For books to be eligible, they must be published in 2021-2022. Reading and voting occurs during the 2022-2023 school year.
Northern Region
Remember Me Gone by Stacy Stokes
Nomination and book talk by The Louisville Bookies, Mentor: Jessica Schwartz, Teen Librarian Louisville Public Library
If you could erase something from your memory, would you do it? How bad would the memory have to be to make you want to give it up? In Remember Me Gone by Stacy Stokes, Lucy and her father have the special ability to make that happen. In the humble town of Tumble Tree, Texas, Lucy’s family runs a business called The Memory House, where people come from all over the world to have their bad memories erased. Lucy’s grown up believing that the business helps relieve people of their traumatic burdens, but when she starts discovering gaps in her own memory, she realizes there’s something potentially sinister going on. Why does she feel a strong connection to her classmate Marco, though they’ve never really talked to each other? Why does her father seem so anxious? Why are some people in town suddenly beset with a mysterious illness? It’s clear Lucy needs to uncover the truth behind these strange happenings-–but is she prepared for what she will find? Read Remember Me Gone to find out.
Metro Region
The Keeper
by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Nomination and book talk by The Panther Book Worms, Mentor: Janell Hawkins, school librarian Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College
The Keeper was inspired by a horrifying true event. James and Ava and their mother and father have just moved from their home along the Texas border to Oregon. Unsettled by their move, they wage a ferocious prank war with each other until they find out that they are both in real danger and it is up to each of them to save the other. (JNW)
Why we chose this book: I can relate when James move from Texas to Oregon. It was an adjustment. (LC) I was interested in the title and how it connected/related to the book. (AR)
If the main character lived next door, would we be friends? Yes. because we are both in middle school and he likes to joke around (LC) Yes. because we both like to joke around (prank wars). (AR))
What was your favorite part of the book? When the mystery of the Keeper was solved; it revealed who was actually writing the letters. (LC) The pranks that the siblings played on each other. (AR)
IF the book was a TV show, what characters would you cast in it? James and his little sister, Ava, of course Cole, Camila, Kyra, and Jenna. Also, KJ Appa. (LC) Marcel Roust for James. (AR)
IF you could change one thing about the book, what would it be? I would have liked Ava to be the main character because she is most mentioned. (LC) The way things were described was not quite clear, so I had to reread and try to understand the point they were getting across. (AR)
These Deadly Games
by Diana Urban
Nomination and video book talk by the Odyssey Golden Compasses, Mentors: Lisa Damm, Odyssey School Librarian and Phoebe Sacks, DPS Librarian
Central
Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
Nomination and audio Book Talk submitted by Cheetah Readahs,
Mentors: Elna Mcintosh, School Librarian Challenger Middle School and Amy White, TAG teacher
Southern
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
Nomination and book talk was done by Bare Necessities. This is a transcription of their book talk given at the Feb. 2, 2023, Statewide meeting. Mentored by Katherine Freeman, School Librarian Dolores School District.
I Must Betray You was set in Communist Romania,1989
The main characters:
Christian: He is very unhappy with living in Romania. Even though he will act right, the school is just teaching him how to live. The government controls you. They own you pretty much.
Cristian’s mom: She works for the American ambassadors. She cleans house.
Christian’s grampa: He, sadly, has leukemia. Christian just loves his grampa very much.
Christian’s girlfriend: Christian connects with his girlfriend a lot about unhappiness in Romania and knows that the government is pretty much feeding them lies about American culture.
PLOT:
Christian gets pulled out of school. And there are all these people who spy. (It tells you that pretty early.) Thre are people who are listening everywhere. So, they have to keep quiet and never say things out loud about their opinions.
His mom works for some ambassadors and he becomes one of those spies for the ambassadors. Then he gets spied on and he tries to find out who it is. He sort of gets caught in the whole Romanian revolution which is a pretty intense part. And then he tries to get home after that. He discovers who is spying on him which is emotional and sad-because they were close. And that is pretty much the end.
WHY IS THIS A GOOD BOOK FOR OUR NOMINATION?
We think it is a good choice (for our book nomination) because it taught us a way different part of the world and what happens there. It is very sad.
(One CBSA judge turns to the other) What would you call the book? Heartwarming?
The other CBSA judge replies, No. Sad and Upsetting. It also is really well written. It is not glorified. It is pretty relatable as far as Romania goes.