Nominated Books

My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World

By Malcolm Mitchell, Illustrated by Michael Roberston

Meet Henley, an all-around good kid, who hates to read. When he’s supposed to be reading, he would rather do anything else. But one day, he gets the scariest homework assignment in the world: find your favorite book to share with the class tomorrow.

What’s a kid to do? How can Henley find a story that speaks to everything inside of him?

Fred’s Big Feelings: The Life and Legacy of Mister Rogers

By Laura Renauld, Illustrated by Brigette Barrager

Fred Rogers was a quiet boy with big feelings. Sometimes, he felt scared or lonely; at other times, he was playful and joyous. But when Fred’s feelings felt too big, his Grandfather McFeely knew exactly what to say to make him feel better: I like you just the way you are.

The story of Mister Rogers: a quiet, compassionate hero whose essential message—that it is okay to have and to express feelings—still resonates today.

Bartali’s Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy’s Secret Hero

By Megan Hoyt, Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno

Gino Bartali pedaled across Italy for years, winning one cycling race after another, including the 1938 Tour de France. Gino became an international sports hero! But the next year, World War II began, and it changed everything. Soldiers marched into Italy. Tanks rolled down the cobbled streets of Florence. And powerful leaders declared that Jewish people should be arrested.

To the entire world, Gino Bartali was merely a champion cyclist. But Gino’s greatest achievement was something he never told a soul—that he secretly worked with the Italian resistance to save hundreds of Jewish men, women, and children, and others, from certain death, using the one thing no authority would question: his bicycle.

A Sporting Chance: How Ludwig Guttmann Created the Paralympic Games

By Lori Alexander, Illustrated by Allan Drummond

Dedicating his life to helping patients labeled “incurables,” Ludwig Guttmann fought for the rights of paraplegics to live a full life. The young doctor believed—and eventually proved—that physical movement is key to healing, a discovery that led him to create the first Paralympic Games.