Iowa Teen Award
2014 - 2015
Read at least two of the titles by March to be able to vote
Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon - by Steve Sheinkin
Examines the history of the atomic bomb, discussing the discovery of the behavior of uranium when placed next to radioactive material, the race to build a bomb, and the impact of the weapon on societies around the world. Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip - Jordan Sonnenblick After an injury ends former star pitcher Peter Friedman's athletic dreams, he concentrates on photography which leads him to a girlfriend, new fame as a high school sports photographer, and a deeper relationship with the beloved grandfather who, when he realizes he is becoming senile, gives Pete all of his professional camera gear. Girl Stolen - April Henry When an impulsive carjacking turns into a kidnapping, Griffin, a high school dropout, finds himself more in sympathy with his wealthy, blind victim, than his greedy father. Book Trailer I Pledge Allegiance - Chris Lynch Best friends Morris, Rudi, Ivan, and Beck, having been either drafted or enlisted in the military during the Vietnam War, pledge they will come home together, and Morris, a sailor on the USS "Boston," relies on that promise to stay strong while his courage and resolve are tested under attack. Book Trailer The Lions of Little Rock - Kristin Levine Twelve-year-old Marlee develops a strong friendship with Liz, the new girl in school, but when Liz suddenly stops attending school and Marlee hears a rumor that her friend is actually an African American girl passing herself off as white, the two young girls must decide whether their friendship is worth taking on integration and the dangers it could bring to their families. Book Trailer The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan Jason, Piper, and Leo, three students from a school for "bad kids," find themselves at Camp Half-Blood, where they learn that they are demigods and begin a quest to free Hera, who has been imprisoned by Mother Earth herself. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs A horrific family tragedy sends sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of an old orphanage that was home to children who were more that just peculiar, but possibly dangerous--and who may still be alive. Book Trailer |
One for the Murphys - Lynda Mullaly Hunt
After heartbreaking betrayal, Carley Connors is sent to live with a foster family and struggles with opening herself up to their love. The Outcasts - John Flanagan Forced to compete in tests of endurance and strength, Hal discovers that he's not the only outcast in the land of seafaring marauders and that his battle for acceptance has just begun. Prisoner B-3087 - Alan Gratz Based on the life of Jack Gruener, this book relates his story of survival from the Nazi occupation of Krakow, when he was eleven, through a succession of concentration camps, to the final liberation of Dachau. The Raft - S. A. Bodeen Experienced traveler Robie, having decided to take a cargo plane from Honolulu to Midway Atoll after a visit with her aunt, struggles to survive with the co-pilot, Max, after the plane crashes in the Pacific Ocean and they are left on a raft in shark-infested waters with only one bag of Skittles. True Legend - Mike Lupica Fifteen-year-old Drew "True" Robinson loves being the best point-guard prospect in high school basketball, but learns the consequences of fame through a former player, as well as through the man who expects to be his manager when True reaches the NBA. Under the Never Sky - Veronica Rossi Aria and Perry, two teens from radically different societies--one highly advanced, the other primitive--hate being dependent on one another until they overcome their prejudices and fall in love. Ungifted - Gordon Korman Due to an administrative mix-up, troublemaker Donovan Curtis is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a special program for gifted and talented students, after pulling a major prank at middle school. Variant - Robison Wells After years in foster homes, seventeen-year-old Benson Fisher applies to New Mexico's Maxfield Academy in hopes of securing a brighter future, but instead he finds that the school is a prison and no one is what he or she seems. Book Trailer |
Enjoy reading the Iowa Children's Choice Award Books this year.
Credits:
Pictures from iclipart for schools.
Book summaries adapted from the NMS card catalog entries.
Updated 9/8/13