Young Adult Library Services Association announces 2024 Alex Awards

BALTIMORE — The Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has selected 10 adult books with special appeal to teen readers to receive the 2024 Alex Awards. The awards, sponsored by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust and Booklist, were announced today during ALA’s LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, held Jan. 19-22 in Baltimore.

Here are the 2024 Alex Award winners:

• “Bad Cree,” by Jessica Johns (nehiyaw/Sucker Creek First Nation), published by Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House
• “Chain-Gang All-Stars,” by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, published by Pantheon Books, a division of Penguin Random House
• “Chlorine,” by Jade Song, published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
• “Fourth Wing,” by Rebecca Yarros, published by Red Tower Books, an imprint of Entangled Publishing
• “The Hard Parts: A Memoir of Courage and Triumph,” by Oksana Masters, published by Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
• “I Will Greet the Sun Again,” by Khashayar J. Khabushani, published by Hogarth Press, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House
• “Maame,” by Jessica George, published by St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group
• “Starter Villain,” by John Scalzi, published by Tor Books, an imprint of Tor Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishing Group
• “The Talk,” by Darrin Bell, published by Henry Holt & Co., a division of Macmillan Publishing Group
• “Whalefall,” by Daniel Kraus, published by MTV Books and Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster

“Through diverse voices and entertaining stories, these amazing books will help teens better understand themselves and the world in which they live,” said 2024 Alex Awards Committee Chair David Saia.

The Alex Awards were created to recognize that many teens enjoy and often prefer books written for adults, and to assist librarians in recommending adult books that appeal to teens. A full list of official nominations will be available online at www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/alex.

The award is named in honor of the late Margaret Alexander Edwards, fondly called “Alex” by her closest friends. Edwards was a pioneer in providing library services to young adults. At Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Edwards used adult books extensively with teens to broaden their experience and enrich their understanding of themselves and their world.

Members of the 2024 Alex Awards Committee are Chair David C. Saia, Heim Middle School, Williamsville, New York; Alicia Abdul, Albany High School, New York; Brianna Arellano-Meli, Berkeley Public Library, California; Katie Cree, Brighton Memorial Library, Rochester, New York; Billie Jo Moffett, Gail Borden Public Library District, Elgin, Illinois; Belle Nelson, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota; Erica Ruscio, Ventress Memorial Library, Marshfield, Massachusetts; Milena S. Streen, St. Ignatius High School, Cleveland, Ohio; Anna Tschetter, Memorial Hall Library, Andover, Massachusetts; and Award Administrative Assistant, Jennifer Blanco, Holmes Middle School, Alexandria, Virginia.

The mission of the Young Adult Library Services Association 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 or to access national guidelines and other resources, go to www.ala.org/yalsa or contact the office at yalsa@ala.org.

For information on the Alex Awards and other ALA Youth Media Awards, please visit www.ala.org/yma.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for 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.

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