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 41 - 60 of 103  There are a total of 103 valid entries on the list.
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 many assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams.
Notes:
Fiction for Children;8-11
Description:
This is the tale of an exciting journey along the Silk Road with a young orphan Monk and his newfound guardian, Samir, a larger than life character and the so-called "Seller of Dreams." The man is a scammer; his biggest skill being the ability to talk his way into getting what he wants. While that talking did save Monkey's life, it has left a lot of people furious with Samir--furious enough to hire assassins. These include a Viking berserker, a Rogue...
Book cover for Mexikid.
Notes:
Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir;8-13
Description:
"Pedro Martin's grown up in the U.S. hearing stories about his legendary abuelito, but during a family road trip to Mexico, he connects with his grandfather and learns more about his own Mexican identity." --

44. Miracle

Book cover for Miracle.
Notes:
Fiction for Children;9-12
Description:
Amie struggles to find herself through friendship and music in the wake of her father's death.
Book cover for The Mona Lisa vanishes.
Notes:
Historical People, Places, and Events;10-up
Description:
"On a hot August day in Paris, just over a century ago, a desperate guard burst into the office of the director of the Louvre and shouted, 'La Joconde, c’est partie! The Mona Lisa, she’s gone!' No one knew who was behind the heist. Was it an international gang of thieves? Was it an art-hungry American millionaire? Was it the young Spanish painter Pablo Picasso, who was about to remake the very art of painting? Travel back to an extraordinary period...
Book cover for The museum of lost and found.
Author:
Notes:
Fiction for Children;9-13
Description:
When eleven-year-old Vanessa discovers an abandoned museum, she starts filling it with her own projects and art and memories, thinking maybe, if she can put them all together in just the right way, she can finally understand why she and her relationships are the way they are.
Book cover for Muzoon.
Notes:
Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir;10-14
Description:
"This eye-opening memoir tells the story of a young girl's life in Syria, her family's wrenching decision to leave their home, and the upheaval of life in a refugee camp. Though her life had utterly changed, one thing remained the same. She knew that education was the key to a better future--for herself, and so that she could help her country. She went from tent to tent in the camp, trying to convince other kids, especially girls, to come to school....
Book cover for My dad is a DJ.
Notes:
Picture Books;6-10
Description:
"Trevor's dad is a DJ, and he always picks the best music--But after his parents split up and Dad moves out, Trevor feels like the pitch doesn't fit between them. Trevor has his own music now--hip-hop--and Dad can't seem to let go of his old soul favorites. As the end-of-year dance approaches, Trevor and his father will have to find their new groove to get the party started."--
Book cover for My indigo world.
Author:
Notes:
The Arts;5-9
Description:
"With lavish mixed-media art including watercolor painting and hand-dyed textiles, debut author-illustrator Rosa Chang pays tribute to the science and art of growing the indigo plant and making indigo dye. Woven throughout is a poetic tribute to the colorblue, Chang's favorite since her girlhood in Korea, and an appreciation of the indigo plant as a valued source of blue dye in cultures around the world. Informative back matter tells more about the...
Book cover for My powerful hair.
Notes:
Picture Books;5-10
Description:
After generations of short hair in her family, a little girl celebrates growing her hair long to connect to her culture and honor the strength and resilience of those who came before her.
Book cover for Mysterious glowing mammals.
Notes:
Science, Technology, and the Natural World;8-13
Description:
You’re probably familiar with some kinds of glowing animals. Fireflies light up summer nights. Bioluminescent jellyfish and other sea creatures fill our oceans. But some animals glow only under ultraviolet light. This is called biofluorescence The author recorded theh first ever sighting of a biofluorescent mammal. Follow along with Martin and his colleagues as they delve into the mystery of the flying squirrels and discover that they aren’t...
Book cover for Nell plants a tree.
Author:
Notes:
Picture Books;6-9
Description:
"This gorgeous picture book shows how one little girl's careful tending of a pecan tree creates the living center of a loving, intergenerational Black family. For Earth Day and every day! Perfect for fans of Matt de la Peą and Oge Mora. Inspired by the pecan trees of the creators' own childhoods, Anne Wynter's lyrical picture book, brought to life with breathtaking illustrations by Daniel Miyares, brims with wonder and love."-- "Three generations...
Book cover for Not a monster.
Notes:
Science, Technology, and the Natural World;4-10
Description:
An axolotl may look like one, but it is certainly Not a Monster. This curious creature, made popular by Minecraft, is actually a salamander that will never lose its gills or fins. Not a Monster explores the traits of the axolotl, the Aztec origin myth about the species, and the way pollution is affecting its natural habitat: the canals of Xochimilco in Mexico City.
Book cover for Not an easy win.
Notes:
Fiction for Children;9-12
Description:
Nothing’s gone right for Lawrence since he had to move from Charlotte to Larenville, North Carolina, to live with his granny. When Lawrence ends up in one too many fights at his new school, he gets expelled. The fight wasn’t his fault, but since his pop’s been gone, it feels like no one listens to what Lawrence has to say. Instead of going to school, Lawrence starts spending his days at the rec center, helping out a neighbor who runs a chess...
Book cover for On the edge of the world.
Notes:
Picture Books;7-10
Description:
"In mirroring stories set in Russia and Chile, Vera and Lucas long for a friend to share their separate, but surprisingly similar, adventures." --
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 A pocketful of stars.
Notes:
Fiction for Children;10-13
Description:
When thirteen-year-old Safiya's mother falls into a coma, Safiya comes to terms with their complicated relationship and discovers more about herself through dreams that transport her to her mother's childhood in Kuwait.
Book cover for The probability of everything.
Notes:
Fiction for Children;9-13
Description:
"Eleven-year-old Kemi Carter loves scientific facts, specifically probability. It's how she understands the world and her place in it. Kemi knows her odds of being born were 1 in 5.5 trillion, and that the odds of her having the best family ever were even lower. Yet somehow, Kemi lucked out. But everything Kemi thought she knew changes when she sees an asteroid hover in the sky, casting a purple haze over her world. AMPLUS-68 has an 84.7% chance...
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...