‘Brownstone’ wins 2025 Printz Award

PHOENIX — “Brownstone,” written by Samuel Teer, illustrated by Mar Julia and co-published by Versify and HarperAlley, imprints of HarperCollins Publishers, has won the 2025 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. The Printz Award is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

The award was announced today by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), during the ALA’s LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience held January 24 – 27 in Phoenix.

In 1995, 14-year-old Almudena’s mother wants to fulfill a lifelong dancing dream in Europe, which means Almudena must spend the summer with her father whom she has never met as he restores a historic brownstone. Almudena learns more about her Guatemalan identity, herself and the importance of community. Evocative graphic-novel illustrations elevate this layered, character-driven, fish out of water story of found family.

“Teer crafts a beautiful story of a teen girl reconnecting with her father and learning about her Guatemalan heritage, while Julia’s moving artwork elevates the story,” said Printz Committee Chair Jacqueline E. Bush.

Four Printz Honor Books also were named.

“Bright Red Fruit,” written by Safia Elhillo and published by Make Me a World, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House

“Compound Fracture,” written by Andrew Joseph White and published by Peachtree Teen, an imprint of Peachtree Publishing Company Inc.

“The Deep Dark,” written by Molly Knox Ostertag and published by Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

“Road Home,” written by Rex Ogle, and published by Norton Young Readers, an imprint of W.W. Norton & Company

The award, first given in 2000, is named for the late Michael L. Printz, a Topeka, Kansas, school librarian known for discovering and promoting quality books for young adults. The award is administered annually by YALSA and is sponsored by Booklist magazine.

Members of the 2025 Printz Award Committee are Chair Jacqueline E. Bush, Stratford Library Association, Connecticut; Kim Dare, Herndon High School Library (retired), Falls Church, Virginia; Ginny Edwards, Irondale Public Library, Alabama; Paula Gallagher, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, Maryland; Dr. Tara A. Gold, Riverside High School, Durham, North Carolina; Dr. Marie A. LeJeune, Western Oregon University, Monmouth, Oregon; Gia Ruiz, Santa Monica Public Library, California; Jennifer Sutton, Lake Park High School East Campus, Roselle, Illinois; Carinna Tarvin, Stewart Middle School, Tacoma, Washington; Carolyn Vidmar, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, Maryland; and Award Administrative Assistant Kelley Blue , Portland Public Library, Maine.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the only non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated entirely to America's libraries and library professionals. For almost 150 years, ALA has provided resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. The ALA serves academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library's role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org

About the Young Adult Library Services Association

The mission of the YALSA is to support library staff in alleviating the challenges teens face, and in putting all teens ‒ especially those with the greatest needs ‒ on the path to successful and fulfilling lives. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources, go to www.ala.org/yalsa or contact the YALSA office at e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.

For more information on the Michael L. Printz Award and other ALA Youth Media Awards, please visit www.ala.org/yma.

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