Rebecca Caudill Young Reader Awards

In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. …More

2010 Schneider Family Book Award for Middle Grades

An acclaimed writer delivers an eye-opening depiction of an autistic boy's daily life and lifelong struggles to exist in a neurotypical world, in a groundbreaking novel told from the boy's perspective. …More

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From a multiple Coretta Scott King Award-winning author comes the story of a brilliant girl that no one knows about because she cannot speak or write. …More

Set in an apocalyptic future, "Dark Life" is the harrowing tale of underwater pioneers who have carved out a life for themselves in the harsh deep-sea environment, farming the seafloor in exchange for the land deed. …More

Set during World War II, this Dell Yearling Contest winner tells the story of 11-year-old tomboy Bird, who loves flying in small propeller airplanes with her mechanic dad. But when a young Japanese-American student joins Bird's class, the entire school seems to be convinced that he's a spy. …More

With her trademark knowledge of what its like to be a girl, the author of "Perfect" and "Lush" pens an insightful, heartfelt story of a girl who must learn how to manage her life even when so many things are beyond her control. …More

2010 Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner 6-8
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2009 Newbery Award Winner
A CCBC Selection of the Week
2009 Hugo Award Winner: Best Novel

In his first full-length novel for middle-graders since the international bestseller "Coraline," Neil Gaiman introduces Bod, a boy who is the only living resident of a graveyard. Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? …More

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Hawkins delivers an unusual and captivating novel about a quirky posse of cousins who scramble to make money off an old apple orchard. Illustrations. …More

2011 Golden Kite Fiction Award

Inspired by family stories, a two-time Newbery Honor winner and "New York Times"-bestselling author beautifully blends family lore with America's past in this charming gem of a novel, rich in historical detail, humor, and the unique flavors of Key West. …More

Eleven-year-old Aubrey's father and sister have died in a tragic car accident. Her mother, who was driving the car, runs away, leaving Aubrey all alone. This deeply affecting novel about loss, love, friendship, and family introduces a remarkable new writer. …More

2011 National Book Award Winner-Young People's Literature
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Inspired by the author's own childhood experience of fleeing Vietnam as a refugee and immigrating to Alabama, this tween novel told in verse is sure to capture young readers' hearts and open their eyes. …More

Gustave doesn't want to move from the exciting city to the boring countryside, far from his cousin Jean-Paul and his best friend, the mischievous Marcel. But he has no choice. It is March of 1940, and Paris is not a safe place for Jews.
When Paris is captured by the Nazis, Gustave knows that Marcel, Jean-Paul, and their families must make it out of the occupied zone. And when he learns that his new friend Nicole works for the French Resistance, he comes up with a plan that just might work. But going into Occupied France is a risky thing to do when you are Jewish. And coming back alive? "That" is nearly impossible.

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In an unnamed Third World country, in the not-so-distant future, three "dumpsite boys" make a living picking through the mountains of garbage on the outskirts of a large city.
One unlucky-lucky day, Raphael finds something very special and very mysterious. So mysterious that he decides to keep it, even when the city police offer a handsome reward for its return. That decision brings with it terrifying consequences, and soon the dumpsite boys must use all of their cunning and courage to stay ahead of their pursuers. It's up to Raphael, Gardo, and Rat--boys who have no education, no parents, no homes, and no money--to solve the mystery and right a terrible wrong.
Andy Mulligan has written a powerful story about unthinkable poverty--and the kind of hope and determination that can transcend it. With twists and turns, unrelenting action, and deep, raw emotion, "Trash "is a heart-pounding, breath-holding novel.

"From the Hardcover edition."

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In this new novel by a Newbery Medalist ("Criss Cross"), 16-year-old Ry completely redefines summer vacation. Illustrated with the author's line art and comics throughout. …More

When Mama Ya-Ya's visions show a powerful hurricane--Katrina--fast approaching, it's up to 12-year-old Lanesha to call upon the hope and strength Mama Ya-Ya has given her to help them both survive the storm. …More

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A powerful debut--this coming-of-age novel artfully captures one family's flight from Afghanistan and their new life in San Francisco. …More

Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth, and what follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. …More

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It's 1962, and it seems everyone is living in fear. Twelve-year-old Franny Chapman lives with her family in Washington, D.C., during the days surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis. For Franny, as for all Americans, it's going to be a formative year. …More

In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp. …More

Not even losing his hand can keep Norm from trying out for the baseball team What would life be like with only one hand? That's exactly what eleven-year-old Norm finds out when he loses his left hand in an accident at his family's store. It's July 4, 1946. World War II has ended, and life is getting back to normal. But for Norm, the pressing question now is whether he will ever be able to play baseball again, or be an artist. It's up to Norm to find the strength to get beyond this roadblock and move on with his life.
Set against the quickening pace of life after wartime constraints, this inspiring novel is about an optimist who overcomes his misfortune with discipline and humor--and fulfills his dreams in ways no one could have expected. …More

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2009 E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Older Readers

In this follow-up to "Shakespeare's Secret," Broach delivers a fast-paced mystery in which a young boy and a beetle attempt to pull off a staged art heist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Illustrations. …More

2010 Jefferson Cup Award Winner
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By turns harrowing, dreamlike, sad, and triumphant, this searing debut novel, written in lucid verse, reveals an unforgettable perspective on the lasting impact of the Vietnam War on its survivors and the healing power of love. …More

With her father long gone, spunky eleven-year-old Zoe is shuffled from relative to relative after her mother dies. The story opens as she arrives at her uncle Henry Royster's Farm outside Sugar Hill, a small Southern town. …More

From the master of the school story...a little "Extra Credit" …More

For an eighth grader, Molly Williams has more than her fair share of problems. Her father has just died in a car accident, and her mother has become a withdrawn, quiet version of herself. Molly decides to confront her fears--by joining a boy's baseball team. …More

Twelve-year-old Daniel, the new kid in town, soon learns the truth about his nice--but odd--new friends: one can fly, another can turn invisible, yet another controls electricity. The superkids use their powers to secretly do good in the town, but the moment they turn 13, their abilities will disappear. …More

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As 11-year-old Callie Tate explores the natural world around her in 1899 Texas, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century. …More

2009 Massachusetts Book Award Winner-Children/Young Adult
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The author of the beloved "The Year of the Dog" returns with a wondrous story of adventure, faith, and friendship--an enchanting fantasy adventure reminiscent of "The Wizard of Oz." Full color. …More

2010 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award

Set in 1968 Chicago, this powerful debut novel follows 13-year-old Sam Childs, the son of a known civil rights activist who questions the possibility of change after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. …More

An Indie Next Selection

Told from three very different perspectives and voices, this compelling and humorous novel weaves an intricate story about friendship, dealing with change, and discovering one's place in the universe. …More

A diverse cast of characters congregates at Aggie Duncan's motel. The group includes recently widowed Aggie, who's reluctantly selling her beloved motel; Willow, whose heart is broken after her mother leaves; Loretta, on a journey to learn about her birth family; and Kirby, on his way to reform school. …More

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When Brother's dad is shipped off to Iraq, along with the rest of his reserve unit, Brother must help his grandparents keep the ranch going. He's determined to maintain it just as his father left it, in the hope that doing so will ensure his father's safe return. The hardships Brother faces will not only change the ranch, but also reveal his true calling. …More

Samuel, 13, spends his days in the forest, hunting for food for his family. He has grown up on the frontier of a British colony, America. Far from any town, or news of the war against the King that American patriots have begun near Boston.
But the war comes to them. British soldiers and Iroquois attack. Samuel's parents are taken away, prisoners. Samuel follows, hiding, moving silently, determined to find a way to rescue them. Each day he confronts the enemy, and the tragedy and horror of this war. But he also discovers allies, men and women working secretly for the patriot cause. And he learns that he must go deep into enemy territory to find his parents: all the way to the British headquarters, New York City.

"From the Hardcover edition." …More

2009 Mitten Award Winner
2009 Lupine Award Winner-Juvenile/Young Adult

Master storyteller Rodman Philbrick takes readers on a colorful journey as young Homer Figg sets off to follow his brother into the thick of the Civil War. Through a series of fascinating events, Homer's older brother has been illegally sold to the Union Army. It is up to Homer to find him and save him. Along the way, he encounters strange but real people of that era: two tricksters who steal his money, a snake-oil salesman, a hot-air balloonist, and finally, the Maine regiment who saved Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg and won the war for the Union. …More

2010 Beehive Award Winner-Children's Fiction

In a city that runs on a dwindling supply of magic, a young boy is drawn into a life of wizardry and adventure. Conn should have dropped dead the day he picked Nevery's pocket and touched the wizard's locus magicalicus, a stone used to focus magic and work spells. But for some reason he did not. Nevery finds that interesting, and he takes Conn as his apprentice on the provision that the boy find a locus stone of his own. But Conn has little time to search for his stone between wizard lessons and helping Nevery discover who--or what--is stealing the city of Wellmet's magic. …More

The emotional, tension-filled story of a 14-year-old boy's attempt to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest is an action-packed adventure about friendship, sacrifice, family and the drive to take on Everest, despite the incredible risk. …More

When America enters World War II, the Army creates the Women's Air Force Service Pilots. Ida Mae Jones, a young African-American woman, suddenly sees a way to fly as well as do something to help her brother stationed in the Pacific. …More

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On the eve of World War I, the machine-loving Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their big steam-powered Clankers. Inspired by Darwin, the British have fabricated animals into warships. Their mothership is called "Leviathan," and she is a whale-dirigible. The first book in a brand-new trilogy by the author of the "New York Times"-bestselling Uglies series. …More