Every year, ten books are picked by an American Library Association committee to win Alex Awards. The award highlights books intended for adults which also have a high teen appeal. While this list doesn't receive the level of attention that the Printz, Newbery, or Caldecott awards do, it can be invaluable to have knowledge of some of the titles, especially when recommending books to reluctant high school readers who are still on the fence about reading something "long."
The 2009 Alex Winners are:
City of Thieves by David Benioff
Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick
Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris
The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti
Just After Sunset by Stephen King
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Over and Under by Todd Tucker
The Oxford Project by Stephen G. Bloom
Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow
Three Girls and Their Brother by Theresa Rebeck
