The 2009-2010 South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Nominees have been announced.

For those of you unfamiliar with the program, each year the SC Young Adult Book Award committee chooses 20 titles from books published within the last three years.  Teens are encouraged to read as many of the titles as possible; however, they must read at least three title to be eligible to vote.  In February, students vote for which book they feel should win the award.  The winning nominee is announced each year at the annual SC Association of School Librarians Conference.  The ‘09-’10 nominees are:

• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
• The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
• Beanball by Gene Fehler
• Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught
• Blood Brothers by S.A. Harazin
• The Circle of Blood: A Forensic Mystery by Alane Ferguson
• City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
• Enter Three Witches: a Story of Macbeth by Caroline B. Cooney
• Evolution, Me, & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
• Game by Walter Dean Myers
• Good Enough by Paula Yoo
• Gym Candy by Carl Deuker
• In the Name of God by Paula Jolin
• Mad Kestrel by Misty Massey
• Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
• The Silenced by James DeVita
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Wake by Lisa McMann
• Yellow Flag by Robert Lipsyte

Having served on the YA committee in the past, I know how difficult is is to choose among the many great titles submitted each year.  I am looking forward to reading this years nominees, many of which were already on my to be read list.

The 2008-09 SCYABA winner will be announced on Friday, March 13th and I will post it to the blog.