Maud Hart Lovelace Nominees Book Talks : Online book talk and author information about the Maud Hart Lovelace nominees as well as other books. To find MHL, scroll down until the Minnesota awards show up. MHL is the Minnesota book awards that only students choose!
Maud Hart Lovelace 2012 - 2013 Nominees: The Lovelace Book Award Program is sponsored by the Minnesota Youth Reading Association and is named after Minnesota’s first famous children’s author, Maud Hart Lovelace. Maud Hart Lovelace grew up in Mankato, Minnesota. Her Betsy-Tacy books tell of her childhood in the town she calls "Deep Valley." Each year since 1980, the year of her death, there has been a Minnesota reading contest for third through eighth graders. A committee comprised of teachers and librarians selects the titles for the contest each spring, and students read the books on the list during the following school year. Any student who has read at least three books on the list by the end of March votes for their favorite. On April 25, the anniversary of Maud's birthday, the winner is announced.
The list is divided into two divisions: titles for grades three through five, and titles for grades six through eight. Some titles are appropriate for both age levels. Authors value the children’s votes because they indicate approval from their intended audience. More information can be obtained from the Lovelace website by clicking here: http://www.maudhartlovelace.org/
Division I Book: 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass Amanda soon realizes that Leo is going through the same time loop. They have to find a way to mend their relationship in order to escape the loop, but how will an apple orchard and an enchantment help them make up and solve their timely predicament?
Beef Princess of Practical Countyby Michelle Houts It should be so easy. You pick out a really great-looking baby farm animal and raise it with all the right food, exercise, and attention. Then you take the groomed creature to the county fair and walk off with a champion ribbon, showing what a good job you have done. But it doesn't work that way. Her dad warns her not to become attached to the two steers. But looking in their big dark eyes rimmed with soft long lashes, twelve-year-old Libby just couldn't help falling in love. She even names them, Piggy and Mule. Then Piggy injures a leg and that means, on the farm, he becomes meat. Libby is devastated and turns vegetarian.
Calvin Coconut, Trouble Magnetby Graham Salisbury As summer ends in Hawaii and the new fourth grade school year begins, Calvin finds he is having trouble staying out of trouble! His pet centipede escapes in Mrs. Purdy's classroom, he spills juice on a bully's t-shirt, he forgets to pick up his little sister, and he accidentally takes a run-away kite board for an unexpected sail. He gives up his bedroom to Stella, the sullen fifteen-year-old daughter of his mom's friend. To make matters worse, he is forced to move into a storage room! Stella gets even harder to live with when Calvin accidentally locks her in the bedroom.
Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity (Brixton Brothers) by Mac Barnett Twelve-year-old Steve Brixton loves the mystery novels about the Bailey Brothers and wants to become a detective. He gets his chance, however, much sooner than he expected. While working on a school assignment at the library, Steve tries to check out a book. Suddenly the lights go out and all pandemonium breaks loose. Ninjas descend from the skylights and Steve comes face to face with a man pointing a gun at him! Steve narrowly escapes, finding himself instead captured by Librarian Secret Agents. These clever agents use Library of Congress numbers to communicate. It is up to Steve to figure out the mystery involving a priceless artifact that is missing.
Diamond Willow by Helen Frost Twelve-year-old Willow, the daughter of an Anglo father and an Athabascan mother, lives in a remote area of Alaska. She loves running their sled dogs and would love to use them to visit her grandparents' cabin. With her parents' permission, she sets out. Everything goes well until a downed tree unexpectedly appears around a blind curve, and Roxy, the lead dog, cannot stop in time. The dog is permanently blinded, and Willow feels very guilty about the accident. When it seems that the dog might be put down, Willow heads out again to her grandparents' place, taking Roxy along as a passenger. As it starts to snow, Willow realizes that she might be in trouble. With familiar landmarks hidden by blowing snow and temperatures plummeting below zero, Willow fears that no one will be able to find her in the storm. She doesn't realize, however, that someone is watching her.
Dog on His Ownby Mary Jane Auch His name is K-10. This cocky mutt knows how to turn on the charm so he never stays more than a day in any animal shelter. He's had six different owners and six different names! Back in the shelter again, K-10 has been stuck there for days. Knowing that if he doesn't get out of there soon, he'll be forced to make the long last walk to the end of the hall, K-10 makes a daring escape, taking two other dogs, Pearl and Peppy, with him.
Dying to Meet You (43 Old Cemetery Road)by Kate Klise Unsociable author Ignatius B. Grumply wants nothing more than a quiet place so he can get the cobwebs out of his head and finish his next book in the “Ghost Tamers” series. His realtor, Anita Sales, has just the place: a nice, quiet mansion in Ghastly, Illinois. But while the building may be quiet, it is not empty. The mansion is already occupied by Seymour Hope, 11, who has been abandoned by his globe-trotting parents. Along with his cat Shadow, and a very bossy ghost named Olive C. Spence, Seymour puts a damper in Grumply's quiet lifestyle. Olive is unhappy with the writer because her own stories were never published.
Extra Creditby Andrew Clements Abby, 11, is really smart but bored with school. When she finds out that she will have to repeat sixth grade because of her horrible grades, she takes on an extra-credit pen pal project in the hopes of making it into seventh grade. Since she loves to scale the school's climbing wall, she picks mountainous Afghanistan and sends a letter to a one-room school house, requesting a pen pal. Hoping it will reflect well on the village, the teacher picks Sadeed, the best English language student in the school. But since the elders think it is improper for a boy to correspond with a girl, Sadeed must pretend to be his sister Amira.
Faith, Hope and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor It is the first ever Kentucky seventh-grade exchange program, and two polar opposites have been chosen to participate. Reminded to remain impartial and not judgmental, the girls will take turns leaving their homes to live and attend classes with the other. They are to record their observations in a journal. Ivy June Mosley comes from a poor tightly-knit Appalachian community. She lives with her grandparents in a primitive mountain home with no plumbing and no phone. Her grandfather barely ekes out a living as a coal miner. Catherine Combs lives with her loving upper-middle-class parents in a fancy house complete with indoor pool, in bustling Lexington. Catherine attends a private all-girl school and has her own cell phone. They should have nothing in common. But as they learn to live with their differences, they find that they are far more alike than they are different.
Piper Reed, Navy Brat by Kimberly Holt Nine-year-old Piper is not having an easy time. She is the middle child in her family, she is dyslexic, and she is a Navy brat. She is not happy when her father announces that once again he is being transferred to a new Navy base. Piper has moved more times than she can remember and she is tired of having to make new friends again. This time they are moving from California to Florida, where her father will have to leave on ship duty for six months. And to make it all worse—school has already started. Secret of Zoomby Lynne Jonell Ten-year-old Christine lives a very sheltered life. She is not allowed to talk with anyone else, not even the orphans who live down the road. Her home is on the edge of a mysterious forest surrounded by barbed wire and an electrified fence. Deep in the forest is Loompski Labs, her mother died in a terrible explosion and where her father still works as lead scientist. When Taft, an orphan, whispers to her about escaping from the orphanage and a secret tunnel that goes into the forest, Christine knows she has to help Taft. Maybe she can even learn something about her mother’s death! But what Christina learns is that life is very dangerous.
Top of the Order (4 for 4)by John Coy Ten-year-old Jackson lives for baseball, and it looks like it is going to be a great summer for his team, thePanthers. All they need is someone good to cover second base. It turns out they do find a good second base man—er, second base woman. Sydney shows up with her lucky pink glove and ends up being an awesome player. The only problem is that she's the pitcher's sister, and now Gig is enraged that she is pushing herself into the one place where he shines—on the baseball diamond! Jackson doesn't know what to do—back his friend Gig or support Sydney who could help win games! (It doesn't hurt that she kind of cute!) Along with Diego, the newcomer power hitter, and Isaac, the outfielder, each faces a summer full of personal problems while trying to come together and work as a real team. If they can pull everything together and knock the ball out of the park this summer, all they have to worry about is a father in Afghanistan, parents divorcing, mom's new goofy boyfriend, and starting middle school. Do you think the rumors of the eighth grader's atrocities on incoming sixth graders are true?
Division II: After Ever Afterby Jordan Sonnenblick You would think that once you had battled the Big C and were still breathing, the rest of your life would be a piece of cake. Truth is, the “after” part is much harder. Jeffrey is in remission from leukemia, although it has left him with a muddled brain and a limp. Faced with the possibility of being held back a year, he turns to his best friend and fellow cancer survivor Tad for help. Tad promises to tutor Jeff in math, while Jeff helps Tad gain enough strength to get out of the wheelchair. But just when Jeff thinks he's got a handle on things, life gets tense. His new crush won't see him until he passes a statewide standardized math test. His home life is weird, and his biggest supporter, his brother Steve, ditches college to play drums in Africa! Worse yet, Tad is missing a lot of school.
Beef Princess of Practical Countyby Michelle Houts It should be so easy. You pick out a really great-looking baby farm animal and raise it with all the right food, exercise, and attention. Then you take the groomed creature to the county fair and walk off with a champion ribbon, showing what a good job you have done. But it doesn't work that way. Her dad warns her not to become attached to the two steers. But looking in their big dark eyes rimmed with soft long lashes, twelve-year-old Libby just couldn't help falling in love. She even names them, Piggy and Mule. Then Piggy injures a leg and that means, on the farm, he becomes meat. Libby is devastated and turns vegetarian.
Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity (Brixton Brothers)by Mac Barnett Twelve-year-old Steve Brixton loves the mystery novels about the Bailel Brothers and wants to become a detective. He gets his chance, however, much sooner than he expected. While working on a school assignment at the library, Steve tries to check out a book. Suddenly the lights go out and all pandemonium breaks loose. Ninjas descend from the skylights and Steve comes face to face with a man pointing a gun at him! Steve narrowly escapes, finding himself instead captured by Librarian Secret Agents. These clever agents use Library of Congress numbers to communicate. It is up to Steve to figure out the mystery involving a priceless artifact that is missing.
Dark Life: Book # 1 by Kat Falls In the future, devastating natural disasters have left the world a very different place. With little land left, topsiders live crowded into stack hovels, food is rationed, and corruption is rampant. Floating on the ocean’s surface, huge enclosed ships crowded with families exist with no home base, depending on finding supplies from others. Deep down on the ocean floors, colonies have sprung up, with a whole new economy built around farming the oceans. That was where Ty was born. He has never lived above the water. He loves his home, and his family is happy. though lifeis full of dangers, not only from the natural predators but also the brutal pirates. Then Ty meets Gemma, a topsider, an orphan who has come to the undersea settlement searching for her missing brother. The deeper Ty and Gemma dig for information about her brother, the more attention they attract.
Diamond Willow by Helen Frost Twelve-year-old Willow, the daughter of an Anglo father and an Athabascan mother, lives in a remote area of Alaska. She loves running their sled dogs and would love to use them to visit her grandparents' cabin. With her parents' permission, she sets out. Everything goes well until a downed tree unexpectedly appears around a blind curve, and Roxy, the lead dog, cannot stop in time. The dog is permanently blinded, and Willow feels very guilty about the accident. When it seems that the dog might be put down, Willow heads out again to her grandparents' place, taking Roxy along as a passenger. As it starts to snow, Willow realizes that she might be in trouble. With familiar landmarks hidden by blowing snow and temperatures plummeting below zero, Willow fears that no one will be able to find her in the storm. She doesn't realize, however, that someone is watching her.
Faith, Hope and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor It is the first ever Kentucky seventh-grade exchange program, and two polar opposites have been chosen to participate. Reminded to remain impartial and not judgmental, the girls will take turns leaving their homes to live and attend classes with the other. They are to record their observations in a journal. Ivy June Mosley comes from a poor tightly-knit Appalachian community. She lives with her grandparents in a primitive mountain home with no plumbing and no phone. Her grandfather barely ekes out a living as a coal miner. Catherine Combs lives with her loving upper-middle-class parents in a fancy house complete with indoor pool, in bustling Lexington. Catherine attends a private all-girl school and has her own cell phone. They should have nothing in common. But as they learn to live with their differences, they find that they are far more alike than they are different.
Flygirlby Sherri Smith Times are hard, food and fuel are rationed, and the men are gone off to war. Ida Mae watches her brother ship off to the Pacific as a medic. She helps as much as she can but it isn't enough. Even her crop duster is grounded—no fuel. She spots an article in the newspaper about the WASPs (Women's Airforce Service Pilots) and, against her family’s wishes, she signs up. Just two problems, she's black and she doesn't have an official flight license. But she'll pass for white and she can fake her dad's old license. If she is caught, it'll mean expulsion, criminal arrest, and possibly worse! Accepted into the program, she and her fellow women pilots will be ferrying planes to the coasts for shipment abroad. She quickly finds out that her main enemy is prejudice against blacks and women. She realizes that she has more to learn than just flying military planes.
Go Big or Go Homeby Will Hobbs When a huge fireball crashes through his roof, young Brady Steele is not afraid; he is elated. He loves adventure and this is the most extreme thing that has ever happened. He lovingly names it FRED (Far Roaming Earth Diver), and he and his cousin Quinn deem it an “extremely insane” space rock. The boys can’t just sit around and watch a rock, however, and off they go on their own extreme adventure in the wilderness. During their days of bicycling, fishing, and caving, Brady realizes that he is gaining supernatural powers that he sure didn’t have before. It doesn’t take long for the boys to figure out that something from Fred triggered these powers. Brady is thrilled at his new-found skills. But when he starts to develop some frightening symptoms, the boys begin to wonder if Fred is a prize—or a peril.
Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park In Sudan, water is more precious than gold. You can't drink gold, but you need to drink water. It is 2008, and in this modern world, eleven-year-old Nya trudges two hours on foot each way to a murky pond that holds the only source of water for her family. It is easy going, because the water jug is empty and light. Going home is much harder. After she eats a small meal, she begins the second journey to the pond that day. Each day, she walks back and forth twice, supplying the only water her family can get. In 1985, eleven-year-old Salva Dut's life is also bound up in the quest for water. Each dry season, the whole village packs up and moves to the dry river bed, where they dig in the mud for a trickle of water.
Matchedby Ally Condie All of her life, officials of the Society have told Cassie what to read, what to watch, and what to believe. They decide who she will love, how many children she will have, what her career will be, and when she will die. Living in the Society that monitors her every moment, Cassie has always trusted their decisions. At her matching ceremony, Cassie is assured when the face of Xander, her childhood friend, appears on her screen. Of course, he is the perfect choice to be her husband. But later, when she checks the disk with Xander’s data on it, she first sees the face of Ky Markham, flashing for less than an instant before Xander’s face appears. Society says it’s just a glitch—but was it? Cassie suddenly feels frightened and insecure. Just before his scheduled death at age eighty, Cassie's grandfather slips a piece of paper with a poem into her hand. The first line reads, “Do not go gentle into that good night.” The poem is illegal.
Woods Runnerby Gary Paulsen Today a youngster who survived for long periods on his own, deep in the woods, would be a big-time media story. But in 1776, living in remote, newly settled areas, kids grew up faster and their families depended on them to provide as much as they could. So it wasn't unusual that Samuel, 13, was a highly skilled hunter and woods runner. After a long hunting expedition, Samuel finally made his way back to his family's Pennsylvania homestead. He was looking forward to seeing his parents, but as he arrived at the edge of the settlement, he saw only burned buildings and dead, scalped neighbors. Samuel learns that the British attacked his home, and with the help of the Iroquois natives, killed just about everyone. Samuel’s family has been captured by the British and are being marched toward New York City.