We are pleased to announce that the 2025-2026 Black-Eyed Susan Book Award nominees are here!  From picture books to young adult, these titles are ready to inspire readers across Maryland.  Read. Reflect. Vote. Winners will be announced in spring 2026!

As always, please be sure that these books fit the needs of your school and community.

Picture Book

• Benita and the Night Creatures by Mariana Llanos, illustrated by Cocoretto
• The Book That Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed, illustrated by Hatem Aly
• A Delicious Story by Barney Saltzberg
• Every Dog in the Neighborhood by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Matthew Cordell
• Frank and Bert by Chris Naylor-Ballestreros
• Gifts from the Garbage Truck: A True Story About the Things We (Don’t) Throw Away by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Oriol Vidal
• How to Eat in Space by Helen Taylor, illustrated by Stevie Lewis
• I’m Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Julie Kwon
• Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider by Jessica Lanan
• More Than Words: So Many Ways to Say What We Mean by Roz MacLean
• Mr. Fox’s Game of “No!” by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
• The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish by Chloe Savage
• Stranded! A Mostly True Story From Iceland by Ævar Þór Benediktsson, illustrated by Anne Wilson
• Watch Out for the Lion! by Brooke Hartman, illustrated by Anna Süßbauer
• The Yellow Bus by Loren Long

Grades 3-5

• Balto and Togo: Hero Dogs of Alaska by Helen Moss
• Gracie Under the Waves by Linda Sue Park
• Invisible Isabel by Sally Pla, illustrated by Tania De Regil
• Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller
• Max in the House of Spies (Operation Kinderspion, Book 1) by Adam Gidwitz
• The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie
• Olivetti by Allie Millington
• The Sherlock Society (Sherlock Society, Book 1) by James Ponti
• A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall by Jasmine Warga
• Tree Table Book by Lois Lowry

Graphic Novels: Grades 3-5

• Ant Story by Jay Hosler
• Anzu and the Realm of Darkness by Mai K. Nguyen
• Gamerville by Johnnie Christmas
• Lost & Found: Based on a True Story by Mei Yu
• Lost Time by Tas Mukanik
• Misfit Mansion by Kay Davault
• The Monster and the Maze (Monkey King and the World of Myths, Book 1) by Maple Lam
• Survival Scout: Lost in the Mountains (Survival Scout) by Maxwell Eaton III
• Table Titans Club (Table Titans Club, Book 1) by Scott R. Kurtz
• Unicorn Boy (Unicorn Boy, Book 1) by Dave Roman

Grades 6-8

• Aniana Del Mar Jumps In by Jasminne Mendez
• The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla
• It Came from the Trees by Ally Russell
• The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
• Medusa (The Myth of Monsters, Book 1) by Katherine Marsh
• Mid-Air by Alicia D. Williams, illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff
• The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, A Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity by Nicholas Day, illustrated
• by Brett Helquist
• The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko
• Wrecker by Carl Hiaasen
• The Wrong Way Home by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Graphic Novels: Grades 6-8

• The Happy Shop by Brittany Long Olsen
• How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger
• Maelstrom: A Prince of Evil by Lorian Merriman
• Next Stop by Debbie Fong
• Pearl by Sherri L. Smith, illustrated by Christine Norrie
• Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol
• The Terrifying Tales of Vivian Vance by Josh Ulirch
• Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back by Ruth Chan
• We Are Big Time by Hena Khan, illustrated by Safiya Zerrougui
• Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto

High School

• Another First Chance by Robbie Couch
• Boys of the Beast by Monica Zepeda
• Forever is Now by Mariama J. Lockington
• Killer House Party by Lily Anderson
• Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
• Rez Ball by Byron Graves
• Saints of the Household by Ari Tison
• Sky’s End (Above the Black, Book 1) by Marc J. Gregson
• Thieves’ Gambit (Thieves’ Gambit, Book 1) by Kayvion Lewis
• Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

Graphic Novels: High School

• Big Jim and the White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined by David Walker, illustrated by Marcus Kwame Anderson
• Bunt! Striking Out on Financial Aid by Ngozi Ukazu, illustrated by Mad Rupert
• The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag
• Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks
• The Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu
• Insomniacs After School, Book 1 by Makoto Ojiro
• Karate Prom by Kyle Starks
• Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
• Through the Elder Woods (Nothing Special, Book 1) by Katie Book
• The Worst Ronin by Maggie Tukuda-Hall, illustrated by Faith Schaffer