VSBA Nomination List High School Division

Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi In a dark future America that has devolved into unending civil wars, orphans Mahlia and Mouse barely escape the war-torn lands of the Drowned Cities. When their fragile safety threatened, Mahlia must risk everything to save her friend.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo Alina is taken from an obscure orphanage to the palace. There she is trained by a powerful magician called the Darkling who hopes to use her emerging powers to destroy the monsters of the Fold.

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal This biography chronicles the life and accomplishments of Apple mogul Steve Jobs, discussing his ideas and describing how he influenced life in the twenty-first century.

The Diviners by Libba Bray Evie O'Neill is thrilled when she is exiled from small-town Ohio to New York City in When a rash of occult-based murders thrusts Evie, her friends, and her uncle into the thick of the investigation, she finds her life in danger.

Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol Anya, embarrassed by her family and lacking confidence in her body and her social skills, finally finds a friend after falling down a well. However, she quickly learns there are drawbacks to having a ghost for a friend.

The Selection by Kiera Cass America Singer’s life changes when she is chosen to compete in the Selection, a contest to see which girl can win the heart of Illea's prince. However, all she really wants is a chance for a future with Aspen, her true love.

Don’t Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon After waking up on an operating table with no memory of how she got there, Noa must team up with computer hacker Peter to stop a corrupt corporation with a deadly secret.

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson Hopkinson draws on stories from survivors and archival photos to describe the history of the Titanic from its launch to its sinking.

The Opposite of Hallelujah by Anna Jarzab For eight of her sixteen years Carolina’s older sister Hannah has been in a convent and out of touch with her family. When she suddenly abandons her vocation and comes home, no one knows quite how to handle the situation or what explosive secrets she is hiding.

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King Astrid Jones, who realizes that she is a lesbian, deals with the gossip and rejection she faces by sending love up to the people on airplanes as they pass over her.

We’ve Got a Job by Cynthia Levinson Levinson tells the story of the 4,000 black elementary, middle, and high school students who voluntarily went to jail and helped to end segregation in Alabama.

Every Day by David Levithan Every morning, A wakes in a different person's body, in a different person's life. Over the years, A has learned to never get too attached. Then one day, he wakes up in the body of Justin and falls in love with Rhiannon.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer Cinder, a cyborg with a mysterious past, is blamed by her stepmother for her stepsister's death. When Cinder's life gets intertwined with Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the center of a struggle between the rulers of the Earth and the Moon.

Ashfall by Mike Mullin After the eruption of a supervolcano destroys his city and its surroundings, Alex must journey from Iowa to Illinois to find his family. Along the way, he meets and falls in love with Dana. Together, they try to survive in a transformed landscape and a new society in which all the old rules of living have vanished.

No Crystal Stair by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson This documentary novel tells the story of Lewis Michaux who built a bookstore in Harlem despite widespread opposition.

Sons of the 613 by Michael Rubens Isaac is struggling to prepare for his Bar Mitzvah when his older brother Josh, a self- proclaimed "Super Jew" and undefeated wrestler, forces him into a quest to become a man by shooting a gun, riding a motorcycle, falling in love, and more.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe By Benjamin Alire Saenz Ari Mendoza is an angry loner with a brother in prison, but when he meets Dante and they become friends, Ari starts to ask questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he has never asked before.

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys Josie, the seventeen- year-old daughter of a French Quarter prostitute, is striving to escape 1950 New Orleans and enroll at prestigious Smith College when she becomes entangled in a murder investigation.

Bomb by Steve Sheinkin The narrative non-fiction title examines the history of the atomic bomb, discussing the discovery of the behavior of uranium when placed next to radioactive material, the race to build a bomb, and the impact of the weapon on societies around the world.

Courage Has No Color by Tanya Lee Stone Stone tells the story of America's first black paratroopers and the obstacles they had to overcome during WWII.