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The Boy on the Porch

By Sharon Creech

A young couple inexplicably finds a boy on their porch. John and Marta know they have been chosen to care for the boy and they try to unravel his history.

Winner

2016-2017 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by HarperCollins

ISBN# 978-0061892356 (HB)

Brave Heroes and Bold Defenders: 50 True Stories of Daring Men of God

By Shirley Raye Redmond, Illustrated by Katya Longhi

Meet men who have used their God-given talents to live out their faith to the fullest. They come from a variety of backgrounds, eras, and ethnicities, but each one has answered the Lord’s call on their life in bold and innovative ways.

Nominated

2022-2023 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Harvest Kids

ISBN# 978-0736981330 (HB)

Buy  Brave Heroes and Bold Defenders: 50 True Stories of Daring Men of God on Amazon

Bright Freedom’s Song

By Gloria Houston

In the years before the Civil War, Bright realizes her parents are providing a safe house for the Underground Railroad. When she discovers a runaway slave in the barn, her life beyond their farm is suddenly vastly expanded.

Nominated

2001-2002 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Harcourt

ISBN# 0-15-201812-3 (PB, HB)

The Brilliant Calculator: How Mathematician Edith Clarke Helped Electrify America

By Jan Lower, Illustrated by Susan Reagan

Long before calculators were invented, little Edith Clarke devoured numbers, conquered calculations, cracked puzzles, and breezed through brainteasers. Edith wanted to be an engineer—to use the numbers she saw all around her to help build America.

Nominated

2024-2025 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Calkins Creek

ISBN# 978-1662680069 (HB)

Buy The Brilliant Calculator: How Mathematician Edith Clarke Helped Electrify America on Amazon

Britfield and the Lost Crown

By C. R. Stewart

He’s spent the majority of his life locked behind the cruel walls of Weatherly Orphanage, but when Tom learns that his parents might actually be alive, he is determined to find them. Together with his best friend Sarah, and armed with only the word “Britfield,” as a clue to Tom’s mysterious past, the two make a daring escape.

Soon, they are on the run from a famous Scotland Yard detective and what appears to be half of the police officers in England! The hunt is on, but will Tom and Sarah be able to evade capture long enough to solve an even bigger conspiracy that could tear our world apart

Nominated

2021-2022 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.6

Published by Devonfiled Publishing LLC

ISBN# 9781732961210 (HB)

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Broken Crayons Still Color

By Toni Collier, Illustrated by Natalie Vasilica

Avery has big emotions and bubbling anxieties about changes in her life. When her crayons break as she scribbles furiously, she discovers that they have personalities and feelings too! And they can show her how to use her love of coloring to manage scary, overwhelming feelings and embrace curiosity and joy. As Avery follows the crayons’ advice, gets creative, and chooses bravery and positive thinking, she discovers that God can use her to make beautiful things, even with broken crayons.

Nominated

2024-2025 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Tommy Nelson

ISBN# 978-1400242900 (HB)

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Bronco and Friends: A Party to Remember

By Tim Tebow, Illustrated by Jane Chapman

Bronco the dog and three animal friends, all reluctant to attend a party for various reasons, receive a warm welcome when they do decide to go.

Honor

2023-2024 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 2.9

Published by WaterBrook

ISBN# 978-0593232040 (HB)

Buy  Bronco and Friends: A Party to Remember on Amazon

Brooklyn Bridge

By Karen Hesse, Illustrated by Chris Sheban

In 1903 Brooklyn, Joseph Michtom’s life changes when his parents, Russian immigrants, invent the teddy bear and turn their apartment into a factory, while nearby the glitter of Coney Island contrasts with the dismal lives of children dwelling under the Brooklyn Bridge.

Honor

2010-2011 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by Square Fish

ISBN# 9780312674281 (PB)

Brothers

By E. Yin, Illustrated by Chris Soentpiet

The story of Patrick and Ming, fictional characters based on actual historical events.

Nominated

2008-2009 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.1

Published by Philomel Books

ISBN# 0-399-23406-3 (HB)

Buddy is a Stupid Name for a Girl

By Willo Davis Roberts

When her father disappears mysteriously, Buddy must live with dysfunctional relatives and learns of the whole family’s past secrets.

Nominated

2003-2004 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Atheneum

ISBN# 0-689-81670-7 (PB, HB)

Buddy: The Story of Buddy Holly

By Anne Bustard, Illustrated by Kurt Cyrus

A biography of the musician, born Charles Hardin Holley, during the Depression in Texas, who pioneered a new kind of music.

Nominated

2006-2007 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Simon Schuster

ISBN# 0-689-86667-4 (HB)

By and By: Charles Albert Tindley, the Father of Gospel Music

By Carole Weatherford, Illustrated by Bryan Collier

At a time when most African Americans were still enslaved, Charles Tindley was born free. His childhood was far from easy, with backbreaking hours in the fields, and no opportunity to go to school. But the spirituals he heard as he worked made him long to know how to read the Gospel for himself. Late at night, he taught himself to read from scraps of newspapers. From those small scraps, young Charles raised himself to become a founding father of American gospel music whose hymn was the basis for the Civil Rights anthem “We Shall Overcome.”

Nominated

2021-2022 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.7

Published by Atheneum Books

ISBN# 9781534426368 (HB)

Buy  By and By: Charles Albert Tindley, the Father of Gospel Music on Amazon

Byrd & Igloo: A Polar Adventure

By Samantha Sieple

An engaging story about polar explorer and aviator, Admiral Richard E. Byrd and his travels with his fox terrier companion, as they both explore travelling to the North and South poles.

Nominated

2015-2016 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 6.7

Published by Scholastic

ISBN# 9780545562768 (HB)

Caleb’s Story

By Patricia MacLachlan

This sequel to Sarah, Plain and Tall and Skylark, focuses on Caleb who finds a mysterious old man in the barn, and forces his father to deal with his past.

Nominated

2003-2004 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by HarperCollins

ISBN# 0-06-023606-X (PB)

Can We Save the Tiger?

By Martin Jenkins and Vicki White

The author spotlights the ways human behavior affects the amazing animals on our planet. Ms. White’s outstanding illustrations further excite us to preserve these stunning creatures.

Nominated

2013-2014 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by Candlewick

ISBN# 9780763673789 (PB)

Can You Do This, Old Badger?

By Eve Bunting

Although Old Badger cannot do some things as easily as he used to, he can still teach Little Badger the many things he knows about finding good things to eat and staying safe and happy.

Nominated

2000-2001 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-0152016548 (PB/HB)

Can You Hear A Rainbow?

By Jamee Riggio Heelan, Illustrated by Nicola Simmonds

A deaf child tells how he uses sign language, hearing aids, and his other senses to communicate and how his friends help him, and his attendance in public school with an interpreter.

Nominated

2004-2005 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Peachtree

ISBN# 1-56145-268-8 (HB)

Cars on Mars

By Alexandra Siy

Twin robotic Rovers searched for clues on Mars to help scientists determine if life ever existed there. This book chronicles some of the trials and discoveries experienced.

Nominated

2011-2012 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.

ISBN# 9781570914638 (PB)

Carter Reads the Newspaper

By Deborah Hopkinson, Illustrated by Don Tate

Carter G. Woodson was born to two formerly enslaved people ten years after the end of the Civil War. Though his father could not read, he believed in being an informed citizen. So Carter read the newspaper to him every day. When he was still a teenager, Carter went to work in the coal mines. There he met a man named Oliver Jones, and Oliver did something important: he asked Carter not only to read to him and the other miners, but also research and find more information on the subjects that interested them. “My interest in penetrating the past of my people was deepened,” Carter wrote. His journey would take him many more years, traveling around the world and transforming the way people thought about history.

Nominated

2020-2021 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.5

Published by Peachtree Publishing Company C

ISBN# 978-1561459346 (HB)

Case Closed? Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science

By Susan Hughes, Illustrated by Michael Wandelmaier

Scientists, archeologists and historians peer into nine unsolved mysteries from the past. Readers will learn about the tools and techniques used to explain these cases.

Nominated

2012-2013 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Kids Can Press, Limited

ISBN# 9781554533633 (PB)

Castaways in Lilliput

By Henry Winterfeld, Illustrated by William M. Hutchinson

Three Australian children, adrift on a rubber raft, are cast ashore in a land of tiny people.

Nominated

2004-2005 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Odyssey Classics

ISBN# 0-15-216286-0 (PB, HB)

Cat Diaries:  Secret Writings of the MEOW Society

By Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey, and Laurie Myers, Illustrated by Erik Brooks

The MEOW Society has gathered from all over the world to share their stories. Stories of discovered treasure and halting crime are just some of the tales.

Nominated

2012-2013 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.0

Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

ISBN# 9780805087178 (HB)

Century Farm

By Cris Peterson

The story of a 110 year-old farm in Wisconsin is told in photos and anecdotes about the three generations of Petersons who have owned and farmed the land.

Nominated

2001-2002 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Boyds Mills

ISBN# 1-56397-710-9 (HB)

Chained

By Lynne Kelly

To work off a family debt, ten-year-old Hastin leaves his desert village in India to work as a circus elephant keeper but many challenges await him, including trying to keep Nandita, a sweet elephant, safe from the cruel circus owner.

Honor

2014-2015 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by FSG

ISBN# 9780374312374 (HB)

Chicken Little and the Big Bad Wolf

By Sam Wedelich, Illustrated by Sam Wedelich

Chicken Little is NOT afraid of anything, not even a wolf. No matter how big or bad he is. In fact, she’s never even seen a wolf. So when a real wolf shows up and ruffles her feathers, what’s a fretful fowl to do: Join the frenzied flock and fly the coop? Or find out if this newcomer is as bad as his reputation?

Winner

2022-2023 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 2.1

Published by Scholastic Press

ISBN# 978-1338359008 (HB)

Buy  Chicken Little and the Big Bad Wolf on Amazon

Chinese Cinderella

By Adeline Yen Mah

Adeline revisits the territory she covered in her adult bestseller, Falling Leaves, for this powerful and poignant memoir aimed at young readers.

Winner

2001-2002 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Delacorte

ISBN# 0-385-32707-2 (PB, HB)

Chip and Curly: The Great Potato Race

By Cathy Breisacher, Illustrated by Joshua Heinsz

Chip the potato chip is sure he has the annual Spud City Festival sack race in the bag—he’s been practicing all year. The Home Fries (local baseball team) and Sweet Potatoes (cheer squad) are all rooting for him. The French Fries even bring their tots over for an autograph. But when Curly the springy curly fry shows up, Chip knows he’s in trouble. This totally funny story is filled with clever potato puns—and subtle themes of sportsmanship and persistence. It will have kids and adults alike laughing out loud.

Winner

2021-2022 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 2.9

Published by Sleeping Bear Press

ISBN# 9781585364084 (HB)

Buy  Chip and Curly: The Great Potato Race on Amazon

Christian the Lion

By Anthony (Ace) Bourke and John Rendall

Two men purchased a lion for sale in a London department store. The men shared their home with Christian until he became too big and they gave him a chance to live in the wild where he belonged.

Winner

2012-2013 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.0

Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

ISBN# 9780805091823 (HB)

Christmas Eve

By Ann M. Martin

This title portrays the magic and the spirit of hope that makes the holidays merry.

Nominated

2008-2009 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.7

Published by Scholastic Press

ISBN# 0-439-74588-8 (PB, HB)

Cicada Summer

By Andrea Beaty

Lily mourns her brother, and has not spoken since the accident she feels she could have prevented. The summer Tinny comes to town, she is the only one who realizes Lily’s secret.

Nominated

2010-2011 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by Abrams, Harry N., Inc

ISBN# 9780810984196 (PB)

Clara and Davie

By Patricia Polacco

Polacco shares the story of her distant relative, Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. Focusing on Clara’s childhood, the author tells of Clara’s close relationship with her older brother and how her brother encouraged her to pursue her gifts of caring and nurturing others

Nominated

2015-2016 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.9

Published by Scholastic

ISBN# 978-0545354776 (HB)

Close to Famous

By Joan Bauer

Foster has a big dream which is to have her own cooking show. While she keeps baking, she discovers she is not the only one with dreams of fame.

Nominated

2012-2013 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

ISBN# 9780142420171 (PB)

Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars

By Laurie Wallmark, Illustrated by Brooke Smart

This biography tells the story of Elizebeth Friedman (1892–1980), a brilliant American code breaker who smashed Nazi spy rings, took down gangsters, and created the CIA’s first cryptology unit.

Nominated

2023-2024 Crown Award

Reading Level: 6.3

Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-1419739637 (HB)

Buy  Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars on Amazon

Code Word Courage

By Kirby Larson

Billie has lived with her great-aunt ever since her mom passed away and her dad left. Billie’s big brother, Leo, is about to leave, too, for the warfront. But first, she gets one more weekend with him at the ranch. Billie’s surprised when Leo brings home a fellow Marine from boot camp, Denny. She has so much to ask Leo—about losing her best friend and trying to find their father—but Denny, who is Navajo, or Diné, comes with something special: a gorgeous, but injured, stray dog. As Billie cares for the dog, whom they name Bear, she and Bear grow deeply attached to each other. Soon enough, it’s time for Leo and Denny, a Navajo Code Talker, to ship out. Billie does her part for the war effort, but she worries whether Leo and Denny will make it home, whether she’ll find a new friend, and if her father will ever come back. Can Bear help Billie—and Denny—find what’s most important?

Nominated

2020-2021 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.1

Published by Scholastic Press

ISBN# 978-0545840750 (HB)

Colonial Voices:  Hear Them Speak

By Kay Winters, Illustrated by Larry Day

During World War II in England, David and Roger and their families endure the direct attacks by the Luftwaffe from Nazi Germany. The story relates the magnificent Royal Air Force victory during the Battle of Britain and the decisive contributions of the mighty Armada of the Eighth Air Force.

Nominated

2010-2011 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by Penguin Young Readers Group

ISBN# 978-0525478720 (PB)

Comanche Song

By Janice Shefelman

A young Comanche experiences his tribe’s conflicts with the Tejanos in the 1840s.

Nominated

2002-2003 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Eakin Press

ISBN# 1-57168-397-6 (PB, HB)

Confessions from the Principal’s Kid

By Robin Mellom

During the school day, fifth-grader Allie West is an outsider. Everyone knows the principal’s kid might tattle to her mom! But after school, Allie is an insider. She’s friendly with the janitor, knows the shortest routes around the building, and hangs out with the Afters, a group of misfits whose parents are teachers at their school. Although Allie secretly loves her insider life, she’s sick of being an outsider—so she vows to join the Pentagon, the popular math team led by her ex–best friend. But can Allie change her status without betraying where she really belongs?

Honor

2019-2020 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.9

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-0544813793 (HB)

Cookies

By Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Illustrated by Jane Dyer

Everyone knows that cookies taste good but these cookies have something good to say.

Nominated

2008-2009 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.1

Published by HarperCollins

ISBN# 0-06-058081-X (HB)

Cooper’s Story

By W. Bruce Cameron

Cooper, a malamute-Great Dane puppy, finds purpose as service dog and emotional support animal to fifth-grader Burke, a boy in a wheelchair.

Honor

2023-2024 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.4

Published by Starscape

ISBN# 978-1250163387 (HB)

Buy  Cooper’s Story on Amazon

Cora Cooks Pancit

By Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore, Illustrated by Kristi Valiant

Cora’s mother finally lets her help make pancit, a Filipino noodle dish, while all her older siblings are away.

Nominated

2011-2012 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.0

Published by Shen's Books

ISBN# 9781885008350 (HB)

Courageous World Changers: 50 True Stories of Daring Women of God

By Shirley Raye Redmond

Meet women who have used their God-given talents to live out their faith to the fullest. They come from a variety of backgrounds, eras, and ethnicities, but each one has answered the Lord’s call on their life in bold and innovative ways.

Nominated

2021-2022 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Harvest House

ISBN# 9780736977340 (HB)

Buy  Courageous World Changers: 50 True Stories of Daring Women of God on Amazon

Courageous: A Novel of Dunkirk

By Yona Zeldis McDonough

Aiden has been afraid of the ocean since his brother’s ship was sunk by the Germans. Then the call comes in: British forces are stranded at Dunkirk, and they need help from civilian boats.

Nominated

2020-2021 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.1

Published by Scholastic Press

ISBN# 978-1338226850 (HB)

Cozy in Love

By Jan Brett, Illustrated by Jan Brett

After losing a test of strength to another musk ox in his herd, Cozy is convinced he’ll never impress his crush, Lofti. But while he’s sulking, he learns of a bigger concern. His friend Bella, a beluga whale, is still playing in an inlet even though it’s cold enough for ice to form and block her way out. Cozy races to the inlet and, sure enough, Bella is in trouble. Luckily, Cozy thinks of a new way to use his strong legs and tough horns that might help save Bella and win Lofti’s heart as well.

Nominated

2024-2025 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.5

Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-0593109854 (HB)

Buy  Cozy in Love on Amazon

Crocodile Listens

By April Sayre, Illustrated by JoEllen Stammen

A hungry crocodile listens for a special sound from her nesting place. Includes factual information about Nile crocodiles.

Nominated

2003-2004 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Greenwillow

ISBN# 0-688-16505-2 (PB)

Crossing Bok Chitto

By Tim Tingle, Illustrated by Jeanne Rirex Bridges

Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, crosses a river called Bok Chitto, thus begins the story about seven slaves who find their freedom on the other side of the river led by a Choctaw angel.

Nominated

2008-2009 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.4

Published by Cinco Puntos Press

ISBN# 0-938317-77-6 (PB, HB)

Curiosity

By Gary Blackwood

In 1835, when his father is put in debtors’ prison, 12-yr-old chess prodigy Rufus Goodspeed is relieved to be recruited to secretly operate a chess-playing automaton but soon questions his own safety.

Winner

2017-2018 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 6.3

Published by Dial Books

ISBN# 978-0803739246 (PB)

Curse of the Spider King

By Wayne Thomas Batson

Seven young Elf Lords must decide whether to remain on Earth or return to Allyra as they learn secrets of the past and dark strangers are watching their every move.

Winner

2011-2012 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Nelson, Thomas, Inc.

ISBN# 9780718029876 (PB)

Dad, Jackie, and Me

By Myron Uhlberg, Illustrated by Colin Bootman

In Brooklyn, New York, in 1947, a young boy learns about discrimination and tolerance as he and his deaf father share their enthusiasm over baseball and the Dodger’s first baseman, Jackie Robinson.

Honor

2007-2008 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.8

Published by Peachtree

ISBN# 1-56145-329-3 (PB, HB)

Daddy, Will You Miss Me?

By Wendy McCormick, Illustrated by Jennifer Eachus

A boy and his daddy come up with lots of different ways to stay close to one another while the daddy is in Africa for four weeks.

Nominated

2000-2001 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Aladdin

ISBN# 978-0689850639 (PB/HB)

Dancing Through the Snow

By Jean Little

Min is a foster child that has been in four different homes and has put a wall around herself as protection. Jess Hart, a former Children’s Aid doctor, befriends Min and opens up her world.

Nominated

2011-2012 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Scholastic Canada Ltd

ISBN# 9781443119870 (HB)

Daniel Finds a Poem

By Micha Archer

What is poetry? Is it glistening morning dew? Spider thinks so. Is it crisp leaves crunching? That’s what Squirrel says. Could it be a cool pond, sun-warmed sand, or moonlight on the grass? Maybe poetry is all of these things, as it is something special for everyone you just have to take the time to really look and listen. The magical thing is that poetry is in everyone, and Daniel is on his way to discovering a poem of his own after spending time with his animal friends. What is poetry? If you look and listen, it’s all around you!

Nominated

2017-2018 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 2.8

Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

ISBN# 978-0399169137 (HB)

Dash

By Kirby Larson

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?

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.9

Published by Scholastic, Inc.

ISBN# 978-0545416368 (PB)

Daughter of Venice

By Donna Jo Napoli

Frustrated with the restrictions her gender imposes on her life, fourteen-year-old Donata, roams the streets of sixteenth-century Venice dressed as a boy.

Nominated

2004-2005 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Wendy Lamb Books

ISBN# 0-385-32780-3 (PB, HB)

Daughter’s Day Blues

By Laura Pegram

Quite often Phyllis Mae feels she gets too little attention while her baby brother gets way too much of it. Her nana and mamma decide to have a Daughter’s Day celebration similar to Mother’s Day. What could possibly go wrong on a day meant just for her?

Nominated

2001-2002 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Dial Press

ISBN# 978-0140561876 (PB, HB)

David and the Mighty Eighth

By Marjorie Hodgson Parker, Illustrated by Mark Postlethwaite

During World War II in England, David and Roger and their families endure the direct attacks by the Luftwaffe from Nazi Germany. The story relates the magnificent Royal Air Force victory during the Battle of Britain and the decisive contributions of the mighty Armada of the Eighth Air Force.

Nominated

2010-2011 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by Bright Sky Press

ISBN# 9781931721936 (HB)

David’s Search

By Joan L. Nixon

David Howard has been living on the streets of New York City so long he can barely remember his parents. Through the Children’s Aid Society, he finds a new home with the Bauer family in Missouri. But farm life is hard, especially for a city boy.

Nominated

2001-2002 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Delacorte

ISBN# 0-385-32296-8 (PB, HB)

Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion

By Chris Barton, Illustrated by Victo Ngai

During World War I, British and American ships were painted with bold colors and crazy patterns from bow to stern. Why would anyone put such eye-catching designs on ships? Desperate to protect ships from German torpedo attacks, British lieutenant-commander Norman Wilkinson proposed what became known as dazzle. These stunning patterns and colors were meant to confuse the enemy about a ship’s speed and direction. By the end of the war, more than four thousand ships had been painted with these mesmerizing designs.

Nominated

2018-2019 Crown Award

Reading Level: 6.1

Published by Millbrook Press

ISBN# 978-1512410143 (HB)

Dear Emma

By Johanna Hurwitz, Illustrated by Barbara Garrison

In 1910, through letters to a friend, a young Russian immigrant new to New York, shares her thoughts about an epidemic and a factory fire.

Nominated

2004-2005 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by HarperCollins

ISBN# 0-06-029840-5 (HB)

Dear Student

By Elly Swartz

When Autumn becomes the secret voice of the advice column in her middle school newspaper she is faced with a dilemma—can she give fair advice to everyone, including her friends, while keeping her identity a secret?

Nominated

2023-2024 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Delacorte Press

ISBN# 978-0593374122 (HB)

Buy  Dear Student on Amazon

Destination: Jupiter

By Seymour Simon

With clear text and vivid photographs, Seymour Simon sheds light on the many mysteries of Jupiter, the fifth, and largest planet in our solar system. The spacecraft Galileo is and has been sending back information since 1995.

Nominated

2000-2001 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Morrow

ISBN# 0-688-15620-7 (HB)

Devil’s Den

By Susan Pfeffer

Joey has often thought about the biological father who left before he was born, but when, during a trip to a Civil War battlefield, his stepfather announces his plan to legally adopt Joey, he decides he must find out why his father has never contacted him.

Nominated

2001-2002 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Walker

ISBN# 0-8027-8650-2 (HB)

Dewey the Library Cat

By Vicki Myron with Bret Witter

In the dead of winter, a small kitten was abandoned in a library book drop. The kitten miraculously survived and became known as Dewey Readmore living in the library and charming young and old.

Nominated

2011-2012 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 9780316068703 (PB)

Diana’s White House Garden

By Elisa Carbone, Illustrated by Jen Hill

Diana Hopkins lived in a white house. THE White House. World War II is in full force across the seas. It’s 1943, President Roosevelt is in office, and Diana’s father, Harry Hopkins, is his chief advisor. And Diana wants to be part of the war effort. After some well-intentioned missteps (her quarantine sign on her father’s office door was not well-received), the President requests her help with his newest plan for the country’s survival: Victory Gardens! From award-winning author Elisa Carbone comes the true story of how Diana Hopkins started her own Victory Garden on the White House lawn under the tutelage of Eleanor Roosevelt. With dedication and patience, she showed the nation that the war effort started first on the homefront.

Nominated

2017-2018 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.6

Published by Viking Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-0670016495 (HB)

Diary of a Spider

By Doreen Cronin, Illustrated by Harry Bliss

A young spider discovers, day by day, that there is a lot to learn about being a spider, including how to spin webs and avoid vacuum cleaners.

Nominated

2007-2008 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 2.5

Published by Harper Collins

ISBN# 0-06-000154-2 (PB)

Dick Whittington And His Cat

By Margaret Hodges, Illustrated by Melisande Potter

Dick uses his few pennies to buy a cat to keep him company. Little does he know how much fortune this cat will bring.

Nominated

2008-2009 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by Holiday House

ISBN# 0-8234-1987-8 (HB)

Dickens: His Work and his World

By Michael Rosen, Illustrated by Robert Ingpen

A spirited look at one of our greatest novelists, Charles Dickens, with beautiful illustrations and discussions of some of his greatest works.

Nominated

2007-2008 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 6.3

Published by Candlewick Press

ISBN# 0-7636-2752-6 (PB, HB)

Discovery at Flint Springs

By John R. Erickson

When Dr. Montrose visits their Texas ranch in the summer of 1927, brothers Riley and Coy are drawn into an archeological adventure.

Nominated

2006-2007 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Viking

ISBN# 0-670-05946-3 (HB)

Dog Whisperer:  The Rescue

By Nicholas Edwards

Emily finds a large dog outside her house that is barely alive. She helps the dog survive and realizes there is a bond between her and the dog.

Nominated

2012-2013 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by Square Fish

ISBN# 9780312367688 (PB)

Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops

By Jill Biden, Illustrated by Raúl Colón

When her father leaves for a year of being at war, Natalie knows that she will miss him. Natalie works with her Nana to send her dad and the other service men and women cookies and treats. The kindness of friends at school and church help her feel supported and loved. But there is nothing like the day when her Dad comes home at last.

Nominated

2014-2015 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 2.4

Published by Simon & Schuster

ISBN# 9781442457355 (HB)

Don’t Call Me Pig! A Javelina Story

By Conrad J. Storad, Illustrated by Beth Neely & Don Rantz

Tells in humorous rhyme the characteristics of a javelina while contrasting those of a pig.

Nominated

2006-2007 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by RGU Group

ISBN# 1-891795-03-1 (PB, HB)

Don’t Ever Cross that Road: an Armadillo Story

By Conrad J. Storad, Illustrated by Nathaniel P. Jensen

A teacher armadillo teaches his class all about how to be an armadillo. But one student in a red cap isn’t listening, or is he? Includes glossary of terms and a brief fact page about armadillos.

Nominated

2007-2008 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 4.7

Published by RGU Group

ISBN# 1-891795-08-2 (PB, HB)

Down Cut Shin Creek: the Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky

By Kathi Appelt & Jeanne Schmitzer

If you were growing up in the 1930s in the mountains of Kentucky, you’d recognize the packhorse librarian by the saddlebags filled with books, one of which might be for you!

Nominated

2003-2004 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by HarperCollins

ISBN# 0-06-029135-4 (HB)

Down Down Down

By Steve Jenkins

This book is a journey from the surface of the ocean to the bottom, discovering all that lives and exists at each level.

Nominated

2011-2012 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

ISBN# 9780547529158 (HB)

Dragons of Silk

By Laurence Yep

Silk binds the lives of four girls from generations together. Across the span of 75 years , both in China and in America, each girl shows strength and courage as she faces life’s challenges - from war, prejudice and financial hardship.

Nominated

2013-2014 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.7

Published by Harper Collins

ISBN# 9780060275181 (HB)

Drawing Lessons From A Bear

By David McPhail

A bear explains how he becomes an artist by drawing things around him and things in his imagination

Nominated

2002-2003 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Little, Brown

ISBN# 0-316-56345-5 (PB, HB)

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music

By Margarita Engle, Illustrated by Rafael López

In early 20th century Cuba, drumming was something for only boys and men. This book tells of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a girl so enamored of the drums that she even managed to change her own father’s mind, getting lessons and becoming the first well-known female drummer in Cuba, and the one to open the way for all girls after her to have the chance.

Nominated

2016-2017 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 4.2

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

ISBN# 978-0544102293 (HB)

Duck for a Day

By Meg McKinlay, Illustrated by Leila Rudge

When Abby’s class gets a pet duck named Max, she is eager to take it home overnight, since her parents will not allow her have her own pet.

Nominated

2014-2015 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Candlewick

ISBN# 9780763657840 (HB)

Duke

By Kirby Larson

In 1944 Hobie Hanson’s father is flying B-24s in Europe, so Hobie decides to donate his beloved German Shepard to Dogs for Defense in hope it will help end the war sooner.

Honor

2016-2017 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.5

Published by Scholastic

ISBN# 978-0545416375 (HB)

Dumpling Days

By Grace Lin

When Pacy, her two sisters, and their parents go to Taiwan to celebrate Grandma’s seventh birthday, the girls learn a lot about their heritage.

Nominated

2014-2015 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Little, Brown Books

ISBN# 9780316125895 (PB)

Eaglet’s World

By Evelyn Minshull, Illustrated by Andrea Gabriel

A baby bald eagle is reluctant to take each new step in his growth, but the day comes when he is able to fly and see beyond his parents’ nest.

Honor

2004-2005 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Albert Whitman

ISBN# 0-8075-8929-2 (PB, HB)

Eclipse of the Jaguar

By Richard Trout

During a family trip 13 year old R.O. and his friend are kidnapped in Belize by looters. The family of R.O. uses unique skills and talents to rescue them.

Nominated

2014-2015 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 5.8

Published by Pelican

ISBN# 9781589808720 (HB)

Edward’s Eyes

By Patricia MacLachlan

When a talented young boy dies
suddenly, his loving family donates his organs, and his brother learns to see him in the life of an unexpected recipient.

Nominated

2009-2010 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 3.0

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 1416927441 (HB)

El Lector

By William Durbin

Fifteen cigar workers were arrested in front of Ybor City’s Labor Temple on November 7, 1931, and charged with “unlawful assembly, rioting, and assault to commit murder.”

Nominated

2008-2009 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 4.4

Published by Random House Children's Books

ISBN# 9780385746519 (HB)

Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World

By Elizabeth Rusch, Illustrated by Olivia Dominguez

Always fascinated by this thing called electricity, he eventually proved that AC, not DC, was the wave of the future. Tesla is that often overlooked genius who left a stunning legacy in his field.

Nominated

2016-2017 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.3

Published by Candlewick

ISBN# 978-0763658557 (HB)

Eliza’s Cherry Trees: Japan’s Gift to America

By Andrea Zimmerman, Illustrated by Ju Hong Chen

Picture -book biography of Eliza Scidmore who become the first woman photographer for the National Geographic Society and how she reached her dream of bringing cherry trees from Japan to Washington D.C.

Nominated

2013-2014 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by Pelican

ISBN# 9781589809543 (HB)

Elizabeth Taylor’s Nibbles & Me

By Elizabeth Taylor, Illustrated by 0-689-85334-3

Originally published in 1946, the actress records the antics of a menagerie of animals & her special pet chipmunk while filming The Courage of Lassie.

Nominated

2004-2005 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Simon & Schuster

ISBN# 0-689-85334-3 (HB)

Ella the Elegant Elephant

By Carmella & Steven D’Amico

Ella is nervous about the first day of school in her new town, but wearing her grandmother’s good luck hat makes her feel better – until the other students tease her and call her names.

Honor

2006-2007 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Arthur A. Levine Books

ISBN# 0-439-62792-3 (HB)

Ellie, Engineer

By Jackson Pearce, Illustrated by Tuesday Mourning

Ellie is an engineer. With a tool belt strapped over her favorite skirt (who says you can’t wear a dress and have two kinds of screwdrivers handy, just in case?), she invents and builds amazing creations in her backyard workshop. Together with her best friend Kit, Ellie can make anything. As Kit’s birthday nears, Ellie doesn’t know what gift to make until the girls overhear Kit’s mom talking about her present—the dog Kit always wanted! Ellie plans to make an amazing doghouse, but her plans grow so elaborate that she has to enlist help from the neighbor boys and crafty girls, even though the two groups don’t get along. Will Ellie be able to pull off her biggest project yet, all while keeping a secret from Kit?

Nominated

2019-2020 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.5

Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

ISBN# 978-1681195193 (HB)

Elsie May Has Something to Say

By Nancy Cavanaugh

Elsie Mae is pretty sure this’ll be the best summer ever. She gets to explore the cool, quiet waters of the Okefenokee Swamp around her grandparents’ house with her new dog, Huck, and she’s written a letter to President Roosevelt that she’s confident will save the swamp from a shipping company and make her a major hometown hero. Then, news reaches Elsie Mae of some hog bandits stealing from swamper families, and she sees another opportunity to make her family proud while waiting to hear back from the White House. But when her cousin Henry James, who dreams of one day becoming a traveling preacher like his daddy, shows up and just about ruins her investigation with his ‘Hallelujahs,’ Elsie Mae will learn the hard way what it really means to be a hero.

Nominated

2018-2019 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

ISBN# 978-1492640226 (HB)

Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah

By Laurie Ann Thompson, Illustrated by Sean Qualls

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.

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.4

Published by Schwartz & Wade

ISBN# 978-0449817452 (HB)

Enormous Smallness: The Story of E.E. Cummings

By Matthew Burgess, Illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo

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.

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.2

Published by Enchanted Lion Books

ISBN# 978-1592701711 (HB)

Escape Across the Wide Sea

By Katherine Kirkpatrick

After escaping religious persecution in France in 1686, a young boy & his parents come to New York and help establish the town of New Rochelle, New York.

Nominated

2006-2007 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Holiday House

ISBN# 0-8234-1854-5 (HB)

Escaping the Giant Wave

By Peg Kehret

When an earthquake creates a tsunami while thirteen-year-old Kyle is babysitting his sister during a family vacation at a Pacific Coast resort, he tries to save his sister and a boy who has bullied him for years.

Winner

2005-2006 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Simon & Schuster

ISBN# 0-689-85272-X (HB)

Every Little Seed

By Cynthia Schumerth, Illustrated by Elisa Paganelli

Grandpa told Mom, and Mom told me: The secret of a plant lives in every little seed. Seeds are truly amazing! Did you know that every seed, no matter how small (microscopic) or large (weighing up to 14 pounds), contains everything it needs to one day grow into a plant? Three generations of a gardening family work together to bring a backyard garden to full bloom.

Nominated

2024-2025 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Sleeping Bear Press

ISBN# 978-1534112698 (HB)

Buy  Every Little Seed on Amazon

Everything for a Dog

By Ann M. Martin

Charlie is a boy who suffered a terrible loss and he is healing with the help of his dog. Bone is a stray dog that has been separated from his sister and is alone. Henry has wanted a dog of his own and he still can’t get one even when his best friend moves away. Each has his own troubles, but their stories connect in a surprising way.

Nominated

2011-2012 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by Square Fish

ISBN# 9780312674847 (PB)

Exodus

By Brian Wildsmith

With the author’s beautiful illustrations as background, he describes one of the greatest stories in the Bible: God sends Moses to lead His people out of Egypt and into the promised land of Canaan.

Nominated

2001-2002 Gallery Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Eerdmans

ISBN# 0-8028-5175-4 (HB)

Extra Credit

By Andrew Clements, Illustrated by Mark Elliott

Sixth grader Abby, tenth grader Amira, and eleven-year-old Sadeed speak and listen to one another as they exchange letters between Illinois and Afghanistan across cultural and religious divides.

Nominated

2011-2012 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 9781416949312 (PB)

Eye Of The Storm

By Stephen Kramer

Storm chaser Warren Fraidley discusses the techniques, dangers, and difficulties of photographing lightning, tornadoes, and hurricanes. He gives tips on storm safety and the glossary includes a bibliography.

Nominated

2000-2001 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Putnam

ISBN# 0-399-23029-7 (PB, HB)

Eyes Like Willy’s

By Juanita Havill

Willy, a German boy enjoys friendship during several summers in Austria with two French siblings until World War I puts them on opposing sides.

Honor

2006-2007 Lamplighter Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by HarperCollins

ISBN# 0-688-13673-7 (PB)

Fair Weather

By Richard Peck

In 1893, Rosie’s family travel to Chicago to attend a fair and they meet the legendary Buffalo Bill.

Nominated

2003-2004 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Dial Press

ISBN# 0-8037-2516-7 (PB, HB)