2018 Books for Missouri Students
Memoir of Michael Bornstein, who was 4 years old when his family was liberated from Auschwitz.
7th grade track star Heather befriends resource room student Joseph and helps him stand up to the school bully. The most important thing Joseph learns is the importance of being in the race.
Mak must survive in the Indian jungle after a flash flood of the Waingaga River causes him to be separated from the rest of his family.
Marc uses the summer before 6th grade to train mentally and physically with his Navy SEAL Uncle Jake.
Details how a hurricane and tornado form and the aftermath of some of the most recent large storms to hit the United States.
Ben Franklin finds himself in the 21st century and must rely on Nolan and Olive to show him around town, without blowing his cover.
Dan builds each of his fellow EngiNerd friends a robot. When the robots come alive, the boys must work together to save their town.
Thomas Fallgrout’s ends up enrolled in Pennybaker Academy for the Uniquely Gift after using his grandfather’s potion to make some magic. Everyone at his new school, except for neighbor Chip, blame Thomas when a statue of their teacher disappears.
Twelve-year-old Olivia Hales has a foolproof plan for winning a million dollars so that she and her little sister, Berkeley, can leave behind Sunny Pines Trailer Park.
Pri wants to learn about her Indian heritage, but her mom refuses to answer any of her questions. When Pri finds and wears a forgotten pashmina, Pri is transported to a fantastical version of India.
Collage artist Jade reluctantly agrees to participate in a Woman to Woman mentor program in order to receive a college scholarship and “escape” the poor, urban neighborhood she lives in.
In the 1960’s, Ruthie immigrated with her family to NYC from Cuba. While she is starting to fit into her new community, especially when it comes to hopscotch, a car accident puts her in a body cast, recovering for a year.
Clayton loves the blues, thanks to his grandfather, Cool Papa Byrd. When his grandfather dies, his mother forbids him from playing the blues anymore. Clayton runs away from home and starts to play in the subway, seeking out a blues band to join.
Renzo must save his pet pig (who thinks he is a dog) from the slaughterhouse and deal with learning the truth about his father.
Twins Theo and Tess and their friend Jaime travel across a steampunk New York City to solve the Old York Cipher. If the cipher is solved in time, their apartment building, the last standing one built by the Morningstarrs, will be saved.
Told in alternating points of view of Calli (new student being bullied due to her Tourette Syndrome) and Jin (the student body president and popular baseball pitcher). What happens when Jin’s friendship provokes him to stand up for Calli?
Just days before Christmas, the Vandebeeker family is told their lease for their beloved Harlem home is not being renewed. The five children make it their mission to change their landlord’s mind.
Not only is Sophie taking risks by doing a triathalon, but she also has to figure out why she is starting to see bubbles above people’s heads. Is that really what they are thinking?
12-year old Stevie is forced to move into her grandfather’s hotel after her parents are killed. After befriending the tenants, Stevie plants a flower garden and transforms the hotel and her grandfather.
12-year old Malu has just moved to Chicago. It doesn’t take her long to realize that students and administration at Posado Middle School will not accept her for who she is, but that doesn’t stop her from forming a new punk band and performing at a school alternative Fiesta.
Smith School for Children is actually an undercover spy training school named the Center. Once 12-year old Abby finds this out, she must undergo a crash course of Spy Training 101 in order to help locate her missing mom, the Center’s most talented agent.
Wheelchair-bound Max and her best friend Lavender investigate a haunted mansion in order to help Max’s Chief of Police grandfather learn the true identity of a hacker that is attacking their town’s leaders and businesses.
Middle school is a time of change. For Amina, this change occurs at school with friends and her performance anxiety, at home with an uncle from Pakistan visiting her family, and in her community dealing with a hate crime against the Muslim community, of which Amina is a part.
In a photographic timeline, this book details the events leading up to and during the Freedom Ride of May, 1961, which traveled by bus from Washington D.C. to Birmingham, Alabama, and on to New Orleans, Louisiana, by plane, in order to bring attention to segregated seating on buses. Includes a bibliography of additional books, videos, and websites for further research.
Using his life and career as a backdrop, author Jack Gantos walks readers through the entire story writing process, including writing tips, creative writing examples, and exercises.
A Philanthroparty is a party with a community service component. This book details three party ideas each month. Each party ideas include a craft, game, and/or recipe.
Frost, DeeDee, Wolf, and Bench are all students at Branton Middle School that have been friends for years. Just a day after their school bans all cell phones Mr. Sword begins his Elizabethan drama unit and Rose Holland arrives. A “perfect storm” combined with post-it notes, bullying, and the Gauntlet soon causes Branton Middle School to realize the true meaning of friendship.
Annie and her friends crash the viewings of those that have died of the Spanish influenza in order to partake in the free food that those viewings provide. Their plan works until they are surprised to see Elsie, a classmate they have treated unkindly, lying in the casket. After, Elsie uses Annie’s concussion to start haunting her, in order to get revenge with all of the girls.
On the weekends, Imogene works as a squire at the Renaissance Faire. Up until recently Imogene has been homeschooled. Now that she is attending middle school, she must learn the true definition of friendship, the importance of family, and survive Dr. MacGregor’s science class.
Gavin, Randi, Natalie, Scott, and Trevor are 6th graders in Mrs. Woods’s class at Lake View Middle School. 6th grade is the year that includes bullying, learning disabilities, pressure to compete in sports, setting goals for a future career, various community service projects, difficulties at home, and a student-led plan to cheat on the state’s end-of-the-year assessments . Told in alternating viewpoints.
In the 1930s, Josef and his Jewish family board a boat bound for Cuba in order to flee the German Nazis, who are wanting to send them all to a concentration camp. In 1994, Cuban Isabel and her family, as well as a neighboring family, utilize a makeshift raft in their efforts to reach the freedoms found in the United States. In 2015, Mahmoud and his family flee his war-torn homeland of Syria for peace in Europe. Told in alternating chapters, these three child refugees face their fears head-on as they persevere to survive.
Told from the perspective of Red, the neighborhood oak tree. For years, Red has been used as the “wishtree” for the community’s annual Wishing Day. Now that a new family has moved into the neighborhood, a new wish–LEAVE–has been carved into Red’s trunk.
26 well-known kid lit authors and illustrators share about their childhood, some of their first stories/illustrations, and what inspired them to be who they are today.
Based on the true story and set in Hawaii days after the Pearl Harbor bombing. Rosie’s German-American parents and aunt are detained as possible spies and all of the family’s possessions are sold. This forces Rosie and her brother, Freddie, to live with a prim and proper aunt until their are released from the internment camps.
12-year old Julia is cast as a munchkin in a summer production of The Wizard of Oz just a few weeks after her dog dies. Throughout the summer, she not only grieves, but also makes new friends who help teach her that her “lack of” height is less important than her actions.
Anthology of short stories written by popular kidlit authors (Kwame Alexander, Matt de la Pena, Tim Federle, Grace Lin, Jacqueline Woodson, etc) in which the theme of celebrating each other’s differences is carried throughout.
Norah is finally able to return to school (7th grade) after two years of having an at-home tutor while she battled leukemia. Her friends treat her differently, her parents are a bit overwhelming, and Norah finally is interested in a boy (who doesn’t know her secret). Mythology is tied in throughout this story of realizing what a “new” normal is.
The US Marshals select a 13-year old orphan named Nicki to join the Trevor family (as Charlotte) in the Witness Protection program. While Charlotte helps to keep her new family safe, she must deal with regular middle school “drama,” her kleptomania, and her own past.
Nora struggles with her guilt after she convinces her cousin, Riley, to ride the famous Coney Island roller coaster. What neither of them knew at the time was that Riley had an undiagnosed heart condition that immediately leads to Riley’s stroke after riding the coaster. Uses footnotes throughout.
Graphic memoir that shows author Shannon Hale’s experiences with childhood friendship, desiring to belong to “The Group,” and bullying.
Allie created the app Click’d while at a CodeGirls summer camp and will be entering it in the upcoming “Games for Good” competition. Now that she is back at school, her friends can help her “field test” the scavenger hunt app that connects people with similar interest based on their answers to a few questions. Will Allie be able to fix the glitches she soon discovers in time to defeat her classmate Nathan in the biggest coding contest of their lives?
Uses short illustrated chapters to share lesser known facts about inventors and medical practices throughout history. Also includes step-by-step instructions for science projects, including a homemade heart pump and flashlight. Includes a bibliography for further research. Series titles include Insane Inventors and Medical Mayhem.
The 5 Lumberjanes from Roanoke cabin are best friends that enjoy spending their summer at camp together. This summer they work on earning Lumberjane badges, help a lost unicorn, and climb to the top of a mysterious mountain, where they come in contact with the Cloudies. Book 1 of novel series based on Lumberjane comics.
Having to do community service in a retirement home with your two best friends isn’t too bad–unless you have amnesia. This is what has happened to Chase. Now, Chase is taking the opportunity to start his life over, including making new friends, becoming involved with the school’s video club, and interviewing Korean War veteran, Mr. Solway.
