Someday My Printz Will Come!
The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a Topeka, Kansas school librarian who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association.
The Youth Media Awards take place next Monday, January 25, 2021, at 6:00 AM PST. But for this past year, several SJPL staff members gathered to discuss notable young adult books published in 2020 and participate in a mock selection committee. And just like the Mock Printz committee last year, we then voted on what was considered the best young adult book published in 2020 that was chosen to read for the Mock Printz committee meetings based upon the actual committee's criteria and selection process.
And the 2021 SJPL Mock Printz Award winner is ...
We Are Not Free by Traci Chee
The collective account of a tight-knit group of young Nisei, second-generation Japanese American citizens, whose lives are irrevocably changed by the mass U.S. incarcerations of World War II.
Fourteen teens who have grown up together in Japantown, San Francisco.
Fourteen teens who form a community and a family, as interconnected as they are conflicted.
Fourteen teens whose lives are turned upside down when over 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry are removed from their homes and forced into desolate incarceration camps.
In a world that seems determined to hate them, these young Nisei must rally together as racism and injustice threaten to pull them apart.
Honor Titles
One more thing ...
In addition to voting for our favorite book that we read and discussed, we also decided to make up some fun fake awards working from puns of the word "Printz" and give them to other YA titles published this year that we may not have had a chance to discuss in our meetings.
So now the time has come to announce our 2021 SJPL Mock Printz "Prince" award winners!
"Freddie Prince, Jr." Award - 2021 Winner
This award is presented to the best young adult book published in 2020 that was very popular but will most likely not stand out in the overall canon of YA literature.
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
Liz Lighty has always believed she's too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it's okay -- Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.
But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz's plans come crashing down . . . until she's reminded of her school's scholarship for prom king and queen. There's nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight, she's willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington.
The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She's smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for the queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?
Honor Titles
"Prince Charming" Award - 2021 Winner
This award is presented to the best young adult book published in 2020 that had your favorite male-identifying character.
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.
However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.
Honor Titles
"Princess Charming" Award - 2021 Winner
This award is presented to the best young adult book published in 2020 that had your favorite female-identifying character.
I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee
Skye Shin has heard it all. Fat girls shouldn’t dance. Wear bright colors. They shouldn’t call attention to themselves. But Skye dreams of joining the glittering world of K-Pop, and to do that, she’s about to break all the rules that society, the media, and even her own mother, have set for girls like her.
She’ll challenge thousands of other performers in an internationally televised competition looking for the next K-pop star, and she’ll do it better than anyone else.
When Skye nails her audition, she’s immediately swept into a whirlwind of countless practices, shocking performances, and the drama that comes with reality TV. What she doesn’t count on are the highly fat-phobic beauty standards of the Korean pop entertainment industry, her sudden media fame, and scrutiny, or the sparks that soon fly with her fellow competitor, Henry Cho.
But Skye has her sights on becoming the world’s first plus-sized K-pop star, and that means winning the competition—without losing herself.
Honor Titles
"The Artist Formerly Known as 'Prince'" Award - 2021 Winner
This award is presented to the best young adult book published in 2020 that has the most visually appealing design.
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
Korey Fields is dead.
When Enchanted Jones wakes with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night, no one—the police and Korey’s fans included—has more questions than she does. All she really knows is that this isn't how things are supposed to be. Korey was Enchanted’s ticket to stardom.
Before there was a dead body, Enchanted was an aspiring singer, struggling with her tight-knit family’s recent move to the suburbs while trying to find her place as the lone Black girl in high school. But then legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots her at an audition. And suddenly, her dream of being a professional singer takes flight.
Enchanted is dazzled by Korey’s luxurious life, but soon her dream turns into a nightmare. Behind Korey’s charm and star power hides a dark side, one that wants to control her every move, with rage and consequences. Except now he’s dead, and the police are at the door. Who killed Korey Fields?
All signs point to Enchanted.
Honor Titles
"Footprints" Award - 2021 Winner
This award is presented to the best young adult book published in 2020 that falls under the genre of historical fiction.
We Are Not Free by Traci Chee
The collective account of a tight-knit group of young Nisei, second-generation Japanese American citizens, whose lives are irrevocably changed by the mass U.S. incarcerations of World War II.
Fourteen teens who have grown up together in Japantown, San Francisco.
Fourteen teens who form a community and a family, as interconnected as they are conflicted.
Fourteen teens whose lives are turned upside down when over 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry are removed from their homes and forced into desolate incarceration camps.
In a world that seems determined to hate them, these young Nisei must rally together as racism and injustice threaten to pull them apart.
Honor Titles
"Fingerprints" Award - 2021 Winner
This award is presented to the best young adult book published in 2020 that falls under the genre of mystery or thriller.
The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised... and curious.
Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family's past is.
The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.
Honor Titles
"Fine Prints" Award - 2021 Winner
This award is presented to the best young adult book published in 2020 that was over 500 pages.
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC-Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.
A flying demon feeding on human energies.
A secret society of so-called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.
And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.
The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.
She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveals themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explains that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic take the society down—or join the fight.
Honor Titles
"Sprints" Award - 2021 Winner
This award is presented to the best young adult book of short stories published in 2020.
A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Fantasy Anthology edited by Dhonielle Clayton
In the fourth collaboration with We Need Diverse Books, fifteen award-winning and celebrated diverse authors deliver stories about a princess without the need of a prince, a monster long misunderstood, memories that vanish with a spell, and voices that refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice. This powerful and inclusive collection contains a universe of wishes for a braver and more beautiful world.
Honor Titles
"Blueprints" Award - 2021 Winner
This award is presented to the best young adult nonfiction book published in 2020.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi
Stamped traces the history of racism and the many political, literary, and philosophical narratives that have been used to justify slavery, oppression, and genocide. Framed through the ideologies and thoughts of segregationists, assimilationists, and antiracists throughout history, the book demonstrates that the “construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, whether financially or politically,” and that this power has been used to systemically and systematically oppress Black people in the United States for more than four hundred years.
Honor Titles
"Fresh Prince" Award - 2021 Winner
This award is presented to the young adult book published in 2020 that is an #OwnVoices novel.
We Are Not Free by Traci Chee
The collective account of a tight-knit group of young Nisei, second-generation Japanese American citizens, whose lives are irrevocably changed by the mass U.S. incarcerations of World War II.
Fourteen teens who have grown up together in Japantown, San Francisco.
Fourteen teens who form a community and a family, as interconnected as they are conflicted.
Fourteen teens whose lives are turned upside down when over 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry are removed from their homes and forced into desolate incarceration camps.
In a world that seems determined to hate them, these young Nisei must rally together as racism and injustice threaten to pull them apart.
Honor Titles
"Le Petit Prince" Award - 2021 Winner
This award is presented to the best young adult book published in 2020 that incorporates illustrations.
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
Real-life isn't a fairytale.
But Tiến still enjoys reading his favorite stories with his parents from the books he borrows from the local library. It's hard enough trying to communicate with your parents as a kid, but for Tiến, he doesn't even have the right words because his parents are struggling with their English. Is there a Vietnamese word for what he's going through?
Is there a way to tell them he's gay?
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