Blue Hen Book Award

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Blue Hen Book Award

A children's/teen choice award to promote the love of reading and encourage young patrons to discove

05/11/2026

How many of the have you read yet? Do you have a favorite?

A list of all titles can be found here: https://guides.lib.de.us/bluehen

05/04/2026

One of the nominees for our Teen Reader Graphic Novel category is Hunger's Bite by Taylor Robin and published by Hachette Book Group

A specter is haunting the Atlantic!

After growing up together on the luxurious SS Lark, Neeta Pandey and Emery Botwright are ready to start their lives. Emery wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and sail the Lark forever, while Neeta yearns to travel the world. But neither will have any future at all if the Lark’s new owner, Mr. Honeycutt, has his way.

Mr. Honeycutt . . . The first-class passengers adore him, while he makes the ship a nightmare for the crew. Twisted by unnatural appetites, the rich are actually transforming into something less than human, and their insatiable demands soon push the staff toward a—quite literal— burnout.

Something otherworldly is undeniably aboard the SS Lark, something horribly hungry. But it’s not Wick Farley: vampire, secret agent, and paranormal investigator. Alone and at sea, with only Neeta and Emery to help him, he must uncover the truth about Mr. Honeycutt. And fast—before a ravenous craving for power consumes them all.

Click here to request a copy - https://bit.ly/3OPDoER

04/27/2026

One of the nominees for our Middle Reader category is The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon and published by Candlewick Press

Since Grandpa died, Dally’s days are dull and restricted. She’s eleven and a half years old, and her exacting single mother is already preparing her to take over the family business. Starved for adventure and release, Dally rescues a mysterious envelope from her mother’s clutches, an envelope Grandpa had earmarked for her. The map she finds inside leads straight to an ancient vault, a library of secrets where each book is a portal to a precise moment in time. As Dally “checks out” adventure after adventure—including an exhilarating outing with pirates—she begins to dive deep into her family’s hidden history. Soon she’s visiting every day to escape the demands of the present. But the library has secrets of its own, intentions that would shape her life as surely as her mother’s meticulous plans. What will Dally choose? Equal parts mystery and adventure—with a biracial child puzzling out her identity alongside the legacy of the past—this masterful middle-grade fantasy rivets with crackling prose, playful plot twists, and timeless themes. A satisfying choice for fans of Kindred and When You Reach Me.

Click here to request a copy - https://bit.ly/4tk78so

04/20/2026

One of the nominees for our Teen Reader category is The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming and published by Scholastic

“You are to report to Station X at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, in four days time.…That is all you need to know.” This was the terse telegram hundreds of young women throughout the British Isles received in the spring of 1941, as World War II raged. As they arrived at Station X, a sprawling mansion in a state of disrepair surrounded by Spartan-looking huts with little chimneys coughing out thick smoke — these young people had no idea what kind of work they were stepping into. Who had recommended them? Why had they been chosen? Most would never learn all the answers to these questions.

Bletchley Park was a well-kept secret during World War II, operating under the code name Station X. The critical work of code-cracking N**i missives that went on behind its closed doors could determine a victory or loss against Hitler’s army. Amidst the brilliant cryptographers, flamboyant debutantes, and absent-minded professors working there, it was teenaged girls who kept Station X running. Some could do advanced math, while others spoke a second language. They ran the unwieldy bombe machines, made sense of wireless sound waves, and sorted the decoded messages. They were expected to excel in their fields and most importantly: know how to keep a secret.

Click here to request a copy - https://bit.ly/48RXzIY

04/13/2026

One of the nominees for our Middle Reader Graphic Novel category is Curlfriends: New in Town by Sharee Miller and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Charlie has a foolproof plan for the first day at her new middle school. Even though she’s used to starting over as the new kid—thanks to her military family’s constant moving—making friends has never been easy for her. But this time, her first impression needs to last, since this is where her family plans to settle for good.

So she’s hiding any interests that may seem “babyish,” updating her look, and doing her best to leave her shyness behind her…but is erasing the real Charlie the best way to make friends?

When not everything goes exactly to plan, like, AT ALL, Charlie is ready to give up on making new friendships. Then she meets the Curlfriends, a group of Black girls who couldn’t be more different from each other, and learns that maybe there is a place for Charlie to be her true self after all.

Click here to request a copy - https://bit.ly/4ckjACq

04/06/2026

One of the nominees for the Young Reader category is The Trouble with Giraffes written by Lisa Mantchev and illustrated by Taeeun Yoo and published by SimonKIDS

A girl knows having a pet giraffe poses some difficulties, like finding a way to take walks together with legs very different in length. And her giraffe doesn’t fit into the clubhouse door for Pet Club. But the Pet Club members come together to find a way for him—and everyone—to be included. Because that’s what friends do.

Click here to request a copy - https://bit.ly/4bTnvog

04/01/2026

Blue Hen Book Award Voting has begun.

Children and Teens across the state of Delaware are encouraged to read the nominees and vote on your favorites.

Links to books and ballots can be found here: https://guides.lib.de.us/bluehen

Delaware Library Association

02/01/2026

Today is the 1st of February and the start of I Love to Read Month!

The Youth Services Division of the Delaware Library Association is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026

Young Reader - The Yellow Bus by Loren Long published by MacKids Books

Middle Readers - Wat Takes His Shot: The Life & Legacy of Basketball Hero Wataru Misaka written by Cheryl Kim and illustrated by Nat Iwata published by Lee & Low Books

Middle Readers Graphic Novels - Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas published by HarperKids Books

Teen Readers - Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross published by Wednesday Books

Teen Readers Graphic Novel ended in a tie this year - Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham and Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol both published by First Second Books

We thank all of the children and teens across Delaware who read and voted on their favorites and we congratulate all of the authors and illustrators who won the Blue Hen Book Awards this year!

Delaware Libraries Delaware Library Association

10/31/2025

Today, October 31, is the last day to vote for the 2026 Blue Hen Book Awards.

Stop in your local Delaware public library or go here for the online link. https://guides.lib.de.us/c.php?g=127491&p=8252587

05/12/2025

Graphic Novel Middle Readers

The New Girl by Cassandra Calin, published by Scholastic

Goodbye, old life...
Lia and her family are waiting to board a flight across the Atlantic, leaving behind family, friends, and Romania — the only home Lia has ever known. But Lia's heartache is overshadowed by the discomfort of her first period. As if things weren't difficult enough! Now Lia is thrust into a world where everything is different: her home, her language, and even her body. With so many changes happening at once, Lia struggles with schoolwork, has trouble communicating with classmates, and has no idea how to manage her unpleasant periods. Will she ever feel like herself again?
Inspired by the author's own immigration experience, The New Girl is a comically charming story about change and acceptance.

Check it out today! https://bit.ly/43sRAbm

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