Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award

1. Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award Grades 3 - 5

2. Casey Back at Bat It's a new season for the Mudville nine, and a chance for mighty Casey to redeem himself after the humiliating strikeout immortalized in Ernest Thayer's famous poem. Casey is back up to bat with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, two men on, and Mudville behind by two runs. This time around Casey hits the ball so hard that it travels not merely through space but through time. By Dan Gutman

3. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars A collection of twenty whimsical poems about comets, the stars, moon, and the planets. Each broad double-page spread features a short, poem about a subject such as the sun, each of its planets, a comet, a constellation, or the universe, set within an impressive painting. ByDouglas Florian

4. Dolley Madison Saves George Washington Dolley was a farm girl who became a fine first lady when she married James Madison. When war arrived at her doorstep Dolley had to meet challenges greater than she'd ever known. So she did one thing she thought might make a difference: she saved George Washington. Not the man himself, but a portrait of him, which would surely have been destroyed by English soldiers. ByDon Brown

5. Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat Emmy's world has turned upside down. Since her family inherited a fortune, her parents have become obsessed with status and money, her teachers and fellow students ignore her, and her welfare has been left in the hands of her coldhearted nanny, Miss Barmy. Now, she can hear the class pet, a rat, talking. ByLynne Jonell

6. The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School The fourth graders of Aesop Elementary School had been called "precocious," "high-energy," "robust," and "just plain naughty". No teacher wants to teach this year's fourth-grade class at Aesop Elementary. Just as Mrs. Struggles, the principal, is about to give up, Mr. Jupiter appears with a flawlessly huge resume. ByCandace Fleming

7. Hairy Hezekiah Tired of his lonely life at the zoo, Hezekiah--an ornery, very hairy Bacrian camel--busts out and heads across country.  His adventure leads him to an eccentric (and equally hairy) aristocrat, a new life at a wildlife park, and company in the form of a female camel.  ByDick King-Smith

8. Henry’s Freedom Box Henry Brown doesn't know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves' birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. When Henry grows up and marries, he is again devastated when his family is sold at the slave market. Then one day, as he lifts a crate at the warehouse, he knows exactly what he must do: He will mail himself to the North. ByEllen Levine

9. How to Steal a Dog Georgina Hayes is desperate. Ever since her father left and they were evicted from their apartment, her family has been living in their car. With her mama juggling two jobs and trying to make enough money to find a place to live, Georgina is stuck looking after her younger brother, Toby. When Georgina spots a missing-dog poster with a reward of five hundred dollars, the solution to all her problems suddenly seems within reach. All she has to do is “borrow” the right dog and its owners are sure to offer a reward. ByBarbara O’Connor

10. Jim Limber Davis A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House The true story of the adopted black child of Jefferson Davis. Jim Limber Davis was rescued from an abusive guardian by Varina Davis when he was only five years old. Jefferson and Varina Davis welcomed him into their home, the Confederate White House, as one of the family, and Jim lived with them until the fall of the Confederacy. By Rickey Pittman

11. Lawn Boy One day I was 12 years old and broke. Then Grandma gave me Grandpa's old riding lawnmower. I set out to mow some lawns. More people wanted me to mow their lawns. And more and more. . . . One client was Arnold the stockbroker, who offered to teach me about "the beauty of capitalism.” As my lawn business grew and grew so did my profits, which Arnold invested in many things including Joey Pow the prizefighter. That's when my 12th summer got really interesting. ByGary Paulsen

12. The Lemonade Club Everyone loves Miss Wichelman’s fifth-grade class—especially best friends Traci and Marilyn. That’s where they learn that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade! They are having a great year until Traci begins to notice some changes in Marilyn. She’s losing weight, and seems tired all the time. She has leukemia—and a tough road of chemotherapy ahead. It is not only Traci and Miss Wichelman who stand up for her, but in a surprising and unexpected turn, the whole fifth-grade class, who figures out a way to say we’re with you. ByPatricia Polacco

13. MarleyA Dog Like No Other When the Grogan family is ready for a dog, they choose Marley, a yellow furball of a puppy who quickly grows into a large, rowdy Labrador retriever. Marley has a zest for life, and as he grows, so does his enthusiasm. He has an appetite for whatever he can get his paws on—from fine jewelry to underwear—and the one thing he always finds is trouble. Marley even gets kicked out of obedience school! Can this rambunctious pup ever learn how to be a good boy? ByJohn Grogan

14. Martina the Beautiful Cockroach Martina, a lovely green Cuban cockroach, follows her grandmother's advice and applies the coffee test to all her prospective husbands: when a suitor comes calling, she spills coffee on his shoes and quickly discovers how he'll behave when angry. When suitor after suitor fails the coffee test, she wonders if a little green cockroach can ever find true love. By Carmen Agra Deedy

15. Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little It wasn't as if Moxy Maxwell hadn't tried to do her summer reading. She and Stuart Little had been inseparable all summer, like best friends. If Stuart Little wasn't in her backpack, it was in her lap . . . or holding up the coffee table . . . or getting splashed when Moxy went swimming. But now it's the end of August—the day before fourth grade. And if Moxy doesn't read all of Stuart Little immediately, there are going to be "consequences." ByPeggy Gifford

16. Satchel Paige Don’t Look Back Satchel Paige could throw a baseball like no one else. But when he began his career in the 1920s, even the best African American players were kept out of the major leagues. Paige rose to stardom in the Negro Baseball Leagues--and he waited for his chance to play in the "big show." Finally, at an age when most players retire, Paige proved that staying in the game pays off. ByDavid A. Adler