Every year in New Hampshire, students nominate and vote for the perfect book for middle and high schoolers. Yes, there’s a little vetting by librarians, but it’s really just to narrow the lists. The Isinglass and Flume awards, respectively, are announced each spring to much fanfare from readers all over the state. While Lee and Priscilla will write about this year’s nominees, I am providing below a list of the favorites of favorites from past years just to whet your appetites.

Flume: The Sun Is Also a Star, Saint Anything,The 5th Wave, The Fault in Our Stars, Clockwork Angel, Marcelo in the Real World, Deadline, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, (NF)Marley and Me, The Da Vinci Code.

Isinglass: The Crossover, Roller Girl, The Thing About Jellyfish, (NF)I Am Malala, Counting By Sevens, (NF)The Warrior’s Heart, Okay For Now, Hacking Timbuktu, Totally Joe, Football Genius, Peak

On March 30, beloved children’s author and illustrator, Tomie DePaola, died in New London at age 85. Among his many wonderful books, the one that won the Caldecott Medal, Strega Nona, remains my favorite, especially when “Big Anthony” enters the scene in a later story. DePaola always said his stories were inspired by his own life, and given the fact that his ancestors came from Calabria in southern Italy, it’s no surprise that an eternally full pasta pot should be inseparable from Strega Nona herself. If you’ve never shared a laugh or a tear with one of his characters, now is the perfect time as his books are available everywhere. And remember, along with Harry Potter’s J. K. Rowling, he shares the wonderful distinction of having had books banned in libraries for “painting magic in a positive light.” Who knew?!

One last note: I have a complete set of the 1950’s/1960’s era books: Trixie Belden: Girl Detective, as well as all five volumes of The Penderwicks. Check them out on Amazon, and if you’re interested for your children, give me a call and we can make something happen!