1. Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Awards
Grades 6 - 9
Nominated Books

2. Last Storyguard Jonathan Auxier
Sophie Quire and the
Last Storyguard Jonathan Auxier
Twelve-year-old Sophie spends most of her time in her father’s shop expertly repairing old books.
She loves reading and enjoys escaping into the stories she reads, secretly craving a life less dull. O
One day, a strange boy named Peter Nimble and his even stranger companion shows up with a magical book in need of repair…

3. Soar Joan Bauer
Jeremiah has overcome many obstacles in his young life; including adoption, heart surgery, and moving but giving up playing baseball is the most challenging yet! 
When scandal hits his new town's baseball team, he takes on the job of coaching the middle school team.
You will laugh and you will cheer for your new favorite character! 

4. Followed Me Home Paul Griffin
When Friendship
Followed Me Home Paul Griffin
Ben, a former foster child, is extremely shy and often bullied in school.
After his beloved Mom dies his chaotic life is changed amazingly when he meets the daughter of his favorite librarian, Halley who is being treated for cancer and adopts a loveable scrappy dog, Flip.

5. Terror at Bottle Creek Watt Key
Thirteen-year-old Cort lives with his father near the swamps in Alabama where his father is a river guide.
His mother left the family and his father is hurt.
When the hurricane comes, neighbor Francie is accidently stuck out in the swamp with rapidly rising waters…

6. A Night Divided Jennifer A. Nielsen
Gerta lives in the same city as her brother and father but has no access to them.
In one night, the Berlin Wall goes up and Gerta’s life changes forever.
She can’t trust anyone and there are soldiers everywhere.
Gerta devises a plan to reunite her family but her plan is dangerous…

7. Ghost
Jason Reynolds
After school one day, Ghost watches the track team at his middle school.
He thinks, I can run faster than that kid – so he challenges him.
Without the right equipment and training, Ghost holds his own.
When Coach asks him to be a part of the track team, Ghost’s life takes a turn for the better.
Can Ghost stay on track?

8. Beneath Roland Smith
Pat has always idolized his older and very unique brother, Coop.
Coop disappears and one year later Pat receives a recording from him that leads Pat to New York City.
There have always been rumors of people living beneath the city in the subways and city infrastructure.
But, is there a thriving community deep beneath?
Have they taken Coop?

9. Falling Over Sideways
Jordan Sonnenblick
Claire Goldsmith is struggling with the perfectly normal middle-school challenges of friendship drama, mean girls, boys in general, puberty and having a flawless older brother.
One morning at breakfast her father has a stroke and life suddenly takes a sharp turn for the worse…

10. 23 Minutes Vivian VandeVelde
Fifteen-year-old Zoe is a foster kid who really doesn’t fit in anywhere.
She has a “gift,” which she thinks of as a curse - Zoe can travel back in time exactly 23 minutes when she says “playback.”
However, she has only ten times to use “playback” to try to improve a situation by changing factors as she goes back in time…

11. Wolf Hollow Lauren Wolk
Annabelle’s peaceful life in Wolf Hollow is disrupted by the arrival of a bully at her school and a violent act that is attributed to a homeless vet that she considers her friend.
She learns some tough life lessons as she tries, with the help of her parents, to resolve these conflicts in her community.