Z is for AmaZon Best Sellers

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

The Amazon Best Seller List for Teens lists the most popular books sold on Amazon.com.  Books on the list are also eligible for the Amazon Best Seller List of Books, and often hit the list (the Hunger Games has had it for years).  The list is calculated based on hourly sales, and books are tracked for how long they stay on the list.  Like the New York Times Bestseller List, the list is considered an important rating of how much a book is bought.

Books of note:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (over 4 years) and series
The Giver by Lois Lowry (over 1 year)
Divergent by Veronica Roth (almost 1 year)
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (over 5 years) and series
Inheritance by Christopher Polini (over 1 year)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (almost 4 years)
The Maze Runner by James Dashner (over 1 year) and series
Shattered by Sophia Sharp (almost 1 year)
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (almost 1 year)
Destined by PC Cast (almost 1 year)
Ethereal by Addison Moore (over 1 year)
The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore (over 1 year)
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare (almost 1 year)

Y is for YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults list started in 2010 "to provide librarians and library workers with a resource to use for collection development and reader’s advisory purposes." ¹ Prior to that it was called the Best Books for Young Adults list, which dates to 1996.  The list includes books of all YA genres, but since Science Fiction and Fantasy are popular to publish the list of 100~ish books has a lot of YA SF/F included.  All prior years are available on the YALSA Website.  Anyone can nominate a title, and the books are chosen by a committee of YALSA members (names available on the website). 

2012 Top Ten Books:
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

2012 Long List:
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Chime by Franny Billingsley
Red Glove by Holly Black
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Liar's Moon by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Entwined by Heather Dixon
The Dark City by Catherine Fisher
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby
The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge
Huntress by Malinda Lo
Legend by Marie Lu
The Apothecary by Maile Meloy
Ashfall by Mike Mullin
Prized by Caragh O'Brien
The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff



¹ http://www.ala.org/yalsa/best-fiction-young-adults#current

X is for New York Times EXpanded Bestseller List

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

Yeah, I know it may be a bit of a cop-out, but X is hard y'all!  So X stands for the New York Times Expanded Bestseller List.  Although not an award, the list is considered an important rating of how a book is selling and is thus important to authors and publishers.  No one for sure knows how the list's score is calculated, although it is based on sales data from book vendors.  Up until 2000 children's books were figured along with adult books, but in 2000 the NYT changed to categorize Children's books separately.  Currently the Children's section contains four lists: Children's Series, Children's Paperback, Children's Chapter, and Children's Picture Book.  Since SF/F is popular in YA there is representation of it on the list.  In fact, The Hunger Games has been on the series list for 83 weeks as of April 1.

Notable NYT Top 5 Bestsellers as of April 1:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - #1 series
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - #1 paperback
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan - #2 paperback
Divergent by Veronica Roth - #3 paperback
Matched by Ally Condie - #4 paperback
A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull - #5 paperback
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - #2 chapter
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan - #3 chapter
The Kane Chronicles Survival Guide by Rick Riordan - #4 chapter

Showers of Books Giveaway Hop!

Since I had an amazing 85 new followers I chose five winners instead of four.  Emails have gone out.  Congratulations to the winners!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

W is for William C. Morris Award

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

The William C. Morris Award is named for a prominent book marketer who pushed for marketing books to children and young adults.  This award "honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature." ¹ A list of five or fewer titles is chosen by a jury of YALSA members, who also chose a winner from the slate.  The award has occurred since 2009, and has honored at least one SF/F book every year, although this is not required.

 Notable Books:
Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson - 2012 Finalist
Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey - 2011 Finalist
Hold Me Closer Necromancer by Lish McBride - 2011 Finalist
Ash by Malinda Lo - 2010 Finalist
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - 2010 Finalist
Curse as Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce - 2009 Winner
Graceling by Kristin Cashore - 2009 Finalist





¹ http://www.ala.org/yalsa/morris-award

Waiting on Wednesday: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

    This is Breaking the Spine's Waiting for Wednesday, where bloggers post about a book they just can't wait to get their hands on!     

  Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore May 1st 2012

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past. Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

I think everyone on the planet is wanting to get their hands on this book.  I can't wait to see another strong female character in a great plot.

U is for USA Today Bestseller List

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

The USA Today Bestseller List is not an award, but many authors consider it an honor nonetheless.  Not quite as prestigious as the New York Times Bestseller List (we'll get to that later), the USA Today Bestseller list has more readership so is still considered quite important by the industry.¹ Unlike the NYT List the USA Today list also doesn't have separate categories, so all the books are lumped in together in a list ranking the first 150 books.  This makes it easier to see where a book ranks relative to all other books, not just books in its age category.  YA books have been doing quite well in overall sales.  In fact, as of April 1 the first four books on the list are the Hunger Games trilogy books as #1-3 and the Hunger Games box set as #4, and all have been on the list for months (or years, the Hunger Games has been on the list for the equivalence of over 2 1/2 years).  The other major difference between USA Today and the NYT list is that USA Today has a public calculation of how it decides where to place books,² the NYT calculations are secret. 

Notable Books from USA Today's Top 100 Booklist as of April 1:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - #1
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - #2
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - #3
The Hunger Games Boxed Set  by Suzanne Collins - #4
Divergent by Veronica Roth - #54
Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon - #56
Seeds of Rebellion by Brandon Mull - #86
The Son of Neptune: The Heroes of Olympus, Book Two by Rick Riordan - #87
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini - #89
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - #91





¹ http://paidcontent.org/article/419-usa-today.com-revamps-books-coverage-bestseller-list/
² http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/booksdatabase/2011-05-11-about-usa-todays-top-150-books-list_n.htm

T is for Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Books

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

The Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Books is an honor chosen by Kirkus editors.  Their criteria is rather vague, but I assume it is the best books they reviewed of the year.  Books are organized into categories for readers to easily find the ones they like.  One of the Teen genres is "Fantasy, Science Fiction, and the Paranormal", and there are a number of books in it.

Notable 2011 Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Books:

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Chime by Franny Billingsley

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making By Catherynne M. Valente

Misfit By Jon Skovron

A Monster Calls By Patrick Ness

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

S is for Edward E. Smith Memorial Award for Imaginative Fiction

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

The Edward E. Smith Memorial Award for Imaginative Fiction (better known as the Skylark Award) is given out by the New England Science Fiction Association, Inc. to someone who "has contributed significantly to science fiction, both through work in the field and by exemplifying the personal qualities which made the late "Doc" Smith well-loved by those who knew him".¹ This Award has been given out since1966.  The award is chosen by a vote of the Association members and given out annually at Boskone.  Although the award is for Imaginative Fiction of all ages, the award has been given to more than a few young adult writers.

Notable Skylark Winners:
Sir Terry Pratchett - 2009
Tamora Pierce - 2005
Bruce Coville - 2000
Esther M. Friesner - 1994
Orson Scott Card - 1992
Andre Norton - 1983




¹ http://www.nesfa.org/awards/skylark.html

R is for Romantic Times' Reviewers' Choice Best Book Awards

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

Romantic Times' Reviewers' Choice Best Book Awards are awards selected by the Romantic Times' reviewers to select the best books of the year.  Romantic Times, a prominent book information magazine in the romance genre, has been published since the 1981.  Given since 1995, the magazine's awards are considered to be a gauge of women readers and romance in many genres and aim to recognize the best books of the year.  The Young Adult awards are given in three categories: Young Adult Novel, Young Adult Paranormal/Futuristic Novel, and Young Adult Protagonist.  SF/F is well represented in all three categories, not just Paranormal/Futuristic.

Notable 2011 Best Book Award Winners:
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Across the Universe by  Beth Revis
Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr
Bumped by Megan McCafferty
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Tamora Pierce - Career Achievement

Giveaway Hop!

I'm really happy to say that in the last few weeks we reached 300 followers!  It's very exciting!  Because of that, I'm adding something very special to this giveaway:

That's right, my ARC of Bitterblue!  I also promise to have it in the mail on Friday as long as I have the address by midnight Thursday so that the winner can have it about the time it comes out.  If you'd like a free copy of this amazing book this is your giveaway!

But wait, there's more!  Since I have 300 followers I'd like to even up the odds a bit, so I'm going to pick 4 winners.  They will each have a choice of the following books:

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore - ARC
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
King of Ithaka by Tracy Barrett
Luminous by Dawn Metcalf - ARC
Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell
Girl Parts by John M. Cusick
The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen
Feed by M.T. Anderson
Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
Shadowspell by Jenna Black
Sirensong by Jenna Black
Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster
Gone by Michael Grant
Hunger by Michael Grant
Lies by Michael Grant
Plague by Michael Grant
Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Q is for YALSA's Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers List

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

YALSA's Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers List is a list generated by a committee of YALSA members (names available at the top of each year's list).  Anyone can suggest a title on the YALSA website.  It is intended to be a list of books that young readers "will pick up on their own and read for pleasure; it is geared to the teenager who, for whatever reason, does not like to read."¹  The 100+ book list is separated into fiction and nonfiction and has a great variety of genres and subjects.  The association has generated a list since 1996, and a top ten list since 1997.  All prior years are available on YALSA's website.

2012 Top Ten List:
Enclave by Ann Aguirre


2012 List:
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Zombie High Yearbook '64 by Jeff Busch
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Clarity by Kim Harrington
Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler
Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster
I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Divergent by Veronica Roth





¹ http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/quickpicks/2012

P is for Printz Award

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

"The Michael L. Printz Award annually honors the best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit, each year."¹ "Michael L. Printz was a librarian at Topeka West High School in Topeka, Kansas until he retired in 1994. He was also an active member in YALSA, serving on the Best Books for Young Adults Committee and the Margaret A. Edwards Award Committee. He dedicated his life to ensuring that his students had access to good literature."²  This award, first given in 2000 by the American Library Association, also names up to four "honor books" or runners-up.  Books are chosen by a committee of ALA members.

Notable Printz Books:
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - 2012 Honor Book
Shipbreaker by Paolo Bacigalupi - 2011 Winner
Going Bovine by Libba Bray - 2010 Winner
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan - 2009 Honor Book
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - 2007 Honor Book





¹ http://www.ala.org/yalsa/printz ² http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_L._Printz_Award

Waiting on Wednesday: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

    This is Breaking the Spine's Waiting for Wednesday, where bloggers post about a book they just can't wait to get their hands on!     

  Insurgent by Veronica Roth May 1st 2012

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Although I didn't think Divergent lived up to all its hype, I am looking forward to the second book.  I'm really hoping that all the slower parts of book 1 were groundwork laying, and that book 2 will have more action which is really what Roth excels at.

N is for Newberry Medal

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

The Newberry Medal is given by the American Library Association's Association for Library Service to Children.  This award, started in 1922, recognizes "the most distinguished American children's book published the previous year."¹ According to the Newberry website this makes it the earliest children's book award in the world.  The books are chosen by a committee of ALSC members.  Its purpose is thus:

"To encourage original creative work in the field of books for children. To emphasize to the public that contributions to the literature for children deserve similar recognition to poetry, plays, or novels. To give those librarians, who make it their life work to serve children's reading interests, an opportunity to encourage good writing in this field."

Notable Books:
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - 2009 Winner
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo - 2004 Winner
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer - 2003 Honor
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine - 1998 Honor
A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle - 1981 Honor
The Grey King by Susan Cooper - 1976 Winner
The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper - 1974 Honor
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien - 1972 Winner
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - 1963 Winner




¹ http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/aboutnewbery/aboutnewbery

M is for Mythopoeic Award

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

Given out yearly by the Mythopoeic Society, "The Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature honors books for younger readers (from “Young Adults” to picture books for beginning readers), in the tradition of The Hobbit or The Chronicles of Narnia." ¹  The books are nominated by society members at large and decided upon by a committee of society members.  Books are eligible for two years, and series are eligible after the final book has been published.  The children's award has been given since 1992.

Notable Mythopoeic Award Winners:
The Queen’s Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner - 2011
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin - 2010
Graceling by Kristin Cashore - 2009
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - 2008
Corbenic by Catherine Fisher - 2007
The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud - 2006
A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett - 2005
The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle - 2004
Summerland by Michael Chabon - 2003
The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson - 2002
Aria of the Sea by Dia Calhoun - 2001
The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley - 2000


¹ http://www.mythsoc.org/awards/

L is for Lambda Literary Award

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

The Lambda Literary Award is given every year by the Lambda Literary Association.  Open to writers of all gender identities and sexual orientations, the award seeks to honor US books based "on literary merit and on significant content relevant to LGBT lives."  There are many categories of books, including LGBT Children’s/Young Adult and LGBT Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror.  Given since 1988, anyone can nominate books, and five nominees are chosen from which a winner is picked (I don't know how, couldn't be found in my research). 

Notable Lambda Literary Award Winners:
Huntress by Malinda Lo - 2012 Finalist
Ash by Malinda Lo - 2010 Nominee
Hero by Perry Moore - 2008 Winner

K is for Kiddo Award

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

The Kiddo Award is a new award given out by James Patterson's Read Kiddo Read website.  The award started in 2011.  Awards are given to children's books in five categories: Series, 0-6, 7-10, 8 and up, and 10 and up.  There is no genre qualification, however, Fantasy has won an award both years.  Books, chosen with the criteria of books "kids just couldn't put down this year", are chosen by members of Read Kiddo Read's forum and these nominees are voted on by facebook users.  It is assumed that many of these voters are children who read and enjoy books.¹

Notable Kiddo Nominees:

The Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan - 2012 Winner

Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson - 2012 Nominee

Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol - 2012 Nominee

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente and Ana Juan - 2012 Nominee

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - 2012 Nominee

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson - 2012 Nominee

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens - 2012 Honorable Mention

Invisible Inkling by Emily Jenkins; Illustrated by Harry Bliss - 2012 Nominee

¹ http://www.readkiddoread.com/uploads/kiddos.php

J is for James Tiptree, Jr. Award

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

Given at WisCon every year since 1991, the James Tiptree, Jr. Award is named for James Tiptree, Jr., the pen name of Alice Sheldon.  Sheldon wrote science fiction under the Tiptree name for 10 years, winning Hugos and Nebulas for her work, before it was revealed the author was a woman.  In this tradition the award is given to "science fiction or fantasy that expands or explores our understanding of gender". ¹  The award includes a winner, an honor list, and a long list of works worthy of attention, chosen by a public jury of editors and authors (as far as I can tell).  Although the award does not specify an age category for its books, nor does it have a YA category, the awards have traditionally not shied away from YA works.

2011 Tiptree Award Recognition:
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray - honor
The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman - honor
The Shattering by Karen Healey
Huntress by Malinda Lo
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

2010 Tiptree Award Recognition:
Ash by Malinda Lo

2009 Tiptree Award Recognition:
Ooku the Inner Chambers: Vol 1 and 2 by Fumi Yoshinaga- Winner





¹ http://tiptree.org/?see=front_page#TiptreeAward

Waiting on Wednesday: Spirit's Princess by Esther M. Friesner

    This is Breaking the Spine's Waiting for Wednesday, where bloggers post about a book they just can't wait to get their hands on!     

  Spirit's Princess by Esther M. Friesner April 24th 2012

Himiko the beloved daughter of a chieftain in third century Japan has always been special. The day she was born there was a devastating earthquake, and the tribe's shamaness had an amazing vision revealing the young girl's future—one day this privileged child will be the spiritual and tribal leader over all of the tribes. Book One revolves around the events of Himiko's early teen years—her shaman lessons, friendships, contact with other tribes, and journey to save her family after a series of tragic events. Once again, Esther Friesner masterfully weaves together history, myth, and mysticism in a tale of a princess whose path is far from traditional.

I've loved all of Esther Friesner's YA books (Helen of Troy and Cleopatra) and I'm really looking forward to her take on ancient Japan.

I is for International Reading Association's Young Adults' Choices Reading List

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

The Young Adults' Choices Reading List is an annual list put out by the International Reading Association. Their purpose is to generate a "list of new books that will encourage adolescents to read."¹ Published since1987, the list is generated late in the year for that year (2011 is the most recent).  Publishers can nominate books, and student teams at middle and secondary schools select the list of 30 books from the nominees.  The list is annotated to help readers better understand the choices. 

Notable 2011 Books:
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Matched by Ally Condie
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
The Necromancer by Michael Scott
Ruined by Paula Morris
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

 


¹ http://www.reading.org/resources/booklists/youngadultschoices.aspx

H is for Hugo Awards

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

Since the 2012 nominees were announced over the weekend I think today is the perfect time to talk about the Hugo Awards.  Named for Hugo Gernsback, the editor of Amazing Stories the Hugo Awards "are awards for excellence in the field of science fiction and fantasy".¹ Although mostly given to adult books,a few notable YA titles have slipped through and been nominated or won since the awards started in 1953.  Books are chosen by a two-tiered process: members of the current WorldCon, as well as the preceding and proceeding WorldCon, nominate books (and stories, movies, etc), then the nominees are collected and the current WorldCon's members vote on the nominations.  The awards are handed out at a special ceremony at WorldCon.

Notable Hugo Novels:
Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi - 2009 nominee
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow - 2009 nominee
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - 2009 winner
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - 2001 winner
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - 2000 nominee
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - 1986 winner




¹ http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-faq/

G is for Golden Duck

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

The Golden Duck Awards are a juried award given to Science Fiction works.  There are three categories of award: Picture Book, Eleanor Cameron Award for Middle Grades, and the Hal Clement Award for Young Adult.  Anyone can nominate a book for consideration, and the final selections are made by a jury of "teachers, librarians, parents, high tech workers and reviewers"¹ , but I can find no information on how these people are chosen or how many there are.  The award is intended to encourage science fiction literature for children.  It has been presented every year at WorldCon since 1992 and comes with a monetary award for the winner.²

2011 Award List, Hal Clement Award:
WWW.Watch by Robert J. Sawyer - Winner
Cassini Code by Dom Tesla
Crashed by Robin Wasserman
Virals by Kathy Reichs
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld.
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Vulture’s Wake by Kirsty Murray

2010 Award List, Hal Clement Award:
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - Winner
The Fledgeling by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
The Roar by Emma Clayton
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld and Keith Thompson



¹ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Duck_Award
² http://www.sfawardswatch.com/?page_id=108

F is for the Norton Award from SFFWA

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America give out an award every year to a young adult fantasy or science fiction book published in the previous year.  Named for Andre Norton, the first woman to win a Gandalf Grand Master Award from the World Science Fiction Society and also a recipient of the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award from SFFWA, the Andre Norton Award honors has been given out every year since 2006 (honoring a book from 2005, the year Norton died)¹.  The award is decided in a tiered system: there is a jury of SFFWA members that choose a shortlist of finalists from member-nominated works and the membership at large of SFFWA votes for a winner from the finalists.  A book nominated for a Norton can also be nominated for a Nebula, SFFWA's novel, novella, novelette, and short story awards, and a few YA works have been a finalist in those categories since the inception of the Norton award.  Since the awards are presented in May we don't know who will win in 2012 for books from 2011, but we do know the slate of nominees and some notable past winners.

2011 Finalists for the Andre Norton Award:
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Chime by Franny Billingsley
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
The Boy at the End of the World by Greg van Eekhout
The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

Past Winners:
2010 - I Shall Wear Midnight, Terry Pratchett
2009 - The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
2008 - Flora’s Dare: How a Girl of Spirit Gambles All to Expand Her Vocabulary, Confront a Bouncing Boy Terror, and Try to Save Califa from a Shaky Doom (Despite Being Confined to Her Room) by Ysabeau S. Wilce
2007 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
2006 - Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier
2005 - Valiant : A Modern Tale of Faerie by Holly Black

Other notable works:
2009 - Little Brother by Cory Doctorow - novel finalist
1986 - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - novel winner


¹ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andre_Norton

E is for Margaret A. Edwards Award

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

Named for a notable American Librarian, The Margaret A. Edwards Award is a Young Adult Library Services Association recognition for an author and one of their works that has had a lasting impression on Young Adults and on YA Literature.  It is sponsored by the School Library Journal and was established in 1988. Its purpose is to recognize "an author's work in helping adolescents become aware of themselves and addressing questions about their role and importance in relationships, society, and in the world."¹

Notable Margaret A. Edwards Award Winners:
1998 - Madeleine L'Engle
1999 - Anne McCaffrey
2004 - Ursula K. Le Guin
2007 - Lois Lowry
2008 - Orson Scott Card
2011 - Terry Pratchett
2012 - Susan Cooper

¹ http://www.ala.org/yalsa/edwards

D is for DABWAHA

For April I'm Blogging the Alphabet through YA Book Awards!  Find out more Here!

DABWAHA, or the Dear Author Bitchery Writing Award for Hella Authors, is a March-Madness type bracket for romance novels sponsored by a prominent book blogger "Dear Author Bitch".   However, even though the bracket is romance it is traditionally inclusive of YA Science Fiction and Fantasy.  There is a category for just YA that is chock full of them this year, and there are some other ones scattered around.  Books are voted on by site visitors during the month of March.  2012 is the second year of the tournament, and I think it's just plain fun to have a March Madness bracket I understand and can intelligently pick from :P

YA Finalists that are Science Fiction or Fantasy:
The Shattering by Karen Healey
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Huntress by Malinda Lo
Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Divergent by Veronica Roth

Novel with Romantic Elements/Crossover Finalists that are YA SF/F:
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

Paranormal/UF/SFR Finalists that are YA:

Radiant Desire by Inara Scott