Each year, CPL librarians get together for mock book award discussions in anticipation of the ALA Youth Media Awards announcement in February. It's a fun time for staff to share their thoughts and ideas about popular, controversial, engaging and excellent titles for teens. Be sure to read through all our winners for a chance to vote for your own pick at the end of this post.
Mock Michael L. Printz Award
Books across all genres were discussed for the Michael L. Printz Award, and after a lively discussion and a tallying of votes, Gabi, A Girl in Pieces was crowned the winner. This authentic story of Gabi, a Mexican-American teenage girl, captures the essence of figuring out your identity when faced with life changing issues around friends and family. Gabi's strong, engaging voice, expressed through her personal writing, documents what it's like to come into your own.
The two honor books were We Were Liars, a story about a privileged family and one event that changes all their lives forever and Pointe, a look into the life of an urban ballerina who must come to terms with the repercussions of the return of her missing friend. Check out the full list of titles we discussed.
Mock YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
Next we discussed mock nominees for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. Staff talked about everything from civil rights to transgender youth when picking their winner, and once again a solid consensus crowned Beyond Magenta as the winner. The six stories about transgendered teens brings attention to a topic that is relevant for people of all ages.
The two nonfiction honor titles were The Family Romanov, a true tale of Russian royalty and its demise, and Frida & Diego, a biography that takes a close look at the life and love between two famous artists. To see what else was discussed, check out the full list of discussed books.
Mock Eisner Award
Last but not least, staff browsed through a display of mock nominees for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly known as the Eisner Awards. These awards celebrate comics across all topics and areas, and the display included everything from horror stories to gamer girls.
After careful consideration, the collection of horror stories, Through the Woods, came up on top as the winner, and the honor awards went to Ms. Marvel and This One Summer. For more mock Eisner Award nominees, explore the full list of titles.
Now's your turn!
Check out our mock awards for kids, too.
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