The Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award Competition Committee has finished its deliberations and has reached a decision about the 2012 award. The Committee felt that, while the crop of manuscripts was interesting and each had some merit, none adequately met the competition's criteria. Consequently, no award will be given this year.

However, 4 manuscripts were selected as Manuscripts of Merit. Each author will receive a certificate and the titles will be listed on the website.

The Manuscripts of Merit are listed below.

Alice of Eastland by Leslie Ann Birnbaum. In alternating chapters, the parallel stories of Alice,a young Jewish girl in wartime Germany and Peter,her German neighbor, are revealed. The story deals with questions of friendship, loyalty,identity,the nature of evil and adapting to new circumstances as both children, refugees from Nazi Germany, find themselves strangers in America.

Amy's Grandma Problem by Andrea Fooner. Amy is conflicted in her relationship between her warm, fun- loving Grandma and her reserved,grumpy, no-nonsense Grandma. How this situation resolves and what Amy learns about her grandmothers teaches the Amy and the reader the real meaning of love.

The Calypso Shtetl by Mary Rubin.In 1939, Hannah Bergen and her family have escaped Romania to find a haven on the Island of Trinidad. Despite the strangeness of this new country, Hannah and her family adjust to life on the island as increasingly distressing news comes from family remaining in Europe. This story of loss ends on a positive note as the family members realize that they are the future and can carry on both their family and Jewish lives.

Echo Still by Tim Tibbitts. Elijah Samuel Newton's mother died several years ago, but Fig's non-Jewish father is honoring his wife's wish to raise Fig as a Jew. Set against a background of middle school ice hockey, this moving story of death and grief and family confronts issues of identity, honesty, sportsmanship, promises and family values.