New Books For Missouri Students

Transcription

M I S S O U R I
S T A T E
T E A C H E R S
A S S O C I A T I O N
2015
New Books For
Missouri Students
For more information about the MSTA Reading Circle,
call 800-392-0532 or visit www.msta.org/readingcircle.
New Books
For Missouri
Students
An annotated list of selected books for schools from the Reading Circle Committee of
the Missouri State Teachers Association
This recommended reading list has been prepared as a service for Missouri educators
by the Reading Circle Committee of the Missouri State Teachers Association. It is the
committee’s intent that this publication assists educators in:
• Ordering books for school and classroom libraries.
• Encouraging summer reading programs.
• Helping parents who are looking for good reading suggestions.
• Planning literature programs.
In addition to providing this recommended reading list, the committee sponsors the
Reading Circle Certificate program. Missouri students who read a specified number
of books become eligible to receive a Reading Circle Certificate from MSTA. Students
who earn certificates for five years are issued lifetime memberships in the Reading
Circle.
For more information about the Reading Circle Certificate program, visit www.
msta.org/resources/readingcircle. On the website, you’ll find the program’s policies
and procedures, as well as Reading Circle Certificate originals. You will also find
downloadable materials.
For additional assistance in implementing the program, contact the MSTA Member
Care Center at 800-392-0532 or membercare@msta.org.
NEW BOOKS FOR MISSOURI STUDENTS
©2015 Missouri State Teachers Association
P.O. BOX 458, COLUMBIA, MO 65205
800-392-0532
Materials evaluated in this publication were contributed by the publishers at no charge to MSTA.
CONTENTS
Preschool/Kindergarten................................................................................. 5
Primary, 1-4.........................................................................................................10
Intermediate, 5-8..............................................................................................22
Senior, 9-12..........................................................................................................29
Missouri award-nominated books..........................................................36
Show–Me Award nominees....................................................................36
Mark Twain Award nominees.................................................................37
Truman Award nominees........................................................................38
Gateway Award nominees......................................................................39
Missouri Building Block................................................................................40
National Award nominated books..........................................................41
Reading Circle Committee
Brenda Steffens
Debbie Anderson
Jenn Baldwin
Lysha Thompson
Sarah Kohnle
Heather Erickson
Chair, Morgan Co. R-1
Waynesville R-6 (retired)
Jasper R-5
Miller Co. R-3
Staff liaison
North Callaway Co. R-1
Key to abbreviations
ALA............................... ALA Notable Books for the current year
BB.................................. Best Books
BCCB............................ Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
BL.................................. Booklist
HB................................. Horn Book
KR.................................. Kirkus Reviews
LMC.............................. Library Media Connection
OSTB............................ Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children
SLJ................................ School Library Journal
PW................................ Publisher’s Weekly
Schneider................. Schneider Family Book Award
Caldecott.................. Caldecott Medal
Newbery.................... Newbery Medal
CS King....................... Coretta Scott King Book Award
PCA-color.................. Parent’s Choice Award, gold/silver
Greenaway............... Kate Greenaway Medal
Seuss........................... Theodore Seuss Geisel Award
* indicates a starred review (a book of distinction)
Missouri School
Read-In Day
FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016
Celebrate reading with these ideas:
• Invite an author to your school
• Skype with an author and or illustrator — http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com
• Invite either older or younger students to read to your class
• Invite “celebrity” readers from the community to come and read to your class
• Skype with another class in another town in
Missouri
• Create posters featuring reading
• Create bookmarks showcasing favorite books
• Create a display
• Host an election of the favorite book
• Host a school-wide assembly
• Have students produce their own video book
trailers
• Produce a video of students saying “I Love
This Book” holding their favorite book. Show this video during lunch.
• Host a book fair during this week
• Host a book swap where students bring in a book and swap for a different book
• Students can write a paper on “If I could be any book character I would be….”
• Interview family members on their favorite books when they were in school
• Dress up as your favorite book character
Check the Reading Circle webpage at www.msta.org/readingcircle for more ideas and free downloads. PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN
PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN
B Is for Box—The Happy Little Yellow Box: A Pop-Up Book, by David Carter.
Simon & Schuster, ©2014. From a crawling caterpillar, to a meteor flying over the
moon, to a wintertime wink, this book teaches the alphabet using a delightful
smiling character and engaging elements such as pull-tabs, pop-ups and other
moving parts. [Fic] (alphabet)
Bad Bye, Good Bye, by Deborah Underwood. Houghton Mifflin, ©2014.
Illustrations and simple, rhyming text follow a family as they move to a new town.
[Fic] (moving, stories in rhyme) (*ALA)
Bear Sees Colors, by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman. Simon &
Schuster, ©2014. While taking a walk with Mouse, Bear meets many other friends
and sees colors everywhere. [Fic] (colors, bears, friendships, stories in rhymes)
Big Bug, by Henry Cole. Simon & Schuster, ©2014. Beginning with a bug, various
objects are revealed as being big and small in comparison with other objects on a
farm under the big, big sky. [Fic] (bugs, farm life, size)
Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and Their Parents, by Lita Judge. Roaring
Brook Press, ©2014. Depicts common mammalian traits through illustrations to
explain how numerous animal and human babies share many of the same needs.
[591.3] (animals, babies) (*SLJ)
Breathe, by Scott Magoon. Simon & Schuster, ©2014. A young whale enjoys its first
day of independence. [Fic] (whales) (*KR)
Construction, by Sally Sutton. Candlewick Press, ©2014. Big machines and their
drivers work together to build a library. [Fic] (construction, stories in rhymes,
libraries) (*SLJ)
Countablock, by Christopher Franceschelli. Harry N. Abrams Inc., ©2014. Teaches
the numbers from one to 100 by showing how a certain number of objects can
become something else, from one acorn growing into an oak tree to 100 puzzle
pieces becoming one large puzzle. [Fic] (counting, board book)
Dino Shapes, by Suse MacDonald. Simon Schuster, ©2014. Introduces young
readers to shapes, using die-cut pages to gradually reveal the parts of a very large
creature that lived a long time ago. [516] (shapes, dinosaurs, board book)
Emily’s Blue Period, by Cathleen Daly, illustrated by Lisa Brown. Roaring Brook
Press, ©2014. After her parents get divorced, Emily finds comfort in making and
learning about art. [Fic] (divorce, art) (*SLJ)
The Farmer’s Away! Baa! Neigh! by Anne Vittur Kennedy. Candlewick Press,
©2014. A rhythmic story features a noisy menagerie of mischievous animals who go
picnicking, jet skiing, and ballroom dancing in the farmer’s absence. [Fic] (farms,
animal sounds, stories in rhyme) (ALA)
5
Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems, by Paul Janeczko, illustrated by Melissa
Sweet. Candlewick Press, ©2014. Presents a collection of short poems about each
season written to demonstrate how a few carefully chosen words and images can
invoke powerful messages. [808.81] (poetry, seasons) (ALA)
Flight School, by Lita Judge. Atheneum, ©2014. Little Penguin, who has the “soul of
an eagle,” enrolls in flight school. [Fic] (penguin, flight) (*SLJ)
Gaston, by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Christian Robinson. Atheneum, ©2014.
A proper bulldog raised in a poodle family, and a tough poodle raised in a bulldog
family, meet one day in the park. [Fic] (bulldogs, poodles, individuality) (*ALA)
(*KR)
The Girl and the Bicycle, by Mark Pett. Simon & Schuster, ©2014. A wordless
picture book in which a girl sees a bicycle she wants to buy, works hard for a kindly
neighbor to earn the money for it, then gets a pleasant surprise. [Fic] (bicycle,
friendship, stories without words)
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, by Trixie Belle, illlustrated by Oliver Lake.
Henry Holt & Co., ©2014. The classic fairytale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears in
nearly wordless format. [398.2] (Les Petits Series) (fairy tales, bears)
Goatilocks and the Three Bears, by Erica Perl, illustrated by Arthur Howard.
Simon & Schuster, ©2014. In this version of the classic tale, a hungry goat pays a
visit to the home of the three bears. (folklore, bears)
The Great Thanksgiving Escape, by Mark Fearing. Candlewick Press, ©2014.
Gavin, preparing for a boring Thanksgiving Day with his relatives, joins his cousin’s
effort to escape to the swing set in the backyard, a journey marked by sweaterwearing dogs, affectionate aunts, and grownups of inconvenient height. [Fic]
(Thanksgiving Day, families)
Here Comes the Easter Cat, by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Claudia
Rueda. Dial, ©2014. When Cat tries to replace the Easter Bunny, he soon learns that
the job is much harder than he expected, and does not allow time for naps. [Fic]
(Easter Bunny, cats) (*SLJ, *KR)
Honk, Honk! Baa, Baa! by Petr Horacek. Candlewick Press, ©2014. Readers are
invited to turn the pages to identify the different sounds animals make. [Fic] (animal
sounds)
Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won. Houghlin Mifflin, ©2014. Elephant wakes up in
a grumpy mood, but a present on his doorstep, a hat, cheers him and he sets out
to greet his neighbors who all, it seems, need hats of their own. [Fic] (mood, hats,
elephants)
Hug Machine, by Scott Campbell. Atheneum, ©2014. The hug machine is available
to hug anyone, any time, whether they are square or long, spikey or soft. [Fic] (hugs)
6
I Spy in the Sky, by Edward Gibbs. Candlewick Press, ©2014. Invites young readers
to guess which bird will be revealed using the given clues and a spy hole. [598]
(birds)
Is There a Dog in This Book? by Viviane Schwarz. Candlewick Press, ©2014. Cats
Tiny, Moonpie, and Andre begin to suspect that a dog is in their midst and embark
on a furry game of hide-and-seek. [Fic] (dogs, cats)
Julia’s House for Lost Creatures, by Ben Hatke. Macmillan, ©2014. Julie welcomes
all lost and homeless creatures into her house, whether they be cats or trolls,
ghosts or dragons, but soon realizes that each must have a chore in order for the
arrangement to work. [Fic] (roommates, chores, friendship)
Just One More, by Jennifer Hansen Rolli. Penguin, ©2014. Little Ruby always wants
one more of just about everything until she learns that more is sometimes too much.
[Fic] (contentment)
Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads, by Bob Shea, illustrated by Lane Smith.
Roaring Brook Press, ©2014. The Toad brothers are wreaking havoc in Drywater
Gulch when a boy with no experience but immense knowledge of dinosaurs rides
into town on his tortoise and declares himself the new sheriff. [Fic] (sheriffs, toads,
robbers and outlaws, dinosaurs) (*KR, *SLJ)
A Letter for Leo, by Sergio Ruzzier. Houghton Mifflin, ©2014. When Leo, a weasel
mailman, rescues a young bird that was separated from his flock, the two become
friends and Leo’s dream of one day receiving a letter of his own may finally come
true. [Fic] (letter carriers, friendship, letters)
A Library Book for Bear, by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady McDonald Denton.
Candlewick Press, ©2014. Although he sees no need for more books to read, Bear
agrees to accompany Mouse to the library. [Fic] (bears, mice, books and reading,
libraries, friendship) (*SLJ)
Little Elliot, Big City, by Mike Curato. Henry Holt & Co., ©2014. Little Elliot leads
a quiet life in the big city with a mouse as a friend and his favorite, cupcakes! [Fic]
(elephant, mouse, cupcakes, friends)
Little Red Riding Hood, by Trixie Belle, illustrated by Oliver Lake. Henry Holt
& Co., ©2014. The classic fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood, in nearly wordless
format. [398.2] (Les Petits Series) (fairy tales)
Maple, by Lori Nichols. Penguin, ©2014. A nature-loving little girl’s favorite
playmate is her maple tree – until the day she’s surprised with a baby sister. [Fic]
(trees, babies, sisters)
Ninja! by Arree Chung. Henry Holt & Co., ©2014. A little boy flexes his ninja chops
in an uproarious adventure that finds him silently creeping through his home
and overcoming formidable obstacles, like the coffee table, to pounce upon his
unsuspecting father’s tummy. [Fic] (ninja, brothers and sisters, play) (*SLJ)
7
Once Upon an Alphabet: Short Stories for All Letters, by Oliver Jeffers. Penguin,
©2014. From an Astronaut who’s afraid of heights, to a Bridge that ends up burned
between friends, to a Cup stuck in a cupboard and longing for freedom, this series
of interconnected stories and characters explores the alphabet. [Fic] (alphabet) (*SLJ
ALA)
Peter Loves Penguin, by David McPhail. Harry N. Abrams, ©2014. Peter and
Penguin spend the day playing in the snow. [Fic] (friendship, penguin, snow)
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen. Candlewick
Press, ©2014. Sam and Dave are sure they will discover something exciting if they just
keep digging their hole. [Fic] (imagination, holes) (*KR)(Caldecott)(*ALA)
Sebastian and the Balloon, by Philip Stead. Roaring Brook Press, ©2014. When
Sebastian launches himself on a journey in a hot air balloon made entirely of
Grandma’s afghans and patchwork quilts, his boring day turns into the adventure of a
lifetime. [Fic] (hot air balloon) (ALA, *KR, *SLJ)
Some Bugs, by Angela DiTerlizzi, illustrated by Brendan Wenzel. Simon &
Schuster Inc., ©2014. From butterflies and moths to crickets and cicadas, a rhyming
exploration of backyard-bug behavior. [Fic] (stories in rhyme, insects)
Stanley’s Garage, by William Bee. Peachtree Press, ©2014. Stanley is working at his
garage today, and as his friends each come in with their car problems, he knows just
what to do to get them back on the road. [Fic] (hamsters, automobiles, rodents)
Star Bright: A Christmas Story, by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Peter Reynolds.
Atheneum, ©2014. A Christmas story about the greatest gift of all. [Fic] (Christmas,
angels)
This Book Just Ate My Dog, by Richard Byrne. Henry Holt & Co., ©2014. When her
dog disappears into the gutter of the book, Bella calls for help, but when the helpers
disappear too, Bella realizes it will take more than a tug on the leash to put things
right. [Fic] (dog, books and reading)
Tiptop Cat, by C. Roger Mader. Houghton Mifflin, ©2014. A cat finds the courage to
climb again after a frightening fall from his owner’s apartment balcony. [Fic] (cats)
The Troublemaker, by Lauren Castillo. Houghlin Mifflin, ©2014. After playing a
trick on his sister by stealing her toy rabbit, a mischievous little boy wonders who
the new troublemaker is when his toy raccoon disappears. [Fic] (toys, lost and found,
behavior)
Underpants Dance, by Marlena Zapf, illustrated by Lynne Avril. Dial, © 2014.
Four-year-old Lily loves to show off her fancy pink underpants, but her older sister
Marigold tells her she is not allowed to anymore. [Fic] (underwear, sisters)(*ALA)
8
Up & Down, by Britta Teckentrup. Candlewick Press, ©2014. Deciding to visit a friend
he has been missing deeply, Little Penguin leaps off his iceberg and embarks on a
journey filled with ups and downs and ins and outs before the two are reunited, in a
concept story that introduces opposites through lift-flaps. [Fic] (friendship, penguins)
What’s Your Favorite Animal? by Eric Carle. Henry Holt & Co., ©2014. Combines
vibrant illustrations and engaging personal stories in a celebration of favorite animals
that includes contributions by such popular children’s book artists as Peter Sis, Lucy
Cousins, and Mo Willems. [746] (animals in art) (*SLJ)
Where’s Mommy? by Beverly Donofrio, illustrated by Barbara McClintock. Random
House, ©2014. While trying to keep their friendship a secret from their mothers, a
human girl and a mouse make a surprising discovery. [Fic] (friendship, mice)
Winter is Coming, by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Jim LaMarche. Simon & Schuster,
©2014. Each day, from September through November, brings glimpses of forest animals
seeking food in preparation for the onset of winter, from a fox sniffing the last apple on
the ground to a flock of wild turkeys that finds nothing. [Fic] (autumn, forest animals)
(ALA, *SLJ)
You Are (Not) Small, by Anna Kang, illustrated by Christopher Weyant. Two Lions
Brilliance Audio, ©2014. Two fuzzy creatures argue over who is big and who is small –
until some surprise visitors solve the matter once and for all. [Fic] (body size)(Suess)
9
PRIMARY, 1-4
PRIMARY, 1-4
About Parrots: A Guide for Children, by Cathryn Sill, illustrated by John Sill.
Peachtree, ©2014. Describes what parrots look like, what they eat, how and where
they live. Afterward provides even more information. [598.7] (parrots) (OSTB)
Albie’s First Word: A Tale Inspired by Albert Einstein’s Childhood, by
Jacqueline Tourville, illustrated by Wynne Evans. Schwartz & Wade Books, ©2014.
Three-year old Albert has never talked and his parents take him to the doctor. The
doctor prescribes a variety of activities to stimulate speech. Contains author’s note
with more information and a German glossary. [Fic] (Albert Einstein childhood and
youth, speech) (KR*)
All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom, by Angela Johnson,
illustrated by E.B. Lewis. Simon and Schuster, ©2015. Set in 1865, a family starts
a typical day working in the cotton fields as slaves and celebrates freedom that
evening. [Fic] (Juneteenth, slavery, family life, Texas history, African Americans)
(BB 2014, HB*, KR*, LMC*, PW*, SLJ*)
Almost Super, by Marion Jensen. Harper, ©2014. When a Bailey turns 12 he
receives his superpower, so do the members of the Johnson family, the villains.
The problem is the powers received aren’t so super. It’s up to the kids to show both
families they are more alike than different and the villain isn’t a member of either
one. [Fic] (superheroes, super villains, family life)
Amelia Bedelia Shapes Up, by Herman Parish, illustrated by Lynne Avril.
Greenwillow Books, ©2014. Amelia starts to be more active after she is picked last
for a team at recess. Her efforts pay off during the Greek Games at school. [Fic]
(sports, school stories)
Anna & Solomon, by Elaine Snyder, illustrated by Harry Bliss. Farrar Straus
Giroux, ©2014. Based on a true story of a Jewish couple emigrating from Russia.
Solomon came first and worked to send for his wife. Each time he had enough
money, she sent a relative. Two brothers and her mother came before Anna. [304.8]
(Jews biography, emigration and immigration, Snyder family) (BCCB*, HB*)
Annika Riz, Math Whiz, by Claudia Mills, illustrated by Rob Shepperson. Farrar
Straus Giroux, ©2014. Annika loves math as much as her friends love reading
and running. All of them learn the importance of math while baking cookies
and running a booth at the school carnival. [Fic] (mathematics, schools, contests,
friendship, carnivals) (HB*)
Baseball Is…, by Louise Borden, illustrated by Raúl Colón. Margaret McElderry
Books, ©2014. Celebrates America’s favorite pastime, baseball. Explores the history,
rules, emotions and all things baseball. [796.357] (baseball history, sports and
recreation) (KR*)
Ben Franklin’s Big Splash: The Mostly True Story of his First Invention, by
Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by S.D. Schindler. Calkins Creek, ©2014. Follow Ben
Franklin as he uses scientific method to create his first invention, swim fins, when he
was 11. Author’s note with extra details and timeline are included. [Fic] (Benjamin
Franklin, inventors, inventions, swimming) (HB*, KR*)
10
PRIMARY, 1-4
Blizzard, written and illustrated by John Rocco. Disney Hyperion, ©2014. A young
boy uses his sled to get groceries for the neighbors after a blizzard closes the roads.
Based on the blizzard of 1978 in New England. [Fic] (blizzards, heroes) (SLJ*, HB*,
BCCB*, KR*, LMC*)
Bo at Iditarod Creek, by Kirkpatrick Hill, illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Henry Holt,
©2014. Bo, her new brother and her two papas leave their home and journey across
Alaska to a dredge mine. Bo finds new friends and another brother along the way. [Fic]
(Alaska, family life, adoption, moving) (BL*)
The Book With No Pictures, by B.J. Novak. Dial Books, ©2014. An interactive book
in which the reader must say whatever ridiculous thing is printed on the page. [Fic]
(books and reading, humorous stories) (HB*, KR*, PW*)
Brimsby’s Hats, written and illustrated by Andrew Prahin. Simon and Schuster,
©2014. A clever hat maker finds new friends after his only friend leaves to become a
ship’s captain. [Fic] (friendship, hats, creative ability) (BL*, KR*)
A Bucket of Blessings, by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal, illustrated by Jing Jing
Tsong. Beach Lane Books, ©2014. A folktale from India describes how monkey and
peacock were able to bring rain to a drought stricken area. [398.2] (folklore India)
The Case of the Stolen Sixpence, by Holly Webb, illustrated by Marion Lindsay.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2014. Maisie works at her grandmother’s boarding
house and is very observant. She wants to be a detective and has two mysteries to solve
with the help of her new puppy and some of the boarders. [Fic] (criminal investigation,
boardinghouses, London, mystery and detective stories)
Cats Are Cats, written and illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev. Holiday House, ©2014.
Miss Bell’s tiny kitten grows and grows into a tiger, but a cat is a cat. When she gets a
fish at the pet store, a fish is a shark? [Fic] (cats, tigers, pets)
Creature Features: 25 Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do,
written by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, illustrated by Steve Jenkins. Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt, ©2014. Different animals answer questions about their most unusual
features. Includes a chart showing relative size, geographic location and diet. [571.3]
(animals, morphology) (PW*, SLJ*)
A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina’s Dream, by Kristy Dempsey, illustrated by
Floyd Cooper. Philomel Books, ©2014. A little girl watches her mother make ballet
costumes and dreams of becoming a ballerina. Dancer Janet Collins becomes the first
African American ballet dancer contracted to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in
New York. Includes author’s note with additional information. [Fic] (ballet dancing,
African Americans, discrimination, Janet Collins, New York history) (ALA 2015, BB
2015. BL*, HB*)
The Dandelion Seed’s Big Dream, by Joseph Anthony, illustrated by Cris Arbo.
Dawn Publications, ©2014. After encountering many dangers, a dandelion seed
realizes his dream by becoming a plant. Includes additional information. [Fic] (seeds,
dandelions)
11
PRIMARY, 1-4
Dare the Wind, by Tracey Fern, illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully. Farrar Straus
Giroux, ©2014. As a child, Ellen Prentiss learned navigation. Her skills allowed her
husband to captain a ship from New York to San Francisco in record-breaking time.
[921, 387.5] (Eleanor Cressey, Flying Cloud (clipper ship), sailors) (ALA, HB*, KR*,
PW*)
Dog Days of School, by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Brian Biggs. Disney/
Hyperion, ©2014. Charlie dislikes school and is his jealous of his dog’s laid-back
lifestyle. When Charlie and Norman switch places for a week, Charlie is soon wishing
to be a boy again. [Fic] (wishes, dogs)
Dolphins, by Penelope Arion and Tory Gordon-Harris, illustrated with photographs.
Scholastic, ©2014. Introduces young readers to dolphins and describes how they live.
Includes a free digital companion book and glossary. [599.53] (Dolphins)
Eliza Bing is (Not) a Big, Fat Quitter, by Carmella Van Vleet. Holiday House, ©2014.
Eliza wants to take an expensive cake decorating class, but she has a history of losing
interest. She makes a deal to complete her brothers taekwondo class after he quits
to prove she can stick with something despite her ADHD and the mean girl in the
class. [Fic] (Tae kwon do, martial arts, family life, determination, attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder)
Ellray Jakes is Magic!, by Sally Warner, illustrated by Brian Biggs. Puffin Books,
©2014. Ellray and his friends decide to audition with bad acts for the talent show with
the hopes no one would get in. Ellray learns one trick, makes the cut and discovers
that being magic is a good thing. [Fic] (teachers, talent shows, schools, magic tricks,
behavior, family life)
Emily’s Blue Period, by Cathleen Daly, illustrated by Lisa Brown. Roaring Brook
Press, ©2014. Emily uses Pablo Picasso’s art as she copes with the breakup of her
family. [Fic] (art, divorce) (HB*, SLJ*)
Endangered and Extinct Fish, by Jennifer Boothroyd with color illustrations. Lerner
Publications, ©2014. Short descriptions of endangered and extinct fish are provided,
as well as suggestions of what to do to protect fish. [597.168] (extinct fish, endangered
animals)
Extraordinary Warren: A Super Chicken. Extraordinary Warren Saves the Day,
by Sarah Dillard. Aladdin, ©2014. Two volumes describe the adventures of Warren, a
chicken that wants to be more, and his sidekick, Egg, in a hybrid chapter, graphic novel.
[Fic] (chickens, superheroes, friendship)
Fabulous Fashion Inventions, by Laura Hamilton Waxman, illustrated with
photographs. Lerner Publishing, ©2014. Provides short histories of 11 popular articles
of clothing and accessories. Includes a glossary and bibliography. [746.9] (fashion
history, inventions)
Fall Leaves, by Loretta Holland, illustrated by Elly MacKay. Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt, ©2014. Facets of autumn are presented through informational text, word
play and illustrations. [Fic] (autumn) (HB*)
12
PRIMARY, 1-4
Fancy Nancy and the Wedding of the Century, by Jane O’Connor, illustrated by
Robin Preiss Glasser. Harper, ©2014. Nancy is disappointed when she learns that
her uncle’s wedding will be by a lake and not the elaborate affair she was expecting.
Nancy discovers that simple occasions can be fabulous too. [Fic] (weddings,
marriage customs and traditions, family)
Fly Away, by Patricia MacLachlan. McElderry Books, ©2014. Everyone in the family
can sing except Lucy. She finds her voice through poetry while helping her great
aunt during a flood with the help of her little brother and a few cows. [Fic] (family
life, brothers and sisters, floods, poets, cows) (BCCB*, PW*, KR*)
Fly, Butterfly, by Bonnie Bader, illustrated with photos. Grosset and Dunlap,
©2014. Follow a monarch butterfly from its hatching, growth, migration and laying
eggs for a new generation. [595.78] (butterflies, caterpillars)
Food Trucks!, written and illustrated by Mark Todd. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,
©2014. Poems describe a variety of food trucks and information bubbles provide
additional food facts and trivia. [Fic] (street food, food trucks, trucks, stories in
rhyme)
Founding Mothers: Remembering the Ladies, by Cokie Roberts, illustrated
by Diane Goode. Harper, ©2014. Ten women that contributed to the founding of
the United States are introduced to the young reader. [920.72] (women biography,
United States Revolution, United Stated history) (KR*)
Galápagos George, by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Wendell Minor.
Harper, ©2014. Describes the evolution of giant tortoises from the first to the death
of Lonesome George, the last of his species. Includes a glossary, timeline, resources
and websites. [597.92] (Galapagos tortoise, evolution, migration)
Going Places, by Peter H. Reynolds and Paul A. Reynolds, illustrated by Peter H.
Reynolds. Atheneum Books, ©2014. All the students in the class received the same
kit for the Going Places Contest. Anything is possible when direction follower,
Rafael, and dreamer, Maya, combine forces to invent an incredible machine. [Fic]
(creative ability, karting, contests, inventions)
Grandfather Gandhi, by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus, illustrated by
Evan Turk. Atheneum Books, ©2014. One of Gandhi’s grandsons shares events
that occurred while living in the same village. He struggles to live in a manner
that would make his Bapu proud. [921, 954.03] (Mahatma Gandhi, Arun Gandhi,
pacifists, statesmen) (HB*, KR*, LMC*, PW*)
Gravity, written and illustrated by Jason Chin. Roaring Brook Press, ©2014. A book
about gravity falls in front of a little boy who then discovers what could happen
without gravity. Includes a section with more facts about gravity. [531] (gravity)
(BCCB*, KR*, LMC*, PW*, SLJ*)
13
PRIMARY, 1-4
Have You Heard the Nesting Bird?, by Rita Gray, illustrated by Kenard Pak.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2014. Children walking through their neighborhood
hear the calls of many different birds, but robin in her nest is silent. An “interview”
with the mother bird explains her behavior. [598.156] (bird behavior, birds, nests,
birdsongs) (BL*, KR*)
Hippos Can’t Swim and Other Fun Facts, by Laura Lyn DiSiena and Hannah
Eliot, illustrated by Pete Oswald. Little Simon, ©2014. This series presents fun, odd
facts about creatures of every size and description. [590.2] (animals miscellanea,
questions and answers) (LMC*)
A Home for Mr. Emerson, by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham.
Scholastic Press, ©2014. Ralph Waldo Emerson loved his home, books, friends and
writing his thoughts down in a journal. When his home in Concord, Massachusetts,
burned, his neighbors and friends rebuilt it. Contains additional information and
activities. [921, 814] (Ralph Waldo Emerson, American authors) (HB*)
How to Behave at a Tea Party, by Madelyn Rosenberg, illustrated by Heather Ross.
Katherine Tegen Books, ©2014. Julia tries to teach Charlie “proper” behavior at her
tea party. Charlie and friends teach Julia to loosen up and go with the flow for a
successful party. [Fic] (etiquette, tea, parties, brothers and sisters, behavior)
In The Rainforest, written and illustrated by Kate Duke. Harper, ©2014. Join two
children as they tour the rainforest, learning many facts about the animals, plants
and sustainability of this biome. [577.34] (rain forest ecology, rain forest plants, rain
forest animals)
The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse, by Patricia MacLachlan,
illustrated by Hadley Hooper. Roaring Brook Press, ©2014. Henri’s mother
brightened their dreary northern French home with brightly colored plates, fabrics
and flowers. Henri grew up to be an artist that painted many of the things from his
childhood. [921, 759.4] (Henri Matisse, French painters) (ALA, BB, BL*, HB*, KR*,
PW*, SLJ*)
Jack the Castaway, by Lisa Doan, illustrated by Ivica Stevanovic. Darby Creek,
©2014. After his Aunt Julia dies, Jack accompanies (against his will) his parents on
one of their disastrous get-rich schemes to the Caribbean. He quickly finds himself
shipwrecked on a deserted island with his clueless parents the only source of rescue.
[Fic] (castaways, islands, parents, adventures and adventurers)
Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio, by Jonah Winter, illustrated by James E Ransome. Atheneum
Books, ©2014. Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio Jr. had a dream to become a major-league
baseball player. This shy, son of an Italian American fisherman, overcame the odds
and became a baseball legend. [921, 796.357] (Joe DiMaggio, baseball players)
(LMC*, KR*)
14
PRIMARY, 1-4
Little Author in the Big Woods: A Biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, by Yona
Zeldis McDonough, illustrated by Jennifer Thermes. Henry Holt, ©2014. Biography
compares the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder to her popular series of books. Includes
crafts, recipes, games, glossary and bibliography. [921, 813] (Laura Ingalls Wilder,
Missouri subject
women authors, women pioneers)
Lives of Explorers: Discoveries, Disasters (and What the Neighbors Thought),
by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,
©2014. Describes the lives of 17 explorers from around the world and throughout
the ages. Includes a bibliography for further reading. [910] (explorers, adventures
and adventurers discoveries in geography, history exploration and discovery)
Missouri author
Lola and the Wild Chicken, by Christine Pakkala, illustrated by Paul Hoppe.
Boyds Mills Press, ©2014. Lola is having a bad week, her parents are gone, Grandma
is babysitting and her best friend likes the new girl. Hopefully things will turn
around during the class trip to Kookamut Farm. [Fic] (chickens, school field trips,
friendship) (BL*)
Lulu’s Mysterious Mission, by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Kevin Cornell.
Atheneum Books, ©2014. Lulu’s parents are going on a vacation and Sonia Sofia
Solinsky is babysitting. Lulu gets to D in her list of plans to make the babysitter leave
before she discovers she really wants her to stay and pass the spy scavenger hunt test.
[Fic] (babysitters, behavior, spies)
The Magic Mistake, by Barbara Brauner and James Iver Mattson, illustrated by
Abigail Halpin. Disney Hyperion Books, ©2014. Lacey has been selected for the
Fairy Godmother Academy and has to complete a task or everyone will hate her
forever. Will Lacey be able to pull off a dream wedding, basketball and middle
school in less than a week? [Fic] (fairy godmothers, magic, middle schools)
Mahalia Jackson: Walking With Kings and Queens, by Nina Nolan, illustrated
by John Holyfield. Amistad, ©2014. Highlights events in the life of gospel singer,
Mahalia Jackson. Includes a timeline with more details. [921, 782.25] (Mahalia
Jackson, gospel musicians, African Americans) (BL*)
The Miniature World of Marvin and James, by Elise Broach, illustrated by Kelly
Murphy. Henry Holt, ©2014. James is going on vacation and leaving his best friend
Marvin, the beetle, at home. While James is gone, Marvin worries if he’ll find a new
friend and gets into trouble with his cousin Elise. [Fic] (friendship, beetles, humananimal relationships)
Mister Bud Wears the Cone, written and illustrated by Carter Goodrich. Simon &
Schuster, ©2014. Mister Bud had a hot spot and had to wear “the cone.” Zorro takes
advantage by eating all the biscuits, playing with the toys and causes Mister Bud to
break the lamp. Who will get in trouble? [Fic] (dogs)
15
PRIMARY, 1-4
Mogie: The Heart of the House, by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal.
Atheneum, ©2014. An active puppy was not suited for a service animal, search and
rescue or the show ring. When Mogie snuck into a Ronald McDonald house and
cheered up a sick child, he finally found his niche. Based on a true story. [Fic] (dogs,
animals infancy, sick, Ronald McDonald Houses, charities)
Mr. Cornell’s Dream Boxes, written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter. Beach Lane
Books, ©2014. Joseph Cornell made magical shadow boxes from found objects and
shared them with children. Includes author’s note with more information. [921,
709.2] (Joseph Cornell, wooden boxes, modern art) (HB*, LMC*)
Mr. Ferris and His Wheel, by Kathryn Gibbs Davis, illustrated by Gilbert Ford.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2014. Describes George Ferris’ journey to construct
the first “Monster Wheel” for the Chicago World’s Fair, using his own money. [921,
791.06] (George Washington Gale Ferris, Ferris wheels, civil engineers, inventors)
(BL*, LMC*)
Mr. Putter & Tabby Turn the Page, by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Arthur
Howard. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2014. Mr. Putter and Tabby share their
favorite book during library story time. When Mrs. Teaberry and Zeke share their
book, things are a little more exciting. [Fic] (books and reading, libraries, cats, dogs,
readers) (ALA, Suess)
Mumbet’s Declaration of Independence, by Gretchen Woelfle, illustrated
by Alix Delinois. Carolrhoda Books, ©2014. In the 1780s, Mumbet used the
Massachusetts Constitution to prove that she should legally be a free woman. [921,
306.3] (Elizabeth Freeman, slaves, women biography, African American, slavery)
(HB*)
Murphy, Gold Rush Dog, by Alison Hart, illustrated by Michael G Montgomery.
Peachtree, ©2014. Murphy escapes from his abusive owner and joins forces with
Sally and Mama as they search for a home and riches. Murphy’s original owner
is looking for his valuable dog and ill-gotten fortune. [Fic] (dogs, gold mines and
mining, Nome Alaska gold discoveries)
My Explosive Diary, by Emily Gale, illustrated by Joëlle Dreidemy. Aladdin, ©2014.
Read Eliza Bloom’s diary as she invents gadgets to “help” her spy father recover
super secret film and keep his job, thwarts the bullies and makes a friend. [Fic]
(inventors, spies, bullies) (VOYA*)
Mysterious Patterns: Finding Fractals in Nature, by Sarah C. Campbell,
photographs by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell. Boyds Mill Press,
©2014. The author demonstrates that fractals, repeating patterns, can be found
everywhere in nature. [516] (BB 2015, ALA 2015, HB*, PW*, SLJ*)
16
PRIMARY, 1-4
Nanny X, by Madelyn Rosenberg, illustrated by Karen Donnelly. Holiday House,
©2104. Ali and Jake are suspicious of their new, odd acting, motorcycle jacketwearing nanny. After they learn she’s a member of N.A.P. (Nanny Action Patrol),
they quickly become involved in her new case to save the neighborhood park. [Fic]
(nannies, brothers and sisters, undercover operations) (LMC*)
Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon
Islands, written and illustrated by Katherine Roy. Roaring Brook Press, ©2014.
Twenty-six miles from San Francisco, scientists study the life cycle, feeding habits
and migration of the great white shark. Exposes the day in the life of one of those
sharks. [596.3] (sharks) (ALA, OSTB, Sibert Honor, HB*, KR*, SLJ*)
The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art, by
Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mary Grandpré. Alfred A Knopf, ©2014. Wassily
Kandinsky, a pioneer in abstract art, tried to paint “traditionally” as a child but he
heard colors and saw music that had to be expressed. Includes author’s note with
more information, paintings, and bibliography. [921, 759.7] (Wassily Kandinsky,
artists Russia, art history) (Caldecott Honor, ALA, BL*, HB*, KR*, LMC*, PW*, SLJ*)
Nuts to You, written and illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins. Greenwillow Books,
©2014. Jed, a young squirrel, escapes from a hawk. His friends give chase to bring
him home. They discover that part of the forest is being cleared and their home is
threatened. Will they be able to save the squirrels and their nuts? [Fic] (squirrels,
survival, friendship, d-forest and forestry, adventures and adventurers)
The One-Eyed People Eater: The Story of Cyclops, by Joan Holub, illustrated by
Dani Jones. Simon Spotlight, ©2014. Retells the story of Odysseus and Cyclops from
Greek mythology. [Fic] (Cyclops, Greek mythology)
Our Solar System: All About Planets, Moons, Asteroids, Comets, and More!, by
Seymour Simon, illustrated with photographs. Harper, ©2014. Presents an updated
version of an earlier work. Explores all the planets and other bodies in our solar
system. Contains a glossary and index. [523.2] (solar system, planets)
Palace of Dreams, by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson, illustrated by Dave
Phillips. Harper, ©2014. During her birthday party, Queen Loranella is the target
of a curse and the familiars are the chief suspects. After a narrow escape, the three
set out to prove their innocence and find a cure for the queen. [Fic] (animals, magic,
blessing and cursing, fantasy)
Pardon Me!, written and illustrated by Daniel Miyares. Simon & Schuster, ©2014.
A grumpy bird doesn’t want to share his “rock” with other animals. The fox warns
them that things are not what they seem and everyone but the bird leaves. The bird
meets his end in a surprising way. [Fic] (birds, animals, sharing)
Paula Danziger’s Amber Brown Horses Around, by Bruce Coville, illustrated
by Elizabeth Levy. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, ©2014. Seeing Justin again at summer
camp is one of the highlights for Amber. Horses another plus, having Hannah
as a bunkmate, swimming and pranks, not so good. [Fic] (camps, interpersonal
relationships, family problems)
17
PRIMARY, 1-4
Phineas L. MacGuire…Gets Cooking!, by Frances O’Roark Dowell, illustrated by
Preston McDaniels. Atheneum, ©2014. Phineas has to start cooking dinner when
his mom goes back to work, but cooking is just science, isn’t it? The school bully likes
his brownies too much and he and his friends want to win the $10,000 baking prize.
[Fic] (cooking, science experiments, bullies, schools, friendship)
A Piece of Cake, written and illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Balzer + Bray, ©2014.
Mouse empties the pantry to make a birthday cake for a friend. On the way to
deliver the cake, other animals trade items for a piece of the cake. Mouse then trades
the items for the ingredients to make another cake. [Fic] (mice, animals, cake,
bartering)
Poem Depot: Aisles of Smiles, written and illustrated by Douglas Florian. Dial
Books, ©2014. The 11 aisles (chapters) of this poetry store are filled with humorous
poems in a variety of styles. [811] (American poetry, humorous verse) (HB*, LMC*)
The Prairie That Nature Built, by Marybeth Lorbiecki, illustrated by Cathy
Morrison. Dawn Publications, ©2014. Cumulative rhyme introduces the animals
and plants that co-exist in the prairie. Includes additional information and
bibliography. [577.4] (prairie ecology, grassland ecology, prairie animals)
Pranks and Attacks!, by Laurent Richard, illustrated by Nicolas Ryser. Graphic
Universe, ©2014. Graphic novel with 50 single-page comics depict Tao, a little
samurai, training and playing pranks on his friends. [741.5] (martial arts, samurai,
schools, behavior, cartoons and comics, graphic novels)
Princess Patty Meets Her Match, written and illustrated by Charise Mericle
Harper. Disney Hyperion Books, ©2014. Princess Patty is tired of waiting for her
Prince to come, so she packs some favorite things and looks for him. Unfortunately
all the fairy tale princes will not do and she returns home to find her Prince may
have come. [Fic] (fairy tales, princesses, sex roles, characters in literature)
Queen Victoria’s Bathing Machine, by Gloria Whelan, illustrated by Nancy
Carpenter. Simon & Schuster, ©2014. Prince Albert devises a way for his wife, Queen
Victoria, to go swimming without any of her subjects seeing her in a bathing suit.
Includes author’s note with additional information. [Fic] (Queen Victoria, Prince
Albert, swimming, stories in rhyme) (BL*, HB*, KR*ALA)
Quinny & Hopper, by Adriana Brad Schanen, illustrated by Greg Swearingen.
Disney Hyperion Books, ©2014. Quinny moves next door to Hopper and although
they are opposites in everyway, they become friends trying to catch a zebrastriped chicken. The beginning of school, bullies and misunderstandings test their
friendship. [Fic] (friendship, bullies, best friends, peer pressure, individuality,
schools, neighbors)
18
PRIMARY, 1-4
The Return of Zita the Spacegirl, written and illustrated by Ben Hatke. First
Second, ©2014. Before she can save the world, again, Zita needs help from
her friends to escape from prison. [741.5] (heroes, human-alien encounters,
extraterrestrial beings, science fiction, adventure and adventurers, cartoons and
comics, graphic novels) (SLJ*, KR*)
Rock & Roll Highway: The Robbie Robertson Story, by Sebastian Robertson,
illustrated by Adam Gustavson. Henry Holt and Company, ©2014. Author describes
how his father became one of “Rolling Stone’s” top 100 guitarists. [921, 787.87]
(Robbie Robertson, Canadian rock musicians)
Rules, Tools, and Maybe a Bully, by Rachel Vail, illustrated by Matthew Cordell.
Feiwel and Friends, ©2014. Justin experiences even more worries in fourth grade as
he juggles friends, rules at home and bullies. [Fic] (schools, worry, bullies, diaries)
The Scraps Book: Notes from a Colorful Life, written and illustrated by Lois
Ehlert. Beach Lane Books, ©2014. Describes how Lois Ehlert became an author/
illustrator and how she creates her books. [921, 741.6] (Lois Ehlert, illustrators,
women biography) (ALA, BB 2014, BL*, HB*, PW*, SLJ*)
Scarlatti’s Cat, by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer, illustrated by Carlyn Beccia.
Carolrhoda Books, ©2014. Explains how Italian composer Domenico Scarlatti
may have written “The Cat’s Fugue” with the help of his cat, Pulcinella. [Fic] (cats,
composers, Domenico Scarlatti)
The Secret Life of the Woolly Bear Caterpillar, by Laurence Pringle, illustrated
by Joan Paley. Boyds Mills Press, ©2014. Bella, the woolly bear caterpillar, guides the
reader through the life cycle of the Isabella Tiger Moth. Includes more information
and diagrams. [595.7813] (woolly bears, caterpillars)
Simon and the Bear: A Hanukkah Tale, by Eric A Kimmel, illustrated by Matthew
Trueman. Disney Hyperion, ©2014. Simon leaves for America with a small bag
of provisions, candles and laktes to celebrate Hanukkah because he might need a
miracle. He needs several because his ship sinks, he gives up his seat on the lifeboat
and becomes stranded on an iceberg with a polar bear. Everything works out and
sometimes you just have to believe. [Fic] (miracles, survival, shipwrecks, Hanukkah,
polar bears, Jews, adventures and adventurers) (HB*, KR*)
The Soccer Fence: A Story of Friendship, Hope and Apartheid in South
Africa, by Phil Bildner, illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson. G.P. Putnam and Sons,
©2014. The title says it all! Follow Hector as he realizes his dream to play on a real
soccer field when a white boy invites him to play after Bafana Bafana wins the
African Cup of Nations. [Fic] (soccer, apartheid, race relations, Blacks South Africa,
Johannesburg) (LMC*)
19
PRIMARY, 1-4
Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight, by Tony DiTerlizzi,
illustrated by Ralph McQuarrie. Disney/Lucasfilm Press, ©2014. Follow Luke
Skywalker as he goes from a farm boy to Jedi Knight. Condenses the Star War
trilogy for young readers. [Fic] (Luke Skywalker (fictitious character), good and evil,
outer space, adventure and adventurers)
The Streak: How Joe DiMaggio Became America’s Hero, by Barb Rosenstock,
illustrated by Terry Widener. Calkins Creek, ©2014. Joe DiMaggio and his bat,
Betsy Ann, gave America something to cheer about in the summer of 1941when he
had hits in 56 consecutive games. Includes more information and statistics. [921,
796.357] (Joe DiMaggio, baseball players, baseball bats, baseball) (Christian Library
Journal*, HB*, LMC*, PW*)
Strongheart: The World’s First Movie Star Dog, written and illustrated by Emily
Arnold McCully. Henry Holt, ©2014. Based on the true story of how a police dog
from Germany became the first canine movie star in America. [Fic] (Strongheart
(dog), dogs, Larry Trimble, Jane Murfin, silent films, motion pictures)
Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Everything, written and
illustrated by Maira Kalman. Nancy Paulsen Books, ©2014. Thomas Jefferson was
the author of the Declaration of Independence and the second president, but he had
many more interests and talents. [921, 973.4] (Thomas Jefferson, presidents) (BL*,
HB*, KR*, SLJ*)
Three’s Company, Mallory!, by Laurie Friedman, illustrated by Jennifer Kalis.
Darby Creek, ©2014. When Chloe Jennifer moves to town, Mallory is afraid she’s
losing her best friend Mary Ann. Mallory tries different things to lose Chloe Jennifer
before she discovers three can by company and not a crowd. [Fic] (best friends,
friendship, jealousy)
Tib & Tumtum #1, Welcome to the Tribe, by Grimaldi, illustrated by Bannister.
Graphic Universe, ©2014. Tib is bullied and teased about the birthmark on his
face. He befriends a dinosaur (thought to be extinct) with the same mark. After
several misadventures, Tumtum is welcomed into the tribe. [741.5] (graphic novel,
prehistoric people, dinosaurs, birthmarks, cartoons and comics)
The Tooth Fairy Wars, by Kate Coombs, illustrated by Jake Parker. Atheneum
Books, ©2014. Nathan wants to keep his baby teeth, but a very determined Tooth
Fairy manages to find each one. Nathan finally outwits not only the Tooth Fairy, as
well as the team of Tooth Experts. [Fic] (tooth fairy, fairies, teeth)
Tuesday Tucks Me In: The Loyal Bond Between a Soldier and His Service Dog,
by Fmr. Captain Luis Carlos Montalvan, USA with Bret Witter, photographs by Dan
Dion. Roaring Brook Press, ©2014. Tuesday, a service dog, describes her day with
her army veteran. [362.4] (service dogs, people with disabilities, human-animal
relationships) (HB*, LMC*)
20
PRIMARY, 1-4
Weeds Find a Way, by Cindy Jenson-Elliott, illustrated by Carolyn Fisher. Beach
Lane Books, ©2014. Proves weeds can thrive anywhere! [Fic] (weeds) (ALA)
When Aunt Mattie Got Her Wings, written and illustrated by Petra Mathers.
Beach Lane Books, ©2014. Lottie goes to stay with her dying aunt. Herbie comes to
help Lottie deal with her grief and carry out her aunt’s last wishes. [Fic] (death, grief,
friendship, chickens, ducks) (BL*, HB*, KR*)
The Whispering Town, by Jennifer Elvgren, illustrated by Fabio Santomauro.
Kar-Ben Publishing, ©2014. Based on a true story during WWII a Jewish family
is hidden in a Danish cellar. When it’s time to escape to Sweden, the Nazis are too
close to travel openly. The villagers stand in their doorways whispering them to
safety. [Fic] (Denmark history German occupation, World War II, Jews Denmark)
(ALA, BL*)
Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold, by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick
Allen. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2014. Poems describe how animals survive
during the winter. Sidebars provide extra information about the animal and the
season. [811] (animals, winter) (ALA, BB, BL*, HB*, KR*, PW*, SLJ*)
The World According to Musk Ox, by Erin Cabatingan, illustrated by Matthew
Myers. Roaring Brook Press, ©2014. Join Zebra and Musk Ox on a whirlwind tour of
the continents. Zebra provides the facts and Musk Ox the comedy. [Fic] (zebra, musk
ox, continents)
21
INTERMEDIATE, 5-8
INTERMEDIATE, 5-8
Absolutely Almost, by Lisa Graff. Puffin Books, ©2014. Albie’s parents always seem
to remind him that he isn’t the best in a lot of his classes in school, but with the help
of Calista, he realizes he has other areas where he can shine. [Fic] (Asian American,
self-esteem) (ALA, *BL, HB, *KR, LMC, *PW, *SLJ)
Alexis Gets Frosted, by Coco Simon. Simon Spotlight, ©2014. When one mean
girl moves away, it seems as if one even worse takes her place. The girls of the
Cupcake Club are turning against each other over something that is really just a
misunderstanding. It will take a bit of open honesty to work things out. Book 12 of
the Cupcake Diaries series. [Fic] (baking, bullies, middle school)
All Four Stars, by Tara Dairman. Puffin Books, ©2014. Gourmet chef and
restaurant critic. Not what you’d expect from your average 11-year-old daughter of
parents who love fast food, but Gladys Gatsby has never been average. [Fic] (cooking,
humor) (BL, HB, LMC, PW, SLJ)
Artic Thaw: Climate Change and the Global Race for Energy Resources, by
Stephanie Sammartino McPherson. 21st Century Books, ©2014. Energy resources
bring opportunities, and controversy, to the Arctic. Index, bibliography, and
glossary are among the features that make the text and visuals easily accessible to
readers. [333.79] (climate, narrative non-fiction) (BL, HB, KR, *LMC, SLJ)
Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson. Nancy Paulsen Books, ©2014. A
struggling reader, growing up in the North and the South during the Civil Rights
Movement, Jacqueline Woodson’s love of stories helped her become a gifted writer
with a unique voice. [811] (autobiography, poetry, narrative non-fiction) (BB, *BL,
*HB, *KR, *LMC, *PW, *SLJ) CS King, Newbery Honor Book
The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats: A Scientific Mystery, by Sandra
Markle. Millbrook Press, ©2014. The mystery of the declining bat population is the
case a team of researchers hopes to solve. Index, extension activities, website links,
and glossary are among the features that make the text and visuals easily accessible
to readers. Junior Library Guild Selection series. [599.4] (endangered species,
narrative non-fiction) (ALA, BL, HB, KR, *SLJ)
Cat in the City, by Julie Salamon, illustrated by Jill Weber. Dial Books, ©2014.
Pretty Boy has always loved himself and been independent, but he learns that
friendship and relying on those friends turns the city into his home. [Fic] (cats, dog,
New York City) (BL, LMC, SLJ)
Chasing the Milky Way, by Erin E. Moulton. Philomel Books, ©2014. Lucy sees her
interest in science and robotics as a way out of the trailer park where her mother’s
mental illness threatens to ruin everything. [Fic] (family, mental health, robots) (BL,
HB, KR, LMC, PW, SLJ)
22
INTERMEDIATE, 5-8
Chernobyl’s Wild Kingdom: Life in the Dead Zone, by Rebecca L. Johnson. 21st
Century Books, ©2014. An explosion at the Chernobyl Power Plant should have left
the surrounding area a desolate wasteland, yet almost 30 years later life abounds.
Scientists explore the mystery of radioactive plants and animals thriving in the
Exclusion Zone. [590.9477] (environment, nuclear accident, radioecology) (BL, HB,
*KR, SLJ)
The Contract, by Derek Jeter. Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, ©2014.
Inspired by his own life story, Derek Jeter tells the story of a boy who dreams of
playing shortstop in the World Series but earns a spot as second base on his current
team. Goal-setting with his parents helps young Derek be successful both on and off
the field. Debut novel of the Jeter Publishing series. [Fic] (biographical fiction, goals,
sports) (BL, SLJ)
The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander. HMH Books for Young Readers, ©2014.
Middle school twins Josh and Jordan dominate the court with amazing teamwork,
but their interests in all areas isn’t identical. Josh tells their story through lyrical
verse. [Fic] (basketball, novel in verse, siblings) (*BCCB, BL, HB, *KR, *LMC, *PW,
*SLJ) CS King, Newbery Medal-Newbery
Exposure, by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs. Puffin Books, ©2014. Tory and her
friends have the senses of a wolf due to an experiment that didn’t go as planned.
Now two of their friends have been taken and they have to solve the mystery while
keeping the secret of their ever-harder-to-control-powers hidden. Book 4 of the
Virals series. [Fic] (mystery, science fiction, virus)
The Eye of Zoltar, by Jasper Fforde. HMH Books for Young Readers, ©2014. With a
wizard threatening the lives of the remaining dragons of the world, the non-magical
Jennifer Strange knows she must once again leave her magic shop to face a perilous
journey in order to save the day. Book 3 of The Chronicles of Kazam series. [Fic]
(fantasy, magic, travel) (BL, HB, KR, SLJ)
Fangs a Lot: Final Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire, by Tim Collins,
illustrated by Andrew Pinder. Aladdin, ©2014. Even though Nigel is happy to give
up leadership of his coven to Viktor so that he can start focusing on himself instead
of everyone else’s issues, he realizes he must step back in to a leadership role to
protect the group. Conclusion of the Totally Lame Vampire series. [Fic] (humor,
Scotland, vampires) (HB)
Fantasy League, by Mike Lupica. Philomel Books, ©2014. Charlie’s skill with
fantasy football picks gets him involved in selecting players for an actual NFL team.
[Fic] (football, sports, values) (*BL, HB, SLJ)
Fluff Dragon, by Platte F. Clark. Aladdin, ©2014. Like all technology, the way to fix
the Codex of Infinite Knowability is to reboot it. How hard could that be in a world
with killer unicorns, fire-breathing kittens, and dragons? Book 2 of the The Bad
Unicorn series. [Fic] (fantasy, humor, magic) (KR, PW)
23
INTERMEDIATE, 5-8
The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing, by Sheila Turnage. Puffin Books, ©2014. Mo and
Dale have been solving mysteries as the Desperado Detective Agency for a long time,
but only after Miss Lana buys a haunted inn do they open their first paranormal
division. Mo and Dale Mystery series. [Fic] (identity, mystery, North Carolina)
(BCCB, *BL, HB, KR,*PW, *SLJ)
Greenglass House, by Kate Milford. Clarion Books, ©2014. Guests in the winter
are unusual at Greenglass House, but having the belonging of those guests disappear
at the smuggler’s inn is even more of a mystery. Unraveling the mystery will reveal
much that has been hidden. [Fic] (adoption, fantasy, mystery) (*BL, HB,*KR, LMC,
PW, SLJ)
Hidden Like Anne Frank: 14 True Stories of Survival, by Marcel Prins and Peter
Henk Steenhuis. Arthur A. Levine Books, ©2014. Translated by Laura Watkinson,
14 first-person accounts of life in hiding during World War II express the fear and
heartbreak of children as young as 3 years old who were kept alive by a network
of brave people. [940.53] (biography, Holocaust, narratives) (BCCB, BL, HB, *KR,
LMC, *PW, *SLJ)
The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky, by Holly Schindler. Dial Books, ©2014. The
local trash hauler and his granddaughter Auggie have a home that might look like
junk to the House Beautification Committee, at first, but with each piece of recycled
sculpture they create from what was once junk, the town begins to see beauty in new
ways. [Fic] (folk art, found art) (BCCB, HB, KR, LMC, PW, SLJ)
I Lived on Butterfly Hill, by Marjorie Agosin. Atheneum Books for Young Readers,
©2014. Based on actual events, Celeste flees political turmoil in Chile to live Maine
while her parents hide in order to avoid being among those who disappear. [Fic]
(historical fiction, refugees) (BCCB, *BL, HB, KR, LMC, PW, SLJ)
Mistwalker, by Saundra Mitchell. HMH Books for Young Readers, ©2014.
Everything changed for Willa the day her brother died on the family lobster boat.
The entire town is actually engulfed in fog because of the Grey Man and Willa
thinks she may be the key to making things right again. [Fic] (grief, Maine, mystery)
(BL, HB, PW, SLJ)
My Brother’s Shadow, by Tom Avery. Schwartz & Wade, ©2014. After finding her
older brother dead at home, Kaia feels as if she’s losing her mother to a bottle, her
normal life of school and friends, and her ability to be happy. [Fic] (dying, grief,
single parent family) (BL, HB, LMC, SLJ)
Neil Flambé and the Toyko Treasure, by Kevin Sylvester. Simon and Schuster
Books for Young Readers, ©2014. He may be only 14 years old, but Neil is a worldfamous chef and a detective. When a local chef dies, the police turn to their local
crime-solving chef to solve the case. Book 4 of the The Neil Flambé Capers series.
[Fic] (cooking, manga, mystery) (BL, HB)
24
INTERMEDIATE, 5-8
Nerd Camp 2.0, by Elissa Brent Weissman. Antheneum Books for Young Readers,
©2014. The Summer Center for Gifted Enrichment may be the official title, but
Gabe is looking forward to Nerd Camp and some much needed time away from his
stepbrother. Too bad a wildfire brought their camps together. [Fic] (realistic fiction,
stepfamilies) (BL, SLJ)
Nest, by Esther Ehrlich. Wendy Lamb Books, ©2014. Chirp’s mother was a dancer,
until symptoms showed something was very wrong. With everything changing,
Chirp’s love of birds isn’t enough to see her through. Thankfully she finds a true
friend in Joey. [Fic] (Cape Cod, family, multiple sclerosis) (ALA, BB, BL, HB, *KR,
LMC, *PW, *SLJ)
Of Sorcery and Snow, by Shelby Bach. Simon and Schuster Books for Young
Readers, ©2014. The name Rory Landon may not be familiar from fairy tales, but
many of the major players in this series are straight out of a bedtime story. Too bad
this one will be so scary and cold! Book 3 of the Ever Afters series. [Fic] (fairy tales,
magic) (HB, SLJ)
The Only Thing Worse Than Witches, by Lauren Magaziner. Dial Books, ©2014.
Rupert can’t resist an advertisement for a witch’s apprentice, but soon realizes he’s
training with a witch who needs a lot of help learning how to cast a spell. [Fic]
(apprentices, friendship, magic) (HB, *KR, LMC, PW, SLJ)
Outer Space, by Ken Jennings, illustrated by Mike Lowery. Little Simon, ©2014.
As with all of the books in this series, Jeopardy! winner Ken Jennings has compiled
information in a fun, easily accessible format. Answers to the Official Junior Genius
Exam are given in code that must be cracked using a cipher, providing readers with
a bonus challenge to cap off the experience. Ken Jennings’ Junior Guide series. [523]
(outer space, solar system) (HB)
The Paper Cowboy, by Kristin Levine. G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young
Readers, ©2014. Like most bullies, Tommy has a lot of reasons behind his behavior.
Other people don’t see it the way he does, but Tommy really wants to be a hero. Set
in Illinois in the 1950s, this book is for upper middle school readers. [Fic] (bullying,
Cold War, physical abuse) (*BL, HB, *KR, *PW, SLJ)
Park Scientists: Gila Monsters, Geysers, and Grizzly Bears in America’s Own
Backyard, by Mary Kay Carson, illustrated by Tom Uhlman. HMH Books for
Young Readers, ©2014. Scientists are profiled in the living museums they work
within, America’s National Parks. Readers learn not only about plants, animals, and
geology, but also ways to be part of ongoing research in the field. Scientists in the
Field series. [333.78] (infographics, narrative nonfiction, National Parks) (BL, HB,
KR, *SLJ, OSTB)
The Perfect Place, by Teresa E. Harris. Clarion Books, ©2014. Treasure’s home life
wasn’t perfect when they moved around a lot, but when her dad disappears and she
has to move in with a great aunt, she is determined to stay detached. With humor,
Harris tells the story of Treasure’s adjustment to her new normal. [Fic] (family,
humor, segregation) (BL, KR, PW, SLJ)
25
INTERMEDIATE, 5-8
Poached, by Stuart Gibbs. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, ©2014.
Teddy “Roosevelt” Fitzroy is back in the FunJungle zoo and theme park, this time
solving the mystery of the disappeared koala. Companion novel to Belly Up. [Fic]
(bullies, mystery, Texas) (BCCB, BL, HB, KR, SLJ)
Princess and the Foal, by Stacy Gregg. Philomel Books, ©2014. Stories of
princesses and horses may seem like fantasies from fairy tales, but Princess Haya is
modern-day royalty in Jordan. King Hussein, her father, helps Haya deal with the
death of her mother through the gift of a foal. [Fic] (historical fiction, show jumping)
(HB, KR, LMC, PW)
Rory’s Promise, by Michaela MacColl and Rosemary Nichols. Calkins Creek,
©2014. At 12, Rory is considered too old to ride the Orphan Train from New York to
the Arizona Territory, but she refuses to be separated from her younger sister. The
author’s note and recommended resources help bring the true stories of children like
Rory to life. Hidden Histories series. [Fic] (adoption, historical fiction, orphans) (BL,
KR, LMC, PW, SLJ)
Sally Ride: Life on a Mission, by Sue Macy. Aladdin, ©2014. Sally Ride is known
as the first woman in space, but she excelled in many other areas including being a
nationally ranked tennis player, a physicist, a professor, and an inspiration for young
women to pursue careers in science and math. Ride’s life on Earth is explored in this
easy to read biography with various text features. [629.45] (biography, narrative
non-fiction) (BL, HB, KR, LMC, PW, SLJ, OSTB)
Schools of Hope: How Julius Rosenwald Helped Change African American
Education, by Norman H. Finkelstein. Calkins Creek, ©2014. At a time when
segregation was the norm for African American children in the South, the president
of Sears, Roebuck, and Company was helping build more than 5,330 schools in
cooperation with local communities. Black-and-white photos help tell a story of
over 600,000 people who had access to improved economic opportunity through
education. [371.829] (biography, narrative non-fiction) (BCCB, BL, HB, KR, LMC,
SLJ)
Scorpion Mountain, by John Flanagan. Philomel Books, ©2014. The world of the
Ranger’s Apprentice series combines with the Brotherband to do battle. Readers
of The Ranger’s Apprentice series will enjoy book 5 of the Brotherband Chronicles
series. [Fic] (adventure, fantasy, quests)
Sea Turtle Scientist, written and photographed by Stephen R. Swinburne. HMH
Books for Young Readers, ©2014. The Turtle Lady of St. Kitts has made it her
mission to preserve a dwindling population of leatherback sea turtles. Beautiful
full-color photos bring the 800-pound turtles to life on the pages of this book in the
Scientists in the Field series. [597.92] (narrative non-fiction, research, sea turtles)
(BL, *SLJ)
26
INTERMEDIATE, 5-8
The Secret Hum of a Daisy, by Tracy Holczer. Putnam Juvenile, ©2014. Grace’s life
has been nomadic, lacking roots, until the death of her mother forces her to live with
a grandmother she’s never even known. By unraveling the mystery of her family
past, Grace finds the stability her life has always lacked. [Fic] (dying, grief, realistic
fiction) (HB, KR, *PW, *SLJ)
Silver People: Voices from the Panama Canal, by Margarita Engle. HMH Books
for Young Readers, ©2014. The story of the building of the Panama Canal has been
told many times, but not through verse from the perspective of so many. The silver
people, so named for their less valuable form of pay, are joined by other voices to
express how the people and land were challenged by the massive undertaking of
creating a waterway through a jungle. [Fic] (historical fiction, poetry, segregation)
(BCCB, *BL, HB, LMC, SLJ)
Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World, by Nancy F.
Castaldo. HMH Books for Young Readers, ©2014. You know they can detect drugs
and bombs, but did you know sniffer dogs can detect blood sugar levels or search for
killer whales? This book will introduce many dogs and the handlers who help them
accomplish important, life-saving work. [636.7088] (narrative non-fiction, search
dogs) (*KR, SLJ, OSTB)
Still Life, by Jacqueline West, illustrated by Poly Bernatene. Dial Books, ©2014.
Bringing the series to resolution, book 5 of the Books of Elsewhere series unravels
the stories of both the creator and magical origin of Elsewhere. [Fic] (magic, space
and time) (HB, KR, SLJ)
Space Case, by Stuart Gibbs. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, ©2014.
Life as a lunarnaut is exciting and fun, unless you’re a 12-year-old who has nothing
to do and isn’t even allowed onto the moon’s surface. When a top scientist dies,
Dashiell Gibson makes it his mission to find out if an important discovery that was
on the horizon is the reason for the untimely death. Moon Base Alpha series. [Fic]
(alien encounter, mystery, science fiction) (BL, HB, *KR, *LMC)
Threatened, by Eliot Schrefer. Scholastic Press, ©2014. Though his mother has
passed on, Luc remembers well what she called the chimpanzees in the trees above
their home—mock men. When those mock men become his new family, Luc must
wonder if it is really the chimpanzees who are not truly human. [Fic] (animal rescue,
Gibon, survival) (ALA, BCCB, BL, HB, *KR, *LMC, *PW, OSTB, SLJ)
Under the Egg, by Laura Marx Fitzgerald. Dial Books, ©2014. $463 and the
promise of treasure hidden under the egg is all Jack’s grandfather left behind. If the
treasure is a stolen piece of art, then why would a man with such valuables leave so
little behind? [Fic] (art history, friendship, mystery) (ALA, BCCB, *BL, HB, LMC,
OSTB, PW, SLJ)
27
INTERMEDIATE, 5-8
Voices from the March on Washington, by J. Patrick Lewis and George Ella
Lyon. WordSong, ©2014. From different perspectives, through different voices, with
different poetic forms, the stories of the March on Washington are told. [811] (Civil
Rights Movement, poetry) (*BL, HB, *KR, LMC, SLJ)
What Flowers Remember, by Shannon Wiersbitzky. Namelos, ©2014. In a story
organized through the months of the year, always mindful of what a good gardener
would do at each of these times, Delia helps her town capture the failing memories
of an old friend. [Fic] (Alzheimer’s, friendship, gardening) (BCCB, HB, KR)
What the Moon Said, by Gayle Rosengren. G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young
Readers, ©2014. Life during the Great Depression was comfortable enough in
Chicago, but when Esther’s family moves to a farm in Wisconsin she is given many
opportunities to show how good a daughter she can be. [Fic] (Chicago, family, Great
Depression) (BCCB, BL, HB, KR, PW)
When Lunch Fights Back: Wickedly Clever Animal Defenses, by Rebecca L.
Johnson. Millbrook Press, ©2014. Running and hiding are not the only ways to
avoid being preyed upon in the wild. The full color photos and colorful text features
bring the struggle for survival to life for these adaptive creatures. [591.47] (animal
defenses, narrative non-fiction) (BL, *KR, SLJ)
Who Was Stan Lee?, by Stephanie Spinner, illustrated by Jim Eldridge and
Nancy Harrison. Grosset & Dunlap, ©2014. Part of the Who Was…? series, which
highlights people from throughout history, this book focuses on a modern visionary
who created many of the superheroes featured in comics and movies today. [813]
(biography, comic books)
Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina, by Rodman Philbrick. The Blue Sky
Press, ©2014. Twelve-year-old Zane is alone in an unfamiliar place, but that’s not
his biggest problem. Hurricane Katrina has hit and must depend on the kindness of
strangers to survive. [Fic] (natural disaster, New Orleans, survival) (BCCB, BL, HB,
*KR, *PW, *SLJ)
28
SENIOR, 9-12
SENIOR, 9-12
100 Sideways Miles, by Andrew Smith. Simon & Schuster ©2014. Finn Easton
counts his day in miles, not minutes, his own special way of seeing the world. Finn’s
epilepsy causes his parents to be slightly overprotective but they allow Finn and his
best-friend, Cade to drive across the country when Julia, Finn’s girlfriend, moves
away. [Fic] (best friends, fathers and sons, authors) Best Fiction for Young Adults
2015, Notable Children’s Books of 2014, NPR Best Book of the Year. (BL*, HB*, KR*,
PW*, SLJ*)
A Matter of Souls, by Denise Lewis Patrick. Carolrhoda Lab, ©2014. A series of
vignettes reveal life in the Deep South for African Americans as they experience
discrimination in a doctor’s office, lynching, and other forms of oppression,
especially during the 1960s. [Fic] (race relations, African Americans, southern
states, historical fiction) Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2014 (KR*)
Afterworlds, by Scott Westerfeld. Simon Pulse ©2014. Darcy Patel puts college on
hold to pursue a publishing career. As Darcy navigates life alone in New York City
and edits her novel for publishing, alternate chapters are told in Lizzie’s voice, the
heroine of Darcy’s novel. The blending of the two stories of real life and the spirit
world works together to provide an intriguing read. [Fic](authorship, future life,
New York, ghosts) Best Books of 2014, Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015, Best
Young Adult Books 2014, Perfect Tens – The Top Books Reviewed in VOYA 2014.
(BL*,PW*, SLJ*, VOYA*)
And We Stay, by Jenny Hubbard. Delacorte Press, ©2014. Emily enters boarding
school after her boyfriend kills himself in front of her. Her classmates are curious
about the new student and rumors begin but Emily keeps the true reason to herself.
Emily’s roommate, a new school, and writing poetry help her begin to heal. Novel in
verse. [Fic](boarding schools, high schools, schools, suicide, interpersonal relations,
poetry) Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2014
Teens, Michael L. Printz Award Honors 2015, Pure Poetry Picks for 2013, Top Ten
Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015. (BL*, BCCB*, KR*, SLJ*)
Babe Conquers the World: The Legendary Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias,
by Rich Wallace and Sandra Neil Wallace. Calkins Creek, ©2014. Babe Didrikson
Zaharis was determined to become the greatest woman athlete of the 20th century.
Babe set a world-record at the 1932 Olympics and became a professional golfer. The
biography chronicles her life from childhood through the end of her life. [796.42092]
(Babe Didrikson Zaharias, athletes, women biography)
Beetle Boy, by Margaret Willey. Carolrhoda Lab ©2014. Charlie’s mother left when
he was 7. Charlie shared the stories his mother told him to his father and younger
brother, to cheer them up. Those stories led to Charlie being the youngest, published
author (according to his father) and years of appearances that he hated. [Fic]
(emotional problems, family problems, dating) (KR*, PW*)
Bombs Over Bikini, by Connie Goldsmith. Twenty-First Century Books, ©2014.
Details the nuclear bomb testing from 1946 through 1958 in the Marshal Islands.
[623.4/5119](atomic bomb testing, Bikini Atoll, nuclear weapons testing)
29
SENIOR, 9-12
Call Me By My Name, by John Ed Bradley. Atheneum Books of Young Readers
©2014. Tater Henry and Rodney Boulett are unlikely best friends in 1960s
Louisiana. Teammates on the football field, Rodney works hard to change the town’s
perceptions and earn their acceptance of Tater as quarterback. But Rodney’s twin
sister, Angie, might have more than friendship in mind and Rodney isn’t sure he or
the town are ready to go that far. [Fic](race relations, prejudices, friendship, football)
(BCCB*, LMC*)
The Cracks in the Kingdom, by Jadlyn Moriarty. Arthur A. Levine Books,
©2014. The second book in THE COLORS OF MADELEINE trilogy. Princess
Ko and a group of teens with special abilities join together to rescue the king and
other missing royals. [Fic](interpersonal relations, magic, missing persons, color,
Cambridge England) (HB*, HBM*, KR*, SLJ*)
Compulsion, by Martina Boone. Simon Pulse, ©2014. Barrie Watson moves to
South Carolina to live with the aunt she has never met following the death of her
mother. Barrie is confused as to why her mother never shared memories of her life
on the plantation or even told Barrie she had a family. As Barrie and her aunt try
to connect, neighbor Eight Beaufort, befriends Barrie but a possible curse haunts
Barrie as she attempts to start her new life. [Fic](blessing and cursing, supernatural,
spirits, aunts, vendetta, orphans, islands South Carolina)
D-Day: the Invasion of Normandy, 1944, by Rick Atkinson. Henry Holt and
Company ©2014. The author describes the events leading up and the events of
June 6, 1944. D-Day, the day that led to the liberation of western Europe and Nazi
Germany lost control. Photo-illustrated adaption of the adult book The Guns at Last
Light, D-Day. [940.54/21421](World War, 1939-1945 Campaigns France, Normandy)
(SLJ*)
Divided We Fall, by Trent Reedy. Arthur A. Levine Books ©2014. Danny Wright
joined the Idaho Army National Guard at 17 to honor his late father. But when the
state of Idaho and the United States government are at odds, Danny’s accidental
discharge of his weapon during a riot begins a war. [Fic](government, resistance,
Idaho, National Guard, high schools, mothers and sons) (PW*)
Don’t Even Think About It, by Sarah Mlynowski. Delacorte Press ©2014. A group
of high school students develop telepathic powers after their class receives flu
shots. The girls use their abilities to see who likes who, cheat on tests, dump their
boyfriends (before they dump them), the list is nearly endless. Some are thrilled but
some have difficulty dealing with the ability and the responsibility that goes along
with it. [Fic](extrasensory perception, high schools, TriBeCa New York, NY, New
York) (PW*)
Edge of Nowhere, by John Smelcer. Leapfrog Press, ©2014. Seth and his dog are
washed overboard from his father’s fishing boat during a storm. Finding himself
washed up on the Alaskan coast, Seth must find a way to survive so that he can get
back home. [Fic](survival, Alaska, Human-animal relationships, fathers and sons,
dogs, coming of age) (SLJ*)
30
SENIOR, 9-12
The End or Something Like That, by Ann Dee Ellis. Dial Books, ©2014. The first
anniversary of Emmy’s best friend’s death is close. Kim had made a promise to visit
from the afterlife but Emmy feels she had let her friend down when she still hasn’t
made contact. [Fic](death, best friends, friendship, high schools, self-esteem, family
life, Las Vegas) (PW*)
Girl Defective, by Simmone Howell. Atheneum Books for Young Readers ©2014.
Skylark Martin, lives with her father and younger brother, Gully above their vinyl
record store in Melbourne. The story takes place during the summer Sky will turn
16. Sky deals with her brother’s social issues, her father’s drinking, the loss of her
mother, who moved to Japan to pursue performance art, making new friends, and
learning the truth that may change her life. [Fic](friendship, family life, Australia,
coming of age, mystery and detective stories) Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2014
Teens (KR*, SLJ*)
Girl in Reverse, by Barbara Stuber. Margaret K. McElderry Books, ©2014. Lillian
was 3 years old when her mother put her up for adoption. Lillian, who is Chinese, is
adopted by an American couple. In 1951, Lillian is target as a “Commie” and faces
racism at school. Lillian’s attempts to locate her birth mother and learn about her
past leads her to discoveries that may surprise. [Fic] (Chinese Americans, racism,
adoption, birthmothers) (LMC*)
Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future, by A.S. King. Little, Brown and Company,
©2014. Glory O’Brien can see the future and she doesn’t like what she sees. Glory’s
mother committed suicide when Glory was 4 years old, and she has always wondered
if she will go the same way. Unfortunately, her own future isn’t one she can see, but
she plans to do all she can to make sure what she does see doesn’t become reality.
[Fic](clairvoyance, best friends, fathers and daughters, photography, suicide) Best
Books of 2014, Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015, Best Young Adult Books 2014,
Booklist Books for Older Readers 2014, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2014 Teens,
PW’s Best Books of the Year 2014, PW’s Best Children’s Books 2014 (BL*, HB*, KR*,
PW*, SLJ*)
The Gospel of Winter, by Brendan Kiely. Margaret K. McElderry Books ©2014.
Aidan Donovan’s family may look perfect but Aidan knows better. He turns to a
prescription drug and stolen alcohol from his father in an attempt to escape. Aidan
also relies on the support of Father Greg, the only adult he feels truly listens to him.
When Aidan realizes Father Greg has ulterior motives, he turns to his new friends
for support. [Fic](teenage boys, sex crimes, priests, friendship) Best Fiction for
Young Adults 2015, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2014 Teens, Top Ten Best Fiction
for Young Adults 2015. (BL*, KR*, PW*)
31
SENIOR, 9-12
Grasshopper Jungle, by Andrew Smith. Dutton Books ©2014. Austin and
Robby accidently unleash an army of giant bugs that could mean the end of the
world. Austin narrates the events that following in the town of Ealing, Iowa, while
including his questions and insecurities regarding his best friend, his girlfriend, and
life in general. [Fic](survival, friendship, gender identity, family life, insects) Michael
L. Printz Honor Book, Best Books of 2014, Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015, Best
Young Adult Books 2014,, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2014 Teens, PW’s Best
Books of the Year 2014, PW’s Best Children’s Books 2014. (KR*, PW*, SLJ*, VOYA*)
Hunt for the Bamboo Rat, by Graham Salisbury. Wendy Lamb Books ©2014.
Seventeen-year-old Zanji Watanabe is recruited directly out of high school to be a
translator by the army. Zenji is sent to Manila as an undercover civilian to gather
information on the Japanese. Based on a true story. [Fic](spies, prisoners of war,
survival, Japanese Americans, World War)
The Impossible Knife of Memory, by Laurie Halse Anderson. Viking ©2014.
Haley is used to dealing with her father’s PTSD. They have traveled the country in
his 18-wheeler for the last several years as he runs from the memories of Iraq. They
move into her grandmother’s house and Haley hopes for a more normal life but her
constant worries about her father and never knowing what condition he will be in,
make normal seem out of her grasp. [Fic](fathers and daughters, post-traumatic
stress disorder, veterans) Best Books of 2014, Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015,
Best Young Adult Books, 2014, Notable Children’s Books of 2014, PW’s Best Books
of the Year 2014, PW’s Best Children’s Books 2014. (BL*, BCCB*, LMC*, PW*, SLJ*,
VOYA*)
The Killing Woods, by Lucy Christopher. Scholastic, Inc. ©2014. Early one
morning, Emily’s father, a former soldier suffering from PTSD, carries the body of
Ashlee from the woods. Damon, the victim’s boyfriend and Emily alternate telling
the story about the Game that may be the cause of Ashlee’s death. [Fic](games,
murder, fathers and daughters, mystery and detective stories) (KR*)
The Last Forever, by Deb Caletti. Simon Pulse, ©2014. Following the death of her
mother, Tessa and her father leave on a road trip which takes them to a small, coastal
town in Washington State. Tessa begins to heal through new friends and their
commitment to helping her save the plant her mother asked her to care for. [Fic]
(grief, death, friendship, love) (BL*, HBG*, HBM*, KR*, PW*)
Latitude Zero, by Diana Renn. Viking, ©2014. When Tessa and her boyfriend
bandit ride (riding in a race without entry) and a young cycling star is killed, Tessa
finds herself in the middle of an investigation. Tessa wants to clear Juan Carlos’
name as well as her own and it will take traveling to Ecuador to do so. [Fic](bicycles,
bicycle racing, murder, journalists, organized crime)
Laughing at My Nightmare, by Shane Burcaw. Roaring Brook Press, ©2014. Shane
Burcaw describes his life with spinal muscular atrophy. [617.4/82044092 B.] (Shane
Burcaw, spinal muscular atrophy, people with disabilities) Quick Picks for Reluctant
Young Adult Readers 2015, YALSA for Excellence in Nonfiction for YA Finalist 2015
(PW*)
32
SENIOR, 9-12
A Mad Wicked Folley, by Sharon Biggs Waller. Viking, ©2014. Victoria is a 17-yearold debutante in 1909 London. Victoria’s dream is to be an artist but she knows that
is unlikely for a girl. She tries to challenge the system which only creates a scandal
and embarrassment for her parents. Includes bibliographical references. [Fic](artists,
sex role, love stories, London, England history, Great Britain history 20th century)
Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015. (BL*, LMC*, SLJ*)
Noggin, by John Corey Whaley. Antheneum Books for Young Readers ©2014.
Travis Coates died of cancer at 16 but because he was part of a scientific study, his
head was frozen. Five years later Travis’ head is attached to a donor body and Travis
reenters the world. Even though he is still 16, everyone around him is five years
older. [Fic](science fiction, identity, interpersonal relations, family life, Missouri
Kansas City, transplantation of organs, tissues, etc., death) Best Fiction for Young
Adults 2015, Best Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror 2013, National Book Award
2015 Young People’s Literature, Notable Children’s Books of 2014, PW’s Best Books
of the Year 2014, PW’s Best Children’s Books 2014, Top Ten Best Fiction for Young
Missouri subject
Adults 2015 (BL*, PW*, VOYA*)
No Place, by Todd Strasser. Simon & Schuster ©2014. Dan has grown up in a
middle class family as the school baseball star who dates the most popular girl in
school. But with both of his parents out of work, the family loses their home and
winds up in the tent city at their local park. Although Dan’s friends attempt to carry
on as if everything is normal, Dan can’t help but be changed by his new environment
and the situations that arise because of it. [Fic](Homeless person, Poverty) (VOYA*)
The Other Way Around, by Sashi Kaufman. Carolrhoda Lab ©2014. Andrew’s
perceives his parents’ lives as unfulfilling. Not wanting his own life to echo his
parents’ Andrew runs away with a group who refer to themselves as the Freegans
who travel in a VW bus and find their food in dumpsters. As the group travels across
the country, Andrew may realize life isn’t always as it seems. [Fic](street entertainers,
homeless persons, mothers and sons, family problems) (BL*)
Popular: a memoir: vintage wisdom for a modern geek, by Maya Van
Wagenen. Dutton, ©2014. Maya Van Wagenen set aside a year and followed a former
teen model’s popularity guide from the 1950s. [155.5/33](self-confidence, life skills,
teenage girls) Perfect Tens the Top Books Reviewed in VOYA 2014, YALSA Award
for Excellence in Nonfiction for YA 2015 (VOYA*)
The Port Chicago 50: disaster, mutiny, and the fight for civil rights, by Steve
Sheinkin. Roaring Brook Press, ©2014. Fifty African American men are charged
with mutiny after they refuse to return to work at the Port Chicago Navy base.
Two weeks before an explosion killed more than 300 sailors. The striking sailors
protest the unsafe and unfair working conditions. [940.54](World War 1939-1945
Participation African American, Port Chicago Mutiny, Port Chicago Mutiny Trial,
African American sailors history) Best Books of 2014, Best Books of the Year 2014
Nonfiction, Bulletin Blue Ribbons 2014 Nonfiction, National Book Award 2014
Young People’s Literature, Notable Children’s Books 2015 Older Readers, Notable
Children’s Books of 2014, PW’s Best Books of the Year 2014, PW’s Best Children’s
Books 2014, YALSA for Excellence in Nonfiction for YA Finalists 2015 (KR*, LMC*,
PW*, SLJ*)
33
SENIOR, 9-12
Promise of Shadows, by Justina Ireland. Simon & Schuster BFYR, ©2014. Zephyr
Mourning is a Harpy (half-human, half-god warrior) who discovers her dark powers
when defending herself after her sister is murdered. After escaping punishment
and on the run, Zephyr and her friends go on a quest to discover if she truly is the
Nyx, a dark goddess prophesied to shift the power balance. [Fic](gods, goddesses,
murder, prisons, prophecies, Greek mythology, fantasy) Perfect Tens The Top Books
Reviewed in VOYA 2014 (VOYA*)
Revolution, by Deborah Wiles. Scholastic Press, ©2014. Set in 1964 Greenwood,
Mississippi, Sunny feels as if her home is being invaded just like her town. Freedom
Summer is in full swing but Sunny is dealing with a new stepmother, new brother,
and new sister. [Fic](African Americans Civil rights, Nineteen sixty-four, Mississippi
Race relations, Greenwood, Mississippi, African Americans, girls, family life, voter
registration) Best Books of 2014, Best Books of the Year 2014 Middle Grades, Best
Fiction for Young Adults 2014, Booklist Top of the List 2014, National Book Award
2014 Young People’s Literature, Notable Children’s Books 2015 Older Readers, PW’s
Best Books of the Year 2014, PW’s Best Children’s Books 2014 (BL*, HBG*, HBM*,
KR*, PWA*, SLJ*)
River Music, by Leigh Sauerwein. Namelos, ©2014. River Music is the story of
Rainy, a 10-year-old-girl who was abandoned as a baby during the Civil War. Rainy
lives with Will and his son, Ben. Rainy is very curious about where she comes from
and a series of gifts may be the clues she needs to find her family. [Fic](foundlings,
southern states, historical fiction)
Road Rash, by Mark Parsons. Alfred A. Knopf, ©2014. Sixteen-year-old drummer,
Zach is touring for the summer with a band. Zach gains both skill and confidence
but also has to deal with issues within the band. [Fic](drummers, rock groups) Best
Fiction for Young Adults 2015.
Sally Ride: Life on a Mission, by Sue Macy. Aladdin, ©2014. Most know Sally Ride
as the first woman to travel to space. This biography details other aspects of Ride’s
life including being a nationally ranked tennis player. [629.450092 B.](Sally Ride,
astronauts, physicists, women) Outstanding Science Trade Books for Student K-12 –
2015
The Scar Boys, by Len Vlahos. Egmont USA, ©2014. The day Harry Jones was tied
to a tree and struck by lightning changed his life forever. His body covered in burn
scars, he is shunned and bullied until he makes a friend in Johnny. The two form
a band and Harry discovers he is looked at differently when he is playing music. A
band road trip changes the boys’ friendship or was it ever as Harry had perceived?
[Fic](disfigured persons, friendship, bands, near-death experiences, family life,
New York) Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015, William C. Morris Debut YA Award
Finalists 2015 (SLJ*)
Skink: No Surrender, by Carl Hiaasen. Alfred A. Knopf, ©2014. Richard’s cousin
Malley has run away to avoid going to boarding school. When Richard uncovers
the details of Malley’s plan, he enlists the help of the eccentric Skink, ex-governor
of Florida, to rescue his cousin. [Fic](missing children, wilderness areas, Florida,
mystery) (BL*, LMC*)
34
SENIOR, 9-12
Stories of My Life, by Katherine Paterson. Dial Books for Young Readers, ©2014.
Katherine Paterson details stories from her own life and describes how many of
the events inspired her writing. Includes personal photos and letters. [813/.54 B.]
Katherine Paterson, American authors biography, Authorship) (KR*, PW*)
Traumatic Brain Injury: from concussion to coma, by Connie Goldsmith.
Twenty-First Century Books, ©2014. Describes traumatic brain injuries, what
causes them, and how they are diagnosed and treated. Written by a registered nurse.
[617.481044](brain wounds and injuries, brain diseases, neurology) (LMC*)
The Treatment, by Suzanne Young. Simon Pulse ©2014. Sloane and James realize
they have a connection even though their memories have been erased by the
Program. The two are on the run with a group of rebels who are attempting to shut
the program down. But Sloane and James find out about the treatment, a pill that
will bring back their memories. The only problem, there is only one. Sequel to The
Program. [Fic](suicide, resistance to government, memory, love, science fiction)
The Tyrant’s Daughter, by J.C. Carleson. Alfred A. Knopf, ©2014. Laila, her
mother, and brother flee their country for the United States after her father, the king,
is killed in a coup. Laila has known nothing but a loving father but media stories in
the United States depict him as a cruel ruler. Laila and her brother have to deal with
learning the world’s perception of their father and a new culture while their mother
is dealing with the CIA. [Fic](exiles, immigrants, dictators, Middle East politics and
government, high schools) Best Fiction for Young Adults 2015, Kirkus Reviews Best
Books of 2014 Teens (KR*, PW*)
A Volcano Beneath the Snow: John Brown’s war against slavery, by Albert
Marrin. Alfred A. Knopf, ©2014. A biography of John Brown, an abolitionist who led
a raid on the military armory at Harper’s Ferry during the Civil War. [973.7/116092
B](Brown, John, 1800-1859, abolitionists United States, Harpers Ferry history John
Brown’s Raid 1859) Best Books of 2014, Best Books of the Year 2014 Nonfiction,
Booklist Books for Older Readers 2014 (BL*, BCCB*, PWA*, SLJ*, VOYA*)
Zac & Mia, by A.J. Betts. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers
©2014. Seventeen-year-olds Zac and Mia are both patients in the oncology ward.
Zac is in quarantine to protect him following bone marrow transplant when Mia is
admitted to the room next door. What begins as communication through the wall
develops into a friendship that will see both through some of the most trying times
of their young lives. [Fic](friendship, cancer) (LMC*, SLJ*)
35
MISSOURI AWARD-NOMINATED
BOOKS
NEW BOOKS FOR MISSOURI
STUDENTS
MISSOURI AWARD-NOMINATED BOOKS
SHOW-ME AWARD NOMINEES, GRADES 1-3
As Fast as Words Could Fly, by Pamela M. Tuck, illustrated by Eric Valasquez.
Lee & Low, ©2013. A 13-year-old African American boy in 1960s Greenville, North
Carolina, uses his typing skills to make a statement as part of the Civil Rights
movement. Based on true events.
The Day the Crayons Quit, by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by E.B. Lewis. Scholastic
Press, ©2013. When Duncan arrives at school one morning, he finds a stack of
letters, one from each of his crayons, complaining about how he uses them.
The Invisible Boy, by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Patrice Barton. Knopf Books
for Young Readers, ©2013. Brian has always felt invisible at school, but when a new
student, Justin, arrives, everything changes.
Matchbox Diary, by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Babram Ibatoulline.
Candlewick, ©2013. Follows a girl’s perusal of her great-grandfather’s collection of
matchboxes and small curios, documenting his poignant immigration journey from
Italy to the United States.
Memoirs of a Hamster, by Devin Scillian, illustrated by Tim Bowers. Sleeping Bear
Press, ©2013. A pet hamster is enticed by the family cat to venture outside his wellequipped cage to the sunroom only to very quickly discover life outside his cage is
not the best for him.
Picture Day Perfection, by Deborah Diesen, illustrated by Dan Santat. Harry N.
Abrams, ©2013. After planning for months to have the perfect school picture taken,
a boy’s moment of weakness ruins everything.
The Spelling Bee before Recess, by Deborah Lee Rose, illustrated by Carey
Armstrong-Ellis. Harry N. Abrams, ©2013. As the annual school spelling bee nears
its finish, two students compete with equal success until the principal breaks the tie
with an unusual word.
A Splash of Red –The Life and Art of Horace Pippin, by Jen Bryant, illustrated by
Melissa Sweet. Knopf Books for Young Readers, ©2013. Tells the story of AfricanAmerican painter Horace Pippin, a self-taught genius who battled back from a
crippling sniper wound in the World War I trenches to regain the use of his right
arm and become the artist he was meant to be.
Trouper, by Meg Kearney, illustrated by E. B. Lewis. Sleeping Bear Press, ©2013.
Trouper, a three-legged dog, remembers his life as a stray, before he was adopted.
Wilfred, by Ryan Higgins, illustrated by Ryan Higgins. Dial, ©2013. When Wilfred,
a big, hairy, and lonesome giant, enters a town full of tiny bald people, he finds only
one friend but that proves to be enough when the other townspeople trick him out of
his warm hair.
36
MARK TWAIN AWARD NOMINEES, GRADES 4-6
Al Capone Does My Homework, by Gennifer Choldenko. Puffin, ©2013. Moose
Flanagan, who lives on Alcatraz along with his family and the families of the other
prison guards, faces new challenges when his father is promoted to Associate
Warden.
Counting by 7’s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan. Dial, ©2013. Twelve-year-old genius and
outsider Willow Chance must figure out how to connect with other people and find a
surrogate family for herself after her parents are killed in a car accident.
Dorko the Magnificent, by Andrea Beaty. Harry N. Abrams, ©2013. Robbie Darko
is an old-school, pull-a-rabbit-out-of-your-hat-style magician, but despite his best
efforts, something always goes wrong with his tricks until crotchety Grandma
Melvyn moves in and teaches him something about the true meaning of magic.
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, by Chris Grabenstein. Yearling, ©2013.
Twelve-year-old Kyle gets to stay overnight in the new town library, designed by his
hero (the famous gamemaker Luigi Lemoncello), with other students but finds that
come morning he must work with friends to solve puzzles in order to escape.
Gaby, Lost and Found, by Angela Cervantes. Scholastic Press, ©2013. Gaby enjoys
working at the local animal shelter and wants to adopt a cat, but finds her own living
situation called into question when her mother is deported back to Honduras.
The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel,
by Deborah Hopkinson. Knopf Books for Young Readers, ©2013. Eel, an orphan,
and his best friend Florrie must help Dr. John Snow prove that cholera is spread
through water, and not poisonous air, when an epidemic sweeps across their London
neighborhood in 1854.
Jinx, by Sage Blackwood. Katherine Tegen Books, ©2013. A young boy named Jinx
encounters magic and danger as he grows up in the deep, dark forest known as
the Urwald and discovers that the world beyond, and within, the Urwald is more
complex than he could imagine.
Navigating Early, by Clare Vanderpool. Delacorte Books for Young Readers,
©2013. Odyssey-like adventure of two boys’ incredible quest on the Appalachian
Trail where they deal with pirates, buried secrets, and extraordinary encounters.
Rump: The True Story of Rumplestiltskin, by Liesl Shurtiff. Yearling, ©2013.
Relates the tale of Rumpelstiltskin’s childhood and youth, explaining why his name
is so important, how he is able to spin straw into gold, and why a first-born child is
his reward for helping the miller’s daughter-turned-queen.
The Water Castle, by Megan Frazer Blakemore. Bloomsbury, ©2013. Moving into
an inherited mansion in Maine with their mother and stroke-afflicted father, three
siblings uncover a mystery involving hidden passageways, family rivalries, and
healing waters.
37
What We Found in the Sofa and How it Saved the World, by Henry Clark. Little,
Brown Books for Young Readers, ©2013. Finding a rare zucchini-colored crayon
leads 12-year-old River Monroe and his friends on an adventure with their eccentric
neighbor to save Earth from invading interstellar storm troopers.
Will in Scarlet, by Matthew Cody. Knopf Books for Young Readers, ©2013. In the
late 1100s, 13-year-old Will, the future Lord of Shackley, is exiled to Sherwood
Forest, where he meets Robin Hood and the Merry Men and bands with them to try
retake Shackley Castle.
TRUMAN AWARDS, GRADES 6-8
The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die, by April Henry. Square Fish, ©2013. Waking
up in a ransacked cabin with no recollection of her identity and overhearing
two men who are preparing to kill her, Cady is accidentally saved by haphazard
companion Ty and endures a harrowing cat-and-mouse chase for survival.
Inhuman, by Kat Falls. Scholastic Press, ©2013. Beyond the Titan wall lies the Feral
Zone, and the only people who break quarantine and venture there are the “fetches”,
who are paid exorbitant sums to bring back items that were left behind when the
wall went up – but Delaney McEvoy’s father is there and she is being forced to find
him and bring him back.
Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer, by Katie Alender. Point, ©2013. On a class trip to
Paris, Colette finds herself solving a mystery and fighting for her life, chased by the
ghost of Marie Antoinette, who is intent on killing off her executioners’ descendants.
A Matter of Days, by Amber Kizer. Delacorte, ©2013. In the not-too-distant future
when a global pandemic kills most of humanity, a teenaged girl and her younger
brother struggle to survive.
Mila 2.0, by Debra Driza. Katherine Tegen Books, ©2013. Sixteen-year-old Mila
discovers she is not who, or what, she thought she was, which causes her to run from
both the CIA and a rogue intelligence group.
Pivot Point, by Kasie West. Harper Teen, ©2013. A girl with the power to see
alternate futures lives out six weeks of two different lives in alternating chapters and
ultimately she is forced to choose which reality she’s willing to live through and who
she can’t live without.
Prisoner B-3087, by Alan Gratz. Scholastic Press, ©2013. Based on the life of Jack
Gruener, relates his story of survival from the Nazi occupation of Krakow when
he was 11, through a succession of concentration camps, to the final liberation of
Dachau.
38
Rapunzel Untangled, by Cindy C. Bennett. Cedar Fort, Inc., ©2013. Living inside
the mysterious Gothel Mansion, Rapunzel, a girl with hair 15 feet long, sets out
on a quest to discover her real identity after meeting a boy named Fame through
Facebook.
Rogue, by Lyn Miller-Lachmann. Nancy Paulsen Books, ©2013. An eighth-grade
girl with Asperger’s syndrome tries to befriend her new neighbor, facing many
challenges along the way.
SYLO, by D.J. MacHale. Razorbill, ©2013. When Tucker’s hometown of Pemberwick
Island, Maine, is invaded by government forces and cut off from the rest of the
world, it is up to him to solve the deadly mystery that threatens the inhabitants.
Tandem, by Anna Jarzab. Delacorte, ©2013. Sasha, who lives a quiet life with her
grandfather in Chicago but dreams of adventure, is thrilled to be asked to prom by
her long-time crush, Grant, but after the dance he abducts her to a parallel universe
to impersonate a princess.
The Testing, by Joelle Charbonneau. HMH Books for Young Readers, ©2013.
Sixteen-year-old Malencia (Cia) Vale is chosen to participate in The Testing to attend
the University; however, Cia is fearful when she figures out her friends who do not
pass The Testing are disappearing.
GATEWAY NOMINEES, GRADES 9-12
All Our Yesterdays, by Cristin Terrill. Disney Hyperion, ©2013. Em must travel
back in time to prevent a catastrophic time machine from ever being invented, while
Marina battles to prevent the murder of the boy she loves.
All the Truth That’s In Me, by Julie Berry. Viking Juvenile, ©2013. Judith can’t
speak, but when her close-knit community of Roswell Station is attacked by enemies,
Judith is forced to choose, continue to live in silence, or recover her voice.
Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell. St. Martin’s Press, ©2013. Set in the late
1980s, recounts the poignant romance of two high school misfits who gradually
discover each other through their shared love of comic books and alternative music,
and their mutual outsider status.
Escape from Eden, by Elisa Nader. Merit Press, ©2013. Sixteen-year-old Mia longs
to escape from the Rev. Eden’s cult, of which she has been a member for six years,
and finds support from new arrival Gabriel, but their investigation into the group’s
inner workings yields disturbing discoveries.
I am the Weapon, by Allen Zadoff. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, ©2013.
Sixteen-year-old Boy Nobody, an assassin controlled by a shadowy government
organization, The Program, considers sabotaging his latest mission because his
target reminds him of the normal life he craves.
39
In the Shadow of Blackbirds, by Cat Winters, Amulet, ©2013. In San Diego in
1918, as deadly influenza and World War I take their toll, 16-year-old Mary Shelley
Black watches desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for
comfort and, despite her scientific leanings, must consider if ghosts are real when
her first love, killed in battle, returns.
Out of the Easy, by Ruta Sepetys. Philomel. ©2013. Josie, the 17-year-old daughter
of a French Quarter prostitute, is striving to escape 1950 New Orleans and enroll at
prestigious Smith College when she becomes entangled in a murder investigation.
Proxy, by Alex London. New York: Philomel, ©2013. Privileged Syd and and his
proxy, Knox, are thrown together to overthrow the system.
Steelheart, by Brandon Sanderson. Delacorte. ©2013. At age 8, David watched as
his father was killed by an Epic, a human with superhuman powers, and now, 10
years later, he joins the Reckoners, the only people who are trying to kill the Epics
and end their tyranny.
The 5th Wave, by Rick Yancy. Putnam Juvenile, ©2013. Cassie Sullivan, the
survivor of an alien invasion, must rescue her young brother from the enemy with
help from a boy who may be one of them.
The Naturals, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Disney Hyperion, ©2013. Seventeen-yearold Cassie, who has a natural ability to read people, joins an elite group of criminal
profilers at the FBI in order to help solve cold cases.
The Program, by Suzanne Young. Simon Pulse. ©2013. When suicide becomes a
worldwide epidemic, the only known cure is The Program, a treatment in which
painful memories are erased, a fate worse than death to 17-year-old Sloane who
knows that The Program will steal memories of her dead brother and boyfriend.
The Rules for Disappearing, by Ashley Elston. Disney Hyperion. ©2013. “Meg”
has changed identities so often that she hardly knows who she is anymore, and
her family is falling apart, but she knows that the rules of witness protection are
be forgettable and do not make friends, but in her new home Ethan is making that
difficult.
Thousand Words, by Jennifer Brown. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers,
©2013. Talked into sending a nude picture of herself to her boyfriend while she was
drunk, Ashleigh became the center of a sexting scandal and is now in court-ordered
community service, where she finds an unlikely ally, Mack.
Winger, by Andrew Smith. Simon and Schuster, ©2013. Two years younger than his
classmates at a prestigious boarding school, 14-year-old Ryan Dean West grapples
with living in the dorm for troublemakers, falling for his female best friend who
thinks of him as just a kid, and playing wing on the Varsity rugby team with some of
his frightening new dorm-mates.
40
MISSOURI
BUILDING
BLOCK
NEW BOOKS FOR MISSOURI
STUDENTS
Bear Sees Color, by Karma Wilson. Illustrated by Jane Chapman. Simon &
Schuster, ©2014. While taking a walk with Mouse, Bear meets many other friends
and sees colors everywhere.
Buddy and the Bunnies in: Don’t Play With Your Food, by Bob Shea. Walt
Disney Press, ©2014. A monster named Buddy is determined to eat some cute little
bunnies, until they prove to be more enjoyable as playmates.
Digger Dog, by William Bee, illustrated by Cecilia Johansson. Candlewick, ©2014.
A dog who loves digging needs bigger and bigger earth-moving equipment as his
digging goals expand.
Down by the Barn, by Will Hillenbrand. Brilliance Audio. ©2014. Ride with the
tractor driver around the farm to pick up all of the animals.
Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won. Houghton Mifflin, ©2014. Elephant wakes up in
a grumpy mood, but a present on his doorstep, a hat, cheers him and he sets out to
greet his neighbors who all, it seems, need hats of their own.
I’m My Own Dog, by David Ezra Stein. Candlewick Press, ©2014. A dog without a
human companion fetches his own slippers and curls up at his own feet but cannot
reach a certain itchy spot in the middle of his back, compelling him to leash a poor
lonely human who will loyally offer a helpful scratch.
Naked! by Michael Black, illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Simon & Schuster,
©2014. A child discovers that the only thing more fun than being naked is wearing
nothing but a cape.
Oh So Brave Dragon, by David Kirk. Feiwel & Friends, ©2014. Dragon knows he
is supposed to be brave and is ready to try out his fearsome roar, but when he hears
something that scares him, he turns to his forest friends for help in finding the noise
and renewing his courage.
Row, Row, Row your Boat, by Jane Cabrera. Holiday House, ©2014. In this
expansion of a familiar song, the occupants of a rowboat enjoy seeing and making
the sounds of different jungle animals.
This Book Just Ate My Dog, by Richard Byrne. Henry Holt & Co., ©2014. When
her dog disappears into the gutter of the book, Bella calls for help, but when the
helpers disappear too, Bella realizes it will take more than a tug on the leash to put
things right.
41
NATIONAL
AWARD-WINNING
MISSOURI AWARD-NOMINATED
BOOKS
NEW BOOKSBOOKS
FOR MISSOURI STUDENTS
Caldecott Medal
Adventures of Beekle: The Imaginary Friend, by Dan Santat. Little Brown
& Co., ©2014. Frustrated in his ambition to be chosen by a real child, an
imaginary friend sets out on his own, to find his perfect match and receive a
real name.
Nana in the City, by Lauren Castillo. Houghton Mifflin, ©2014. A young boy
is frightened by how busy and noisy the city is when he goes there to visit his
Nana, but she makes him a fancy red cape that keeps him from being scared as
she shows him how wonderful a place it is.
Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art, by
Barb Rosenstock. Random House, ©2014. Tells the story of Russian abstract
artist Vasily Kandinsky, whose apparent synesthesia, a harmless condition in
which one “hears” color and “sees” sound, is thought to have contributed to his
exuberant creativity.
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, by Mac Barnett. Candlewick Press, ©2014. Sam
and Dave are sure they will discover something exciting if they just keep
digging their hole.
Viva Frida, by Yuyi Morales. Roaring Brooks Press, ©2014. Explores the
famous artist’s life, and illuminates the laughter, love, and tragedy that
influenced her work.
Newbery Medal
Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson. Penguin, ©2014. The author
shares her childhood memories and reveals the first sparks that ignited her
writing career in free-verse poems about growing up in the North and South.
Crossover, by Kwame Alexander. Houghton Mifflin, ©2014. Fourteen-yearold twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and
off the court as their father ignores his declining health.
Deafo, by Cece Bell. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., ©2014. Graphic novel memoir
tells of the author’s childhood hearing loss; her adjustment to the powerful but
intrusive Phonic Ear hearing aid; and how she used these experiences to find a
place in the world as “El Deafo, Listener for All.”
42
Michael L. Printz Award
And We Stay, by Jenny Hubbard. Random House, ©2014. After her high school
boyfriend threatens her with a gun and then kills himself in the school library, Emily
Beam is shipped off to a Massachusetts boarding school, where she encounters a
ghostly presence that shares her name.
Carnival at Bray, by Jessie Ann Foley. Independent Pub. Group, ©2014. This
bittersweet coming-of-age story, set in the early ‘90s heyday of grunge music, follows
16-year-old Maggie as she is uprooted from her Chicago home to live with her
mother in an Irish coastal town, where she experiences first love, tragedy, and the
transformative power of music.
I’ll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson. Penguin, ©2014. Once inseparable, fraternal
twins Jude and Noah are torn apart by puberty and personal tragedy – and only love
can bring them back together.
43

New Books For Missouri Students

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