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CHICAGO – “Firekeeper’s Daughter” written by Angeline Boulley, has been named the 2022 winner of the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, which honors a book published by a first-time author. The book is published by Henry Holt and Company, an imprint of MacMillan Childrens Publishing Group. The award was announced this morning virtually by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the ������ý (ALA), during the ������ýYouth Media Awards at LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, Jan. 21 - 24.

Daunis, daughter of an Ojibwe father and white mother, feels unsettled between her reservation life and the Upper Peninsula hometown where she was raised. Devastated after witnessing her best friend's murder, former hockey player and aspiring scientist Daunis agrees to work undercover in an FBI investigation tracing a lethal new drug ravaging her community. As unsettling clues come to light about old relationships and a new romance, Daunis draws upon her strengths and identity to protect the people she loves.

“Firekeeper’s Daughter is a powerfully crafted debut. With drama, romance, sports and a strong young woman struggling to navigate dual identities, Angeline Boulley brings the reader along as she spins an immersive story spotlighting timely issues of addiction, toxic masculinity, and the power of a community to protect their own,” said Morris Award Chair Patty Ramirez.

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 2022 Morris Award finalists, announced in December, included:



Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, published by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. 978-1250800817

Vampires, Hearts & Other Dead Things by Margie Fuston, Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. 978-1534474574.

Me (Moth) by Amber McBride, Published by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. 978-1250780362

What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson, Published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. 978-1250268099.

Members of the 2022 William C. Morris Award Committee are: Chair Patty Gonzales Ramirez, Dallas Public Library (Vickery Park Branch), Dallas, TX; Kit Ballenger, Help Your Shelf, Chevy Chase, Maryland; Rebecca Caufman, Radford High School Library, Radford, Virginia; Michelle Cheng, O’Neal Library, Mountain Brook, Alabama; Beth Davis, Berne-Knox-Westerlo Middle/Senior High School, Berne, New York; Kara Hunter, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Charlotte, North Carolina; Beth Kirchenberg, River Forest Public Library, River Forest, Illinois; Ellen Wickham, Raytown South High School, Raytown, Missouri.

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.