MLA YOUPER (Young Person) AWARD

The YouPer (Young Person) Award recognizes and promotes quality literature for youth in chapter book format. This award was given for the first time in 2014 by the Michigan Library Association. The award is given annually to one chapter book originally published in English during the calendar year that has captured the attention of the youth librarians throughout the State of Michigan for its ability to communicate through literature to an intended audience. YouPer Award Guidelines (pdf)

2024 YouPer (Young Person) Top Ten Titles

MLA Youth Literary Award workgroups spent thousands of hours reading, reviewing, and discussing hundreds of books to determine the top titles for youth published in 2023. Check out the 2024 YouPer Award Top Ten Titles and save the date! The winners and honor books will be announced on Friday, June 7 at 10:00 AM on our social media and website!

(Listed in random order)

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln, illustrated by Claire Powell

The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Brett Helquist

The Story of Gumluck the Wizard written and illustrated by Adam Rex

Mascot by Charles Waters and Traci Sorell

How to Stay Invisible by Maggie C. Rudd

The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt

Coyote Queen by Jessica Vitalis

Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango

Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories from BIPOC Authors by Aida Salazar and Yamile Saied Mendez (editors)

Mexikid written and illustrated by Pedro Martin

Award Seals

Download the YouPer 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.)