For our annual “Off the Cuff” awards, we asked retailers for their picks in a variety of categories. The winners (and selected bookseller comments) appear below.
Funniest Thing a Kid Said in Your Store
“Girl leads mother to Fancy Nancy display and says, 'Mom, come here! I found something BEAUTIFUL.' ”
“Mom, isn't it funny how mice in books are so cute, when in real life they're so GROSS!”
“Child sees House in the Night display with shelftalker that reads 'Our favorite new bedtime book.' Child says, 'You only say it's your favorite because you want people to buy it.' ”
Most Unusual Complaint
Customer wouldn't buy Good Night Gorilla out of fear that the recipients wouldn't like gorillas.
Thomas the Tank Engine “focuses on negative, antagonistic behavior.”
Favorite Picture Book of the Year
10 Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox, illus. by Helen Oxenbury (“extraordinary but simple—less is more!”)
Honorable mentions: Pete & Pickles by Berkeley Breathed; That Book Woman by Heather Henson, illus. by David Small
Favorite Novel of the Year
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (“absolutely riveting”)
Honorable mentions: Impossible by Nancy Werlin (“well-written, intriguing”); Paper Towns by John Green; Nation by Terry Pratchett (“funny but deep”)
Most Unusual Picture Book
The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin, illus. by Rosana Faria
Most Memorable Character in a Lead Role (tie)
Isabel (in Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson); Katniss (in The Hunger Games)
Best Sequel
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall (“we can't get enough of these wonderful sisters!”)
Honorable mentions: Bats in the Library by Brian Lies; The Runaway Dolls by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin, illus. by Brian Selznick
Favorite Book Jacket
Savvy by Ingrid Law
Honorable mentions: Wave by Suzy Lee; Wonder Bear by Tao Nyeu
Funniest Book (tie)
Frankenstein Takes the Cake by Adam Rex; Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka
Honorable mention: Science Fair by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (“their zany imaginations made me laugh out loud page after page”)
Book You'd Like to See Win the Newbery Medal
Masterpiece by Elise Broach
Honorable mention: Chains
Book You'd Like to See Win the Caldecott Medal (tie)
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson; Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, illus. by Ed Young
Honorable mentions: A River of Wind: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant, illus. by Melissa Sweet; The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger
Favorite Series
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Best Nonfiction Treatment of a Subject
The Way We Work by David Macaulay
Honorable mention: Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out
Sleeper of the Year (tie)
Wabi Sabi; Hip Hop Speaks to Children by Nikki Giovanni
Most Innovative Book
ABC3D by Marion Bataille
Honorable mentions: There Are Cats in This Book by Viviane Schwarz; the 39 Clues series
Book
with Best Plot Twist
The Hunger Games
Honorable mention: The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
Best Novel for Young Readers That Adults Would Love If They Knew About It
The Hunger Games
Honorable mentions: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman; Impossible
Book You Couldn't Shut Up About
Savvy
Book You Wish Everyone Would Shut Up About
Twilight
The “For Adults, Not Children” Award
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott (“a bit too graphic and disturbing”)
Book We Could Have Sold with a Better Jacket
Science Fair
Hottest Selling Book to Go Out of Stock
Twilight books (“boo!”; “shame on Hachette for not getting books printed fast enough”)
Honorable mention: Wabi Sabi
Book You Were Happiest to See Back in Print
The Three Robbers by Tomi Ungerer
Book You Were Sorriest to See Go Out of Print
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey
Oddest Request by a Customer
“Do you have anyone here who would be willing to dress up as a leprechaun and come to my daughter's class and read Irish stories?”
“A father wanted a spy book for his two-year-old.”
“Your versions of fairytales are all too modern. I want something more traditional—like Disney.”
“So… it’s books that you sell?”
“I’d like a classic book to read aloud to my dog.”
