Sean C. Morgan
The Sweet Home Public Library recently added 29 titles most favored by U.S. children.
The Children’s Book Council in association with Every Child a Reader announced 30 finalists in six categories of children’s books in May for the Children’s Choice Book Awards, the only national children’s book awards program in which winning titles are selected by young readers of all ages.
“This year’s outstanding roster of finalists represents the voices of over 16,000 children and teens, who read and selected the titles – fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, picture books – that appealed to them the most,” said Robin Adelson, executive director at The Children’s Book Council.
“The Friends of the Library bought a copy of each of the top winners and donated them to the library,” said Rebecca Swoboda, librarian. “We love our Friends of the Library.
“We checked out all but four of them within the first week. These were books chosen by the children, so we know these are the ones they’re interested in.”
The children who select the books are mainly chosen through the schools, Swoboda said, although Sweet Home children were not among them.
The Friends of the Library group raises funds for the library three different ways, including a Christmas bazaar and a booth at the Harvest Festival. The Friends also operate a used bookstore, 1242 Main St.
“The book store’s going great,” Swoboda said. Right now, “the Friends are mainly focusing on helping with summer reading.”
Information on the library’s Summer Reading Program will appear in next week’s edition of The New Era.
The books were selected in the following categories:
n Kindergarten to Second-Grade Book of the Year: “Even Monsters Need Haircuts,” by Matthew McElligott; “Hot Rod Hamster,” by Cynthia Lord; “How Rocket Learned to Read,” by Tad Hills; “Little Pink Pup,” by Johanna Kerby; and “Shark vs. Train,” by Chris Barton.
n Third-Grade to Fourth-Grade Book of the Year: “Babymouse #12: Burns Rubber,” by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm; “Bad Kitty vs. Uncle Murray: The Uproar at the Front Door,” by Nick Bruel; “Encyclopedia Mythologica: Gods and Heroes,” by Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda; “Finally,” by Wendy Mass; and “Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown,” by Jarrett J. Krosoczka.
n Fifth-Grade to Sixth-Grade Book of the Year: “Big Nate: In a Class by Himself,” by Lincoln Peirce; “It’s a Book,” by Lane Smith; “The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1),” by Rick Riordan; “Smile,” by Raina Telgemeier; and “Zebrafish,” by Peter H. Reynolds and FableVision.
n Teen Choice Book of the Year: “Burned (House of Night, Book 7),” by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast; “Fang (A Maximum Ride Novel),” by James Patterson; “Mockingjay (The Final Book of Hunger Games),” by Suzanne Collins; “Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy, Book 5),” by Richelle Mead; and “Will Grayson, Will Grayson,” by John Green and David Levithan.
n Author of the Year: Cassandra Clare for “Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1);” Suzanne Collins for “Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games);” Jeff Kinney for “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth;” Stephanie Meyer for “The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner;” and Rick Riordan for “The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus, Book 1).”
n Illustrator of the Year: Robin Preiss Glasser for “Fancy Nancy and the Fabulous Fashion Boutique;” Loren Long for “Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters;” Nancy Tillman for “Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You;” David Wiesner for “Art and Max;” and Mo Willems for “Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion.”