LA TIMES BOOK PRIZE FINALISTS

Cindy Dobrez and I were the judges for the Los Angeles Book Prize in the category of Young Adult Literature. Our much-deliberated list of five finalists was announced this morning:


SUGAR CHANGED THE WORLD : A STORY OF MAGIC, SPICE, SLAVERY, FREEDOM, AND SCIENCE by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos


WICKED GIRLS : A NOVEL OF THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS by Stephanie Hemphill


THE RING OF SOLOMON by Jonathan Stroud


A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS by Megan Whalen Turner


THE CURSE OF THE WENDIGO by Rick Yancey

The winning title will be named at the Festival of Books, held in Los Angeles on April 30 and May 1, 2011.

Incidentally, the Robert Kirsch Award, "for significant contribution to American letters," will be presented at this same event. The winner is Beverly Cleary. This is the first time that a children's book author has received that honor.