School Library Journal (SLJ) has introduced “Pondering Printz,” a monthly web column featuring expert picks, commentary, and more, all around the Printz Award. 

Among the most prestigious prizes in children’s literature, the annual Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature honors the best book for teens and is announced at the Youth Media Awards, part of the Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association, each year.

What’s in store for the 2019 award season? SLJ’s rotating crew of columnists will consider the contenders for the Printz in a post each month until the awards season concludes, after the Youth Media Awards are announced January 28.

Sarah Couri and Karyn Silverman, former bloggers of SLJ’s  “Someday My Printz Will Come” kick things off with a consideration of the Printz and early predictions in the first “Pondering Printz” post.

The other columnists for the 2019 award season are: Edith Campbell, Jonathan Hunt, and Christina Vortia. 

Shelley M. Diaz, SLJ reviews manager and SLJTeen newsletter editor, will edit the column. 

About the contributors:

Edith Campbell is an assistant librarian at Indiana State University. She's making plans to get back into the classroom and is considering innovative methods to teach African American Youth literature to undergrads. Campbell tweets at @crazyquilts and blogs at CrazyQuiltsEdi. She enjoys growing her own food and is looking forward to getting back into quilting and traveling. Literacy is critical in empowering us create our place in the world.

Sarah Couri is a librarian at Grace Church School's High School Division in New York City, and has served on a number of YALSA committees, including Quick Picks, Great Graphic Novels, and (most pertinently!) the 2011 Printz Committee. Find her on Twitter @scouri.

Jonathan Hunt is lead coordinator of library media services at the San Diego County Office of Education, and frequently judges literary prizes such as the Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Medal, the Printz Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards. Most recently, Hunt chaired the 2018 Margaret A. Edwards Award committee.

Karyn Silverman is the high school librarian and senior project coordinator at LREI, Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School. She has served on YALSA’s Quick Picks and Best Books committees and was a member of the 2009 Printz committee. Silverman also regularly reviews for Kirkus. She has a lot of opinions about almost everything, as long as all the things are books or board games. Find her on Twitter and Goodreads @InfoWitch.

Christina Vortia is a librarian, social media analyst, book blogger, reviewer at Kirkus and School Library Journal, and a writer at Book Riot. She served on the 2017 Printz Award Committee and is currently serving as a juror on the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee.