In Heavy Medal, which is active from September to January, librarians Jonathan Hunt and Nina Lindsay discuss all things Newbery Award, including its history and purpose—it’s given annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children—terms and criteria, possible contenders, and results of Mock Newbery discussions in classrooms and libraries around the country.

Hunt is a school librarian at Modesto City Schools, who served on the 2006 Newbery committee, and has also judged the Printz Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Lindsay is the Children’s Services Coordinator at the Oakland Public Library, CA. She chaired the 2008 Newbery Committee, and served on the 2004 and 1998 committees.

In Someday My Printz Will Come, librarians Karyn Silverman and Sarah Couri, along with Joy Piedmont and other contributors, enjoy speculating wildly  books they think are likely to be under consideration for the YALSA‘s Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, which is given annually to the best book written for teens based entirely on literary merit; the Printz Committee also can name up to four honor books. Which book will win the gold in 2014? Will there be honor books?

Silverman is the high school librarian and Educational Technology department chair at LREI, Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School. She has served on YALSA’s Quick Picks and Best Books committees and was a member of the 2009 Printz committee. Couri is a librarian at Grace Church School’s high school division, and has served on a number of YALSA committees, including Quick Picks, Great Graphic Novels, and the 2011 Printz Committee. Piedmont is a librarian and technology integrator at LREI. Prior to becoming a librarian, Joy reviewed and reported for Entertainment Weekly’s PopWatch. Currently, she reviews for SLJ and serves as treasurer for the Hudson Valley Library Association.

Photo courtesy of Thinkstockphotos.com

Once upon a time, a new blog discussing possible contenders for the annual Michael L. Printz Award for exemplary teen titles was born on SLJ.com. Now in its second year, Someday My Printz Will Come is back and ready to take on the challenge of speculating which literary gem will wear this year’s crown.

Bloggers and former Printz committee members Karyn Silverman, high school librarian and educational technology department chair at LREI, Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School, and Sarah Couri, director of library and information systems at Grace Church High School, both in New York City, return to analyze books published in 2012 and written specifically for a teen audience that might be considered the best in “literary merit.”

Bestowed annually by the American Library Association (ALA), the Printz Award differs from the more well-known Newbery Medal because it can go to a title that wasn’t originally published in the U.S. That and other aspects of the criteria and eligibility governing the Printz are expected to be the subject of debate on the blog.

While “Someday” started last year with a list of 35 possible contenders, combed from starred journal reviews and highly touted releases, this time Couri and Silverman will consider 60 books, and they foresee a rich and contentious conversation ahead. “We’re looking forward to being challenged and pushed, and hoping to run some guest or rebuttal posts as well,” says Silverman.

Debuting later this year is Someday’s Mock Printz component, called the Pyrite Printz, in which readers will get the chance to parallel the work of the actual committee, reading all of the shortlist titles and considering them against one another, followed by a vote to determine the winner. Silverman will run a Mock Printz in her own school, sharing her best practices and results along the way.

These teen lit mavens are up to the task before them and are looking forward to the challenge ahead. Couri states, “Our discussions last year were so passionate and really had me thinking. I can’t wait to get going!” Silverman agrees. “It forced me outside my own comfort zone, which makes me a better librarian, and often leads me to wonderful books I might have never read otherwise,” she says.