The 1997 Cuffies

Favorite Novel (tie)
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

Favorite Nonfiction Book
A Drop of Water by Walter Wick

Best Book Title
Olive the Other Reindeer by J.otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh

Best Book Jacket
The Cinder-Eyed Cats by EricRohmann

Best Sequel
The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

Best New Series
Dear America
(Honorable mention: McDuff

Best Book of P try (tie)
The Beauty of the Beast, selected by Jack Prelutsky, illus. by Meilo So
Love Letters by Arnold Adoff, illus.
by Lisa Desimini

Best Pop-up BookCookie Count by Robert Sabuda

Funniest BookThe Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

Most Unusual Book
Open Me...I'm a Dog! by Art Spiegelman

Most Promising New Author
Gail Carson Levine

Most Promising New Illustrator (tie)
Valerie Coursen
Giselle Potter

Best Bet to Win Newbery Medal (tie)
Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
(Honorable mention: Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

Best Bet to Win Caldecott Medal (tie)
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart, illus. by David Small
Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky

Most Destined to Become a Classic
His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

Best Treatment of a Social Issue
The Facts Speak for Themselves byBrock Cole
(Honorable mentions: The Lady in the Box by Ann McGovern; I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr.)

The "For Adults, Not Children" Award
Mysterious Thelonious by Chris Raschka

Most Disappointing Book by a Favorite Author (tie)
Hands by Lois Ehlert
Pickles to Pittsburgh by Judi Barrett, illus. by Ron Barrett

Most Objectionable Book
The Secret of the Lost Kingdom by Michael Bolton, illus. by David Jermann

Most Overdone Subject
Board-book adaptations of picture books
(Honorable mention: girls' diaries; bodily function books; Guess How Much I Love You spinoffs; "YA abuse books")

Hottest Selling Book to Go Out of Stock (tie)
Alice and Greta by Steven J. Simmons, illus. by Cyd Moore
Olive the Other Reindeer by J.otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh

Best New Audio Book (tie)
Winnie-the-Pooh, read by Charles Kuralt
Redwall, read by Brian Jacques et al.

Best New Sideline (tie)
Beanie Babies
Lilly's purple plastic purse

Best Promotion by Publisher
BDD's summer Newbery promotion

Best Freebie (tie)
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse pins
Cookie Count bookmarks and display
(Honorable mention: Read to Your Bunny booklets; Pleasant Company wrapping paper and party packs)

Oddest Request from Customers
"Do you have that series that has a girl named Molly with a dog named Spot who is in a potato club, but that's not what the series is about?"

"Do you have Cliffs Notes for Good Dog Carl?"

"Someone wanted a picture-book version of Goosebumps so they could read it to their preschooler."

Most Unusual Complaint About a Book
"What good is a book to a child who can't read yet?" (asked by a TV reporter doing a segment on products for kids)

"It fell apart after six months of use in the library."

Back To Children's Features
--->