For these awards, booksellers were asked to vote in a variety of categories. The winners (and bookseller comments, where appropriate) appear below.
Favorite Picture Book of the Year
When Marian Sang by Pam Muñoz Ryan, illus. by Brian Selznick
Honorable mentions: A Story for Bear by Dennis Haseley, illus. by Jim LaMarche; Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague
Favorite Novel of the Year
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer ("original, thought-provoking, so well-written")
Feed by M.T. Anderson ("prophetic and relevant")
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke ("I would have loved this book as much in the fourth grade as I do now!")
Most Unusual Book of the Year
Manneken Pis: The Simple Story of a Boy Who Peed on a War by Vladimir Radunsky
Honorable mention: King & King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland
Best Book Title
I Stink! by Kate McMullan, illus. by Jim McMullan
Honorable mention: Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas by Louise Rennison
Best Opening Line
"We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck." (from Feed)
Most Memorable Character in a Lead Role
Donald Zinkoff in Loser by Jerry Spinelli ("Who hasn't known a kid like Zinkoff?")
Eloise ("she is classic")
Best Sequel
Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin, illus. by Betsy Lewin
David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon
Most Eye-Catching Jacket
Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, illus. by Sophie Blackall
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Funniest Book
Dear Mrs. LaRue
Favorite Book to Handsell
Hoot ("a surefire hit with kids and adults")
Honorable mentions: Epossumondas by Coleen Salley, illus. by Janet Stevens ("what a noodlehead!"); Dog Eared by Amanda Harvey ("a great self-esteem book")
Most Promising New Author
Cornelia Funke (The Thief Lord)
Most Promising New Illustrator
Ross MacDonald (Another Perfect Day)
Best Bet to Win the Newbery Medal
The House of the Scorpion
Honorable mention: The Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Paterson
Best Bet to Win the Caldecott Medal
When Marian Sang
Honorable mention: The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth
Sleeper of the Year
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner, illus. by Mark Buehner
Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray, illus. by Audrey Colman
Best Boxed Set
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
A Boxed Set of Olivia and Olivia Saves the Circus by Ian Falconer
Best Anthology
The HarperCollins Treasury of Picture Book Classics
Honorable mentions: Mike Mulligan and More by Virginia Lee Burton; Frederick and His Friends by Leo Lionni
Best Book of Poetry
Scranimals by Jack Prelutsky, illus. by Peter Sís
Best Pop-Up
The Night Before Christmas, illus. by Robert Sabuda
Honorable mention: Knick-Knack Paddywhack! by Paul O. Zelinsky
Best New Audiotape
Coraline by Neal Gaiman ("wonderfully creepy!")
Honorable mention: The Thief Lord
Best Series
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket ("always witty and very dry")
Most Overrated Book
Summerland by Michael Chabon ("just couldn't get into it")
Honorable mentions: Abarat by Clive Barker ("one has no sympathy for the flat characters"); Halloween by Jerry Seinfeld, illus. by James Bennett
Most Objectionable Book
The Book of Mean People by Toni and Slade Morrison, illus. by Pascal Lemaître ("too whiny"; "whatever Morrison might have intended with this book got lost in the confusion over its message")
Honorable mentions: Bravemole by Lynne Jonell; Gossip Girl and You Know You Love Me by Cecily von Ziegesar
Most Overdone Subject
"How-much-I-love-my-child" books
Honorable mentions: September 11; patriotism; dysfunctional families; abandoned or abused protagonists in YA novels
Hottest Sellers to Go Out of Stock
Walter the Farting Dog
Honorable mentions: Farfallina & Marcel by Holly Keller; The Three Questions
Book Happiest to See Back in Print
The Saturdays et al. by Elizabeth Enright
Honorable mentions: The Little Fur Family; A Small Miracle
Book Most Wanted to See Adapted for Film or TV
The Thief Lord
Honorable mentions: Hoot; A Series of Unfortunate Events; and "none of them" ("kids don't read the book when they can see the movie"; "sales of movie-related books go way down when the movie arrives")
Most Effective Marketing Campaign
Lemony Snicket Day ("so much fun!" "built up a lot of consumer excitement")
Best Publisher Promotional Materials
Lemony Snicket collector's cards ("also the buttons that said 'Please Don't Ask Me About Lemony Snicket Day,' because they made people ask")
Redwall pens ("kids loved them")
Junie B. Jones displays ("consistently clever, with good giveaways")
Most Positive New Trends
Less resistance to prices of hardcover fiction
"Parents mentioning books other than Harry Potter that their kids have really enjoyed, or that they've enjoyed, too!"
"Boys are reading more and buying more."
"People are looking at Book Sense flyers and asking for suggested titles."
"People are finally beginning to understand the difference between chains and independents, and many seem to prefer shopping at more personalized stores."
Most Negative New Trends
Too many TV shows being turned into books
Damage inflicted on merchandise by poorly supervised or unsupervised children
"People won't stop asking when the fifth Harry Potter is coming out."
Most Unusual Complaint About a Book
"The cover is too shiny."
"A customer complained that the stepsisters in Cinderella are evil."
"A customer special-ordered a copy of What a Truly Cool World, then brought it back complaining that the book was blasphemous—she pointed out that the angels' wings were wrong and that God doesn't use computers."
Oddest Comment or Request
"I need a book for a grandchild." "Tell me something about her." "She is tall."
"People continue to insist that the new Harry Potter is out and why don't we have it??"
"I need things to help my daughter read, but I don't want books."
"Do you have any more Persnickety Lemon books?"
The Onion in the Closet (for The Indian in the Cupboard)
The Vampire Phonebooth (for The Phantom Tollbooth)
Jeans Around the World (for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)
Meet Me on the Bounty
