2024-2025
Nebraska Golden Sower
Nominees
Nominees
Announcing the 2024-2025 Nominees! Students can start reading these nominees anytime. Voting will open November 1, 2024 through April 15, 2025. See the voting page for information on how to submit votes for the 2024-2025 awards.
The nominee levels have new names! The Little Bluestem (picture book) category is primarily intended for grades K-2; Honeybee category (chapter books) for grades 3-5; and Meadowlark (novel category) for grades 6-8. In 2025-2026, we will be introducing a category intended for high school students. However, it is up to local adults to decide which books to use and how. As long as a student has read four (4) books in a category, they are eligible to vote in that category.
Little Bluestem (Picture Book) Nominees
2024-2025 Little Bluestem Nominees
Abdul’s Story by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, illustrated by Tiffany Rose.
Agatha May and the Anglerfish by Nora Morrison and Jessie Ann Foley, illustrated by Mika Song.
Creepy Crayon by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown.
Every Dog in the Neighborhood by Phillip C. Stead, illustrated by Matthew Cordell
How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Jennifer Harney
I’m a Unicorn by Helen Yoon
More than Peach by Bellen Woodard, illustrated by Fanny Liem
My Parents Won’t Stop Talking by Emma Hunsinger and Tillie Walden
Poopsie Gets Lost by Hannah E. Harrison
We Don’t Lose Our Class Goldfish by Ryan T. Higgins
Click here for a printable Little Bluestem (Primary) Nominees list.
Honeybee (Chapter Book) Nominees
2024-2025 Honeybee Nominees
Bunnicula: The Graphic Novel by James Howe and Andrew Donkin
Controlled Burn by Erin Soderberg Downing
Cress Watercress by Gregory Maguire, illustrated by David Litchfield
Finally Seen by Kelly Yang
Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzales, illustrated by Gabriela Epstein
The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart
Odder by Katherine Applegate, illustrated by Charles Santoso
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
Wayward Creatures by Dayna Lorentz
The Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega
Click here for a printable Honeybee (Chapter Book) Nominee list.
Meadowlark (Novel) Nominees
2024-2025 Novel Nominees
Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds, illustrated by Jason Griffin
Attack of the Black Rectangles by A. S. King
Dear Mothman by Robin Gow
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
Lasagna Means I Love You by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Lines of Courage by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Miss Quinces by Kat Fajardo
Nic Blake and the Remarkables: the Manifestor Prophecy by Angie Thomas
Two Degrees by Alan Gratz
What Happened to Rachel Riley by Claire Swinarski