2026 Intermediate Nutmeg Nominees

Updated May 1, 2025
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
The dog knight /
Whitley, Jeremy.
Paper Book
A nonbinary middle schooler saves a dog from bullies and is offered the chance to become the Dog Knight, protector of a magical pact between humans and dogs, in the first book of this humorous and heartwarming middle-grade graphic novel series from Jeremy Whitely, author of Princeless,...
Dogtown /
Applegate, Katherine.
Paper Book
The New York Times bestseller, Indie bestseller, and Amazon Best Children's Book from beloved authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko and with illustrations by Wallace West, Dogtown is at once an uplifting story and a page-turning adventure, sure to find a forever home...
Frizzy /
Ortega, Claribel A.
Paper Book
New York Times-bestselling author Claribel A. Ortega and star debut artist Rose Bousamra's Frizzy is about Marlene, a young Dominican girl whose greatest enemy is the hair salon! Through her struggles and triumphs, this heartwarming graphic novel shows the radical power of...
Grounded :
Saeed, Aisha.
Paper Book
When a thunderstorm grounds all flights following a huge Muslim convention, four unlikely kids are thrown together. Feek is stuck babysitting his younger sister, but he'd rather be writing a poem that's good enough for his dad, a famous poet and rapper. Hanna is intent on finding a lost cat in the...
Moongarden
Barry, Michelle A.
Paper Book
"Moongarden blooms with heart and adventure. A stellar update of The Secret Garden, woven with a little science fiction, a lot of magic, a vibrant heroine, and a plucky robot sidekick to rival R2-D2." --Victoria Aveyard, New York Times bestselling author of Red Queen<...
Speak up! /
Burgess, Rebecca.
Paper Book
For fans of Click and Brave, this touching coming-of-age middle grade graphic novel debut follows an autistic girl who finds friendship where she least expects it and learns to express her true self in a world where everyone defines her by her differences. Twelve-year-old Mia...
Trex
Morrell, Christyne
Paper Book
A thrilling mystery packed with adventure, secrets, and high-stakes danger! A boy with a cutting-edge brain implant and a reclusive girl training to be a spy must outsmart school bullies and take on a sinister corporation that's hacking minds. Perfect for summer reading! ...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.