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The Nebraska Golden Sower Awards

2022-2023 winners announced; 2023-2024 nominees posted!

"On top of the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, stands a 19,000 pound, bronze statue known as the Sower. He stands barefoot and without hat, sowing seeds in the most primitive manner. He is symbolic of the state of Nebraska as a major agricultural state. He is not merely sowing seeds of grain, but something much greater. He is the symbol of sowing the seeds of agriculture, life, hope and prosperity.

Whether readers are seeking information or reading for pleasure, quality literature presented through the Nebraska Golden Sower Award program will enrich the lives of Nebraska's children and sow seeds of the future. You are invited to learn more about the history of the Golden Sower Award program.

Nebraska's young readers are encouraged to visit their local public library or school library media center to find out how they can participate and vote in the Nebraska Golden Sower Award program."

(Source: the Nebraska Golden Sower Award Website)

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The WPS Libraries will house multiple copies of all of the Nebraska Golden Sower nominees and winners each year.

Make sure to check them out and cast your vote each spring!

2023-2024 Golden Sower Nominees

2022-2023 Golden Sower Nominees
   2023 Picture Book Winner
    The Box Turtle by Vanessa Roeder
       Picture Book Honors
        This Way, Charlie by Caron Levis & Charles Santoso
        On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex
   2023 Chapter Book Winner
   The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter by Aaron Reynolds
       Chapter Book Honors
       Stella by McCall Hoyle
        Twins by Varian Johnston & Shannon Wright
   2023 Novel Winner
   The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
       GS Novel Honors
        Unplugged by Gordon Korman
        Millionaires for the Month by Stacy McAnulty

2021-2022 Golden Sower Nominees
    2022 Picture Book Winner
    If I Built a School by Chris Van Dusen
       Picture Book Honors
        Dandy by Ame Dyckman (illus. by Charles Santoso)
        Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich
   2022 Chapter Book Winner
   Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick
       Chapter Book Honors
       When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed (illus. by Victoria Jamieson & Iman Geddy)
        Spark by Sarah Beth Durst
   2022 Novel Winner
   Run, Hide, Fight Back by April Henry
       GS Novel Honors
        Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
        The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

2020-2021 Golden Sower Nominees
    2021 Picture Book Winner
    Crash, Splash, or Moo! by Bob Shea
        Picture Book Honors
        This Is a Taco! by Andrew Cangelose (illus. by Josh Shipley)
        We Don't Eat Our Cassmates by Ryan T. Higgins
    2021 Chapter Book Winner
   Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen by Candace Fleming (illus. by Eric Rohmann)
        Chapter Book Honors
        Bob by Wendy Mass & Rebecca Stead (illus. by Nicholas Gannon)
        Max and the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce
    2021 Novel Winner
   Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
        GS Novel Honors
        Time Bomb by Joelle Charbonneau
        Dry by Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman

2019-2020 Golden Sower Nominees
    2020 Picture Book Winner
    Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick & David Serlin (illus. by Brian Selznick)
        Picture Book Honors
        The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt (illus. by Adam Rex)
        Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings
    2020 Chapter Book Winner
   The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris (illus. by Lissy Marlin & Kyle Hilton)
        Chapter Book Honors
        Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
        The Doughnut Fix by Jessie Janowitz
    2020 Novel Winner
   Restart by Gordon Korman
        GS Novel Honors
        Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter
        Refugee by Alan Gratz

2018-2019 Golden Sower Nominees
    2019 Picture Book Winner
    Madeline Finn and the Library Dog by Lisa Papp
        Picture Book Honors
        I Am Not a Chair! by Ross Burach
        Anything but Ordinary Addie; The True Story of Adelaide Hermann, Queen of Magic by Mara Rockliff (illus. by Iacopo Bruno)
    2019 Chapter Book Winner
   Maxi's Secrets (or, What You Can Learn from a Dog) by Lynn Plourde
        Chapter Book Honors
        The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
        Wish by Barbara O'Connor
    2019 Novel Winner
   Scythe by Neal Shusterman
        GS Novel Honors
        Projekt 1065: a Novel of World War II by Alan Gratz
        The Girl I Used To Be by April Henry

2017-2018 Golden Sower Nominees
    2018 Picture Book Winner
    We Forgot Brock! by Carter Goodrich
        Picture Book Honors
        Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman (illus. by Zachariah O'Hora)
        If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson
    2018 Chapter Book Winner
   Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar
        Chapter Book Honors
        Baker's Magic by Diane Zahler
        The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall
    2018 Novel Winner
   House Arrest by K.A. Holt
        GS Novel Honors
        Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt
        Code of Honor by Alan Gratz

2016-2017 Golden Sower Nominees
    2017 Picture Book Winner
    Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio (illus. by Christian Robinson)
        Picture Book Honors
        Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall by Katherine Applegate (illus. by G. Brian Karas)
        Ninja Red Riding Hood by Corey Rosen Schwartz (illus. by Dan Santat)
    2017 Chapter Book Winner
   The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
        Chapter Book Honors
        El Deafo by Cece Bell
        Loot by Jude Watson
    2017 Novel Winner
   Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
        GS Novel Honors
        Famous Last Words by Katie Alender
        Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

2015-2016 Golden Sower Nominees
    2016 Primary Winner
    The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt (illus. by Oliver Jeffers)
        Primary Honors
        That is Not a Good Idea by Mo Willems
        My Crocodile Does Not Bite by Joe Kulka
    2016 Intermediate Winner
   Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
        Intermediate Honors
        Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff
        Darling, Mercy Dog of World War I by Alison Hart (illus. by Michael G. Montgomery
    2016 Young Adult Winner
   Stung by Bethany Wiggins
        Young Adult Honors
        The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
        The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry

2014-2015 Golden Sower Nominees
   2015 Primary Winner
   Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds (illus. by Peter Brown)
        Primary Honors
        Crafty Chloe by Kelly DePucchio (illus. by Heather Ross)
        Randy Riley's Really Big Hit by Chris Van Dusen
    2015 Intermediate Winner
   The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
        Intermediate Honors
        Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur 
        Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli
    2015 Young Adult Winner
   Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz
        Young Adult Honors
        Variant by Robison Wells 
        Cinder by Marissa Meyer