Missouri Award Book Collections

Building Block Award Nominees, 2011
Includes ‘If You're a Monster and You Know It', 'Silly Tilly', 'The Cow Loves Cookies', 'The Great Monster Hunt', 'Interrupting Chicken',  'The Terrible Plop', 'Birds', 'For Just One Day', 'Ready for Anything', and 'Pete the Cat'. MDB104.

Building Block Award Books, 2012
Nominees 2012. Includes: Rrralph;  Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow; Dog in Boots; Hugless Douglas; I Spy with My Little Eye; If You're Hoppy; Is Everyone Ready For Fun; Mitchell's License; The Wonderful Book. MDB10025.

Show Me Award Books, 2012-2013
Nominees, 2012-2013. Includes: How Rocket Learned to Read; Librarian on the Roof; Pierre the Penquin; Stand Straight, Ella Kate; Sylvia Jean, Scout Supreme; The Blue House Dog; The Can Man; Memoirs of a Goldfish; Fly Free!; and Lucky Beans. MDB10026.

Show Me Award Books, 2011
'Finding Lincoln'; 'Testing the Ice'; 'Minnow and Rose'; 'Itsy Bitsy and Teeny Weeny'; 'Nubs: the true story of a mutt, a marine and a miracle'; 'Desert Rose and her Highfalutin' Hog'; 'Dewey, there's a cat in the library'; 'Stars Above Us'; 'Peace Week in Miss Fox's Class'; 'Twist of Fate'. MDB103.

Truman Award Nominees, 2010-2011
Includes Boost, Chains, The Hunger Games, Jump the Cracks, The Other Side of the Island, Gone, and The White Gates. MDB100.

Preschool to Grade 2

Birds by Kevin Henkes
Fascinated by the colors, shapes, sounds, and movements of the many different birds she sees through her window, a little girl is happy to discover that she and they have something in common. Building Block Award nominee, 2011. MDB11065.

Calabash Cat by James Rumford
Calabash Cat, a West African cat, sets out one day to find where the world ends. His adventures take him across a desert, grasslands, a jungle, and the ocean, until he finds what he is looking for. MDB11160.

The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson
While all the other animals on the farm enjoy eating their regular food, the cow chooses to eat the one thing that she loves best. Building Block Award Nominee, 2011. MDB11066.

For Just One Day by Laura Lauck
After guessing the identity of each animal before turning the page, the reader pretends to be a porcupine, bear, crocodile, and bumblebee. Building Block Award nominee, 2011. MDB11067.

Get That Pest! by Erin Douglas
When a farmer and his wife discover that something is stealing the eggs laid by their ten red hens, they set up elaborate traps to catch the thief. MDB11156.

Gorilla by Anthony Browne
Neglected by her busy father, a lonely young girl receives a toy gorilla for her birthday and together they take a miraculous trip to the zoo. MDB11125.

The Great Dog Wash by Shellie Braeuner
Rhyming text welcomes the reader to a dog wash that goes awry when someone brings their cat. Building Block award nominee, 2010. MDB11012.

Halloween Sky Ride by Elizabeth Spurr
Mildred the witch picks up one too many guests on her broom on the way to a Halloween feast. MDB11107.

If You’re a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca Emberly
Monsters sing their own version of this popular song that encourages everyone to express their happiness through voice and movement. Building Block Award nominee, 2011. MDB11048.

In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz
Seven scary stories to tell at night in front of a fire or in the dark, based on traditional stories and folktales from various countries. MDB11106.

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
Little Red Chicken wants Papa to read her a bedtime story, but interrupts him almost as soon as he begins each tale. Building Block Award nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11043.

It Is the Wind by Ferida Wolff
At night various sounds lull a child to sleep. MDB11096.

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin
Pete the Cat wears his new white shoes while walking down the street, and as he steps into piles of strawberries, blueberries, and other messes--and the color of his footwear changes--he keeps on moving and singing to himself without being bothered. Building Block Award nominee, 2011. MDB11041.

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
The pout-pout fish believes he only knows how to frown, even though many of his friends suggest ways to change his expression, until one day a fish comes along that shows him otherwise. Building Block award Nominee, 2010. MDB11011.

Princess Pig by Eileen Spinelli
A pig believes herself to be a princess and behaves accordingly, but soon learns that being royalty has a price. 2009. MDB10073.

Ready for Anything by Keiko Kasca
Raccoon is nervous about all of the things that could spoil a picnic, from bees to dragons, until Duck convinces him that surprises can be fun. Building Block Award Nominee, 2011. MDB11042.

Rooster Can’t Cock-a-Doodle-Doo by Karen Rostoker-Gruber
When Rooster's throat is too sore for him to crow, the other farm animals help both him and Farmer Ted. MDB11061.

The Terrible Plop by Ursula Dubosarsky
When a mysterious sound sends the whole forest running away in fear, only the littlest rabbit is courageous enough to discover what really happened. Pictures by Andrew Joyner. Building Block Award nominee, 2011. MDB11051.

Kindergarten to Grade 3

Desert Rose and Her Highfalutin Hog by Alison Jackson
Upon finding a large gold nugget on her pig farm, Desert Rose sets out to buy the biggest, fattest hog in Texas to enter in the state fair, but first she must get the hog to Laredo and every animal she asks for help is just as "ornery" as the hog. Show Me Award nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11052.

Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library! by Vicki Myron
Dewey the cat, who finds a new home at the Spencer Library when librarian Vicky Myron finds him in the return box, learns that young visitors like to chase him, pull his tail, and give him tight hugs, but he soon realizes that, despite the demands, helping people is what he does best. Missouri: Show Me Award Nominees, 2011-2012. MDB11087.

Finding Lincoln by Ann Malaspina
In segregated 1950s Alabama, Louis cannot use the public library to research a class assignment, but one of the librarians lets him in after hours and helps him find the book that he needs. Includes an author's note with historical information about library segregation in the South. Show Me Award Nominees, 2011-2012. MDB11049.

Good Hunting, Blue Sky by Peggy Parish
Blue Sky, a young Indian boy, goes hunting to bring food home only to have the food bring him home instead. MDB11160.

The Great Monster Hunt by Norbert Landa
When Duck hears a noise under her bed and runs to fetch help, each animal that hears about it imagines a more dangerous beast in Duck's room. Building Block Award nominee, 2011. MDB11037.

Grizzwold by Syd Hoff
Grizzwold, a huge bear, searches for a home. MDB11158.

Minnow and Rose: An Oregon Trail Story by Judy Young
Traveling west with her pioneer family in a wagon train, Rose meets Minnow, who lives in a native American village along the banks of a river. Missouri: Show Me Award Nominees, 2011- 2012. MDB11085.

Mrs. Muddle's Holidays by Laura Nielsen
Although accustomed to celebrating nearly all the holidays on the calendar, the Maple Street neighbors are surprised by the newly-moved-in Mrs. Muddle's definition of a holiday. MDB10053.

My Chincoteague Pony by Susan Jeffers
Julie, having worked year-round to save money to buy her first Chincoteague pony, realizes she doesn't have enough, but when Pony Penning Day arrives strangers help her make her purchase. Show Me Award nominee, 2010-2011. MDB10052.

Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle by Brian Dennis
Chronicles the friendship between Marine Major Brian Dennis and Nubs, a pack leader of wild dogs in Iraq who bonded with Dennis, but when Dennis was relocated seventy miles away and could not bring the dog with him, Nubs traveled across the freezing desert to find his human friend. Show Me Award Nominees, 2011- 2012. MDB11086.

Peace Week in Miss Fox's Class by Eileen Spinelli
For "Peace Week," the animals in Miss Fox's class find ways to be peaceful instead of squabbling with each other. Illustrated by Anne Kennedy. Show Me Award nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11053.

Silly Tilly by Eileen Spinelli
Tilly drives the other barnyard animals crazy with her silliness, but after gruffly telling her to stop, they discover that they miss her old ways. Illustrated by David Slonim. Building Block  Award Nominee, 2011. MDB11036.

Stars above Us by Geoffrey Norman
Amanda's father is a soldier, but before he leaves for war, he teaches her not to be afraid of the things that live in the dark--which includes fireflies and crickets--and about the stars. Show Me Award nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11046.

Titanicat by Marty Crisp
A boy who has signed on as cabin boy aboard the Titanic helps ready the ship for its maiden voyage, but when it is time to set sail and he cannot find the ship's cat on board, he leaves the vessel to search for her. MDB10054.

Twist of Fate: The Miracle Colt and His Friends by Chris Stuckenschneider
Simple text and colorful illustrations tell the story of a colt named Twister, who was born on the Longmeadow Rescue Ranch to a mother who survived a truck accident seven months before. Show Me Award nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11084.

The Very Boastful Kangaroo by Bernard Most
A very, very boastful kangaroo brags that it can jump higher than anyone, but a teeny, tiny kangaroo cleverly wins the jumping contest. 2000. MDB11153.

Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen
Young Violet's only friend is her dog, Orville, until one of her homemade flying machines takes her to the rescue of a Boy Scout troop in trouble. Show Me Award nominee, 2010-2011. MDB10055.

Yes We Can! by Barack Obama
Presents full-color photographs along with excerpts from President Barack Obama's victory speech on November 5, 2008. MDB11039.

Grades 2 to 4

If You're a Monster and You Know it Rebecca Emberley
Monsters sing their own version of this popular song that encourages everyone to express their happiness through voice and movement. Building Block Award nominee, 2011. MDB11048.

Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters
In a letter to his daughters, Barack Obama reflects on the traits of thirteen groundbreaking Americans, such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Jackie Robinson, and George Washington, and shares how children embody them. MDB11040.

Testing the Ice: A True Story about Jackie Robinson by Sharon Robinson
As a testament to his courage, Jackie Robinson's daughter shares memories of him, from his baseball career to the day he tests the ice for her, her brothers, and their friends. Show Me Award Nominees, 2011-2012. MDB11050.

Grades 3 to 6

Bringing the Boy Home by N. A. Nelson
As two Takunami youths approach their thirteenth birthdays, Luka reaches the culmination of his mother's training for the tribe's manhood test while Tirio, raised in Miami, Florida, by his adoptive mother, feels called to begin preparations to prove himself during his upcoming visit to the Amazon rain forest where he was born. Mark Twain Award nominee, 2010-2011. MDB11004.

Hoofbeats: Margaret and Flynn, 1875 by Kathleen Duey
In the Colorado Territory in 1875, orphan Margret and her older sister Libby are staying with the kind-hearted Mrs. Fredrickson when Margret finds an injured horse which she nurses back to health and wants to keep, while Libby is too mistrustful of people to think that they might possibly have found a home. Mark Twain award nominee, 2010-2011. MDB10064.

Itsy Bitsy & Teeny Weeny by Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen
A lamb, rejected by its mother, and an injured fawn are cared for by the caretakers of Hazel Ridge Farm; but as they recovered and grew older, it was time for the deer to go back into the wild. Show-Me Award nominees, 2011-2012. MDB11044.

The Magic Half by Annie Barrows
Eleven-year-old Miri Gill feels left out in her family, which has two sets of twins and her, until she travels back in time to 1935 and discovers Molly, her own lost twin, and brings her back to the present day. Mark Twain Award nominee, 2010-2011. MDB10058.

The Totally Made-Up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeish by Claudia Mills
While dealing with her parents' separation and her best friend's distance, Amanda is able to work out some of her anxiety through her fifth-grade project--writing a diary from the point of view of a ten-year-old girl whose brothers fight on opposite sides in the Civil War. MarkTwain Award Nominees, 2010-2011. MDB10067.

Grades 4 to 7

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
After celebrating their first nine same-day birthdays together, Amanda and Leo, having fallen out on their tenth and not speaking to each other for the last year, prepare to celebrate their eleventh birthday separately but peculiar things begin to happen as the day of their birthday begins to repeat itself over and over again. Mark Twain Award Nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11102.

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur
While living with her Gram in Vermont, eleven-year-old Aubrey writes letters as a way of dealing with losing her father and sister in a car accident, and then being abandoned by her grief-stricken mother.  Mark Twain Award nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11090.

School Spirit by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Like her mother, a professional medium, Kat has been able to see dead people since turning thirteen, and although they would prefer to be normal, Kat and her best friend come to terms with their own talents while helping free the spirit of a girl trapped at their middle school. Mark Twain Award nominee, 2010-2011. 2010. MDB10089.

The Secret of Zoom by Lynne Jonell
Ten-year-old Christina lives a sheltered life until she discovers a secret tunnel, an evil plot to enslave orphans, and a mysterious source of energy known as zoom. Mark Twain Award Nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11093.

Storm Chaser by Chris Platt
When a fire forces her family to turn their home into a guest ranch, aspiring horse trainer Jessica finds herself working once again with her favorite horse, Storm Chaser, to tame the wild filly for snobbish, spoiled Ariel, Storm Chaser's future owner. Mark Twain award nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11055.

The White Gates by Bonnie Ramthun
When his mother becomes the doctor in Snow Park, Colorado, twelve-year-old Tor learns of a curse placed on the town's doctors many years before by an eccentric Ute woman, but suspects that a villain is hiding behind that curse. Truman Award nominee, 2010-2011. MDB10034.

Grades 5 to 8

Faith, Hope and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
During a student exchange program, seventh-graders Ivy June and Catherine share their lives, homes, and communities, and find that although their lifestyles are total opposites they have a lot in common. Mark Twain Award nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11114.

The Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel
When twelve-year-old Ariel and her friend Zeke find a mysterious artifact the like of which has not been seen in a long time, it proves to be the beginning of a long and arduous journey that will untimately reveal to them their true identities. Truman Award nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11054.

Jane in Bloom by Deborah A. Lytton
Devastated when her beautiful, older sister dies from anorexia, twelve-year-old Jane recovers slowly from the tragedy, with help from unexpected sources. Truman Award nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11069.

The One Where the Kid Nearly Jumps to His Death and Lands in California by Mary Hershey
Thirteen-year-old Alastair Hudson, who was in an accident five years earlier which resulted in the amputation of his leg, is always the first to make jokes about his missing limb, but after spending a summer with his estranged father and step-mother in California and learning how to swim, realizes there are better ways to deal with his disability. MDB11019.

Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret
Thirteen-year-old Sunny, accompanied by a stray dog, takes advantage of a monetary windfall to travel from her Nebraska foster home to Enumclaw, Washington in order to find the twin sister from whom she was separated at age three. Mark Twain Award nominee 2011-2012. MDB11116.

Grades 6 to 9

Cracks by Stacy DeKeyser
On the way to visit her father in New York City, fifteen-year-old Victoria finds an apparently abused child in the train's bathroom and soon finds herself branded a kidnapper and on the run while trying to fulfill her promise to protect the boy at all costs. Truman Award nominee, 2010-2011. MDB10033.

Invisible Lines by Mary Amato
Coming from a poor, single-parent family, seventh-grader Trevor must rely on his intelligence, artistic ability, quick wit, and soccer prowess to win friends at his new Washington, D.C. school, but popular and rich Xander seems determined to cause him trouble. Truman Award Nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11110.

The Shifter by Janice Hardy
Nya, a young woman who can take pain from people simply by touching their skin, keeps secret the fact that she can transfer the pain to others for fear she will be set to work as an assassin, but her hidden talent comes in handy when her sister goes missing and her search reveals dangerous events on her island home. Truman Award nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11078.

Junior and Senior High

Boot Camp by Todd Strasser
After ignoring several warnings to stop dating his teacher, Garrett is sent to Lake Harmony, a boot camp that uses unorthodox and brutal methods to train students to obey their parents. Gateway Award nominee, 2009-2010. Strong language. MDB10078.

Bravo Zulu, Samantha! by Kathleen Benner Duble
Decidedly unenthusiastic about spending part of her summer vacation with her grandparents, twelve-year-old Samantha is particularly upset by her prickly grandfather's secretive behavior and decides to find out what he is hiding. Mark Twain Award nominee, 2009-2010. MDB10076.

Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
Thirteen-year-old half-vampire Vladimir Tod struggles to navigate the ups and downs of eighth grade while keeping his untested powers and impulses under control. Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series, book 1. Truman Award Nominee, 2009-2010.  MDB10077.

Good Enough by Paula Yoo
A Korean American teenager tries to please her parents by getting into an Ivy Legue school, but a new guy in school and her love of the violin tempt her in new directions. Gateway Award nominee, 2010-2011. MDB10074.

The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan
High school student Charlie West awakens bloody and bruised in a concrete bunker only to discover that he has lost a year of his life and remembers nothing about escaping from prison after being convicted of murdering his former best friend, or why he is being pursued by both the law and a group of terrorists trying to bring down the government of the United States. 2009. MDB11058.

Right behind You by Gale Giles
After spending over four years in a mental institution for murdering a friend in Alaska, fourteen-year-old Kip begins a completely new life in Indiana with his father and stepmother under a different name, but has trouble fitting in and finds there are still problems to deal with from his childhood. Gateway Award nominee, 2009-2010. MDB10075.

Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott
Eighteen-year-old Danielle grew up learning how to steal from her mother, and the two have spent their lives traveling around and targeting wealthy homes. But in the beach town of Heaven, when Dani realizes her new friend's home is actually her next target and her potential boyfriend is a police officer, she must try to hide her true identity. 2008. MDB10086.

Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick
When thirteen-year-old San Lee moves to a new town and school for the umpteenth time, he is looking for a way to stand out when his knowledge of Zen Buddhism, gained in his previous school, provides the answer--and the need to quickly become a convincing Zen master. Truman Award Nominee, 2009-2010. MDB11134

Senior High

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E.  Pearson
In the not-too-distant future, when biotechnological advances have made synthetic bodies and brains possible but illegal, a  seventeen-year-old girl, recovering from a serious accident and suffering from memory lapses, learns a startling secret about her existence. Gateway Award nominee, 2010-2011. MDB10065.

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Read by Leighanne Law. Reading time 10 hours
After the death of her father, Amy, a high school student and Roger, a college freshman, set out on a carefully planned road trip from California to Connecticut, but wind up taking many detours, forcing Amy to face her worst fears and come to terms with her grief and guilt. Gateway Award nominee, 2012-2013. MDB10024.

Flash Burnout by L. K. Madigan
Fifteen-year-old amateur photographer Blake gains self-awareness through his relationships with a girlfriend and a friend who he helps come to terms with her feelings about her homeless, methamphetamine-addicted mother. Gateway Award nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11092.

Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Sixteen-year-old Valerie, whose boyfriend Nick committed a school shooting at the end of their junior year, struggles to cope with integrating herself back into high school life, unsure herself whether she was a hero or a villain. Strong language, violence.  Gateway Award Nominee, 2011-2012. MDB11068.

Hold Still by Nina LaCour
Caitlin wrestles with her feelings of devastation and helplessness after her friend Ingrid commits suicide, and she turns to her family and newfound friends for help while encountering love, broadening her horizons, and using Ingrid's journal to heal. MDB11063.

If I Grow Up by Todd Strasser
Growing up in the inner-city projects, DeShawn is reluctantly forced into the gang world by circumstances beyond his control. MDB11100.

Muchacho by Louanne Johnson
Living in a neighborhood of drug dealers and gangs in New Mexico, high school junior Eddie Corazon, a juvenile delinquent-in-training, falls in love with a girl who inspires him to rethink his life and his choices. MDB11122.

Playing with Matches by Brian Katcher
Desperate to improve his standing with the girls at Zummer High, Leon Sanders--a junior--seems to be making headway with his long-time crush Amy Green, but when he starts to get to know a social pariah named Melody Sanders, Leon begins to see beyond Melody's disfigurement. MDB10066.