Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award Grades 6 - 8

Athlete vs. Mathlete By W.C. Mack Twin brothers Owen and Russell may share the same genes, but that’s where their similarities end. Owen loves sports and is a star of the school basketball team, while Russell is the academically-minded captain of the math team. The two have always gotten along together without overlapping interests, but when their father and a new coach encourage Russell to join the basketball team, tension arises. By W.C. Mack

The Boy On The Wooden Box Holocaust survivor Leon Leyson was only ten-years-old when World War II reached his home in Poland. In this memoir, he straightforwardly recounts his memories of his life before, during, and after the war. He attributes his survival to the brave efforts of Oskar Schindler, a Nazi who recognized the value of his life and the lives of other Jews working in his factory. By Leon Leyson

Counting by 7s By Holly Goldberg Sloan Willow Chance is a twelve-year old genius who has always known she doesn’t quite fit in with others her age, but she has always had an accepting and loving home to support her. Suddenly her world is tragically changed when both of her parents die in a car crash. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing little girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read. By Holly Goldberg Sloan

The Darkest Path By Jeff Hirsch In this futuristic dystopia, a militant cult called the Glorious Path has begun a rebellion in the southern states that is threatening to overthrow the US government completely. Callum and his brother James have survived for years in this environment, but Cal finally seizes an opportunity to escape, attempting a dangerous mission to return home with a stray dog as a companion. By Jeff Hirsch

Dogs of War By Sheila Keenan and Nathan Fox This graphic novel tells the stories of the canine military heroes of World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War. Each story tells the remarkable adventures of a soldier and his service dog. Based on the real-life roles of military dogs that served as Red Cross rescuers, messengers, scouts, search-and-rescue teams, sentries, and mascots, it captures both the adventure and the devastation brought on by war, as well as the celebrations of life and friendship between the soldiers and their dogs. By Sheila Keenan and Nathan Fox

The Heartbreak Messenger Twelve-year-old Quentin never asked to be the Heartbreak Messenger. It just kind of happened, and he can’t let a golden opportunity pass him by. The valuable service he offers is simple: he delivers breakup messages. For a small fee, he will deliver that message to your soon-to-be ex. If you order the deluxe package, he’ll even throw in some flowers and a box of chocolates. He encounters tears, anger, and even some good advice in a series of hilarious break-ups for hire. By Alexander Vance

Jack Strong Takes A Stand Jack just wants to be a regular kid. But his parents have overscheduled his week with every extra activity under the sun: tennis, baseball, cello, karate, tutoring, and Chinese language lessons—all on top of regular homework. He's just about had enough, so he stages a sit-in on his couch and refuses to get up until his parents let him quit some of the extra activities. His protest attracts a local television host who is interested in doing a segment about him. Jack's enjoying this newfound attention, but he's worried that this sit-in may have gone too far. By Tommy Greenwald

One Came Home By Amy Timberlake Georgie Burkhardt is known for two things: her uncanny aim with a rifle and her habit of speaking her mind plainly. When Georgie blurts out something that she shouldn't, her older sister Agatha flees, running off with a pack of "pigeoners." Then the sheriff returns to town with an unidentifiable body wearing Agatha's blue-green ball gown, and everyone assumes the worst, except Georgie. Georgie sets out to find her sister and bring her home. Yet even with resolute determination and her trusty Springfield single-shot, Georgie is not prepared for what she faces on the western frontier. By Amy Timberlake

QB1 Jake Cullen is a freshman quarterback playing high school football in Texas. He is also the brother of Wyatt Cullen, who quarterbacked his team to the Texas State Championship last season--not to mention the son of former NFL quarterback and local legend, Troy Cullen. To be a Cullen in Texas is to be football royalty . . . which leaves 14-year-old Jake in a Texas-sized shadow. Being a good teammate comes naturally to Jake; being a winner and a celebrity does not. He feels that he must fight the extra pressure of living up to his family’s reputation in order to be himself and make his own name. By Mike Lupica

SYLO They came from the sky, parachuting out of military helicopters to invade Tucker Pierce’s idyllic hometown on Pemberwick Island, Maine. They call themselves SYLO and they are a secret branch of the U.S. Navy. SYLO’s commander, Captain Granger, informs residents that the island has been hit by a lethal virus and must be quarantined. Now Pemberwick is cut off from the outside world. Tucker believes there’s more to SYLO’s story, and only he holds the clues that can solve this deadly mystery. By D.J. MacHale

Wake Up Missing By Kate Messner The greatest minds in science are about to be illegally recreated—and Cat Grayson must stop it. After suffering a concussion, Cat is attending I-CAN, a groundbreaking facility that promises to cure her of constant headaches and lost memory. But I-CAN is state-of-the-art in its technology and its secrets, with a plan to implant DNA from great scientists into modern kids and use them to create a super-weapon. When Cat and her fellow patients discover the truth, they’re in serious danger and must make a daring escape through the Everglades to expose the secrets of I-CAN and save its subjects from losing themselves forever. By Kate Messner

Zero Tolerance By Claudia Mills Seventh-grader Sierra Shepard has always been the perfect student, so when she sees that she accidentally brought her mother’s lunch bag to school, including a paring knife, she immediately turns in the knife at the school office. Much to her surprise she is placed in in-school suspension and a hearing is set for her possible expulsion because of the school’s zero tolerance rule. While there, Sierra spends time with Luke, a boy who’s known as a troublemaker, and discovers that he’s not the person she assumed he would be—and that the lines between good and bad aren’t as clear as she once thought. By Claudia Mills