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Elementary/Middle School HRRB Book Lists

Fulton County Schools is a proud sponsor of the annual Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl (HRRB).  The Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl is an independent statewide competition where students read a set number of books and are quizzed on them in a competitive game format.

The HRRB Elementary and Middle School booklists are made up of the current year’s Georgia Children's Book Awards (GCBA) nominees. Books become nominees for the Georgia Children's Book Awards (GCBA) through a carefully curated selection process. The GCBA committee, made up of educators, librarians, and experts in children's literature, reviews and evaluates newly published children's books to create a list of nominees.

Here is an overview of how books are selected as nominees for the Georgia Children's Book Awards:

Eligibility: To be considered for nomination, a book must meet specific criteria set by the GCBA committee. These criteria typically include:

  • The book must be published within a specific time frame (usually the past two years).

  • It must be written by an author who is eligible for the award (e.g., American author for an American award).

  • The book should fall within the specified grade levels, often divided into categories like Picture Storybook and Children's Book.

Committee Selection: The GCBA committee, composed of experts in children's literature, educators, and librarians, reviews a wide range of eligible books. They consider factors such as literary quality, age-appropriateness, diversity, and educational value.

Book Evaluation: Committee members read and evaluate the books on the list based on the established criteria. They take into account the book's content, themes, storytelling, and overall appeal to the intended age group.

Nominee Selection: After a thorough evaluation process, the committee narrows down the list to a selection of books that they believe stand out in terms of quality, content, and potential to engage young readers. These selected books become the official nominees for the GCBA.

Announcement: Once the nominees are chosen, the committee announces the list to schools, libraries, and the public. This list represents the books that students will have the opportunity to read and consider for nomination during the program.

Student Involvement: Students in participating schools and libraries are encouraged to read the nominated books and then nominate their favorite from the list.

Voting: After the nomination process, students have the chance to vote for their preferred book from the list of nominees. The book with the most votes in each category wins the Georgia Children's Book Award.

The entire process is designed to encourage young readers to actively engage with literature, develop critical thinking skills, and have a say in which books they believe deserve recognition. It also promotes a love of reading and helps identify outstanding books that resonate with children and are deemed appropriate for their age group.

We are sensitive to the values of the many different families that make up our school district.  If you as a coach or parent feel that one or more of the books on the list is not a good fit for your students, you are not obligated to have them read it.  ​However, please understand that since the State HRRB Committee has decided to include questions for ALL books on the list for the district and state competitions, we will do the same at our Fulton County local competition.   

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BOOKLIST (4th & 5th Grade)

  • Brockenbough, M. (2023). To Catch a Thief. Scholastic.
  • Case, J. (2022). Little Monarchs. Margaret Ferguson Books.          
  • Kuyatt, M. E. (2023). Good Different. Scholastic.
  • Ortega, C. A. (2023). Frizzy. First Second Books.
  • Reynolds, J. (2023). It’s the End of the World and I’m in My Bathing Suit. Scholastic.
  • Souders, T. (2023) The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle. Sourcebooks.
  • Tandon, N. (2022) The Way I Say It. Charlesbridge.
  • Tang, B. (2023). Parachute Kids. Graphix.
  • Thomas, A. (2023). Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy. Balzer + Bray.
  • Warga, J. (2022). A Rover’s Story. Balzer + Bray

MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKLIST (6th - 8th Grade)  

  • Alexander, K. (2022). The Door of No Return. Little Brown Books.
  • Cohen, E. B. (2023). Two Tribes. Heartdrum.
  • Day, N. (2023). The Mona Lisa Vanishes. Random House Studio.
  • Giles, C. D. (2023). Not an Easy Win. Random House.
  • Lackey, L. (2023). Farther than the Moon. Roaring Brook Press.
  • Lerner, J. (2023). A Work In Progress. Alladin.
  • Maldonado, T. (2023) Hands. Nancy Paulsen Books.
  • Martin, P. (2023) Mexikid. Dial Books.
  • Swinarski, C. (2023). What Happened To Rachel Riley. Quill Tree Books.
  • Tavares, M. (2023) Hoops. Candlewick Press.