91´«Ã½

CHICAGO - A.S. King is the recipient of the 2022 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens for Ask the Passengers, Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future, and Please Ignore Vera Dietz. The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½), announced the award this morning virtually during the 91´«Ã½ Youth Media Awards at LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, Jan. 21 - 24.

A.S. King provides diverse characters in her books, among those is Astrid from Ask the Passengers. Readers can connect with her struggles to love herself and others. In Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future, readers can understand the struggles of loss where Glory wonders if she will meet the same fate as her mother or if she is in control of her own future. Lastly, in Please Ignore Vera Dietz, Vera struggles with the loss of her best friend Charlie. Teens can relate to Vera and her relationship with Charlie, who faced both domestic and physical abuse in his life. King understands what it is like to be a teen and listens to her readers. A.S. King has continually crafted stories about the daily struggles and obstacles faced by teens on a regular basis through discussion of tough topics.

“A.S. King has and continues to write for every teen no matter their background. Her work reflects the struggles and realities teens face today”, said Edwards Committee Chair Craig Marasco.

A.S. King will be honored at the YALSA Edwards Award Luncheon at the YA Services Symposium and presented with a citation and cash prize of $2,000. The award is sponsored by School Library Journal.

The award is named in honor of the late Margaret A. Edwards, a pioneer in providing library services to young adults. Through her work at Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Edwards demonstrated that only through literature would young adults move beyond themselves into a larger world.

Members of the 2022 Edwards Committee are: Chair Craig Marasco, Palm Beach County Library System, West Palm Beach, Florida; Stephanie Burdic, Millard North High School Library, Omaha, Nebraska; Lynn Carpenter, Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham, Alabama; Carol Edwards, Denver Public Library, retired, Denver, Colorado; and Jessica Lorentz Smith, Bend Senior High School, Bend, Oregon.

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 information on the Margaret A. Edwards Award and other 91´«Ã½ Youth Media Awards, please visit .