2014-2015
Volunteer State Book Award
Primary Division
Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas
by Molly Bang and Penny Chisolm
• From tiny aquatic plants to the
biggest whale or fish, this book
presents a picture of the life
within our wondrous oceans
Z is for Moose
by Kelly Bingham; Illustrated by Paul Zelinsky
• Moose is terribly eager to play
his part in Zebra's alphabet
book, but when his letter passes
him by, Moose behaves rather
badly until Zebra finds a spot for
him.
A Is for Musk Ox
by Erin Cabatingan; Illustrated Matthew Myers
• Musk Ox takes over an alphabet
book, explaining to his friend
Zebra why almost every letter
can be used to describe musk
oxen.
Charlie the Ranch Dog
by Ree Drummond; Illustrated by Diane deGroat.
• While Charlie, a sleepy basset
hound, tells about the busy life
of a ranch dog, his best friend
Suzie, a Jack Russell terrier, is
getting the work done.
Not a Buzz to be found: Insects in Winter
by Linda Glaser; Illustrated by Jaime Zollars
• This book shows how twelve
different insects survive during
the cold winter months.
Lost and Found
by Bill Harley; Illustrated by Adam Gustavson
• Justin has lost the hat his
grandmother made for him, and
if he is to find it in time for her
visit he will have to go talk to Mr.
Rumkowsky, the gruff old school
custodian in charge of the Lost
and Found.
Charley’s First Night
by Amy Hest; Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
• Henry shows in new puppy
Charley around the house, and
even though Henry's parents say
that the pet will sleep in the
kitchen, the rules might change
when Charley begins to cry.
Nasty Bugs: Poems
Lee Bennett Hopkins (ed.); Illustrated by Will Terry
• A collection of creepy, crawly
poems about bugs that includes
information about each
creature.
My First Day: What Animals Do on Day One
by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
• Newborn animals describe
things they did on the day they
were born. Includes facts about
each species featured in the
book.
Neville
by Norton Juster; Illustrated by G. Brian Karas.
• When a boy and his family move
to a new house, he devises an
ingenious way to meet people in
the neighborhood.
Senorita Gordita
By Helen Kettman; Illustrated by Will Terry
• This book resets the tale of the
Gingerbread boy in the
southwest, where the
scrumptious Gordita eludes her
pursuers until she meets a clever
owl. Includes glossary of Spanish
terms and a Gordita's recipe.
This is Not My Hat
by Jon Klassen
• A tiny fish wearing a blue hat
hopes not to wake up the
trouble that might be following
close behind him.
It's a Tiger!
by David LaRochelle; Illustrated by Jeremy Tankard
• A child imagines that he is in a
story where he encounters a
tiger at every turn.
On My Way to the Bath
by Sarah Maizes; Illustrated by Michael Paraskevas.
• Livi imagines herself as a snake,
a gymnast, a rock star, and more
as she tries to avoid taking a
bath.
These Hands
by Margaret Mason; Illustrated by Floyd Cooper
• An African American man tells
his grandson about a time when,
despite all the wonderful things
his hands could do, they could
not touch bread at the Wonder
Bread factory.
Creepy Carrots!
by Aaron Reynolds; Illustrated by Peter Brown.
• The carrots that grow in
Crackenhopper Field are the
fattest and crispiest around.
Jasper Rabbit cannot resist
pulling some to eat each time he
passes by, until he begins
hearing and seeing creepy
carrots wherever he goes.
Tales for Very Picky Eaters
by Josh Schneider
• A father tells outlandish stories
while trying to get his young son,
who is a very picky eater, to eat
foods he thinks he will not like.
Memoirs of a Goldfish
by Devin Scillian; Illustrated by Tim Bowers
• A goldfish gives a personal
account of his experiences while
swimming around his bowl as it
slowly fills with fish and other
accessories, only to realize when
he is relocated for a cleaning
how much he misses them.
Balloons over Broadway
by Melissa Sweet
• This is the biography of
puppeteer Tony Sarg, the man
who first invented the helium
balloons that have become the
trademark of the annual Macy's
Thanksgiving Day Parade
A Storm Called Katrina
by Myron Uhlberg; Illustrated by Colin Bootman.
• When flood waters submerge
their New Orleans neighborhood
in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina, a young cornet player
and his parents evacuate their
home and struggle to survive
and stay together