Great Stone Face Book
2026-27 Nominees
by Dan Gemeinhart
Oscar is the youngest resident of Sunny Days retirement home by more than a half-century-and he wouldn't have it any other way. When his grandpa gets an eviction notice, Oscar will do anything to save their home - but he's not expecting "anything" to include theft, trespassing, gambling, a broken nose, grand theft auto, a federal prison, and a police chase!
Adventure
By Vicky Grant
Manya's parents own a joke shop, but she wants nothing to do with pranks - she's strictly into science. But when different products start harming the customers including a fatal whoopee cushion incident! - it's up to Manya to unravel the science behind what's gone wrong, and save her parents from a murder charge!
Mystery
by Struan Murray
Dragons are real, living in secret on the edge of our world. But they also live among us, Slumberers who have been human for so long they've forgotten their true form. Until...
When 12-year-old Alex runs out of patience for her overprotective mother's rules, her whole life changes. Now, living in one of the last dragon havens, Alex must learn to embrace the dragon within. But trouble with the human war is brewing - will Alex be ready?
Fantasy
by Jennifer Nielsen
Jax is stuck in a deadend town, with six cousins, all of them bullies, and an aunt and uncle who barely remember his name. Fed up, he sneaks over to a neighbor's property, floats a raft out onto the lake, and drops anchor, declaring it his own micronation, The Free State of Jax. As the micronation begins to flourish, his relatives decide they want him back - any way they can get him. Will Jax find a way to live his own life?
Realistic
by Jen Calonita
"Benny" and her mom get by, barely. So when she learns she's the sole heir to the vast fortune of a mysterious ancestor from the 1800s she's more than ready for a change. But in order to claim it, Benny will need to solve a mystery, uncover a long-lost island, and maybe even break a curse???
Fantasy, Mystery
by Erin Entrada Kelly
When your main goals for the summer are to win back friends and stop being dramatic, you know what doesn't help? A cross-country road trip to your grandpa's funeral, where his ghost tells you he was actually murdered, and that his inn is a portal between the living and dead, and it's up to you to keep evil spirits from crossing back over!
Paranormal Mystery
by Hope Larson
Verity "Very" Nelson is the very best at practically everything - except math. Even a remedial class can't seem to get her brain on board! When she's finally diagnosed with dyscalculia, it means she help she needs - and better grades. But when a gossipy classmate spills her secret, will Very lose her perfect image? Or will it lead to yet another challenge for Very to take the lead on?
Graphic, realistic
by Jennifer Nielsen
Atlas has been climbing mountains ever since his mother died, and now he's set to be among the first to climb Mt. Everest. But first he and an American girl are left behind with their injured sherpa. Then word arrives that Nazis are attempting their own summit nearby. Finally, an avalanche cuts off his father's group. It's up to Atlas and Maddie to find any survivors, avoid Nazi spies, and survive Everest's harsh conditions.
Historical, Adventure
by Jennifer Holm
Whatever you do, don't leave home. Razzi has always been told: Don't go Outside. There are people and creatures out there that will harm you. The walls of the Refuge will protect you. Razzi's friend Ollie went Outside... and paid the ultimate price. So Razzi is trying to behave. She is the oldest kid left, the one the younger kids look up to. But Outside has a way of getting in...
Dystopian
by Kate Messner
Caught vandalizing a cemetery, Finn's in big trouble. Turns out that grave belongs to a legendary local mountain climber, but her daughter offers to drop all charges if he agrees to climb all 46 Adirondack High Peaks in a single summer. Oh - one more thing - he has to bring along the dead woman's dog.
Realistic
by Aubrey Hartman
Clare is the undead fox of Deadwood Forest. Here, leaves grow in a perpetual state of fall: not quite dead, but not quite alive - just like Clare. When a badger soul named Gingersnipes shows up, unable to join the Afterlife, it starts a chain of events that rewrites everything Clare knows.
Fantasy
by Bobbie Pyron
10-year-old Pearl loves watching the turtles and octopuses glide through the water at the aquarium. Pearl identifies with the octopuses, who have millions of touch receptors all over their bodies. They feel everything. Sometimes Pearl wishes she was more like a turtle, with a hard outer shell-it hurts too much to feel everything. Especially now, when 5th grade brings so many changes, and nothing feels right anymore.
Verse, realistic
By Alan Gratz
Evie Harris is proud to be an American gymnast in the 1936 Olympics, even if Germany's leader, Adolf Hitler, gives her the creeps when he watches over the games. Everything goes sideways when Evie steps beyond the carefullycurated world of the Olympics. She discovers the truth about life in Berlin, the plans of the Nazis, and finds herself caught up in a mysterious plot.With nobody to trust, and her Olympic future - and family's safety! - on the line, what sacrifices will Evie need to make?
Historical
By Parker Rhodes
It's 1889, barely 25 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Will's father is tired of working on land the family can't own. So when they hear about an upcoming land rush, they set out on a journey from Texas to Oklahoma, racing thousands of others to claim a place of their own. But the terrain is rough, the bandits are brutal, and every interaction could spell danger.
Historical
