Michael L. Printz Award 2019: Complete list of winners

The Michael L. Printz Award, one of the most prestigious honors in young adult literature, celebrated exceptional storytelling at its 2019 ceremony. Named after a school librarian who championed teen readers, this annual award recognizes the most outstanding YA novel based on literary merit rather than popularity or sales figures—a distinction that has made it hugely influential in shaping what gets read in classrooms and libraries across the country. The 2019 selection proved no exception, highlighting a novel that resonated with judges for its artistic ambition and authentic voice.

Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X claimed the top prize that year, marking a significant moment for verse novels in the Printz Awards landscape. Told entirely in vivid, rhythmic poetry, Acevedo’s debut follows Xiomara, a Dominican-American teenager navigating the tension between her mother’s strict religious expectations and her own desires for independence, self-expression, and first love. The novel’s innovative form—combining free verse, slam poetry influences, and intimate emotional truth—demonstrated that literary excellence in YA literature doesn’t require traditional narrative structures. Acevedo’s win underscored a growing recognition within the young adult publishing world that experimental formats and diverse voices were essential to the genre’s evolution.

Below, you’ll find the complete details of the 2019 Michael L. Printz Award winners and honorees, including the finalist selections that also impressed the distinguished panel of librarians and educators.

Young Adult

• The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo