YALSA Book Lists & Award Winners
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association, brings together key stakeholders from the areas of libraries, education, research, out of school time, youth development and more to develop and deliver resources to libraries that expand their capacity to support teen learning and enrichment and to foster healthy communities. The following books have been selected for teens from 12 to 18 years of ages. YALSA's selected lists span a broad range of reading and maturity levels. We encourage adults to take an active role in helping individual teens choose those books that are the best fit for them and their families.
Visit YALSA's Teen Book Finder Database, a one-stop shop for finding selected lists and award winners. Users can search this free resource by award, list name, year, author, genre and more, as well as print customizable lists.
YALSA Book Lists
Award Winners
Alex Award Winners 2024
The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year's publishing.
Read more about the award and past winners and finalists: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/alex-awards
Edwards Award
The Margaret A. Edwards Award, established in 1988, honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.
2024 Winner
Neal Shusterman is the recipient of the 2024 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring his significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens for the Arc of the Scythe trilogy, Bruiser, Challenger Deep, Everlost, Full Tilt, The Schwa Was Here, and Unwind.
Read more about the award and past winners and finalists: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/edwards-award
Morris Award
The William C. Morris YA Debut Award, first given in 2009, honors a book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature.
2024 Winner
Rez Ball, by Byron Graves
Read more about the award and past winners and finalists: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/morris-award
Nonfiction Award
YALSA's Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a Nov. 1 – Oct. 31 publishing year.
2024 Winner
Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed, written by Dashka Slater
Read more about the award and past winners and finalists: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/nonfiction-award
Odyssey Award
Awarded to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States.
2024 Young Adult Winner
The Promise Boys, written Nick Brooks and narrated by Alfred Vines, Anthony Lopez, Brad Sanders, Christopher Hampton, Eliana Marianes, Hannah Church, Henriette Zoutomou, Jaime Lincoln Smith, Maria Liatis, Renier Cortes, Suehyla El-Attar, and Xenia Willacey.
Read more about the award and past winners and finalists: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/odyssey-award
Michael L. Printz Award
The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.
2024 Winner
The Collectors: Stories edited by A. S. King and written by M. T. Anderson, e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, A. S. King, David Levithan, Cory McCarthy, Anna-Marie McLemore, G. Neri, Jason Reynolds, Randy Ribay, and Jenny Torres Sanchez
Read more about the award and past winners and finalists: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/printz-award
Pura Belpré Award
Established in 1996, this award is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.
2024 Young Adult Winner
Saints of the Household, written by Ari Tison
Read more about the award and past winners and finalists: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/pura-belpre-award