The Thumbs Up! Award recognizes and promotes an outstanding contribution to teen literature that has both literary quality and teen appeal for those 13 to 18 years of age. The award was established in 1986 by the Teen Services Division of the Michigan Library Association.
Download the Thumbs Up! Award seals to use at your library! Winner, Honor Book and Top Ten Title award seals are available for download here: (To download, right-click on the seal and save it as an image.)
2022 Thumbs Up! Award
The 2022 Thumbs Up! Award workgroup reviewed 101 fiction and nonfiction books to select this year's winner, honor books and top ten titles. The group spent over 2,141 hours reading and reviewing to come to this decision and met monthly to discuss evaluate and rank titles and select the top titles for teens aged 13-18 published in 2021.
2022 Thumbs Up! Award Winner
The winner of the 2022 Thumbs Up! Award is In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner, published by Crown Books for Young Reader, part of Penguin Random House.
"Life in a small Appalachian town is not easy. Cash lost his mother to an opioid addiction and his Papaw is dying slowly from emphysema. Dodging drug dealers and watching out for his best friend, Delaney, is second nature. He's been spending his summer mowing lawns while she works at Dairy Queen. But when Delaney manages to secure both of them full rides to an elite prep school in Connecticut, Cash will have to grapple with his need to protect and love Delaney, and his love for the grandparents who saved him and the town he has to leave behind. Jeff Zentner's new novel is a beautiful examination of grief, found family, and young love."
"In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner was the overwhelming favorite amongst the workgroup because of the excellent execution of setting, story, and writing," said Sarah Swiderski, 2022 Thumbs Up! Award Workgroup Chair. "Workgroup members believe it will have a wide appeal among Michigan teens because of relatable emotions and themes depicted through well-developed characters and excellent writing."
The 2022 Thumbs Up! Award Workgroup reviewed 101 fiction and nonfiction books to select this year's winner, honor books and top ten titles. The group spent over 2,141 hours reading and reviewing to come to this decision and met monthly to discuss evaluate and rank titles. Since 1986, the Thumbs Up! Award has recognized outstanding contributions to teen literature. Winners of this award have both literary quality and teen appeal, with characters, setting, subject and themes that appeal to teens age 13 to 18 years old.
We announced the winners and honor books of the 2022 Mitten, YouPer and Thumbs Up! Awards on Friday, May 27 at the MLA 2022 Youth Literary Awards. The awards selection group members worked throughout the year spending thousands of hours reading, reviewing and ranking hundreds of books to determine the top titles published in 2021. Watch the announcement below!
2022 Thumbs Up! Award Winner
In the Wild Light By Jeff Zentner
2022 Thumbs Up! Award Honor Books
Firekeeper’s Daughter Author: Angeline Boulley Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., an Imprint of Macmillan
Concrete Rose Author: Angie Thomas Publisher: Balzer + Bray, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
The Girls I’ve Been Author: Tess Sharpe Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, an Imprint of Penguin Random House
All of Us Villains Author: Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman Publisher: Tor Teen, an Imprint of Macmillan Publishers
2022 Thumbs Up! Award Top Ten Titles
(Listed in random order)
In the Wild Light Author: Jeff Zenter Publisher: Crown Books for Young Reader, part of Penguin Random House
Firekeeper’s Daughter Author: Angeline Boulley Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., an Imprint of Macmillan
Concrete Rose Author: Angie Thomas Publisher: Balzer + Bray, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
The Girls I’ve Been Author: Tess Sharpe Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, an Imprint of Penguin Random House
You’d Be Home Now Author: Kathleen Glasgow Publisher: Delacorte Press, an Imprint of Penguin Random House
Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry Author: Joya Goffney Publisher: HarperTeen, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Muted Author: Tami Charles Publisher: Scholastic Press
Last Night at the Telegraph Club Author: Malinda Lo Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Reads, an Imprint of Penguin Random House
Instructions for Dancing Author: Nicola Yoon Publisher: Delacorte Press, an Imprint of Penguin Random House
All of Us Villains Author: Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman Publisher: Tor Teen, an Imprint of Macmillan Publishers
