The Margaret A. Edwards Award, established in 1988, honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. The annual award is administered by YALSA and sponsored by School Library Journal magazine. It recognizes an author's work in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world.

2010

Jim Murphy is the recipient of the 2010 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring his significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens for AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793; BLIZZARD! The Storm That Changed America; THE GREAT FIRE; THE LONG ROAD TO GETTYSBURG; and A YOUNG PATRIOT: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy. Murphy’s well-researched books bring history alive through multiple narratives involving young people. Primary sources, maps, photos, illustrations and dialogue reveal the drama of historical events, making Murphy’s books fast-paced reading of particular interest for young adults. The reader participates in the lives of these individuals and the events that shaped history.

AN AMERICAN PLAGUE tells the story of the devastating course of the yellow fever epidemic and highlights the heroic efforts of some, and the ignorance of others, to curb this disease that has yet to be eradicated. BLIZZARD! tells the chilling story of the three-day 1888 storm that crippled the East Coast. THE GREAT FIRE reveals the myriad events that led to the catastrophic fire that destroyed much of Chicago in 1871. THE LONG ROAD TO GETTYSBURG details perspectives of young soldiers on both sides of the Civil War and the events that culminated in the Gettysburg Address. A YOUNG PATRIOT follows 15-year-old Joseph Plumb Martin, from his enlistment through the many battles and hardships of the American Revolution.

Jim Murphy will be honored at the YALSA Edwards Award Luncheon and presented with a citation and cash prize of $2,000 during the 2010 ALA Annual Conference to be held in Washington, D.C. on June 28th.