2013 Nutmeg Book Award Nominees:

The Nutmeg Book Award encourages children in grades 4-8 to read quality literature and to choose their favorite from a list of ten nominated titles. Jointly sponsored by the Connecticut Library Association (CLA) and the Connecticut Association of School Librarians (CASL), the Nutmeg Committee is comprised of children’s librarians and school library media specialists who are members of our sponsoring organizations.

The Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick Detorie

Larkin is a high school kid who deals with unrequited love, school bullies, and an annoying sibling in this often hysterically funny graphic novel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick
After a battle with leukemia, Jeffery is a survivor and looking forward to high school and life. However, the chemo treatments have left him struggling at school, and his school district has instituted a new policy that might make it difficult to pass 8th grade. Will Jeff be able to attend high school as planned while also trying to help a new friend?

 

 

 

 

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman
Brewster “Bruiser” Rawlins is a reclusive loner, avoided because of his menacing  reputation. That is why 16-year old lacrosse star, Tennyson, decides to stop his softhearted twin sister, Bronte, from dating him. As Tennyson and Bronte get to know Bruiser, they realize that Bruiser is hiding a mysterious and painful secret. What they learn changes their ideas about friendship, love, and the true meaning of sacrifice.

 

Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
Mena’s former friends torment her, and her parents are barely speaking to her, all because of the letter she wrote that enraged them all. Luckily, a new friend and an enthusiastic biology teacher help Mena develop different perspectives on science, religion, and doing what is “right.”

 

 

 

 

 

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
Elizabeth’s paper on the history of fairy-tales leads to her new job as a page in the New York Circulating Material Repository, home to the secret Grimm Collection. The Repository stores and lends items such as tea sets, tools, and, straight from the Grimm Collection: the slippers of the 12 Dancing Princesses. Someone is stealing from the Repository and even worse, one of her friends goes missing. Elizabeth wonders whom she can trust as she tries to save her friend.

 

 

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
Salva and Nya share their stories of the horrors of war in Sudan as they search for safety and clean water. Based on a true story.

 

 

 

 

 

Matched by Ally Condie
Cassia lives in a “perfect” society that controls all aspects of life. She has always trusted every decision that has been made for her by this society until she notices a mistake on the day of her Matching Banquet. Cassia then starts to question everything she always trusted and believed to be true.

 

 

 

 

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
When Benny Imura had to get a job, he couldn’t think of anything better than killing Zombies. He wishes he had a more exciting teacher than his boring older brother Tom, with whom he has lived since the rise of the Zombies. He would much rather learn from the famous Charlie Pink-Eye. But when Zombies attack his home, he and his brother unite on a mission that tackles good and evil, human vs. Zombie.

 

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
Jessica loves running; it defines her. But a devastating accident ends it all. Now, Jessica must find her way in a world where  nothing is easy anymore. Can she make a comeback?

 

 

 

Trash by Andy Mulligan
Raphael, Gardo, and Rat are impoverished children who survive by scavenging items from the dump. One day, Raphael
discovers some mysterious items that are wanted by the police. Gardo, his best friend, brings Rat into the picture to help hide their find, and they work together to try and solve the mystery. This is a classic story which shows the disparity between the “haves” and the “have nots” in society.

 

 

2012 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature

The award, first given in 2000, is named for the late Michael L. Printz, a Topeka, Kan., school librarian known for discovering and promoting quality books for young adults. The award is administered annually by YALSA and is sponsored by Booklist magazine.

2012 Printz Award Winner:

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Seventeen-year-old Cullen’s summer in Lily, Arkansas, is marked by his cousin’s death by overdose, an alleged spotting of a woodpecker thought to be extinct, failed romances, and his younger brother’s sudden disappearance.

 

 

 

 

2012 Printz Award Honor books:

 Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler    Heartbroken movie obsessive Min Green dumps a box of relationship ephemera on ex-love Ed Slaterton’s porch, each item attached to a raging, loving, insecure and regretful letter explaining how each memento contributed to their breakup.

The Returning by Christine Hinwoodand   A large cast of characters from two fictional kingdoms recover from a drawn-out, brutal war in a portrait both sweeping and specific as it explores the ramifications of the conflict on Cam, the only one who lives to return to his village.

Jasper Jones  by Craig Silvey Spurred by the mysterious death of a schoolmate, Charlie confronts racism and his fears as he learns about family, friendship and love in the oppressive heat of small-town 1960s Australia. Silvey weaves themes of freedom and loyalty with moments of humor in this wrenching novel.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater  A bloody, intoxicating horse race on the Island of Thisby is the backdrop for this atmospheric novel. The heart-pounding story pits two teens against death – to win is to survive.