Marion Dane Bauer
Bluebonnet Award Nominee
In this novel, we have the main character, a young girl named Liz, who while helping her grandmother pack up her belongings in an old family home, has several encounters with ghosts and people from the past. The most striking of these supernatural occurrences are her encounters with a blue ghost, who turns out to be an ancestor of Liz’s. Aside from an instantly interesting storyline featuring an instantly interesting subject (ghosts), this novel had a great deal of emotion that was really well written. It wasn’t over the top in its use of emotion, but it had just the right touch that left a mark on the reader. Gran’s feeling of loss as she has to part ways with the family cabin, Liz’s joy as she’s able to help out her ancestor with the baby, and even the awe she experiences as she interacts with the blue ghost are all instances of the author’s careful attention to the proper, and subtle, use of emotion in the narrative. I appreciated how the author took a ghost story like this and used the perspective of a young adult character without it turning into a cliché ghost tale as so many often do.
The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge
Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
Series Book
Series Book
There were several things that I enjoyed right off the bat. Firstly, the colors and images, including the transformation of the school bus into an airplane, were quite striking and very unique. The colors used throughout were vivid and lush. In addition, I also enjoyed some of the asides, like two students looking at an old book that used to belong to Ms. Frizzle and the two children being unable to comprehend that their teacher was ever nine. The illustrations both reinforced the text and provided comic moments with the asides. It was also extremely educational in the information that was presented about global warming. Several facts and definitions were presented throughout that should definitely help make our elementary school students better informed about global warming. All the while, the humor and exquisite illustrations are kept up. One of my favorite lines from the asides may be: That whole crop might be lost! No avocados? Holy Guacamole!.” The causes, effects, and possible solutions to the problem of global warming were covered quite well and in quite an entertaining manner in the book. The solutions went from broad, to specific, as I noticed tips like “don’t leave the fridge open too long” or “buy things with less packaging.” Finally, a short question & answer section in the form of “an online chat” was included immediately after the story and it included a couple of other thoughts on the problem of global warming. This book was as entertaining as it was education.
Snot Stew
Bill Wallace
Bluebonnet Award Nominee
Bluebonnet Award Nominee
This story covers the adventures of a pair of young kittens (brother and sister) who are adopted by a family out in the country on a farm. This story starts off with a nice use of characterization through the personification of the cats in a fairly realistic manner. The narrator, a young kitten named Kiki, recounts her experiences with her many brothers and sisters, her mother, and, especially, her one brother named Toby. The description of their home inside an icebox in a barn, as well as survival skills involving eating mice and taking baths, were described in a manner that helped me to understand that the characters were cats. In addition, the way the cats responded to the new world when they were taken in the house was written quite well too; Kiki referred to her hideout as “The Couch” and decided her favorite food was “Stew” as opposed to dry cat food or even canned cat food. Where I felt that this story could especially resonate with our children was when Kiki and Toby started about ownership of food and playtime with the owners. Often, children fight for attention and for food and can bully others the way Toby started to bully Kiki. Kiki’s courage at the end of the story, with her fighting the dog to save Toby’s life, teaches the lesson that someone must get over his/her feelings of resentment and do what is right. I think that this story was well written in terms of characterization and the narration of Kiki. Its lessons were important and should resonate well with our elementary reader.
Ballet of the Elephants
By Leda Schubert
Ill by Robert Andrew Parker
Bluebonnet Award Nominee
Bluebonnet Award Nominee
This story is focused on how the “Circus Polka” came to be. The ballet performance featuring elephants was a smash hit with audiences and was captured beautifully in this book. The stories of John Ringling North, Igor Stravinsky, and George Balanchine, with their varying skills and backgrounds, were able to come together and created a masterpiece. The illustrations in this book, using colors splashed across and over lines, with images being out of focus in presentation, create an interesting mood of nostalgia to the book. We get a pleasant memory of how this beautiful ballet came to be through wonderful watercolor illustrations that give us just the right amount of detail but leave the reader feeling as if they’re floating through dreams and memories. It’s not crisp in detail, but it is quite effective in presentation. I also appreciated how the author included, at the end of the book, a photograph of the elephants during one of the performances. It must have been a magnificent sight to behold in person.
Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta
By Lisa Wheeler & Mark Siegel
Bluebonnet Award Nominee
I really enjoyed what this book had to offer in terms of storytelling, the form being used, and the illustrations. Firstly, the storytelling was really interesting as we, the readers, were witness to a play being put on by the characters in the book. It was as if we were in the audience in the theatre where this play for dogs was taking place. I really liked the way the characters were fleshed out throughout the story with Beagle and Daschund falling in love as the story progressed and Old Seadog adopting the pirate pup who got left behind by the pirates. In addition, we had a dynamic story about the heroes getting robbed by pirates and then trying to go after a buried treasure that they failed to take (though it just turned out to be clothes). The illustrations were also quite good as they reinforced the text; the story was told in poem form and, if it were possible, would likely have been sung as this book is an operetta. The settings were drawn quite well and I also enjoyed the asides created by the characters when they were in thought. This book seemed to have everything, even with a young girl in the audience going home happy and dreaming about the sea life. I feel that the book was well done in its storytelling power and illustrative ability.
One Potato, Two Potato
Cynthia Defelice and Andrea U’Ren
Bluebonnet Award Nominee
This book was told and displayed in the fashion of an old fairy tale; I really appreciated this aspect of the story. A sweet elderly couple, who maintain a positive attitude despite a rather rough life, find a magical pot which they use to provide themselves with everything they need, including a new friend for each of them. I appreciated how the moral of the story was demonstrated with the couples (after the creation of the second elderly couple) burying the magical pot in the hopes that someone else would find it. It showed the importance of not being selfish. I really liked the illustrations in how they were created to add to this fairy tale effect. The lines were not particularly defined and the illustrations were done with shading that was rather dull, which was perfect for what was needed in this type of story. This was an excellent story told and displayed in an exceptional way.
Empire State Building: Now That’s Big!
By Kate Riggs
Bluebonnet Award Nominee
I appreciated several things about this book. The illustrations provided were actual photographs of the Empire State Building along with interesting maps. I thought the author did a great job in providing the history of the building, telling the reader where the name came from, providing a glossary for difficult terms, and even showing what the view is like from the observation decks of the building. The young elementary school student would greatly benefit from the facts provided in this book as they are provided through simple, yet descriptive paragraphs along with fantastic photos. One that really stood out to me was the photo of the man on one of the beams of the building at a very high altitude which demonstrated the danger the workers faced in constructing the building. Overall, this book has several strengths that the reader will benefit a great deal from.
Olivia goes to Venice
By Ian Falconer
New York Times Bestseller
I greatly enjoyed the way in which the content of this book was displayed for the reader. The illustrations were a combination of drawings done for the characters (who all happened to be white pigs) and actual photographs of Venice for the background setting. I like this because children will be able to get a real glimpse into how Venice looks because of all the actual photos used in the book. The book was also quite humorous in its use of the very inquisitive Olivia as she wanders through Venice making comments to her mother and asking questions. One of my favorites was: “I must have something to remember Venice by…I must find the perfect souvenir…how about a chandelier?” The illustrations for some of the more humorous sections fit well with the text. In addition, a great deal of action in the background took place toward the end of the story that was not covered by the text. This added a very humorous element as one of the bell towers of Venice crumbled and fell with several angry citizens glaring angrily as Olivia’s family left. The book was really well done in that it included humor, vibrant and creative illustrations, and real photographs that gave the reader a sense of what the city is really like.
Martina the Beautiful Cockroach
By Carmen Agra Deedy
Ill by: Michael Austin
Bluebonnet Award Nominee
The illustrations for this book are really rather stunning. The elegant detail to go along with the 3D style animation was spot on to display the beauty that can be found in the cockroaches in this book. The tale itself is also quite unique with Martina searching for suitors and sifting through them through her abuela’s coffee test. This story is told with the style of a fairy tale with Martina searching for the right person to spend the rest of her life with much in the style of a princess searching for her right and true prince. The moral is a great one, with Martina’s grandmother demonstrating to her grandmother the importance of really knowing someone even during times of trouble and misery (coffee on shoes in this case). The book is exceptionally well done between the fabulous storytelling and the elegant illustrations used.
This is just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness
By: Joyce Sidman
Ill By: Pamela Zagarenski
Bluebonnet Award Nominee
The poems in this book are wonderfully accompanied by the illustrations on each page. The poems go from humorous to heartbreaking, especially with the poems over Einstin the dog and his young owner Tenzin. The author puts real heart into these poems that she creates from the perspective of both children and adults. This real and very engaging writing is well accompanied by the simple illustrations on each page. Though the pages aren’t covered completely by setting illustrations, the characters featured in them are well drawn with a certain simplicity (stiff lines) that makes the reader feel the innocence and purity of these children and their emotions even more. The illustration that was especially powerful was the one that went with “It was Quite” over Einstein the dog. The page featured a small drawing of Einstein with a crown on his head and small wings as he stands on a cloud with his eyes closed. On the bottom of the page, we see a simple sketch of Tenzin with tears streaming down his face. The illustrations are subtle, yet very powerful. The detail is unmistakable, despite the simple lines and colors. I was very impressed with both the writing and the illustrations in this book.
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez
By Kathleen Krull
Ill By: Yuyi Morales
Pura Belpre Award
This book accomplishes a great deal in its pages. The author is able to present a great deal of history to the reader about the struggle of Cesar Chavez on behalf of the farm workers of California. This part of history, as the author mentions in the “author’s note” section, is often overlooked today with many forgetting who Cesar Chavez is and what his role in history was. This book does well to give the young reader a great lesson over this person’s history and his struggle for his cause. In addition, the illustrations were excellent in their use of pastels and curves to add to the cultural climate of the book. I was impressed with the vivid colors and beautiful curves and shapes that were used to create the images in the book. The book had a great deal of beauty in its pages both in the story told in the text and with the illustrations which reinforced that text.
Smoky Night
By Eve Bunting
Ill By: David Diaz
Caldecott Award Winner
This book had several great features. Firstly, the storytelling was amazing. The author writes from the perspective of young Daniel who is witnessing the riots going down on the streets of Lost Angeles below him. Later, he must evacuate with his mother out of the apartment after it has been set on fire. This story is told wonderfully through the perspective of the young protagonist who is wondering, for some time, if his cat made it out of the burning building alive. The story is told with a great deal of heart and is very touching. In addition, the effects of the complex illustrations are amazing. The actual illustrations are abstract but are detailed enough for the reader to see the people, animals, and buildings featured in the story. However, the abstractness of the paintings add to the effect of the night time feel and the beauty in each of the characters. In addition, the illustrations do well in reinforcing what is happening in the text. Underneath the illustrations, the author has put together a collage of materials that were photographed and placed underneath the drawings. The effect adds to the feelings of both confusion and beauty that is prevalent in this book. The effect is one of awe in the reader.
We All Fall Down
By Robert Cormier
100 Most Challenged Books
Cormier has constructed an intense, complex, and very moving story in this book. The extraordinary and unfortunate love story of Jane and Buddy is extremely moving and wonderfully constructed. The unfortunate events that led to Buddy’s trashing of Jane’s house haunt him throughout the whole story as he tries to deal with the guilt of what he has done (the only one feeling guilt from the group that committed the crime). However, the demons in his family, the demons from his emerging alcoholism, and his inability to answer for his deeds in the Jerome household ultimately explode in a grim, realistic way that the reader can’t help but look at with a sense of awe and grief. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, but I knew in my heart that Buddy wouldn’t win the girl of his dreams in the end because he couldn’t find a way to confess to her that he had been a part of the worst moment of her life. The characters are created with such a strong sense of realism with Buddy’s unhealthy means of answering his problems with alcohol and Jane’s struggle to restore order and peace in her mind after her house was trashed and her sister was put in a coma. I would definitely encourage students to read this book as its lessons are important, despite the suffering and loss that the characters must all face in the story (including the mysterious Avenger, who cannot overcome his own demons in his world of twisted justice). I was very impressed with this book.
Goosebumps: How I Got My Shrunken Head
By R.L. Stine
100 Most Challenged Books (Goosebumps Series)
This book has a great deal to offer to young readers in its vivid storytelling. The scenes in the book are constructed with excellent detail from the author and the reader should comprehend each of the situations in the book with clarity and depth. Mark, the young protagonist, must make a journey to a jungle island to search for his Aunt Benna and he must do this using a magic he never knew he actually had: Jungle Magic. The story is imaginative while at the same time striving for a sense of realism with Mark’s reactions of fear and reluctance in the situations where he finds himself. I was impressed with the plot that worked around a shrunken head at the beginning and which carried Mark away into a jungle. The young reader should find a vivid story filled with suspense as each chapter seems to end with a cliffhanger that pulls the reader right into the next one.
James and the Giant Peach
By Roald Dahl
Ill By: Quentin Blake
100 Most Challenged Books
The imagination used to construct this story of a young boy and his unlikely team of insects and arachnids is unbelievable. I appreciated the sense of realism that was used and which was abruptly turned on its head when James ran into the man with the mysterious stones which would change James’s life. Though I was a bit troubled with the killing of James’s aunts, I was impressed with how James learned more and more as the peach continued on its journey. I was especially happy and found it heartwarming when James was able to take charge and instruct his friends on how to overcome difficult situations while he learned more and more from them. One scene that was especially striking for me was when the cricket played music using his legs as a violin and told James, who was dumbfounded by what the cricket told him about the placement of ears, that he had yet to learn a great deal of things. The young reader will be stricken by the wonderfully imagination presented in what happens to James and his friends as they ride their peach on land, air, and sea.
by Lemony Snicket
(Series Book)
I really appreciated several aspects of this book. Firstly, I liked that this book made it a point of noting that there was neither a good beginning and, most importantly, a good end. While I enjoy the happily ever after type of book, I appreciate books that show a certain realism to them regarding what to expect from life: sometimes you end up with good results, and sometimes you end up with bad results. The Baudelaire orphans have to deal wtih several unpleasant situations and end up in a very uncertain state by the end of the book. However, if they trust to their abilities, and continue to look out for one another, the reader can still retain hope, despite the tough circumstances, that the children will make it in the end. Another aspect I liked was how the author used several difficult vocabulary words but, as part of the narration, provided definitions that were appropriate for the context of the situations in the story. I really feel that this story was inventive, interesting, humorous, and even incorporates a sense of realism throughout the story in its grim, dark mood.
Junie B. Jones: Boo...and I MEAN It!
Barbara Park
(Series Book)
This book provided a great deal of humor in the funny moments and goofy antics of the main character Junie B. Jones. I really appreciated the way that the author was able to get into the mentality (logic/reasoning/beliefs) of a child during their first grade year. Junie B feels that the best way to overcome her fright of Halloween is to is to dress up as the most frightening clown she knows: Squirty the Clown. I couldn't stop laughing at how this turned into "Screamy the Clown," which caused her to start screaming randomly at strangers and family members. I really feel that the dialogue was particularly well done and went well with the personalities reflected in the book, particulary Junie herself. I feel like this series probably really resonates well with kids. I'm sure they really enjoy it.
Esperanza Rising
Pam Munoz Ryan
(Pura Belpre Award)
This book touches upon a historical issue surrounding migrant farmworkers in California. Along with addressing this important time in history, this book brings in the fall and rise of a young girl who had grown up on a beautiful ranch in Mexico. However, the touch of realism that this story is infused with makes this tale especially endearing. Rather than recover her lost wealth in Mexico or rise to defeat her evil uncles, Esperanza and her mother instead must survive and adjust to life in their difficult situation in the United States. It gives a great perspective from a young adult (Esperanza - the main character) and shows that even in the most hopeless of situations, even children, like her, can rise to the occasion and meet the difficult circumstances head on. I really liked it and I am confident that young readers will get a great deal out of this book.
The Pigman
Paul Zindel
(100 Most Challenged Books List)
I was especially impressed with this book as it really left a mark on me once I finally finished it and put it down. John Conlan and Lorraine Jensen come face to face with something that no one is ever really able to deal with: mortality. John and Lorraine's experiences with the "pigman" are experiences that many children and young adults will likely to have with someone they know who is older and who likely may not be around for a while longer. In addition, they found value in someone who the world seemed to throw away and viewed him almost as a parent when their own parents seemed to lose touch with them completely. The story teaches several important lessons while making sure to keep its grim and ultimately tragic realism with the passing of Mr. Pignati and the destruction of the pigs. No matter what happens, we always dissapoint those we love at one time or another, and we always risk losing them sooner than we want to. Children and young adults need to come face to face with these issues and I feel like this story does well in meeting this end.
The Spiderwick Chronicles: Book 1, The Field Guide
By Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
(Series Book)
With its combination of sketches splattered throughout the book and its intriguing storyline setup, I feel like this story would definitely strike a chord with children intrigued by fantasy literature. The children happen upon a world of fairies and magic during a time when they are suffering miserably after a difficult departure from their previous home. I like the message it sends to kids who deal with difficult situations, despite its seemingly hokey fantasy premise: you must always be loyal to family and true to your own instincts. Jared Grace, despite arousing the disapproval of his mother and the anger of his sister, is able to overcome what looks like a bad situation and guide his siblings to the secret room of the Spiderwick house and to finding a way to pacify the Boggart who has been causing them such grief. I also liked how the kids used kindness and critical thinking abilities to solve the problem with the Boggart rather than anger and viciousness as many are wont to do in similar situations. I feel that this book demonstrates the good judgement and attitudes (as much as children this age are capable of) in meeting challenges and overcoming obstacles.
Bridge to Terabithia
Katherine Paterson
(100 Most Challenged Books List)
This novel is a definite must for anyone putting together a list of novels that should be read by children. Paterson has woven together a story so heartwarming and heartbreaking that I simply couldn’t pry myself away from the world that Leslie Burke and Jess Aarons were a part of at Lark Creek and the world that they created in Terabithia. While the novel has a gut wrenching scene at the end, the reader must understand that heartbreak, loneliness, and loss are all parts of life which children must face. I thought the author did well in dealing with them while also making sure to keep her audience of children in mind. I loved the authors descriptions throughout the novel, especially Jess’s when he would describe Leslie running gracefully or describe his own cowardice. The characters were all really well fleshed out and very realistic in their reactions to events; this is especially so after Leslie’s death. Though I was saddened by the outcome of the novel, I was really impressed with the vivid storytelling and well constructed characters.
Down Girl and Sit: On the Road
By Lucy Nolan
Ill by Mike Reed
This novel, featuring the exploits of “Down Girl and Sit” provides what I really had been wanting to see in this type of novel: a very lighthearted but quite plausible characterization of a dog. What makes this especially good is the fact that the novel is written in first person narration. Because of this, we get Down Girl’s often ridiculous reasoning for her actions that often succeed in upsetting her owner “Ruff.” The novel is really well thought out in this regard and is precise even to how Down Girl interprets her name as “Down Girl.” I also enjoyed the illustrated that reinforced the text through nice visual representations of what I was reading. The novel’s language and subject matter are completely suitable for the elementary student and I’m confident that many children will really enjoy this book.
Tornado
By Betsy Byars
Ill By: Doron Ben-Ami
Bluebonnet Award Winner
Packed into this short book is a heartwarming tale within a tale about a young boy and his miracle of a dog. Pete, an older man, and his family are stuck in a cellar waiting out a tornado. He begins to tell them tales about his dog Tornado; a tornado had blown the dog, along with his dog house, into Pete’s life. I liked several aspects of this book. Firstly, I enjoyed the dialogue in the book as it seemed to flow naturally and was very much akin to what the personalities of the characters were like. I also enjoyed the unexpected insights that I got from the story; this was especially evident when Tornado returned to the family and the father said that they would keep the dog until the owners returned. After he said this, he mentioned that the owners weren’t “polite enough” to leave their names after having taken Tornado away after a somewhat heated exchange earlier in the story. The unexpected moral being that using a polite approach even in the toughest of situations is always important. This book had several strengths and I’m confident that a young reader will come away satisfied at this heartwarming tale.
By Madeleine L’Engle
Newberry Award Winner
I really enjoyed reading this book because of its incredible use of fantasy with believeable characters who are put in extraordinary circumstances. Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin must use the help of Mrs. Who, Which, and Whatsist as they try to rescue Meg and Charles’s father. However, the evil that they must defeat is incredibly fierce and overwhelming in its abilities to control and manipulate. I appreciated the grim situation that the kids were faced with while being able to explore the world that the author created for them to find their way through. While the story begins in an ordinary world, we are quickly transported into something so much more through the power of the tesseract. I couldn’t help but get into these well drawn characters as they searched and ultimately found their father. In addition, I was quite impressed with the author’s use of dialogue as the words spoken by the characters were great reflections of who they were as characters. This was especially evident in Charles Wallace before and after he was taken over by IT. A usually pensive, intelligent child is rendered cold and lifeless by the powers of IT. In this powerful scene, we see a transformation that is at once chilling and shows the author’s abilities with dialogue. I was really pleased with this book and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good children’s book.
New Moon
By Stephanie Meyer
Series Book
I have to say that while this book had its weaknesses, I was particularly impressed with the ideas and storytelling that is held within the book. While there are weaknesses with Meyer’s prose, as it seems somewhat stilted and awkward at times, I know for a fact that this book will be popular for children as it continues a very interesting story in this series. Edward leaves the scene though his influence in Bella’s life continues and is unmistakable while she must bear his loss. I feel that this story is especially strong in its ability to relate to its readers because of the teens in this story who must wade through the confusion of their own emotions at such a difficult age while going through an extraordinary experience. It is this compounding of the ordinary teenage aspects of this book (loss in a relationship, possible new love, dealing with an unsettled family situation, etc) and the extraordinary (vampires, warewolves, supernatural powers) that make this book especially compelling. I think that most every teen will relate to the characters in this book: Edward and his difficult decision to do what he feels is best, Bella’s confusion and dealing with her desires for both Edward and Jacob, and Jacob’s frustration over not being able to win Bella’s heart over Edward’s continuing influence. The understatement because of these feelings was especially impressive in this book as we see these characters deal with their situations in this book without an over the top description of these scenes. I did appreciate this aspect of Meyer’s writing. Though I am not a big fan of her abilities with prose, I still really enjoy her abilities as a storyteller and as someone who can definitely hold me in suspense as I eagerly await what is on the next page. I know this quality is what makes her books especially popular with children.
Bauer, Marion Dane. The Blue Ghost. New York: Random House, 2005.
Bunting, Eve and David Diaz. Smoky Night. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994.
Byars, Betsy. Tornado. New York: HarperCollins, 1996.
Cole, Joanna and Bruce Degen. The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge. New York: Scholastic Press, 2010.
Cormier, Robert. We All Fall Down. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1991.
Dahl, Roald. James and the Giant Peach. New York: Random House, 1961.
Deedy, Carmen Agra and Michael Austin. Martina the Beautiful Cockroach. Atlanta, Georgia: Peachtree Publishers, 2007.
Defelice, Cynthia and Andrea U'Ren. One Potato, Two Potato. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2006.
DiTerlizzi, T., & Black, H. (2003). The Spiderwick Chronicles: Book 1. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Falconer, Ian. Olivia goes to Venice. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2010.
Meyer, Stephanie. New Moon. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2006.
Nolan, L., & Reed, M. (2004). Down Girl and Sit: On the Road. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish.
Park, B. (2005). Junie B. Jones: Boo and I Mean It. New York: Random House.
Patterson, K. (1972). Bridge to Terabithia. New York: HarperCollins.
Schubert, Leda and Robert Andrew Parker. Ballet of the Elephants. New Milford, CT: Roaring Book Press, 2006.
Sidman, Joyce and Pamela Zagarenski. This is just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007.
Ryan, P. M. (2002). Esperanza Rising. New York: Scholastic.
Snicket, L. (1999). A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning. New York: HarperCollins.
Stine, R.L. Goosebumps: How I Got My Shrunken Head. New York: Scholastic, 1996.
Wallace, Bill. Snot Stew. New York: Holiday House, 1989.
Wheeler, Lisa and Mark Siegel. Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2004.
Zindel, P. (1968). The Pigman. New York: HarperCollins.
| ALA Notable Book For Children (5) | A Couple of Boys have the Best Week Ever | Old Bear | Beware of the Frog | How to Heal a Broken Wing | Buster Goes to Cowboy Camp | |
| Caldecott Award Winner (8) | Rapunzel | Golem | My Friend Rabbit | Kitten's First Full Moon | The Polar Express | The House in the Night |
| Jumanji | Smoky Night | |||||
| Newberry Award Winner (7) | The Higher Power of Lucky | Crispin: The Cross of Lead | The Whipping Boy | A Visit to William Blake's Inn | A Wrinkle in Time | Annie and the Old One |
| A Year Down Yonder | ||||||
| New York Times Bestsellers (5) | The Hunger Games | 39 Clues | Diary of a Wimpy Kid | The Graveyard Book | Olivia goes to Venice | |
| Series Books (5) | Twilight: New Moon | Magic School Bus | Junie B. Jones | Spiderwick Chronicles | A Series of Unfortunate Events | |
| Pura Belpre Award (3) | Before We were Free | Esperanza Rising | Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez | |||
| Coretta Scott King Award (2) | The Road to Paris | The Patchwork Quilt | ||||
| Challenged Books (5) | We All Fall Down | The Pigman | Goosebumps: How I Got My Shrunken Head | Bridge to Terabithia | James and the Giant Peach | |
| Bluebonnet Award (10) | Down Girl and Sit: On the Road | The Blue Ghost | Snot Stew | Tornado | Ballet of the Elephants | One Potato, Two Potato |
| Empire State Building: Now that's Big! | Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta | Martina the Beautiful Cockroach | This is just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness |
| Orange: denotes chapter book Green: denotes picture book | ||||||||||
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