The upcoming vote in Pennsylvania

As everyone knows, there's a very important vote coming up in Pennsylvania. I'm referring, of course, to the 2008-2009 Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Master List!

Editor Liz just let me know that Samurai Shortstop has been nominated in this year's Pennsylvania Reader's Choice Program. Each year librarians select fifteen titles in four categories: K-3, 3-6, 6-8, and Young Adult. Samurai Shortstop has been nominated in the Young Adult category. Young library patrons must read at least three of the books on a list to vote, and the books that get the most first place votes are named the Greatest Books in the History of the Universe.

No, that's not right. They're just the winners for that year.

Here's the competition:

Caroline B. Cooney - Code Orange
Terri Field - Holdup
Helen Frost - The Braid
Alan M. Gratz - Samurai Shortstop
Kirby Larson - Hattie Big Sky
Martine Leavitt - Keturah and Lord Death
Julius Lester - Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue
Patricia McCormick - Sold
Stephenie Meyer - Twilight
Susan Beth Pfeffer - Life As We Knew It
Charlie Price - Dead Connection
Lisa Ann Sandell - Song of the Sparrow
Robert Sharenow - My Mother the Cheerleader
Gene Luen Yang - American Born Chinese
Gabrielle Zevin - Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

Just some bestsellers, Printz winners, Newbery winners, and National Book Award Finalists among the great books in that list. Not to worry.

So all right, you young Pennsylvania voters! It's time for some Gratz-roots political action! Read Samurai Shortstop, then vote early and often! Together we can lead this nation, this world, this universe, in a new direction!