I have just added the 2017-18 MD Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominees on the above pages! Exciting stuff! The Black-Eyed Susan's are Maryland's student awards...read and voted on by students! The books are truly excellent and I HIGHLY recommend parents read them with their children and follow up with discussion from the picture books straight up to the high school.
This year there are 2 categories for graphic novels which I LOVE considering graphic novels can be slightly inappropriate for elementary school aged children. It's nice to see them split. I have read I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark and love it! It's not surprising it's nominated this year. Lately there have been quite a few historical picture books. Last year there was Mesmerized and Gingerbread for Liberty and Jackrabbit McCabe. I think that they are very educational as well as entertaining. I don't know any of the books for grades 4-6, but Full Cicada Moon has a gorgeous cover and Towers Falling looks really good. Oh! Seven and a Half Tons of Steel in the picture books...can't wait to read! It doesn't surprise me that Ghosts in the grades 4-6 graphics is on the list. Raina Telgemeier has written Smile, Sisters and Drama and Ghosts is almost certain to please. Mighty Jack looks good too. I believe it's a twisted fairy tale and I do love my fairy tales! Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard is by Jonathan Auxier who wrote The Night Gardener that was on last year's list and what a great book that was!! Very creepy! I have A Night Divided in my personal collection and haven't read it yet. This may be a good time!! I don't know any of the grades 6-9 graphic novels, but Gotham Academy looks interesting. I don't know any of the high school's either which will make for great reading!! I love to read books that I have never heard of, but I KNOW will be good.
Happy reading!!
