Sheep by Valerie Hobbs

Jack is a young border collie, who tells us his passion is to be the best sheep herder ever. This passion stays with him no matter how difficult his life becomes. Jack has had many names and owners. He's been in many tough situations but his courage is strong. He wants a good home. Is he strong enough to find a home for himself and one lonely boy?

TWO HOT DOGS WITH EVERYTHING by Paul Haven

Haven, Paul.
TWO HOT DOGS WITH EVERYTHING
New York : Random House, 2006
IL 3-6, RL 6.0
ISBN 0375933484

Some people believe that for the Red Sox to win, they need to wear the same clothes they wore the last time they won. Or maybe they need to rub their Big Papi bobble head doll after each out. Or perhaps they sit in the same spot and will only leave the couch to go to the bathroom during the commercial breaks and only in the top of the inning and never if the home team is ahead. 11 year-old Danny Gurkin is this type of superstitious fan. In fact he is overly so, to the point where he believes every single one of his actions during a game could affect the outcome. “Never leave a window open when a right handed pitcher in on the mound”. In Two Hot Dogs with Everything by Paul Haven, Danny is a loyal fan to the Sluggers, a baseball team that has only won one championship in 108 years. Not even one since the curse of the poison pretzel had taken over. Founded by a bubblegum tycoon, Danny and his friends make a trip to the tycoon’s home to try to figure out how to break the curse. A little bit of magic is found and the season picks up. Will the Sluggers win? Does Danny somehow affect the outcome with his rituals? If you have ever loved a hot dog, a baseball game, or a bit of magic, you will love this book. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)

Witch Catcher by Mary Downing Hahn

Hahn, Mary Downing.
WITCH CATCHER
New York : Clarion Books, 2006
IL 5-8, RL 6.6
ISBN 0618504575

Jen is thrilled when her father inherits a castle estate in the West Virginia mountains. But all is not wonderful. Dad has a spooky new girlfriend and the castle has mysterious objects hidden away in strange places. Jen is starting to realize that something supernatural is going on here. How can she fight this alone? (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)

THE 7 PROFESSORS OF THE FAR NORTH by John Fardell

Fardell, John.
THE 7 PROFESSORS OF THE FAR NORTH
New York : Putnam's, 2005, c2004.
IL 3-6, RL 6.0
ISBN 039924381X

Spy story, adventure and a mad scientist combine to leave three kids with the key to rescue the adults who have been taken to the Far North to a secret laboratory. Sam and his two new friends, Zara and her brother Ben, find a secret route to the laboratory and must liberate the adults. Lots of unique characters and some serious ideas how far science can and should go. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)

The Sacrifice by Kathleen Benner Duble

Duble, Kathleen Benner.
THE SACRIFICE
New York : M.K. McElderry, c2005.
IL 5-8, RL 5.2
ISBN 0689876505

What would you do if you were accused of a crime that you did not do by someone you do not know and then they threw you into prison? What if that prison was so horrible that people died from starvation, cold and disease within 6 months, even before they had their trial? Well, that is what happened to the people in Andover, Massachusetts during the Salem Witch Trials. Abigail is a spirited 10 year-old girl who loves to run in the fields with her friends. But that activity is forbidden and she is marked as a troublemaker in her town. Her Aunt Elizabeth was accused of being a witch and sent to jail and then Abigail and her older sister, Dorothy, were also accused. When Abigail and Dorothy arrived at the jail, they were put in the same cell as their aunt along with several others. The girls could not even recognize their aunt because she looked so ill. This story tells about life in those awful jails and how family members sacrificed themselves so that their children could be set free. A chilling story based upon actual events that happened to the author’s ancestors. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)

Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Cottrell Boyce, Frank.
FRAMED
New York : HarperCollins, 2005
IL 3-6, RL 4.5
ISBN 0060734035

Okay—so how do a bunch of super secretive art experts from London end up in a tiny mining village in Wales? (That’s the western part of Great Britain, in case you didn't know---they speak English there, but some of the names of things are spelled really strange…..) Well, London is having the worst flooding in centuries, and they’re going to keep all the paintings from the National Gallery in the mine--where it is very dry-- until it’s safe to bring them back.

So, what else is going on in the little town of Manod? NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING!!! Unless you count the fact that everyone seems to be moving OUT, and Dylan is now the ONLY BOY living in town (which is putting a real crimp in his soccer career), and Dylan’s family’s garage is losing what little business they used to get before someone knocked over the sign for Manod on the big highway…..If things go on this way, it won’t be long before Manod isn't even a town anymore, and THEN where will they be?? And what about those art experts from London---can they help to save this little village? Do they care? Thanks to Dylan (and his pet chickens Michelangelo and Donatello) things are about to change for everyone. With lots of humor, mystery, and a even a bit of crime thrown in, Framed shows us what can be accomplished with determination and a little help from the power of art. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)

New Hampshire Great Stone Face award

The winner of the 2007 New Hampshire Great Stone Face Award is:

Ghost's Grave by Peg Kehret

The nominees for next year's award are:
Auch, Mary Jane. ONE-HANDED CATCH
Cottrell Boyce, Frank. FRAMED
Duble, Kathleen Benner. THE SACRIFICE
Fardell, John. THE 7 PROFESSORS OF THE FAR NORTH
Hahn, Mary Downing. WITCH CATCHER
Haven, Paul. TWO HOT DOGS WITH EVERYTHING
Hobbs, Valerie. SHEEP
Jones, Kimberly. SAND DOLLAR SUMMER
Kehret, Peg. TRAPPED
Lord, Cynthia. RULES
Lowry, Lois. GOSSAMER
Lubar, David. PUNISHED
Mowll, Joshua. OPERATION RED JERICHO
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. ROXIE AND THE HOOLIGANS
Nuzum, K. A. A SMALL WHITE SCAR
Paterson, Katherine. BREAD AND ROSES, TOO
Pennypacker, Sara. CLEMENTINE
Roy, Jennifer Rozines. YELLOW STAR
Russell, Christopher. DOGBOY
Schlitz, Laura Amy. A DROWNED MAIDEN'S HAIR : A MELODRAMA
Springer, Nancy. THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS : AN ENOLA HOLMES MYSTERY
Stanley, Diane. BELLA AT MIDNIGHT
Stewart, Paul. FERGUS CRANE
Woods, Brenda. MY NAME IS SALLY LITTLE SONG
Yep, Laurence. THE EARTH DRAGON AWAKES : THE SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE OF 1906

Time to get reading!!