Morris Award

It's only in it's second year, but the Morris Award for best first book is quickly becoming my favorite teen literature award. I rather hope someday I'll be judged worthy to be on the selection committee. But you aren't hear to learn about my hopes and dreams, are you?

From YALSA, Ze List:

"2010 Finalists

Download a bookmark (PDF) featuring all five finalists to distribute to teens at your library!

ash

By Malinda Lo, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. (9780316040099).

Consumed with grief after the death of her father, Ash's only escape from her harsh life and cruel stepmother comes from re-reading the fairy tales that her mother once told her and hoping against hope that the fairies will appear to her. When the fairy Sidhean appears, Ash hopes that he will steal her away to his enchanted world; but when she meets the King's Huntress, Kaisa, she realizes that staying in her own realm can also lead to beauty, romance, and perhaps even love.

Beautiful Creatures

By Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. (9780316042673).

Sixteen-year-old Ethan has lived all his life in Gaitlin, South Carolina, a town that hasn’t changed much since the Civil War. While coping with the loss of his mother, a father who spends all of his time in his study, and high school, his world turns upside down with the arrival of Lena, a new girl with whom he seems to share a psychic connection. As they grow closer, Ethan discovers that Lena and her family share a dark secret and that she is headed for doom on her sixteenth birthday.

The Everafter

By Amy Huntley, published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers (9780061776793).

Maddy is a ghost, surrounded by things she lost when she was alive. By touching these objects, she relives the episodes in her life where she lost them. Even though Maddy’s dead, she explores the lessons these objects hold — and why are they still important.

Flash Burnout

By L.K. Madigan, published by Houghton Mifflin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. (9780547194899).

Blake’s life is way too complicated. He’s a sophomore in high school with a girlfriend and a friend who is a girl. One of them loves him. One of them needs him. Can he please them both?

hold still

By Nina LaCour, published by Dutton Children’s Books, a Division of Penguin Young Readers Group. (9780525421559).

After Caitlin's best friend Ingrid commits suicide, Caitlin has a hard time making sense of the loss. She finds Ingrid's journal and slowly allows herself to read it and learn about why Ingrid felt the need to end her life. Caitlin also grapples with allowing herself to find another friend, to let in a boyfriend, and to understand why her favorite teacher is ignoring her. It is the haunting story of dealing with loss, moving on, and finding peace and hope."

I'm very excited about these titles, as I've heard good things about all of them. I already had Ash, Flash Burnout, and Beautiful Creatures on my list of books to read. What's a couple more?

Check out last year's list.

Have you read any of these? Are you especially excited about any of them? What do you think?