Five finalists announced for William C. Morris book award

 Ben Phillippe’s “The Field Guide to the North American Teenager” and David Yoon’s “Frankly in Love” are among the finalists for the William C. Morris Award, given for young adult books by a debut author.

The finalists were announced Wednesday by the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association. The winner will be announced January 27, during the library association’s annual midwinter meeting.

The other nominees are Nafiza Azad’s “The Candle and the Flame,” Alicia D. William’s “Genesis Begins Again” and Katy Rose Pool’s “There Will Come a Darkness.”

Awards committee chair Terry Young said in a statement that “A plethora of genres were represented in the submitted titles. The selected finalists will captivate and enthrall readers all the way through with a diversity of characters that readers will want to connect with.”