Margaret A. 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. The annual award is administered by YALSA and sponsored by School Library Journal magazine. It recognizes an author's work in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world.
2016 Winner: David Levithan
David Levithan has given a voice to teens who often feel marginalized. His work has allowed readers to experience life and love from many different perspectives. While his stories are written with high literary quality, they are accessible and engaging to everyone who reads them. He has been on the forefront of issues that are vital to teens; his writing shows teens the importance of inclusion and the acceptance of themselves and others just as they are.
The six novels that are being cited are: The Realm of Possibility, Boy Meets Boy, Love is the Higher Law, How They Met, and Other Stories, Wide Awake and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, co-written with Rachel Cohn. From a simple request in a club to the interpersonal ramifications of 9/11, from the first gay Jewish President to a society where acceptance is the norm, from short stories of love told in verse to short stories of love told in prose. David Levithan shows that love and acceptance are always worth standing up for even when the cost seems high.
David Levithan has given a voice to teens who often feel marginalized. His work has allowed readers to experience life and love from many different perspectives. While his stories are written with high literary quality, they are accessible and engaging to everyone who reads them. He has been on the forefront of issues that are vital to teens; his writing shows teens the importance of inclusion and the acceptance of themselves and others just as they are.
The six novels that are being cited are: The Realm of Possibility, Boy Meets Boy, Love is the Higher Law, How They Met, and Other Stories, Wide Awake and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, co-written with Rachel Cohn. From a simple request in a club to the interpersonal ramifications of 9/11, from the first gay Jewish President to a society where acceptance is the norm, from short stories of love told in verse to short stories of love told in prose. David Levithan shows that love and acceptance are always worth standing up for even when the cost seems high.
2015 Winner: Sharon Draper
2014 Winner: Marcus Zuzak
2014 Winner: Marcus Zuzak