2025-2026 Elementary Black-Eyed Susan Nominees 
Benita is absorbed in her bedtime reading and not frightened by the night creatures who try to scare her. It becomes quite a ruckus as additional monsters join in the effort. When Benita insists on quiet, the monsters discover the magic of reading with “stories and pictures frolicking in front of their eyes.”
A sister constantly interrupts her brother’s rhyming story with her own words that take the tale in wild directions. At first the brother is upset, but then he goes along and slowly realizes she’s helping make the story more fun.
Two mice—one big, one small—face a problem: the story is missing! Little Mouse wants a tale, but Big Mouse ate it! As they navigate their conflict, their playful back-and-forth reveals the magic of storytelling. This charming, comedic journey celebrates creativity and will delight readers of all ages.
After asking Grandma for a dog and hearing there are “enough dogs in the neighborhood already,” Louis sets out to survey the neighborhood’s dogs. While he’s knocking on doors and meeting all the dogs in the neighborhood, Grandma is quietly working on… something… to better her community. Letters to City Hall are written, lots of dogs and neighbors are greeted, and eventually both Louis and Grandma get what they wanted all along. This book shows how community connections and perseverance can make a neighborhood a better place.
Frank and Bert play another round of hide-and-seek, but this time Frank wants to let his friend win. Follow Frank, as he follows a trail left behind by Bert, and searches for his friend. Maybe Frank will learn that Bert isn’t as bad at the game as originally thought!
Nelson Molina, a NYC Department of Sanitation worker, loved fixing things. And when he started to find items that were thrown away that he thought could be repaired and given to others, he used his creativity to make a difference in his community.
Have you ever wondered how astronauts take care of daily tasks when they are in space? How do they eat? What do they eat? This book shows you the interesting ways an astronaut can prepare and eat their food while on the International Space Station. In this fun and informative book, readers will learn how astronauts prepare food and the do’s and don’ts of eating in space.
When you're feeling angry, it can be hard to think about someone else's feelings. In this story, a boy's teacher has told him that he must write an apology note to a classmate. Feeling angry, he has a difficult time finding the right words for an apology. His teacher works with him, and through many revisions, some time to calm down, and with his teacher's guidance, he learns how to apologize in a way that helps him learn from his mistake and repair his friendship with his classmate.
Have you ever wondered what the world looks like to a backyard spider? Enjoy the beautiful illustrations as you explore the wild spaces of a backyard through the (eight!) eyes of a jumping spider.
How many ways can you communicate? Do you use your voice? Your facial expressions? Do you know sign language? What about your body language? Speaking words is not the only way to “speak up”! In fact, for many to find their voices and be heard, it is those who “listen” who must be creative, open, patient, and understanding. From sign language to Braille, spelling to using an image board, dancing to singing, or painting to writing, we can all can learn to understand each other using much more than just words.
Tricky Mr. Fox is trying to keep his readers from finishing his book by asking questions you just can’t help but want to answer yes. It is hard to say no to something like yummy ice cream when you really want to say YES! Step right up and see if you can outwit Mr. Fox. Just remember, every time you say yes, you must go back to the beginning of the book.
Dr. Morley is on her way to the Arctic region of the world to find proof of the legendary Arctic jellyfish. She has assembled a crew to travel with all their necessary supplies to brave the cold weather. While there has never been proof of this jellyfish, she is determined to find it. Join Dr. Morley and her crew and see if you can help them spot the giant arctic jellyfish.
This is a real-life a real-life adventure that starts when the author’s grandfather is dropped off on the newly-formed volcanic island of Surtsey, 20 miles from Iceland. He and his friend are stranded there for days with little supplies until they stumble on a “magic wishing moment." Do you think they'll get rescued?
The story is as much about the Icelandic culture of myths, magic and good-humor as it is about the volcano, and the author sprinkles in good fun, speaking directly to the reader along the way. The illustrations are colorful and clever, highlighting the natural world and making all the characters (even the sun, magma, mountains, etc.) come alive; there are creatures’ faces sprinkled throughout.
Watch out for the lion! Wait....is that a lion?
An unseen narrator first warns the reader that a lion is lurking in the book. After providing a guide, "How to Spot a Lion,” each page appears to contain a lion body part (such as the tail, fang, or claws). However, as the page is turned an unexpected animal is revealed. The narrator finally gives up when a lion does emerge, an adorable lion cub! A fun read especially when the children try to guess what is on the next page.
What is a school bus's purpose? A yellow school bus loves driving children from one important place to another. As time passes, the bus finds itself being used for a variety of unusual purposes. No matter where the bus ends up, it takes pride in its role.
The bright colors of the bus and its inhabitants contrast with the black and white world outside of the bus.
There is a diphtheria outbreak in the isolated town of Nome, Alaska in the winter of 1924. Children are getting sick and there is not enough antitoxin to save everyone. The only chance for the town is the delivery of more antitoxin, but the town is basically unreachable during the winter months. Roads are impassable, airplanes won’t work in the extreme cold, and rivers are blocked by ice. Sled dogs are the only way for the antitoxin to reach the town.
After three snorkeling trips, all Gracie dreams about is snorkeling in the Maldives. She knows her parents won’t agree to a trip this expensive or far away, so she comes up with a spring break trip to Roatán, Honduras. She knows her plans to eventually make it to the Maldives will only work if her little brother has a positive experience, but he only seems to pester her. Her carefully laid plans start to unravel when Gracie hurts her leg, and she can no longer go snorkeling. With her family taking a break from snorkeling, Gracie visits the marine park and learns about the dangers facing the coral reef. As her priorities change, Gracie realizes that she has the power to make change. How can Gracie help the reef and the wildlife she loves so much?
Isabel Beane is a quiet, shy girl overwhelmed by the chaos of her large family and the social pressures at school. When a popular but unkind new student singles her out, Isabel feels increasingly invisible and anxious. Her worries—especially about being ignored and an upcoming big test—grow into persistent "worry-moths" in her belly. As her fears intensify, Isabel must find a way to be seen and heard in a world that often overlooks her.
Magnolia Wu has resigned herself to spending another hot summer helping her parents in their family laundromat, turning ten years old and quietly collecting the left-behind socks from customers who come and go. But her birthday brings the unexpected surprise of a new friend and the chance to share her city’s many joys as the two girls team up to find the owners of the missing socks. As their adventures unfold, Magnolia learns about community, acceptance and the importance of family and friendship. She also discovers that sometimes you need to speak up and take action, instead of letting things happen around you.
Eleven-year-old Max is sent from Nazi Germany to England as part of the Kindertransport, a rescue mission for Jewish children. Lonely and missing his parents, he's surprised to find two magical creatures only he can see who become his constant companions. Living with a kind but unfamiliar family in London, Max learns that one of his uncle’s works for British Intelligence. Desperate to be reunited with his parents, Max hatches a daring and improbable plan: to become a British spy and return to Germany himself, leading to a series of exciting and often humorous attempts to learn the skills of espionage.
Sarah’s family has been struggling since her father became ill a couple of years ago. When the family receives a foreclosure notice, she feels helpless until she gets an idea. Sarah loves escape rooms, and has always wanted to win the rumored hidden treasure in the town’s old rundown abandoned fun house. She believes that if she can reach whatever treasure is inside that house, she could really help her family. When she shares this idea with her friends West and Hannah, they all decide to give it a shot. However, once inside (which is a feat in itself), they realize this set of challenges is unlike any other escape room they’ve completed in the past. They will have to use Hannah’s physical balance, West’s reliable memory and riddle-solving skills, and Sarah’s math skills and under pressure decision-making to move through the challenges. But … will that be enough for “The Deltas” to get out of the funhouse, with or without the treasure?
Olivetti, the typewriter, has been virtually forgotten by the Brindle family. Suddenly, Mrs. Brindle has disappeared and Ernest will do anything to find her, including enlisting the help from Olivetti, who has been the guardians of her memories. While Ernest is searching, painful memories come to the surface that makes the family deal with “The Everything that Happened”. A wonderful story about families and the power of memories.
Over the summer, siblings Alex and Zoe Sherlock enlist their friends, Yadi and Lina, to become detectives and to try to solve the mystery of mobster Al Capone’s missing millions. Alex and Zoe’s grandfather, a retired reporter, serves as the driver and a guide as to how to collect clues and to organize evidence. Their detecting leads them to the Everglades. That trip changes everything and a new mystery emerges that could lead to the Society members ending up being arrested... or even dead.
Rami is a lonely 6th grader. His two close friends have suddenly ditched him, and he struggles with his confidence and feeling seen. When a painting goes missing from the art museum where his mom works, she becomes a suspect. One day while at work with his mom, a mysterious floating girl appears to Rami in the hall - the same hall where the painting disappeared from! After running into his classmate Veda at the library the two pair up to try to solve the mysteries - who stole the painting, and who is the floating girl? Will Rami and Veda crack the case?
Old soul. That’s how one would describe middle-schooler Sophie. So mature, so wise beyond her years, that her best friend, also a Sophie, is eighty-eight. They do everything best friends do: visit, talk, share stories and memories. But what happens when your best friend doesn’t remember things, like simple words and forgets to turn the stove off? You find a way to help, right? Everyone has different ideas of how to assist elderly Sophie and younger Sophie knows that what’s best for her best friend may mean no longer living in the neighborhood. When your best friend moves, how can you keep her memory alive?
Follow Rubi, a lonely ant, on an epic adventure as she finds a friend who should be her mortal enemy and discover why there are no real bad guys in the natural world.
Anzu is not happy with her family’s move right after her grandmother’s death, especially since they are not even celebrating Obon, a festival dedicated to remembering ancestors. While avoiding her family she chases after a stray dog and wanders right into the underworld! As she tries to make her way back home, she encounters many different yokai, although who will help her return and who is trying to hurt her is not always as clear as it seems to be. Will Anzu ever manage to return home?
Max Lightning is howling at the moon—he’s finally qualified for Gamerville, a championship where players compete to be top dog in the multiplayer video game Lone Wolf of Calamity Bay. But his dreams of domination are doomed when his parents send him to Camp Reset. Gone are the long nights of downing energy drinks and getting copious amounts of screen time. They've been replaced with fresh air and group activities under the hot sun— a shock to the system for a lone wolf like Max. Can Max escape Camp Reset and level up at Gamerville, or has he finally played his last match?
Based on the author’s real life experience, this book follows a girl whose family has moved from China to Canada. Mei discovers a unique way to learn English by drawing pictures!
Evie becomes stranded in the Cretaceous period after fleeing an argument with her parents. She saves a pterosaur egg, explores her surroundings, and strives to survive and make her way back to her own time and her mothers.
Iris is a monster that lives in a sanctuary home for monsters run by former paranormal investigator Mr. Halloway. Despite the safety and friends the home provides, Iris feels trapped. After a human boy obsessed with the supernatural breaks the spell on the house, Iris decides this is her chance to make a break for it and try to find what she wants most - a family. Lucky for her, it happens to be the spookiest time of year.
In this epic mash-up of world myths, Chinese folklore’s mischievous Monkey King Sun Wukong is tasked with defeating a monster uprising in Ancient Greece. With his new pal Cerberus by his side, he takes on the Minotaur to prove himself worthy as a demigod. A journey of self-discovery inside an adventure to defeat evil.
When an ordinary hiking trip takes a sudden wrong turn, Scout finds herself lost in the mountains with no cell service, no map, and no clear way back. But Scout isn’t just any hiker — she’s a smart, resourceful kid with a head full of survival know-how. With help from her companion, an opinionated skunk, Scout navigates tough terrain, unpredictable weather, and real dangers like dehydration and hypothermia. Along the way, she shares practical survival tips and life-saving strategies — delivered with humor, heart, and cartoon-style diagrams that keep things fun and informative.
Valeria Winters is a new student looking for a fresh start when she meets the Table Titans, a Dungeons & Dragons playing club who have never had a female member before. Valeria is a hot tempered, day dreamer who is great at wrestling. She may be exactly who the Table Titans didn’t know they needed to keep their club together.
Brian Reyes is a quiet and shy boy who likes being unremarkable until one day a unicorn horn grows on his head. His life makes a magical turn when he discovers that the unicorn horn gives him special powers. The horn likes to sing, makes friends with a talking muffin and a magical black cat. When the forces of evil discover Brian and his magical unicorn horn, his best friend, Avery, convinces Unicorn Boy to embrace his heroic powers. When monsters kidnap Avery, Unicorn Boy must find a way to save his BFF.