Golden Sower 2018-2019 Picture Book Nominees

Nebraska Golden Sower Award Nominee

Titles 2018-2019

Sponsored by Nebraska Library Association’s School, Children’s, and Young People’s Section

The GSA nominee list is developed by selection committees of volunteer readers representing classroom teachers, media specialists, and librarians in Nebraska. Each list is created from nominated titles sent in by participating libraries and schools from across the state. Local library or school officials are responsible for selecting books from these lists they feel are appropriate for the needs and interests of their patrons or students. Voting eligibility requires readers to have read or heard a minimum of four of the current nominees from the category in which they will be voting: Picture Books, Chapter Books, or Golden Sower Novels.

2018-2019 Picture Book Nominees

Agee, Jon. Life on Mars.

Illustrated by the author. Dial Books, 2017. ISBN 9780399538520

A young astronaut lands on the red planet and is determined to find a sign of life there. In his hand is a package tied with a red ribbon that holds a chocolate cupcake, a gift to any extraterrestrial he might run into. But as the boy walks about the dark, cold, and rocky landscape, he begins to wonder if anything could possibly live there.

Alexie, Sherman. Thunder Boy Jr.

Illustrated by Yuyi Morales. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016. ISBN 9780316013727

Thunder Boy Jr. is named after his dad, but he wants a name that's all his own. Just because people call his dad Big Thunder doesn't mean he wants to be Little Thunder. He wants a name that celebrates something cool he's done. Just when Thunder Boy Jr. thinks all hope is lost, he and his dad pick the perfect name.

Bledsoe, Josh. Hammer and Nails.

Illustrated by Jessica Warrick. Flashlight Press, 2016. ISBN 9781936261369 Darcy has plans. She and her friend are going to play dress up, do each other's hair, and polish their nails. Daddy has plans, too. He's going to read the paper, mow the lawn, and fix the fence. When Darcy's friend cancels and she's sure her day is ruined, Daddy suggests that they tackle their to-do lists together with a Darcy-Daddy Day.

Burach, Ross. I Am Not a Chair!

Illustrated by the author. HarperCollins, 2017. ISBN 9780062360168

A giraffe keeps being mistaken for a chair. Can he find the courage to stand up for himself?

DiPucchio, Kelly. Dragon Was Terrible.

Illustrated by Greg Pizzoli. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2016. ISBN 9780374300494 We all know dragons are terrible, but this one is especially terrible. He scribbles in books. He steals candy from baby unicorns. He even burps in church. The king, the knights, and the villagers are desperate to take down this beast once and for all. But sometimes it's up to the unlikeliest of heroes to tame a dragon this terrible.

Hall, Michael. Frankencrayon.

Illustrated by the author. Greenwillow Books, 2016. ISBN 9780062252111

The crayons are ready to tell the thrilling tale of Frankencrayon. The costumes are made, the roles are cast, the pages are all set—but then disaster strikes. Someone has scribbled on the page! If the crayons cannot stop the scribble monster, this picture book and the play "Frankencrayon" may have to be canceled.

Papp, Lisa. Madeline Finn and the Library Dog.

Illustrated by the author. Peachtree, 2016. ISBN 9781561459100

Madeline Finn does not like to read. Fortunately, Madeline meets Bonnie, a library dog. Reading aloud to Bonnie isn't so bad. When Madeline Finn gets stuck, Bonnie doesn't mind. As it turns out, it's fun to read when you're not afraid of making mistakes. Bonnie teaches Madeline Finn that it's Okay to go slow, to keep trying, and to get support from a friend.

Rockliff, Mara. Anything But Ordinary Addie: The True Story of Adelaide Herrmann, Queen of Magic.

Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. Candlewick, 2016. ISBN 9780763668419

Addie longed for thrills and excitement! At a time when a young lady appearing onstage was considered most unusual, Addie became a dancer. And when she married the world-famous magician Herrmann the Great, she knew she had to be part of his show. She would do anything to draw the crowds, even agree to be shot out of a cannon. But when Herrmann the Great died, Addie couldn’t disappoint her loyal fans — she would perform the show all by herself!

Uhlberg, Myron. The Sound of All Things.

Illustrated by Ted Papoulas. Peachtree, 2016. ISBN 9781561458332

A day in the life of a young hearing boy and his deaf parents. When the Brooklyn family takes an outing to Coney Island, the father longs to know about how everything sounds. His son does his best to interpret the noisy surroundings through sign language but finds it difficult. When the family drops in at the library on the way home, the boy realizes that in these many books he will be able to find a wealth of new words to help him explain the hearing world to his father.

Verde, Susan. The Water Princess.

Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2016. ISBN 9780399172588

Clean drinking water is scarce in Gie Gie’s small African village. Every morning she rises before the sun to make the long journey to the well wearing a heavy pot on her head to collect the water. After the voyage home, after boiling the water to drink and clean with, Gie Gie thinks of the trip that tomorrow will bring. And she dreams of a day when her village will have cool, crystal-clear water of its own.