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2026-27 Big Island Heluhelu
Quiz Bowl - Book Summaries
Highlight indicates title was in 2025-26 Quiz Bowl also
Across So Many Seas, Ruth Behar (Gr. 5-6, 2025 Newbery Honor)
From the Publisher
Spanning over five hundred years, Pura Belpre Award winner Ruth Behar's epic novel tells the stories of four girls from different generations of aJewish family, many of them forced to leave their country and start a new life.
In 1492, during the Spanish Inquisition, Benvenida and her family are banished from Spain for being Jewish. They journey by foot and by sea, eventually settling in Istanbul. Over four centuries later, in 1923, shortly after the Turkish war of independence, Reina's father disowns her for a small act of disobedience. He ships her away to live with an aunt in Cuba. In 1961, Reina's daughter, Alegra, is proud to be a brigadista, teaching literacy in the countryside. But soon Fidel Castro's crackdowns force her to flee to Miami, leaving her parents behind. In 2003, Alegra's daughter, Paloma, is fascinated by all the journeys that had to happen before she could be born. A keeper of memories, she's thrilled to learn more about her heritage on a trip to Spain, where she makes a momentous discovery.
Though many years and many seas separate these girls, they are united by their desire to belong and to matter, and by the haunting beauty they find in sad Spanish songs--and each is lucky to stand on the shoulders of her courageous ancestors.
All the Blues in the Sky, Renēe Watson (Gr. 4-8, 2026 Newbery Medal)
From the Publisher
Sage's thirteenth birthday was supposed to be about movies and treats, staying up late with her best friend and watching the sunrise together. Instead, it was the day her best friend died. Without the person she had to hold her secrets and dream with, Sage is lost. In a counseling group with other girls who have lost someone close to them, she learns that not all losses are the same, and healing isn't predictable. There is sadness, loneliness, anxiety, guilt, pain, love. And even as Sage grieves, new, good things enter her life-and she just may find a way to know that she can feel it all.
In accessible, engaging verse and prose, this is a story of a girl's journey to heal, grow, and forgive herself. To read it is to see how many shades there are in grief, and to know that someone understands.
A Sea of Lemon Trees: the Corrido of Roberto Alvarez, Mária Dolores Águila (Gr. 3-7, 2026 Newbery Honor)
From the Publisher
Twelve-year-old Roberto Alvarez is the youngest of his siblings, born on United States soil. He’s el futuro, their dream for a life away from the fire of the Mexican Revolution.
Moved by anti-immigrant and anti-Mexican propaganda, the Lemon Grove school board and chamber of commerce create a separate “Americanization” school for the Mexican children attending the Lemon Grove Grammar School. But the new Olive Street School is an old barn retrofitted for the children forced to attend a segregated school.
Amid threats of deportation, the Comité de Vecinos risk everything to stand their ground and, with the support of the Mexican Consulate, choose Roberto as the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the school board in this vivid and uplifting novel in verse based on true events.
At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom, Erin Entrada Kelly (Gr. 3-7, 2026 Siebert Honor)
From the Publisher
Joey Guerrero, a native of the Philippines, was diagnosed with leprosy (Hansen’s disease) as World War II unfolded in Europe and Asia. Soon after the Japanese occupied the Philippines, Joey—believing she would die soon—joined the guerrilla movement to complete covert missions in support of the Allies. Because of her condition, she was rarely searched by Japanese soldiers, which allowed her to courier secret messages, including an invaluable minefield map that she taped to her back.
She was eventually awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom and admitted to the National Leprosarium in Carville, Louisiana, where she lived for nine years. When she was cured and released, she found it difficult to find work because of racial discrimination and her health history and was forced to pawn her Presidential Medal to make ends meet. Eventually, she shed her previous identity. When she died in 1996, her obituary identified her as a secretary from Manila. But Joey Guerrero was much more than that—she was a hero who changed the course of history. Erin Entrada Kelly’s engaging nonfiction debut combines themes of the Philippines, World War II, the Asia-Pacific War, spy stories, Louisiana, immigration, disease and medicine, racism, perseverance, religious devotion, and hope.
Black Star, Kwame Alexander (Gr. 5 and up, Coretta Scott King Honor)
From Follett
Twelve-year old Black girl Charley, who dreams of becoming the first professional female pitcher, must navigate adolescence during the turbulent segregation era and the beginning of the Great Migration.
Clairboyance, Kristiana Kahakauwila (Gr. 3-7, 2025 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (APALA) Honor Book)
From Follett
When she attains the ability to hear what boys are thinking, Clara hopes her newfound powers will reverse her ex-best friend's betrayal but ends up making a mess of everything and she finds that she must fix her mistakes as she tries to figure out old friendships and new ones -- Provided by publisher.
Continental Drifter, Kathy MacLeod (Gr. 3-4, graphic novel, 2025 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (APALA) winner)
From Follett
Spending most of the year in Bangkok and then the summer in Maine, Thai-American Kathy struggles to fit in and longs to find a place where she truly belongs, but she's not sure if it's in America, Thailand . . . or anywhere.
Finding Junie Kim, Ellen Oh (Gr. 3-7, recommended by Christina Soontornvat)
From Follett
A tale based on true events follows the coming-of-age of a girl who is motivated by an act of racism at school to learn about her ancestral heritage and her grandparents' experiences as lost children during the Korean War.
Grounded, Aisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, S.K. Ali, (Gr. 3-7, recommended by Christina Soontornvat)
From the Publisher
When a thunderstorm grounds all flights following a huge Muslim convention, four unlikely kids are thrown together. Feek is stuck babysitting hisyounger sister, but he'd rather be writing a poem that's good enough for his dad, a famous poet and rapper. Hanna is intent on finding a lost cat in theairport--and also on avoiding a conversation with her dad about him possibly remarrying. Sami is struggling with his anxiety and worried that he'll missthe karate tournament that he's trained so hard for. And Nora has to deal with the pressure of being the daughter of a prominent congresswoman, when all she really wants to do is make fun NokNok videos. These kids don't seem to have much in common--yet.
Kwame Crashes the Underworld, Craig Kofi Farmer (Gr. 4-6, 2025 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award)
From Follett
Twelve-year-old Kwame Powell isn't ready to deal with losing his grandmother, even as he and his family head to Ghana for her celebration of life. He'sdefinitely not ready when he's sucked into a magical whirlpool that leads straight to Asamando, the Ghanaian underworld. There, he comesface-to-face with his grandmother, who is very much alive, and somehow just . . . a kid? Together with his best friend, Autumn, and a chattery aboatianamed Woo, Kwame sets off to battle angry nature gods and stop the underworld from destroying the land of the living. But there's an even bigger problem: living souls can't stay in Asamando for long. In order to save the mortal world and return home, Kwame must find the courage to do thebravest thing of all--learn how to say goodbye--Provided by publisher.
Lion Dancers, Cai Tse (Gr. 3-7, 2026 Nēnē Award for Graphic Novel)
From Publisher
Young Wei dreamed of being a legendary lion dancer just like his dad. With his best friend Hung performing as the tail and Wei controlling the head, he knew they could become the next generation of lion dance champions. But after his dad’s sudden passing, Wei abruptly quits lion dancing—and his friendship with Hung.
Years later, Wei is stuck...in life, in school, and on the bench at games. That is, until he crashes a junior lion dance practice and feels his long-sleeping passion wake up within him once more. The team is happy to have another member to carry on the tradition, especially as one as preternaturally talented as Wei. There’s just one person who doesn’t want him there: the self-proclaimed star, Hung.
As Wei and Hung fight to be considered the top lion dancer, both will have to learn how to face their mistakes head-on and remember what it really
means to be part of a team.
Mabuhay!, Zachary Sterling (Gr. 3-7, graphic novel, 2025 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (APALA) Honor Book)
From Follett
First-generation Filipino siblings JJ and Althea struggle to belong at school. JJ wants to fit in with the crowd, while Althea wants to be accepted as she is. But that hope seems like a long shot, for both of them. To make matters worse, they have to help their parents run the family food truck by dressing up as a dancing pig and passing out samples. Ugh! And their mom is always pointing out lessons from Filipino folklore -- annoying tales they've heard again and again. But when witches, ogres, and other creatures from those same stories threaten their family, JJ and Althea realize that the folklore may be more real that they'd suspected. Can they embrace who they really are and save their family?--Jacket flap.
Magnolia We Unfolds It All, Chanel Miller (Gr. 2-6, 2025 Newbery Honor)
From Follett
A self-proclaimed sock detective inside her parents' New York City laundromat, 10-year-old Magnolia Wu and Iris, a new friend from California, set offacross the city to solve the mystery of each missing sock, meeting people and uncovering the unimaginable along the way--OCLC.
Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli, Karina Yan Glaser (Gr. 3-7, 2026 Newbery Honor)
From Publisher
In ancient Chang’An, Han Yu sells steamed buns in a bustling market full of whispers about his ability to summon tigers.
In New York’s Depression-era Chinatown, Luli gazes out from the roof of her parents’ restaurant, dreaming of dim sum and Chinese art.
Familiar rhythms rule the contained-but-contented lives of Han Yu and Luli. But when plague strikes Chang’An and a financial crisis threatens Luli’s family, Han Yu and Luli must each venture out into the larger world—and into danger-filled adventure—to save what they love most. Filled with wondrous caves and conniving thieves, desert storms and magical lakes, Karina Yan Glaser’s epic and rewarding novel is a testament to the bravery required to face the unknown and the power of art to connect us through the ages.
One Big Open Sky, Lesa Cline-Ransome (Gr. 3-7, 2025 Newbery Honor)
From the Publisher
Three women narrate a perilous wagon journey westward that could set them free--or cost them everything they have--in this intergenerational verse novel that explores the history of the Black homesteader movement. 1879, Mississippi. Young dreamer Lettie may have her head in the stars, but her body is on a covered wagon heading westward. Her father, Thomas, promises that Nebraska will be everything the family needs: an opportunity to claim the independence they've strived for over generations on their very own plot of land.
But Thomas' hopes--and mouth--are bigger than his ability to follow through. With few supplies and even less money, the only thing that feels certain is danger.
Right after the war ended/and we were free/we believed/all of us did/that couldn't nothing hurt us/the way master had when we were slaves/Couldn't no one tell us/how to live/how to die.
Lettie, her mother, Sylvia, and young teacher Philomena are free from slavery--but bound by poverty, access to opportunity, and patriarchal social structures. Will these women survive the hardships of their journey? And as Thomas' desire for control overpowers his common sense, will they truly be free once they get there?
The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II, Candace Fleming, (Gr. 3-7, 2025 Robert F. Sibert Honor)
From the Publisher
From award-winning author Candace Fleming, comes the powerful and fascinating story of the brave and dedicated young women who helped turn the tides of World War II for the Allies, with their hard work and determination at Bletchley Park.
The First State of Being, Erin Entrada Kelly, (Gr. 3-7, 2025 Newbery Medal)
From Follett
When Ridge, a time-traveling teenager from the future, gets trapped in 1999, he befriends Michael, a lonely twelve-year old boy, changing the course of their lives forever.
The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze, Derrick Barnes (Gr. 4-7, 2026 Coretta Scott King Honor)
From Publisher
In the small town of Great Mountain, Mississippi, all eyes are on Henson Blayze, a thirteen-year-old football phenom whose talents seem almost superhuman. The predominately white townsfolk have been waiting for Henson to play high school ball, and now they’re overjoyed to finally possess an elite Black athlete of their own.
Until a horrifying incident forces Henson to speak out about injustice.
Until he says that he might not play football anymore.
Until he quickly learns he isn’t as loved by the people as he thought.
Overnight, Henson’s town is divided into two chaotic sides—those that support his decisions, and those that don’t—when all he wants is justice. Even his best friends and his father can’t see eye to eye. When he is told to play ball again or else, Henson must decide whether he was born to entertain those who may not even see him as human, or if he’s destined for a different kind of greatness.
The Liars Society, Alyson Gerber (Gr. 3-7, recommended by 2025 participant)
From Follett
Weather by is a fish out of water. When she lands a scholarship to the prestigious Boston School, she's excited to be in the same world as her dad . . .But Weatherby has a secret she'll risk everything to protect, one that could destroy her new life. Every member of Jack's wealthy and privileged family has made their mark at the Boston School. Everyone, that is, except for Jack, who is entirely mediocre . . . But Jack has a secret of his own . . . one with the power to ruin everything.When the money for their school trip to a private island . . . is stolen, Jack and Weatherby are invited to play a high-stakes game and solve the mystery of the missing money--Provided by publisher.
The Night War, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Gr. 4-7, from two time Newbery honor Winner)
From Follett
During World War II, twelve-year old Miriam secretly spirits other Jewish people out of Nazi-occupied France after being separated from her family and forced into hiding - Provided by publisher.
The Pecan Sheller, Lupe Ruiz-Flores (Gr. 4-8, 2026 Pura Belpré Medal)
From Publisher
In 1930s San Antonio, thirteen-year-old Petra dreams of going to college and becoming a writer.But with her beloved father dead, two younger siblings to care for, and with a stepmother struggling to make ends meet, Petra has to drop out of school to shell pecans at a factory. Hoping it’s only temporary, she tries not to despair over the grueling work conditions. But after the unhealthy environment leads to tragedy and workers’ already low wages are cut, Petra knows things need to change. She and her coworkers go on strike for higher wages and safer conditions, risking everything they have for the
hope of a better future.
The Secret Language of Birds, Lynne Kelly (Gr. 3-7)
From the Publisher
Nina is used to feeling like the odd one out, both at school and in her large family. But while trying to fit in at summer camp, she discovers something even more peculiar: two majestic birds have built a nest in the marsh behind an abandoned infirmary. They appear to be whooping cranes, but that’s impossible—Nina is an amateur bird-watcher, and all her resources tell her that those rare birds haven’t nested in Texas for over a hundred years.
When Nina reports the sighting to wildlife officials, more questions arise. Experts track all the endangered birds, but they can’t identify the female bird that Nina found. Who is she, and where did she come from?
With the help of some fellow campers, Nina sets out to discover who the mystery bird really is. As she gets closer to the truth, will she find a flock of her own.
The Teacher of Nomad Land: a World War II story, Daniel Nayeri (Gr. 4-7, 2026 Newbery Honor, 2025 National Book Award winner)
From the Publisher
1941. The German armies are storming across Europe. Iran is a neutral country occupied by British forces on one side, Soviet forces on another. Soldiers fill the teahouses of Isfahan. Nazi spies roam the alleyways.
Babak and his little sister have just lost their father. Now orphans, fearing they will be separated, the two devise a plan. Babak will take up his father’s old job as a teacher to the nomads. With a chalkboard strapped to Babak’s back, and a satchel full of textbooks, the siblings set off to find the nomad tribes as they make their yearly trek across the mountains.
On the treacherous journey they meet a Jewish boy, hiding from a Nazi spy. And suddenly, they are all in a race for survival.
Against the backdrop of World War II comes an epic adventure in the faraway places. Through the cacophony of soldiers, tanks, and planes, can young hearts of different creeds and nations learn to find a common language?
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman, Gennifer Choldenko (Gr. 5-6, Best Book of 2024, per several review publications)
From Follett
When eleven-year-old Hank's mother does not come home after a week, he and his toddler sister, Boo, seek out the stranger listed as their emergency contact, even though it means social workers, a new school, and having to answer questions about his mom that he has been trying to keep secret.
The Trouble with Heroes, Katee Messner (Gr. 4-6, Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year | School Library Journal Best Book of the Year | Publishers
Weekly Best Book of the Year: Middle Grade)
From Publisher
Finn Connelly is nothing like his dad, a star athlete and firefighter hero who always ran toward danger until he died two years ago. Finn is about to fail seventh grade and has never made headlines . . . until now.
Caught on camera vandalizing a cemetery, he's in big trouble for knocking down some dead old lady's headstone. Turns out that grave belongs to a legendary local mountain climber, and her daughter makes Finn an unusual offer: she'll drop all the charges if he agrees to climb all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks in a single summer. And there's just one more thing--he has to bring along the dead woman's dog.
In a wild three months of misadventures, mountain mud, and unexpected mentors, Finn begins to find his way on the trails. At the top of each peak, he can see for miles and slowly begins to understand more about himself and his dad. But the mountains don't care about any of that, and as the clock ticks down to September, they have more surprises in store. Finn's final summit challenge may be more than even a hero can face.
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest, Aubrey Hartman (Gr. 3 - up, 2026 Newbery Honor)
From Publisher
Clare is the undead fox of Deadwood Forest. Here, leaves grow in a perpetual state of fall: not quite dead, but not quite alive—just like Clare. Long ago, he was struck by a car, and, hovering between life and death, he was given the choice to either cross into the Afterlife or become an Usher of wandering souls. Clare chose the latter: a solitary life of guiding souls to their final resting place.
Clare’s quiet and predictable days are met with upheaval when a badger soul named Gingersnipes knocks on his door. Despite Clare’s efforts to usher her into the Afterlife, the badger is unable to leave Deadwood. This is unprecedented. Baffling. A disturbing mystery which threatens the delicate balance between the living and the dead.
Desperate for help, Clare and Gingersnipes set out on a treacherous journey to find Hesterfowl—the visionary grouse who recently foretold of turmoil in Deadwood. But upon their arrival, Hesterfowl divulges a shocking revelation that leaves Clare devastated, outraged, and determined to do anything to change his fate.
The Wrong Way Home, Kate O’Shaughnessy (Gr. 5-6, 2025 Newbery Honor)
From Follett
When twelve-year-old Fern and her mother abruptly leave their isolated, off-the-grid community, Fern wants nothing more than to return, but things get murky as she slowly adjusts to her new life and discovers unsettling truths about her old one.
Where Only Storms Grow, Alyssa Colman (Gr. 3-7, 2026 Schneider Family Book Award)
From Publisher
It’s been four years since rain fell on the Oklahoma panhandle and the closeness between the Stanton twins has dried up as much as the land. Howe Stanton has been practicing running away and longs for the family to quit this land of dust where only troubles grow. Despite the scoliosis that causes Joanna Stanton near-constant pain, she isn’t ready to give up like her brother. But when Daddy leaves the family behind to find work in California, saving the farm from ruin falls on Howe’s unwilling and Joanna’s uneven shoulders.
To pay the mortgage, Joanna takes a job at the local hospital and discovers purpose in helping others. Howe finds unexpected joy in caring for his father’s horse and escapes in a borrowed book.
But then a tragedy in town reveals the dust’s deadly dangers. With the worst storm of the Dust Bowl bearing down on their home, Howe and Joanna must put aside their differences and work together, or everyone and everything they love will be lost to the dust.
Legacy Titles - Newbery Medal winners
that won earlier than five years ago
Because of Winn-Dixie, Kate DiCamillo (Gr. 3- up, 2001 Newbery Honor)
From Publisher
One summer’s day, ten-year-old India Opal Buloni goes down to the local supermarket for some groceries—and comes home with a dog. But Winn-Dixie is no ordinary dog. It’s because of Winn-Dixie that Opal begins to make friends. And it’s because of Winn-Dixie that she finally dares to ask her father about her mother, who left when Opal was three. In fact, as Opal admits, just about everything that happens that summer is because of Winn-Dixie.
Bud, Not Buddy, Christopher Paul Curtis (Gr. 4 and up, 2000 Newbery Medal)
From Publisher
It’s 1936, in Flint, Michigan. Times may be hard, and ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy on the run, but Bud’s got a few things going for him:
1. He has his own suitcase full of special things.
2. He’s the author of Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself.
3. His momma never told him who his father was, but she left a clue: flyers advertising Herman E. Calloway and his famous band, the Dusky
Devastators of the Depression!!!!!!
Bud’s got an idea that those flyers will lead him to his father. Once he decides to hit the road to find this mystery man, nothing can stop him—not hunger, not fear, not vampires, not even Herman E. Calloway himself.