Michael L. Printz Award 2010: Complete list of winners

The Michael L. Printz Award announced its 2010 winner with a book that proved young adult literature could be wildly inventive and genuinely moving in equal measure. Going Bovine by Libba Bray claimed the top honor, a feat that spoke to the award’s reputation for recognizing literary excellence in teen fiction. Bray’s sprawling, darkly comedic novel—which follows a sixteen-year-old boy with mad cow disease on a road trip across America in search of a cure—landed squarely in that sweet spot where ambitious writing and authentic teen voice converge.

The Printz Award, named after the pioneering young adult librarian and editor, has long been a bellwether for serious literary merit in a category that’s sometimes overlooked by mainstream awards. What makes Bray’s win particularly significant is that Going Bovine defies easy categorization; it’s part philosophical journey, part adventure story, and entirely unafraid to take risks with narrative structure and tone. In a publishing landscape that was increasingly recognizing young adult literature as worthy of critical attention, this selection reinforced the award’s commitment to honoring books that expand the possibilities of what young adult fiction could be.

Below, discover the complete list of the 2010 Michael L. Printz Award winners and honorees:

Young Adult

• Going Bovine by Libba Bray