Nominated by: Deb Nance at Readerbuzz

Finalist blurb: Employing masterful illustrations and suspenseful moments of drama, Mo Willems continues to set the bar for tales involving deep, meaningful emotional exchanges for the early elementary crowd. In this episode, Piggie has gone off with Brian Bat to play ?best friend games,? leaving their respective best friends, Gerald and Snake, to wonder if they will measure up when the games are done. Moments of humor help alleviate the tension, but it is the readers? faith in the power of best-friendship that makes the ending feel realistic and satisfying.