A Lighthearted Awards Ceremony

After perusing all the listings, we present our votes for some silly superlatives, cast in the spirit of good-natured fun. No recounts allowed!

Title Most Likely to Strike Fear in the Hearts of Readers Allergic to Green Edibles: The Day Everything Tasted Like Broccoli by Dan Greenburg. (Scholastic/Little Apple)

Plot That Promises to Teach Kids the Most Practical Lesson: The Garbage Monster by Joni Sensel, illus. by Christopher Bivins: "When Jo is slow to take out the trash, it comes to life and hauls her outside instead." (Dream Factory)

Punniest Title Apt to Elicit the Most Groans (No Yolk): Humpty Dumpty Egg-splodes by Kevin O'Malley, in which Old King Cole and Jack Be Nimble help pick up the pieces. (Walker)

Least Humble Pen Name: The Magnificent, author credit for The Road to Paradise, a fantasy tale. (Armelle Productions)

Most Hyperbolic Title (Though Most Apt to Catch the Eye of Teens Preparing for the SAT Test): An Electrifying, Mesmerizing, Gravity-Defying Guide to a Powerful and Awesome Vocabulary by Walt "Clyde" Frazier, NBA Hall of Famer. (Troll)

Title Most Likely to Make Parents Shudder and Kids Reach for the Book: Invasion of the Nose Pickers. (Disney)

Most Promising Plot/Most Tried-and-True Collaboration: Baloney (Henry P.) by Jon Scieszka, illus. by Lane Smith, a tale featuring seemingly alien words (szola, zimulis) that are actually gleaned from 20 down-to-earth languages. (Viking)

Story Most Likely to Give Workaholic Parents Pause: Ted by Tony DiTerlizzi, which introduces a likable fellow whose job it is to fill in for fathers who don't have time to play with their children. (S&S)

Messiest-Sounding Package: Yucky Stuff by Moira Butterfield, illus. by Chris Fisher, which offers a book about a boy who discovers a "bouncy green goo that gets loose and bounces all over town, finally bringing out the army," plus a "glob of bouncy green goo that is soft and pliable--and entirely harmless." Whew--that's a relief! (Barron's)