2002 Nominees

 

A Hole in the World - MS

by Sid Hite

As punishment for lying, Paul is sent to work on the farm of distant relatives, where he is sure to be uncomfortable. Things prove different as he gets to know those who live and work on the farm and their connection to a farm hand who died the previous year.

 

No More Dead Dogs - MS

by Gordon Korman

Tired of reading stories with dogs who die by the end, Wallace Wallace refuses to write a required report for Old Shep, My Pal. His teacher makes him stay after school, where play rehearsals for "Old Shep" are being held. Wallace ends up influencing the cast and the script until it is unrecognizable.

 

Fair Weather - MS

by Richard Peck

Rosie Beckett and her seven-year-old brother Buster travel with their granddad from their remote country hamlet to visit their Aunt Euterpe in Chicago, the site of the 1893 World's Fair.

 

Vicky Angel - MS

by Jaqueline Wilson

During an argument with her best friend Jade, Vicky is hit by a car and dies. She returns to haunt Jade, tormenting and manipulating her. Only Jade can see Vicky, but that doesn't make the agitation any less real.

 

Hope Was Here - All

by Joan Bauer

Hope and her aunt move to a small town planning to settle down and run a diner. Hope finds herself becoming involved in local politics, enjoying her new friends, and deciding that this is the place for her.

 

Artemis Fowl - All

by Eoin Colfer

When boy genius Artemis Fowl decides to exploit the ancient race of fairies for personal gain, he fails to consider the fairy world's determination to thwart his plans.

 

Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by 20th Century American Art - All

Edited by Jan Greenberg

Forty-four works of 20th Century art inspire 44 contemporary poets to creat poetry. Beautiful visual art reproductions -- beautiful word art!

 

Tender - All

by Valerie Hobbs

After Liv's grandmother dies, she must move out west to live with her father, whom she has never met. Can she forgive her father for abandoning her?

 

The Last Book in the Universe - All

by Rodman Philbrick

When Spaz's ailing sister, Bean, is predicted to die, he enlists the aid of Ryter to travel to the Edge of the Urbs, facing the ruling Latch bosses, in order to reach her in this dark, futuristic novel.

 

Witch Child - All

by Celia Reese

When Mary Newbury's grandmother is sentenced to hang for witchcraaft, she must flee from England to America. She joins a Puritan group whose destination is Salem, Massachusetts. As witch fever invades the village, Mary finds herself accused of witchcraft.

 

On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God - All

by Louise Rennison

George Nicholson is back with her mates, her insecurities about her appearance, her infatuation with Robbie, and her alien (to her) family.

 

Zach's Lie - All

by Roland Smith

Zach, his sister, and his mother are relocated and given new identities, but Zach isn't comfortable with his new life and resents all of the changes. Since the family is in the witness protection program, Zach must obey the rules. The consequences could be deadly for everyone involved.

 

The Gospel According to Larry - All

by Janet Tashjian

The world has caught Larry-fever. He is the author of a website which denounces materialism and pop culture, encouraging people to ignore advertising campaigns and to speak out against consumer exploitation.

 

Stuck in Neutral - All

by Terry Trueman

Shawn McDaniel suffers from cerebral palsy. Except for his occasional seizures, he is immobile and silent. Now Shawn suspects his father, unable to accept his son's suffering, is planning to kill him.

 

Razzle - All

by Ellen Wittlinger

When Kenyon Baker moves to Cape Cod with his parents to run a small seaside cottage establishment, he meets Razzle Penney, probably about the most unusual girl he has ever known. Their friendship is tested and stretched by others, but he finds himself learning much about other people, life, and himself from this local.

 

Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants - HS  (2002 winner)

by Ann Brashares

A "magical" pair of thrift store pants accompanies four friends on their separate summer vacations, altering their experiences and changing their views about each other and life.

 

Love and Sex: Ten Stories of Truth - HS

Edited by Michael Cart

Tales of teenage love and sexuality, from the pains of a blind date to six years of pining for a first love, are told in ten short stories that are sure to capture the hearts of all who read them.

 

Whale Talk - HS

by Chris Crutcher

When T.J. Jones looks at sports-crazy Cutler High School and his schoolmates, he knows that he doesn't want to join any of the cliques so popular with other students. Instead, he forms a swim team of the most unlikely members of the student body.

 

Breathing Underwater - HS

by Alexandra Flinn

Nick didn't mean to hit his girlfriend, but he loves her so much and can't be without her. The court orders him into counseling, and he is forced to acknowledge and confront his violent disposition.

 

Born Blue - HS

by Han Nolan

Jamie ... Leshaya ... whatever she's called, she's a survivor. This child of a heroin addict has seen it all: revolving foster homes, physical abuse, an unwanted pregnancy. Now, she is determined not only to survive but to make life for herself by doing the only thing that makes her happy ... singing.

 
 

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers - HS

by Loung Ung

The author describes her childhood in this eye-opening account of life in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979 under the brutality of the Khmer Rouge.

 

True Believer - HS

by Virginia Euwer Wolff

When LaVaughn was little, the obstacles in her life didn't seem so bad. But she is fifteen and the obstacles aren't going away anymore. Her mother is distracted by a new man, school could slip away from her so easily, and the boy who's a miracle in her life acts just as if he's in love ... only he's not in love with her.