2008 – 2009 Iowa Children’s Choice Award

1. 2008 – 2009 Iowa Children’s Choice Award

2. Participation Rules • You must read or listen to at least 2 of the books on the 2008 – 2009 Iowa Children’s Choice list in order to vote. • You can only vote for a book you have listened to or read. • Voting will take place in late March to determine our school winner. • Our school votes will be sent to the state coordinator and tallied along with other Iowa students’ votes. • The state winner of the Iowa Children’s Choice Award should be announced in April 2009. START READING!!

3. Friendship According to Humphreyby:Betty Birney • A new pet has joined room 26 – Og the frog! He doesn’t seem too eager to be Humphrey’s friend and the students are giving Og lots of attention. • If anyone can become friends with a frog, it’s Humphrey!

4. Pieces of Georgiaby: Jennifer Bryant • Six years after her mother’s death, a talented young artist, Georgia McCoy, lives a quiet life with her father. • A gift on her 13th birthday helps Georgia realize how important her talent and family are to her.

5. The Stolen Sapphire (A Samantha Mystery)by: Sarah Masters Buckey • Who took the famous sapphire jewel in 1906? • The thief is aboard the same ship Samantha and Nellie are sailing on to Europe. • Can the girls crack the case?

6. Do You Know the Monkey Man? by: Dori Hillestad Butler • An Iowa family mystery • After Samantha’s sister tragically drowns, her father disappears. • Eleven years later, Sam tracks him down and is in for a surprise!

7. Victory by: Susan Cooper • Imagine going to sleep in 2006 and waking up in the middle of a battle aboard a British warship in 1805. • How did you get there and can you get back home? • Enjoy this time travel mystery with a twist.

8. Free Baseballby: Sue Corbett • A young batboy follows his dream to learn more about his father’s life and the sacrifices he made to bring his family to America.

9. Saving Graceby: Priscilla Cummings • Life is hard during the Great Depression. • Grace’s homeless family must go their separate ways to survive, which means an orphanage for Grace and two of her brothers. • Will they ever be reunited?

10. Larry, the King of Rock and Rollby: Iris Rainer Dart & Joyce Brotman • Meet Larry, a talking dog with a talent for singing and songwriting. • Will he become the next King of Rock and Roll?

11. Million Dollar Puttby: Dan Gutman • Meet Edward “Bogie” Bogard, a talented boy who happens to be blind. • Can Bogie’s talents as a golfer help him win a golf tournament with a million dollar prize?

12. Penny From Heaven by: Jennifer Holm • Penny loves both sides of her family, but they don’t get along with each other since her father’s death. • In the memorable summer of 1953, Penny learns to appreciate her quirky family’s differences.

13. The Sword That Cut the Burning Grassby: Dorothy & Thomas Hoobler • A 14 year old samurai apprentice • A mysterious samurai warrior • Can they rescue the kidnapped emperor before the sacred sword falls into enemy hands?

14. Weedflowerby: Cynthia Kadohata • Life changes drastically for Sumiko’s family after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. • The family flower business is gone. Grandfather and Uncle Jiichan are in a prison camp. • The remaining family members are moved to a desert camp on the Mohave Indian Reservation. Will they ever be a family again?

15. Abductionby: Peg Kehret • A kindergarten boy’s quick trip to use the school bathroom results in kidnapping! • His big sister, Bonnie, will do everything she can to save him!

16. Drita, My Homegirlby: Jenny Lombard • Meet Drita – a new girl in school who is a refugee from Kosovo. • Meet Maxie – An African American girl who is struggling to accept her mother’s death and is always in trouble in school for choosing the wrong time to share her sense of humor. • This unlikely friendship between two 4th grade girls is told in alternating chapters in this story.

17. Rulesby: Cynthia Lord • 12 year old Catherine’s autistic brother, David, can often be a challenge. To help him understand social situations, Catherine creates rules for him to follow. • When Catherine befriends a new boy in the neighborhood who is paraplegic and nonverbal, she learns that rules of behavior may not be as important as friendship and the acceptance of others.

18. Roxie and the Hooligansby: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor • What an adventure! • Roxie and the school bullies who are chasing her end up landing on a garbage barge that is being hauled out to sea. • After being stranded on a deserted island with the bullies, Roxie must use her “survival smarts” to figure out a way off the island.

19. Taking Care of Mosesby: Barbara O’Connor • Who left the baby on the church steps? • Did old Queenie Avery have something to do with it? • Randall Mackey knows. He wants to protect his friend, yet he knows he has to do the right thing.

20. Ophie Out of Ozby: Kathleen O’Dell • A move to rainy Oregon from sunny California has Ophie Peeler singing the blues. • She’s struggling to fit in, and to top it all off she’s outgrown her treasured ruby slippers!

21. Archer’s Questby: Linda Sue Park • A famous tiger-riding Korean archer from over 2000 years ago has landed in Kevin’s 21st century bedroom. • How can Kevin help him return to his own world? He soon learns that ordinary people can do extraordinary things!

22. Singing Handsby: Delia Ray • As one of three hearing daughters growing up with deaf parents, Gussie and her sisters have faced the challenge of living in two worlds. • Only when she is required to help her father at the Alabama School for the Deaf, does Gussie truly learn about the difficulties of being deaf.

23. A Drowned Maiden’s Hairby: Laura Schlitz • Adopted from an orphanage, troublemaker Maude believes her new life will now change for the better. • She discovers a secret about the family who adopted her, but fears if she tells anyone, trouble will follow.

24. Bartleby of the Big, Bad Bayouby: Phyllis Shalant • Brave Bartleby moves from the Mississippi River to the Louisiana bayou with his alligator friend, Seezer. • A nasty gang of Gators now rule the swamp Seezer once called home. • Can Bartleby outwit the gang or will he become a gator snack?

25. Tigerby: Jeff Stone • 5 young warrior apprentices who have grown up together seek to learn the secrets of their past after their temple home is destroyed by an enemy. Each boy goes on a journey of discovery. • This story follows the journey of Fu, the martial arts master who is known as the Tiger.

26. No Dogs Allowedby: Bill Wallace • 11 year old Kristine is grieving after the death of the family’s horse. • She’s sure that a new birthday puppy won’t change her mind about never wanting to care for and love a pet again. • This puppy is hard to resist! Will Kristine change her mind?

27. Tadpoleby: Ruth White • During the summer of 1955, 13 year-old Carolina Collins is trying to find her own special place in life. • A visit from her guitar-playing cousin, “Tadpole,” encourages Carolina and helps her gain confidence. • While enjoying Tad’s visit, the family learns that Tad is escaping from problems of his own.

28. Credits • Pictures of the individual book covers were taken from the Barnes and Noble website http://www.bn.com. • Text written by Jean Davison, Viola Gibson Media Center, CRCSD, using reviews from the School Library Journal. • This slide show was created for use by Cedar Rapids Community Schools Media Specialists only.