Living Canon

Michael L. Printz Award 2018: Complete list of winners

The 2018 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature went to Nina LaCour for We Are Okay, a novel that exemplifies what the prestigious prize has championed since 1999: young adult literature that demands to be taken seriously as art. LaCour’s debut novel resonated with the Printz committee for its unflinching exploration of grief, family estrangement, and the fragile bonds we forge in our darkest moments. The story follows Marin, a college freshman grappling with her parents’ divorce and her complicated relationship with her father, as she invites her best friend home for winter break—a deceptively simple premise that unfolds into something far more emotionally complex and rewarding.

What makes LaCour’s win particularly significant is how the novel embodies the Printz Award’s commitment to recognizing literary merit without compromise. The Michael L. Printz Award, named after a pioneering librarian and young adult advocate, has long stood as one of the most rigorous assessments of YA writing, often favoring nuance and psychological depth over plot-driven narratives. We Are Okay is spare and intimate, built on beautiful, deliberate prose rather than spectacle—the kind of book that proves young adult fiction can achieve the same literary sophistication as any adult novel.

Below, you’ll find the complete list of 2018 Printz Award winners and honorees, including the finalists who rounded out this year’s exceptional selections.

Young Adult