Nutmeg Book Awards: 2014 Nominees

It's that time of year - time to vote for your favorite titles to win the Nutmeg Book Award! Here are the nominees for this year and a brief description of the book (taken from the Nutmeg Book Awardwebsite) The Nutmeg Book Award was created to encourage kids to read quality literature and then give them a chance to vote for their favorites. The titles are chosen every year by librarians across the state.

Deadline to vote at the library or your school is APRIL 30th!

Nutmeg Book Award Teen
2014 Nominees

City of Orphans
by Avi

New York City, 1893. When Maks’ sister, Emma, is falsely accused of stealing and imprisoned, Maks and his friend Willa must prove her innocence. Maks must balance his amateur detective work with his newspaper business, not to mention the Plug Ugly gang and their attempts to stop Lower East Side Newsies from delivering their papers.

Divergent

by Veronica Roth

Beatrice “Tris” lives in a society where citizens belong to factions that share certain aptitudes. Tris has not one, but three aptitudes, selflessness, courage, and truth-seeking. To survive, Beatrice must hide her Divergence and choose just one faction, one aptitude. When she selects Dauntless, for courage, she little imagines the stunts, battles, and friendships she will encounter.

This book was just released as a movie (being shown in theaters now) & is part of a trilogy!

I’ll Be There
by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Sam and Riddle have moved around their entire lives with their unstable father. Sam wishes he could leave, but he could never abandon his quirky little brother Riddle. Then one day Sam meets Emily, a true believer in fate. Emily believes that Sam and Riddle are part of her destiny. As their paths intersect, their lives change forever.

The Lions of Little Rock
by Kristin Levine

1958, Arkansas. Painfully shy, Marlee feels grateful to her new friend Liz for making middle school more bearable. But Liz has a secret. She is a light skinned black ‘passing’ for white. This causes a massive uproar in the community. Shy Marlee finds the courage to help integrate her school. A powerful story of friendship and determination.

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25
by Richard Paul Evans

Michael Vey has a secret. He is electric and can even restart car batteries. He thought he was unique until he meets Taylor, and they make a startling discovery. When Michael’s mom disappears, they face an unknown enemy and even more electrics.

This is the first book in a series.

Mindblind
by Jennifer Roy

14 year-old Nathaniel is a profoundly gifted Asperger’s student. He thinks of himself as “mindblind:” he cannot always guess what other people are thinking. After college, he plans to become an “official genius.” His story presents a unique perspective, illuminating the mind of a gifted person while showing the humor of Nathaniel’s quirky existence.

Now Is the Time for Running
by Michael Williams

Deo and his friends live for soccer. Every day they meet in the fields near their village in Zimbabwe and play, cheered on by Deo’s brother, Innocent. One day, the soldiers arrive, and everything changes in an instant. Deo and Innocent run for their lives with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a soccer ball.

Okay for Now
by Gary D. Schmidt

Doug Swieteck sees only the negatives of his move to a new town. Doug’s father and brothers often take their anger out on Doug. Despite Doug’s family troubles, he finds his own place in town and discovers his strengths and talents with the help of some unlikely friends.

Page by Paige
by Laura Lee Gulledge

Paige has recently moved to New York City from Virginia with her writer parents. In her sketchbook, Paige journals her inner feelings and struggles. Although she is a true artist, she is afraid to share her drawings with her new friends. Gulledg presents beautiful illustrations and visual metaphors.

The Scorpio Races 

by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races take place every November on the island of Thisby, with wild horses that emerge from the sea and young men who risk their lives to ride them. This year, 17-year-old Puck Connolly plans to break tradition as the first girl to enter the race. This book is a wild mix of horror, action, fantasy, and romance.