Booklists

The Georgia Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl 2025-26 Booklists are now available. Elementary schools will read the 10 books marked for Grades 4-5 that are nominees for the 2025-26 Georgia Children’s Book Award (GCBA). Middle Schools will only read the 10 books marked for Grades 6-8 that are nominees for the 2025-26 GCBA.  The High Schools will read the 20 books that are nominees for the 2025-26 Georgia Peach Award.

The following list is for elementary schools.

Grades 4-5             

Bagley, J. (2023). Duel. Simon and Schuster.

Baptiste, T. (2024). Moko Magic: Carnival Chaos. Freedom Fire.

Harrell, R. (2024). Pop Corn. Dial Books.

Hautman, P. (2024). Answers to Dog. Candlewick.

Kessler, L. (2023). Code Name Kingfisher. Simon and Schuster.

Korman, G. (2024). Faker. Scholastic.

Miller, C. (2024). Magnolia Wu Unfolds it all. Philomel.

Ness, P. (2024). Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody. Walker.

Ponti, J. (2024). The Sherlock Society. Aladdin Books.

Smith, N. (2024). Stranded. Scholastic.

The following list is for middle schools.

Behar, R. (2024). Across so Many Seas. Nancy Paulsen Books.

Bishop, J. (2023). Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up. Chronicle.

Fipps, L. (2024). And Then, Boom! Nancy Paulsen Books.

Forman, G. (2024). Not Nothing. Aladdin.

Higuera, D. (2023). Alebrijes. Levine Querido.

Hutchinson, S. D. (2024). The School for Invisible Boys. Labyrinth Road.

Meadows, J. (2024). Bye, Forever, I Guess. Holiday House.

Sterling, Z. (2023). Mabuhay! Scholastic.

Watson, R. (2024). Black Girl You Are Atlas. Kokila.

Williams, A. (2024). MidAir. Athenium.

The following list is for high schools.

Touch of Death by Taylor Munsell

Songlight by Moira Buffini

Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry by Ransom Riggs

Age 16 by Rosena Fung

Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay

Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo

Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson

Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow 

A Place for Vanishing by Ann Fraistat

Crashing into You by Rocky Callen

This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed

Tangleroot by Lalela Williams

Wander in the Dark by Jumata Emill

Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo

This Day Changes Everything by Edward Underhill

Thirsty by Jas Hammonds

That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally

Under the Surface by Diana Urban

Sky’s End (Above the Black) by Marc J. Gregson