Looking for book recommendations? Why not read books nominated by students like you!? The Buckeye Children’s & Teen Book Awards (BCTBA) are the only state awards for books that are nominated by and voted on by students across the state.  

Check out and read these 2020 nominees: 

For Grades K-2       

• Back Roads, Country Toads by Devin Scillian  
• Carl and the Meaning of Life by Deborah Freedman 
• Harold & Hog Pretend for Real! by Dan Santat 
• The Little Guys by Vera Brosgol
• We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins (Hoopla) 

For Grades 3-5 

• Elbow Grease vs. Motozilla by John Cena 
• I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967 by Lauren Tarshis
• New Kid by Jerry Craft  
• Shelby’s Story: A Dog’s Way Home Tale by W. Bruce Cameron
• Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of “The Children’s Ship” by Deborah Heiligman

For Grades 6-8 

• Supernova (Amulet book 8) by Kazu Kibuishi 
• Front Desk by Kelly Yang 
• Grenade by Alan Gratz  
• Guts by Raina Telgemeier  
• Inkling by Kenneth Oppel  

Teens Grades 9-12 

• On the Come Up by Angie Thomas  
• Superman: Dawnbreaker by Matt de la Peña  
• Supernova (Renegades book 3) by Marissa Meyer  
• The Toll (Arc of a Scythe book 3) by Neal Shusterman 
• War Storm (Red Queen Book 4) by Victoria Aveyard 

Choose your favorite and vote here!  Voting is open through November 10. 

 And don’t forget to nominate your favorite titles for 2021! 

Jenni

Jenni Hemphill is the current Assistant Supervisor for the Boardman, Springfield, and Greenford locations. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Deaf Education (K-12) in 2001 and a Master’s of Library and Information Science plus K-12 degree in 2015, both from Kent State University. She taught at the Ohio School for the Deaf for ten years, where she taught all ages, and has been a contract interpreter for the deaf locally.

She started at PLYMC back in 2014 and loves helping patrons, of any age, find their next best read, and going out into the community to schools for off-site programming. She currently runs the ASL Club Program for PLYMC.

Her and her husband have two children, who attend Springfield Local Schools. She loves to read, spend time with family, and trying new things.