The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2010 Sid Fleischman Award for Humor is Allen Zadoff’s Food, Girls and Other Things I Can’t Have, edited by Elizabeth Law and published by Egmont USA.

Food Girls and Other Things I Can’t Have is the story of Andrew Zansky who neither fits into his school, or his size 48 pants. How can someone used to hanging out in the cafeteria or with the Model UN kids suddenly reinvent himself and get the girl of his dreams? Publishers Weekly called the book “a gem, a rare boy makeover book.”

SCBWI President Stephen Mooser heads the panel of judges who selected this year’s Fleischman Award-winner in light of Mr. Fleischman’s recent passing. “Mr. Zadoff has written a debut book that is both hilarious and moving. This is precisely the kind of book Sid would have loved, and so we are honored to present the award his behalf to such an important new voice in children’s literature.”

Upon receiving the news of the award, Mr. Zadoff said, “If I had known the benefits of a fat childhood included becoming a novelist, sharing my work with readers everywhere, and winning a fantastic award like the Sid Fleischman, not having a date for the prom wouldn’t have hurt so much.”

Mr. Zadoff will receive his award from the late Sid Fleischman’s son, Paul Fleischman, on Sunday, August 1^st at the Golden Kite Award Luncheon. This luncheon is the centerpiece event of SCBWI’s 39^th Annual Conference on Writing and Illustrating for Children, taking place in Los Angeles at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel July 30^th – August 2^nd, 2010. A list of previous Sid Fleischman Award-winners is available at SCBWI.org.

About the Sid Fleischman Award

The Fleischman Award was established by the SCBWI to honor humorous work, so often overlooked in children’s literature by most award committees. Fleischman winners are selected from submissions that coincide with the annual Golden Kite Awards, made specifically in the category of humor.