1. 2008-2009 Sunshine State Young Readers Information in this presentation is provided by Follett Library Resources

2. Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader Hero becomes interested in exploring this unusual connection because of a valuable diamond supposedly hidden in her new house, an intriguing neighbor, and the unexpected attention of the most popular boy in school. BL = 4.0 Pts = 6 Shakespeare’s Secret by Elise Broach

3. An ancient and terrifying Narragansett Native American legend begins to come true for a teenage long-distance runner whose recovery from the accident that killed her parents has stunned everyone, including her guardian aunt in Providence, Rhode Island. BL = 5.5 Pts = 5 Whisper in the Dark by Joseph Bruchac

4. Living near the water on Maryland's Eastern Shore, thirteen-year-old Brady and his best friends J.T. and Digger become entangled in a tragedy which tests their friendship and their ideas about right and wrong. BL = 4.9 Pts = 8 Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings

5. Two sisters, aged ten and twelve, are accused of witchcraft in Andover, Massachusetts, in 1692 and await trial in a miserable prison while their mother desperately searches for some way to obtain their freedom. BL = 4.6 Pts = 5 The Sacrifice by Kathleen Benner Duble

6. After getting caught lying on a school project about who his grandfather was, fourteen-year-old Joseph Claderno is forced to redo the assignment and learns more about his adopted Italian-American family and Korean heritage than he ever thought possible. BL = 4.6 Pts = 6 Kimchi & Calamari by Rose Kent

7. Years afterwards, Ruben Hart tells the story of how, in 1929 Newport, Rhode Island, his family and his best friend's family were caught up in the violent competition among groups trying to control the local rum-smuggling trade. BL = 4.8 Pts = 8 Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle

8. Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence but her world is further complicated by a friendship with an young paraplegic. BL = 3.9 Pts = 4 Rules by Cynthia Lord

9. Just before his thirteenth birthday, Jeremy Fink receives a keyless locked box--set aside by his father before his death five years earlier--that purportedly contains the meaning of life. BL = 4.5 Pts = 11 Jeremy Fink & the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass

10. Twelve-year-old Jake Waters cannot wait to escape the small town of Patience, Kansas, until the arrival of a cursed toilet plunger causes him to reevaluate his feelings toward his family and its history. BL = 4.9 Pts = 9 Out of Patience by Brian Meehl

11. Five young teens hired as models for theme park guides find themselves pitted against Disney villains and witches that threaten both the future of Walt Disney World and the stability of the world as a whole. BL = 4.2 Pts = 9 Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson

12. Thirteen-year-old Joey Willis has been deaf since age six, but her mother has refused to let her learn sign language, leaving Joey struggling to connect with those around her until she meets Dr. Charles Mansell and his baby chimpanzee, who secretly teach Joey how to sign. BL = 5.2 Pts = 9 Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby

13. A fourteen-year-old boy attempts to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest. BL = 5.0 Pts = 9 Peak by Roland Smith

14. Mourning the loss of his mother, nine-year-old David forms an unlikely friendship with independent, quirky thirteen-year-old Primrose, as the two help each other deal with what is missing in their lives. BL = 3.5 Pts = 4 Eggs by Jerry Spinelli

15. While serving as co-editors of their school newspaper, middle-schoolers Adam and Jennifer uncover fraud and corruption in their school and in the city's government. BL = 5.4 Pts = 9 Adam Canfield of the Slash by Michael Winerip

16. Through a series of dangerous and violent misadventures, teenage loser Alfred Kropp rescues King Arthur's legendary sword Excalibur from the forces of evil. BL = 4.9 Pts = 10 Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey

17. Where are they?

18. Last Year’s Winner… The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo State Winner

19. And the winner is… Read 3 and cast your vote for the best book. Media Challenge… Read at least 7 Sunshine State Books Voting in March/April