Mock Printz 2026 discussion

Do you think Dig by AS King is Printz worthy? Why or Why not?

King is a brilliant writer, so sharp and precise at getting her points across in a new way. Where all of her books attack problems from a unique vantage point, this one really highlights the issues of racism and its many ugly tentacles.

This will be a difficult book to recommend because it is so weird, so surreal. But if the reader is patient, the disparate parts come together and there is definitely a feeling that the characters, so hopeless in the beginning, may be able to DIG (get it?) out of their situation and a brighter future is on the horizon.

I always think A.S. King's books will win the Printz, ever since Please Ignore Vera Dietz. It's been a long time. Maybe the timeliness of topic will get her back in the win category this year.

I agree with much of what Anne says. I think King is a brilliant writer, I read everything that she writes. And I always think that her books have a shot at Printz. But I don't always have a reader to recommend her stuff to. Kind of like Andrew Smith's more absurdist stuff.

If you can get past all the surrealism, her message is always relevant and timely and important. Dig is no exception. I just don't think it's good enough to break her streak.

I thought this book was absolutely phenomenal. I loved the surreal beginning that came together as contemporary realism (with more than a touch of magical realism) at the end. Like "Grasshopper Jungle" it may have trouble finding its teen audience, but I think it excels in literary merit.

King is indeed one of the most interesting YA authors. This novel has a great structure, but I found it to be one of her weakest works. It is supposed to be about racism (I guess), but IMO it was underdeveloped on that front. The dysfunctional family story line was much more effective.