Research published in April by the University of Rochester in New York suggests that allowing students to choose their reading material over the summer may help improve reading skills and prevent “summer slide.” Here are some of our recent favorites.

We hope you have a wonderful summer exploring the world of books.

Thanks Leah W. for our cover art!

Dixie School District Elementary Librarians

PICTURE BOOKS

THE FARMER AND THE CLOWN by Marla Frazee. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: Wordless

Whimsical and touching images tell the story of an unexpected friendship and the revelations it inspires in this moving, wordless picture book from two-time Caldecott Honor medalist Marla Frazee.

SAM AND DAVE DIG A HOLE by Mac Barnett. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 1.9

Sam and Dave are on a mission. A mission to find something spectacular. So they dig a hole. And they keep digging. And they find . . . nothing. Yet the day turns out to be pretty spectacular after all. Attentive readers will be rewarded with a rare treasure in this witty story of looking for the extraordinary -- and finding it in a manner you'd never expect.

MIX IT UP by Herve Tullet. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 1.4

Follow the artist's simple instructions, and suddenly colors appear, mix, splatter, and vanish in a world powered only by the reader's imagination. Tullet--who joins such greats as Eric Carle and Leo Lionni as a master of his craft--sets readers on an extraordinary interactive journey all within the printed page. He displays his unique genius and vision in a work that is a glorious and richly satisfying companion to Press Here.

BATS IN THE BAND by Brian Lies. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 2.6

A late-spring night sky fills with bats flocking to a theater, already echoing and booming with delightful sounds of music. Join this one-of-a-kind music festival as the bats celebrate the rhythm of the night, and the positive power of music. Brian Lies's newest celebration of bats and their dazzling, dizzying world will lift everyone's spirits with joyous noise and cheer!

A MOM FOR UMANDE by Maria Fasel Faulconer. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 3.0

Umande is a baby gorilla born at a Colorado zoo whose mother can't care for him. Human caregivers take over, mimicking gorilla parenting skills. Umande is eventually matched with a mother-figure gorilla with whom he bonds and thrives.

YOU ARE (NOT) SMALL by Anna Kang. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 0.7

Two fuzzy creatures can't agree on who is small and who is big, until a couple of surprise guests show up, settling it once and for all!

THE ADVENTURES OF BEEKLE: THE UNIMAGINARY FRIEND by Dan Santat. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 3.3

An imaginary friend waits a long time to be imagined by a child and given a special name, and finally does the unimaginable--he sets out on a quest to find his perfect match in the real world.

THE PIGEON NEEDS A BATH by Mo Willems. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 1.4

The Pigeon really needs a bath! Except, the Pigeon's not so sure about that. Besides, he took a bath last month! Maybe. It's going to take some serious convincing to try and get the Pigeon to take the plunge.

NANA IN THE CITY by Lauren Castillo. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 2.1

A young boy is frightened by how busy and noisy the city is when he goes there to visit his Nana, but she makes him a fancy red cape that keeps him from being scared as she shows him how wonderful a place it is.

I-CAN-READ BY MYSELF

LING AND TING: NOT EXACTLY THE SAME by Grace Lin. 2010

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 1.4

Ling and Ting are two adorable identical twins, and they stick together, whether they are making dumplings, getting their hair cut, or practicing magic tricks. But looks are deceiving--people can be very different, even if they look exactly the same.

HUFF AND PUFF AND THE NEW TRAIN. by Tish Rabe. 2012

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 1.3

Huff and Puff are a team who stay on track: Huff pulls the train. Puff pushes the train. But when a new speedy train challenges the pair to a race, the caboose and engine must find out if slow and steady can win the race.

HOT ROD HAMSTER AND THE WACKY WHATEVER RACE by Cynthia Lord. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 1.8

Hot Rod Hamster enlists the help of his friend Dog to build a super sleek soap box racer for the Wacky Whatever Race.

BAD DOG by David McPhail. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 0.7

Sometimes, Tom is a bad dog. But he can be good, too! His family loves him no matter what.

TEN EGGS IN A NEST by Marilyn Sadler. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 1.4

Because Gwen the hen reminds him that "it's bad luck to count your eggs before they hatch," Red Rooster makes several back-to-back trips to the worm store to buy one for each of ten new baby chicks as they hatch.

MR. PUTTER AND TABBY TURN THE PAGE by Cynthia Rylant. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 2.2

Mr. Putter and his fine cat, Tabby, love reading their favorite books over and over. So when Mr. Putter sees a sign at the library that says "Read Aloud with Your Pet at Story Time," he signs up!

WAITING IS NOT EASY by Mo Willems. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 0.9

Piggie tells Gerald she has a surprise for him, but it is not there yet so Gerald must be patient.

POPPY THE PIRATE DOG by Liz Kessler. 2015

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 2.8

Looking forward to spending a seaside vacation with her family and sharing an adventure on the open sea as a fierce pirate dog, Poppy the Dalmatian loses her courage in the face of numerous bobbing boats, splashing waves, and scary sea creatures.

TRANSITIONAL CHAPTER BOOKS

ANNIKA RIZ, MATH WHIZ by Claudia Mills. 2014

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 4.6

Annika Riz loves math more than anything, so when she hears about a sudoku contest at the local public library, she is determined to win it—maybe then her friends Kelsey Green and Izzy Barr will see that math is just as cool as reading and running.

GONE FISHING: A NOVEL IN VERSE by Tamera Will Wissinger. 2013

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 2.6

In this novel told through poems, nine-year-old Sam loves fishing with his dad, so when his pesky little sister horns in on their fishing trip, he is none too pleased.

GOONEY BIRD AND ALL HER CHARMS by Lois Lowry. 2015

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 3.4

Gooney Bird and her second-grade classmates are studying the human body. The students are in for a surprise when her uncle, Dr. Walter Oglethorpe, an anatomy professor, loans them a skeleton to help them with their research. The skeleton, on display outside the school, goes missing, and Gooney Bird becomes head detective, leading her class on an investigation to solve the mystery.

LEROY NINKER SADDLES UP by Kate DiCamillo. 2014

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 4.2

Leroy Ninker has a hat, a lasso, and boots. What he doesn't have is a horse — until he meets Maybelline, that is, and then it's love at first sight. Maybelline loves spaghetti and sweet nothings, and she loves Leroy, too. But when Leroy forgets the third and final rule of caring for Maybelline, disaster ensues. Can Leroy wrestle fate to the ground, rescue the horse of his heart, and lasso loneliness for good?

BINK AND GOLLIE: BEST FRIENDS FOREVER by Kate DiCamillo. 2013

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 2.4

When Gollie suspects she has royal blood in her veins and begins to act like a snob, Bink must find a way to deal with her friend's new behavior in order to keep their friendship.

GALAXY ZACK: HELLO NEBULON by Ray O’Ryan. 2013

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 3.0

Moving from Earth to the futuristic planet Nebulon in 2120, eight-year-old Zack is nervous about starting school and meeting people.

THE VANISHING COIN by Kate Egan. 2014

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 4.4

Mike reluctantly bonds with good-girl neighbor Nora while learning fun skills at The White Rabbit magic shop. The owner of the shop believes Mike could become a great magician.

STINK MOODY IN MASTER OF DISASTER by Megan McDonald. 2015

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 2.8

Stink is camped out in the backyard with his sister, Judy, and he can't wait to lay eyes on P/2015 OZ4, also known as the Sherman-Holm Comet. But then news of an asteroid hitting Russia reaches Stink, and suddenly he's feeling squeamish (and squash-ish) about close encounters of the outer-space kind

FICTION:

39 STORY TREEHOUSE by Andy Griffiths. 2015

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 4.2

The treehouse just keeps growing (it used to be 13 stories, then 26 stories, but it keeps expanding). Writer Andy Griffiths and illustrator Terry Denton invite readers to jump on the world's highest trampoline, toast marshmallows in an active volcano, swim in the chocolate waterfall, pet baby dinosaurs, and go head-to-trunk with the Trunkinator. Third in the Treehouse series, it’s sure to spark the imagination.

ABSOLUTELY ALMOST by Lisa Graff. 2014

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 5. Lexile 750

Ten-year-old Albie has never been the smartest, tallest, best at gym, greatest artist, or most musical in his class, as his parents keep reminding him, but new nanny Calista helps him uncover his strengths and take pride in himself.

THE BOUNDLESS by Kenneth Oppel. 2014

Interest level: 5-8 Reading Level 5.1 Lexile 730

"The Boundless," the greatest train ever built, on its maiden voyage across Canada, teenaged Will enlists the aid of a traveling circus to save the train from villains. A grand adventure on a grand scale.

CARTWHEELING IN THUNDERSTORMS by Katherine Rundell. 2014

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 4.0 Lexile 720

Even a life on the untamed plains of Africa can't prepare Wilhelmina for the wilds of an English boarding school in this lovely and lyrical novel from the author of Rooftoppers, which Booklist called "a glorious adventure."

ECHO by Pam Munoz Ryan. 2015

Interest Level: 5-8 Reading Level: 5.3 Lexile 680

Four stories, four fates tied together with the magic of three mysterious sisters, and the gift of music. Otto, lost in the Black Forest, and decades later three children from different parts of the globe have their lives changed by the magic of the same harmonica. A touching, thoughtful, and magical tale.

FISH IN A TREE by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. 2015

Interest Level: 5-8 Reading Level: 4.2 Lexile 550

"Ally's greatest fear is that everyone will find out she is as dumb as they think she is because she still doesn't know how to read"--Provided by publisher.

THE GHOSTS OF TUPELO LANDING by Sheila Turnage. 2014

Interest Level: 5-8 Reading Level: 4.6 Lexile 550

Is the inm Miss Lanna buys at a Tupelo Landing town auction truly haunted? Desperado Detectives Mo LoBeau and her best friend Dale are on a missing to find out what’s really happening. This is a great adventure full of the joys of a small town.

THE IMAGINARY by A.F. Harrold. 2015

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 5.1

On the edge of your seat, and more than a little scary, but with a wonderful ending. Rudger, an imaginary playmate, must find his friend Amanda before he fades away to nothing, while eluding the only other person who can see him, evil Mr. Bunting, who hunts--and possibly even eats--imaginaries.

LICENSE TO THRILL by Dan Gutman. 2015

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 6.2 Lexile 730

The 5th in the thrilling adventure series Genius Files:"Tween twins Coke and Pepsi McDonald have finally reached the last leg of their wacky and dangerous cross-country road trip, but they must fend off a host of strange assassins before they reach their home in California"--Provided by publisher.

THE MADMAN OF PINEY WOODS by Christopher Paul Curtis. 2014

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 5.4 Lexile 870

School Library Journal calls this a companion to Newbery Honor winner Elijah of Buxton. Even though it is now 1901, the people of Buxton, Canada, originally a settlement of runaway slaves, and Chatham, Canada, are still haunted by two events of half a century before--the American Civil War and the Irish potato famine--and the lasting damage those events caused to the survivors.

THE NIGHT GARDENER by Jonathan Auxier. 2014

Interest Level: 5-8 Reading Level: 5.3 Lexile 690

Irish orphans Molly, fourteen, and Kip, ten, travel to England to work as servants in a crumbling manor house where nothing is quite what it seems to be, and soon the siblings are confronted by a mysterious stranger and secrets of the cursed house. Can be scary at times.

NUTS TO YOU by Lynne Rae Perkins. 2014

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 4.1

After surviving being carried off by a hawk, a young squirrel resolves to find his way home, as his best friends begin their search for him. Very sweet book.

ODD, WEIRD, LITTLE by Patrick Jennings. 2014

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 3.4Lexile 580

Befriending a very strange new student, Toulouse, helps outsider Woodrow stand up to the class bullies who have been picking on them both.

PENDERWICKS IN SPRING by Jeanne Birdsall. 2015

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 3.3Lexile 880

There is no better way to spend a summer afternoon than with the Penderwicks. In this, the fourth of the series, there are surprises in store for each Penderwick, from neighbor Nick Geiger's return from the war to Batty's new dog-walking business, but her plans to use her profits to surprise her family on her eleventh birthday go astray.

RAIN REIGN by Ann M. Martin. 2014

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 3.3 Lexile 720

"Struggling with Asperger's syndrome, Rose shares a bond with her beloved dog, but when the dog goes missing during a storm, Rose is forced to confront the limits of her comfort levels, even if it means leaving her routines in order to search for her pet"-Good book for instilling compassion and understanding, and filled with wonderful homophones!

STELLA BY STARLIGHT by Sharon Draper. 2015

Interest Level: 5-8 Reading Level: 5.1,Lexile 740

When a burning cross set by the Klan causes panic and fear in 1932 Bumblebee, North Carolina, fifth-grader Stella must face prejudice and find the strength to demand change in her segregated town. Great historical fiction novel.

STORY THIEVES by James Riley. 2015

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 4.5 Lexile 750

Except for reading the Kiel Gnomenfoot magic adventure series, Owen's life is boring until he sees his classmate Bethany climb out of a book in the school library and he learns that Bethany is half-fictional and has been searching every book she can find for her missing father, a fictional character.

TERRIBLE TWO by Mac Barnett. 2015

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 4.9

Good for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Mac Barnett is always good for a laugh. When master prankster Miles Murphy moves to sleepy Yawnee Valley, he challenges the local, mystery prankster in an epic battle of tricks but soon the two join forces to pull off the biggest prank ever seen.

UNWANTEDS--ISLAND OF SHIPWRECKS by Lisa McMann. 2015

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 5.4 Lexile 800

The newest (5th) book in the Unwanted series. Alex and his friends from Artime are stranded on a newly-discovered island, and they are not alone, while in Quill, his twin Aaron's power base grows as he joins with an unlikely ally in a risky plan to finally conquer Artime.

THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. 2015

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 3.9 Lexile 580

A young disabled girl and her brother are evacuated from London to the English countryside during World War II, where they find life to be much sweeter away from their abusive mother.

WINGS OF FIRE-MOON RISING by Tui Sutherland. 2015

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 5.2 Lexile 730

The newest (6th) book in the Wings of Fire series. "When Moonwatcher, a young NightWing with secret powers, begins school at the academy started by the dragonets of destiny after the end of the war, she soon realizes that someone is attacking the students. Moon must choose whether to help or continue to hide her gifts"--Provided by publisher.

NONFICTION BOOKS

EYE TO EYE: How Animals See the World by Steve Jenkins. 2014

Interest Level: 3 -6 Reading Level: 7.5

With a mixture of extraordinary artistry and jaw-dropping creativity, Jenkins has produced a colorful, large-format volume crafted with vivid, cut-paper collages that provide amazing details about the eyes of animals from bullfrogs to buzzards.

GINGERBREAD FOR LIBERTY!: How A German Baker Helped Win The American Revolution by Mara Rockliff. 2015

Interest Level: 3 - 5 Reading Level: 3.5

A picture book biography about a forgotten hero of the American Revolution who rose to the occasion and served his country, not with muskets or cannons, but with gingerbread!

NEIGHBORHOOD SHARKS: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands. By Katherine Roy. 2014

Interest Level: 3 -6 Reading Level: 7.9

A heart-stopping look at what great white sharks do best—hunt for their next meal. (2015 Sibert Honor Book)

SCRAPS: Notes from a Colorful Life by Lois Ehlert. 2015

Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 3.3

This is a fascinating look into the creative process. Author/illustrator Lois Ehlert shares her story using numerous examples from her picture books as she encourages others to engage in a colorful life.

STAR STUFF: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos by Stephanie Roth Sisson. 2014

Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 2.9

In simple text the book describes how Sagan’s childhood curiosity and persistence eventually lead to his involvement in the Voyager mission.

TINY CREATURES: The World of Microbes by Nicola Davies. 2014

Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 3.9

A picture book that explores the different microbes that inhabit the Earth and examines the varied jobs they do.

THE FLY

THE SLUG

THE WORM

THE RAT

Series by Elise Gravel. 2014

Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 3.4 - 3.9

A series of humorous books about ‘disgusting creatures,’ that explore the adaptations that make each of these creatures interesting and unique. Packed with information in an irresistible format.

SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUAL: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh. 2014

Interest Level: K - 5 Reading Level: 3.2

Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a "Whites only" school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California. (A 2015 Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Book and a 2015 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book.)

THE IRIDESCENCE OF BIRDS: A Book About Henri Matisse by Patricia MacLachlan. 2014

Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 4.4

If you were a boy named Henri Matisse who lived in a dreary town in northern France, what would your life be like? Would it be full of color and art? Full of lines and dancing figures? Find out in this beautiful, unusual picture book about one of the world's most famous and influential artists.

HAVE YOU HEARD THE NESTING BIRD? by Rita Gray. 2014

Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 1.9

Woodpecker calls from a tree, "cuk-cuk-cuk." Starling sings, "whistle-ee-wee." But have you heard the nesting bird?

In this book, we hear all the different bird calls in counterpoint to the pervasive quiet of a mama bird waiting for her eggs to hatch. Fun and informative back matter takes the shape of an interview so that readers learn more right from the bird's bill.

FIREBIRD By Misty Copeland 2014

Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 2.6

Famed ballerina Misty Copeland encourages a young African-American girl to follow her dreams to be a prima ballerina in this poetic text vividly illustrated with evocative collages.

WINTER BEES AND OTHER POEMS by Joyce Sidman. 2014

Interest Level K - 5 Reading Level: 5.1

Discover how animals stay alive in the wintertime and learn about their secret lives happening under the snow in this outstanding picture book of poems.

THE PORT CHICAGO 50: Disaster, Mutiny and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steve Sheinkin. 2014

Interest Level 5 - 8 Reading Level: 6.4

The story of the fifty black sailors who refused to work in unsafe and unfair conditions after an explosion in Port Chicago killed 320 servicemen, and how the incident influenced civil rights.

CHASING CHEETAHS: The Race to Save Africa’s Fastest Cats by Sy Montgomery. 2014

Interest Level: 5 - 8 Reading Level: 6.3

The author and animal photographer Nic Bishop join the Cheetah Conservation Fund in the African wilderness, studying the cheetah’s ecological, genetic and behavioral patterns in order to chase down the fastest animals in the world.

FOLKTALES AND FAIRY TALES

LITTLE ROJA RIDING HOOD by Susan Middleton Elya. 2014

Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 2.4

While Roja picks flowers on the way to her grandma’s, a mean wolf sneaks away with her cape to surprise Abuelita. But Grandma’s no fool and Roja’s no ordinary chica. They send that hungry lobo packing with a cliente surprise!

MY GRANDFATHER’S COAT by Jim Aylesworth. 2014

Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 2.4

Inspired by a traditional folk song the story of a tailor’s very old overcoat that is recycled numerous times over the years into a variety of garments and other uses.

CINDERELLA STORIES AROUND THE WORLD: 4 Beloved Tales by Cari Meister. 2015. Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 3.9

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD: 3 Beloved Tales by Jessica Gunderson. 2015. Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 3.4

RAPUNZEL STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD: 3 Beloved Tales by Cari Meister. 2014. Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 2.2

SNOW WHITE STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD: 4 Beloved Tales by Jessica Gunderson. 2015. Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 3.0

Each title showcases a well-known European fairy tale and two or three alternate versions from countries around the world.

BIOGRAPHIES

GROWING UP PEDRO by Matt Tavares. 2015

Interest Level: 3 - 6Reading Level: 5.7

The love between brothers is key to Matt Tavares's tale of Dominican pitcher Pedro Martínez, from his days of throwing rocks at mangoes to his years as a major-league star. This illustrated biography describes Martinez’s childhood and how he became a famous baseball player.

THE RIGHT WORD: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant. 2014

Interest Level 3 - 6 Reading Level: 4.2

With intricate illustrations, this picture book biography introduces readers to Peter Mark Roget, whose boyhood passion for list making and finding the right word for every situation, led him to create his “treasure house” of a book, the thesaurus. (2015 Sibert Medal Book & Caldecott Honor Book)

QUEEN OF THE DIAMOND: The Lizzie Murphy Story by Emily Arnold McCully. 2015

Interest Level: K - 3 Reading Level: 3.3

A picture book biography about Lizzie Murphy, the first woman to play in a major league exhibition game and the first person to play on both the New England and American

leagues' all-star teams.

AWARDS and NOMINEES

NEWBERY HONOR WINNERS 2015

EL DEAFO by Kevin Henkes. 2014

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 3.3 Lexile 420

In this insightful and humorous graphic novel style memoir, Bell portrays growing up hearing impaired with a giant hearing aide strapped to her chest.

BROWN GIRL DREAMING by Jacqueline Woodson. 2014

Interest Level: 5-8 Reading Level: 5.3 Lexile 990

The author shares her childhood memories and reveals the first sparks that ignited her writing career in free-verse poems about growing up in the North and South.

CALIFORNIA YOUNG READER MEDAL NOMINEES 2015-16

PRIMARY PICTURE BOOKS

COUNT THE MONKEYS by Mac Barnett. 2013

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 2.8

CREEPY CARROTS by Aaron Reynolds. 2012

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 2.3

THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT by Drew Daywalt. 2013

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 3.8

DRAGONS LOVE TACOS by Adam Rubin. 2012

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 3.0

PAUL MEETS BERNADETTE by Rosy Lamb. 2013

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 2.0

PICTURE BOOKS FOR OLDER READERS

HELEN’S BIG WORLD: THE LIFE OF HELEN KELLER by Doreen Rappaport. 2012

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 4.9

A NATION'S HOPE: THE STORY OF BOXING LEGEND JOE LOUIS by Matt De La Peña. 2011

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 4.9

THE TREE LADY: THE TRUE STORY OF HOW ONE TREE-LOVING WOMAN CHANGED A CITY FOREVER by H. Joseph Hopkins. 2013

Interest Level: K-3 Reading Level: 4.5

DIXIE DISTRICT YOUNG READER MEDAL FICTION NOMINEES

Get a head start—read all four to be eligible to vote in March 2015.

THE TRUE BLUE SCOUTS OF SUGAR MAN SWAMP by Kathi Appelt. 2013

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 5.0Lexile 810

Twelve-year-old Chap Brayburn, ancient Sugar Man, and his raccoon-brother Swamp Scouts Bingo and J'miah try to save Bayou Tourterelle from feral pigs Clydine and Buzzie, greedy Sunny Boy Beaucoup, and world-class alligator wrestler and would-be land developer Jaeger Stitch. Highly Recommended.

OUT OF MY MIND by Sharon M. Draper. 2012

Interest Level: 5-8 Reading Level: 4.3 Lexile 700

Considered by many to be mentally retarded, a brilliant, impatient fifth-grader with cerebral palsy discovers a technological device that will allow her to speak for the first time.

MOUSE WITH A QUESTION MARK TAIL by Richard Peck. 2013

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 5.2

A very small mouse of unknown origins runs away from school in the Royal Mews of Buckingham Palace shortly before the celebration of Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee, celebrating her sixty years on the British throne.

RUMP: THE TRUE STORY OF RUMPELSTILTSKIN by Liesl Shurtliff. 2013

Interest Level: 3-6 Reading Level: 4.5 Lexile 660

Relates the tale of Rumpelstiltskin's childhood and youth, explaining why his name is so important, how he is able to spin straw into gold, and why a first-born child is his reward for helping the miller's daughter-turned-queen.

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