The 2015 Printz Award Program was held last night, Friday, June 26th, here in San Francisco, and though my pictures aren’t as clear as I’d like (and I had to type my notes into my phone while its battery dwindled), here’s a quick breakdown of the event– which, as always, was full of laughs and emotional moments.
From left to right: Jenny Hubbard, author of Printz Honor And We Stay; Jessie Ann Foley, author of Printz Honor The Carnival at Bray; Andrew Smith, author of Printz Honor Grasshopper Jungle; Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki, illustrator and author of Printz Honor This One Summer; Jandy Nelson, author of 2015 Printz Award Winner I’ll Give You the Sun; and Booklist consultant and moderator Daniel Kraus.
During Jandy Nelson’s speech, she told us that the only thing she said during the phone call, other than screaming, was in response to being told where this year’s award program would be. “I live in San Francisco!” She took this opportunity to thank the Printz committee the way she wished she had when they called her!
When asked what was different about this particular book from others they had written, Mariko Tamaki said that it began as something based on a Burger King in Niagara Falls that allegedly gets girls pregnant!
Jenny Hubbard told us that when she finished her first draft of And We Stay she then started over and wrote it from a different character’s point of view. Originally the story was told from the sister’s point of view and not Emily’s.
Andrew Smith embarrassed his son, who was in the audience, but got a big “Awwww!” from the rest of us when he shared that his son not only thought Grasshopper Jungle is the best thing his dad has ever written, but it might be the best thing he’d ever read.
Jessie Ann Foley had to rewrite one emotional scene seven times, and it got harder to write each time.
To wrap up the evening, moderator Daniel Kraus asked each author to share a book they’d like to recommend. Here are their responses:
Jenny Hubbard- Some Day This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron
Jessie Ann Foley- The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos
Andrew Smith- said he doesn’t like to make recommendations- that’s our (a librarian’s) job!
Jillian Tamaki- found a book about an American Sumo Wrestler on the street that was fascinating
Mariko Tamaki- decided she would use Andrew’s recommendation and recommended two, Super Mutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki and When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid
Jandy Nelson- The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey and A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
-Carla Land