2009 Master List
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award
Illinois' Children's Choice Award, Grades 4-8

Please Note: The numbers in parentheses indicate grade/interest level as determined by the Steering Committee for the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award and are included to help guide readers to titles which may be most appropriate for them. To participate in the program registered organizations must provide participants access to at least 12 of the titles. Teachers, librarians and parents are encouraged to evaluate these books in order to determine their appropriateness to individual students and school communities.

Alabama Moon (Gr. 7-8)
 The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Gr. 4-8)
Black Duck (Gr. 6-8) Letters From Wolfie (Gr. 5-8)
Black Storm Comin' (Gr. 6-8) The Lightning Thief (Gr. 4-8)
Blood on the River (Gr. 5-8) Life as We Knew It (Gr. 7-8)
Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters (Gr. 5-7) Oh, Rats! (Gr. 4-8)
A Drowned Maiden's Hair (Gr. 5-8) Penny from Heaven (Gr. 5-8)
Gossamer (Gr. 4-6) Project Mulberry (Gr. 4-6)
The Green Glass Sea (Gr. 6-8) Rules (Gr. 4-6)
Hattie Big Sky (Gr. 6-8) shug (Gr. 6-8)
Heat (Gr. 5-8) Wolf Brother (Gr. 6-8)

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Alabama Moon
Key, Watt
Farrar Straus Giroux, 2006. (Gr. 7-8)

Author's website * Book Author interview on Alabama Moon

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Black Storm Comin'
Wilson, Diane Lee
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2005. (Gr. 6-8)

Pony Express Website 1 * Website 2 * Website 3

Pony Express California * Teacher Resources (PDF)

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Black Duck
Lisle, Janet Taylor
Philomel/Sleuth, 2006. (Gr. 6-8)

Author's website * Author bio * Book

Rhode Island * Rhode Island and Prohibilition

December 29, 1929 Newspaper account of The Black Duck

Oral History of the Black Duck

Rum Running Local History 1 * Rum Running Local History 2

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Blood on the River; James Town 1607
Carbone, Elisa
Viking, 2006. (Gr. 5-8)

This story of Jamestown from 1607-1610, as told through the eyes of Captain John Smith's page, is a captivating experience for readers to enjoy and relive. When Samuel Collier lands on the Virginia shore of the New World, he realizes that new ways have to be learned if the settlers are to survive.

Author's website * Author * How to pronounce Elisa Carbone

Book 1 * Book 2 * Literature circle guide

Jamestown 1 * Jamestown 2 * Jamestown 3 * Jamestown 4 (Anniversary)
Jamestown 5 (for teachers) * Jamestown 6 (Online adventure - requires download)

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Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters
Blume, Lesley M.M.
Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. (Gr. 5-7)

Author's website * Book * Author interview video

French bulldogs * Teacher Resources 1 * Teacher Resources 2

Lesson plan and student activity * West Village, New York City

Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes * Westville Café

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A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama
Schlitz, Laura Amy
Candlewick Press, 2006. (Gr. 5-8)

author video

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Gossamer
Lowry, Lois
Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. (Gr. 4-6)

Author's website * Book

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The Green Glass Sea
Klages, Ellen
Viking, 2006. (Gr. 6-8)

Author's website * Los Alamos History 1 * Los Alamos History 2

Manhattan Project * Manhattan project timeline

Manhattan project Workers

Trinity overview * Trinity Test * Trinity Site

Oppenheimer – biography * Nuclear video clips 

Trinitite 1 * Trinitite 2

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Hattie Big Sky
Larson, Kirby
Delacorte Press, 2006. (Gr. 6-8)

Author's website * Author

Book 1 * Book 2 * Teacher Resource

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Heat
Lupica, Mike
Scholastic, 2005. (Gr. 5-8)

Author bio * Yankee Stadium * Bronx

Cuba * Cuban immigration 1 * Cuban immigration 2

Little League World Series

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The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Selznick, Brian
Scholastic Press, 2007. (Gr. 4-8)

Author * Book * George Méliès

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Letters From Wolfie
Sherlock, Patti
Viking, 2004. (Gr. 5-8)

Author's website

War dogs 1 * War dogs 2 * War dogs 3 * War dogs 4

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Life as We Knew It
Pfeffer, Susan Beth
Harcourt, Inc., 2006. (Gr. 7-8)

Author's blog * Author bio

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The Lightning Thief
Riordan, Rick
yperion, 2005. (Gr. 4-8)

Author's website * Author bio PDF * Greek Mythology

Visit Camp Half-Blood * Teachers Guide * Discussion questions

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Oh, Rats! : The Story of rats and people
Marrin, Albert
Dutton Children's Books, 2006. (Gr. 4-8)

Author's website

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Penny from Heaven
Holm, Jennifer L.
Random House, 2006. (Gr. 5-8)

Author's website * Author bio (PDF)

Day in the life of Jennifer Holm * Teacher Guide1 * Teacher Guide 2

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Project Mulberry
Park, Linda Sue
Clarion Books, 2005. (Gr. 4-6)

Author's website * Silkworm diary with photos

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Rules
Lord, Cynthia
Scholastic Press, 2006. (Gr. 4-6)

Author's website * Book * Teacher/Librarian materials

The Autism Society of America * “The Guinea Pig Way” (needs Flash)

Rubber Duck Tic-Tac-Toe

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shug
Han, Jenny
Simon & Schuster, 2006. (Gr. 6-8)

Annemarie Wilcox, or Shug as her family calls her, is beginning to think there's nothing worse than being twelve. She's too tall, too freckled, and way too flat-chested. Shug is sure that there's not one good or amazing thing about her. And now she has to start junior high, where the friends she counts most dear aren't acting so dear anymore -- especially Mark...

Author's website

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Wolf Brother
Paver, Michelle
HarperCollins Publishers, 2004. (Gr.6-8)

Author's website * Author

Author interview * Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series

Please Note: The numbers in parentheses indicate grade/interest level as determined by the Steering Committee for the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award and are included to help guide readers to titles which may be most appropriate for them. To participate in the program registered organizations must provide participants access to at least 12 of the titles. Teachers, librarians and parents are encouraged to evaluate these books in order to determine their appropriateness to individual students and school communities.