I had some friends over for dinner one night and one of them picked up a board book built into a bendable Mr. Potato Head. He was appalled to find the five page board book changed point of view and made jokes that were way beyond the concept of a board book audience, not to mention stupid. Seeing the children's book world through their eyes, I realized I'd become so inured that I no longer register much surprise at all the poor books I see. I'm happy to announce there are still enough thoughtful books out there that win Wilde Awards and will offer guidance in the increasingly confusing commercialism of the children's book world.
Best Early Books:
Illustrator Marla Frazee, Hush, Little Baby (HBJ, $15.00; ages 0-4)
Best First Story:
Simms Taback, Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (Viking, $15.99; ages 3-6)
Best early read aloud:
Julia Donaldson's The Gruffalo (Dial, $15.99; ages 4-7)
Best Book by a Deceased Author:
Pam Conrad, Blue Willow (Philomel, $16.99; ages 8 and up)
Worst Book By a Deceased Author:
Real Love: The Drawings for Sean (Random, $12.99) Poor John Lennon, he never had a chance to burn the doodles he made to please his young son, Sean and some marketing nitwit thought they'd sell well .
Best Non-Fiction:
George Levenson,Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden (Tricycle Press,$14.95; ages 4-8)
Sandra Markle, Outside and Inside Kangaroos (Atheneum, $16.00; ages 7 and up)
Timothy Gower, This Book Bites! Or, Why Your Mouth is More Than Just a Hole in Your Head (Planet Dexter, $14.99; ages 8-11)
Dorling Kindersley, Children's History of the 20th Century (all ages, $29.95)
Alice McGill, Molly Bannaky (Houghton Mifflin, $16.00; ages 7-10)
Laurence Anholt, Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning (Orchard, $15.95; ages 8 and up)
Pam Munoz Ryan, Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride:Based on a True Story (Scholastic, $16.95, ages 7 and up)
Book With the Worst Tragic Flaw:
Michelle Nikly, The Perfume of Memory (Scholastic, $16.95; ages 7 and up)
Books Most Appreciated in My House:
Anne Akers Johnson, Bead Rings (Klutz, $12.95; ages 9 and up); Marilyn Green, Beaded Bobby Pins (Klutz, $14.95)
Best Folk and Fairy Tales:
Erica Silverman, Raisel's Riddle (FSG, $16.00; ages 7 and up)
Nancy Farmer, Casey Jones's Fireman: The Story of Sim Webb (Dial, $15.99; ages 7 and up)
Ann Beneduce, Jack and the Beanstalk (Philomel, $15.99; ages 6 and up)
Best Classics:
Julius Lester, reteller, Uncle Remus: The Complete Tales (Phyllis Fogelman Books, $30.00; ages 8- 12)
Bruce Coville, Romeo and Juliet (Dial, $16.99; ages 7-11)
Best Holiday Books:
Patricia Polacco, Welcome Comfort (Philomel, $16.99; ages 8 and up)
Jerry Pinkney, The Little Match Girl (Phyllis Fogelman, $16.99; ages 8 and up)
Michael Rosen, Thanksgiving Wish (Scholastic, $16.95; ages 8 and up)
Worst Book By Celebrity:
David Mamet, Henrietta (Houghton Mifflin, $16.00)
Best Book By A Celebrity:
Kirk Douglas, Young Heroes of the Bible: A Book for Family Sharing (Simon and Schuster, $15.00; ages 9 and up)
Best Children's Books for Adults:
Suza Scalora's The Fairies: Photographic Evidence of the Existence of Another World (HarperCollins, $19.95; all ages)
John Bemelmans Marciano, Bemelmans: The Life & Art of Madeline's Creator (Viking, $40.00)
Best Sequel and Book Most Destined For Longevity:
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Scholastic, $19.95; ages 8 and up).
Least Successful Sequel:
Beverly Cleary, Ramona's World (Morrow, $15.00; ages 8 and up)
Books that Made Me Laugh the Most:
Christopher Curtis, Bud, Not Buddy (Delacorte, $15.95; ages 9 and up)
Norma Howe, The Adventure of Blue Avenger: A Novel (Holt, $15.95; ages 11 and up)
Best Memoirs:
Adeline Yen Mah, Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter (Delacorte, $16.95; ages 12 and up)
Irene Gut Opdyke with Jennifer Armstrong, In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by (Knopf, $25.95; ages 11 to adult) Also available in amazing unabridged tape (BDD Audio, $25.95)
Best Fantasy:
Cherie Bennett, Zink (Delacorte, $15.95; ages 9 and up)
Susan Cooper, King of Shadows (McElderry Books, $16.00; ages 9 and up)
Cynthia Voigt, Elske (Atheneum, $18.00; ages 12 and up)
Best Realistic Fiction:
Laurie Anderson, Speak (FSG, $16.00; ages 11 and up)
Sally M. Keehn, The First Horse I See (Philomel, $17.99; ages 11 and up)
Novel Most Likely to Spur Discussion:
Cynthia Rylant, The Heavenly Village (Scholastic, $15.95; ages 10 and up)
Best Tapes:
In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene Gut Opdyke with Jennifer Armstrong (Knopf, $25.95; ages 11 to adult).
The Golden Compass (unabridged, 8 cassettes, $59.98; Listening Library; 1-800-243-4504; 10-adult)
JK Rowlings, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ( unabridged audio from Listening Library, $33)