Living Canon

Michael L. Printz Award 2017: Complete list of winners

The 2017 Michael L. Printz Award, which celebrates the most outstanding young adult literature published in the previous year, crowned March: Book Three as its Young Adult winner—a fitting recognition for the graphic novel adaptation of John Lewis’s seminal civil rights memoir. Lewis, joined by co-writer Andrew Aydin and illustrator Nate Powell, brought the concluding chapter of his personal account to vivid life through the powerful medium of sequential art. The Printz Award, one of the most prestigious honors in YA publishing, has long sought to recognize books that not only resonate with teen readers but also demonstrate exceptional literary merit and artistic achievement, making this graphic novel’s selection particularly meaningful given the format’s growing prominence in the award’s consideration.

What made March: Book Three’s recognition especially significant was its unflinching portrayal of the Civil Rights Movement through Lewis’s own experiences, combined with Powell’s striking black-and-white artwork that captures both the urgency and humanity of this transformative historical period. The trilogy, which concludes with this installment, had already become essential reading in schools and libraries across the country, and the Printz Award validated what educators and librarians already knew: that graphic novels could carry the weight of serious, important storytelling while remaining deeply engaging for young audiences. The award underscored a broader trend in YA literature where form and content work together seamlessly to create something unforgettable.

Here’s what you need to know about this year’s honorees:

Young Adult