Winner of Hawaii Children's Book Award announced!

["Christel J. Olson" <christel@NETRA.LIB.STATE.HI.US>]

The Winner of the 1997 Nene Award was announced yesterday in Honolulu by
Jerry Spinelli, whose book 'Maniac Magee' won the 1996 Nene award.

Constance Hiser's book, 'Ghosts in Fourth Grade' was the the
title selected by Hawaii's children as the best book they have read
this year. Mrs. Hiser's letter of acceptance was read aloud by a
student attending the press conference at which the winner of the Award
was announced.

Nearly 8,000 children from over 100 schools and libraries throughout the
State of Hawaii participated in voting for the 1996 Nene Winner.  Hiser's
book earned 550 votes.

The Nene (pronounced nay-nay) Program has been in existence since 1959 and
the first state-wide award was given in 1964 to O'Dell's 'Island of the Blue
Dolphins'.  The award is given by fourth through sixth grade children
throughout the state of Hawaii who read and vote for the books they like best.
The award is named for Hawaii's State Bird, the (endangered) Nene Goose.

McDonald's Restaurants of Hawaii is the sole corporate sponsor the the
Nene Program and since 1994 have made possible the Hawaii visits of
Nene-Award winning authors.

The program is organized and presented by the Hawaii Association of School
Librarians and the Children and Youth Section of the Hawaii
Library Association.  Additional support is provided by the Hawaii
Department of Education and the Hawaii State Public Library System.

The two chairpersons responsible for the success of the 1996 Nene Award
and author visit are Christel Olson, Children's Librarian at McCully-
Moiliili Public Library and Arlene Lau, School Librarian at Jefferson
Elementary School.