2017 Nominees

When Rashad is mistakenly accused of stealing, classmate Quinn witnesses his brutal beating at the hands of a police officer who happens to be the older brother of his best friend. 

Theodore and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school--both teetering on the edge--it's the beginning of an unlikely relationship and a desire to save one another.

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, by Susan Kulkin*

Six trandgender or gender-neutral young adults share their personal journeys.                                                                  

Bone Gap, by Laura Ruby*

Finn is the only witness to the abduction of town favorite Roza, but when his inability to distinguish between faces makes it difficult for him to help with the investigation, people begin to question his story.

The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club, by Phillip Hoose

The true story of a group of resistance fighters in Denmark after the Nazi invasion.                                                            

The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander  (2017 honor book)

Twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with the highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir*

In the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire, Laia's brother is arrested for treason, forcing her to go undercover as a slave in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim they can save her brother.

Everything, Everything,by Nicola Yoon*   (2017 winner)

Maddy is allergic to the outside word. When a new family moves in next door, she finds her insular world becoming stifling and complicated.

Finding Audrey by Sophia Kinsella*

Fourteen-year old Audrey is making slow but steady progress dealing with her anxiety discorder when Linus comes into the picture and her recovery gains momentum.

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero*

Gabi chronicles her senior year as she copes with her best friend's pregnancy, friend Sebastian's coming out, her father's meth habit, and her own challeges of growing up.

House Arrest, by K.A. Holt

Timothy is sentenced to house arrest after impulsively stealing a credit card, where he is forced to keep a journal into which he pours all his thoughts, fears and frustrations.

I Am Princess X, by Cheri Priest

Years after writing stories about a superheroine character with a best friend who dies in a car accident, May is shocked to see impossible images of the superheroine appearing around Seattle.

Illuminae, by Aime Kaufman*  (2017 honor book)

The planet Kerenza is attacked, and Kady and Ezra find themselves on a space fleet fleeing the enemy, while their ship's artificial intelligence system and a deadly plague may be the end of them all. 

A Night Divided, by Jennifer Nielsen  (2017 honor book)

When the Berlin Wall went up, it divided Gerta's family.  Now four years later, Gerta sees her father on a viewing platform and thinks he is sending her a secret code telling her to tunnel to freedom.

Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson

Nimona is an impulsive shape shifter with a knack for villianry.  Lord Blackheart is a villian with a vendetta.  Together they will wreak havoc in this graphic novel adventure.

Noggin, by John Corey Whaley*

After dying at 16, Travis Coates' head was removed and frozen for five years before being attached to another body and now the old Travis must learn to navigate his new life.

Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny and the Fight for Civil Rights, by Steve Sheinkin

Presents an account of the 1944 civil rights protest involving hundreds of African American Navy servicemen who were unjustly charged with mutiny for refusing to work in unsafe conditions.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here, by Patrick Ness*

What if you aren't the Chosen One? The one fighting vampires, zombies, or whatever else? What if you're just like Mikey, who just wants to graduate and go to prom before someone blows up the high school?

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, by Stephanie Oakes*

A handless teen escapes from a cult, only to find herself in juvenile detention and suspected of knowing who murdered her cult leader.

The Thing About Jellyfish, by Ali Benjamin

Suzy wades through her intense grief over the loss of her best friend by investigating the rare jellyfish she is convinced is responsible for her friend's death.

Through the Woods, by Emily Carroll*

A graphic novel collection of five spine tingling, horror filled short stories.                                                                           

What We Saw, by Aaron Hartzler*

Life has changed for Piddy. Her best friend moved away, she starts a new school, and she is bullied by a girl she doesn’t even know.   What else can possible go wrong?