Kids & teens vote for their favorite books of the year

Kids and teens choose their favorite books of the year by voting for the Children's Book Council's Children's Choice Book Awards. Voting is open from March 16 through May 3.

This year’s Children’s Choice Book Award finalists are:

Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year:

The Donut Chef written and illustrated by Bob Staake

Katie Loves the Kittens written and illustrated by John Himmelman

The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! written and illustrated by Mo Willems

Sort It Out! written by Barbara Mariconda, illustrated by Sherry Rogers

Those Darn Squirrels written by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year:

Babymouse: Puppy Love by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

One Million Things by Peter Chrisp

Spooky Cemeteries by Dinah Williams

Underwear: What We Wear Under There by Ruth Freeman Swain

Willow written by Denise Brennan-Nelson and Rosemarie Brennan, illustrated by Cyd Moore

Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year:

100 Most Dangerous Things On the Planet by Anna Claybourne

Amulet, Book One: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi

The Big Field by Mike Lupica

Swords: An Artist's Devotion by Ben Boos

Thirteen by Lauren Myracle

Teen Choice Book Award:

Airhead by Meg Cabot

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Paper Towns by John Green

Author of the Year:

Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

Stephenie Meyer, Breaking Dawn

Christopher Paolini, Brisingr

James Patterson, Maximum Ride: The Final Warning

Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth

Illustrator of the Year:

Laura Cornell, Big Words for Little People

Robin Preiss Glasser, Fancy Nancy: Bonjour Butterfly!

Mo Willems, The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!

David Shannon, Loren Long and David Gordon, Smash! Crash!

Jon J Muth, Zen Ties

The Children’s Choice Book Awards winners will be announced live at the Children’s Choice Book Awards gala on May 12 in New York City as part of Children’s Book Week (May 11-17, 2009), the oldest national literacy event in the United States.

The awards ceremony, hosted by National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jon Scieszka, will include the presentation of an Impact Award to Whoopi Goldberg, in recognition of her vast contribution to the promotion of literacy and the love of reading among young people. Last year’s Impact Award recipient, Al Roker, will present the award.