Nominees & Recommendations

Reading Corps/Mock Printz Favs Published in 2017

Nominees:

                                     

Grit by Gillian French – nominated by Lauren
A story of the girl everyone knows, although she isn’t quite what they think.  A moving story of secrets, family, and romance.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – nominated by Hasana and Dionejala
A story that follows a 16-year old who struggles between two aspects of her life–living in a poor neighborhood and going to a prep school.  Her friend dies as a result of police brutality/misconduct and she struggles between speaking out and keeping quiet.  The book accurately portrays the harsh reality of being judged based on race and economic class.

Shadow Run by AdriAnne Strickland – nominated by Byron
A dual-perspective cosmic take on political conquest involving the discovery of telepathic powers.  From a small fishing planet yields an analysis of a rural starship captain’s plunge into a politically correct capitol city.

Soldier Boy by Keely Hutton – nominated by Lauren
A young Ugandan boy is abducted by soldiers of the rebellion. He and his brother struggle to escape while keeping a spark of hope alive.  This story, interspersed with that of the story of an escaped child soldier, creates a beautiful, depressing story that is impossible to put down.

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee – nominated by Grace
A teenage girl deals with her sexuality, her friends, her changing family, and her sudden internet stardom.  The novel introduces readers to asexuality and what it feels like to be 17.

Thornhill by Pam Smy
A terrifying, thought-provoking, tear-jerking novel told through diary entries and visual storytelling.  The book follows a young girl in the 1980s who is left in an orphanage and is the subject of torment by her peers.  In 2017, young Ella has already lost her mother and feels unwanted by her mother, but hopes to find a friend in the shadowy figure she sees outside the old orphanage.

Who Killed Christopher Goodman? by Alan Wolf
One morning, Christopher Goodman is found dead, his body thrown unceremoniously into the woods.  The town is turned on its head, and a group of his school friends come together to share their final remarks of Christopher Goodman, leading to the answer to the question the title posed.

Recommendations:

                                        

Always and Forever:  Lara Jean – recommended by Dionejala
This is the final installation of the series To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.  It is a story about a girl in her senior year trying to hold on to her boyfriend, but also think about her future.

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy – recommended by Dionejala
This story is about a girl named Ramona in Mississippi who has blue hair and is six feet tall.  She lives in a trailer and likes girls.  She is also trying to take care of her pregnant older sister and herself while trying to continue swimming.  She resigns herself to not going to college.  Ramona learns that not only life has surprises and lessons to teach, but also love.

The Special Ones by Em Bailey – recommended by Ashleigh
An interesting psychological thriller that combines a lot of elements in a unique way.

Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle – recommended by Alice
A compelling multi-point-of-view story about losing and finding.