Children's Book Awards

• The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly

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  Call Number: FIC KEL

  ISBN: 9780063337312

  Publication Date: 2024-03-05

  "It’s the summer of 1999, and Michael worries about the approach of Y2K. Then he meets Ridge, who has time-traveled there (without permission) from two hundred years in the future. A technical blip might trap the traveler at the end of the twentieth century, putting himself and possibly all of civilization at risk. A well-crafted adventure surrounding a big philosophical idea" (The Horn Book)
• Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar

  Call Number: FIC BEH

  ISBN: 9780593323403

  Publication Date: 2024-02-06

  Spanning over 500 years, Pura Belpré Award winner Ruth Behar's epic novel tells the stories of four girls from different generations of a Jewish family, many of them forced to leave their country and start a new life. In 1492, during the Spanish Inquisition, Benvenida and her family are banished from Spain for being Jewish, and must flee the country or be killed. They journey by foot and by sea, eventually settling in Istanbul. Over four centuries later, in 1923, shortly after the Turkish war of independence, Reina's father disowns her for a small act of disobedience. He ships her away to live with an aunt in Cuba, to be wed in an arranged marriage when she turns fifteen. In 1961, Reina's daughter, Alegra, is proud to be a brigadista, teaching literacy in the countryside for Fidel Castro. But soon Castro's crackdowns force her to flee to Miami all alone, leaving her parents behind. Finally, in 2003, Alegra's daughter, Paloma, is fascinated by all the journeys that had to happen before she could be born. A keeper of memories, she's thrilled by the opportunity to learn more about her heritage on a family trip to Spain, where she makes a momentous discovery. Though many years and many seas separate these girls, they are united by a love of music and poetry, a desire to belong and to matter, a passion for learning, and their longing for a home where all are welcome. And each is lucky to stand on the shoulders of their courageous ancestors.
• Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller

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  Call Number: FIC MIL

  ISBN: 9780593624524

  Publication Date: 2024-04-23

  A Newbery Honor book and instant New York Times, USA Today, and indie bestseller! Award-winning author and artist Chanel Miller tells a fun, funny, and poignant story of friendship and community starring Magnolia Wu, a ten-year-old sock detective bent on returning all the lonely only socks left behind in her parents' NYC laundromat. Down at the bottom of the tall buildings of New York City, Magnolia Wu sits inside her parents' laundromat. She has pinned every lost sock from the laundromat onto a bulletin board in hopes that customers will return to retrieve them. But no one seems to have noticed. In fact, barely anyone has noticed Magnolia at all.  What she doesn't know is that this is about to be her most exciting summer yet. When Iris, a new friend from California arrives, they set off across the city to solve the mystery of each missing sock, asking questions in subways and delis and plant stores and pizzerias, meeting people and uncovering the unimaginable.   With each new encounter, Magnolia learns that when you're bold enough to head into the unknown, things start falling into place.
• One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome

  Call Number: FIC CLI

  ISBN: 9780823450169

  Publication Date: 2024-03-05

  879, Mississippi. Young dreamer Lettie may have her head in the stars, but her body is on a covered wagon heading westward. Her father, Thomas, promises that Nebraska will be everything the family needs: an opportunity to claim the independence they've strived for over generations on their very own plot of land. But Thomas' hopes--and mouth--are bigger than his ability to follow through. With few supplies and even less money, the only thing that feels certain is danger. Right after the war ended/and we were free/we believed/all of us did/that couldn't nothing hurt us/the way master had when we were slaves/Couldn't no one tell us/how to live/how to die. Lettie, her mother, Sylvia, and young teacher Philomena are free from slavery--but bound by poverty, access to opportunity, and patriarchal social structures. Will these women survive the hardships of their journey? And as Thomas' desire for control overpowers his common sense, will they truly be free once they get there?
• The Wrong Way Home by Kate O'Shaughnessy

  Call Number: FIC OSH

  ISBN: 9780593650738

  Publication Date: 2024-04-02

  Twelve-year-old Fern believes she's living a noble life--but what if everything she's been told is a lie? This is a huge-hearted story about a girl learning to question everything-and to trust in herself. Fern's lived at the Ranch, an off-the-grid, sustainable community in upstate New York, since she was six. The work is hard, but Fern admires the Ranch's leader, Dr. Ben. So when Fern's mother sneaks them away in the middle of the night and says Dr. Ben is dangerous, Fern doesn't believe it. She wants desperately to go back, but her mom just keeps driving. Suddenly thrust into the treacherous, toxic, outside world, Fern thinks only about how to get home again. She has a plan, but it will take time. As that time goes by, though, Fern realizes there are things she will miss from this place-the library, a friend from school, the ocean-and there are things she learned at the Ranch that are just...not true. Now Fern will have to decide. How much is she willing to give up to return to the Ranch? Should she trust Dr. Ben's vision for her life? Or listen to the growing feeling that she can live by her own rules?

• The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers; Shawn Harris (Illustrator)

  Call Number: FIC EGG

  ISBN: 9781524764203

  Publication Date: 2023-05-09

  "Free dog Johannes' job is to observe everything that happens in his urban park and report back to the park's three bison elders, but changes are afoot, including more humans, a new building, a boatload of goats, and a shocking revelation that changes his view of the world"--OCLC.
• Elf Dog and Owl Head by M. T. Anderson; Junyi Wu (Illustrator)

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  Call Number: FIC AND

  ISBN: 9781536222814

  Publication Date: 2023-04-11

  Quarantined with his family as a global plague ravages the world, Clay retreats to the woods where he meets a special little dog who leads him on surreal adventures where choosing the wrong path could cause them both to lose their way forever.
• Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow

  Call Number: FIC BOW

  ISBN: 9781368082853

  Publication Date: 2023-01-31

  Two years after a tragedy saddles him with viral fame, twelve-year-old Simon O'Keeffe and his family move to Grin And Bear It, Nebraska, where the internet and cell phones are banned so astrophysicists can scan the sky for signs of alien life, and where, with the help of two new friends, a puppy, and a giant radio telescope, Simon plans to restart the narrative of his life.
• The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri; Daniel Miyares (Illustrator)

  Call Number: FIC NAY

  ISBN: 9781646143030

  Publication Date: 2023-03-07

  "This is the tale of an exciting journey along the Silk Road with a young Monk and his newfound guardian, Samir, a larger than life character and the so-called "Seller of Dreams." The man is a scammer; his biggest skill being the ability to talk his way into getting what he wants. While that talking did save Monkey's life, it has left a lot of people furious with Samir--furious enough to hire assassins. Monkey decides to try and save Samir from the attempts on his life--as a way to pay off his debt! If he can save Samir six times, he'll be a free man...but will they all survive that long?"-- Provided by publisher.
• Mexikid by Martin, Pedro (Illustrator)

  Call Number: GN MAR

  ISBN: 9780593462287

  Publication Date: 2023-08-01

  "Pedro Martin's grown up in the U.S. hearing stories about his legendary abuelito, but during a family road trip to Mexico, he connects with his grandfather and learns more about his own Mexican identity in this . . . graphic memoir"--Provided by publisher.

• Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson

  Call Number: FIC LUQ

  ISBN: 9780316056618

  Publication Date: 2022-02-01

  After fleeing the plantation where they were enslaved, siblings Ada and Homer discover the secret community of Freewater, and work with freeborn Sanzi to protect their new home from the encroaching dangers of the outside world.
• The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat

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  Call Number: FIC SOO

  ISBN: 9781536204957

  Publication Date: 2022-04-12

  Joining an expedition to chart the southern seas, twelve-year-old mapmaker's assistant Sai, posing as a well-bred young lady with a glittering future, realizes she's not the only one on board harboring secrets when she discovers the ship's true destination.
• Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee

  Call Number: FIC YEE

  ISBN: 9781984830258

  Publication Date: 2022-02-01

  "Eleven-year-old Maizy Chen visits her estranged grandparents, who own and run a Chinese restaurant in Last Chance, Minnesota; as her visit lengthens, she makes unexpected discoveries about her family's history and herself"--Provided by publisher.
• Iveliz Explains It All by Andrea Beatriz Arango; Alyssa Bermudez (Illustrator)

  Call Number: FIC ARA

  ISBN: 9780593563977

  Publication Date: 2022-09-13

  Twelve-year-old Iveliz is trying to manage her mental health and advocate for the help and understanding she deserves, but in the meantime her new friend calls her crazy and her abuela Mimi dismisses the therapy and medicine Iveliz needs to feel like herself.

• When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

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  Call Number: FIC KEL and available on SORA

  ISBN: 9781524715700

  Publication Date: 2020-01-28

  An uplifting story of a girl discovering a secret family history when she makes a deal with a magical tiger from her grandmother's stories, the Korean version of "Once upon a time..."
  Some stories refuse to stay bottled up... - From the Publisher
• All Thirteen: the Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat

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  Call Number: 796.52 SOO

  ISBN: 9781536209457

  Publication Date: 2020-10-13

  Looks at the cave rescue of the twelve young players of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach in northern Thailand.
• Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

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  Call Number: FIC BRA

  ISBN: 9781432881214

  Publication Date: 2020-10-07

  "Ten-tear-old Della has always had her older sister, Suki. When their mom went to prison, Della had Suki. When their mom's boyfriend took them in, Della had Suki. When that same boyfriend did something so awful they had to run fast, Della had Suki. Suki is Della's own wolf--her protector. But who has been protecting Suki? Della might get told off for swearing at school, but she has always known how to keep quiet where it counts. Then Suki tries to kill herself, and Della's world turns so far upside down, it feels like it's shaking her by the ankles. Maybe she's been quiet about the wrong things. Maybe it's time to be loud"--Dust jacket.
• We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly

  Call Number: FIC KEL

  ISBN: 9780062747303

  Publication Date: 2020-05-05

  "Cash, Fitch, and Bird Thomas are three siblings in seventh grade together in Park, Delaware. In 1986, as the country waits expectantly for the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger, they each struggle with their own personal anxieties. Cash, who loves basketball but has a newly broken wrist, is in danger of failing seventh grade for the second time. Fitch spends every afternoon playing Major Havoc at the arcade on Main. And Bird, his twelve-year-old twin, dreams of being NASA's first female shuttle commander. The Thomas children exist in their own orbits, circling a tense and unpredictable household, with little in common except an enthusiastic science teacher named Ms. Salonga. As the launch of the Challenger approaches, Ms. Salonga gives her students a project; they are separated into spacecraft crews and must create and complete a mission. When the fated day finally arrives, it changes all of their lives and brings them together in unexpected ways"--OCLC.
• A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

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  Call Number: FIC SOO

  ISBN: 9781536204940

  Publication Date: 2020-03-24

  "All light in Chattana is created by one man--the Governor, who appeared after the Great Fire to bring peace and order to the city. For Pong, who was born in Namwon Prison, the magical lights represent freedom, and he dreams of the day he will be able to walk among them. But when Pong escapes from prison, he realizes that the world outside is no fairer than the one behind bars. The wealthy dine and dance under bright orb light, while the poor toil away in darkness. Worst of all, Pong's prison tattoo marks him as a fugitive who can never be truly free. Nok, the prison warden's perfect daughter, is bent on tracking Pong down and restoring her family's good name. But as Nok hunts Pong through the alleys and canals of Chattana, she uncovers secrets that make her question the truths she has always held dear"--Publisher.

• The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

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  Call Number: FIC HIG

  ISBN: 9781646140893

  Publication Date: 2021-10-12
• Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

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  Call Number: FIC LUK

  ISBN: 9780593111154

  Publication Date: 2021-04-20

  In the summer before middle school, eleven-year-old Bug must contend with best friend Moira suddenly caring about clothes, makeup, and boys; a ghost haunting; and the truth about Bug's gender identity.
• Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca

  Call Number: FIC LAR

  ISBN: 9780063047426

  Publication Date: 2021-02-02

  "Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she's the only Indian American student, and home, with her family's traditions and holidays. But Reha's parents don't understand why she's conflicted--they only notice when Reha doesn't meet their strict expectations. Reha feels disconnected from her mother, or Amma, although their names are linked--Reha means 'star' and Punam means 'moon'--but they are a universe apart. Then Reha finds out that her Amma is sick. Really sick. Reha, who dreams of becoming a doctor even though she can't stomach the sight of blood, is determined to make her Amma well again. She'll be the perfect daughter, if it means saving her Amma's life"--Provided by publisher.
• Watercress by Andrea Wang; Jason Chin (Illustrator)

  Call Number: E WAN

  ISBN: 9780823446247

  Publication Date: 2021-03-30

  A Chinese American girl, too embarrassed to eat the watercress her family picked from the roadside, learns of her mother's childhood experience with famine in China.