The 2012 finalists for the Children’s Choice Book Awards have been revealed. Kids can vote from March 14th to May 3rd.

The winners will be announced live at the Children’s Choice Book Awards gala on May 7th. Nominees have been divided into four groups classified by different school grades.

In the Author of the Year category, middle-grade fiction writers dominate. The nominees include Diary of a Wimpy Kid 6: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney, Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson, The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan and Dork Diaries 3: Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star by Rachel Renée Russell.

Children of all grades are encouraged to vote for the Illustrator of the Year award. All of the nominees in this category wrote and illustrated the books.

The nominees include If You Give a Dog a Donut by Felicia Bond, The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle, Llama Llama Home With Mama by Anna Dewdney, Silverlicious by Victoria Kann and Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick.

Last year, Riordan took home the top prize in both the “Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year” and the “Author of the Year” categories. David Wiesner won “Illustrator of the Year” for his title, Art & Max.... Follow this link to see the official bookmark designed by Lane Smith.