Amy Sarig King (born March 10, 1970) is an American writer of short fiction and

young adult fiction Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world build ...

. She is the recipient of the 2022

Margaret Edwards Award The Margaret A. Edwards Award is an American Library Association (ALA) literary award that annually recognizes an author and "a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature". It is named aft ...

for her "significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature". She is also the only two-time recipient of the

Michael L. Printz Award The Michael L. Printz Award is an American Library Association literary award that annually recognizes the "best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit". It is sponsored by ''Booklist'' magazine; administered by the ALA's ...

for '' Dig'' (2019) and as editor and contributor to ''The Collectors: Stories'' (2023).

Biography

King was born March 10, 1970, in

Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; ) is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 95,112 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fourth-most populous ...

. She graduated from Exeter Township Senior High School in 1988, earned a degree in photography at The Art Institute of Philadelphia, and then moved to Dublin, Ireland, where she began writing novels in 1994. After two years in Dublin, she relocated to Tipperary, where she renovated a farm and taught literacy to adults. She returned to Pennsylvania in 2004 and published her first novel, ''The Dust of 100 Dogs'', in 2009, after fifteen years of writing.

Career

Works

King is the author of numerous young adult books that have earned her recognition as "one of the best YA writers working today" by ''

The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...

''. Her work is known for bridging the gap between young adult and adult readers. She also writes acclaimed middle grade novels under her full name, Amy Sarig King. Her short fiction for adults has been widely published and nominated for Best New American Voices.

Teaching, presentations, and philanthropy

King is a former faculty member of the Writing for Children and Young Adults

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...

program at

Vermont College of Fine Arts Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) is a private graduate-level college affiliated with California Institute of the Arts. It offers Master's degrees in a low-residency format. Its faculty includes Pulitzer Prize finalists, National Book Award wi ...

. An experienced teacher and presenter, King spends many months of the year traveling the U.S. for school visits, conferences, workshops, and literary festivals. King devotes much of her time and platform to mental health advocacy. In her presentations, she often centers topics such as life skills, emotions, bullying, self-esteem, safe relationships, and trauma. In 2023, King and her son founded Gracie’s House, a nonprofit that provides safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth to express themselves artistically and to enjoy nature and camping. The organization is named for King’s late daughter.

Awards and honors

In 2015, King was named the "Outstanding Pennsylvania Author" for that year by the Pennsylvania School Librarians Associations; all of her novels are set in the state. In 2022, she won the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...

, which recognizes an author and "a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature". In 2024, King was awarded the

YALSA The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), established in 1957, is a division of the American Library Association. YALSA is a national association of librarians, library workers and advocates whose mission is to expand the capacity of l ...

, for the anthology ''The Collectors: Stories'' — the first time an anthology has won the award and the first time an author has won the award twice. Awards and honors for individual books are listed below.

''The Dust of 100 Dogs''

''Please Ignore Vera Dietz''

''Please Ignore Vera Dietz'' is a

Junior Library Guild Junior Library Guild, formerly the Junior Literary Guild, is a commercial Book sales club, book club devoted to juvenile literature. It was created in 1929 as one of the enterprises of the Literary Guild, an adult book club created in 1927 by Samue ...

book. ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' named the book one of the best books for teens in 2010, and

Bank Street College of Education Bank Street College of Education is a private school and graduate school in New York City. It consists of a graduate-only teacher training college and an independent nursery-through-8th-grade school. In 2020 the graduate school had about 65 ful ...

included it on their list of the Best Books of 2011 for Ages 14 and Up.

''Monica Never Shuts Up''

''Monica Never Shuts Up'' was nominated for 2010 Best New American Voices, Short Fiction.

''Everybody Sees the Ants''

''Everybody Sees the Ants'' is a

book.

''Ask the Passengers''

'' Ask the Passengers'' is a

book. The book was named one of the best young adult books of the year by ''

'' and ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

''. Andrew Harwell of HarperCollins Children's Books also favorited ''Ask the Passengers'' for 2013, stating,

To my mind, King falls in a camp with George Saunders as a writer who flouts conventions of genre and structure out of a sense that the world is full of meaning, but it is also totally crazy. King's books repeatedly stretch the boundaries of YA fiction, and are always grounded by their unflinching looks at real, imperfect families. So while I would be hard-pressed to say which of her books was my favorite read in 2013, it would definitely be one of them, and I think that says it all.

''Reality Boy''

''Reality Boy'' is a

book. ''

'' ''and

'' named it one of the best books of the year. In 2014, the

selected it for their "

Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Quick, as an adjective, refers to something moving with high speed. Quick may also refer to: In business * Quick (restaurant), a Belgian fast-food restaurant chain * Quick (sportswear), a Dutch manufacturer of sportswear * Quick (automobile), ...

" list.

''Glory O'Brien's History of the Future''

''Glory O'Brien's History of the Future'' is a

book. ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'', ''Bustle'', ''

'', the

Los Angeles Public Library The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) is a public library system in Los Angeles, California, operating separate from the Los Angeles County Public Library system. The system holds more than six million volumes, and with around 19 million resid ...

, the

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...

, ''

'', and ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, wi ...

'' named it one of the best young adult books of 2014. It was also named a ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' Editor's Choice and ''Booklist'' Editors' Choice book.

''I Crawl Through It''

''I Crawl Through It'' is a

book. ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...

'', ''

The Horn Book Magazine ''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietors of t ...

'', and VOYA named it one of the best novels of the year.

''Still Life with Tornado''

Both the book and audiobook versions of ''Still Life with Tornado'' are

selections. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', ''

Shelf Awareness Shelf Awareness is an American publishing company that produces two e-zines focused on bookselling, books, and book reviews: ''Shelf Awareness'' is aimed at general consumers, while ''Shelf Awareness Pro'' caters for industry professionals. ...

'' named it one of the best young adult novels of the year.

''Me and Marvin Gardens''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' and

Chicago Public Library The Chicago Public Library (CPL) is the public library system that serves the Chicago, City of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. It consists of 81 locations, including a central library, three regional libraries, and branches distributed thr ...

named ''Me and Marvin Gardens'' one of the best books of the year. It is a 2018-2019 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List selection, 2018-2019 Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Awards nominee, and 2019 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award nominee.

''Dig''

In 2019, ''

'' named ''Dig'' one of the best novels of the year, as did ''

''.

''The Year We Fell from Space''

''The Year We Fell from Space'' is a

book. In 2019, ''

'' named it one of the best novels of the year, as did ''

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books ''The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books'' is an academic journal established in 1945 by Frances E. Henne ( University of Chicago Graduate Library School).Wedgeworth, Robert. ''World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Services''. C ...

''. The

also included in on their 2020 Notable Children's Books list.

''Switch''

BookPage and the

named ''Switch'' one of the best young adult books of 2021. The

Young Adult Library Services Association The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), established in 1957, is a division of the American Library Association. YALSA is a national association of librarians, library workers and advocates whose mission is to expand the capacity of l ...

included it on their 2022 list of the

Best Fiction for Young Adults The American Library Association's (ALA) Best Fiction for Young Adults, previously known as Best Books for Young Adults (1966–2010), is a recommended list of books presented yearly by the Young Adult Library Services Association The Young Ad ...

''The Collectors: Stories''

King became the only person to win the two

s with ''The Collectors: Stories,'' an anthology she edited and contributed to. The award is shared with M. T. Anderson, E.E. Charlton-Trujillo,

David Levithan David Levithan (born September 7, 1972) is an American young adult fiction author and editor."David Levithan". October 30, 2008. Gale Database. ''Contemporary Authors Online''. UWM Golda Meir Library, Milwaukee. July 1, 2009. He has written numer ...

, Cory McCarthy, Anna-Marie McLemore, Greg Neri,

Jason Reynolds Jason Reynolds (born December 6, 1983) is an American author of Novelist, novels and poetry for Young adult literature, young adult and Middle grade literature, middle grade audiences. Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in neighboring Oxon Hill ...

, Randy Ribay, and Jenny Torres Sanchez.

''Pick the Lock''

BookPage and the

named ''Pick the Lock'' one of the best teen books of 2024. News Public Radio included it on their 2024 list of the NPR's Books We Love 2024. An

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

Best Book of the Year "A roller coaster of a book, Pick the Lock is one thrill after another."—NPR
A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
An Amazon Best Book of the Year
A Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year
A Horn Book Fanfare Book
An ALA Top Ten Amazing Audiobook

Bibliography

Books

* ''The Dust of 100 Dogs'' (2009, Flux) * ''Please Ignore Vera Dietz'' (2010, Knopf) * ''Everybody Sees the Ants'' (Oct. 2011, Little, Brown) * '' Ask the Passengers'' (Oct. 2012, Little, Brown) * ''Monica Never Shuts Up'' (Dec. 2012, The Bat Press) * ''Reality Boy'' (Fall 2013, Little, Brown) * ''Glory O'Brien's History of the Future'' (October 2014, Little, Brown) * ''I Crawl Through It'' (Sept. 2015, Little, Brown) * ''Still Life with Tornado'' (Fall 2016, Dutton Children's Books) * ''Me And Marvin Gardens'' (2017, Arthur A. Levine Books) * '' Dig'' (March 26, 2019, Dutton Children's Books) * ''The Year We Fell From Space'' (October 2019, Arthur A. Levine Books) * ''Switch'' (May 2021, Dutton Children's Books) * ''Attack of the Black Rectangles'' (Scholastic Press, 2022) * ''Pick the Lock'' (2024, Dutton)

Anthology appearances

* ''Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories'' (Sep. 2011, HarperTeen) * ''Break These Rules: 35 YA Authors on Speaking Up, Standing Out, and Being Yourself'' (Sep. 2013,

Chicago Review Press Chicago Review Press, or CRP, is a U.S. book publisher and an independent company founded in 1973. Chicago Review Press publishes approximately 60 new titles yearly under eight imprints: Chicago Review Press, Lawrence Hill Books, Academy Chicago, ...

) * ''Losing It'' (2013, Carolrhoda LAB) * ''One Death, Nine Stories'' (2014, Candlewick) * ''Tasting Light: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Rewire Your Perceptions'' (2023, MITeen Press) * ''The Collectors: Stories'' (2023, Dutton)

References

External links

* * *
Glory O'Brien's history of the future: A Novel
at

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:King, A.S. 1970 births Living people 21st-century American novelists American children's writers American women novelists Writers from Reading, Pennsylvania American young adult novelists American women children's writers 21st-century American women writers American women writers of young adult literature Novelists from Pennsylvania Margaret A. Edwards Award winners Michael L. Printz Award winners