The 2010 Indies Choice Book Awards

The American Booksellers Association recently announced the winners of the 2010 Indies Choice Book Awards, reflecting the spirit of independent bookstores nationwide and the IndieBound movement.

This year's winners were chosen by the owners and staff at ABA member stores nationwide in more than four weeks of voting. Book of the Year winners and Honor Award recipients are all titles appearing on the 2009 Indie Next Lists. The Indie Next List, drawn from bookseller-recommended favorite handsells, epitomizes the heart and soul of passionate bookselling. Independent booksellers are and have always been discoverers of the next big thing, the next great read, the next bestseller, and the next undiscovered gem.

The 2010 Book of the Year winners are:

• Young Adult: Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
• Middle Reader: When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead (Wendy Lamb Books)
• New Picture Book: The Lion and the Mouse, by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown)

Kate DiCamillo was voted Most Engaging Author both for being an in-store star and for having a strong sense of the importance of indie booksellers to their local communities.
ABA members also inducted three of their all-time favorites into the Indies Choice Book Awards Picture Book Hall of Fame:

• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst and Ray Cruz (Atheneum)
• Madeline, by Ludwig Bemelmans (Viking)
• The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson (Viking)

"Our sincere congratulations go out to all of the 2010 winners," said ABA CEO Oren Teicher. "Every one of these authors has created a truly unique work that independent booksellers have enthusiastically supported and enjoyed handselling during the past year. We look forward to honoring each of them at the Celebration of Bookselling Lunch at BEA."