This past Monday at the Youth Media Awards, the 2013
Alex Awards were announced. The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special
appeal to teens, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from books published the previous year.
The award is sponsored by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust. Edwards pioneered young
adult library services and worked for many years at the Enoch Pratt Library in
Baltimore. The Alex Awards are named after Edwards, who was called “Alex” by her friends.
I've been on the Alex Awards for two years and selecting the winners is always a great joy. It also means I read 250+ adult books a year. This year's list is as eclectic as ever. “From madcap adventures to portraits of compelling characters and beautifully illustrated nonfiction titles, this year's list has a book for every teen reader,” said Rachel McDonald, chair of the 2013 Alex Awards Committee.
“Caring is Creepy" by David Zimmerman: While trying to survive a long boring summer in rural Georgia,
Lynn befriends a lonely soldier online.
When they meet face to face, tables are turned as Lynn tries to exert
power in her out-of-control life.
Dangerous, amusing, role-bending, and definitely creepy!
“Girlchild,”by Tupelo Hassman: With only a worn copy of the Girl Scout Handbook for reference,
resourceful and tenacious Rory Hendrix must navigate the depressing landscape
of a 1970s trailer park where she suffers abuse at the hands of a neighbor and
neglect from her mother.
“Juvenile in Justice" by Richard Ross: Richard Ross' riveting photographs give voices to incarcerated
youth in juvenile detention centers across America.
“Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore” by Robin Sloan: Clay Johnson loses his web-designer job and begins working the
night shift in a bookstore with only a few customers. This marvelous mashup blends mystery,
adventure, and romance into a literary and technological tale.
“My Friend Dahmer” by Derf Backderf: Written by a former classmate of Jeffery Dahmer, this graphic
novel illustrates the teenage years of a future serial killer.
“One Shot at Forever” by Chris Ballard: This remarkable story follows the Macon Ironmen, a team of misfits
with a hippie coach, through a recordsetting baseball season.
“Pure”by Juliana Baggott: In a world destroyed by nuclear detonations, only a privileged few
have remained pure. Two teens from different sides of the Dome unite to search
for answers to troubling questions about their origins.
“The Round House” by Louise Erdrich: An attack on 13-year-old Joe's mother near their North Dakota
Ojibwe reservation home leads him and his friends on a quest to solve the
crime. This coming-of-age story
highlights friendship, family, tradition, and the uneasy relationship between
the tribal and white communities.
“Tell the Wolves I'm Home” by Carol Rifka Brunt: June thought she knew everything about her beloved uncle, Finn.
After his death from a mysterious new illness called AIDS, his grieving
boyfriend delivers Finn's favorite teapot to June's door, and she realizes nothing is what she thought it was: not her
family, not her uncle, not even herself.
“Where'd You Go, Bernadette?” by Maria Semple: Through a series of emails, letters, and FBI files, Bee follows
the trail of her missing mother to the ends of the earth in this quirky,
laugh-out-loud tale.
Have you read any of these? What was your favorite? Do you agree with the list?
