Teacher Tea
Printz-Worthy: Why These Young Adult Novels Deserve a Spot in Your Classroom
The 2025 Printz Award selection is around the corner, and it should be on every ELA teacher’s radar. The Printz Award highlights outstanding contemporary literature for young adults and it often recognizes books that feature diverse characters and stories, encouraging our young readers to explore different experiences. And by celebrating such exceptional works, the Printz Award winner (and honorable mentions) can also inspire authors to create more engaging and thought-provoking stories for young adults. Teachers and librarians should check out the list of current and previous winners before selecting new, high-quality books for their students.
Administrators are also a part of the book selection process, and the Printz winners can be used as part of the curriculum to engage students in meaningful discussions and encourage them to explore new genres and authors. Keeping up with Printz Award winners can help both administrators and teachers stay informed about current trends in young adult literature and enhance their professional development. In particular, the Award often recognizes books that feature underrepresented perspectives, which provides teachers with opportunities to promote inclusivity and understanding in their classrooms. Discussing Printz Award-winning books can help students develop critical thinking skills and evaluate literary elements using fresh and exciting content.
What kind of literature do students actually want to read? While personal preferences can vary widely, students consistently seek agency in their book selections, and they respond positively to seeing characters who represent them.
In The School Library Journal’s “Poetry, Graphic Titles, and New Novels from Past Winners: Pondering Printz,” Amanda MacGregor speculates about the potential winners of the 2025 Printz Award. The contenders include the latest poetry, new graphic novels, and stories featuring characters of different ages. Among the notable entries are:
- "Black Girl You Are Atlas,” by Renée Watson, a collection of semi-autobiographical poems celebrating Blackness and identity
- "Louder Than Hunger,” by John Schu, a novel about a boy with an eating disorder
- "Halfway There," by Christine Mari, a graphic memoir about self-discovery
- "Lunar New Year Love Story," by Gene Luen Yang, a graphic novel exploring family estrangement and love
- "Pick the Lock," by A.S. King, a novel about a monstrous father and his children's struggle to grasp the truth