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CHICAGO – “Gabi, a Girl in Pieces” written by Isabel Quintero, has been named the 2015 winner of the William C. Morris Award, which honors a book written for young adults by a previously unpublished author. The award was presented by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) at the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s Midwinter Meeting held Jan. 30 – Feb. 3 in Chicago.

Aspiring poet Gabi Hernandez is having a complicated senior year: one of her best friends is pregnant, and the other just came out. Even as her mother worries that she will become a “bad” girl, Gabi adds romance and the quest for college to her already full plate.

“Quintero captures the authentic teen experience through Gabi’s funny, sarcastic, brutally honest voice, woven together through verse, journaling, and even a zine. Gabi’s got this!” said Morris Award Chair Robin F. Kurz.

The award is named for William C. Morris, an influential innovator in the publishing world and an advocate for marketing books for children and young adults. William “Bill” Morris left an impressive mark on the field of children’s and young adult literature. He was beloved in the publishing field and the library profession for his generosity and marvelous enthusiasm for promoting literature for children and teens. The Morris Award is awarded annually at ALA’s Midwinter Youth Media Awards and presented to Isabel Quintero today at 10:30 a.m., during a reception in room W181 of McCormick Place in Chicago.

The 2015 Morris Award finalists, announced in December, included: “The Carnival at Bray,” written by Jessie Ann Foley and published by Elephant Rock Books; “The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim,” written by E.K. Johnston and published by Carolrhoda Lab™, an imprint of Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group; “The Scar Boys,” written by Len Vlahos and published by Egmont Publishing; and “The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender,” written by Leslye Walton and published by Candlewick Press.

Members of the 2015 William C. Morris Award Committee are: Chair Robin F. Kurz, School of Library and Information Management, Emporia (Kan.) State University; Stephanie Barta, Westerly (R.I.) Public Library; Julie Benolken, Inver Hills Community College, Inver Grove Heights, Minn.; Molly M. Collins, Charlotte Mecklenburg (N.C.) Library; Colette Drouillard, Department of Library and Information Studies, Valdosta (Ga.) State University; Matt Layne, The Emmet O’Neal Library, Mountain Brook, Ala.; Candace Reeder, Northport-East Northport (N.Y.) Public Library; Carla Riemer, Claremont Middle School, Oakland, Calif.; Award Administrative Assistant, Amanda Sprott-Goldson, Charlotte Mecklenburg (N.C.) Library; and Booklist Consultant, Ilene Cooper, Chicago.

For more than 50 years, YALSA has worked to build the capacity of libraries and librarians to engage, serve and empower teens. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources go to , or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390, or email, yalsa@ala.org.

For more information on the William C. Morris Award and other ¾«¶«´«Ã½Youth Media Awards, please visit .

Contact:

Macey Morales

Media Relations Manager

312-280-4393

mmorales@ala.org

Heather Cho

Media Relations Specialist

312-280-4020

hcho@ala.org

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