SSYRA 2024-2025 Grades 3-5

Ever since her father was lost at sea, Sophia has been moping around Aqualand, a marine theme park. But Sophia's world is turned upside-down when an "aquanaut" breaks into the park's research lab. To her amazement, Sophia discovers that the aquanaut is not what it seems: inside lives a band of goofy sea creatures! And when they all realize that Aqualand is more sinister than advertised, Sophia is determined to help the aquanaut crew free the park's...

"Max the puppy has fallen in love. From the moment Emi walks into the shelter with her long black hair and bright smile, he knows she's meant to be his forever person. Emi's family has just moved to Maine from Japan, and he can tell that she is in desperate need of a friend like Max. After Emi adopts him, Max goes to live with her high up on a mountain homestead where he explores his new world and spends his days annoying the other family pet, a Maine...

When ten-year-old Lina Gao leaves China to live with her parents and sister, after five years apart, she must reckon with her hurt, anger, and curiosity and find a way to get her bearings in this new country--and the almost-new family that comes along with it.

Marcus, a young baseball pitcher, learns that perfect games only come with a lot of practice--and some strikeouts.

"Peter and his best friend, Tommy, have a goal for their last summer before middle school: finish their Discovery Journal, a catalog of the wildlife around their Florida town. When they spot a manatee in a canal, Peter knows they've found something special--and when the manatee is injured by a boat, something to protect! As Peter joins the fight to save Florida manatees, he also finds himself taking care of his ailing grandfather and facing an unwelcome...

Jarell has never quite known where he belongs. He's ignored at home and teased at school for wanting to draw instead of playing sports with the other boys. The only place he's ever felt truly at ease is his local barbershop where the owner hangs Jarell's art up on the walls. When Jarell discovers a hidden portal in the barbershop, he's transported to a magical world that's unlike anything he's seen before. But it's not just the powerful gods and dangerous...

"Grand adventure stories often begin where you least expect, Iris knows this because she's read them all. However, as a thirteen-year-old stuck in the tiny country town of Bugden, real adventure seems a distant dream. That doesn't bother Sam, Iris' best friend. For him, catching bugs and swimming in the lake is exciting enough. But when Iris and Sam stumble upon an unusually dry river on the outskirts of town, they're led to a discovery beyond anything...

"As Pelican Island's history-making drought wears on, the water level on Bex and Davey's beloved marsh reveals the hand of a statue that has been underneath the water for who knows how long, and the siblings are determined to find out more."