Cocheco Readers' Award

Balderdash! : John Newbery and the boisterous birth of children's books 

by Michelle Markel

A picture book chronicle of the life of children's book pioneer John Newbery describes how he imagined books filled with stories, science and games before becoming a celebrated author and publisher, changing the literary world forever.

Skunked: Calpurnia Tate, girl vet

by Jacqueline Kelly.

Helping care for an abandoned baby skunk who has adapted well to sharing a home with humans, soft-hearted Travis is unable to resist offering help to the skunk's littermate, who proves to be less cooperative.

Cody and the mysteries of the universe

by Tricia Springstubb

When Cody's best friend Spencer moves to her street, an excited Cody asks for Spencer's help tackling the mystery of a neighbor who has a skull-and-crossbones sign in his window, while a new school year ushers in "new school jitters" for Spencer, and for Cody, a newly forged bond with a teacher who shares her love for Mozart.

Compass south

by Hope Larson

After escaping the Black Hook Gang in 1860 New York City, twelve-year-old twins Alexander and Cleopatra flee to New Orleans, become separated, and try to find each other in San Francisco, while being followed by pirates who think they hold the key to treasure.

An eagle in the snow

by Michael Morpurgo

In 1940 England, stuck in a train tunnel while German fighter jets fly overhead, Barney hears an unlikely story of a highly decorated World War I soldier who once had a chance to kill young Adolf Hitler.

The night garden

by Polly Horvath

Twelve-year-old Franny Whitekraft lives quietly with her adopted parents on a farm on Vancouver Island until the spring of 1945 when the three Madden children move in, UFOs and ghosts appear, an important military airplane disappears, and wishes made in Old Tom's forbidden night garden will hopefully get everyone out of trouble.

The unlucky lottery winners of Classroom 13

by Honest Lee and Matthew J. Gilbert

A debut entry in a wacky chapter book series for fans of Sideways Stories From Wayside School finds the flabbergasted students of a teacher who shares her lottery winnings with her class suffering innumerable outbreaks of bad luck.

Waylon! : even more awesome

by Sara Pennypacker

When ten-year-olds Waylon and Baxter learn that Dumpster Eddy, a dog in the local shelter, may be sent to a distant animal shelter, they work together to find a home for him.

Wishtree

by Katherine Applegate

A wise old oak tree that stands as the neighborhood's "wishtree," where people write wishes on cloth and tie them to her branches, shares her days with her crow friend and helps the community embrace differences when new neighbors move in and are not warmly welcomed.

The year of the garden

by Andrea Cheng

As Anna strives to grow a perfect garden, she comes to realize that the garden she grows with her new friend is more than good enough.