The Massachusetts Center for the Book has announced the "Must Read" long lists in the 20th annual Massachusetts Book Awards.

The awards recognize significant works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry for adults and young readers written by Massachusetts authors and published during the preceding calendar year.  

This year's long list for Middle Grade/Young Adult books includes "The Next Great Paulie Fink" (Little, Brown), by Williamstown resident Ali Benjamin. The book is a funny and touching story about being thrust into the spotlight as a new kid and outsider in a small rural middle school.

"What a lucky group our state's tween and teenage readers prove to be. Our Middle Grade and Young Adult Must Read picks include an incredible swath of history, along with stories about artistic inspiration, fantasy, and the growing pains of surviving realities both ordinary and everything but," said Michelle Hoover, coordinator of MassBooks 20 and author of "The Quickening" (2010 Must Read) and "Bottomland" (2016 Must Read).   

In August, the center will announce the award winner and two honors titles in each of the five award categories with the hope of celebrating all titles in the program at a 20th  anniversary reception in the fall. 

"In the midst of a public health crisis, we take heart that we can announce another exciting year for Massachusetts writing," said Sharon Shaloo, executive director of MCB. "These awards confirm the strength and vitality of our extensive community of authors and  illustrators working in our academic and literary economies. We look forward to  promoting the long lists in every way we can throughout the spring and summer."

The Massachusetts Center for the Book is a public-private partnership, chartered as the commonwealth affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, and charged with developing, supporting and promoting cultural programming to advance the cause of  books and reading.

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