CCBC Choices 2024 -- Tweens (ages 9-11)

The Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison compiles a yearly list of excellent books for young readers.

Showing 1 - 14 of 14  There are a total of 103 valid entries on the list.
Book cover for Autumn Peltier, water warrior.
Notes:
Contemporary People, Places, and Issues;5-9
Description:
"Indigenous women have always worked tirelessly to protect our water -- keeping it pure and clean for the generations to come. Yet there was a time when their voices and teachings were nearly drowned out, leaving entire communities and environments in danger and without clean water. But then came Grandma Josephine and her great-niece, Autumn. Speak for the water. Sing for the water. Dance for the water. With moving lyricism and arresting illustrations,...
Book cover for Code red.
Notes:
Fiction for Children;10-13
Description:
Thirteen-year-old former elite gymnast Eden is feeling lost after a career-ending injury, but when she meets new friends who open her eyes to period poverty, the struggle that low-income people have trying to afford menstrual products, she becomes an advocate for fair treatment and rediscovers her passion and drive.
Book cover for Ginny off the map.
Notes:
Fiction for Children;8-12
Description:
On the last day of fifth grade, super-smart eleven-year-old Ginny learns that her father, who is a military ER doctor, is being deployed to Afghanistan--devastating news because they are already moving to another post in Maryland and Ginny depends on her father to help her manage her obsessions, panic attacks, and general meltdowns. One of her obsessions is geographical facts, and somehow Ginny hopes to use her geographical knowledge to overcome her...
Book cover for The good hair day.
Notes:
Picture Books;4-9
Description:
"With the help from his loving and observant family, a little boy gets a birthday present that gives him the confidence to be himself and let his hair down."--
Book cover for How does Santa go down the chimney?.
Author:
Notes:
Seasons and Celebrations;4-9
Description:
"When Santa arrives at a child's house on Christmas Eve, does he go down the chimney feetfirst or headfirst? What if he gets stuck? What if there's no chimney? Maybe he slides under the door, as thin as a piece of paper? Or is it possible he pours himself through the faucet? What happens once he's inside?" --
Book cover for Julia and the shark.
Notes:
Fiction for Children;9-13
Description:
Ten-year-old Julia loves the mysteries of the ocean and marine biology, just like her scientist mother. Her family is spending the summer on a remote island where her mom is searching for the elusive Greenland shark, a creature that might be older than the trees, and so rare that it’s only been seen a few times. But the ocean is reluctant to give up its secrets, and Julia tries not to worry as her mother returns disappointed at the end of each...
Book cover for Parachute kids.
Notes:
Fiction for Children;9-13
Description:

**National Book Award Longlist Title**

**Asian/Pacific American Award Honor Book**

This funny, fast-paced, and heartrending story about three siblings living on their own as undocumented new immigrants is perfect for fans of New Kid and Front Desk.

A DREAM TRIP TO AMERICA TURNS INTO A NIGHTMARE!

Feng-Li can't wait to discover America with her family! But after an action-packed

...
Book cover for Paul Bunyan.
Notes:
Historical People, Places, and Events;10-14
Description:
"Did you know that a mainstay of American folk culture was in fact created as an advertising ploy? Few people realize that Paul Bunyan, the legendary lumberjack, and his blue ox are the product of corporate marketing by a highly industrialized commercial enterprise. Cartoonist Noah Van Sciver shows us the myth creation as real life marketing man extraordinaire W.B. Laughead spins ever more wondrous tall tales. Van Sciver's story is bracketed by...
Book cover for The skull.
Author:
Notes:
Fiction for Children;6-9
Description:
"In a big abandoned house, on a barren hill, lives a skull. A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and run away, and when she finds herself lost in the dark forest, the lonely house beckons. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too, something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both?"--
Book cover for Tethered to other stars.
Notes:
Fiction for Children;10-13
Description:
Seventh grader Wendy Toledo knows that black holes and immigration police have one thing in common: they can both make things disappear without a trace. When her family moves to a new all-American neighborhood, Wendy knows the plan: keep her head down, build a telescope that will win the science fair, and stay on her family's safe orbit. But that's easier said than done when there's a woman hiding out from ICE agents in the church across the alley,...
Book cover for ¡Vamos! Let's go read.
Notes:
Picture Books;5-9
Description:
"Little Lobo and his friends are excited for the out-of-this-world book festival that the Guadalupian Library hosts every year! Everyone has a special book they're looking for, but there's so much to see and do first"--
Book cover for When the stars came home.
Notes:
Picture Books;6-10
Description:
After his family moves to the city, young Ojiig misses the life he knew back home and the night sky full of stars until his parents help him find ways to make the city feel more like home.
Book cover for The Windeby puzzle.
Author:
Notes:
Fiction for Children;9-13
Description:
The suspenseful dual narrative of a boy and girl both battling to survive. In an utterly one-of-a-kind blend of fiction and history, a master storyteller explores the mystery and life of the 2,000-year-old Windeby bog body. Estrild is not like the other girls in her village; she wants to be a warrior. Varick, the orphan boy who helps her train in spite of his twisted back, also stands apart. In a world where differences are poorly tolerated, just...
Book cover for The worlds we leave behind.
Notes:
Fiction for Children;9-13
Description:
After an accident in the woods involving a young girl, eleven-year-old Hex meets a mysterious woman who offers him a deal to change his world, which sets off a ripple effect that Hex's best friend Tommo must rectify.