2006 Nominees

 

Airborn - MS

by Kenneth Oppel
Matt Cruse must help save his luxury airship, Aurora, from pirates, shipwreck, and mysterious flying creatures.
 

Lily's Ghosts - MS

by Laura Ruby
When Lily and her mother move into her great-uncle's house, Lily begins to experience strange things and wonders if the house is haunted.
 

So Hard to Say - MS

by Alex Sanchez
When Frederick moves into town he quickly becomes friends with Xio.  When she starts to like him as more than a friend, he must confront the fact he may be gay.
 

Letters from Wolfie - MS

by Patti Sherlock
Mark sees his family torn apart when his brother goes off to fight in Vietnam and Mark volunteers his beloved Wolfie to serve as an Army scout dog.
 

The Wish List - MS

by Eoin Colfer
After a robbery-gone-wrong leads to death, Meg is flung into Limbo.  To reach Heaven she must help Lowrie, the victim, achieve his "wish list" before the Devil's henchmen get to her.
 

The Sea of Trolls - All

by Nancy Farmer
Ships and swords take Jack and Lucy from their family. Jack's magic protects them from the rage of their Viking captors, but it's going to take a quest to get home safely.  
 

Nothing to Lose - All

by Alex Flinn
A year after running away with a traveling carnival to escape his unbearable home life, Michael returns to find that his mother is on trial for the murder of his abusive stepfather.
 

Girl, 15, Charming But Insane - All

by Sue Limb
With a chest that refuses to develop and a butt that is all too developed, how can Jess get dream guy Ben to notice her -- especially when her best friend is a gorgeous, perfect blonde?
 

The Wee Free Men - All

by Terry Pratchett
When worlds collide, it's up to a fierce group of Fairyland exiles and a witch-in-training to stop an invasion of monsters. Tiffany is only nine, but she has a frying pan and some little blue men ... a partnership that can't fail.
 

Mortal Engines - All

by Philip Reeve
It is the distant future when cities move about and devour smaller towns. When Tom is almost killed by the man he most admires, he must seek answers in the perilous Out-Country, aided by his new friend Hester.
 

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies - All  (2006 winner)

by Sonya Sones
Ruby leaves her best friend, her boyfriend, her aunt, and her mother's grave in Boston and reluctantly flies to Los Angeles to live with her father, a famous movie star she barely knows.
 

Can't Get There From Here - All

by Todd Strasser
Tired of living on the streets with a tribe of other homeless teenagers who are dying, Maybe ponders her future and longs for someone to care about her.
 

So Yesterday - All

by Scott Westerfeld
Hunter is paid by corporations to spot what is cool, but his hunting takes on a new twist when he and his new friend Jen must find a missing person and thwart a conspiracy directed at the heart of consumer culture.
 

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray - All

by Chris Wooding
In a world similar to Victorian London, Thaniel, a hunter of deadly, demonic creatures called the wych-kin, takes in a lost, possessed girl and becomes embroiled in a plot to unleash evil on the world.
 
 

Emako Blue - All

by Brenda Woods
Newly arrived at an LA high school, gifted singer Emako Blue is admired for her voice by Monterey, Jamal, and Eddie, but envied by Savannah. Suddenly, all of these teens must grow up quickly when an accident turns tragic.
 

Acceleration - HS

by Graham McNamee
Trapped in a boring summer job working in the Transit Authority's lost-and-found, Duncan finds the diary of a would-be serial killer and launches his own investigation. Will he be able to find the killer and stop him?
 
 

Bottled Up - HS

by Jaye Murray
A high school boy on the edge faces the choice of what path his life is going to take. Will he follow his father's destructive path or choose a future avoiding addiction and cruelty?
 

Luna - HS

by Julie Anne Peters
Regan puts her life on hold as she worries that someone will learn about her brother Liam's secret. Outwardly, he plays the role of the son every father wants, but inside he is a young woman named Luna.
 

Fault Line - HS

by Janet Tashjian
Becky feels more alive and confident as she enjoys Kip's attention and their shared interest in stand-up comedy. As the relationship turns violent, she realizes she must seek help before losing her identity and self-esteem completely.
 

Double Helix- HS

by Nancy Werlin
Eli discovers a shocking secret about his family while working for a Nobel Prize-winning geneticist.
 

Heart on My Sleeve - HS

by Ellen Wittlinger
From the end of high school to the beginning of college, Chloe and Julian deal with major life changes and explore their feelings for each other through emails, letters, and a visit.