Nomination: Agnes at the End of the World

McWilliams, Kelly. Agnes at the End of the World. 2020. 417p. Little, Brown, $17.99 (978-0-399-54591-7). Gr. 9 and up.

Agnes must decide to leave the cult she grew up in to save the world in the middle of a pandemic. 

Nomination: The Whitsun Daughers

Mesrobian, Carrie. The Whitsun Daughters. 2020. 224p.  Dutton, $17.99 (978-0-735-23195-5). Gr. 9 and up.

Three girls experience the realities of being a woman in the world, told alternately through the eyes of their Irish immigrant ancestor and her own struggles. 

Nomination: The Companion

Alender, Katie. The Companion. 2020. 448p. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $18.99 (978-0-399-54591-7). Gr. 9 and up.

After the tragic death of her family, Margot goes to live with the Suttons as a companion for their daughter where things are not as they seem. 

Nomination: Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know

Ahmed, Samira. Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know. 2020. 336p. Soho Teen, $18.99 (9781616959890). Gr. 9 and up.

Visiting Paris for the summer, Khayyam Maquet follows an art-world mystery involving Dumas, Byron, and a mysterious woman who has a story bigger than the rest.

Nomination: The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly

Tate, Meredith. The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly. 2020. 368p. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $17.99 (978-1-984-81349-7). Gr. 9 and up.

After a shocking act of violence, Autumn leaves her body and seeks out her estranged younger sister, Ivy, unearthing deeper wounds as she tries to survive.

Nomination: It Sounded Better In My Head

Kenwood, Nina. It Sounded Better In My Head. 2020. 304p. Flatiron, $18.99 (9781250219268). Gr. 7 & up.

When Natalie finds out her parents are getting a divorce, she has to come to terms with the unexpected news  with the help of her recently coupled best friends and her sense of humor — as well as a new romance found in the least likely person.

Nomination: Women In Art: 50 Fearless Creatives Who Inspired the World

Ignotofsky, Rachel. Women in Art: 50 Fearless Creatives Who Inspired the World. 2019. 128p. Ten Speed Press, $16.99 (978-0-399-58043-7). Gr. 6 and up.

A history of women artists from 1262-present that highlights the contributions of 50 women’s accomplishments in the art world in the face of their fight against gender inequality.