Eleven-year-old Suzy just can’t win. Her brother is a local hero for calling 911 after seeing their elderly neighbor collapse, and only her best friend was able to win a role in the play they both auditioned for. Feeling cast aside from all angles, Suzy sees a kindred spirit in Emily Dickinson, the subject of her summer project. Suzy decides to escape from her disappointments by emulating the poet’s life of solitude: no visitors or phone calls (only letters delivered through her window), no friends (except her goldfish, Ottilie), and no outings (except church, but only if she can wear her long white Emily dress). But being a recluse is harder than Suzy predicted. Will she find a way to fold Emily into her life while also remaining true to herself?
2017-2018 Crown Award
Reading Level: 3.2
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Copyright May 13, 2014
ISBN# 978-0449809884 (PB)
Although Mitsi Kashino and her family are swept up in the wave of anti-Japanese sentiment following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Mitsi never expects to lose her home—or her beloved dog, Dash. But, as World War II rages and people of Japanese descent are forced into incarceration camps, Mitsi is separated from Dash, her classmates, and life as she knows it. The camp is a crowded and unfamiliar place, whose dusty floors, seemingly endless lines, and barbed wire fences begin to unravel the strong Kashino family ties. With the help of a friendly neighbor back home, Mitsi remains connected to Dash in spite of the hard times, holding on to the hope that the war will end soon and life will return to normal. Though they’ve lost their home, will the Kashino family also lose their sense of family? And will Mitsi and Dash ever be reunited?
2017-2018 Crown Award
Reading Level: 3.9
Published by Scholastic, Inc.
Copyright May 10, 2016
ISBN# 978-0545416368 (PB)
Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, he was dismissed by most people—but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams. As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. Today, Emmanuel continues to work on behalf of the disabled.
2017-2018 Crown Award
Reading Level: 4.4
Published by Schwartz & Wade
Copyright January 5, 2015
ISBN# 978-0449817452 (HB)
This introduction to the life and work of the twentieth-century American writer highlights key moments in his creative development, shares insights about his beliefs, and introduces some of his signature poems.
2017-2018 Crown Award
Reading Level: 5.2
Published by Enchanted Lion Books
Copyright April 7, 2015
ISBN# 978-1592701711 (HB)
Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her and to everyone than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.
2017-2018 Crown Award
Reading Level: 3.7
Published by Nancy Paulsen Books
Copyright February 4, 2015
ISBN# 978-0399162596 (HB)
Franny Katzenback, while recovering from polio, reads and falls in love with the brand-new book Charlotte’s Web. Bored and lonely and yearning for a Charlotte of her own, Franny starts up a correspondence with an eloquent flea named Fleabrain who lives on her dog’s tail. While Franny struggles with physical therapy and feeling left out of her formerly active neighborhood life, Fleabrain is there to take her on adventures based on his extensive reading.
2017-2018 Crown Award
Reading Level: 5.3
Published by Harry N. Abrams
Copyright August 11, 2015
ISBN# 978-1419716768 (PB)
Abraham Dee Bartlett knew from a young age that he wanted to spend his life working with animals. But in Victorian London, there weren’t many jobs that provided an opportunity to do that. Still, Abraham spent years gaining knowledge and pursuing his dream until he eventually became superintendent in the London Zoo. Driven by his compassion for the animals, Abraham dramatically improved the conditions of the zoo to ensure that the animals could be happy and healthy.
2017-2018 Crown Award
Reading Level: 5.1
Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Copyright August 10, 2015
ISBN# 978-0802854322 (HB)
Jed, TsTs, and Chai are the very best of friends. So when Jed is snatched up by a hawk and carried away to another realm, TsTs and Chai resolve to go after him. Mysteriously, the hawk has dropped him. They saw it. Jed could be alive. New communities are discovered, new friends are made, huge danger is encountered (both man-made and of the fox and bobcat variety) and the mysteries of squirrel culture are revealed.
2017-2018 Crown Award
Reading Level: 4.2
Published by Greenwillow Books
Copyright August 26, 2014
ISBN# 978-0060092757 (PB)
