2002 Young Reader's Choice Winners	2005 Young Reader's Choice Winners

2003 Young Reader's Choice Winners	2006 Young Reader's Choice Winners

2004 Young Reader's Choice Winners	Previous Winners

Return your ballot by March 15, 2007 to the LRC

Junior Division

4th-6th grades

Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy

by Jenny Nimmo

"Things are changing at Bloor's Academy, with new students, new teachers, strange warnings and premonitions of certain danger. Charlie's Uncle Paton has disappeared, leaving a cryptic note: "My sisters are up to no good. Have decided to go and put a stop to things. If I don't, someone very dangerous will arrive." Charlie's aunts are letting Belle, the new student at the Academy, stay with them, something that makes Charlie decidedly uneasy. He agrees with his uncle, the aunts are up to something – but what? Belle is blonde and beautiful, and all the boys at the Academy are already half in love with her, except Charlie, who thinks the way she looks and the way she acts don't fit together. She looks like a girl, but she acts like an adult. What does that mean?

Then there's the note that fell out of the new art teacher's pocket. It warns of a shape shifter coming to the school and mentions a boy named Ollie, who just might be the boy who disappeared from the school attics years before. Could they be one and the same? And if they are, why hasn't anyone ever seen him? Even when Manfred locked Emma in the attics, she never saw anyone, even though someone unlocked the door and let her out.

And what about the story about the blue boa that belongs to Ezekial, who lives at the school? Why hasn't anyone ever seen it either? And are the stories about it really true?

Things are changing at Bloor's Academy, and not always in good ways. Will Charlie and his friends be able to make the pieces of the puzzle fit, or will other forces change the Academy forever?"

Also available:

Book One: Midnight for Charlie Bone

Book Two: Charlie Bone and the Time Twister

This Booktalk was written by librarian and booktalking expert Joni R. Bodart

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Chasing Vermeer

by Blue Balliett

"What happens when there are too many coincidences, too many puzzle pieces that fit together? Do you ignore them, pretend nothing’s happening? Or do you try to figure out what’s really going on?

People tend to see what they want to see, or what they think they should see, twisting reality to fit their own expectations, without even realizing what they are doing. What would happen if someone looked at the world without expectations ( without assumptions about reality, about what is and isn’t real? ( What kind of adventures might await such a person? There is much, much more to the world than most people think.

Petra and Calder lived on the same street, just three houses apart, and were in the same class at school, but they hadn’t ever even spoken to each other until they began to see the pieces of the pattern and the parts of the puzzle fit together:

* Three mysterious letters.

* Homework assignments about letters and the way they could change lives.

* A discarded book full of strange ideas about reality.

* More homework assignments, about art, and what makes an object a work of art.

* A set of pentominoes that almost seem able to communicate with their owner.

* A Vermeer painting on the lid of an old box.

* The same painting hung on a wall.

* A dream of a girl dressed in a yellow jacket trimmed with black and white fur.

* A Vermeer painting of that same girl, stolen on its way to a special exhibition.

* And finally, a mysterious letter from the person who stole the painting, challenging the world to solve the mystery of Vermeer and recover the painting.

As Petra and Calder see one clue after another, and one apparent coincidence after another, they begin to realize that perhaps nothing is coincidental. Perhaps reality is not what it seems. Perhaps there is a different reality – and it’s up to them to figure it out."

This Booktalk was written by librarian and booktalking expert Joni R. Bodart

__________

Dragon Rider

by Cornelia Caroline Funke

"Firedrake, a young dragon, receives a frightening warning one night: Humans are planning to destroy the valley in which he lives! All the dragons must flee. Their only refuge is a place above the clouds called the Rim of Heaven --- which may not even exist. Firedrake boldly volunteers to go ahead first. As he embarks on his journey, he meets Ben, a runaway boy. Together, the boy & dragon make their way toward the Rim of Heaven, all the while running a step ahead of Nettlebrand, a monster who will stop at nothing to hunt down Firedrake. Their quest will truly become an adventure like no other. "

__________

Heartbeat

by Sharon Creech

"Run run run.

That's what twelve-year-old Annie loves to do. When she's barefoot and running, she can hear her heart beating . . .

thump-THUMP, thump-THUMP.

It's a rhythm that makes sense in a year when everything's shifting: Her mother is pregnant, her grandfather is forgetful, and her best friend, Max, is always moody. Everything is changing, just like the apple Annie's been assigned to draw a hundred times.

Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech masterfully weaves this story about a young girl beginning to understand the many rhythms of life and how she fits within them."

___________

Ida B And Her Plans To Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster And (Possibly) Save
The World

by Katherine Hannigan

"After a really bad experience in kindergarten, Ida B.’s parents decide to home school her and promise she will never have to go to public school again. After her lessons, she is free to play all day, exploring the woods on her family’s farm, playing by the brook with her dog, Rufus, and talking to the trees in her dad’s apple orchard. Now Ida B. is a happy ten-year old who always has a “List of Fun Stuff To Do.” Her life is just about perfect, UNTIL……! Suddenly, Ida B. is angry and hateful toward everybody, especially her parents who break their promise to her. Before she can save the world, Ida B. must save herself from these feelings that are ruining her happiness as well as her relationships with her friends and family. (Jean B. Bellavance)"

___________

Indigo's Star

by Hilary McKay

"Indigo is not looking forward to going back to school. He's been out ill for so long, he's put his school problems to the back of his mind. How could anyone forget that big red headed bully who flushed Indigo's head down the toilet? Even Indigo's sisters are worried about his return to school. His 8 year old sister Rose seems to be more worried than Indigo himself. And his older sister Saffy threatens the bullies if they lay a hand on him. He should be happy that the new kid from America is now the prime target for the gang of bullies. But as Indigo gets to know Tom, they become fast friends. Those of you who loved McKay's book Saffy's Angel will delight in the further adventures of the Casson family."

___________

Peter And The Starcatchers

by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

"Discover richly developed characters in the sweet but sophisticated Molly, the scary but familiar Black Stache, and the fearless Peter. Treacherous battles with pirates, foreboding thunderstorms at sea, and evocative writing immerse the reader in a story that slowly and finally reveals the secrets and mysteries of the beloved Peter Pan."

___________

Star Of Kazan

by Kate DiCamillo

"Annika has never had a birthday. Instead she celebrates her Found Day, the day a housemaid and a cook to three eccentric Viennese professors found her and took her home. There, Annika has made a happy life in the servants’ quarters, surrounded with friends, including the elderly woman next door who regales Annika with stories of her performing days and her countless admirers—especially the Russian count who gave her the legendary emerald, the Star of Kazan. And yet, Annika still dreams of finding her true mother. But when a glamorous stranger arrives claiming to be Annika’s mother, and whisks her away to a crumbling, spooky castle, Annika discovers that all is not as it seems in her newfound home . . . . "

Intermediate Division

7th-9th grades

Al Capone Does My Shirts

by Gennifer Choldenko

"Murderers, mob bosses, and convicts . . . these guys are not your average neighbors. Unless you live on Alcatraz. It’s 1935 and twelve-year-old Moose Flanagan and his family have just moved to the infamous island that’s home to criminals like notorious escapee Roy Gardner, Machine Gun Kelly, and of course, Al Capone. Now Moose has to try to fit in at his new school, avoid getting caught up in one of the warden’s daughter’s countless plots, and keep an eye on his sister Natalie, who’s not like other kids. All Moose wants to do is protect Natalie, live up to his parents’ expectations, and stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away."
___________

Bucking The Sarge

by Christopher Paul Curtis

"LUTHER T. FARRELL has got to get out of Flint, Michigan.

The Sarge milked the system to build an empire of slum housing and group homes. Luther's just one of the many people trapped in the Sarge's Evil Empire--but he's about to bust out.

If Luther wins the science fair this year, he'll be on track for college and a future as America's best-known and best-loved philosopher. All he's got to do is beat his arch rival Shayla Patrick, the beautiful daughter of Flint's finest undertaker--and the love of Luther's life.

Sparky's escape plans involve a pit bull named Poofy and the world's scariest rat. Oh, and Luther. Add to the mix Chester X., Luther's mysterious roommate; Dontay Gaddy, a lawyer whose phone number is 1-800-SUE'M ALL; and Darnell Dixon, the Sarge's go-to guy who knows how to break all the rules"
___________

Kira - Kira

by Cynthia Kadohata

"Katie and her family didn't have much material wealth, but they had each other. As a matter of fact, Katie and her older sister Lynn were best friends. Which was a very good thing since not too many people in the small Georgia town wanted to be friends with Japanese Americans in the late 1950s. Katie didn't understand when Lynn tried to explain how other girls would treat her when she went to school. But it didn't matter as long as the girls had each other. Their parents were spending more and more time working so the girls didn't see them as much as they would like. But the girls have each other. Until Lynn becomes deathly ill and Katie must cope on her own."
__________

The Outcasts Of 19 Schuyler Place

by E. L. Konigsburg

"I Prefer Not To....

That's Margaret Rose Kane's response to every activity she's asked to participate in at the summer camp to which she's been exiled while her parents are in Peru. So Margaret Rose is delighted when her beloved uncles rescue her from Camp Talequa, with its uptight camp director and cruel cabinmates, and bring her to stay with them at their wonderful house at 19 Schuyler Place.

But Margaret Rose soon discovers that something is terribly wrong at 19 Schuyler Place. People in their newly gentrified neighborhood want to get rid of the three magnificent towers the uncles have spent forty-five years lovingly constructing of scrap metal and shards of glass and porcelain. Margaret Rose is outraged, and determined to strike a blow for art, for history, and for individuality...and no one is more surprised than Margaret Rose at the allies she finds for her mission. "

___________

Red Kayak

by Priscilla Cummings

"Brady loves life on the Chesapeake Bay with his friends J.T. and Digger. But developers and rich families are moving into the area, and while Brady befriends some of them, like the DiAngelos, his parents and friends are bitter about the changes. Tragedy strikes when the DiAngelos’ kayak overturns in the bay, and Brady wonders if it was more than an accident. Soon, Brady discovers the terrible truth behind the kayak’s sinking, and it will change the lives of those he loves forever. Priscilla Cummings deftly weaves a suspenseful tale of three teenagers caught in a wicked web of deception."
__________

The Sea Of Trolls

by Nancy Farmer

"Jack was eleven when the berserkers loomed out of the fog and nabbed him.

The year is A.D. 793. In the next months, Jack and his little sister, Lucy, are enslaved by Olaf One-Brow and his fierce young shipmate, Thorgil. With a crow named Bold Heart for mysterious company, they are swept up into an adventure-quest in the spirit of The Lord of the Rings. Other threats include a willful mother dragon, a giant spider, and a troll-bear with a surprising personality -- to say nothing of Ivar the Boneless and his wife, Queen Frith, a shape-shifting half-troll, and several eight-foot-tall, orange-haired, full-time trolls."

____________

The Supernaturalist

by Eoin Colfer

"Imagine a not-so-distant future where corporations own cities. You could live in Nike Town, shop in Fruit Loopville, and party in Nintendo Park. But corporations expect to make money. So each city has to find a way to earn a profit. Satellite City has found a way make up the money they spend each day on housing “the parentally challenged.” Orphans can test all the latest products before real consumers buy them. So what if the products are dangerous? If a kid without family dies before he is 15, who’s gonna miss him?
Cosmo Hill is 14 and fed up. He knows if he’s going to survive he’s got to get away from the Clarissa Frayne Institute for the Parentally Challenged. A freak accident and a crazy marshal offer Cosmo a chance of escape, only to leave him near death on a rooftop.

Does an angel appear in Cosmo's final moments? No such luck: A strange blue parasite just landed on his chest. The pain and energy are being sucked away. It's killing him.

But wait, who are those three kids? And why are they carrying weapons? Cosmo is about to be saved by a renegade hunters called The Supernaturalists.

If you want non-stop action, lots of laughs, believable characters, and a solid mystery, check out Eoin Colfer’s science-fiction hit, The Supernaturalist."

Booktalk by Sarah Evans, Sno-Isle Library System

____________

The Teacher's Funeral

by Richard Peck

"If your teacher has to die, August isn't a bad time of year for it," begins Richard Peck's latest novel, a book full of his signature wit and sass. Russell Culver is fifteen in 1904, and he's raring to leave his tiny Indiana farm town for the endless sky of the Dakotas. To him, school has been nothing but a chain holding him back from his dreams. Maybe now that his teacher has passed on, they'll shut the school down entirely and leave him free to roam.

No such luck. Russell has a particularly eventful season of schooling ahead of him, led by a teacher he never could have predicted-perhaps the only teacher equipped to control the likes of him: his sister Tansy. Despite stolen supplies, a privy fire, and more than any classroom's share of snakes, Tansy will manage to keep that school alive and maybe, just maybe, set her brother on a new, wiser course."

Senior Division

10th-12th grade

Airborn

by Kenneth Oppel

"Matt Cruise didn’t believe in mysterious creatures. He was cabin boy on the Aurora, a nine hundred foot long dirigible-like airship that carried people long distances between cities. Matt loved being airborn. He could name all the constellations and he saw in the stars and on the bridge of the Aurora all the adventure he could imagine.

Matt’s dream was to become a sail maker. Matt’s father had been a sail maker. Sail makers kept the huge hydrium filled airships ready for flying and repaired them if necessary in flight. Sail makers had real dangers to deal with like pirates and weather.

Then one day Matt helped rescue a crippled balloon and heard the dying words of its pilot. The old man spoke of magnificent creatures, an undiscovered species, he had seen flying around an unknown island. Of course, he was delirious. Matt knew that, everybody knew that. Until a year later when his granddaughter, Kate, showed up as a passenger on the Aurora, carrying her grandfather’s log, and determined to see what he had seen.

When Matt examines the log he finds an amazing, unbelievable story. And he becomes involved in a search for creatures that may rival or surpass anything airborn in his world? "

Booktalk by Tom Reynolds, Sno-Isle Regional Library System.

__________

Hat Full Of Sky

by Terry Pratchett

"In this humorous sequel to The Wee Free Men, Tiffany has got to learn to be a real witch really quickly, with the help of arch-witch Mistress Weatherwax

Tiffany Aching, a hag from a long line of hags, is trying out her witchy talents again as she is plunged into yet another adventure when she leaves home and is apprenticed to a "real" witch. This time, will the thievin', fightin' and drinkin' skills of the Nac Mac Feegle - the Wee Free Men - be of use, or must Tiffany rely on her own abilities?"

___________

How I Live Now

by Meg Rosoff

"EVERY WAR HAS turning points and every person too."

Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she's never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy.

As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it's a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy's uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way."

__________

Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman

by Eleanor Updale

"Who was he, gentleman or criminal? Montmorency or Scarper? Or was he both?

Until he was caught, he’d been a petty thief living at the bottom end of London’s ladder of lowlifes. But that night, clutching a bag of stolen tools, running across the factory roof, he hadn’t noticed the skylight window until his feet crashed through it and he fell onto the cold metal frame of the grinding machine, which broke his bones and tore into his body. The next thing he remembered was incredible pain and a man’s voice assuring the police that allowing him to operate on this horribly injured prisoner would cost neither the police nor the hospital anything at all.

Dr. Robert Farcett was preparing a paper for the Royal College of Surgeons on treating complex injuries and the man lying before him was the perfect specimen for him to experiment on. In spite of the damage, the man’s body was young, strong, and healthy, well able to withstand the multiple procedures the doctor would perform in an attempt to save the man’s life and enhance his own knowledge. He expected the prisoner to die, but if he lived, the doctor’s reputation would be made.

However, the prisoner survived both his fall and the doctor’s surgeries, and the relationship between the man who came to be known as Montmorency or prisoner 493, and the doctor who was attempting to rebuild his body turned into a scientific project that would last for years. Not only did the doctor continue to operate on Montmorency, but when the prisoner was well enough, he took him out of prison, shackled to a guard, and exhibited him at meetings where physicians and scientists shared their achievements and listened to Farcett talk about his pioneering surgical techniques, using the prisoner’s nearly naked body as his primary example.

It was humiliating for the prisoner, being shown like an animal in a zoo, but he took advantage of the time and the setting to commit to memory every detail of each lecture, completely ignored as he learned of major advances in medicine, engineering, mathematics, and philosophy. He’d always been a thief, but now it was facts and ideas that he stole. He had no use for them, but they gave him something to think about in his cell, or in the prison hospital where he recovered from the doctor’s surgeries. It was not until he heard the chief engineer of the Metropolitan Board of Works talk about London’s new sewer system, and saw the huge map of the hundreds of tunnels running below London’s streets, that Montmorency suddenly realized what direction his future career as a criminal would take. The tunnels were a new and secret way around the wealthiest parts of London, the ones with the richest pickings. He could come up through a manhole cover, smash and grab what he wanted and disappear underground, leaving the police to deal with how to catch a burglar who seemed invisible. He knew it wouldn’t be easy, but he had lots of time in prison to think about how to work out all the details of his scheme. By the time he was released, Montmorency had figured out how to live two lives, both supported by crime. As Montmorency, he would be a gentleman, wealthy, cultured, privileged. As Scarper, he would be a sewer rat and a burglar, and Montmorency’s servant, who crept out at night to steal and vanish, only to steal again.

He didn’t know if he could pull it off. The smallest mistake could mean discovery or even death. But Montmorency knew he had to try."

This Booktalk was written by librarian and booktalking expert Joni R. Bodart

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My Sister's Keeper

by Jodi Picoult

"Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate — a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister — and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves."

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2002 YOUNG READER'S CHOICE WINNERS

Junior Division
4th-6th grades