Madison Library District
Choice Awards
Junior fiction NOMINEES FOR 2025
Voting Begins August 19!
Find all the nominees below.
Nominees
The Bad Guys in
One Last Thing
by Aaron Blabey
They may look like Bad Guys, but these wannabe heroes are doing good deeds… whether you like it or not in …
Read the full synopsis
The Bad Guys in
the Serpent and the Beast
by Aaron Blabey
If their life was a series, this would be the end. Ready? The multiverse is about to get dark. Real dark …
Read the full synopsis
The Frindle Files
by Andrew Clements
Josh Willet is a techie, a serious gamer. Nothing’s better than writing code or downloading a new release. Which is why Mr. N’s ELA class is such a …
Read the full synopsis
The Dolphin Dream
by Debbie Dadey
Aqua Wave wants to ride, play, and dance with her favorite underwater dolphins! But Morgan, her older sister, isn’t so sure Aqua is ready, especially …
Read the full synopsis
The End of the Overworld!
by Nick Eliopulos
In their last adventure, Morgan, Harper, and their friends barely survived a dangerous game only to return to a Minecraft …
Read the full synopsis
Minecraft:
Zombies Unleashed!
by Nick Eliopulos
On the ground, a rampaging army of armor-clad zombies is roving across the biomes. In the sky, a wicked Wither is …
Read the full synopsis
Bo and the Witch
by Rebecca Elliott
Unicorn Bo and friends can’t wait to spot a witch! Witches live high above the clouds and are rarely seen flying in the …
Read the full synopsis
Eva for President
by Rebecca Elliott
It’s a special week at Treetop Elementary because it’s time to choose a class president! Eva is excited because she loves to make choices and …
Read the full synopsis
The Owlympic Games
by Rebecca Elliott
The Owlympic Games are about to begin at Treetop Elementary School! It’s going to be a flaptastic week full of games, races, and owlmazing obstacle …
Read the full synopsis
The Great Zoodini
by P.J. Gardner
The Great Zoodini—aka Radar the fennec fox—has never fit in. In fact, his only friend is a stuffed rabbit. Ever since his first family abandoned him, he’s had …
Read the full synopsis
The Princess in Black and
the Kitty Catastrophe
by Shannon & Dean Hale
Duchess Wigtower had heard that pets are fun, but all her kitten has gotten her is nine lives’ worth of problems. Eeeeek! It’s time for …
Read the full synopsis
Rise of Pegasus
by Joan Holub
Pegasus is very excited for his first day at the School for Magical Monsters! At his old school, he was the only creature there, but now, he won’t be …
Read the full synopsis
Ready. Set. Respawn!
by Caleb Zane Huett
Following the events of The Minecraft Woodsword Chronicle and The Minecraft Stonesword Saga series, the Evoker King has evolved into the Evoker Kid, a …
Read the full synopsis
Eye of Ender
by Cube Kid
Runt the villager, Blurp the zombie, and Maggie the warrior all have only one to find the portal to the End and to battle the Ender Dragon. This is no …
Read the full synopsis
Hero Trial
by Kieran Larwood
CALLING ALL DUNGEON RUNNERS – There’s space for a new team of heroes. This is your chance to enter the leagues and fight your way to …
Read the full synopsis
Hana the Thunder Dragon
by Maddy Mara
Hana the Thunder Dragon doesn’t like bullies. So she’s determined to stop the Chaos Queen from causing trouble all over the …
Read the full synopsis
Lulu Flutters
by Maddy Mara
The new Sprout Wing fairies, Lulu, Nova, Coco, and Zali, can’t wait to explore their home in the Forever Tree. Soon they’ll try …
Read the full synopsis
Mina the Lightning Dragon
by Maddy Mara
Mina, Hana, and Zora are returning to the Magic Forest for another epic adventure. The girls love when they get to spend time …
Read the full synopsis
Nova Shimmers
by Maddy Mara
Nova and her best fairy friends Lulu, Coco, and Zali are ready for their next fairy pod try-out, this time for the Shimmerbuds – who …
Read the full synopsis
Rani the Enchanted Dragon
by Maddy Mara
Rani the Enchanted Dragon is facing one of the biggest challenges the Magic Forest has ever seen. A new villain has an evil …
Read the full synopsis
Zora the Snow Dragon
by Maddy Mara
The Storm Dragons are being called back to the Magic Forest for one last adventure. Zora and her cousins, Mina and Hana, have …
Read the full synopsis
Julie: My Journal, 1974
by Megan McDonald
Julie isn’t thrilled about moving to an apartment above her mom’s shop in San Francisco. She misses her old bedroom, her …
Read the full synopsis
Path of the Winter Beast
by Jordan Quinn
With the magical Winter Drop festival just around the corner, Prince Lucas would rather be doing absolutely anything besides listening to his …
Read the full synopsis
Descendants:
The Rise of Red
by Kelsey Rodkey
Former Villain Kid Uma, now headmaster of Auradon Prep, extends an invite to the school to another VK – Red, the rebellious daughter of the …
Read the full synopsis
Emily’s Cupcake Magic
by Coco Simon
Emily Green has to switch to a new school while her old one is being renovated, and she’s devastated when her friends get assigned somewhere …
Read the full synopsis
I Survived the
Black Death, 1348
by Lauren Tarshis
Elsie dreams of becoming a brave warrior like her father, who is an archer fighting in England’s war against France. But life …
Read the full synopsis
Cave of the Crystal Dragon
by Tracey West
Griffith is in trouble! Drake and Rori travel to Greenshire to find him. They meet a boy named Llew who show them the …
Read the full synopsis
The Epic Guide to
Dragon Masters
by Tracey West
This is the official Dragon Masters guidebook. These pages are filled with facts about Dragon Masters and their powerful dragons. You …
Read the full synopsis
Nether Ghost
by Winston Wolf
Winston is a Minecraft wolf on a mission! The problem is that he’s not very good at fighting crime, and the infamous Baby Turtles are forever …
Read the full synopsis
Underwater Heist
by Winston Wolf
When a distress signal from the Drowned comes in requesting urgent undercover help, Winston jumps at the chance to prove his skills. It’s time for an …
Read the full synopsis
The Bad Guys in One Last Thing by Aaron Blabey
They may look like Bad Guys, but these wannabe heroes are doing good deeds… whether you like it or not in this New York Times bestselling illustrated series.
book 20 in The Bad Guys series
The Bad Guys in the Serpent and the Beast by Aaron Blabey
They may look like Bad Guys, but these wannabe heroes are doing good deeds… whether you like it or not in this New York Times bestselling illustrated series.
If their life was a series, this would be the end. Ready? The multiverse is about to get dark. Real dark …
book 19 in The Bad Guys series
The Frindle Files by Andrew Clements
Josh Willet is a techie, a serious gamer. Nothing’s better than writing code or downloading a new release. Which is why Mr. N’s ELA class is such a slog; it’s a strict no-tech zone. It feels like being stuck inside a broken time machine. Mr. N makes the kids write everything out on paper, he won’t use a Smart Board, and he’s obsessed with some hundred-year-old grammar book.
Then one night, while s-l-o-w-l-y finishing an assignment by hand, Josh discovers a secret. Turns out Mr. N’s been keeping a lot more than technology from his students! Josh and his best friend, Vanessa, are determined to solve the mystery and rally the other kids around their cause. And maybe—just maybe—get some screen time back, too.
book 2 in the Frindle series
The Dolphin Dream by Debbie Dadey
Aqua Wave wants to ride, play, and dance with her favorite underwater dolphins! But Morgan, her older sister, isn’t so sure Aqua is ready, especially because Morgan was hurt when she last rode a bottleneck. Will Aqua get her wish or will Morgan’s worrying keep her from her deep-sea dreams?
book 2 in the Mini Mermaid Tales series
The End of the Overworld! by Nick Eliopulos
In their last adventure, Morgan, Harper, and their friends barely survived a dangerous game only to return to a Minecraft Overworld in total chaos! The rift that’s been growing steadily larger in the sky is now on the verge of consuming everything in its path. The team has one chance to save Minecraft and their friend the Evoker King—but it may already be too late.
book 6 in the Minecraft Stonesword Saga series
Minecraft: Zombies Unleashed! by Nick Eliopulos
On the ground, a rampaging army of armor-clad zombies is roving across the biomes. In the sky, a wicked Wither is leaving a path of destruction–and Wither roses–wherever it goes. And in Bobbie’s party, the tension is tighter than a skeleton’s bowstring . . . because, somehow, Logan just became its newest member. The same Logan who set zombies on Bobbie’s village and turned her little brother, Johnny, into one of the walking dead. Who bullied her friend Ben and wrecked his adventuring career. Who was mean to his minion, Other Ben… But as the Wither skulls start flying, this not-so-merry band needs all the help it can get.
book 3 in the Minecraft: Zombies series
Bo and the Witch by Rebecca Elliott
Unicorn Bo and friends can’t wait to spot a witch! Witches live high above the clouds and are rarely seen flying in the sky. But on one fateful day, a young witch named Charm crash lands in Sparklegrove Forest! The unicorns are super excited to meet a witch for the first time. But when they realize the witch is in trouble, will the unicorns be able to help Charm find her way back home?
book 10 in the Unicorn Diaries series
Eva for President by Rebecca Elliott
It’s a special week at Treetop Elementary because it’s time to choose a class president! Eva is excited because she loves to make choices and vote for things! But when Sue announces she’s running for president, no one else steps up to run against her. So Eva makes a quick game-time decision to run for president herself! Who will win the big vote to become president of the class?
book 19 in the Owl Diaries series
The Owlympic Games by Rebecca Elliott
The Owlympic Games are about to begin at Treetop Elementary School! It’s going to be a flaptastic week full of games, races, and owlmazing obstacle courses. Eva wants to be excited like all her other classmates–who wouldn’t want to compete for a gold medal, after all? But as the Games begin, and the pressure to win starts to build, Eva is afraid of letting her team down. Will she be able to overcome her fears to compete for first place?
book 20 in the Owl Diaries series
The Great Zoodini by P.J. Gardner
The Great Zoodini—aka Radar the fennec fox—has never fit in. In fact, his only friend is a stuffed rabbit. Ever since his first family abandoned him, he’s had one goal: become world famous and show everyone how wrong they were about him. But no matter how many daring escapes Zoodini’s tried, he’s never even made the Association of Animal-Themed Attractions newsletter.
When his latest escape goes wrong, Zoodini winds up at the Twin Buttes Animal Sanctuary and Drive-In Movie Theater. He can’t believe his bad luck. How can he get famous in the middle of nowhere? But the residents—ranging from a pink-obsessed flamingo to an astrology-loving river otter to a grizzly cub who thinks he’s a superhero—all seem to like Zoodini. Even more surprising, he likes them too.
Then Zoodini overhears a plot to sell the sanctuary and sees his big chance—breaking out by himself would go unnoticed, but breaking everyone out? That would make him world famous. But what if being famous means losing the only family who’s ever accepted him?
The Princess in Black and the Kitty Catastrophe by Shannon & Dean Hale
Duchess Wigtower had heard that pets are fun, but all her kitten has gotten her is nine lives’ worth of problems. Eeeeek! It’s time for someone else to deal with this catastrophe. Princess Magnolia is thrilled when a kitten lands on her doorstep, but just as she’s about to play with Plumpkins (or should it be Hugmaster Floof?) the monster alarm goes off. When Princess Magnolia returns to her castle, her furry companion has carved up the wallpaper! In fact, each time Princess Magnolia leaves to help the Goat Avenger fight a very grouchy monster, her feline friend wreaks havoc. Has the Princess in Black finally met her match?
book 11 in The Princess in Black series
Rise of Pegasus by Joan Holub
Pegasus is very excited for his first day at the School for Magical Monsters! At his old school, he was the only creature there, but now, he won’t be alone. In fact, everyone there will find their special power—and Pegasus can’t wait to discover his!
But the first few days are a little rough—poor Pegasus keeps on stumbling over his hooves! And it seems like all his new friends start to receive their power before he does. With a little help from his new friends and a little magic, can Pegasus learn to soar at his new school?
book 1 in the School for Magical Monsters series
Ready. Set. Respawn! by Caleb Zane Huett
Following the events of The Minecraft Woodsword Chronicle and The Minecraft Stonesword Saga series, the Evoker King has evolved into the Evoker Kid, a total noob who wants to experience everything the world of Minecraft has to offer. Unfortunately, he walks into danger at every turn, so it’s up to Morgan, Harper, and their friends to keep him safe.
But even more unfortunately in the real world, they’ve all been sent Ironsword Academy Middle School for the remainder of the school year. Now they’re all noobs who will have to navigate the strange new school’s hallways, try to make friends with new kids, and avoid a principal who would like nothing better than to shut down their video game time.
Can they get the Evoker Kid to a safe destination before someone pulls the plug on their Minecraft server . . . permanently ?!
book 1 in the Minecraft Ironsword Academy series
Eye of Ender by Cube Kid
Runt the villager, Blurp the zombie, and Maggie the warrior all have only one to find the portal to the End and to battle the Ender Dragon. This is no easy quest, especially with a fierce warrior like Alberic trying to block their every move. Will our heroes manage to get past Alberic, make their way to the End unscathed, and face the great Ender Dragon? Read on to find out!
book 3 in the Noob’s Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior series
Hero Trial by Kieran Larwood
CALLING ALL DUNGEON RUNNERS – There’s space for a new team of heroes. This is your chance to enter the leagues and fight your way to the top!
Kit has dreamed of being a Dungeon Runner all his life, although being a gnorf (part gnome, part dwarf) means he’s much smaller than the other competitors.
But when a space opens up for a new team in the Dungeon Running League, Kit doesn’t want to miss this chance to try out! With his new friends Sandy and Thorn, they’re ready to take on anything – mazes, puzzles, monsters, treasure and most of all adventure!
Are you ready for the games to begin? Welcome to the Dungeon!
book 1 in the Dungeon Runners series
Hana the Thunder Dragon by Maddy Mara
The Storm Dragons will harness the incredible powers of thunder, lightning, and snow to help defeat a brand-new villain the Magic The Chaos Queen.
Hana the Thunder Dragon doesn’t like bullies. So she’s determined to stop the Chaos Queen from causing trouble all over the Magic Forest. All she needs is a little help from her friends-and a lot of dragon magic!
book 13 in the Dragon Girls series
Lulu Flutters by Maddy Mara
The new Sprout Wing fairies, Lulu, Nova, Coco, and Zali, can’t wait to explore their home in the Forever Tree. Soon they’ll try out to see which fairy pod they each belong to, starting with the swift and sporty Flutterflies! Lulu wants to stay close to her friends, but there are four different pods, each with a special talent―plus mischievous trolls stirring up trouble! Will the Sprout Wings be fairy friends forever?
book 1 in the Forever Fairies series
Mina the Lightning Dragon by Maddy Mara
Mina, Hana, and Zora are returning to the Magic Forest for another epic adventure. The girls love when they get to spend time together, but it’s even more special when they get to do it as Storm Dragons! With help from her twin sister and cousin, Mina must trust her instincts and use her roar to restore the balance of the forest’s lightning storms. If they have any chance to save this special place, they must outsmart the Chaos Queen before she becomes even more powerful.
book 14 in the Dragon Girls series
Nova Shimmers by Maddy Mara
Welcome back to the Magic Forest!
Nova and her best fairy friends Lulu, Coco, and Zali are ready for their next fairy pod try-out, this time for the Shimmerbuds – who know all about fairy medicine. Nova isn’t very speedy, but she loves helping the forest animals! When the forest trolls interrupt the challenge with more shenanigans, Nova has to think fast. Can she and the other Sprout Wings work together and mend the mess?
book 2 in the Forever Fairies series
Rani the Enchanted Dragon by Maddy Mara
In the Magic Forest, ordinary girls transform into powerful dragons. As Dragon Girls, they can soar above the treetops, breathe magical bursts of fire, and roar loud enough to shake the ground.
Rani the Enchanted Dragon is facing one of the biggest challenges the Magic Forest has ever seen. A new villain has an evil plot in mind. She’s planning to kidnap all the adorable animals who usually help Dragon Girls complete their quests. Without these forest friends, this special place could be lost forever!
book 1 in the Dragon Girls Special Edition series
Zora the Snow Dragon by Maddy Mara
The Storm Dragons are being called back to the Magic Forest for one last adventure. Zora and her cousins, Mina and Hana, have to protect the forest from the Chaos Queen’s reign. The harmony of the forest and its snowstorms depend on the bravery of the girls. Can they find a way to beat the Chaos Queen at her own game, once and for all?
book 15 in the Dragon Girls series
Julie: My Journal, 1974 by Megan McDonald
Julie isn’t thrilled about moving to an apartment above her mom’s shop in San Francisco. She misses her old bedroom, her best friend, Ivy — and her dad, now that her parents are divorced. Then she discovers that her new school has a basketball team! But when Julie tries to sign up, the coach says the team is for boys only. Talk about unfair! Maybe she can’t do anything about the move, but Julie’s determined to find a way to change the coach’s mind.
part of the American Girl series
Path of the Winter Beast by Jordan Quinn
With the magical Winter Drop festival just around the corner, Prince Lucas would rather be doing absolutely anything besides listening to his tutor all day. Clara, on the other hand, is joyfully helping her father bake for the upcoming festivities. But when palace guards storm into the throne room with a so-called Beast Catcher, the friends find a little more adventure, and danger, than they bargained for.
book 21 in The Kingdom of Wrenly series
Descendants: The Rise of Red by Kelsey Rodkey
Former Villain Kid Uma, now headmaster of Auradon Prep, extends an invite to the school to another VK – Red, the rebellious daughter of the tyrannical Queen of Hearts from Wonderland. The Queen of Hearts has long held a grudge against Auradon, and especially Cinderella, and seizes the opportunity to seek revenge when she drops her daughter off at school.
When the Queen of Hearts incites a coup against Auradon, Red must team up with Cinderella’s perfectionist daughter Chloe and travel back in time to try to undo the traumatic event that set Red’s mother down her villainous path.
part of the Descendants series
Emily’s Cupcake Magic by Coco Simon
Emily Green has to switch to a new school while her old one is being renovated, and she’s devastated when her friends get assigned somewhere else, leaving her totally alone. When she recognizes a girl from her old school, she at least has someone to sit with at lunchtime. But just as Emily is getting comfortable, her school announces a baking contest. Emily has baked before with her stepsister, Katie Brown, who’s well-known for starting the Cupcake Club—but does Emily really want to live in Katie’s shadow?
She’s feeling nervous until Katie advises her to bake cupcakes “The Emily Way,” and Emily starts to realize there’s room for two star bakers in their family!
book 1 in the Cupcake Diaries: The New Batch series
I Survived the Black Death, 1348 by Lauren Tarshis
The Black Death was a pandemic of unimaginable proportions, taking the lives of 75 – 200 million people worldwide. Lauren Tarshis’s story of one girl surviving the plague pulses with terror, action, and hope.
Elsie dreams of becoming a brave warrior like her father, who is an archer fighting in England’s war against France. But life isn’t fair in 1348 Europe. Peasant girls like Elsie can’t be archers or knights or anything exciting.
Then one day in the forest, Elsie and her best friend, Humphrey, discover a chest filled with stolen treasures–and a dangerous secret. At last Elsie has a chance to prove that she’s as brave as any knight. Little does she know that a deadly illness — the Black Death–has begun its attack on England. It’s already killed millions around the world. And now it’s come for Elsie.
book 24 in the I Survived series
Cave of the Crystal Dragon by Tracey West
Griffith is in trouble! Drake and Rori travel to Greenshire to find him. They meet a boy named Llew who show them the Crystal Cave where Griffith was last seen. Once inside, they are attacked by Belydor, a Crystal Dragon who does not trust humans. Can Llew help the Dragon Masters gain the dragon’s trust and save Griffith?
book 26 in the Dragon Masters series
The Epic Guide to Dragon Masters by Tracey West
This is the official Dragon Masters guidebook. These pages are filled with facts about Dragon Masters and their powerful dragons. You will learn the history of the Dragon Masters, read about wizards from around the world, and be able to study castle and land maps. You’ll even find top secret notes from Griffith, the royal wizard of Bracken!
part of the Dragon Masters series
Nether Ghost by Winston Wolf
Winston is a Minecraft wolf on a mission! The problem is that he’s not very good at fighting crime, and the infamous Baby Turtles are forever scheming, creating all manner of chaos across the Overworld.
Winston and his pet player, Brian, are headed to the Nether for their next mission. Heat, fire, and a reddish darkness greets them. Pretty spooky stuff. Before they know it, they are under attack from skeletons! Captain Skeleton demands to know what they are doing in the Nether. They need to investigate the haunted fortress, of course! Even the skeletons are scared of that place. Can Winston and Brian conquer their fears and save the day? Read and find out!
book 3 in the Diary of a Minecraft Wolf series
Underwater Heist by Winston Wolf
Winston is a Minecraft wolf on a mission: to become the best secret agent Minecraft has ever seen!
When a distress signal from the Drowned comes in requesting urgent undercover help, Winston jumps at the chance to prove his skills. It’s time for an underwater adventure! Can Winston and his junior agent, Brian, recover the stolen item before anything more sinister happens?
book 2 in the Diary of a Minecraft Wolf series
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