Mississippi State Reading Lists

2026 Magnolia Book Award Nominee

One Day This Tree Will Fall

This edition: Hardcover, 40 pages
Publication date: March 26, 2024
Ages: 4 - 8

Discover how a tree’s wounds and decay bring new life to the forest ecosystem in this lyrical nonfiction picture book for fans of Because of an Aco...

Welcome to Scare School

Illustrated by Jarrett Lerner
This edition: Hardcover, 144 pages
Publication date: July 16, 2024
Ages: 5 - 8

A young ghost tries his best to fit in with the rest of the ghouls in this sweet and spooky chapter book by acclaimed author Jarrett Lerner.Bash, a...

Daughter of the Light-Footed People

The Story of Indigenous Marathon Champion Lorena Ramírez
Illustrated by Natalia Rojas Castro
This edition: Hardcover, 40 pages
Publication date: June 11, 2024
Ages: 4 - 8

Meet Lorena Ramírez, an Indigenous Rarámuri athlete from Mexico who is internationally known for winning ultramarathons in her traditional skirts a...

Brave Baby Hummingbird

Illustrated by Tiffany Bozic
This edition: Hardcover, 48 pages
Publication date: March 19, 2024
Ages: 4 - 8

Two starred reviews! An ALA Notable Children’s Book From the beloved New York Times bestselling, Sibert Honor–winning author of the National Book A...

Little Ghost Makes a Friend

(Part of Little Ghost)
Illustrated by Maggie Edkins Willis
This edition: Hardcover, 40 pages
Publication date: July 16, 2024
Ages: 4 - 8

A shy ghost learns the secret to making friends is being his spooky, sparkly self in this charming debut picture book that’s perfect for fans of St...

The Sherlock Society

This edition: Hardcover, 352 pages
Publication date: September 03, 2024
Ages: 8 - 12

A New York Times bestseller! In the tradition of Nancy Drew, four kids and one grandfather in Miami tackle a decades-old mystery in this first book...

Finding Normal

This edition: Hardcover, 288 pages
Publication date: February 20, 2024
Ages: 9 - 13

Perfect for fans of Jamie Sumner and Barbara Dee, this “sincere and heartfelt” (The Horn Book) middle grade novel about friendship, belonging, and ...

Not Nothing

This edition: Hardcover, 288 pages
Publication date: August 27, 2024
Ages: 10 - 99

Four starred reviews! “The book we all need at the time we all need it.” —Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award–winning author of The One and Only Iva...

The Revenant Games

This edition: Hardcover, 416 pages
Publication date: March 19, 2024
Ages: 14 - 99

The Hunger Games meets All of Us Villains in this “urgent action-adventure” (Publishers Weekly) following a teen determined to win the competition ...

Where the Dark Stands Still

This edition: Hardcover, 368 pages
Publication date: February 27, 2024
Ages: 14 - 99

A New York Times bestseller A girl with dangerous magic makes a risky bargain with a demon to be free of her monstrous power in this “dark, devasta...

Conditions of a Heart

This edition: Hardcover, 352 pages
Publication date: February 20, 2024
Ages: 14 - 99

Two starred reviews! “Achingly touching, heartfelt, and true, Brynn’s story of reinvention and self-discovery resonates on every page. A book to sa...

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