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Winter Is the Warmest Season

By Lauren Stringer

A child describes pleasant ways to stay warm during the winter, from sipping hot chocolate to sitting near a glowing fireplace.

Nominated

2008-2009 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 1.0

Published by Harcourt

ISBN# 0-15-204967-3 (HB)

Winter Sky

By Patricia Reilly Giff

Siria loves everyone at Pop’s firehouse. And she loves the stars in the winter sky. Her mother, who died, named her after Sirius—the Dog Star, brightest in January. But starry nights can fill with flames, and Siria sneaks out to chase the fire trucks. If she’s there, everyone will be safe. Still, Siria’s not brave like Pop. Her best friend Douglas used to chase with her, and it wasn’t so scary. But she did something wrong; they’re not friends now. This winter, Siria must learn to be brave. Because she’s got to fix things with Douglas; and when Pop is injured, she needs courage, and her friends, more than ever.

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.8

Published by Wendy Lamb Books

ISBN# 978-0375838927 (PB)

Winter’s Gift

By Jane Donovan

A lonely old farmer whose wife has died acquires new hope for keeping going after helping rescue a mare in a snowstorm on Christmas Eve.

Nominated

2006-2007 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Sleeping Bear Press

ISBN# 1-58536-231-X (HB)

Wishtree

By Katherine Applegate, Illustrated by Charles Santoso

Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood “wishtree”―people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red’s branches. Along with a crow named Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red’s hollows, this wishtree watches over the neighborhood. You might say Red has seen it all. Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red’s experience as a wishtree is more important than ever.

Winner

2019-2020 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.2

Published by Feiwel & Friends; First Edition edition

ISBN# 978-1250043221 (HB)

Wolf Shadows

By Mary Casanova

When his best friend illegally shoots a wolf while hunting in Minnesota, twelve-year-old Seth struggles to determine whether their friendship can survive their different ideas.

Nominated

2000-2001 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Hyperion

ISBN# 0-7868-0325-8 (PB, HB)

Wolf Storm

By Dee Garretson

Suspense and danger leap to new heights as Stefan and Raine, co-stars in their first movie, are threatened by feral wolves. This is a thrilling tale of friendship and survival against all odds.

Honor

2014-2015 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by HarperCollins

ISBN# 9780062000323 (HB)

Wonder Horse:  The True Story of the World’s Smartest Horse

By Emily Arnold McCully

Bill “Doc” Key showed a weak and homely horse some kindness and patience. He saw Jim’s potential and taught him the alphabet, the primary colors, and even some math.

Nominated

2012-2013 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

ISBN# 9780805087932 (HB)

Word After Word After Word

By Patricia MacLachlan

Fourth grade feels the same for a group of students until Ms. Mirabel comes. She inspires them to understand how writing can change lives and help build a connection with your own stories.

Nominated

2012-2013 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.0

Published by HarperCollins Publishers

ISBN# 9780060279714 (HB)

Words on Fire

By Jennifer A. Nielsen

Danger is never far from Audra’s family farm in Lithuania. She always avoids the occupying Russian Cossack soldiers, who insist that everyone must become Russian—they have banned Lithuanian books, religion, culture, and even the language. But Audra knows her parents are involved in something secret and perilous. In June 1893, when Cossacks arrive abruptly at their door, Audra’s parents insist that she flee, taking with her an important package and instructions for where to deliver it. But escape means abandoning her parents to a terrible fate.

Winner

2021-2022 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.6

Published by Scholastic Press

ISBN# 9781338275476 (HB)

Buy  Words on Fire on Amazon

Words to My Life’s Song

By Ashley Bryan, Illustrated by Bill McGuinness

This is the story of Ashley Bryan and how he began his love for art as a young boy during World War II.

Nominated

2011-2012 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 9781416905417 (HB)

Wrango

By Brian Burks

George experiences the hardships of being a Black cowboy when he joins a cattle drive on the Chisholm Trail.

Nominated

2002-2003 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Harcourt

ISBN# 0-15-201815-8 (HB)

Writer to Writer: From Think to Ink

By Gail Carson Levine

If you’re interested in writing prose and poetry or just want to be a better and more rounded writer, this book will help you on your creative journey.

Nominated

2016-2017 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 6.5

Published by HarperCollins

ISBN# 978-0062275295 (PB)

The Year of the Baby

By Andrea Cheng , Illustrated by Patrice Barton

Anna is concerned that her recently adopted baby sister is not thriving, so she and her classmates create a science project that may save the day.

Nominated

2016-2017 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.9

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

ISBN# 978-0544225251 (HB)

Yellow Star

By Jennifer Roy

From 1939, when Syvia is four and a half years old, to 1945, when she has just turned ten, a Jewish girl and her family struggle to survive in Poland’s Lodz ghetto during the Nazi occupation.

Honor

2008-2009 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 4.3

Published by Marshall Cavendish

ISBN# 9780761463108 (HB)

You Are the First Kid on Mars

By Jonah Winter, Illustrated by Andre Carrilho

This is a firsthand experience of what it would be like to visit Mars. The experience of a rocket ship and walking the surface of Mars are explored.

Nominated

2011-2012 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.0

Published by Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

ISBN# 9780399246340 (HB)

You Can Do It!

By Tony Dungy, Illustrated by Amy June Bates

Linden is upset over being the only one in his class or at home who does not know what he wants to be when he grows up. Faith and the support of his family help him through this struggle.

Nominated

2010-2011 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.0

Published by Little Simon Inspirations

ISBN# 9781416954613 (HB)

You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?

By Patrick O’Brien

This is the true story of Sandy Koufax who was a gifted young athlete who went from unpredictable to otherworldly. Along the way he faces many obstacles.

Winner

2011-2012 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.0

Published by Random House Children's Books

ISBN# 9780375837388 (HB)

Young Thomas Edison

By Michael Dooling

Foreshadowing his amazing career as an inventor, Edison made his first laboratory in his family’s cellar in Ohio when he was just nine years old. This is among the interesting pieces of information Dooling offers about the young Al, as he was called.

Nominated

2007-2008 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.5

Published by Holiday House

ISBN# 0-8234-1868-5 (PB, HB)

You’re a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman

By Claudia Mills

Not only has Julius agreed to baby-sit a three-year-old for the summer, he is also taking an intensive French course. Since Julius doesn’t even like to read, he may have bitten off more that he can chew!

Honor

2001-2002 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by FSG

ISBN# 0-374-38708-7 (PB, HB)

You’re A Grand Old Flag

By George Cohan, Illustrated by Todd Ouren

This patriotic song is beautifully illustrated. The history of the American flag is chronicled as well as recounting the life of the composer.

Nominated

2010-2011 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.0

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 9781416917700 (HB)

Zack and the Turkey Attack

By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Illustrated by Vivienne

Zack has a problem. A turkey problem. A TOM turkey to be exact. Every weekend Zack goes to his grandparents’ farm with his father. As soon as he and his dad pull up in the truck, that ol’ Tom turkey’s right there, waiting, ready to peck, peck, peck at Zack’s legs. Now, Zack isn’t usually a scaredy-cat but this is different. The bird is flat out mean, and has clearly got it out for Zack.

Nominated

2019-2020 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.9

Published by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

ISBN# 978-1481437790 (HB)

Zoe in Wonderland

By Brenda Woods

Zoe Reindeer considers herself ‘just Zoe’—never measuring up to her too-perfect older sister or her smarty-pants little brother. Truthfully, though, she’d rather just blend in with the plants at the family business, Doc Reindeer’s Exotic Plant Wonderland. She does have one friend, Q, and he’s the best one ever—but he’s moving away, leaving Zoe to fend for herself, and she doesn’t know what she’ll do without him. That is until a tall astronomer from Madagascar comes to the nursery looking for a Baobab tree. His visit starts a ball rolling that makes Zoe long for real adventures, not just imaginary ones—and shows her that perhaps her first real adventure is finally beginning.

Nominated

2018-2019 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.5

Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

ISBN# 978-0399170973 (HB)

Zoo School

By Laurie Hornik, Illustrated by Debbie Tilley

Students attending the unusual new Zoo School do not realize how much they have learned until inspectors threaten to close it down.

Honor

2006-2007 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Clarion Books

ISBN# 0-618-34204-4 (HB)

A Good Thing Happened Today

By Michelle Figueroa, Illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki

Good things are happening every day and everywhere! This book tells the story of real good news from all over the world.

Nominated

2023-2024 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by "HarperCollins "

ISBN# 978-0063142312 (HB)

Buy A Good Thing Happened Today on Amazon

A Piglet Called Truffle

By Helen Peters, Illustrated by Ellie Snowdon

Jasmine Green loves animals. Her mother is a veterinarian. Her father is a farmer. And her brother and sister are . . . well, they’re mostly annoying. But being in the Green family means seeing and taking care of animals all the time. While helping her mom on a house call, Jasmine visits a new litter of piglets and discovers a forgotten runt hidden underneath its brothers and sisters. Poor little piglet. It is so tiny that it can’t even drink! Its owner refuses to rescue it. So it is up to Jasmine to save the pig . . . secretly. What will happen if anyone finds out?

Nominated

2022-2023 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.6

Published by Walker Books US

ISBN# 978-1536210248 (HB)

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A Ray of Light

By Walter Wick, Illustrated by Walter Wick

The wonder of light has fascinated readers for ages. Walter Wick’s mesmerizing photographs paired with simple yet fascinating text and scientific observations help readers understand the secrets and complexity of light.

Nominated

2020-2021 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 6.9

Published by Scholastic Press

ISBN# 978-0439165877 (HB)

A Secret Shared

By Patricia MacLachlan

Ben and Nora discover through a mail-order DNA test kit that their youngest sister was adopted and must unravel a family secret.

Nominated

2023-2024 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.2

Published by Katherine Tegen Books

ISBN# 978-0062885852 (HB)

Buy A Secret Shared on Amazon

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.

Nominated

2022-2023 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 6.6

Published by Clarion Books

ISBN# 978-1328580795 (HB)

Buy A Sporting Chance: How Ludwig Guttmann Created the Paralympic Games on Amazon

Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day

By Kathlyn J. Kirkwood, Illustrated by Steffi Walthall

Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ’Round is a deeply moving middle grade memoir about what it means to be an everyday activist and foot solider for racial justice, as Kathlyn recounts how, drawn to activism from childhood, she went from attending protests as a teenager to fighting for Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s birthday to become a national holiday as an adult. A blueprint for kids starting down their own paths to civic awareness, it shows life beyond protests and details the sustained time, passion, and energy it takes to turn an idea into a law.

Nominated

2024-2025 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Versify

ISBN# 978-0358387268 (HB)

Buy  Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day on Amazon

An Invisible Thread Young Readers Edition

By Laura Schroff, Alex Tresniowski

On one rainy afternoon, on a crowded New York City street corner, eleven-year-old Maurice met Laura. Maurice asked Laura for spare change because he was hungry, and something made Laura stop and ask Maurice if she could take him to lunch. Maurice and Laura went to lunch together, and also bought ice cream cones and played video games. It was the beginning of an unlikely and magical friendship that changed both of their lives forever.

Honor

2020-2021 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.2

Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-1534437272 (HB)

Beneath the Swirling Sky

By Carolyn Leiloglou, Illustrated by Vivienne To

A house full of paintings, a missing sister, and a family secret send a boy and his cousin into a world where art is the key in this fantasy adventure perfect for fans of The Wingfeather Saga and Pages & Co.After an experience he’d rather forget, Vincent is determined to be done with art. So when he and his little sister, Lili, spend spring break with their art conservator great-uncle, Vincent’s plan is to stay glued to his phone.That is, until Lili disappears into one of the world’s most famous paintings and Vincent learns his parents have been hiding something from him: Their family is the last of The Restorationists, a secret society with the power to travel through paintings—and a duty to protect them from evil forces.

Nominated

2024-2025 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by WaterBrook

ISBN# 978-0593579527 (HB)

Buy  Beneath the Swirling Sky on Amazon

The Boxcar Children Beginning

By Patricia MacLachlan

The year before they become the orphans known as the Boxcar children, Henry, Jesse, Violet, ad Benny Alden live with their parents at Fair Meadow Farm. Times were hard but theirs was a happy family.

Nominated

2015-2016 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.1

Published by Albert Whitman

ISBN# 0807566160 (PB, HB)

The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats

By Sandra Markle

Little brown bats do us a big favor. They eat huge numbers of insects! That helps limit the spread of diseases and the damage that insects do to farm crops. But in recent years, large populations of little brown bats have been dying off each winter. Is a virus killing them? Could climate change or pesticides be the cause? Or is it something else? Follow a team of dedicated scientists working to save the little brown bats in this real-life science mystery.

Nominated

2017-2018 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 6.3

Published by Millbrook Press

ISBN# 978-1467714631 (HB)

A Child of Books

By Oliver Jeffers & Sam Winston, Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers & Sam Winston

A little girl sails her raft across a sea of words, arriving at the house of a small boy and calling him away on an adventure. Through forests of fairy tales and across mountains of make-believe, the two travel together on a fantastical journey that unlocks the boy’s imagination. Now a lifetime of magic and adventure lies ahead of him . . . but who will be next?

Nominated

2018-2019 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Candlewick

ISBN# 978-0763690779 (HB)

Clara Poole and the Long Way Round

By Taylor Tyng

When an unintended flight over Michigan in her class science project—a lawn chair held aloft by balloons—brings her instant celebrity, Clara Poole is invited to be the spokesperson for a round-the-world adventure race. But when her overprotective father refuses, Clara forges his signature in a moment of defiance and runs away to Paris to take her place in the skies. If only she’d read the fine print first.

Nominated

2024-2025 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Pixel+Ink

ISBN# 978-1645951599 (HB)

Buy  Clara Poole and the Long Way Round on Amazon

The Dead Bird

By Margaret Wise Brown, Illustrated by Christian Robinson

One day, the children find a bird lying on its side with its eyes closed and no heartbeat. They are very sorry, so they decide to say good-bye. In the park, they dig a hole for the bird and cover it with warm sweet-ferns and flowers. Finally, they sing sweet songs to send the little bird on its way.

Nominated

2017-2018 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.3

Published by HarperCollins

ISBN# 978-0060289317 (HB)

The Desperate Adventure of Zeno & Alya

By Jane Kelley

An orphaned African grey parrot who can speak 127 words. A girl so sick, she has forgotten what it means to try. Fate––and a banana nut muffin––bring them together. Will their shared encounter help them journey through storms inside and out? Will they lose their way, or will they find what really matters?

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.8

Published by Square FIsh

ISBN# 978-1250062826 (PB)

Far Out!

By Anne Bustard

It’s 1964, the Space Race is well underway, and eleven-year-old Magnolia Jean Crook and the other residents of Totter, Texas, are over the moon about UFOs.The whole town is gearing up for the First Annual Come on Down Day—in just one week, they are hoping to host any and all space aliens who would like to visit Earth. But right before the kick-off party, a meteorite goes missing—and MJ’s beloved grandmother Mimi, who is the vice president of the Totter Unidentified Flying Object Organization, is the prime suspect.

Nominated

2024-2025 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-1665914192 (HB)

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A Fine Dessert

By Emily Jenkins, Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

In 1710, a girl and her mother in Lyme, England, prepare a blackberry fool, picking wild blackberries and beating cream from their cow with a bundle of twigs. The same dessert is prepared by an enslaved girl and her mother in 1810 in Charleston, South Carolina; by a mother and daughter in 1910 in Boston; and finally by a boy and his father in present-day San Diego.

Nominated

2017-2018 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.6

Published by Schwartz & Wade

ISBN# 978-0375968327 (HB)

The First Case

By Ulf Nilsson, Illustrated by Gitte Spee

Someone’s stealing nuts from the forest, and it’s up to Detective Gordon to catch the thief! Unfortunately, solving this crime means standing in the snow and waiting for a long time…. If only he had an assistant—someone small, fast, and clever―to help solve this terrible case. A brilliant detective story by one of Sweden’s top children’s writers and illustrated in full color throughout. A book to read alone or aloud!

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by Gecko Press

ISBN# 978-1927271490 (HB)

Glory Be

By Augusta Scattergood

It is the summer of 1964 and Glory is excited about spending it at the town’s swimming pool. She is devastated when it closes due to the segregation issue, and she cannot get straight answers from anyone around her.

Nominated

2014-2015 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.2

Published by Scholastic

ISBN# 9780545331814 (PB)

The Green Colt

By S.J. Dahlstron

In this fourth book of the series, Wilder is back at his grandfather’s ranch in West Texas. Papa Milam gives him an unexpected gift―his very own ‘green’ colt to break. Wilder is excited to begin, but he quickly realizes that even getting near the colt is much harder than he expected. So Papa hires Tequito, a Mexican vaquero, to help. Tequito doesn’t speak much English, and at first Wilder is intimidated. But the vaquero is both gentle and firm with the colt, and soon they’re making good progress. Wilder sees how skilled Tequito is with horses, and learns that American cowboying has its roots in a much older Mexican tradition.

Nominated

2018-2019 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Paul Dry Books

ISBN# 978-1589881143 (PB)

Half Moon Summer

By Elaine Vickers

Drew was never much of a runner. Until his dad’s unexpected diagnosis. Mia has nothing better to do. Until she realizes entering Half Moon Bay’s half-marathon could solve her family’s housing problems. And just like that they decide to spend their entire summer training to run 13.1 miles. Drew and Mia have very different reasons for running, but these two twelve-year-olds have one crucial thing in common (besides sharing a birthday): Hope. For the future. For their families. And for each other.

Nominated

2024-2025 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Peachtree

ISBN# 978-1682635391 (HB)

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A Handful of Stars

By Cynthia Lord

When Lily’s blind dog, Lucky, slips his collar and runs away across the wide-open blueberry barrens of eastern Maine, it’s Salma Santiago who manages to catch him. Salma, the daughter of migrant workers, is in the small town with her family for the blueberry-picking season. After their initial chance meeting, Salma and Lily bond over painting bee boxes for Lily’s grandfather, and Salma’s friendship transforms Lily’s summer. But when Salma decides to run in the upcoming Blueberry Queen pageant, they’ll have to face some tough truths about friendship and belonging. Should an outsider like Salma really participate in the pageant-and possibly win?

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.4

Published by Scholastic, Inc.

ISBN# 978-0545700276 (HB)

The Hero Two Doors Down

By Sharon Robinson

Stephen Satlow is an eight-year-old boy living in Brooklyn, New York, which means he only cares about one thing-the Dodgers. Steve and his father spend hours reading the sports pages and listening to games on the radio. Aside from an occasional run-in with his teacher, life is pretty simple for Steve. But then Steve hears a rumor that an African American family is moving to his all-Jewish neighborhood. It’s 1948 and some of his neighbors are against it. Steve knows this is wrong. His hero, Jackie Robinson, broke the color barrier in baseball the year before.

Nominated

2018-2019 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.3

Published by Scholastic Press

ISBN# 978-0545804516 (HB)

A Horse Called Hero

By Sam Angus

In 1940, as the war escalates and London becomes a target for German bombs, Dodo and Wolfie are evacuated to the country. After weeks of homesick loneliness, they come across an orphaned foal and name him Hero for surviving against the odds.

Nominated

2017-2018 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.8

Published by Square FIsh

ISBN# 978-1250062833 (PB)

The House that Jane Built: a Story of Jane Addams

By Tanya Lee Stone, Illustrated by Kathryn Brown

This is the story of Jane Addams, the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, who transformed a poor neighborhood in Chicago by opening up her house as a community center.

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.5

Published by Henry Holt and Co.

ISBN# 978-0805090499 (HB)

I Survived True Stories: Five Epic Disasters

By Lauren Tarshis

A non-fiction book detailing some of the world’s most devastating natural disasters accompanied with stories from witnesses.

Nominated

2015-2016 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 6.3

Published by Scholastic

ISBN# 9780545782241 (HB)

I Will Protect You

By Eva Mozes Kor and Danica Davidson

Eva and her identical twin sister, Miriam, had a mostly happy childhood. Theirs was the only Jewish family in their small village in the Transylvanian mountains, but they didn’t think much of it until anti-Semitism reared its ugly head in their school. Then, in 1944, ten-year-old Eva and her family were deported to Auschwitz. At its gates, Eva and Miriam were separated from their parents and other siblings, selected as subjects for Dr. Mengele’s infamous medical experiments.

Nominated

2024-2025 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-0316460637 (HB)

Buy  I Will Protect You on Amazon

The Island of Dr. Libris

By Chris Grabenstein

What if your favorite characters came to life? Billy’s spending the summer in a lakeside cabin that belongs to the mysterious Dr. Libris. But something strange is going on. Besides the security cameras everywhere, there’s Dr. Libris’s private bookcase. Whenever Billy opens the books inside, he can hear sounds coming from the island in the middle of the lake. The clash of swords. The twang of arrows. Sometimes he can even feel the ground shaking. It’s almost as if the stories he’s reading are coming to life! But that’s impossible . . . isn’t it?

Nominated

2017-2018 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 4.3

Published by Yearling

ISBN# 978-0385388450 (PB)

Library on Wheels

By Sharlee Glenn

Mary Lemist Titcomb (1852–1932) was always looking for ways to improve her library. As librarian at the Washington County Free Library in Maryland, Titcomb was concerned that the library was not reaching all the people it could. She was determined that everyone should have access to the library—not just adults and those who lived in town. Realizing its limitations and inability to reach the county’s 25,000 rural residents, including farmers and their families, Titcomb set about to change the library system forever with the introduction of book-deposit stations throughout the country, a children’s room in the library, and her most revolutionary idea of all—a horse-drawn Book Wagon. Soon book wagons were appearing in other parts of the country, and by 1922, the book wagon idea had received widespread support. The bookmobile was born!

Nominated

2020-2021 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 6.3

Published by Harry N. Abrams

ISBN# 978-1419728754 (HB)

Light Comes to Shadow Mountain

By Toni Buzzeo

It’s 1937 and the government is pushing to bring electricity to the mountains of southeastern Kentucky. It’s all Cora can think of; radios with news from around the world, machines that keep food cold, lightbulbs by which to read at night! Cora figures she can help spread the word by starting a school newspaper and convincing her neighbors to support the Rural Electrification Act. But resistance to change isn’t easy to overcome, especially when it starts at home. Cora’s mother is a fierce opponent of electrification. She argues that protecting the landscape of the holler—the trees, the streams, the land that provides for their way of life—is their responsibility. But Cora just can’t let go of wanting more.

Nominated

2024-2025 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.5

Published by Holiday House

ISBN# 978-0823453849 (HB)

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The Lion Inside

By Rachel Bright, Illustrated by Jim Field

A mouse feels small and insecure and determines that what he needs to do is learn how to roar like a lion. He knows he has to act brave when he approaches a lion to learn how. In a hilarious turn of events, the lion is afraid of mice! The mouse comforts the lion, they become friends, and we learn that there’s a lion and a mouse inside all of us.

Nominated

2018-2019 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.1

Published by Scholastic Press

ISBN# 978-0545873505 (HB)

The Lion Who Stole My Arm

By Nicola Davies, Illustrated by Annabel Wright

Zoologist Nicola Davies presents an illustrated novel for young readers that proves you don’t need two arms to be strong. Pedru has always wanted to be a great hunter like his father, but after a lion takes his arm, he worries that he’ll always be the crippled boy instead. Pedru longs to kill the lion that mauled him and strengthens himself to be ready for the hunt. But when the opportunity arises, will Pedru have the strength to turn his back on revenge? Zoologist Nicola Davies perfectly merges a heart-pounding adventure with an important message about conservation, and Annabel Wright’s gorgeous black-and-white illustrations bring Pedru’s story to life.

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.4

Published by Candlewick Press

ISBN# 978-0763666200 (HB)

The Marvelous Mud House

By April Graney, Illustrated by Alida Massari

Ben and his American family live in a hungry ranch house where they are always wanting more. But then they travel far across the world to Kenya and visit the marvelous mud house where George and Mama George live. There, among the mango trees, they discover a marvelous lesson about what it’s like to be full of joy instead.

Nominated

2018-2019 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by B & H Kids

ISBN# 978-1462740994 (HB)

Outside Nowhere

By Adam Borba, Illustrated by Sam Kalda

Once Parker’s father catches wind of his latest scheme, he decides enough is enough, and Parker is sent halfway across the country to work on a farm alongside five other kids who aren’t his biggest fans. As Parker learns to roll up his sleeves and keep his head down, strange things start happening. And after he awakens one morning to find a seventeen-hundred-pound dairy cow on the roof of a barn, he suspects that something magical and mysterious is growing in the farm’s fields.

Nominated

2024-2025 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-0316542647 (HB)

Buy  Outside Nowhere on Amazon

The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in the Game of Life

By Kwame Alexander, Illustrated by Thai Neave

You gotta know the rules to play the game. Ball is life. Take it to the hoop. Soar. What can we imagine for our lives? What if we were the star players, moving and grooving through the game of life? What if we had our own rules of the game to help us get what we want, what we aspire to, what will enrich our lives? Illustrated with photographs by Thai Neave, The Playbook is intended to provide inspiration on the court of life. Each rule contains wisdom from inspiring athletes and role models such as Nelson Mandela, Serena Williams, LeBron James, Carli Lloyd, Steph Curry and Michelle Obama. Kwame Alexander also provides his own poetic and uplifting words, as he shares stories of overcoming obstacles and winning games in this motivational and inspirational book just right for graduates of any age and anyone needing a little encouragement.

Nominated

2018-2019 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-0544570979 (HB)

The Red Bicycle: The Extraordinary Story of One Ordinary Bicycle

By Jude Isabella, Illustrated by Simone Shin

In this unique nonfiction picture book, the main character is a bicycle that starts its life like so many bicycles in North America, being owned and ridden by a young boy. The boy, Leo, treasures his bicycle so much he gives it a name—- Big Red. But eventually Leo outgrows Big Red, and this is where the bicycle’s story takes a turn from the everyday, because Leo decides to donate it to an organization that ships bicycles to Africa. Big Red is sent to Burkina Faso, in West Africa, where it finds a home with Alisetta, who uses it to gain quicker access to her family’s sorghum field and to the market. Then, over time, it finds its way to a young woman named Haridata, who has a new purpose for the bicycle—- renamed Le Grand Rouge—- delivering medications and bringing sick people to the hospital.

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by Kids Can Press

ISBN# 978-1771380232 (HB)

Ruby in the Sky

By Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo

Twelve-year-old Ruby Moon Hayes does not want her new classmates to ask about her father. She does not want them to know her mother has been arrested. And she definitely does not want to make any friends. Ruby just wants to stay as silent and invisible as a new moon in the frozen sky. She and her mother won’t be staying long in Vermont anyway, and then things can go back to the way they were before everything went wrong. But keeping to herself isn’t easy when Ahmad Saleem, a Syrian refugee, decides he’s her new best friend. Or when she meets “the Bird Lady,” a recluse named Abigail who lives in a ramshackle shed near Ruby’s house. Before long Ahmad and Abigail have become Ruby’s friends―and she realizes there is more to their stories than everyone knows.

Nominated

2020-2021 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 4.1

Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

ISBN# 978-0374309053 (HB)

The Secret Chicken Society

By Judy Cox, Illustrated by Amanda Haley

When Daniel’s class raises baby chicks for a class project he ends up taking the five chickens home for the summer. Is he surprised when one of them turns out to be a rooster!

Honor

2015-2016 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.2

Published by Holiday House

ISBN# 0823423727 (PB, HB)

The Serpent Slayer and the Scroll of Riddles

By Andy Naselli and Champ Thornton, Illustrated by Dana Thompson

The Serpent Slayer and the Scroll of Riddles is a time travel adventure with a twist—middle school students will discover theological themes as they travel through God’s Word. By placing the characters into Bible events, Champ Thornton and Andrew Naselli show the Bible is far from being a boring book full of instructions. Readers will discover life-changing truths they’ll never forget.

Nominated

2024-2025 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by New Growth Press

ISBN# 978-1645072331 (PB)

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Sisterhood of Sleuths

By Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, Illustrated by Vesper Stamper

Maizy always assumed she knew everything about her grandmother, Jacuzzi. So when a box full of vintage Nancy Drew books gets left at her mom’s thrift store, Maizy is surprised to find an old photo of her grandmother and two other women tucked beneath the collection. Stranger still, when Maizy shows the photo to Jacuzzi she feigns ignorance, insisting the woman is someone else. Determined to learn the truth — and inspired by the legacy of Nancy Drew — Maizy launches her own investigation with the help of new friends, Nell and Cam. What they discover not only points to the origins of the iconic series, but uncovers a truth from the past that will lead to self-discovery in the present, connecting three generations of women.

Nominated

2024-2025 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.1

Published by Christy Ottaviano Books

ISBN# 978-0316331074 (HB)

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Smart Cookie

By Elly Swartz

Frankie knows she’ll be in big trouble if Dad discovers she secretly posted a dating profile for him online. But she’s determined to find him a wife, even if she ends up grounded for life. Frankie wants what she had before Mom died. A family of three. Two is a pair of socks or the wheels on a bicycle or a busy weekend at the B&B where Frankie and Dad live. Three is a family. And Frankie’s is missing a piece. But Operation Mom is harder to pull off than Frankie expects. None of the Possibles are very momish, the B&B’s guests keep canceling, Frankie’s getting the silent treatment from her once best friend, and there’s a maybe-ghost hanging around. Worst of all, Gram and Dad are definitely hiding secrets of their own. If a smart cookie like Frankie wants to save the B&B and find her missing piece, she’s going to have to figure out what secrets are worth keeping and when it’s time to let go.

Nominated

2020-2021 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 4.1

Published by Scholastic Press

ISBN# 978-1338143560 (HB)

The Somewhat True Adventures of Sammy Shine

By Henry Cole, Illustrated by Henry Cole

When Sammy Shine’s plane takes off unexpectedly, he ends up in a whole new world; no longer does he live in comfort in his shoebox in Hank’s room. Now he’s lost in the woods, with no way to get home and a dangerous new enemy. Fortunately, a group of new friends, including a mouse, an injured crow, a newt, and a shrew, will help him find and repair his plane so he can try to get back home.

Nominated

2018-2019 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.1

Published by Peachtree Publishers, Ltd

ISBN# 978-1561458660 (HB)

The Adventure is Now

By Jess Redman

After a horrible year, twelve-year-old Milton spends the summer on Lone Island, where he learns about friendship, protecting the environment, and fighting for what is right.

Nominated

2023-2024 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.8

Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-0374314712 (HB)

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The Adventures of Robo-Kid

By Diane deGroat

Imagine you could meet your favorite comic-book hero in the real world. What kinds of questions would you ask? Would you go on new and exciting adventures? While heroes might seem larger than life, everyone can use some help from a friend.

Nominated

2024-2025 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Neal Porter Books

ISBN# 978-0823449767 (HB)

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The Alcatraz Escape

By Jennifer Chambliss Bertman , Illustrated by Sarah Watts

Legendary literary game-maker Garrison Griswold is back in action―this time with “Unlock the Rock.” For his latest game, Griswold has partnered with the famous—and famously reclusive—mystery writer Errol Roy to plan an epic escape room challenge on Alcatraz Island.

Winner

2020-2021 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.8

Published by Henry Holt and Co

ISBN# 978-1627799638 (HB)

The Amelia Six

By Kristin L. Gray

Amelia Earhart’s famous aviator goggles go missing and eleven-year-old Millie has to find them before the night is over in this girl-powered middle grade mystery.

Nominated

2022-2023 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.2

Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

ISBN# 978-1534418851 (HB)

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The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon

By Dean Robbins, Illustrated by Sean Rubin

As a boy, Alan wanted to fly planes. As a young navy pilot, Alan wished he could paint the view from the cockpit. So he took an art class to learn patterns and forms. But no class could prepare him for the beauty of the lunar surface some 240,000 miles from Earth. In 1969, Alan became the fourth man and first artist on the moon. He took dozens of pictures, but none compared to what he saw through his artistic eyes. When he returned to Earth, he began to paint what he saw. Alan’s paintings allowed humanity to experience what it truly felt like to walk on the moon.

Nominated

2020-2021 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.4

Published by Orchard Books

ISBN# 978-1338259537 (HB)

The Beatryce Prophecy

By Kate DiCamillo, Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

When a child appears at the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing, Brother Edik nurses her back to health. When he uncovers her dangerous secret, she is sent away into the world with a goat and a boy.

Nominated

2023-2024 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.4

Published by Candlewick

ISBN# 978-1536213614 (HB)

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The Boo-Boos that Changed the World

By Barry Wittenstein, Illustrated by Chris Hsu

1920s cotton buyer Earle Dickson worked for Johnson & Johnson and had a klutzy wife who often cut herself. The son of a doctor, Earle set out to create an easier way for her to bandage her injuries. Band-Aids were born, but Earle’s bosses at the pharmaceutical giant weren’t convinced, and it wasn’t until the Boy Scouts of America tested Earle’s prototype that this ubiquitous household staple was made available to the public. Soon Band-Aids were selling like hotcakes, and the rest is boo-boo history.

Honor

2020-2021 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.9

Published by Charlesbridge

ISBN# 978-1580897457 (HB)

The Circles All Around Us

By Brad Montague, Illustrated by Brad and Kristi Montague

The debut picture book from the creator of the viral sensation Kid President is a moving take on how we can create bigger and bigger circles of community and connections as we grow.

This is the story of a circle. When we’re first born, our circle is very small, but as we grow and build relationships, our circle keeps getting bigger and bigger to include family, friends, neighbors, community, and beyond.

Nominated

2022-2023 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Dial Books

ISBN# 978-0593323182 (HB)

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The Dragon and the Stone

By Kathryn Butler

Even though she’s only 12 years old, Lily McKinley already feels the weight of the world’s brokenness. She’s seen it in her mother’s exhaustion, her grandmother’s illness, and the cruelty of Adam, the bully at her school. But most tragically, she experienced it two months ago when her father died in a terrible accident. As an artistic daydreamer, Lily has a brilliant imagination to help her cope, but that imagination often gets her into trouble. One day, it transports her to a fantasy world called the Somnium Realm, where her father’s secret history embroils her in an epic quest. With the help of a dragon guide named Cedric, Lily battles evil shrouds, harpies, and other creatures to find her way through grief, rescue the world from evil, and discover the power of redemption.

Nominated

2024-2025 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Crossway

ISBN# 978-1433579479 (PB)

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The Eagle Huntress: The True Story of the Girl Who Soared Beyond Expectations

By Aisholpan Nurgaiv with Liz Welch

Teenaged eagle hunter Aisholpan Nurgaiv tells the true story of how she became the first girl to compete in—and win—one of Mongolia’s most prestigious competitions. Nurgaiv’s story and fresh, sincere voice are not only inspiring but truly magnificent: with the support of her father, she captured and trained her own golden eagle and won the Ölgii eagle festival. A memoir of survival, empowerment, and the positive impact of one person’s triumph.

Nominated

2022-2023 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.8

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-0316522618 (HB)

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The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler

By John Hendrix

Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party is gaining strength and becoming more menacing every day. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor upset by the complacency of the German church toward the suffering around it, forms a breakaway church to speak out against the established political and religious authorities. When the Nazis outlaw the church, he escapes as a fugitive. Struggling to reconcile his faith and the teachings of the Bible with the Nazi Party’s evil agenda, Bonhoeffer decides that Hitler must be stopped by any means possible!

Nominated

2020-2021 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 7.6

Published by Harry N. Abrams

ISBN# 978-1419728389 (HB)

The Friend Who Forgives

By Dan Dewitt, Illustrated by Catalina Echeverri

Do you ever talk before you think? Mess up? Let others down? That’s what Peter did, again and again and again, and it led him to abandoning his best friend, Jesus. Peter loved Jesus. He felt terrible when he pretended not to know him. He thought all was lost when Jesus died. But Jesus is not like our other friends. He wants to forgive us when we are really sorry, even when we mess up again and again and again. And because Jesus died and rose again he can. Jesus’ death took the punishment for all of Peter’s mistakes and all our mistakes, and his resurrection showed the penalty was lifted. After he rose from the dead, Jesus went and found Peter and forgave him, and he can do the same for us. Peter spent the rest of his life telling people that if they put their trust in Jesus, they could be forgiven too again and again and again. Children know all about failing, but they don’t always experience true forgiveness. This book points them to Jesus, the one who will forgive them again and again and again.

Nominated

2020-2021 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by The Good Book Company

ISBN# 978-1784983024 (HB)

The Friendship War

By Andrew Clements

Grace and Ellie have been best friends since second grade. Ellie’s always right in the center of everything—and Grace is usually happy to be Ellie’s sidekick. But what happens when everything changes? This time it’s Grace who suddenly has everyone’s attention when she accidentally starts a new fad at school. It’s a fad that has first her class, then her grade, and then the entire school collecting and trading and even fighting over . . . buttons?! A fad that might also get her in major trouble and could even be the end of Grace and Ellie’s friendship. Because Ellie’s not used to being one-upped by anybody. There’s only one thing for Grace to do. With the help of Hank—the biggest button collector in the sixth grade—she will have to figure out a way to end the fad once and for all. But once a fad starts, can it be stopped?

Nominated

2020-2021 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-0399557590 (HB)

The Girl Who Lost a Leopard

By Nizarana Farook

Selvi is a free spirit who loves climbing in the beautiful mountains behind her home. There, she befriended Lokka, a leopard with a beautiful coat and huge golden eyes. Together, they roam the wilderness as they please.But when hunters come with bows and arrows, Selvi knows she must stop them before they hurt Lokka. But what can she do against such powerful enemies, especially when the friends and family she turns to for help are not all they seem to be? To rescue her leopard friend, first Selvi must outwit the poachers and expose the mastermind behind it all.

Nominated

2024-2025 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.6

Published by Peachtree

ISBN# 978-1682635810 (HB)

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The Grand Teton Stampede

By C.R. Fulton

Twelve-year-old Isaiah Rawlings wished for only one thing this summer, a camping trip outside of Kentucky. I’m so tired of camping in my backyard, he groaned. Isaiah pleads with his parents to reconsider their usual summer trip to dusty old museums and big cities.When his dad unexpectedly announces a trip to Grand Teton National Park, Isaiah is ecstatic! On the second night of camping, He wakes to a thunderous noise that grows louder and louder. The ground begins to tremble. Earthquake?! Isaiah scrambles from his tent…When Isaiah, his cousin Ethan, and sister Sadie investigate the next morning, tracks lead them back to a broken fence. As they scan the surrounding area, something seems off…Why? More than one set of tracks lead into the park. Was this stampede accidental or is there more to the story?

Nominated

2024-2025 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.9

Published by Bakken Books

ISBN# 979-8436149448 (PB)

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The Horseback Librarians

By Jane Yolen, Illustrated by Alexandra Badiu

There were no libraries in the backwoods of Kentucky in the 1930s. Librarians there and throughout the South delivered books to families by horseback and mule, sleeping outdoors or sheltering in barns when they could, going from farm to farm in remote areas. In this story, a woman named Anna Mary stands in for all the real-life horseback librarians who helped keep the love of books alive in Appalachia during the Great Depression.

Nominated

2024-2025 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Albert Whitman & Company

ISBN# 978-0807562918 (HB)

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The House of Grass and Sky

By Mary Lyn Ray, Illustrated by E. B. Goodale

Every house has a story. This house—an old one hunkered in the deep grass below a wide country sky—is a waiting house. Once it was full of laughter and song. The sounds of life rang within its walls. Now it stands quiet and still.

Nominated

2023-2024 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Candlewick

ISBN# 978-1536200973 (HB)

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The Inkwell Chronicles: The Ink of Elspet

By J.D. Peabody

When their father goes missing after a mysterious train crash, Everett and his little sister Bea find a curious pen in his belongings, and its magical Ink begins to rewrite their once-ordinary lives. The Ink leads them to a world they never knew existed—one teeming with impossible magic, formidable allies, and villains who are determined to destroy everything they hold dear. Together, Everett and Bea embark on an adventure through secret tunnels in England and Scotland to find and protect the last Inkwell, and ultimately to save their father. But in order to do so, Everett must find a way to tap into the most magical power of all: his courage. Perfect for fans of The Silver Arrow, the Bookwanderers, and Inkheart, this classic battle of good and evil pits creativity against the forces that would seek to blot it out for good.

Nominated

2024-2025 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by WorthyKids

ISBN# 978-1546001980 (HB)

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The Islanders

By Mary Alice Monroe and Angela May

While spending the summer with his grandmother on Dewees Island, eleven-year-old Jake finds two friends also struggling with family issues. Together, they try to save a sea turtle nest.

Winner

2023-2024 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.8

Published by Aladdin

ISBN# 978-1534427273 (HB)

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The Lion of Mars

By Jennifer L. Holm

Bell has spent his whole life—all eleven years of it—on Mars. But he’s still just a regular kid—he loves cats and any kind of cake, and is curious about the secrets the adults in the US colony are keeping. Like, why don’t they have contact with anyone on the other Mars colonies? Why are they so isolated? When a virus breaks out and the grown-ups all fall ill, Bell and the other children are the only ones who can help. It’s up to Bell—a regular kid in a very different world—to uncover the truth and save his family…and possibly unite an entire planet.

Nominated

2022-2023 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by Random House Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-0593121818 (HB)

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The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe

By Tricia Springstubb

Eleven-year-old Loah Londonderry is definitely a homebody. While her mother, a noted ornithologist, works to save the endangered birds of the shrinking Arctic tundra, Loah anxiously counts the days till her return home. But then, to Loah’s surprise and dismay, Dr. Londonderry decides to set off on a perilous solo quest to find the Loah bird, long believed extinct. Does her mother care more deeply about Loah the bird than Loah her daughter?

When Dr. Londonderry’s expedition goes terribly wrong, Loah needs to discover for herself whether she has the courage and heart to find help for her mother, lost at the top of the world.

Nominated

2022-2023 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 4.8

Published by Margaret Ferguson Books

ISBN# 978-0823447572 (HB)

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The Ogress and the Orphans

By Kelly Barnhill

When a child goes missing from the Orphan House, the town’s mayor suggests the kindly Ogress is responsible, but the orphans don’t believe that and try to make their neighbors see the real villain among them.

Nominated

2023-2024 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.1

Published by Algonquin Young Readers

ISBN# 978-1643750743 (HB)

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The One and Only Bob

By Katherine Applegate

Bob sets out on a dangerous journey in search of his long-lost sister with the help of his two best friends, Ivan and Ruby. As a hurricane approaches and time is running out, Bob finds courage he never knew he had and learns the true meaning of friendship and family.

Nominated

2022-2023 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.9

Published by HarperCollins

ISBN# 978-0062991317 (HB)

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The Queen Bee and Me

By Gillian McDunn

Meg has always found comfort in her best friend Beatrix’s shadow. Self-assured Beatrix is the one who makes decisions, and the girls have been a pair since kindergarten. But middle school has brought some changes in Beatrix, especially when Meg tries to step outside her role as sidekick.

A special science elective is Meg’s first step away, but when she’s paired with quirky new girl Hazel, Beatrix steps in to stake her claim on Meg. Meg is taken aback at how mean Beatrix can be—and how difficult it is to stand up to her friend. But as Meg gets to know Hazel while working on their backyard beehive project, she starts to wonder: Is being Beatrix’s friend worth turning down the possibility of finding her own voice?

Nominated

2022-2023 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 4.1

Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books

ISBN# 978-1681197517 (HB)

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The School for Whatnots

By Margaret Peterson Haddix

In this futuristic thriller, fifth grader Max searches for his best friend who disappeared after leaving behind a strange note.

Nominated

2023-2024 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.3

Published by Katherine Tegen Books

ISBN# 978-0062838490 (HB)

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The Songs of a Warrior: Saul and David

By Katy Morgan

This dramatic retelling of the accounts of the first two kings of Israel follows the intertwining stories of Jonathan, Saul, David and Michal documented in 1 and 2 Samuel.In this imaginative yet biblically faithful book, readers will find themselves immersed in the hearts and minds of the key players as they experience battles, intrigue, plots, betrayal, love, and friendship.

Nominated

2024-2025 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by The Good Book Company

ISBN# 978-1784988173 (PB)

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The Star that Always Stays

By Anna Rose Johnson

In Michigan in 1914, fourteen-year-old Norvia longs for her old home on Beaver Island where she could be proud of her Ojibwe hertiage. Now she has to contend with a new school, a blended family and being forced to pretend she’s not Native at all.

Nominated

2023-2024 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.9

Published by Holiday House

ISBN# 978-0823450404 (HB)

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The Story of a Story

By Deborah Hopkinson, Illustrated by Hadley Hooper

This is a story of a child writing a story that encourages persistence and celebrates the strength of every child’s unique voice and the story they have to tell.

Nominated

2023-2024 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Neal Porter Books

ISBN# 978-0823444915 (HB)

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The Turnover

By Mike Lupica

Gramps is Lucas’s hero, which is second only to the fact that he is also Lucas’s basketball coach. Gramps coached the team to victory in the championships last year, and when he decides to come out of retirement to coach another season, Lucas is thrilled. This season will absolutely be the greatest yet. So when his English teacher challenges the class to write a biography of the person they most admire, Lucas can’t think of anyone he’d rather write about. Except…Gramps is being cagey. He avoids every question Lucas asks, and gets angry every time Lucas brings up his past as a hotshot basketball player. Lucas can’t help but wonder—is there something Gramps is trying to hide? And if there is, will Lucas be prepared to face the truth about the man he thought he knew? With basketball championships fast approaching, time is running out for Lucas to decide.

Honor

2021-2022 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 4.8

Published by Simon & Schuster

ISBN# 9781534421585 (HB)

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The Winter War

By Priscilla Shirer and Gina Detwiler

Two years ago, the Prince Warriors lost one of their own, but now they must stand firm . . . because death is coming once again. In this sequel to Priscilla Shirer’s best-selling trilogy, the Prince Warriors return to Ahoratos to find it bare and dangerous. The Winter War is upon them

Nominated

2020-2021 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 4.5

Published by B&H Kids

ISBN# 9781462796755 (HB)

Thirst

By Varsha Bajaj

Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai, where access to water is limited to a few hours a day and the communal taps have long lines. Lately, though, even that access is threatened by severe water shortages and thieves who are stealing this precious commodity—an act that Minni accidentally witnesses one night. Meanwhile, in the high-rise building where she just started to work, she discovers that water streams out of every faucet and there’s even a rooftop swimming pool. What Minni also discovers there is one of the water mafia bosses. Now she must decide whether to expose him and risk her job and maybe her life. How did something as simple as access to water get so complicated?

Nominated

2024-2025 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 4.4

Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

ISBN# 978-0593354391 (PB, HB)

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This Seats Saved

By Heather Holleman

At the start of 7th grade, Elita Brown’s friends enjoy their seats at the popular lunchroom table. Meanwhile, Elita hides in the bathroom. This is not how she envisioned middle school. And her omission from the popular table is only the beginning of her problems. What will she do when she’s terrorized by the meanest girl in school and accused of a crime she didn’t commit? Elita befriends an older couple living in the woods and gains confidence through her project on the red fox. Will Elita find her way and take her seat at the best table? Full of suspense and divine moments, readers will be captivated by this story.

Nominated

2024-2025 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Moody Publishers

ISBN# 978-0802428868 (PB)

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The Unbreakable Code

By Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Mr. Quisling is definitely up to something mysterious, and Emily and James are on high alert. First, there’s the coded note he drops at a book event. Then, they uncover a trail of encrypted messages in Mark Twain-penned books hidden through Book Scavenger. What’s most suspicious is that each hidden book triggers an arson fire. As the sleuthing friends dig deeper, they discover Mr. Quisling has been hunting a legendary historical puzzle: the Unbreakable Code. This new mystery is irresistible, but Emily and James can’t ignore the signs that Mr. Quisling might be the arsonist.

Nominated

2018-2019 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.8

Published by Henry Holt and Co.

ISBN# 978-1627791168 (HB)

The Unexpected Love Story of Alfred Fiddleduckling

By Timothy Basil Ering, Illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering

Captain Alfred is sailing home with new ducks for his farm when his little boat is caught in an unexpected and mighty storm. Everything aboard the ship is flung to the far reaches of the sea, including the very special and beautiful duck egg he had nestled safely inside his fiddle case. But perhaps all is not lost: the little duckling stumbles out of his shell and discovers Captain Alfred’s fiddle, floating not too far away in the waves. And when the duckling embraces the instrument with all his heart, what happens next is pure magic. Through an enchanting read-aloud text and beautiful artwork, award-winning author-illustrator Timothy Basil Ering shares a thrilling and fantastical story of a farmer, a gentle old lady, a dancing dog, and one brave, tiny duckling that will warm the heart.

Nominated

2018-2019 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.6

Published by Candlewick

ISBN# 978-0763664329 (HB)

The Way Things Work Now

By David Macaulay

Explainer-in-Chief David Macaulay updates the worldwide bestseller The New Way Things Work to capture the latest developments in the technology that most impacts our lives. Famously packed with information on the inner workings of everything from windmills to Wi-Fi, this extraordinary and humorous book both guides readers through the fundamental principles of machines, and shows how the developments of the past are building the world of tomorrow. This sweepingly revised edition embraces all of the latest developments, from touchscreens to 3D printer. Each scientific principle is brilliantly explained—with the help of a charming, if rather slow-witted, woolly mammoth

Nominated

2018-2019 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-0544824386 (HB)

The Way to Stay in Destiny

By Augusta Scattergood

When Theo gets off a bus in Destiny, Florida, he’s left behind the only life he’s ever known. Now he’s got to live with Uncle Raymond, a Vietnam War vet and a loner who wants nothing to do with this long-lost nephew. Thank goodness for Miss Sister Grandersole’s Rooming House and Dance School. The piano that sits in Miss Sister’s dance hall calls to Theo. He can’t wait to play those ivory keys. When Anabel arrives things get even more enticing. This feisty girl, a baseball fanatic, invites Theo on her quest to uncover the town’s connection to old-time ball players rumored to have lived there years before. A mystery, an adventure, and a musical exploration unfold as this town called Destiny lives up to its Name.

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.1

Published by Scholastic Press

ISBN# 978-0545538251 (PB)