources/reading-lists/tayshas/current-list/
o
To be eligible for the TAYSHAS High School
Reading List, the book must meet the following criteria:
§
Published within 2 years prior to the year the
list is published
§
Field/community suggestions are submitted via
the official form which is available on the YART website
§
The book must be favorable reviewed in a
scholarly journal for grades 9-12
§
Titles should reflect a variety of difficulty
levels for readers
§
There is no limit of titles by a specific author
18. Maverick Reading List- a reading list for
graphic novels developed by public and school librarians from the Young Adult
Round Table (YART). This list is aimed at students from grade 6-12 in Texas.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: https://txla.org/tools-resources/reading-lists/maverick/current-list/
o
To be eligible for the Texas Maverick Graphic
Novels Reading List (TMGNRL), the book must meet the following criteria:
§
The content of the book must be relevant to
readers in grades 6-12
§
The books need to be relevant in subject,
language, and age.
§
The book must have literary merit and wide
appeal
§
Books published in the 2 years prior to the list
§
Books with scholarly reviews are preferred
§
A previous nomination may not be reconsidered.
19. Edgar Award for Mystery- is an award
presented each spring by the Mystery Writers of America to winners in several
different categories: novel, first novel, Paperback original, fact crime,
critical/biographical, short story, juvenile, Young Adult, TV episode, Robert
L. Fish Memorial, Mary Higgins Clark, Sue Grafton Memorial, Grand Master, Raven
Awards, and Ellery Queen Award.
o
To be eligible for the Edgar Award for Mystery,
the book must meet the following criteria:
§
Published for the first time in the US in the
present year
§
Foreign books may have an earlier copyright
§
A work may be submitted to only one committee
except in the case of the Robert L. Fish Award and the Mary Higgins Clark
Award.
20. NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for
Children- this award was started in 1977 to honor a living American Poet
for his or aggregate work for children ages 3-13. The award is annually given
at the poetry session during NCTE Annual Convention.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www2.ncte.org/awards/excellence-in-poetry-for-children-living-american-poet/
o
To be eligible for the NCTE Award for Excellence
in Poetry for Children, the book must meet the following criteria:
§
Literary Merit- show imagination, authenticity
of voice, evidence of a strong persona and timelessness
§
Poet’s or Anthologist’s Contribution- evidence
of potential growth and evolution of craft and excellence
§
Evolution of the Poet’s or Anthologist’s Work-
technical and artistic development through risk, change, and artistic stamina
§
Appeal to Children- the art and craft must be
the primary criterion for evaluation, as well as appeal to children.
21. Orbis Pictus- this award was started in
1989 to promote excellence in the writing of nonfiction for children. The award
is presented annually at the Children’s Book Awards luncheon during the NCTE
Annual Convention.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www2.ncte.org/awards/orbis-pictus-award-nonfiction-for-children/
o
To be eligible for the Orbis Pictus, the book
must meet the following criteria:
§
Must be published in the US during the calendar
year
§
Nonfiction books are defined as those written,
designed, and organized to interpret documentable, factual material.
§
Accuracy of presentation in both text and
illustrative material
§
Organization of material that contributes to
clarity and accessibility
§
Style of writing that is engaging
§
Illustration is engaging, informative, and adds
to the text.
§
Appropriateness of book design for topic or
subject
§
Potential contribution to the k-8 curriculum.
22. Batchelder Award- awarded to a US
publisher for an outstanding children’s
book originating in another country other than US and language other than
English and translated to English the preceding year.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/batchelderaward
o
To be eligible for the Batchelder Award, the
book must meet the following criteria:
§
Primary attention is for the text- a substantial
amount needs to be translated
§
Textual qualities to be evaluated:
·
interpretation of the theme or concept
·
presentation of information- accuracy, clarity,
and organization
·
development of plot
·
character
·
appropriateness of style
§
manner of presentation and potential appeal to
children
§
overall design of the book: illustrations,
typeface, layout, book jacket
23. Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction-
an annual award foes to an author for a book published in the previous year for
children or young adults with a focus on historical fiction. The award is given
annually at the ALA Conference.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: https://scottodell.com/the-scott-odell-award
o
To be eligible for the Scott O’Dell Award, the
book must meet the following criteria:
§
Must be published by US publisher
§
Setting must be in South, Central, or North
America
§
The author must be a US citizen
§
Distinguished work of historical fiction for
young readers.
24. Pura Belpre Award- award started in
1996 to honor the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. The
award is given to a latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best
portrays and celebrates Latino culture.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/belpremedal
o
To be eligible for the Pura Belpre Award, the
book must meet the following criteria:
§
Criteria for text:
·
Interpretation of theme
·
Presentation of information including accuracy,
clarity, and organization
·
Development of plot
·
Depiction of Characters
·
Depiction of Setting
·
Appropriateness of style
§
Criteria for Illustrations:
·
Artistic technique
·
Interpretation of story, theme, or concept
·
Appropriateness of style
·
Positive, authentic portrayal of Latino culture
§
Attention to cultural authenticity
§
Appeal for children
25. Schneider Family Award- this award
honors an author or illustrator for a book that shows the experience of a person
or persons with the disability.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/schneider-family-book-award
o
To be eligible for the Schneider Family Award,
the book must meet the following criteria:
§
May be fiction, biography, or another form of
nonfiction
§
Portray emotional, mental, physical disability
as a part of
full life
§
Realistic representation of characters
§
Person with disability should be integral to the
presentation
§
Appropriate theme
§
Accurate information on a disability
§
Style should be engaging with distinctive use of
language
§
Text and images should complement or enhance each
other
§
Format and typeface must be appropriate for age
§
Layout should be easy to follow
26. Sibert Award- this award is for
informational books given annually to the author and illustrator of the most distinguished
informational book from the preceding year.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/sibertmedal
o
To be eligible for the Silbert Informational Book
Award, the book must meet the following criteria:
§
Uses engaging distinctive language
§
Uses engaging and distinctive visual presentation
§
Appropriate organization and documentation
§
Clear, accurate presentation of facts
§
Appropriate style of presentation
§
Supportive text features
§
Respectful and of interest to children
27. Stonewall Awards- are awards presented
to English books that are exceptional in relating to the Gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender
experience. This award is presented at the ALA Annual Conference.
o
You can access the criteria and winners via the
official website: http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/stonewall-book-awards
o
To be eligible for the Stonewall Awards, the
book must meet the following criteria:
§
Published in the US in the previous calendar
year, although works published elsewhere may be considered
§
Both fiction and nonfiction are accepted
§
Exceptional merit to the gay, lesbian, bisexual,
and transgender experience
Reflection:
Notable awards in YA literature is important to help evaluate reading
selections and collection development. When evaluating YA literature, it is
important to know the criteria for the selection of an award. The books that receive
any of the above awards went through rigorous selection process and to win or
be an honoree of those awards gives the book an edge above the rest. It is
important to evaluate before reading what awards the book might have won and the
criteria it had to meet to win, but also these awards are great starting off
point for collection development and reader’s advisory. If a student is looking
for a new book to read and they are particularly interested in mystery/crime books,
then it is important as a teacher and librarian that you are aware of the
awards and lists that can provide you with the best results. As librarians, we
should be knowledgeable on as much as we can be, but there is no way to know everything
about every book or every genre all the time. It is important to know the
places to get the right books on the shelves and in the hands of children. Knowing
the criteria and eligibility for each award can also give the reader a lens to
evaluate by- something to look for in particular as they want to know what the
qualities of a distinguished book looks like to a committee or to a teen
advisory. It is also important to be aware of them and teach students about
them- so that they can become better at making choices and inquiry into what
they want to read.
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