Hidden Treasures: Great Books Overlooked by the National Awards

I was a presenter at the Utah Educators Library Media Association (UELMA) conference on Friday. This is the list of books I recommended to the librarians during my presentation. Since readers are always asking me for a list of great books, I thought I'd share this one here for all of you.

Hidden Treasures: Great Books Overlooked by the National Awards

Lu Ann Brobst Staheli, M.Ed.

The 13^th Reality: The Journal of Curious Secrets – James Dashner (Aladdin, 2009)

The 13^th Reality: The Hunt for Dark Infinity – James Dashner (Aladdin, 2010)

The Alchemyst: Secrets of Immortal Nicholas Flamel -- Michael Scott (Del

acorte, 2008)

Antsy Does Time – Neal Schusterman (Dutton Juvenile, 2008)

The Body Finder – Kimberly Dertney (HarperCollins, 2010)

The Chosen One – Carol Lynch Williams (St. Martin's Griffin, 2009)

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X – James Patterson (Grand Central Publishing, 2009)

Dragon Spear – Jessica Day George (Bloomsbury, 2009)

Everything is Fine – Ann Dee Ellis (Little Brown, 2009)

Far World: Water Keep – J. Scott Savage (Shadow Mountain, 2008)

Far World: Land Keep – J. Scott Savage (Shadow Mountain, 2009)

Forest Born – Shannon Hale (Bloomsbury, 2009)

The Hourglass Door – Lisa Mangum (Shadow Mountain, 2009)

How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend – Janette Rallison (Putnam Juvenile, 2007)

Ice – Sarah Beth Durst (Margaret K. McElderry, 2009)

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You – Ally Carter (Hyperion, 2007)

If I Stay – Gayle Forman (Dutton, 2009)

Just One Wish – Janette Rallison (Putnam Juvenile, 2009)

Leviathan – Scott Westerfeld (Simon Pulse, 2009)

Life as We Know It – Susan Beth Pfeffer (Harcourt, 2008)

Lily Dale: Awakening – Wendy Corsi Staub (Walker Books, 2009)

Lily Dale: Connecting – Wendy Corsi Staub (Walker Books, 2009)

The Line – Teri Hall (Dial, 2010)

The Loser’s Guide to Life and Love: A Novel – A.E. Cannon (Harper Teen, 2008)

The Luxe: Envy – Anna Godberson (Harper Collins, 2009)

The Luxe: Splendor – Anna Godberson (Harper Collins, 2009)

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment – James Patterson (Little Brown, 2007)

Missing: Found – Margaret Peterson Haddix (Simon & Schuster, 2009)

Missing: Sent – Margaret Peterson Haddix (Simon & Schuster, 2009)

My Fair Godmother – Janette Rallison (Walker Books, 2009)

Peter and the Starcatchers – Dave Berry & Ridley Pearson (Disney Editions, 2004)

Pillage – Obert Skye (Shadow Mountain, 2008)

Princess of the Midnight Ball – Jessica Day George (Bloomsbury, 2009)

A Season of Gifts – Richard Peck (Dial, 2009)

The Secret to Teen Power – Paul Harrington (Simon Pulse, 2009)

Shiver – Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic, 2009)

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow – Jessica Day George (Bloomsbury, 2008)

Sunrise Over Fallujah – Walter Dean Meyers (Scholastic, 2009)

This Is What I Did – Ann Dee Ellis (Little Brown, 2009)

Uprising – Margaret Peterson Haddix (Simon & Schuster, 2007)

Wings – Aprilynn Pike (HarperTeen, 2009)

Wonderous Strange – Lesley Livingston (HarperTeen, 2009)

NATIONAL BUZZ

Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press, 2009)

The Maze Runner – James Dashner (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2009)

The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press, 2008)

BONUS: Books that Never Fail to Hook Reluctant Readers

The Christmas Box – Richard Paul Evans (Simon & Schuster, 1995)

Deathwatch – Robb White (Laurel Leaf, 1973)

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp – Richard Yancy (Bloomsbury, 2008)

The Luxe – Anna Godberson (Harper Collins, 2008)

The Luxe: Rumors – Anna Godberson (Harper Collins, 2008)

On Wings of Heroes – Richard Peck (Puffin, 2008)

The Rag and Bone Shop – Robert Cormier (Laurel Leaf, 2003)

Tantalize – Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, 2008)

The Warrior Heir – Cinda Williams Chima (Hyperion, 2007)

When Santa Fell to Earth – Cornelia Funke (Scholastic. 2009)

Professional Reading

This Book is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save us All – Marilyn Johnson (Harper, 2010)

Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It – Kelly Gallagher (Stenhouse, 2009)

The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything – Ken Robinson (Penguin, 2009)

Books for YOU!

Band of Sisters – Annette Lyon (Covenant, 2010)

Christmas Jars Reunion – Jason F. Wright (Shadow Mountain, 2009)

The Christmas List – Richard Paul Evans (Simon & Schuster, 2009)

Courting Miss Lancaster – Sarah M. Eden (Covenant, 2010)

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Schaffer (Dial Press, 2009)

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet – Jamie Ford (Ballentine, 2009)

Lemon Tart: A Culinary Mystery – Josi Kilpack (Deseret Book, 2009)

Sarah’s Key – Tatiana de Rosnay (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2008)

Traitor – Sandra Gray (Covenant, 2008)

Lu Ann Brobst Staheli is the author of:

When Hearts Conjoin (Richard Paul Evans Publishing)

Jim Karol: Psychic Madman (Sourced Media)

Coming Soon:

The Business of Marriage with Dino Watt

From Showbiz to Starbiz with Alan Osmond