Nominations for the Quill Awards, which seek to increase literacy and promote reading through a People's Choice Awards-style show, gave fair representation to graphic novels in categories outside the graphic novel category.
The winner in the graphic novels category will join 2005 winner 1602 (see 'Gaiman's '1602' Wins Inaugural Quill Graphic Novel Award') and 2006 winner Naruto (see 'Naruto Nabs Quill Award'). The following titles are in contention for the Graphic Novel award:
Making Comics
Written by Scott McCloud
Published by HarperCollins
Ode to Kirihito
Written by Osamu Tezuka
Published by Vertical
Written by Bryan Talbot
Published by Dark Horse
Exit Wounds
Written by Rutu Modan
Published by Drawn & Quarterly
Aya
Written by Marguerite Abouet
Illustrated by Clement Oubrerie
Published by Drawn & Quarterly
Graphic novels were also represented outside of its title category in the Young Adult and Children's Chapter Book categories.
Widely acclaimed American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang received a nomination as a Young Adult title.
Both Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Brian Selznick's Invention of Hugo Cabret were nominated as Children's Chapter books. Cabret is not a traditional graphic novel, but a combination of prose and generally wordless illustrations (see 'Scholastic's Graphic Novel Plans').
Nominations were submitted by a selection committee. The 19 category winners will be selected by a group of 6,000 librarians and booksellers and announced on September 10th. Consumers will then be able to vote for their favorite title from among these titles to take home 'book of the year' honors. The awards show airs on NBC on October 27th.
