Hello, Colorado! I'm thrilled and honored that Scythe has won the Colorado Blue Spruce Award. I wish I could have been there to accept it when the award was announced, but I look forward to spending some time visiting schools, libraries, and bookstores in Colorado on my next book tour! Thank you again for this honor! Warmest regards, Neal Shusterman

SPONSORS

WORDS from our NOMINATED AUTHORS

The Blue Spruce Award Committee would like to thank the following organizations for sponsoring Colorado's teen book award:

• Colorado County International Reading Association​

• Colorado State Library

• Colorado Association of Libraries

GET INVOLVED

Are you doing something super cool to promote the Blue Spruce Award at your location?  Let us know!  Fill out our contact form or email us at: 

coloradobluespruceaward@ gmail.com

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

Thank you for the wonderful news that The Fountains of Silence has been nominated for the 2020 Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award! I'm absolutely thrilled to be a nominee among such wonderful books. But most of all, I am incredibly honored to be one of the titles that teens themselves selected. An author has nothing without readers and I'm so grateful to Colorado teens for helping me bring hidden history out of the dark! 

Allies by Alan Gratz

Mr. Gratz sent along a video message and this message: I'm thrilled! Thanks!

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte

Ms. Scholte sent an entire letter linked here. This is part of her message: I am so thrilled that Four Dead Queens has been nominated for the Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award! Being nominated for an award voted by teens is so important to me as I always keep teens in mind when I’m writing my novels. Books were so important to me as a teenager, helping me through tough times when I felt sad and alone. To know that my book has brought joy to teen readers is an absolute dream come true.

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian

Wow. I'm deeply touched that LIKE A LOVE STORY has been nominated for the 2020 Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award. I wrote this book to share with today's teenagers a little bit about what life was like for a queer Iranian immigrant back when I was a teen, and I am so moved by the way teens have embraced this story. This book is above all else a love letter to activism, art, and the power of friendship and community, and I hope that teen readers find in its pages some pathways for creating their own revolutions of love in the face of the injustices they face.

Lovely War by Julie Berry

I'm so thrilled to hear this exciting news. Thank you so much! I'm so honored. I love Colorado, and it's nice to know Colorado readers love my work. I wish you all happy reading. Lovely War was truly a labor of love for me, and I'm thrilled to know it's resonating with young readers.

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Hey, thanks for letting us know! It's always flattering to be considered for any award. It's especially meaningful when the selection is driven by the young readers that we write for. We look forward to seeing the results when they are announced. Regards, Jay

​