-- Publishers Weekly, 2/26/2009
They’re back: the Children’s Book Council has unveiled the finalists for the second-annual Children’s Choice Book Awards. Nearly 15,000 children cast their votes in six categories—four based on age group, as well as author and illustrator of the year.

As last year, the winners will be announced at the Children’s Choice Book Awards Gala on May 12, during Children’s Book Week. Jon Scieszka, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, will reprise his role as host of the gala, during which the second annual Impact Award will be given—this year to Whoopi Goldberg. From March 16 through May 3, kids can vote for their favorite books and authors at their schools, libraries and bookstores, as well as at BookWeekOnline.com.

And the finalists are:

Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year

The Donut Chef by Bob Staake (Random/Golden)

Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman (Holt)

The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! by Mo Willems (Hyperion)

Sort It Out! by Barbara Mariconda, illus. by Sherry Rogers (Sylvan Dell)

Those Darn Squirrels! by Adam Rubin, illus. by Daniel Salmieri (Clarion)

Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year

Babymouse: Puppy Love by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Random House)

One Million Things: A Visual Encyclopedia by Peter Chrisp (DK)

Underwear: What We Wear Under There by Ruth Freeman Swain, illus. by John O’Brien (Holiday House)

Willow by Denise Brennan-Nelson and Rosemarie Brennan, illus. by Cyd Moore (Sleeping Bear)

Spooky Cemeteries by Dinah Williams (Bearport)

 

Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year

100 Most Dangerous Things On the Planet by Anna Claybourne (Scholastic Reference)

Amulet, Book One: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi (Scholastic/Graphix)

The Big Field by Mike Lupica (Philomel)

Swords: An Artist's Devotion by Ben Boos (Candlewick)

Thirteen by Lauren Myracle (Dutton)

 

Teen Choice Book Award

Airhead by Meg Cabot (Scholastic/Point)

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press)

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (Viking)

Paper Towns by John Green (Dutton)

 

Author of the Year

Stephenie Meyer, Breaking Dawn (Little, Brown)

Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Abrams/Amulet)

Christopher Paolini, Brisingr (Knopf)

James Patterson, Maximum Ride: The Final Warning (Little, Brown)

Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth (Disney-Hyperion)

 

Illustrator of the Year

Laura Cornell, Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis (HarperCollins/Cotler)

Robin Preiss Glasser, Fancy Nancy: Bonjour Butterfly! by Jane O’Connor (HarperCollins)

Mo Willems, The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! (Hyperion)

David Shannon, Loren Long and David Gordon, Smash! Crash! by Jon Scieszka (Simon & Schuster)

Jon J Muth, Zen Ties (Scholastic Press)