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CHICAGO – Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek written by Maya Van Wagenen, has been named the 2015 winner of the Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award, the first national award that honors the best nonfiction books for teens. The award was presented today by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) at the 91´«Ã½’s Midwinter Meeting, held Jan.30 – Feb. 3 in Chicago.

This memoir of Maya Van Wagenen’s eighth grade year is one part 1950s popularity guidebook mixed with two parts courage and one truly modern geek girl. She uses Betty Cornell’s Teenage Popularity Guide to take on the social hierarchy of her school and manages to achieve acceptance and understanding.

“This funny, heartfelt memoir by a self-professed teen geek shows that the universal need to be your own person never goes out of style” said YALSA Nonfiction Award Chair Sharon Rawlins.

The Excellence in Nonfiction Award honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a Nov. 1 – Oct. 31 publishing year. Award winners are announced annually during the 91´«Ã½ Midwinter Meeting’s Youth Media Awards.

2015 YALSA Nonfiction Award finalists, which were announced in December, include: “Laughing at My Nightmare” written by Shane Burcaw, and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan’s Children’s Publishing Group; “The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia” written by Candace Fleming, and published by Schwartz & Wade, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books; “Ida M. Tarbell: The Woman Who Challenged Big Business—and Won!” written by Emily Arnold McCully, and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers; and “The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights” written by Steve Sheinkin, and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan’ Children’s Publishing Group.

The full list of official nominations for the award will be available online at .

Members of the 2015 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults award committee are: Chair Sharon Rawlins, N.J. State Library, Trenton, N.J.; Martha Baden, Prescott (Ariz.) Public Library; Sarah I. Flowers, Morgan Hill, Calif.; Heather Gruenthal, Long Beach Unified School District, Perry Lindsey Middle School and Colin Powell Academy, Calif.; Dr. Janet W. Hilbun, University of North Texas, SLIS, Denton, Texas; Todd Krueger, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, Md.; Joy E. Millam, Valencia High School, Placentia, Calif.; Brenna Shanks, King County Library System, Issaquah, Wash.; Drue Wagner-Mees, Los Angeles Public Library; Award Administrative Assistant Carol K. Phillips, St. Bartholomew School, East Brunswick, N.J.; and Booklist Consultant, Sarah Hunter, Chicago.

For more than 50 years, YALSA has worked to build the capacity of libraries and librarians to engage, serve and empower teens. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources go to , or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390, or email, yalsa@ala.org.

For more information on the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults and other 91´«Ã½ Youth Media Awards, please visit .

Contact:

Macey Morales

Media Relations Manager

312-280-4393

mmorales@ala.org

Heather Cho

Media Relations Specialist

312-280-4020

hcho@ala.org

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