We were so thrilled to announce the 2025-26 Nebraska Golden Sower Award nominees at the Nebraska Library Association Conference in Kearney. Please join us in celebrating these titles by sharing them with your classrooms, book clubs, library users, and friends.
This announcement is extra special because we FINALLY get to read and vote on titles in our brand new Bald Eagle reading level intended for 9th through 12th graders!
Voting for all of the titles listed below will occur in the 2025-26 school year.
2025-2026 Little Bluestem Nominees
Big by Vashti Harrison
The Book That Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed, illustrated by Hatem Aly
Dog Vs. Strawberry by Nelly Buchet, illustrated by Andrea Zuill
I Am Stuck by Julia Mills
I Want 100 Dogs by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Claire Keane
Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo
The Red Jacket by Bob Holt
Seals Are Jerks by Jared Chapman
The World's Best Class Plant by Audrey Bernick & Liz Garton Scanlon
Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends by Kaz Windness
2025-2026 Honeybee Nominees
Dogtown by Katherine Applegate & Gennifer Choldenko, illustrated by Wallace West
Ferris by Kate DiCamillo
The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson
Greenwild: The World Behind the Door by Pari Thomson
Home Away from Home by Cynthia Lord
The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass
Medusa by Katherine Marsh
The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle by Taryn Souders
Nothing Else but Miracles by Kate Albus
Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry
2025-2026 Novel Nominees
Dust by Dusti Bowling
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh
Mascot by Charles Waters & Traci Sorell
The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Brett Helquist
Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang
The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango
Wild Poppies by Haya Saleh, translated by Marcia Lynx Qualey
2025-2026 Novel Nominees
Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino
Invisible Son by Kim Johnson
The Next New Syrian Girl by Ream Shukairy
Promise Boys by Nick Brooks
Saints of the Household by Ari Tison
The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker
The Space Between Here and Now by Sarah Suk
Swarm by Jennifer D. Lyle
That's Not My Name by Megan Lally
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley