Michael L. Printz Award 2004: Complete list of winners

The Michael L. Printz Award, which celebrates the most outstanding young adult literature published annually, recognized Angela Johnson’s The First Part Last as its standout winner in 2004. Johnson’s novel captured the award’s highest honor with a narrative that flipped conventional storytelling on its head, telling the story of a teenage father confronting parenthood, responsibility, and identity with unflinching honesty. The book’s innovative structure—moving backward and forward through time—gave readers a visceral sense of how quickly life can change and how maturity is often thrust upon us whether we’re ready or not.

The Printz Award, established by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) to honor the best young adult literature regardless of genre, has long been a bellwether for what’s considered essential reading in the YA space. Johnson’s win felt particularly significant because The First Part Last didn’t shy away from difficult subjects or complex emotions; instead, it met young readers with the assumption that they were intelligent enough to handle nuance. The novel’s acclaim at the 2004 Printz Awards underscored a growing recognition that YA literature could tackle serious themes with literary merit, paving the way for the increasingly sophisticated works that would define the genre in the years to come.

Below, explore the complete list of 2004 Michael L. Printz Award honorees and finalists:

Young Adult

• The First Part Last by Angela Johnson