Filtered Results for All years, Crown

A Bear Named Trouble

By Marion Dane Bauer

In Anchorage, Alaska, two lonely youngsters make a connection – a brown bear injured just after his mother sends him out on his own, and a human whose father is the new keeper at the Alaska Zoo and whose mother and sister are still in Minnesota.

Nominated

2007-2008 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by Clarion

ISBN# 0-618-51738-3 (HB)

A Boy Called Dickens

By Deborah Hopkinson, Illustrated by John Hendrix

Narrates the tale of twelve-year-old Charles Dickens who, despite poverty and long hours of factory work, still has time to discover and share the stories of other residents of 1824 London.

Nominated

2014-2015 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Schwartz and Wade

ISBN# 9780375867323 (HB)

A Butterfly is Patient

By Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long

This is the third of four in this team’s fabulously beautiful nonfiction series about the world of butterflies.

Nominated

2013-2014 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by Chronicle

ISBN# 978-0811864794 (PB)

A Caldecott Celebration

By Leonard S. Marcus

Step into the studios of several acclaimed illustrators and see how their Caldecott Medal-winning books were created. This unique account spans 60 years of picture-book illustration history.

Nominated

2000-2001 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Walker

ISBN# 0-8027-8656-1 (HB)

A Doctor Like Papa

By Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, Illustrated by James Bernardin

When an outbreak of the flu comes to Vermont in 1918, eleven-year-old Margaret aspires to be a doctor just like her papa.

Nominated

2004-2005 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by HarperCollins

ISBN# 0-06-029319-5 (PB, HB)

A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray

By Ann. M. Martin

Squirrel, a young puppy, tells her story, from her nurturing mother and brother to making her own way in the world, facing busy highways, changing seasons, and humans both gentle and brutal.

Nominated

2007-2008 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.1

Published by Scholastic

ISBN# 0-439-71559-8 (HB)

A River of Words

By Jen Bryant, Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

William Carlos Williams’ words gave him freedom and peace, but he also needed to earn a living. When he grew up he became a doctor, but he never stopped writing poetry.

Nominated

2010-2011 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company

ISBN# 9780802853028 (HB)

A Wild Life

By Jeff Corwin

Jeff Corwin shares his story of how his love for all animals such as snakes and turtles developed his interest in the conservation of endangered species and ecosystems around the world.

Nominated

2011-2012 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

ISBN# 9780142414033 (PB)

Abby Takes a Stand

By Patricia C. McKissack, Illustrated by Gordon C. James

Gee recalls for her grandchildren what happened in 1960 in Nashville, Tennessee, when she, aged ten, passed out flyers while her cousins and other adults held sit-ins at restaurants and lunch counters to protest segregation.

Nominated

2007-2008 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.6

Published by Viking

ISBN# 0-670-06011-9 (PB, HB)

Adventures with Waffles

By Maria Parr

Hardly a day passes without Trille and Lena inventing some kind of adventure that often ends in trouble. Whether it’s coaxing a cow onto a boat or sledding down the steepest and iciest hill with a chicken, there is always a thrill and sometimes an injury to be had. Trille loves to share everything with Lena, even Auntie Granny’s waffles. But when Lena has to move away and Auntie Granny leaves the world, it sometimes seems like nothing will ever be right again. The warmth of friendship and the support of family suffuse this lightly illustrated novel, proving that when times are tough, a little taste of sweetness can make all the difference.

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.8

Published by Candlewick Press

ISBN# 978-0763672812 (HB)

Africa is My Home: A Child of the Amistad

By Monica Edinger, Illustrated by Robert Byrd

This story is based on a real person,nine-year-old Magulu, who is captured in Africa and sold into slavery in New England. Her life is followed until she, as an adult, becomes a teacher in her beloved homeland.

Nominated

2016-2017 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.3

Published by Candlewick

ISBN# 978-0763650384 (PB, HB)

Also Known As Harper

By Ann Haywood Leal

Fifth grader Harper Lee Morgan writes poetry and aspires to enter a contest, but her family’s financial troubles are getting in the way.

Nominated

2011-2012 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by Square Fish

ISBN# 9780312659349 (PB)

Always and Forever

By Alan Durant, Illustrated by Debi Gliori

A family of forest animals learns to cope with the death of a beloved friend.

Nominated

2005-2006 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Harcourt

ISBN# 0-15-216636-X (HB)

Amber: The Story of a Red Fox

By Shirley Woods, Illustrated by Celia Godkin

The story of a young fox, from her first month to an independent life with a family of her own.

Nominated

2006-2007 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside

ISBN# 1-55041-811-4 (PB, HB)

America’s White Table

By Margot Theis Raven, Illustrated by Mike Benny

Because their Uncle John is a POW in Vietnam, three children set a special table in his memory & of others fallen or MIA.

Nominated

2006-2007 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Sleeping Bear Press

ISBN# 1-58536-216-6 (HB)

An Orange for Frankie

By Patricia Polacco

Frankie and his eight brothers and sisters learn lessons about giving, family, and tradition during a snowy Michigan Christmas long ago.

Nominated

2006-2007 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Philomel

ISBN# 0-399-24302-X (PB, HB)

Angel Tree

By Daphne Benedis-Grab

Every Christmas in the small town of Pine River, a tree appears in the town square—the Angel Tree. Some people tie wishes to the tree, while others make those wishes come true. Nobody’s ever known where the tree comes from, but the mystery has always been part of the tradition’s charm. This year, however, four kids who have been helped—Lucy, Joe, Max, and Cami—are determined to solve the mystery and find out the true identity of the town’s guardian angel, so that Pine River can finally thank the person who brought the Angel Tree to their town.

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.7

Published by Scholastic Press

ISBN# 978-0545613781 (HB)

Animal Heroes

By Sandra Markle

These are heartwarming, true stories of how dogs, cats, cows, monkeys, and even dolphins use their normal senses or special training to help people in trouble or in need all over the world.

Nominated

2010-2011 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by Lerner Publishing Group

ISBN# 9780822578840 (HB)

Animals Nobody Loves

By Seymour Simon

With striking photographs, the author reveals the truth about nature’s grossest, fiercest, most fascinating and yet most misunderstood animals.

Nominated

2003-2004 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by SeaStar

ISBN# 1-58717-079-5 (PB, HB)

Anna the Bookbinder

By Andrea Cheng, Illustrated by Ted Rand

Anna loves to watch her father at his bookbinding business. When he is unable to finish an important client’s books, Anna is determined to take matters into her own hands.

Nominated

2005-2006 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Walker

ISBN# 0-8027-8831-9 (HB)

Anna Was Here

By Jane Kurtz

Three generations of the Nickel family reunite, when Anna, her mom, dad, and younger sister Isabella, relocate to Oakwood, Kansas.

Nominated

2016-2017 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by HarperCollins

ISBN# 978-0060564933 (HB)

Anne Frank

By Josephine Poole, Illustrated by Angela Barrett

A biography of Anne Frank, written and illustrated for younger children.

Nominated

2007-2008 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.1

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-0375832420 (PB, HB)

Annie Henry and the Birth of Liberty

By Susan O’Lasky

In 1775 Patrick Henry’s ten-year-old daughter, Annie, tries to concentrate on her day-to-day activities but is increasingly caught up in her father’s role in the colonists’ growing unrest. This title was on the Crown list in 1994 and has been republished as a set of four books. By request from the publisher an endorsement was given by Sandra Morrow, the originator of the Children’s Crown Awards.

Nominated

2013-2014 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by P & R Publishing

ISBN# 9781596383753 (PB)

Annie’s War

By Jacqueline Levering Sullivan

Jack Plank Tells Tales, by Natalie Babbitt, RL 5. An out-of-work pirate, Jack Plank, comes ashore to look for a different line of work, but every night he explains how each non-sailing career he has investigated just won’t work for him.

Nominated

2009-2010 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by Eerdmans Books

ISBN# 802853544 (PB)

Another Day as Emily

By Eileen Spinelli, Illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff

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?

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.2

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 978-0449809884 (PB)

Ark In The Park

By Wendy Orr

Sophie and Mr. and Mrs. Noah, owners of a pet store, become special friends as they share their love for animals.

Nominated

2002-2003 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Holt

ISBN# 0-8050-6221-1 (PB, HB)

Ask Albert Einstein

By Lynne Barasch

In 1952, a young girl writes a letter to Albert Einstein, the most famous mathematician and scientist of the day, to request help for her fifteen- year-old sister, Annabel, in solving a very important math problem. A fictionalized story based on an actual event that appeared in The New York Times in May 1952.

Nominated

2007-2008 Crown Award

Reading Level: 3.6

Published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux

ISBN# 0-374-30435-1 (HB)

B is for Bookworm: A Library Alphabet

By Anita C. Prieto, Illustrated by Renee Graef

A guided A – Z tour through the institution called the “library”, including its earliest forms, systems and practices, famous booklovers and librarians, and even definitions of basic book components.

Nominated

2007-2008 Crown Award

Reading Level: 6.1

Published by Sleeping Bear Press

ISBN# 1-58536-145-3 (PB, HB)

Back to School with Betsy

By Carolyn Haywood

Third grader Betsy and her friend Billy seem to be always getting into scrapes both inside and outside of school.

Nominated

2006-2007 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Harcourt

ISBN# 0-15-205105-8 (HB)

Bear Dogs: Canines With a Mission

By Ted Wood

These 50-pound bundles of energy and courage routinely take on 400-pound grizzlies to steer problem bears away from trouble.

Nominated

2003-2004 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Walker

ISBN# 0-8027-8759-2 (HB)

Because of the Rabbit

By Cynthia Lord

On the last night of summer, Emma tags along with her game warden father on a routine call. They’re supposed to rescue a wild rabbit from a picket fence, but instead they find a little bunny. Emma convinces her father to bring him home for the night. The next day, Emma starts public school for the very first time after years of being homeschooled. More than anything, Emma wants to make a best friend in school. But things don’t go as planned. On the first day of school, she’s paired with a boy named Jack for a project. He can’t stay on topic, he speaks out of turn, and he’s obsessed with animals. Jack doesn’t fit in, and Emma’s worried he’ll make her stand out. Emma and Jack bond over her rescue rabbit. But will their new friendship keep Emma from finding the new best friend she’s meant to have?

Nominated

2020-2021 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.3

Published by Scholastic Press

ISBN# 978-0545914246 (HB)

Becoming Joe DiMaggio

By Maria Testa, Illustrated by Scott Hunt

The highlight of Joseph Paul’s growing up years was listening to baseball games on the radio & learning the rules of the game at his grandfather’s knee.

Nominated

2004-2005 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Candlewick

ISBN# 0-7636-1537-4 (PB, HB)

Ben and the Sudden Too-Big Family

By Colby Rodowsky, Illustrated by Michael Wertz

Ten-year-old Ben thinks he and his father make a “cool” family, but Ben has to rethink what is “all right” and “not all right” when his father remarries and adopts a baby from China.

Nominated

2009-2010 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

ISBN# 9780374706876 (HB)

Beyond Me

By Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu

In the aftermath of the natural disasters that have struck her country, eleven-year-old Maya is luckier than many. Her family didn’t lose their home, their lives, or each other. But Maya still can’t help feeling paralyzed with terror, and each aftershock that ripples out in the days that follow makes her fear all over again that her luck could change in an instant.

Nominated

2021-2022 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Atheneum Books

ISBN# 9781481437899 (HB)

Buy  Beyond Me on Amazon

Billy Miller Makes A Wish

By Kevin Henkes

On his eighth birthday, Billy Miller wishes for something exciting to happen. None of his wishes are answered the way he expects, but he does have lots of surprises, and the final one is possibly the best one ever.

Nominated

2023-2024 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.1

Published by Greenwillow Books

ISBN# 978-0063042797 (HB)

Buy  Billy Miller Makes A Wish on Amazon

Bird Boy

By Elizabeth Hill

Chang cannot talk, at least not to people. The only sounds he can make are the squawks and caws of the cormorants that his father trains for fishing. Chang loves birds, and he is thrilled when he is finally old enough to join his father on important fishing trips.

Nominated

2001-2002 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by FSG

ISBN# 0-374-30723-7 (PB, HB)

Black All Around

By Patricia Hubbell, Illustrated by Don Tate

An African American girl ponders the many black things around her, from the inside of her pocket to the cozy night where there is no light.

Nominated

2005-2006 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Lee & Low

ISBN# 1-58430-048-5 (PB)

Black Nell

By Shirley Woods

This is the story of the first year of Nell and her four coyote siblings. Her black coat makes her a hunter’s prize. So not only must she learn how to feed herself, but also about the dangers that humans thrust upon all wildlife.

Nominated

2001-2002 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Groundwood

ISBN# 0-88899-318-8 (PB, HB)

Black Whiteness

By Robert Burleigh

Admiral Richard Byrd stayed alone on the continent of Antarctica for almost six months in 1934. He battled the elements, the loneliness, and an illness that nearly killed him, all the while continuing to record his scientific observations.

Nominated

2000-2001 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Atheneum

ISBN# 0-689-81299-X (PB, HB)

Bluffton: My Summers with Buster Keaton

By Matt Phelan

During a typically boring summer in a small town, a vaudeville troupe with various exotic animals, come to stay at a nearby lake. Henry meets Buster Keaton, a real performer a long time ago, and exciting things begin to happen.

Nominated

2016-2017 Crown Award

Reading Level: 2.5

Published by Candlewick

ISBN# 978-0763650797 (HB)

Born in the Breezes: The Seafaring Life of Joshua Slocum

By Kathryn Lasky, Illustrated by Walter Lyon Krudop

In 1895, a former sea captain attempts to be the first to sail around the world in his rebuilt sloop.

Nominated

2003-2004 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Orchard

ISBN# 0-439-29305-7 (HB)

A Boy Called Bat

By Elana K. Arnold, Illustrated by Charles Santoso

For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life tends to be full of surprises—some of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Bat’s mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter. But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he’s got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet.

Nominated

2019-2020 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.6

Published by Walden Pond Press

ISBN# 978-0062445827 (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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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.

Nominated

2023-2024 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.4

Published by Starscape

ISBN# 978-1250163387 (HB)

Buy  Cooper’s Story on Amazon

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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 Mae 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)

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)

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)

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)

Faith, Hope, and Ivy Jane

By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Seventh graders Ivy June and Catherine participate in an exchange program showing that although their lifestyles are total opposites they have a lot in common.

Nominated

2011-2012 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.0

Published by Random House Children's Books

ISBN# 9780375844911 (PB)

Fear Itself

By Andrew Clements, Illustrated by Adam Stower

In book 2, past Keepers have left clues that must be decoded by Ben and Jill to thwart the efforts of an evil custodian.

Nominated

2013-2014 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.0

Published by Atheneum

ISBN# 9781416939085 (PB)

Fifty Cents and a Dream

By Jabari Asim, Illustrated by Bryan Collier

Although born a slave, Booker T. Washington turned a dream of learning to read and write into a reality, and in doing so became a legendary educator of freedom.

Nominated

2015-2016 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.9

Published by Little, Brown

ISBN# 0316086576 (HB)

Finding Narnia: The Story of C.S. Lewis and His Brother

By Caroline McAlister , Illustrated by Jessica Lanan

Before C.S. Lewis wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, he was a young boy named Jack who spent his days dreaming up stories of other worlds filled with knights, castles, and talking animals. His brother, Warnie, spent his days imagining worlds filled with trains, boats, and technology. One rainy day, they found a wardrobe in a little room next to the attic, and they wondered, What if the wardrobe had no end?

Nominated

2021-2022 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.5

Published by Roaring Book Press

ISBN# 9781626726581 (HB)

Buy  Finding Narnia: The Story of C.S. Lewis and His Brother on Amazon

Fireflies In The Dark

By Susan Rubin

Friedl Dicker taught art to Jewish children at a concentration camp during WW II, and many of their paintings are included.

Nominated

2002-2003 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Holiday House

ISBN# 0-8234-1461-2 (PB, HB)

Fleabrain Loves Franny

By Joanne Rocklin

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.

Nominated

2017-2018 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.3

Published by Harry N. Abrams

ISBN# 978-1419716768 (PB)

Fly High!: The Story of Bessie Coleman

By Louise Borden & Mary Kay Kroeger, Illustrated by Teresa Flavin

This book discusses the life of the determined African American woman who went all the way to France in order to earn her pilot’s license in 1921.

Nominated

2003-2004 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Simon & Schuster

ISBN# 0-689-82457-2 (HB)

Flying the Dragon

By Natalie Dias Lorenzi

Hiroshi and his family move from Japan to Virginia near family. Skye, a cousin, and Hiroshi have to learn about cultural differences before they can enjoy the heritage they share, which includes kite flying.

Nominated

2015-2016 Crown Award

Reading Level: 4.1

Published by Charlesbridge

ISBN# 1580894348 (PB, HB)

Friends of Liberty

By Beatrice Gormley

Sally Gifford, a Patriot shoemaker’s daughter, tries to maintain her close relationship with Kitty Lawton, the daughter of a Loyalist as pre-Revolutionary war tensions increase and push them apart.

Nominated

2016-2017 Crown Award

Reading Level: 5.7

Published by Eerdmans

ISBN# 978-0802854186 (HB)

From the Good Mountain: How Gutenberg Changed the World

By James Rumford

Written as a series of riddles, this title will intrigue readers of all ages. Every pagehas something surprising to learn about how the very thing you hold in your hand came to be.

Nominated

2014-2015 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Roaring Brook

ISBN# 9781596435421 (HB)

Fur-ever yours, Booker Jones

By Betsy Duffey

Booker Jones turns to his writing once again to deal with the stress of his parents’ decision to vacation together, leaving family and laundry behind.

Nominated

2003-2004 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by Viking

ISBN# 0-670-89287-4 (PB, HB)

Georgie Lee

By Sharon Phillips Denslow, Illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins

A young boy and his grandmother share all sorts of adventures on her farm with her cat, Boot, and her mysterious cow, Georgie Lee.

Nominated

2004-2005 Crown Award

Reading Level: 0.0

Published by HarperCollins

ISBN# 0-688-17940-1 (HB)

Godspeed, John Glenn

By Richard Hilliard

Richard Hilliard tells the story of John Glenn who becomes the first American astronaut to orbit the earth.

Nominated

2008-2009 Crown Award

Reading Level: 7.2

Published by Boyds Mills Press

ISBN# 1-59078-384-0 (HB)