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2010 - Jim Murphy

Jim Murphy is the recipient of the 2010 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring his significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens for An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793; Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America; The Great Fire; The Long Road to Gettysburg; and A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy.

Murphy’s well-researched books bring history alive through multiple narratives involving young people. Primary sources, maps, photos, illustrations and dialogue reveal the drama of historical events, making Murphy’s books fast-paced reading of particular interest for young adults. The reader participates in the lives of these individuals and the events that shaped history.

An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, tells the story of the devastating course of the epidemic and highlights the heroic efforts of some, and the ignorance of others, to curb this disease that has yet to be eradicated. Blizzard! The Storm that Changed America, tells the chilling story of the three-day 1888 storm that crippled the East Coast. The Great Fire, reveals the myriad events that led to the catastrophic fire that destroyed much of Chicago in 1871. The Long Road to Gettysburg, details perspectives of young soldiers on both sides of the Civil War and the events that culminated in the Gettysburg Address. A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy, follows 15-year-old Joseph Plumb Martin, from his enlistment through the many battles and hardships of the American Revolution.

2009 - Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson is the winner of the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award for Catalyst, Fever 1793, and Speak.

These gripping and exceptionally well-written novels, through various settings, time periods, and circumstances, poignantly reflect the growing and changing realities facing teens. Iconic and classic in her storytelling and character development, Anderson has created for teens a body of work that continues to be widely read and cherished by a diverse audience.

In Catalyst, overachiever Kate Malone is forced to confront unresolved issues when girl bully Terri and her family move into her home. Fever 1793, shows how Mattie Cook’s dreams for the future are reduced to a day-to-day struggle for survival as a yellow fever epidemic fills the streets of Philadelphia. In Speak, a 2000 Printz Honor Book, Melinda Sordino is silenced by a trauma and ostracized by her classmates until she once again faces her attacker and finds the strength to fight back

“Laurie Halse Anderson masterfully gives voice to teen characters undergoing transformations in their lives through their honesty and perseverance while finding the courage to be true to themselves,” said Edwards Committee Chair David Mowery.

Catalyst YA AND

Fever 1793 YA AND

Speak YA AND

2008 - Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is the recipient of the 2008 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring his outstanding lifetime contribution to writing for teens for his novels Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. An accomplished storyteller, Card weaves the everyday experiences of adolescence into broader narratives, addressing universal questions about humanity and society. The award was announced January 14 at the 2008 Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association (ALA) in Philadelphia.

Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow both published by Tor Books, present a future where a global government trains gifted young children from around the world in the art of interstellar warfare, hoping to find a leader whose skills can prevent a second attack upon humanity by the insect-like aliens descriptively nicknamed "buggers." Young Andrew "Ender" Wiggin may be the savior they seek. He is not alone, as seen in the companion tale, Ender's Shadow, where orphaned Bean relates his own Battle School experiences. Just as the stories of Ender and Bean are paralleled in the novels, their experiences echo those of teens, beginning as children navigating in an adult world and growing into a state of greater awareness of themselves, their communities and the larger universe.

"Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow continually capture the imagination and interest of teens," said Edwards Committee Chair Brenna Shanks. "The conflicts of self and society, on a personal level and on a universal stage, never lose relevance."

Card, the author of numerous books, short stories and plays, lives in Greensboro, N.C.

Ender's Game SCI FIC CAR

Ender's Shadow SCI FIC CAR

2007 - Lois Lowry
Lois Lowry, author of "The Giver," is the recipient of the 2007 Margaret A.
Edwards Award honoring her outstanding lifetime contribution to writing for teens. The award was announced January 22 at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in Seattle.

"The Giver," published by Walter Lorraine Books/Houghton Mifflin Company, explores a future where differences have been erased and strict rules govern society. The novel tells the story of Jonas, a young man designated as the new Receiver of Memory for his community. Little by little, Lowry reveals what is absent from Jonas’ life: color, pain, love. Readers, along with Jonas, discover that lack of freedom is too heavy a price to pay for security.

"‘The Giver’ is a timeless classic with widespread teen appeal," said Edwards Committee Chair Mary Hastler. "Lowry’s complex and provocative novel, translated into 22 languages, remains infinitely discussable."

In fact, "The Giver" was one of the most frequently challenged books from 1990-2000, as recorded by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. A challenge is a formal, written attempt to remove a book from a library or classroom.

Published in 1993, "The Giver" continues to provide a mechanism for teens to understand themselves, the

world in which they live and their relationships with others and with society.

"The book has held a unique position in teen literature. Lowry’s exceptional use of metaphors and subtle complexity make it a book that will be discussed, debated and challenged for years to come…a perfect teen read," Hastler said.

Lowry lives in Boston and continues to provide support to those fighting censorship attempts against this complex novel.