New YA Morris award

ALA announced a book award finalists' short list of five titles. The new Wm. Morris award for a new YA author will be awarded for the first time in January 2009.

• A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, published by Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic;
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore, published by Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt;
• Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne, published by HarperTeen/Laura Geringer Books;
• Madapple by Christina Meldrum, published by Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books; and
• Me, the Missing, and the Dead by Jenny Valentine, published by HarperTeen

An amazing list of the best kid's books of 2008 lists so many options--Great Fun!

Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt

Family issues abound in this story told by Henry about his older brother's accident and the many repercussions.
The intertwining of Henry growing up and the family's and community's reactions to trouble make the reader think.