2011-2012

SC Children’s Book Award Nominees

11 Birthdays

By Wendy Mass

Leo and Amanda have always celebrated their birthdays together-for the past 10 years in fact. However, last year words were said that could not be taken back. This year they will have separate parties for the first time. Amanda can’t wait for the day after her birthday so she can stop thinking about it. There’s just one problem…the next day is her birthday all over again!

Bad News for Outlaws:the Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, U.S. Marshall

By

Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

Have you ever heard of Bass Reeves? He was one of the unsung heroes of the Wild West. He started out as a slave and went on to be one of the best lawmen in Indian Territory. He worked as a Deputy U.S. Marshall for 32 years and arrested more than 3000 outlaws!

Captain Nobody

By Dean Pitchford

When Newt Newman’s brother is knocked into a coma during the biggest football game of the season, his friends try to get his mind off of it. They are creating the ultimate superhero Halloween costumes. Newt feels so confident in his that he decides to keep wearing it and ends up being a real hero. But can he save the one person he cares about the most?

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity

By Mac Barnett

Steve Brixton wants to be a detective just like the Bailey Brothers in his favorite mystery series. He is assigned a writing project about quilting of all things! When he goes to the public library to get a book about the subject, his life is turned upside down!

The Christmas Genie

By Dan Gutman

Dan Gutman, author of the Weird School series and many other funny books, now writes about a teacher who is crazy about science. When a meteorite crashes into her classroom the day before Christmas break, a genie pops out. The class only gets one wish to share-what one will it be???

Everything for a Dog

By Ann M. Martin

Have you ever REALLY wanted a dog? Well, Henry does and his dad absolutely will not let him get one. Follow along with this story about the adventures of a couple of dogs and see what’s really keeping Henry’s dad from letting him have the pet of his dreams.

http://bit.ly/nMm3Es

Extra Credit

By Andrew Clements

Andrew Clements’ latest book about a 6th grader named Abby who is in danger of failing. Her teacher tells her that if she does a pen pal project over the summer, she will be able to go on to the next grade. She is given a pen pal in Afghanistan, and they learn a great deal about their different lifestyles and traditions. Along the way, their growing friendship becomes a problem.

During a student exchange program, seventh-graders Ivy June and Catherine share their lives, homes, and communities, and find that although their lifestyles are total opposites they have a lot in common.

Ignatius "Brother" Alderman, nearly twelve, promises to help his grandparents keep the family's Oregon ranch the same while his brothers are away and his father is deployed to Iraq, but as he comes to accept the inevitability of change, he also sees the man he is meant to be.

*Recommended for more mature readers

January’s Sparrow

By Patricia Polacco

Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a slave? Many people were “owned” by others before Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation. Some of the slaves tried to escape rather than be treated poorly by their masters. This is the story of a family that takes the underground railroad to get to a free state. Once they are there, life gets better, but are they really safe?

Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters

By Rachel Yail

Worry, worry, worry. That seems to be all that Justin can do. He’s a worrywart and it doesn’t help that the school year does not seem to be starting out well. He doesn’t get the teacher he wanted, his best friend is in a different class and his little sister will be starting kindergarten at his school. Could things get any worse?

Letters to a Soldier

By David Falvey

In 2008, fourth graders from Long Island, NY wrote letters to 25-year-old First Lieutenant David Falvey, an Army officer serving in Iraq. They asked questions about hobbies, pets, sports, military duties, cultural differences, and the reason we are at war in the Middle East.

Love, Aubrey

By Suzanne LaFleur

A tragic accident has turned 11 year-old Aubrey’s world upside down. She has trouble talking about what happened, and writing letters seems to be the answer for her. With the help of her grandmother and some new friends, she gradually begins to come to terms with her new life.

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

By Rodman Philbrick

Homer P. Figg’s beloved older brother is illegally sold into the Union Army by their ruthless guardian. Now Homer must run away and save his brother from the war before it’s too late. The story is full of adventure, humor and danger as well as Homer’s tendency to stretch the truth when necessary!

Neil Armstrong is My Uncle and Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me

By Nan Marino

It’s the summer of 1969 and 10-year-old Muscle Man McGinty has bragged that he can beat the entire block in a game of kickball. Tamara Ann is excited. She’ll finally get the chance to prove what a squirrelly runt and a wormy little liar he really is!

In northern California, Julian Carter-Li and his friends old and new fight to save a grove of redwoods from an investment company that plans to cut them down.

Out of My Mind

By Sharon Draper

Can you imagine a world of words swirling around in your head, but you can’t get them out? This is the case for Melody. She has all sorts of ideas in her head, but she has never spoken a word--- and she’s almost eleven years old.

Winston and his friends enter an all-day puzzle contest to win fifty thousand dollars for their school, but they must also figure out who is trying to keep them from winning. Puzzles for the reader to solve are included throughout the text. *Recommended for more mature readers

The Red Pyramid

By Rick Riordan

Here’s a new adventure from the author of the Percy Jackson series. After the death of their mother, Carter travels the globe with his father while his sister Sadie stays with their grandmother. But after a Christmas Eve trip to the British Museum they must come together to rescue their father from the gods of Ancient Egypt.

Although housebound following an eerie accident, teenaged Ryan continues to investigate the strange occurrences in his hometown of Skeleton Creek, recording his findings in a journal and viewing email video clips sent by fellow detective Sarah. Readers can view Sarah’s videos online throughout the story. *Recommended for more mature readers

Picked on, overweight genius Owen tries to invent a television that can see the past in order to find out what happened the day his parents were killed.

*Recommended for more mature readers

The Small Adventures of Popeye and Elvis

By Barbara O’Connor

Nothing ever happens in Fayette, South Carolina. That’s what Popeye thinks anyway. His whole life has been nothing but boring! All that changes when an RV containing 5 rowdy kids gets stuck near his house. He and his new friend Elvis find some handmade boats floating down the creek and the adventure begins!

Tango: the Tale of an Island Dog

By Eileen Beha

Tango is a much-loved Yorkshire Terrier who lives in a luxurious apartment in Manhattan. His owners decide to take a trip on a yacht. While sailing, a storm comes up and the next thing Tango knows, he has been washed up on an island beach. His silver and diamond collar is missing. His goal is to find his nametag so that he can let everyone know what his true identity is.

When some of her classmates disappear, sixth-grader Svetlana and her new friends go in search of the missing students using her newfound ability as an Olfactive, one who has heightened smell, hearing, and the ability to detect vampires.

Touchdown Trouble

By Fred Bowen

Sam loves playing football for his team-the Cowboys! In a key game, he makes a major play to lead his team to victory over their arch rivals. But the celebration ends when he and his teammates make an unwelcome discovery. Will the Cowboys’ season be in jeopardy?

What were once just boys' games become matters of life and death as Petros and his older brother Zola each wonder if, like their resistance-fighter cousin, they too can make a difference in a Nazi-occupied Greece.

*Recommended for more mature readers

We Can’t All Be Rattlesnakes

By Patrick Jennings

I am a gopher snake. One day as I was minding my own business, I was captured by a disgusting human named Gunnar. He imprisons me in a terrarium hoping to turn me into an adoring pet, but I’ve got news for him. I’m already planning my escape.

Wild River

By P.J. Petersen

I watched the log get bigger. My kayak was heading straight for it . I dropped my paddle and tried to hang on to the kayak. At the last second I missed the log but suddenly I was flying through the air. The next thing I know, I smacked the water headfirst and went under.