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"Inexcusable" by Chris Lynch (Atheneum, $16.95, ages 12 and up). This disturbing novel takes us inside the mind of a rapist. Keir Sarafian insists again and again that he is "a good person," imprisoning the reader (as he does his victim) in a blind self- justification that gradually reveals his character. (Awarded by Luli Gray, author.)

Most Chilling Setting

"The Diary of Pelly D." by L.J. Adlington (Greenwillow Books, $15.95, ages 12 and up). Fourteen-year-old laborer Toni V. discovers the compelling diary of Pelly D., a vibrant, wealthy teenager who led privileged life before her futuristic society's genetic profiling led to genocide. Set on a planet inhabited by humans with gills, this spare, suspenseful novel will stun readers with its echoes of the Holocaust. (Awarded by children's librarian, Julie Corsaro)

Most Intriguing Premise

"Elsewhere" by Gabrielle Zevin (FSG, $16, ages 11 and up). Fifteen-year-old Lizzie enters a parallel universe where you age down to babyhood and then are sent down a watery passage back to Earth and birth. In Elsewhere you have an avocation (Marilyn Monroe is a shrink, but Picasso still paints). Witty writing adds to fascinating details.

Best New Series

"Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld (Simon Pulse, $6.99, ages 11 and up). In this futuristic world, everyone gets massive plastic surgery at age 16 so they can become "pretties." Tally can't wait for her transformation, But then her best friend joins a group of rebels who decide to stay "ugly." Will she turn her back on her society or her friend? This fast-moving, frightening book is perfect for an age group that craves beauty and parties. (Awarded by Ruffin Powell, librarian at Culbreth middle school.)

Best Pleasure Read for Girls

"Prom" by Laurie Halse Anderson (Viking, $16.99, ages 12 and up). Strong voice and saucy dialogue build a believable portrait of Ashley Hannigan, a "normal girl" just getting by who is forced to plan a prom she doesn't care about attending.

Best Pleasure Read for Boys

"Runner" by Carl Deuker (Houghton, $16, ages 12 and up). Seventeen-year-old Chance Taylor lives with his alcoholic father on a small boat. He worries about how they will pay their bills. A job delivering suspicious packages offers money -- and danger. Short chapters, fast-pacing, suspense and action make this a gripping read.

Best Historical Fiction

"Eyes of the Emperor" by Graham Salisbury (Random House, $15.95, ages 11 and up). Sixteen-year-old Eddy Okubo, a Japanese-American eager to prove his loyalty, enlists in the Army in 1941. He and 25 other recruits are used as bait for dogs training to attack Japanese enemies. Knowing this is based on truth makes the story even more absorbing and horrendous.

"The Minister's Daughter" by Julie Hearn (Simon and Schuster, $16.95, ages 11 and up). In a graceful merger of folklore and history, this novel uses a compelling cast of characters to describe the religious battles that gripped England in 1645.

Best Book for Global Awareness

"Under the Persimmon Tree" by Suzanne Fisher Staples (FSG, $17, ages 11 and up). Young Najmah's Pakistani farm family is gone -- killed and conscripted by the Taliban. While fleeing this tragedy she meets Nusrat, an American who has converted to Islam because of her gentle Afghan husband. Staples allows her characters to speak for thousands who had their lives ruined by war.

Funniest Young Adult Novel

"Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie" by David Lubar (Dutton, $16.99, ages 12 and up). High school freshman Scott becomes the sports writer for his school newspaper's in his futile quest to draw the attention of a beautiful girl. As he chronicles the complicated, emotional life of a teenager, Lubar, in witty, pitch-perfect prose, even incorporates genres that Scott's English class is studying. (Awarded by Carol Moyer of Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh.)

Best New Young Adult Series by Local Author

"A Chalice of Wind" by Cate Tiernan (Penguin, $5.99, paper, ages 12 and up). Durham author Cate Tiernan offers edgy doses of magic and secrecy in the first book in her Balefire series. The New Orleans setting is a great backdrop to plot twists like the heroine's surprising friendship with a lost twin sister. This new series promises the same can't-put-it-down tension of her previous best-selling series, "Sweep." (Awarded by John Valentine, Regulator Bookshop.)

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