The 2025-2026 MSBA books have something for everyone! Fourth through eight graders who read at least three books may vote for their favorite next spring.

If you like Fantasy:
Emma and the Love Spell by Meredith Ireland  Amir and the Jinn Princess by M. T. Khan  The Witching Wind by Natalie Lloyd  The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents by Nicki Pau Preto  Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell  Ratty  A Game of Noctis by Deva Fagan

If you like Science Fiction:
Boy 2.0 by Tracey Baptiste  The Legend of the Last Library by Frank Cole  The Last Dragon on Mars by Scott Reintgen

If you like Graphic Novels:
Viewfinder by Christine D. U. Chung  Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto  The Firelight Apprentice by Bree Paulsen

If you like Horror:
Once They See You: 13 Stories to Shiver and Shock  No Place for Monsters: Little Nobody by Kory Merritt  The Night Train by Lorelei Savaryn

If you like Mysteries:
Puzzleheart by Jenn Reese  The Sherlock Society by James Ponti

If you like Historical Fiction:
The Partition Project by Saadia Faruqi  Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler  The Kid by Jeff Schill

If you like Realistic Stories:
Between Two Brothers by Crystal Allen  Not Nothing by Gayle Forman  Popcorn by Rob Harrell  The Truth about Triangles by Michael Leali  The Wrong Way Home by Kate O'Shaughnessy  Tig by Heather Smith

If you like Funny Stories:
Maple's Theory of Fun by Kate McMillan  Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody by Patrick Ness

If you like Non-fiction:
Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic by Candice Fleming  Mountain of Fire: The Eruption and Survivors of Mount St. Helens by Rebecca Barone  The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed the Face of Hockey by Chad Soon  The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien  Evidence! How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera by Deborah Hopkinson  The Dark! Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves by Lindsey Leigh  Spooky Lakes: 25 Strange and Mysterious Lakes that Dot Our Planet by Geo Rutherford

For Teens:
The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree by Lucille Abendan  The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le  Mid-Air by Alicia Williams  The Flicker by H. E. Edgmon

What is the Maine State Book Award?
Teachers and librarians nominate the books. Kids read, then vote for their favorite story.
Here’s how it works:
  • Be in 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th grade.
  • Read three or more books from the list.
  • Vote at the library in March  2026.