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Youth Missouri Books

(Updated August 3, 2018)

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For Grades 3-6

A Book for Black-eyed Susan by Judy Young

While traveling along the Oregon Trail, ten-year-old Cora and her newborn baby sister suffer the loss of their mother and are separated, but Cora stitches a book to tell the dark-eyed baby of their journey and family. Show-Me Book Award nominee, 2013-2014. For grades 3-6. 2011.

Bringing the Boy Home by N. A. Nelson

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As two Takunami youths approach their thirteenth birthdays, Luka reaches the culmination of his mother's training for the tribe's manhood test while Tirio, raised in Miami, Florida, by his adoptive mother, feels called to begin preparations to prove himself during his upcoming visit to the Amazon rain forest where he was born. Mark Twain Award nominee, 2010-2011. For grades 3-6. 2015.

The Can Man by Laura E. Williams

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After watching a homeless man collect empty soft drink cans for the redemption money, a young boy decides to collect cans himself to earn money for a skateboard until he has a change of heart. Show-Me Book Award nominee, 2012-2013. For grades 3-6. 2011.

The Dreamcatcher Adventures: Greedy Jack Wallace by Adam C. Veile

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Blake Monroe needs to find a hidden treasure to save his family home and the newly- arrived cowboy ghost of his great-great-great-great-grandfather wants to find the same hidden treasure to right a wrong that has lingered since he was murdered by a villain in 1890. The two of them team up to adventure their way to the treasure. For grades 3-6. 2012.

The Dreamcatcher Adventures: Terrible Tom & Mabel by Adam C. Veile

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The Old West meets the modern day through the presence of a ghost world, including a ride on a ghost train that's on a collision course with a present day town and an intense ghost chasing, whitewater rafting trip. For grades 3-6. 2014.

The Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel

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When twelve-year-old Ariel and her friend Zeke find a mysterious artifact the like of which has not been seen in a long time, it proves to be the beginning of a long and arduous journey that will ultimately reveal to them their true identities. Truman Award nominee, 2011-2012. For grades 3-6. 2009.

The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin

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As ten-year-old Oona and younger brother Fred conspire to break their sick cat Zook out of the veterinary clinic, Oona tells the story of Zook's previous lives. Mark Twain Award nominee, 2014-2015. For grades 3-6. 2012.

Hoofbeats: Margaret and Flynn, 1875 by Kathleen Duey

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In 1875, twelve-year-old orphan Margret claims a horse blown into her life by a tornado. She nurses him back to health and teaches herself to ride. For grades 3-6. 2008.

I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011 by Lauren Tarshis

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A young boy struggles to survive during the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri. For grades 3-6. 2015.

Itsy Bitsy & Teeny Weeny by Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen

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A lamb, rejected by its mother, and an injured fawn are cared for by the caretakers of Hazel Ridge Farm; but as they recovered and grew older, it was time for the deer to go back into the wild. For grades 3-6. 2009.

The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky by Holly Schindler

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Auggie and her grandfather use found objects to transform the appearance of their home and, in the process, change a whole town's perceptions of beauty and art. Mark Twain Award Nominee, 2016-2017. For grades 3-6. 2014.

Luella Agnes Owen: Going Where No Lady Had Gone Before by Billie Holladay Skelley

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Luella Agnes Owen was a female pioneer in the study of caves. Luella had to overcome many obstacles to reach her goal of becoming a scientist, she became one of the world's leading authorities on caves at a time when such a career was unusual for a woman. For grades 3-6. 2015.

The Magic Half by Barrows, Annie.

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Eleven-year-old Miri Gill feels left out in her family, which has two sets of twins and her, until she travels back in time to 1935 and discovers Molly, her own lost twin, and brings her back to the present day. Mark Twain Award nominee, 2010-2011. For grades 3-6. 2008.

One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

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After heartbreaking betrayal, Carley is sent to live with a foster family and struggles with opening herself up to their love. Truman Award nominee, 2014-2015. For grades 3-6. 2012.

Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky by Sandra Dallas

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After Pearl Harbor is bombed by the Japanese, twelve-year-old Tomi and her Japanese-American family are split up and forced to leave their California home to live in internment camps in New Mexico and Colorado. Mark Twain Award Nominee, 2016-2017. For grades 3-6. 2014.

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff

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Relates the tale of Rumpelstiltskin's childhood and youth, explaining why his name is so important, how he is able to spin straw into gold, and why a first-born child is his reward for helping the miller's daughter-turned-queen. Mark Twain Award nominee, 2015-2016. For grades 3-6. 2013.

Ruth Law: The Queen of the Air by Billie Holladay Skelley

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Ruth Bancroft Law was a pioneer in American aviation. She was one of the most successful aviators of her time, setting several records. For grades 3-6. 2016.

Sophie the Awesome by Lara Bergen

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Sophie feels average, but wants to stand out from the crowd, so she changes her name to Sophie the Awesome and tries to find something to prove she is awesome. For grades 3-6. 2010.

Sophie the Daredevil by Lara Bergen

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When Sophie decides to take on the name "Sophie the Daredevil," she finds out the hard way that facing fears is not always easy. For grades 3-6. 2011.

Sophie the Zillionaire by Lara Bergen

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After finding fifty dollars, Sophie thinks she is rich, but when she learns that snooty Mindy has more than that, she tries to think of a way to make more money in a hurry. For grades 3-6. 2011.

The Totally Made-Up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeish by Claudia Mills

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While dealing with her parents' separation and her best friend's distance, Amanda is able to work out some of her anxiety through her fifth-grade project--writing a diary from the point of view of a ten-year-old girl whose brothers fight on opposite sides in the Civil War. Mark Twain Award nominee, 2010-2011. For grades 3-6. 2008.

The Young Healer by Frank N. McMillan

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Feather Anderson discovers her Lakota heritage with her grandfather and in doing so follows in his footsteps of becoming a medicine healer. Mark Twain Award nominee, 2014-2015. For grades 3-6. 2012.