The Association of Jewish Libraries has announced the 2008 Sydney Taylor Book Awards.  The awards are given to “new books for children and teens that exemplify the highest literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience.”  The award is given in memory of one of my favorite authors from my childhood, Sydney Taylor.

Here are the winners:

Young Readers

The Bedtime Sh’ma: A Good Night Book by Sarah Gershman and Kristina Swarner.

Older Readers

The Entertainer and the Dybbuk by Sid Fleischman.

Teen Readers

Strange Relations by Sonia Levitin.

Honor books were also given in each category:

Younger Readers

The Castle on Hester Street by Linda Heller
Letter on the Wind by Sarah Lamstein
Light by Jane Breskin Zalben

Older Readers

Holocaust: The Events and Their Impact on Real People by Angela Gluck Wood
The Secret of the Priest’s Grotto by Peter Lane Taylor

Teen Readers

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Mirjam Pressler