click on the book cover for a summary or vote for your 2008 favorite
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2007 Winners
Trickster's Choice by Tamara Pierce
So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
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2006 Winners
In Darkness, Death by Dorothy and Thomas Hobbler
A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
Uglies by Scott Westerfield
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2005 Winners
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Silent to the Bone by E. L. Konigsburg
Girlhearts by Norma Fox Mazer
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
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2004 Winners
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Sabriel by Garth Nix
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
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2003 Winners
I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Wilson
Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff
Tangerine by Edward Bloor
Time Windows by Kathryn Reiss
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2002 Winners
Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce
Thwonk! by Joan Bauer
Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan
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2001 Winners
The Third Eye by Lois Duncan
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Clockwork by Philip Pullman
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2000 Winners
Alanna: the First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
Holes by Louis Sachar
Virtual War by Gloria Skurzinsky
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1999 Winners
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
They Cage the Animals at Night by Michael Jennings Burch
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
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1998 Winners
Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples
The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm by Nancy Farmer
Kokopelli's Flute by Will Hobbs
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1997 Winners
Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
Earthquake at Dawn by Kristiana Gregory
Alanna: The First Adventure
by Tamora Pierce
Alanna wants to train for the knighthood, while her twin brother,
Thom, wishes to be a great sorcerer. On the eve of their departure
to the training grounds that will seal their fates, they come up with
a plan.
The Black Stallion by
Walter Farley
Classic 1941 tale of a wild horse and a shipwrecked boy who
must be rescued from a deserted island.
Chinese Cinderella: The
True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah
As the youngest of five children, Wu Mei suffers at the hands
of her cruel stepmother, Niang, and is considered bad luck by her
siblings.
Clockwork by Philip
Pullman
Once youve wound up a clock, theres something frightful
in the way it keeps going at its own relentless pace. Its hands move
around the wheel as if they had a mind of their own. Some stories
are like that. Once youve wound them up, nothing will stop them.
The Cricket in Times Square
by George Selden
A country cricket with unique musical talents lands in the middle
of New York's Times Square where he and his new-found friends put
his unique musical skills to use. Newbery Honor Book.
Dealing With Dragons by
Patricia Wrede
Princess Cimorene is a tomboy bored by royal court life. She flees
her kingdom and becomes an assistant to the dragon Kazul.
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
by Nancy Farmer
General Matsika's children sneak out of the house to go on a forbidden
adventure - and disappear. Finding the kids in the huge city of Zimbabwe
in the year 2194 is no easy task, so their parents call on some unusual
detectives: the Ear, the Eye and the Arm. Tendai, Rita and Kuda run
from one threatening situation to another, meeting criminals, robots,
spirit mediums and others along the way.
Earthquake at Dawn
by Kristiana Gregory
A novelization of twenty-two-year-old photographer Edith Irvine's
experiences in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake,
as seen through the eyes of fifteen-year-old Daisy, a fictitious traveling
companion.
Ella Enchanted by
Gail Carson Levine
In this Cinderella story with a twist, Faerie Lucinda bestows the
gift of obedience on Ella at birth. Ella, now nearly grown, must find
Lucinda and break the spell.
Eragon (Inheritance Book 1) by Christopher Paolini. In Aagaesia, fifteen-year-old Eragon finds a mysterious stone that leads him to a destiny of magic and power peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters.
Flipped by Wendelin
Van Draanen
Ever since he moved into the neighborhood in 2nd grade, Bryce's oddball
neighbor, Juli, has had a crush on him. Now, in 8th grade, Juli has
taken to sitting in trees and selling eggs, and Bryce is finding her
attention even harder to take.
Girlhearts by Norma Fox Mazer. Thirteen-year-old Sarabeth’s life is turned upside-down when her mother dies suddenly, leaving her orphaned, confused, and at the mercy of adults who believe they know what is best for her.
The Giver by Lois
Lowry
Jonas lives in a perfect world, a future world where theres
no hunger, no poverty, no unemployment, no divorce. But hidden behind
his perfect world is a terrifying secret...
The Golden Compass
by Philip Pullman
To Lyra, the Gobblers are just imaginary spooks invented to tease
and frighten children. Then Lyra's friend disappears and she sets
off on a North-bound journey to find him. Along the way she meets
witches, an armored bear, and other strange beings.
Grab Hands and Run by Frances
Temple
After his father disappears, twelve-year-old Felipe, his mother, and
his younger sister set out on a difficult and dangerous journey, trying
to make their way from their home in El Salvador to Canada.
A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
When Tiffany begins her apprenticeship in magic she is pursued, then taken over
by a soul-stealing hiver, an entity which has killed each of it's hosts up to
now.
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde. While playing a total immersion virtual reality game of kings and intrigue, Giannine learns that protesters have damaged the equipment to which she is connected, and she must win the game quickly or else...
Holes by Louis
Sachar
Stanley Yelnats is wrongly convicted of stealing and sent to
Camp Greenlake, a juvenile detention center where everyone must dig
one hole every day, five feet deep and five feet wide.
Homeless Bird by Gloria
Whelan
Thirteen year-old Koly's parents have arranged a marriage for her,
but when she meets her new husband, she finds that he is very sick.
Now Koly must live with his family, and do his mother's bidding.
The House of the Scorpion
by Nancy Farmer
When Matteo Alacran learns that he is the clone of El Patron, the
lord of a country called Opium, he is sure El Patron is educating
him to take his place as leader, but El Patron has other plans for
Matt.
I Rode a Horse of Milk White
Jade by Diane Wilson
As a small child, Oyuna's foot was crushed by a mare. The clan now
believes she is touched by bad luck, but, although Oyuna can barely
walk, she finds her true freedom on horseback, and she knows she is
destined to ride, and to win honor and good luck for her family at
the annual races.
In Darkness, Death by Dorothy and Thomas Hoopler
In eighteenth-century Japan, Seikei is called upon to pursue and trap a powerful ninja in order to solve a murder mystery.
Kokopelli's Flute
by Will Hobbs
When Tepary Jones found the flute in the ancient cliff dwelling called
Picture House, something told Tep he should put it back right where
he found it, but he couldn't resist playing it. Then the flute's magic
began.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riodan
Percy Jackson’s summer is turned upside down when he learns he is a demigod, is sent to summer camp for demigods, then sets out to prevent a war between the gods.
Make Lemonade by
Virginia Euwer Wolff
Fourteen year-old LaVaughn is only trying to earn money for college
when she takes the babysitting job. The problem is that Jolly, a seventeen
year-old single mom, who has trouble keeping a job herself, is LaVaughn's
boss.
Poppy by Avi
Mr. Ocax rules the territory where Poppy, a young deer mouse, lives.
The mice cannot leave their territory without the permission of the
killer Owl, Mr. Ocax. Poppy refuses to give in to the owl and fights
for freedom.
Running Out of Time by Margaret
Haddix
When a diphtheria epidemic hits her 1840 village, thirteen-year-old
Jessie discovers it is actually a 1995 tourist site under unseen observation
by heartless scientists. It's up to Jessie to escape the village and
save the lives of the dying children.
Sabriel by
Garth Nix
After receiving a message from her missing father, Sabriel must
journey into the Old Kingdom, a place of dangerous magic and frightening
half-dead creatures, to battle a powerful sorcerer and rescue her
father from the land of the dead.
Shabanu by Suzanne
Fisher Staples
11 year-old Shabanu has been promised in marriage to her distant cousin,
Murad. Shabanu likes Murad. He is kind, patient and good-looking,
and Shabanu believes they will be happy together. Then a tragedy occurs
that changes her life forever. Suddenly Shabanu is promised in marriage
to 55 year-old Rahim-Sahib, the elder brother of a wealthy landowner,
and a complete stranger to Shabanu. Shabanu doesn't know what to do
or where to turn.
Silent to the Bone by E. L. Konigsburg. Wrongly accused of seriously injuring his baby half-sister, Branwell loses his ability to speak and only his friend Connor is able to reach him and uncover the truth about what really happened.
Skellig by David Almond
Unhappy about his baby sister's illness and the chaos of moving into
a dilapidated old house, Michael retreats to the garage and finds
a mysterious stranger who is something like a bird and something like
an angel.
So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez
Mexican American, Xio, and Frederick, the cute new boy, quickly become friends, but when Xio wants more than a friendship Frederick has to figure out what he really wants.
Tangerine by Edward
Bloor
Even though Paul Fisher is legally blind, he's still a great soccer
goalie, but no matter how good Paul is, his parents only seem to notice
his older brother, Erik, the football star. To Paul, Erik is no star,
and Paul can't understand why no one else can see the truth about
Erik.
They Cage the Animals at Night
by Jennings Michael Burch
One rainy day eight year-old Jennings Burch is taken to an orphanage
by his ill mother and left there. On that day Jennings enters the
first in a series of orphanages and foster homes.
The Third Eye
by Lois Duncan
Karen is babysitting the first time it happens. Bobby, the little
boy shes taking care of disappears. Hours later, worried and
exhausted, Karen closes her eyes and the vision comes. Its Bobby,
and hes trapped in the trunk of a car, and for some unexplained
reason, Karen can see him in her minds eye.
Thwonk! by Joan Bauer
A.J. McCreary is obsessed with Peter Terris. Meanwhile, he hardly
knows she exists. Just one shot from the cupid's bow and - thwonk
- she could have the undying devotion of handsome Peter forever!
Time Windows by
Kathryn Reiss
When Miranda and her family move into the old house, Miranda discovers
an antique dollhouse - a model of the real house. Then Miranda realizes
that the old house is having a strange effect on the women who live
there, especially Miranda's own mother. Miranda studies the dollhouse,
looking for any clue that can help her release the real house from
its spell.
Trickster's Choice by Tamara Pierce
Captured and enslaved, Alianne must call forth her mother's courage and her father's wit in order to survive on the Copper Isles in a royal court rife with political intrigue and murderous conspiracy.
The True Confessions
of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
As the lone "young lady" on a transatlantic voyage in 1832,
Charlotte learns that the captain is murderous and the crew rebellious.
Trumpet of the Swan by
E.B. White
Louis, a voiceless trumpeter swan, becomes a famous jazz trumpet player.
Uglies by Scott Westerfield
On Tally's 16th birthday she plans to undergo an operation to make her pretty, like everyone else in her world. Then she enounters an underground group of people who have chosen to remain "ugly".
Virtual War by
Gloria Skurzynsky
Genetically engineered and trained from birth to to be a soldier in
a virtual war, Corgan has lived his life completely separated from
all other humans. Then Corgan meets Sharla and Brig, two others who
are being trained to be soldiers. The three teens meet face to face
and decide to make the system work for them for a change.
Wild Magic, by Tamora Pierce
When Daine is hired to help a horse trader transport the herd, she
is drawn into a battle against immortal creatures that have recently
begun to attack the kingdom of Tortall.
Year of Impossible Goodbyes
by Sook Nyul Choi
A young Korean girl survives the oppressive Japanese and Russian occupation
of North Korea during the 1940s, to later escape to freedom in South
Korea.