Award Winning Picture Books

We are often asked for award-winning books when patrons don't have a specific topic they want to read.  It is a common enough request that we label the winners of three picture book awards -- Caldecott Medal (best picture book awarded by ALA), Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award (favorite picture book chosen by children awarded by MLA), and Show Me Readers Award (favorite picture book chosen by children awarded by MASL).  Here are some of our favorites of these award-winning picture books . . . .

The Adventures of Beekle: An Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat

An imaginary friend waits a long time to be imagined by a child and given a special name, and finally does the unimaginable--he sets out on a quest to find his perfect match in the real world. (2015 Caldecott Award)

Bunnies!!! by Kevan Atteberry

A monster searches everywhere to find the things he loves: bunnies!!! (2016 Building Block Award)

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

A little fish thinks he can get away with stealing a hat. (2013 Caldecott Medal)

Strongheart: The World's First Movie Star Dog by Emily Arnold McCully

When silent movie director Larry Trimble decides to put Strongheart, a police dog, into his movies as the lead actor, he must first train him to play with toys and walk like a regular dog, but Strongheart becomes a sensation until his military training leads to trouble, and possibly the end of his career. (2017 Show Me Readers Award)

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont

In the rhythm of a familiar folk song, a child cannot resist adding one more dab of paint in surprising places. (2006 Building Block Award)

More Award-Winning Picture Books --

Bad Dog by Mike Boldt

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

The Blue House Dog by Debrorah Blumenthal

Dandy by Ame Dyckman

Flotsam by David Wiesner

Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

Last Stop of Market Street by Matt de la Pena

The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown

Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully

Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos

My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann

Pug Meets Pig by Sue Gallion

Scaredy Snacks by Terry Border

Smoky Night by Eve Bunting

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Some Dog by Mary Casanova

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Wolfboy by Andy Harkness

Aaarrggh! You Read to Talk (And Read) Like a Pirate?

September 19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day.  In honor of the upcoming holiday, here are a few of our favorite pirate stories for kids . . . .

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Soon after Peter, an orphan, sets sail from England on the ship Never Land, he befriends and assists Molly, a young Starcatcher, whose mission is to guard a trunk of magical stardust from a greedy pirate and the native inhabitants of a remote island.

Dragon's Plunder by Brad Strickland

Having been kidnapped by former pirates because of his ability to whistle up the wind, fifteen-year-old Jamie agrees to help their leader, a living corpse, find the dragon of Windrose Island.

The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones by Will Mabbitt

Mabel Jones finds herself aboard the Feroshus Maggot--a ship crewed by the strangest bunch of pirates you'd (never) want to meet. She then has to find pieces of an X-shaped puzzle that in her hands could be her ticket home, but in the hands of Captain Split, they'd give him the power to assemble a pirate militia to take over London!

The Jolly Regina by Kara LeReau

Meet Jaundice and Kale Bland, two sisters who avoid excitement at any cost. One day, the Bland sisters are kidnapped by an all-female band of pirates. They're unwillingly swept into a high-seas romp that might just lead to solving the mystery of what happened to their missing parents.

More Pirate Stories --

The Dark Frigate by Charles Boardman Hawes

Judy Moody & Stink: The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt by Megan McDonald

Lintang and the Pirate Queen by Tamara Moss

Misty Gordon and the Mystery of the Ghost Pirates by Kim Kennedy

The Mona Lisa Key by Liesl Shurtliff

Of Salt and Shore by Annet Schaap

Race to the Bottom of the Sea by Lindsay Eagar

Seven Deadly Pirates by Linda Bailey

The Story Pirates Present: Digging Up Danger by Jacqueline West

Stowaway by John David Anderson

The Twisted Claw by Franklin W. Dixon

Let's Learn About Animals

 Animal stories are always a popular request.  Who doesn't like to read a story about animals.  However, it is also fun to read and learn true information about animals.  Try one of these informational animal books . . . .

Animal Awards by Martin Jenkins

Fifty animals from across the globe are given awards for their most unique qualities, including the fabulous display award, the deep sea diver award, and the terrific teeth award.

Courageous Creatures by Lauren Tarshis

The author of the New York Times bestselling I SURVIVED series shares four thrilling true stories of animals who have faced disaster - and come through. You'll meet courageous animals and also inspiring humans who show how we can help protect the creatures who share our precious Earth.

More Books --
125 True Stories of Amazing Animal Friendships by National Geographic Kids
African Elephants by Gail Terp
Animal Showdown by Stephanie Warren Drimmer
Animals That Fly by Angela Royston
Baby Giraffes by Deanna Caswell
Caterpillar to Butterfly by Laura Marsh
Chimpanzees by Katie Marsico
Eagles by Gail Terp
Eyewitness: Animal by Tom Jackson
Kangaroos: Amazing Jumpers by Lisa M. Herrington
Miniature Horses by Elizabeth Noll
My Pet Bird by Lynn Hamilton
Octopuses: Clever Ocean Creatures by Mara Grunbaum
Red-Eyed Tree Frogs by Nicki Clausen-Grace
Sloths by Josh Gregory
Snakes by James Buckley, Jr.
Teaming Up: Animal Partners by Cassidy St. James

Step Into a Fairy Tale World

 Fairy Tales and fairy tale reimaginings are a popular genre of teen books.  Here are some of our favorites . . .

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
A girl travels east of the sun and west of the moon to free her beloved prince from a magic spell.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
When Sunday Woodcutter, the youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week, kisses an enchanted frog, he transforms back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland--a man Sunday's family despises.

Snow in Summer by Jane Yolen

Recasts the tale of Snow White, setting it in West Virginia in the 1940s with a stepmother who is a snake-handler.

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede
Bored with her proper, circumscribed life as a princess, Cimorene runs away to join a powerful, fascinating dragon named Kazul and encounters a host of adventures along the way.

More Books --

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult

Cinder & Glass by Melissa de la Cruz

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore

Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Hunted by Meagan Spooner

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde

Rebel Rose by Emma Theriault

Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

The Seventh Raven by David Elliott

Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
Tithe by Holly Black

The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

The Poet-Tree: Read a Novel in Verse

Check out these books written in verse . . . .

Inside Out and Back Again Thanhha Lai

Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.

T4 by Ann Clare LeZotte

When the Nazi party takes control of Germany, thirteen-year-old Paula, who is deaf, finds her world-as-she-knows-it turned upside down, as she is taken into hiding to protect her from the new law nicknamed T4.

Rhyme Schemer by K.A. Holt

A novel in verse about Kevin's journey from bully to being bullied, as he learns about friendship, family, and his talent for poetry.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.

Reaching for the Sun by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

Josie, who lives with her mother and grandmother and has cerebral palsy, befriends a boy who moves into one of the rich houses behind her old farmhouse.

More Books --

Amber & Clay by Laura Amy Schlitz

Applesauce Weather by Helen Frost

The Deepest Breath by Meg Grehan

Gone Fishing by Tamera Will Wissinger

Heartbeat by Sharon Creech

Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Turn the Tide by Elaine Dimopoulos

Unbound by Ann E. Burg

What About Will by Ellen Hopkins