Young Reader Category (grades 4-6)
1993: Fudge-a-Mania by Judy Blume
1994: Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville:Small for his age but artistically talented, twelve-year-old Jeremy Thatcher unknowingly buys a dragon's egg.
1995: The Boys Start the War by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor: Disgusted that a family with three girls moves into the house across the river, nine-year-old Wally and his three brothers declare a practical joke war on the girls.
1996: Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth by Barbara Park:When her kindergarten class has Job Day, Junie B. goes through much confusion and excitement before deciding on the "bestest" job of all.
1997: Shape-Changer by Bill Brittain
1998: Tarot Says Beware by Betsy Byars: Herculeah Jones and her bumbling pal, Meat, investigate the murder of a palm reader.
1999: Frindle by Andrew Clements
2000: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling:Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
2001: Harry the Poisonous Centipede by Lynne Reid Banks: When their adventures lead them to explore the biggest and scariest villain of all, Harry and George realize that they are not brave, only reckless and foolish.
2002: Weird Stories from the Lonesome Cafe by Judy Cox: Sam moves to Nevada with his uncle to run a café in the middle of nowhere, and although Uncle Clem insists that nothing ever happens there, his clientele consists of a number of strange characters, including Dorothy and Toto, Elvis, and Bigfoot.
2003: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket:After the sudden death of their parents, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune.
2004: The Edison Mystery by Dan Gutman: Thirteen-year-old Robert "Qwerty" Stevens uses the time machine he finds in his back yard to visit Thomas Edison's workshop in 1879, and there helps develop the electric light bulb, but then needs his sister's help to return to his own time.
2005: The Stranger Next Door by Peg Kehret: A clever cat's heroism helps two twelve-year-old boys become friends after their families, one of which is in a witness protection program, move to neighboring houses in Hilltop, Washington.
2006: Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret:When an earthquake creates a tsunami while thirteen-year-old Kyle is babysitting his sister during a family vacation at a Pacific Coast resort, he tries to save himself, his sister, and a boy who has bullied him for years. Includes an author's note which provides factual information on tsunamis.
2007: Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism by Georgia Byng:Unlucky and unloved, Molly Moon, living in a dreary orphanage in a small English town, discovers a hidden talent for hypnotism and hypnotizes her way to stardom in New York City.
2008: The Ghost's Grave by Peg Kehret:Apprehensive about spending the summer in Washington State with his Aunt Ethel when his parents get an overseas job, twelve-year-old Josh soon finds adventure when he meets the ghost of a coal miner.
2009: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney: Greg records his sixth grade experiences in a middle school where he and his best friend, Rowley, undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily, hope just to survive, but when Rowley grows more popular, Greg must take drastic measures to save their friendship.
2010: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo:Edward Tulane, a cold-hearted and proud toy rabbit, loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him and travels across the country, acquiring new owners and listening to their hopes, dreams, and histories.
2011: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan: Amy and Dan, members of the powerful Cahill family, try to uncover the thirty-nine clues which will reveal the secrets of their lineage and find out what really happened to their parents.
2012: Stolen Children by Peg Kehret
2013: Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
2014: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger:Sixth-grader Tommy and his friends describe their interactions with a paper finger puppet of Yoda, worn by their weird classmate Dwight, as they try to figure out whether or not the puppet can really predict the future. Includes instructions for making Origami Yoda.
Intermediate Category (grades 6-9)
1988: Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You by BartheDeClements:Helen fears that lack of improvement in her reading may leave her stuck in the sixth grade forever, until a good teacher recognizes her reading problem.
1989: Baby-sitting Is a Dangerous Job by Willo Davis Roberts:
1990: There's a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom by Louis Sachar:An unmanageable, but lovable, eleven-year-old misfit learns to believe in himself when he gets to know the new school counselor, who is a sort of misfit too.
1991: My Teacher Is an Alien by Bruce Coville:After Susan sees Mr. Smith the substitute teacher peel off his face, she knows he's an alien and only Peter believes her. Together they work to save the class from Mr. Smith's horrible plans.
1992: Matilda by Roald Dahl:
1993: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli: After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.
1994: Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor: Marty finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, and tries to hide it from his family and the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to shoot deer out of season and to mistreat his dogs.
1995: Flight #116 Is Down by Caroline B. Cooney: Teenager Heidi Landseth helps rescue people from a plane crash on her family's property, and the experience changes her life forever.
1996: The Name of the Game Was Murder by Joan Lowery Nixon:1997: Loch by Paul Zindel
1998: Crash by Jerry Spinelli:Seventh-grader John "Crash" Coogan has always been comfortable with his tough, aggressive behavior, until his relationship with an unusual Quaker boy and his grandfather's stroke make him consider the meaning of friendship and the importance of family.
1999: The Doom Stone by Paul Zindel:Jackson and his new friend Alma investigate the mysterious attacks upon a young man and Jackson's Aunt Sarah at Stonehenge in England.
2000: Virtually Perfect by Dan Gutman:When eleven-year-old Kaci interrupts burglars in the process of robbing her house, she and her nosy elderly neighbor Mrs. Banducci are kidnapped and held hostage by the desperate and ruthless criminals.
2001: Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix:In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong.
2002: Hostage by Willo Davis Roberts
2003: Zach's Lie by Roland Smith:When Jack Osborne is befriended by his school's custodian and a Basque girl, he begins to adjust to his family's sudden move to Elko, Nevada, after entering the Witness Security Program, but the drug cartel against which his father will testify is determined to track them down.
2004: Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen: In alternating chapters, two teenagers describe how their feelings about themselves, each other, and their families have changed over the years.
2005: Red Midnight by Ben Mikaelsen: After soldiers kill his family, twelve-year-old Santiago and his four-year-old sister flee Guatemala in a kayak and try to reach the United States.
2006: The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau: In the city of Ember, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in herdecaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.
2007: Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith:
2008: Magyk by Angie Sage: Jenna learns that she is a princess found as a baby by the man she believed was her father and now she and Septimus, who was taken at birth by the midwife, are being threatened by the evil wizard, DomDaniel who intends to finish off the entire royal line.
2009: Fablehaven by Brandon Mull: Kendra and Seth find themselves in the midst of a battle between good and evil when they visit their grandparents' estate and discover that it is a sanctuary for magical creatures.
2010: Unwind by Neal Shusterman: Three teens embark upon a cross-country journey in order to escape from a society that salvages body parts from children ages thirteen to eighteen.
2011: Stepping Up by Mark Fink:"Ernie Dolan, 14, is plagued by the curse of the average. Nothing about him stands out-- except his stutter. Only best friend Mike Rivers sees him at his best.
2012: Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman:Although housebound following an eerie accident, teenaged Ryan continues to investigate the strange occurrences in his hometown of Skeleton Creek, recording his findings in a journal and viewing email video clips sent by fellow detective Sarah.
2013: Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans:To everyone at Meridian High School, fourteen-year-old Michael Vey is nothing special, just the kid who has Tourette's syndrome. But in truth, Michael is extremely special--he has electric powers. Michael thinks he is unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor has the same mysterious powers. With the help of Michael's friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up with their abilities, and their investigation soon brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric teens--and through them, the world.
2014: Smile by Raina Telgemeier:From sixth grade through tenth, Raina copes with a variety of dental problems that affect her appearance and how she feels about herself.
Young Adult Category (grades 9-up)
1989: Locked in Time by Lois Duncan: Nore arrives at her stepmother's Louisiana plantation to find her new family odd and an aura of evil and mystery about the place.
1990: Experiment in Terror by Bernal C. Payne, Jr.
1991: Princess Ashley by Richard Peck:
1992: Whispers from the Dead by Joan Lowery Nixon:After making contact with the spirit world during a near-death experience, Sarah moves to Houston with her parents and receives otherworldly messages about a murder committed in her house.
1993: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton:
1994: Plague Year by Stephanie S. Tolan
1995: The Giver by Lois Lowry: Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other. He then learns the terrible truth about the Community.
1996: Winners and Losers by Stephen Hoffius:
1997: Shadow by Joyce Sweeney
1998: Companions of the Night by Vivian VandeVelde:
1999: Tangerine by Edward Bloor:Twelve-year-old Paul, who lives in the shadow of his football hero brother Erik fights for the right to play soccer despite his near blindness and slowly begins to remember the incident that damaged his eyesight.
2000: Gallows Hill by Lois Duncan: When seventeen-year-old Sarah works in the fortune-telling booth at a school carnival, she finds that sometimes she can really see the future in the crystal ball, a talent that disturbs some of the other students and makes them suspect her of being a witch.
2001: Hero by S.L. Rottman
2002: Burning Up by Caroline B. Cooney
2003: Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen: Fifteen-year-old Cole, trying to avoid prison, agrees to participate in a sentencing alternative based on the Native American Circle Justice, and is sent to a remote Alaskan Island where an encounter with a huge Spirit Bear changes his life.
2004: Daughter of Venice by Donna Jo Napoli: Frustrated with the restrictions her gender imposes on her life, fourteen-year-old Donata, disguised as a boy, sneaks out of her noble family's house to roam the streets of late sixteenth-century Venice and then must confront the repercussions of her actions.
2005: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer:In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the young clone of El Patron, the 142-year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire nestled between Mexico and the United States.
2006: Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman: When sixteen-year-old Blake goes to a mysterious, by-invitation-only carnival he somehow knows that it could save his comatose brother, but soon learns that much more is at stake if he fails to meet the challenge presented there by the beautiful Cassandra.
2007: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer:When seventeen-year-old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human.
2008: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld: Just before their sixteenth birthdays, when they'll be transformed into beauties whose only job is to have a great time, Tally's best friend runs away and Tally must find her and turn her in, or never become pretty at all.
2009: Peak by Roland Smith:A fourteen-year-old boy attempts to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest.
2010: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen accidentally becomes a contender in the annual Hunger Games, a grave competition hosted by the Capitol where young boys and girls are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the death.
2011: Dope Sick by Walter Dean Myers:
2012: The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd: Ninth Grade Slays by Heather Brewer:
2013: Divergent by Veronica Roth: In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomoly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.
2014: Legend by Marie Lu: In a dark future, when North America has split into two warring nations, fifteen-year-old Day, a famous criminal, and prodigy June, the brilliant soldier hired to capture him, discover that they have a common enemy.