Young Adult Awards to look out for include:  the Newbery, ALA Best Books for Young Adults; Margaret A. Edwards Awards (MAE Awards), a lifetime achievement award given to authors that whose works are popular with teenagers;  and the Michael L. Printz Award (given annually to a book that "exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature").
 

• Avi:  Avi brings history to life with his well-written historical fiction for readers of all levels; Crispin and The Fighting Ground.
   
• Aidan Chambers: His Postcards from No Man’s Land was honored with a 2003 Michael Printz award.
  
  
• Sharon Creech: Very readable as well as an award winner; this author's works consistently show up on Best of the Year lists. Love that Dog; Walk Two Moons; Ruby Holler.
   
• Nancy Farmer:  Her House of the Scorpio and the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm were 2003 award winners.
  
  
• Brian Jacques' Redwall; Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials and Eoin Colfer's  Artemis Fowl are all excellent series for fantasy fans.
  
  
• Walter Dean Myers: This author specializes in writing about the young African-American experience; good for reluctant readers.

 
• Garth Nix: (Sabriel, Abhorsen) Excellent fantasy for young adult readers.
   

• Gary Paulsen: Best known for his survivalist adventure Hatchet series.
   
• Louis Sachar:—author of the popular novel Holes as well as other Young Adult books.
  .
• Jerry Spinelli: Award winner as well as prolific, author of Maniac McGee, Stargirl.