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Apr 2 – Apr 8, 2012 Edition ABA Reveals for Indies Choice and E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards
Tarrytown, NY. April 6, 2012–After receiving a record-breaking number of independent booksellers’ nominations in March, the American Booksellers Association has announced the winners of the 2012 Indies Choice Book Awards and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards.
"After a month of voting by the owners and staff at independent bookstores across the country, we have an outstanding list of winners that reflects the types of books independent bookstores champion best," said ABA CEO Oren Teicher. "We look forward to saluting the winners and honor recipients at the Celebration of Bookselling Author Awards Luncheon on June 5 at BEA."
The 2012 Indies Choice Book Award winners, reflecting the spirit of independent bookstores nationwide, are:
BOOK OF THE YEAR – ADULT FICTION
* The Marriage Plot, by Jeffrey Eugenides (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
BOOK OF THE YEAR – ADULT NONFICTION
* Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef, by Gabrielle Hamilton (Random House)
BOOK OF THE YEAR – ADULT DEBUT
* The Tiger’s Wife, by Téa Obreht (Random House)
BOOK OF THE YEAR – YOUNG ADULT
* Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys (Philomel)
The winners of the E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards, which reflect the playful, well-paced language, the engaging themes, and the universal appeal to a wide range of ages embodied by E.B. White’s collection of beloved books, are:
E.B. WHITE READ-ALOUD AWARD – MIDDLE READER
(Balloting ended in a tie between the works of sister and brother Maile Meloy and Colin Meloy.)
* The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy, Ian Schoenherr (Illus.) (Putnam Juvenile)
* Wildwood, by Colin Meloy, Carson Ellis (Illus.) (Balzer + Bray)
E.B. WHITE READ-ALOUD AWARD – PICTURE BOOK
* I Want My Hat Back, by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press)
ABA members also chose bestselling author and fellow indie bookseller Ann Patchett as the MOST ENGAGING AUTHOR for 2012. Patchett was recognized for her exceptional involvement and responsiveness during in-store appearances and for having a strong sense of the importance of indie booksellers to their local communities.
In addition, booksellers inducted three of their all-time favorites into the Indies Choice Book Awards Picture Book Hall of Fame:
PICTURE BOOK HALL OF FAME
* Curious George, by H.A. Rey (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
* The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper (Grosset & Dunlap / Philomel)
* Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney (Viking Juvenile/Puffin)
About American Booksellers Association
About American Booksellers Association Founded in 1900, the American Booksellers Association is a not-for-profit trade organization devoted to meeting the needs of its core members — independently owned bookstores with storefront locations — through education, information dissemination, business products and services, and advocacy. ABA exists to protect and promote the interests of independent retail book businesses, as well as to protect the First Amendment rights of every American. The association actively supports free speech, literacy, and programs that support local and independent retail shops. A board of 10 booksellers governs the Association. ABA is headquartered in Tarrytown, New York.
