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 - 20 of 24  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 The book of turtles.
Notes:
Science, Technology, and the Natural World;5-9
Description:
"This tribute to one of the most diverse, fascinating, and beloved species on the planet (turtles) speaks to the diversity and wisdom of these long-lived reptiles." --
Book cover for Can I recycle this?.
Notes:
Contemporary People, Places, and Issues;7-10
Description:
"Can I Recycle This? skips over preaching and platitudes common to books on environmentalism and instead gets right to the real information that kids need. It takes readers through every step of the recycling process, from the moment that they throw an item in the bin to its journey through the recycling machinery and on its way to its new life. It gives kids the answers and resources they need to be far better informed than their parents, many of...
Book cover for Chinese menu.
Author:
Notes:
Contemporary People, Places, and Issues;8-up
Description:
"From fried dumplings to fortune cookies, here are the tales behind your favorite foods . . . Separated into courses like a Chinese menu, these tales -- based in real history and folklore -- are filled with squabbling dragons, magical fruits, and hungry monks. This book will bring you to far-off times and marvelous places, all while making your mouth water. And, along the way, you might just discover a deeper understanding of the resilience and triumph...
Book cover for The fire of stars.
Notes:
Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir;8-12
Description:
Astronomer and astrophysicist Cecilia Payne was the first person to discover what burns at the heart of stars. But she didn't start out as the groundbreaking scientist she would eventually become. She started out as a girl full of curiosity, hoping one day to unlock the mysteries of the universe. With lyrical, evocative text by Kirsten W. Larson and extraordinary illustrations by award-winning illustrator Katherine Roy, this moving biography powerfully...
Book cover for Glitter everywhere!.
Notes:
Historical People, Places, and Events;6-10
Description:
"An informative picture book about the origins and present day uses of -- and obsession with -- glitter"--
Book cover for Good books for bad children.
Notes:
The Arts;6-10
Description:
"'Ursula Nordstrom was a grown-up who never forgot what it was to be a child.' The girl who'd always loved to read would grow up to work in the Department of Books for Boys and Girls at Harper & Brothers Publishers. Soon she was editing books by Margaret Wise Brown and E. B. White, discovering new talent like John Steptoe and Maurice Sendak, and reinventing what a book for children should be. 'Children want to be seen,' she'd tell her writers. 'Not...
Book cover for Great Carrier Reef.
Notes:
Science, Technology, and the Natural World;7-10
Description:
This incredible story brings young readers along on the journey of the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany—the Mighty O—as it gets stripped down to a steel shell for a new life below the waves. After 25 years of service, launching more aircraft than any other carrier of its time, the ship found a new mission as an artificial reef off the coast of Florida. The Mighty O was prepped and reefed by a team of more than 150 scientists, engineers, and technicians....
Book cover for Holding her own.
Notes:
The Arts;8-12
Description:
"When Jackie Ormes sees an opportunity, she takes it. She's a journalist, cartoonist, fashionista, philanthropist, and activist -- and she wants to use her artistry to bring joy and hope to Black people everywhere. But in post-World War II America, Black people are still being denied their civil rights, and Jackie has a dilemma: How can her art remain true to her signature Jackie joy, while also staying honest about the inequalities Black people have...
Book cover for How do you spell unfair?.
Notes:
Historical People, Places, and Events;6-9
Description:
A true story of determination and groundbreaking achievement follows eighth grade African American spelling champion MacNolia Cox, who left Akron, Ohio, in 1936 to compete in the prestigious National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., only to be met with prejudice and discrimination.
Book cover for Just Jerry.
Notes:
The Arts;8-12
Description:
"Jerry Pinkney, Caldecott Medal winner and illustrator of over one hundred books, tells the story of his childhood and how he developed his artistic talent." --
Book cover for Make way.
Notes:
The Arts;6-9
Description:
In the beginning, there was a boy named Robert McCloskey, growing up in Ohio, his hands always moving, always creating. Many years later, after attending art school in Boston, he would reflect on his days wandering through Boston Garden and write the classic picture book Make Way for Ducklings. In the beginning, there was also a girl named Nancy Schön. She grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, working in her father’s greenhouse, twisting wire and...
Book cover for The puppets of Spelhorst.
Series:
Norendy tales volume 1.
Notes:
Fiction for Children;7-10
Description:
"Five puppets confront circumstances beyond their control with patience, cunning, and high spirits ... Shut up in a trunk by a taciturn old sea captain with a secret, five friends--a king, a wolf, a girl, a boy, and an owl--bicker, boast, and comfort one another in the dark. Individually, they dream of song and light, freedom and flight, purpose and glory, but they all agree they are part of a larger story, bound each to each by chance, bonded by...
Book cover for Rise to the sky.
Notes:
Science, Technology, and the Natural World;5-10
Description:
"What are the tallest living things on Earth? Trees! Discover what growing trees need so they can rise to the sky in this lyrical look at the tree life cycle"--
Book cover for Rock, Rosetta, rock! Roll, Rosetta, roll!.
Notes:
The Arts;7-10
Description:
"Award-winning author Tonya Bolden and acclaimed illustrator R. Gregory Christie deliver an inspiring true story about the life, career, and impact of twentieth-century blues and gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who was a trailblazer for rock and roll. Before there was Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Johnny Cash, there was Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The godmother of rock and roll started as a little girl from Arkansas with music in her air,...
Book cover for Rooting for plants.
Notes:
Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir;6-9
Description:
"In 1882, Black botanist and mycologist Charles S. Parker sprouted up in the lush, green Pacific Northwest. From the beginning, Charles's passion was plants, and he trudged through forests, climbed mountains, and waded into lakes to find them. When he was drafted to fight in World War I, Charles experienced prejudice against Black soldiers and witnessed the massive ecological devastation that war caused. Those experiences made him even more determined...
Book cover for The secret pocket.
Notes:
Picture Books;6-9
Description:
Mary was four years old when she was first taken away to the Lejac Indian Residential School. It was far away from her home and family. Always hungry and cold, there was little comfort for young Mary. Speaking Dakelh was forbidden and the nuns and priest were always watching, ready to punish. Mary and the other girls had a genius idea: drawing on the knowledge from their mothers, aunts and grandmothers who were all master sewers, the girls would sew...
Book cover for Tenacious.
Notes:
Contemporary People, Places, and Issues;7-10
Description:
"A downhill skier whose blindness has sharpened her communication skills. An adaptive surfer who shreds waves while sitting down. A young man who excels at wheelchair motocross--but struggles with math. Tenacious tells their stories and more, revealing the daily joys and challenges of life as disabled athletes. These competitors have won gold medals, set world records, climbed mountain peaks, claimed national championships, and many more extraordinary...
Book cover for To boldly go.
Notes:
Historical People, Places, and Events;6-9
Description:
"Perfect for fans of Hidden Figures and Mae Among the Stars! To Boldly Go tells the true story of Nichelle Nichols and how she used her platform on Star Trek to inspire and recruit a new generation of diverse astronauts and many others in the space and STEM fields. As Lieutenant Uhura on the iconic prime-time television show Star Trek, Nichelle Nichols played the first Black female astronaut anyone had ever seen on screen. A smart, strong, independent...
Book cover for Tomfoolery!.
Notes:
The Arts;6-10
Description:
"Meet Randolph Caldecott, the artist who revolutionized picture book illustration and for whom the prestigious Caldecott medal is named!" --