Almost Home by Joan Bauer Viking Nominated by: Sarah Potvin Sugar’s life is not easy. She has a gambling father who comes and goes as he pleases and a mother who often crumbles under financial hardship and single motherhood. Eventually Sugar is stranded in a strange city with only her puppy, Shush, to cling to. Then Child Protective Services steps …

Elementary/Middle Grade Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller (Center for Cartoon Studies Presents) by Joseph Lambert Hyperion Nominated by: Paul W. Hankins Many middle-grade readers will be familiar with the basics of the biography of Helen Keller and her visually impaired teacher, Annie Sullivan, but Joseph Lambert’s graphic novel expands the story far beyond the facts. Anne’s story …

Black Dog by Levi Pinfold Templar Nominated by: librarygrl2One day a black dog of inderminate (but undoubtedly large) size scares the Hope family terribly, leaving the youngest member, called Small, to face the animal. In her bright yellow jacket, she leads the dog on a merry chase with the refrain, “You can”t follow where I go, unless you shrink, or …

And All the Stars by Andrea K Höst Höst, Andrea Nominated by: Kate M. The apocalypse has come to Australia, and with it come the Spires, a kind of velvety protuberance sprouting up everywhere, gouting fountains of a choking dry dust that leaves humanity changed. But what makes us human is within us–and Madeleine Cost and her friends take a gamble …

Beswitched by Kate Saunders Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers Nominated by: Ms. YinglingWhen Flora, off to boarding school under duress, wakes up on the train to find that she’s now on her way to school way back in 1935, her horror is great. How will she survive? Though she manages to adapt to the nasty bathrooms, alien food, and …

Easy Readers A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse by Frank Viva Toon Books Nominated by: Lizjonesbooks Mouse is not a happy traveler. He is on a ship traveling to Antarctica with his owner, a young boy, and all he can think about is going home. The waves make it hard to do anything. The cold means …

Bats! Furry Fliers of the Night written by Mary Kay Carson; created by Ellen Jacob developed by Bookerella and Story Worldwide Nominated by: Cathy Potter With an effective blend of traditional nonfiction features and innovative interactive elements, Bats! offers young readers many opportunities to learn about these furry nocturnal fliers. Children will enjoy learning about the physical features, behaviors and …