The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. The winning titles are selected from the previous year's publishing. The Alex Awards were first given annually beginning in 1998 and became an official ALA award in 2002.
2010 Winners
The Boy Who Harnassed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwambe and Bryan Mealer.
Young teen William, who taught himself enough physics and engineering to build a windmill and bring electricity to his drought-stricken village, discovered the magic of his Malawi homeland in the miracles of science.
The Bride's Farewell by Meg Rosoff
Rather than marry without love, Pell Ridley absconds with a favrite horse and her brother, Bean. Both are quickly lost, and Pell's perilous journey to find Bean leads to the discovery of the things she ran away from: family, love, and herself.
Eveything Matters! by Ron Currie, Jr.
While still in the womb, voices warn Junior of his impending death by comet in this unusually structured cominf-of-age story. He has 36 years. How will lhe spend them?
The Good Soldiers by David Finkel
This eye-opening account of "the surge" in 2007 follows the troops of Battalion 2-16, revealing the gritty reality for all those good soldiers serving in Iraq.
The Kids Are All Right: A Memoir by Diana Welch and Liz Welch
This heart-wrenching memoir, collaboratively written from four different points of view, chronicles the ups and downs of the Welch siblings, who struggled to define the notion of home after their parents died.
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Fantasy and reality meld in unexpected and tragic ways when 17-year-old Quentin Coldwater trades his ho-hum Brooklyn existence for the magical society of Brakebills College.
My Abandonment by Peter Rock
Based on a true story, 13-year-old Caroline and her questionably sane father live in a nature preserve on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. A haunting exploration of familial lore, survival, and hop.
Soulless: An Alexia Tarabotti Novel by Gail Carriger
Wielding a parasol and hairpins, 25-year-old soulless spinster AlexiaTaorabotti accidentally stakes a vampirelacking all common etiquette to opn this delightfully dangerous romp.
Stitches: A Memoir by David Small
Replete with themes of anger, pain, and hope, and employing classic imagery from Alice in Wonderland, renowned illustrator Small chronicles the harrowing story of his childhood and adolescence in the dark graphic novel.
Tunneling to the Center of the Earth by Kevin Wilson
In a wholly original collection of stories, Wilson turns down the odd side streets of reality to explore rentable relatives, unscrupulous Scrabble workers, Mortal Kombat-fueled romancers, and the adventures of other wildly quirky characters.
