Illinois Book Awards
The winners of the 2024 Illinois Readers’ Choice Awards are in!
Monarch: Chez Bob by Bob Shea
Bluestem: Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd; illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter
Caudill: Alone by Megan Freeman
Click on the links below to see the current 2025 Illinois Book Award nominees!
- Monarch Award (Grades K-3) (PDF)
- Bluestem Award (Grades 3-5) (PDF)
- Rebecca Caudill Award (Grades 4-8) (PDF)
Reader’s Choice Award Challenge!
Read books from the 2025 Monarch, Bluestem and Caudill Award lists to earn prizes! Monarch readers who read all 20 books from their list and Bluestem and Caudill readers who read 10 books from theirs earn a paperback book of their own to keep. Track the books you read for the challenge using the Beanstack app (iOS/Google Play) or website. Prefer paper? Register and pick up a log at the Youth Services Desk! This program is open to all children in grades K-8.
2025 Monarch Award (Grades K-3)
Invasion of the Unicorns by David Biedrzycki
Description:
Secret agent Bubble07, who exactly resembles a stuffed toy, is on Earth to assess whether or not the unicorns should invade the planet.
Lou by Breanna Carzoo
Description:
Lou has an important job . . . as the neighborhood toilet for dogs on their walks. Useful as he may be, he gets the feeling that deep down inside, there might be more to him than that. He just doesn’t seem to know exactly what yet. When disaster strikes, will Lou find out what he’s made of and save the day?
Cornbread & Poppy by Matthew Cordell
Description:
Cautious Cornbread and carefree Poppy are best friends, so when Poppy fails to prepare for winter, Cornbread ventures up Holler Mountain with her to help her find food.
Nigel and the Moon by Antwan Eady, illustrated by Gracey Zhang
Description:
When Nigel looks up at the moon, his future is bright. He imagines himself as…an astronaut, a dancer, a superhero, too! Among the stars, he twirls. With pride, his chest swells. And his eyes, they glow. Nigel is the most brilliant body in the sky. But it’s Career Week at school, and Nigel can’t find the courage to share his dreams. It’s easy to whisper them to the moon, but not to his classmates–especially when he already feels out of place.
Destiny Finds Her Way: How a Rescued Baby Sloth Learned to Be Wild by Margarita Engle; photographs by Sam Trull
Description:
When Destiny was found by the Sloth Institute in Costa Rica, she was sick, thin, and one of her eyes was closed and not working. The Sloth Institute took her in and introduced her to other sloths as she started to recover. She never regained the use of her one eye, but that didn’t stop Destiny from hanging out with her new buddies, or getting healthier and stronger. Last August, Destiny was fitted for her tracking collar and released back into the wild. This inspiring story not only encourages kids to be determined like Destiny, but it also shows them the importance of being kind to those who may look different than us.
Norman Didn’t Do It! (Yes, He Did) by Ryan T. Higgins
Description:
Norman, a porcupine whose best friend is a tree named Mildred, begins to feel jealous when another tree grows close to Mildred and acts out against the new tree.
Rise to the Sky: How the World’s Tallest Trees Grow Up by Rebecca E. Hirsch; illustrated by Mia Posada
Description:
What are the tallest living things on Earth? Trees! Discover what growing trees need so they can rise to the sky in this lyrical look at the tree life cycle.
I Am the Shark by Joan Holub; illustrated by Laurie Keller
Description:
Humorously illustrated sharks introduce themselves and the characteristics that make them special, in a child-friendly, fish-out-of-water tale that includes profiles of species ranging from the Great White and Greenland to the Mako and Hammerhead.
There’s a Ghost in this House by Oliver Jeffers
Description:
A young girl lives in a haunted house, but she has never seen a ghost. Are they white with holes for eyes? Are they hard to see? Step inside and help the girl as she searches under the stairs, behind the sofa, and in the attic for the ghost.
Every Night is Pizza Night by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt; illustrated by Gianna Ruggiero
Description:
Convinced that pizza is the best food, Pipo will eat nothing else until her fed-up parents send her on a quest to prove that no dishes in their multicultural neighborhood are better.
Dragon Bones: The Fantastic Fossil Discoveries of Mary Anning by Sarah Glenn Marsh; illustrated by Maris Wicks
Description:
At home in her seaside town in England, little Mary Anning stared out her window. Unlike other children, Mary couldn’t wait for a rainy day. Because when it rained…the bones were revealed. With her father and brother, Mary would go out searching the damp soil after a storm, with the hopes of finding something nobody had seen before: a dinosaur. After her father dies, Mary must continue her search, picking up his tools and venturing out alone. In her life, she discovered several creatures, but was never given credit…until recently.
Our Planet: There’s No Place Like Earth by Stacy McAnulty; illustrated by David Litchfield
Description:
Meet Earth. Planet Awesome! And your awesome home! Actually, Earth is home to all the plants and all the animals in the solar system, including nearly eight billion people. Humans have accidentally moved Earth’s climate change into the fast lane, and she need your help to put on the brakes. Earthlings need Earth, and Earth needs Earthlings, so let’s save Earth together!
Grandpa Grumps by Katrina Moore; illustrated by Xindi Yan
Description:
When Daisy’s grandfather, or Yeh-Yeh, visits from China, she does everything she can think of to make him smile and finally finds a way. Includes glossary of Chinese words and recipe for fried rice.
Hidden Animal Colors by Jane Park
Description:
Nature is full of browns and grays. But some animals feature pinks, blues, and greens. Brilliant photos accompany lyrical nonfiction text to explore animals‘ hidden colors.
Facts vs Opinions vs Robots by Michael Rex
Description:
Robots try to figure out the difference between facts and opinions.
Jackie and the Mona Lisa by Deborah Rovin Murphy; illustrated by Jen Bricking
Description:
Jackie Kennedy loved the arts, and America loved Jackie Kennedy. The first lady knew she had the country’s attention–what would she do with it? Encourage Americans to appreciate art, of course! She turned the White House into a historical site filled with some of America’s most treasured artifacts and pieces of art. She brought Shakespearean theater to the White House and ballerinas to the South Lawn. And most epically, she brought the Mona Lisa to the states.
Tig and Lily: Tiger Trouble by Dan Thompson
Description:
The competition is on as Lily, a tiger at the local zoo, and Tig, her new house cat roommate who thinks he is a tiger, figure out what it means to be a tiger—and a friend.
Big Truck, Little Island by Chris Van Dusen
Description:
Based on a real incident that occurred in the island town of Vinalhaven, Maine, this rhyming story recounts what happens when a really big flatbed truck carrying a mysterious, covered load across a small island gets stuck on a tight curve and blocks traffic in both directions.
Gibberish by Young Vo
Description:
When Dat starts school in a country where he does not speak the language, everything around him sound like gibberish until a new friend helps him make sense of his new world.
Wildfire! by Ashley Wolff
![Wildfire! [Book]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81vXK+0yk7S._AC_UF350,350_QL50_.jpg)
Description:
Illustrations and easy-to-read text reveal the struggles of forest animals to survive when fire breaks out on Spruce Mountain, and the actions of the firefighters who work through the night to stop the blaze.
2025 Bluestem Award (Grades 3-5)
Odder by Katherine Applegate; illustrated by Charles Santoso
![Odder [Book]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71x5FgDdCkL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg)
Description:
Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practicing her underwater acrobatics and spinning the quirky stories for which she’s known. She’s a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself–and about the humans who hope to save her.
Shine On, Luz Véliz! by Rebecca Balcárcel
Description:
Have you ever been the best at something . . . only to lose it all? Luz Véliz is a soccer star–or rather, she was a soccer star. With her serious knee injury, it’s unlikely she’ll be back on the field anytime soon. But without soccer, who is she? Even her dad treats her differently now–like he doesn’t know her or, worse, like he doesn’t even like her. When Luz discovers she has a knack for coding, it feels like a lifeline to a better self. If she can just ace the May Showcase, she’ll not only skip a level in her coding courses and impress Ms. Freeman and intriguing, brilliant Trevor–she’ll have her parents cheering her on from the sidelines, just the way she likes it. But something–someone–is about to enter the Vélizes‘ life. And when Solana arrives, nothing will be the same, ever again.
Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist
Description:
Isaiah is now the big man of the house. But it’s a lot harder than his dad made it look. His little sister, Charlie, asks too many questions, and Mama’s gone totally silent. Good thing Isaiah can count on his best friend, Sneaky, who always has a scheme for getting around the rules. Plus, his classmate Angel has a few good ideas of her own–once she stops hassling Isaiah. And when things get really tough, there’s Daddy’s journal, filled with stories about the amazing Isaiah Dunn, a superhero who gets his powers from beans and rice. Isaiah wishes his dad’s tales were real. He could use those powers right about now!
Caves by Nell Cross Beckerman; illustrated by Kalen Chock
Description:
A masterful exploration of one of nature’s most curious ecosystems, Caves is a magical journey into subterranean wonders perfect for fans of Jason Chin. Using evocative storytelling, Nell Cross Beckerman urges children to explore one of nature’s most curious ecosystems. Dramatic, poetic language guides kids through different caves around the world while nonfiction text allows for deeper understanding.
The Girl in the Lake by India Hill Brown
Description:
Celeste knows she should be excited to spend two weeks at her grandparents’ lake house with her brother, Owen, and their cousins Capri and Daisy, but she’s not. Bugs, bad cell reception, and the dark waters of the lake…no thanks. On top of that, she just failed her swim test and hates being in the water–it’s terrifying. But her grandparents are strong believers in their family knowing how to swim, especially having grown up during a time of segregation at public pools. And soon strange things start happening–the sound of footsteps overhead late at night. A flickering light in the attic window. And Celeste’s cousins start accusing her of pranking them when she’s been nowhere near them! Things at the old house only get spookier until one evening when Celeste looks in the steamy mirror after a shower and sees her face, but twisted, different… Who is the girl in the mirror? And what does she want?
Marshmallow and Jordan by Alina Chau
Description:
Jordan’s days as the star player for her school’s basketball team ended when an accident left her paralyzed… Now, she’s still the team captain, but her competition days seem to be behind her…until an encounter with a mysterious elephant, who she names Marshmallow, helps Jordan discover a brand new sport. Will water polo be the way for Jordan to continue her athletic dreams–or will it just come between Jordan and her best friends on the basketball team? And with the big tournament right around the corner, what secret is Marshmallow hiding?
The Only Woman in the Photo: Frances Perkins and Her New Deal by Kathleen Krull; illustrated by Alexandra Bye
Description:
Fifth-grader Jillian will do just about anything to blend in, including staying quiet even when she has the right answer. After she loses a classroom competition because she won’t speak up, she sets her mind on winning her school’s biggest competition. But breaking out of her shell is easier said than done, and Jillian has only a month to keep her promise to her grandmother and prove to herself that she can speak up and show everyone her true self.
Washed Ashore: Making Art from Ocean Plastic by Kelly Crull
Description:
Angela Haseltine Pozzi makes animal sculptures from plastic that washes up on beaches. Photos of these sculptures are paired with facts about featured sea creatures and the impacts of plastic on sea life.
Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez; illustrated by Gabriela Epstein
Description:
Can five overlooked kids make one big difference? There’s George: the brain, Sara: the loner, Dayara: the tough kid, Nico: the rich kid, and Miguel: the athlete. And they’re stuck together when they’re forced to complete their school’s community service hours. Although they’re sure they have nothing in common with one another, some people see them as all the same… just five Spanish-speaking kids. Then they meet someone who truly needs their help, and they must decide whether they are each willing to expose their own secrets to help… or if remaining invisible is the only way to survive middle school.
Killer Underwear Invasion!: How to Spot Fake News, Disinformation & Conspiracy Theories by Elise Gravel
Description:
In this hilarious, yet fact-filled book, Elise Gravel uses her kid-friendly wit and quirky illustration style to break down what fake news is, why people spread it, and how to tell what is real and what isn’t. And that’s the truth!
Blips on a Screen: How Ralph Baer Invented TV Video Gaming and Launched a Worldwide Obsession by Kate Hannigan; illustrated by Zachariah Ohora
Description:
A picture book biography of Jewish refugee, Ralph Baer, the pioneering inventor of home video gaming.
King of the Ice (Miles Lewis, Book 1) by Kelly Starling Lyons; illustrated by Wayne Spencer
Description:
When his friend RJ bets that Miles will wipe out at the ice rink, he is determined to prove him wrong.
Not If I Can Help It by Carolyn Mackler
Description:
Willa lives on the upper West Side of Manhattan with her divorced father and her younger brother, and attends fifth grade with her best friend Ruby. She likes things to be a certain way, because it makes life manageable even with her Sensory Processing Disorder; she certainly does not like surprises, and her father has just thrown her a big one: he has been dating Ruby’s mother! Suddenly Willa’s life seems to be spiraling out of her control–and part of the trouble is that she cannot even explain why she thinks this is a horrible idea, when everyone else thinks that it is wonderful.
Boardwalk Babies by Marissa Moss; illustrated by April Chu
Description:
In the late 19th century, there wasn’t much hope for premature babies–until Dr. Couney developed the incubator. The device was so new and strange, hospitals rejected it. So Dr. Couney set up a sideshow at Coney Island, taking care of the tiniest newborns as part of a display to convince the public that incubators worked. Thousands of babies grew into healthy children as Boardwalk Babies, including Dr. Couney’s own premature daughter. Many of those babies came back as adults to thank the doctor for his miracle cures. Science meets magic show in this fascinating true story.
Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega; illustrated by Rose Bousamra
Description:
Marlene loves three things: art, Her cool Tía Ruby, and hanging out with her best friend Camila. But according to her mother, Paola, the only thing she needs to focus on is school and “growing up.” That means straightening her hair every weekend so she could have “presentable good hair.” But Marlene hates being in the salon and doesn’t understand why her curls are not considered pretty by those around her. With a few hiccups, a dash of embarrassment, and the much-needed help of Camila and Tía Ruby–she slowly starts a journey to learn to appreciate and proudly wear her curly hair.
Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen
Description:
Garlic must believe in herself to confront a bloodthirsty vampire who has moved into a nearby castle, in this humorous and heartwarming story that reminds readers that strangers are not always as scary as they seem.
The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter by Aaron Reynolds
Description:
Cursed by an old carnival game, sixth-grader Rex Dexter uses his new ability to communicate with dead animals to investigate the mysterious deaths of endangered zoo animals.
Air by Monica Roe
Description:
Twelve-year-old Emmie is working to raise money for a tricked-out wheelchair to get serious about WCMX, when a mishap on a poorly designed ramp at school throws her plans into a tailspin. Instead of replacing the ramp, her school provides her with a kind but unwelcome aide and, seeing a golden media opportunity, launches a public fundraiser for her new wheels. Emmie loves her close-knit rural town, but she can’t shake the feeling that her goals–and her choices–suddenly aren’t hers anymore. With the help of her best friends, Emmie makes a plan to lift her dreams off the ground–and show her community what she wants, what she has to give, and how ready she is to do it on her own terms.
Weird Kid by Greg Van Eekhout
Description:
Strange things are happening in Cedar Creek View, Arizona: Sink-holes. An unidentified Hum. People behaving…oddly. No one knows the reason, but Jake thinks it might have something to do with him. Jake is no ordinary twelve-year-old. He’s weird. Like, fell to Earth in a flaming blob of space slime, spontaneously-sprout-feathers kind of weird. Up until now, Jake and his parents have been able to keep his real identity under wraps. This year, something’s changed. Jake’s having more and more trouble hiding the truth. And now Agnes Oakes has seen what he can do. Instead of spilling his secret, though, Agnes wants to team up to figure out what’s really going on. And before they know it, Agnes and Jake are waist deep in a conspiracy of galactic proportions.
Wretched Waterpark (Sinister Summer, Book 1) by Kiersten White
Description:
Twins Theo and Alexander and their sister Wil are abruptly dropped off at their Aunt Saffronia’s house, where they learn they must complete a series of tasks in order to see their parents again–and their first assignment is at a waterpark.
2025 Rebecca Caudill Award (Grades 4-8)
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Description:
When a Connecticut teenager inherits vast wealth and an eccentric estate from the richest man in Texas, she must also live with his surviving family and solve a series of puzzles to discover how she earned her inheritance.
Falling Short by Ernesto Cisernos
Description:
Best friends Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won’t change things at home–not without each other’s help. This year, athletically gifted Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac’s parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, academically gifted Marco plans on finally winning his father’s approval by earning a spot on the school’s basketball team. But will their friendship and support for each other be enough to keep the two boys from falling short?
Starfish by Lisa Fipps
Description:
Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this poignant debut novel-in-verse. Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules–like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” And she’s found her safe space–her swimming pool–where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life–by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.
Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs
Description:
The CIA forces twelve-year-old Charlotte “Charlie” Thorne, a rebellious genius, to use her code-breaking skills on an epic global chase to locate Einstein’s last equation before dangerous agents discover it and unlock the solution to harnessing energy.
A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser
Description:
At first, June can’t believe it: their new home is a homeless shelter? When she’s told she can’t bring her cherished viola inside, she’s convinced the worst luck in the world landed her at Huey House. But Tyrell has lived at Huey House for three years, and he knows all the good things about it: friendship, hot meals, and the music from next door drifting through the windows. With his help, June begins to see things differently. Just as she’s starting to understand how Huey House can be a home, a new government policy threatens all the residents. Can June and Tyrell work together to find a way to save Huey House as they know it?
Alias Anna by Susan Hood and Greg Dawson
Description:
An inspirational nonfiction novel-in-verse about Zhanna Arshanskaya, a young Ukrainian Jewish girl using the alias Anna, whose phenomenal piano-playing skills saved her life and the life of her sister, Frina, during the Holocaust–from award-winning author Susan Hood, with Zhanna’s son, Greg Dawson.
The Fort by Gordon Korman
Description:
The morning after Hurricane Leo rips through the town of Canaan, residents awaken to widespread destruction–power outages, downed branches, uprooted trees, broken windows and damaged roofs. Four eighth-grade friends–Evan, Jason, Mitchell, and CJ–meet to explore the devastation. The tight-knit group is dismayed to find that Evan has brought along a stray–Ricky, who is new to their town and school, and doesn’t have any friends yet. Ricky is the one to find the strange trap door that’s appeared in the middle of the woods–the door to an old bomb shelter, unearthed by the hurricane. Inside, the boys find a completely intact underground lair, complete with electricity, food, and entertainment (in the form of videocassettes). The boys vow to keep the place’s existence to themselves. Things soon get tense. Some bad locals keep snooping around. And what started out as a fun place to escape soon becomes a serious refuge for one of the kids who is trying to avoid an abusive home situation. In order to save the shelter, the friends must keep its secret… and in order to save themselves, they’re going to have to share their individual secrets, and build the safest place they can.
Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd
Description:
When twelve-year-old Olive, who suffers from brittle bone disease and has been homeschooled all her life, finally attends school in person she soon discovers fitting in is not that easy, but if she can find the magical wish-granting hummingbird that supposedly lives nearby, and prove herself worthy, maybe her deepest wish will be granted.
The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh
Description:
In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, thirteen-year-old Matthew discovers a shocking secret about his great-grandmother’s past as he learns about her life during the Holodomor famine in Soviet Ukraine.
A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
Description:
When she discovers that her small Scottish town used to burn witches simply because they were different, a neurodivergent girl who sees and hears things others cannot refuses to let them be forgotten.
How to Become a Planet by Nicole Melleby
Description:
After an entire summer trying to figure out how to go back to being the person she was before her depression and anxiety diagnosis, twelve-year-old Pluto finds out–with the help of the Hayden Planetarium hotline, a new tutor, and a new friend–that there is no old or new Pluto, there’s just Pluto, growing up.
Muhammad Najem, War Reporter by Muhammed Najem and Nora Neus; illustrated Julie Robine
Description:
A graphic memoir by young Syrian Muhammad Najem, who rose to international notoriety during the Syrian Civil War due to his on-the-ground reporting using social media.
Lasagna Means I Love You by Katie O’Shaughnessy
Description:
What are the essential ingredients that make a family? Eleven-year-old Mo is making up her own recipe in this … story that’s a little sweet, a little sour, and totally delicious. Nan was all the family Mo ever needed. But suddenly she’s gone, and Mo finds herself in foster care after her uncle decides she’s not worth sticking around for. Nan left her a notebook and advised her to get a hobby, like ferret racing or palm reading. But how could a hobby fix anything in her newly topsy-turvy life? Then Mo finds a handmade cookbook filled with someone else’s family recipes. Even though Nan never cooked, Mo can’t tear her eyes away. Not so much from the recipes, but the stories attached to them. Though, when she makes herself a pot of soup, it is every bit as comforting as the recipe notes said. Soon Mo finds herself asking everyone she meets for their family recipes. Teaching herself to make them. Collecting the stories behind them. Building a website to share them. And, okay, secretly hoping that a long-lost relative will find her and give her a family recipe all her own. But when everything starts to unravel again, Mo realizes that if she wants a family recipe–or a real family–she’s going to have to make it up herself.
Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega; illustrated by Rose Bousamra
Description:
Marlene loves three things: art, Her cool Tía Ruby, and hanging out with her best friend Camila. But according to her mother, Paola, the only thing she needs to focus on is school and “growing up.” That means straightening her hair every weekend so she could have “presentable good hair.” But Marlene hates being in the salon and doesn’t understand why her curls are not considered pretty by those around her. With a few hiccups, a dash of embarrassment, and the much-needed help of Camila and Tía Ruby–she slowly starts a journey to learn to appreciate and proudly wear her curly hair.
Seen and Unseen: What Dorthea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams’s Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration by Elizabeth Partridge and Lauren Tamaki
![Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal about the Japanese American Incarceration [Book]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81O1Pa-KniL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg)
Description:
Legendary photographers Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams all photographed the Japanese American incarceration, but with different approaches–and different results. This nonfiction picture book for middle grade readers examines the Japanese-American incarceration-and the complexity of documenting it-through the work of these three photographers.
A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
Description:
A middle grade graphic memoir based on bestselling author and Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat’s awkward middle school years and the trip to Europe that changed his life. Dan’s always been a good kid. The kind of kid who listens to his teachers, helps his mom with grocery shopping, and stays out of trouble. But being a good kid doesn’t stop him from being bullied and feeling like he’s invisible, which is why Dan has low expectations when his parents send him on a class trip to Europe. At first, he’s right. He’s stuck with the same girls from his middle school who love to make fun of him, and he doesn’t know why his teacher insisted he come on this trip. But as he travels through France, Germany, Switzerland, and England, a series of first experiences begin to change him–first Fanta, first fondue, first time stealing a bike from German punk rockers… and first love. Funny, heartwarming, and poignant, A First Time for Everything is a feel-good coming-of-age memoir based on New York Times bestselling author and Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat’s awkward middle school years. It celebrates a time that is universally challenging for many of us, but also life-changing as well.
The Golden Hour by Niki Smith
![The Golden Hour [Book]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81-QaqbdgHL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg)
Description:
After witnessing a violent attack at school, Manuel struggles with anxiety but his cell phone camera helps him find anchors when he dissociates, and an unexpected friendship opens up new possibilities.
Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith, Derrick Barnes, and Dawud Anyabwile
Description:
A groundbreaking and timely graphic memoir from one of the most iconic figures in American sports-and a tribute to his fight for civil rights. On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships. In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest.
The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat; illustrated by Joanna Cacao
Description:
As one of the only Asian Americans in her school, Christina confronts both well-meaning ignorance and cruel racism, but in middle school fitting in is important, which is why she and her best friend Megan are both excited and nervous to try out for the popular cheerleading squad.
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
Description:
Built to explore Mars, Resilience begins to develop human-like feelings as he learns from the NASA scientists who assembled him, and as he blasts off and explores Mars, Resilience must overcome different obstacles as he explores the red planet.