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) Award

The YouPer (Young Person) Award recognizes and promotes quality literature for youth in chapter book format. First given in 2014, 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 especially commendable quality, venturesome creativity, that reflects and encourages children's interests in exemplary ways.

The winner of the 2024 YouPer Award is The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln, illustrated by Claire Powell, and published by Dutton Books for Young Readers.

“The Swifts has a great mix of mystery, humor, and teamwork. There’s something in it for everyone. The character names provide a fun and inventive way to expand vocabulary and a wonderful reminder that you can be anything you want, regardless of expectations put upon you. Overall, it was such a fun read that some members fought the itch to read it a second time before we even finished our award work. Whether you read the physical book or listen to the audio, this story is bound to keep kids on the edge of their seats until the very end,” said Jessica Keeler, the Chair of the 2024 YouPer Award Workgroup. "The Swifts was a delight to read and is sure to be coveted by middle graders everywhere."

The 2024 YouPer Award Honor Books include The Story of Gumluck the Wizard written and illustrated by Adam Rex, published by Chronicle Books; Mascot by Charles Waters and Traci Sorell, published by Charlesbridge; How to Stay Invisible by Maggie C. Rudd, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. The 2024 Nonfiction Honor book is The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Brett Helquist, and published by Random House Studio.

The workgroup read a total of 98 titles and logged more than 1300 hours reading, evaluating, and discussing the best chapter books for youth published in 2023.

2024 YouPer (Young Person) Top Ten Titles

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 & 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.)