Oscar Indigo has never been good at baseball, so naturally he’s nervous when he has to fill in for his team’s injured All-Star, Lourdes. Luckily, Oscar has a mysterious gold watch that can stop time, which he uses to fake a game-winning home run. Now Oscar’s the underdog hero of his town and even Lourdes wants to be his friend.
2019-2020 Lamplighter Award
Reading Level: 4.9
Published by HarperCollins
Copyright November 7, 2017
ISBN# 978-0062377494 (HB)
In Under Their Skin, twins Nick and Eryn successfully met their new stepsiblings, Ava and Jackson. But in doing so, the twins found themselves on a mission to discover how to prevent humanity from facing certain doom.
2019-2020 Lamplighter Award
Reading Level: 5.3
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Copyright April 11, 2017
ISBN# 978-1481417617 (HB)
Molly Ayer has been in foster care since she was eight years old. Most of the time, Molly knows it’s her attitude that’s the problem, but after being shipped from one family to another, she’s had her fair share of adults treating her like an inconvenience. So when Molly’s forced to help a wealthy elderly woman clean out her attic for community service, Molly is wary. But from the moment they meet, Molly realizes that Vivian isn’t like any of the adults she’s encountered before. Vivian asks Molly questions about her life and actually listens to the answers.
2019-2020 Lamplighter Award
Reading Level: 4.5
Published by HarperCollins; Young Readers' ed. edition
Copyright May 2, 2017
ISBN# 978-0062445940 (HB)
Chaya Lindner is a teenager living in Nazi-occupied Poland. Simply being Jewish places her in danger of being killed or sent to the camps. After her little sister is taken away, her younger brother disappears, and her parents all but give up hope, Chaya is determined to make a difference. Using forged papers and her fair features, Chaya becomes a courier and travels between the Jewish ghettos of Poland, smuggling food, papers, and even people. Soon Chaya joins a resistance cell that runs raids on the Nazis’ supplies. But after a mission goes terribly wrong, Chaya’s network shatters. She is alone and unsure of where to go, until Esther, a member of her cell, finds her and delivers a message that chills Chaya to her core, and sends her on a journey toward an even larger uprising in the works—in the Warsaw Ghetto.
2019-2020 Lamplighter Award
Reading Level: 5.8
Published by Scholastic Press
Copyright August 28, 2018
ISBN# 978-1338148473 (HB)
From her early days running in Jamaica to her final race, Sanya shares the importance of determination, courage and faith. She uses the 4 Ps—push, pace, position and poise—a model created by her coach, Clyde Hart, to approach and tackle every obstacle. In her book, Sanya reveals how these strategies have helped her and will help kids learn how to run their best race in life. Run with Me is Sanya’s story—her wins and her losses—chronicling her unique triumphs and trials with fame, family and faith. Written purposely for the 8-12 audience, this book will inspire kids to pursue their dreams at full speed.
2019-2020 Lamplighter Award
Reading Level: 0.0
Published by Zondervan
Copyright June 6, 2017
ISBN# 978-0310761211 (HB)
CJ is a runner—and when he’s running, he’s fast, free, and flying. It was Grandad who taught him to run, and who did a lot more, besides. Grandad always made sure things were in order around CJ’s house, because his parents could not. CJ’s parents are different, and because they do not have the tools to cope with certain elements of everyday life, it was Grandad who reviewed the water bill, saw to it that the electricity meter had funds, and kept everything else shipshape. But now, with Grandad’s sudden passing and Aunt Joan about to have a baby, CJ knows it’s up to him to make sure Mum and Dad are okay and to keep the household going. It would be a hard job for any adult, but for a kid who’s also starting middle-school and trying to impress the gruff track coach . . . is staying afloat even possible?
2019-2020 Lamplighter Award
Reading Level: 0.0
Published by Holiday House
Copyright November 18, 2018
ISBN# 978-0823438402 (HB)
Juliet has just moved to a beachside town with her newly separated mother and her moody older sister. When she meets their new neighbor, Emma, the girls form an instant bond. Emma’s big family takes Juliet in, and the girls have fun together—starting with the night they throw bottles with secret messages into the sea.
2019-2020 Lamplighter Award
Reading Level: 3.8
Published by Scholastic Press
Copyright June 26, 2018
ISBN# 978-1338195743 (HB)
Claire Martinson still worries about her older sister Sophie, who battled a mysterious illness last year. But things are back to normal as they move into Windermere Manor . . . until the sisters climb a strange ladder in a fireplace and enter the magical land of Arden. There, they find a world in turmoil. The four guilds of magic no longer trust each other, the beloved unicorns have disappeared, and terrible wraiths roam freely. Scared, the girls return home. But when Sophie vanishes in the night, it will take all of Claire’s courage to climb back up the ladder, find her sister, and uncover the unicorns’ greatest secret.
2019-2020 Lamplighter Award
Reading Level: 5.4
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Copyright January 30, 2018
ISBN# 978-1681192451 (HB)
