2014 Nutmeg Book Award compiled by Mrs. Ekstrom

1. IntermediateNominees 2014 Nutmeg Book Awardcompiled by Mrs. Ekstrom

2. The CandymakersWendy Mass http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46MKI-oyaI0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w93va4PThU4 Book Summary Four children have been chosen to compete in a national competition to find the tastiest confection in the country. Who will invent a candy more delicious than the Oozing Crunchorama or the Neon Lightning Chew?Logan, the Candymaker's son, who can detect the color of chocolate by touch alone?Miles, the boy who is allergic to merry-go-rounds and the color pink? Daisy, the cheerful girl who can lift a fifty-pound lump of taffy like it's a feather? Or Philip, the suit-and-tie wearing boy who's always scribbling in a secret notebook?This sweet, charming, and cleverly crafted story, told from each contestant's perspective, is filled with mystery, friendship, and juicy revelations.

3. Closed for the Season Mary Downing Hahn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqnq-6fCmcI http://vimeo.com/15328795 • Two 13-year-old boys, Arthur and Logan, set out to solve the mystery of a murder that took place some years ago in the old house Logan's family has just moved into. The boys' quest takes them to the highest and lowest levels of society in their small Maryland town, and eventually to a derelict amusement park that is supposedly closed for the season.

4. The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman Meg Wolitzer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRAAhVh-FsU • Duncan Dorfman, April Blunt, and Nate Saviano don't seem to have much in common. Duncan is trying to manage his newfound ability to "read" with his fingers. April is striving to be accepted by her family of jocks. And Nate is struggling to meet his father's high expectations. But when a Scrabble Tournament brings them together, their stories intertwine. Driven by competition, drama, and just a touch of magic, the story will have readers flying through the pages, anxious to discover who will be the real winners . . .

5. The Great Wall of Lucy Wu Wendy Wan Long-Shang http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myPYOf2ZMhQ • Lucy Wu, aspiring basketball star and interior designer, is on the verge of having the best year of her life. She’s ready to rule the school as a sixth grader and take over the bedroom she has always shared with her sister. In an instant, though, her plans are shattered when she finds out that Yi Po, her beloved grandmother’s sister, is coming to visit for several months — and is staying in Lucy’s room. Lucy’s vision of a perfect year begins to crumble, and in its place come an unwelcome roommate, foiled birthday plans, and Chinese school with the awful Talent Chang.

6. Inside Out and Back AgainThanhha Lai Vietnam, 1975. Even though Ha’s father has been missing for almost a year, Ha and her family decide to leave Vietnam and starts their lives over in the United States. Told in verse, Ha’s story describes her new life with humor and hope. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycdMqJ52ghY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEkjwu2WEIA 

7. Mike Stellar: Nerves of Steel K.A. Holt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSeGPn4tSiY • Mike Stellar does NOT want to be on an expedition to colonize Mars with his parents, his nightmare of a teacher, and a cast of suspicious characters. Mike needs nerves of steel and the help of a girl named Larc to clear his parents’ name and save the mission.

8. Out of My Mind Sharon M. Draper http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19MeZ8zWkww http://vimeo.com/25729374 • Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom—the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged, because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow. In this breakthrough story—reminiscent of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly—from multiple Coretta Scott King Award-winner Sharon Draper, readers will come to know a brilliant mind and a brave spirit who will change forever how they look at anyone with a disability.

9. Saving Armpit Natalie Hyde http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1b5BfG-z_s • Will the beleaguered Terriers baseball team ever win a game? How can they win without a real coach? Baseball fans will love the fast-paced action as the Terriers use teamwork and imagination to help their town’s baseball team survive.

10. Wild Girl Patricia Reilly Giff http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dc1fknUzLg • Lidie leaves Mexico to join her father and brother in New York where they train race-horses. She never thought her new life would be so difficult and unfamiliar. Can a special horse help her feel at home?

11. Wildfire Run Dee Garretson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9kV2neUQgI • The president's retreat, Camp David, is one of the safest places in the United States. So why can't the President's son, Luke, and his friends, Theo and Callie, stay there without Secret Service agents constantly hovering over them, watching their every move?And yet, when an earthquake sets off a raging wildfire, causing a chain reaction that wreaks havoc at Camp David, they are suddenly on their own.Now Luke needs a plan:* To override the security systems* To save those who were supposed to save him* To get through an impassable gate* To escape Camp David