CROWN AWARDS 2009-2010

Twenty books are chosen by a special panel of Christian librarians and teachers nationally for our fourth graders to read and is called the Children's Crown Award. These books are chosen because they "faithfully present wholesome values, uplifting characters, and edifying themes." A fourth grader must read at least four books. One book is read to them by the librarian and three books are read independently. The children who read the required amount of books will get to vote in April in the Elementary Library for their favorite book.

The Crown Gallery Award is for first through third grade. The ten books are read aloud by the librarian and all children will get to vote for their favorite book when the books have been completed by each class.

4th GRADE CHILDREN’S CROWN AWARD

1. Annie’s War, by Jacqueline Levering Sullivan, RL 4.  After World War II ends, ten-year- old Annie is hospitalized with appendicitis and has imaginary conversations with President Truman which help her cope with the post-war stresses that fill Annie’s life at her grandmother’s house.         
2. The Aurora County All-Stars, by Deborah Wiles, RL 4. Recently recovered All-Star pitcher House Jackson is desperate to play ball again, but he may have to reveal a secret about himself to restore harmony, and baseball, to Aurora County, Mississippi.
3. Ben and the Sudden Too-Big Family, by Colby Rodowsky, RL 5.  Ten-year-old Ben thinks he and his father make a “cool” family, but Ben has to rethink what is “all right” and “not all right” when his father remarries and adopts a baby from China.
4. The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians, by Carla Morris, RL 4.  Melvin visits the public library every day in his quest for information and discovers kindred, guiding spirits in the  form of three librarians who help nurture his thirst for knowledge right up to adulthood.
5. The Dog Who Thought He Was Santa, by Bill Wallace, RL 4. Don and his bloodhound,  Frank, take turns telling the story of how Frank tried to save Christmas for Don and his sister in 1957 when coal mine problems threatened to ruin everything.
6. Ice Cream Town, by Rona Arato, RL 4.  In 1920, the only things that keep Sammy out of trouble on New York’s tough streets are his quick wit and amazing singing voice.
7. Jack Plank Tells Tales, by Natalie Babbitt, RL 5.  An out-of-work pirate, Jack Plank, comes ashore to look for a different line of work, but every night he explains how each non-sailing career he has investigated just won’t work for him.
8. Knut:  How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World, by Juliana, Isabella, and Craig Hatkoff. RL 5. Thomas Doflein and Zoo Berlin dedicate a year to successfully raising a polar bear in captivity and in so doing, gain the attention of the world for maintaining natural habitats.
9. Library Mouse, by Daniel Kirk, RL 4.  When Sam, a mouse who lives in a library begins shelving with the other books the stories he has been writing and illustrating himself, everyone wants to meet the author of these intriguing little books.
10. Morris and Buddy:  The Story of the First Seeing Eye Dog, by Becky Hall, RL 4. Morris Frank and a German shepherd named Buddy develop a relationship that leads to the establishment of programs for training seeing eye dogs and laws supporting their use in public places in America.
11. Nim’s Island, by Wendy Orr, RL 5.  Nim loves her island and her animals, but when her father does not return as expected from his scientific experiments, Nim’s only source of help may the new friend she’s made via email.
12. No Talking, by Andrew Clements, RL 5.  When, the loud and disorderly 5^th grade boys challenge the girls in their class to a “no talking” duel, the result has lasting effects on everyone, including the teachers and principal.
13. Paint the Wind, by Pam Munoz Ryan, RL 5.  When her grandmother dies, Maya, a sheltered orphan from California, is forced move to a family ranch in Wyoming, where she discovers a connection with her mother through a love of horses.
14. Perch, Mrs. Sackets, and Crow’s Nest, by Karen Pavlicin, RL 4.  Andy finds that spending a summer doing chores for his grandmother and connecting with his mother’s childhood friend in West Carthage, New York, helps him accept that faith will help him begin to heal after his father’s recent death.
15. Rickshaw Girl, by Mitali Perkins, RL 4.  In her village in Bangladesh, Naimi is very talented at painting, but she would have to be a boy, or at least seem to be a boy, to help her poverty-stricken family make money.
16. The Snow Goose, by Paul Gallico, RL 5.  A young girl and a crippled, isolated artist become friends during World War II, when they work together to nurse a wounded bird     to health.
17. Sweet Land of Liberty, by Deborah Hopkinson, RL 5.  Oscar Chapman takes a stand as a young boy against prejudice which leads to his participation, as an adult, in arranging the first major gathering at the Lincoln Monument, Marian Anderson’s singing of “America.”
18. The Tale of Pale Male:  A True Story, by Jeanette Winter, RL 4.  Pale Male, a Red-tailed hawk, and his mate build their nest at the top of an apartment building on Fifth Avenue instead of in New York’s Central Park.
19. Tales of Famous Americans, by Connie and Peter Roop, RL 5. These tales each start with a description of the famous person as a child and then use interesting art, pictures, and numerous facts to inspire readers to find similar greatness in themselves.
20. Trouble According to Humphrey, by Betty G. Birney, RL 4.  Humphrey, the classroom hamster, relates the adventures and misadventures of the students in school room 26 when they begin an assignment to build a model town.

GRADES 1-3 CROWN GALLERY NOMINEES

1. Edward’s Eyes, by Patricia MacLachlan, RL 3. When a talented young boy dies suddenly, his loving family donates his organs, and his brother learns to see him in the life of an unexpected recipient.
2. First Snow in the Woods, by Carl R. Sams and Jean Stoick, RL 2. A fawn wonders if he is ready for the coming winter as he watches other forest creatures making their preparations for the change of seasons.
3. Humphrey’s First Christmas, by Carol Heyer, RL 1. A selfish camel learns that he is not as important as he thought when he is forced to carry a heavy load to a baby in a manger.
4. My Father’s House, by Kathi Appelt, RL 1. A poet thanks the creator-father for the beauty of the natural world and promises to remember it was created to be his home.
5. Rabbit’s Gift, by George Shannon, RL 2. Rabbit sets an example of thinking of others instead of hoarding for oneself by giving an extra turnip to a friend.
6. A Second is a Hiccup, by Hazel Hutchins, RL 2. This lyric provides creative explanations of common measurements of time in descriptive terms all children can understand.
7. A Seed is Sleepy, by Dianna Hutts Aston, RL 3. Inventive personification and descriptive illustrations lead readers through the amazing, scientific transformations of seeds to flowering plants.
8. Summerhouse Time, by Eileen Spinelli, RL 3. Sophie’s annual trip with her extended family to the beach is filled with fun traditions and exciting new experiences.
9. Swift, by Robert J. Blake, RL 3. A young boy must rely on his dog and his training to save himself and his father after an attack by a bear during a hunting trip.
10. Where I Live, by Eileen Spinelli, RL 2. A group of poems reveals the perceptions of a  young girl as she and her family must move a great distance to live with her grandfather.