Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors
By Joyce Sidman
The world is literally alive with color in this book, vivid in both pictures and words. Red Sings from Treetops won this year’s Minnesota Book Award for children’s literature. One of Sidman’s many earlier books of poetry, Songs of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems, won the Caldecott Honor. Her newest book, Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night, will be released in September.
Beaver, Bear, Snowshoe, Hare
By Cheryl Dannenbring
A mix of useful facts about Northwoods animals and entertaining poems, Beaver, Bear, Snowshoe, Hare is great read-aloud fun. The author has also created nature-focused lesson plans, available from the publisher, Raven Productions
The Magician’s Elephant
By Kate DiCamillo
Who knows what will happen after an elephant falls through a glass roof? The Magician’s Elephant won this year’s Minnesota Book Award for young people’s literature. DiCamillo’s The Tale of Despereaux won the Newbery Medal.
The Longest Night
By Marion Dane Bauer
Where has the sun gone and who can bring it back? Just as young children often wonder, so do the forest animals in this Minnesota Book Award finalist. Dane Bauer’s other awards include a Newbery Honor and a Jane Addams Book Award.
Emma’s poem
By Linda Glaser
The woman behind the famous words on the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” is Emma Lazarus, who grew up a child of privilege and became passionate about social causes. This slim book will provoke many deeper conversations.
Song of Middle C
By Alison McGhee
“Hoo boy, have I been practicing!” says the young narrator, about to give her first piano recital. But then her fingers forget the notes! McGhee has a remarkable range, from this Minnesota Book Award finalist for children’s literature, to the young adult novel Someday, a #1 New York Times bestseller.
Stampede! Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School
By Laura Purdie Salas
Poems can be reflective and lyrical, or they can be raucous and wild, like this collection of poems about kids identifying with their animal friends. Stampede! was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award.
The Unusual Mind of Vincent Shadow
By Tim Kehoe
A toy-inventor himself, Kehoe has created a sweet and captivating alter ego in 11-year-old Vincent Shadow. Young Vincent’s creations come to him in blinding visions — but will his inventions be enough to win a toy-inventing contest and a chance to stay in New York City?
Crows & Cards
By Joseph Helgerson
Is 12-year-old Zeb the apprentice of the notorious con man Chilly — or just another one of his dupes? This Minnesota Book Award finalist in young people’s literature captures the energy of 1849 in St. Louis, the gateway to the West. Helgerson’s popular Horns and Wrinkles was a a BookSense Selection and ABC Best Book.
Lucy Long Ago: Uncovering the Mystery of Where We Came From
By Catherine Thimmesh
The “Lucy” in this book is the humanoid ancestor discovered in Ethiopia in 1974 and Thinmesh deftly ties her story to that of all mankind. Young readers more captivated by nonfiction than fiction will appreciate her storytelling in this Minnesota Book Award finalist.
Mamba Point
By Kurtis Scaletta
What is it that keeps drawing the deadly snakes called mambas to 12-year-old Linus, the son of a U.S. diplomat in Liberia? And do they have anything to do with the way he has suddenly been able to shed his old, shy self for his new, conscious persona? This July release from the author of Mudville promises to be a page-turner.
The Sky Always Hears Me and the Hills Don’t Mind
By Kirstin Cronn-Mills
Sixteen-year-old Morgan’s life is already a lot to handle, with trouble at home and at school, but everything changes when she discovers a shocking secret. This Minnesota Book Award finalist is Cronn-Mills’ first novel.
