26/27 NDMS mBOB Permission & Book Reviews

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Thank you for your interest in the elementary school Battle of the Books! Please take a few moments to look at the 2026-2027 book list and complete the questions at the end of the form. These books are selected by the NC School Library Media Association and are used by all participating middle schools across the state. The document linked below includes multiple reviews, if available, for each title:

https://bit.ly/27mBOB

We respect parental choice in the selection of reading materials for their students. If you prefer for your student to opt out of reading a specific title, please indicate that using the optional comment box under each book image.

*Please Note: Selection/competition participation of team members may vary from school to school. The NCSLMA organization limits competition teams to no more than 12 members with only 6 members competing in each round. Families who choose to “opt out” of specific titles may jeopardize their standing with the competitive team.

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Agent Most Wanted by Sonia Purnell

This young readers adaptation tells the true story of Virginia Hall, an American spy with a prosthetic leg who worked for the British and American intelligence services in Nazi-occupied France. Despite being deemed "the most dangerous of all Allied spies" by the Gestapo, she used her wits to organize resistance efforts and help win World War II.

All Thirteen by Christina Soontornvat

This non-fiction work recounts the gripping 2018 rescue of twelve Thai youth soccer players and their coach after they were trapped in the flooded Tham Luang cave. It combines scientific detail with cultural insights to show how a massive global team of volunteers and experts worked together to achieve the impossible.

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson

Sent to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer after her father is incarcerated, Brooklyn native Kaylani hopes for a quiet escape. Instead, she and her new friends are pulled into a contemporary murder mystery when a teen is found dead in the water, forcing her to balance her investigation with her own grief and the island's complex history.

The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla

Maudie McGinn, a neurodivergent girl, loves her summers with her dad in California until a wildfire forces them to evacuate to a beach trailer. While struggling with heavy secrets and her mother's high expectations, Maudie finds healing and self-worth through the challenge of learning to surf.

Island of Spies by Sheila Turnage

Set on Hatteras Island, North Carolina, in 1942, twelve-year-old Stick Lawson and her friends, the "Dime Novel Kids," find themselves at the center of a real-life World War II mystery. As German U-boats lurk off the coast, the group must decode clues and track down potential spies to protect their community.

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

Petra Peña and her family flee Earth on a spaceship just before a comet destroys the planet, heading for a new world called Sagan. Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes up as the only person who remembers Earth’s history and stories (cuentos), and she must use them to save humanity from a sinister Collective that has erased everyone's memories.

Long Lost by Jacqueline West

After moving to the eerie town of Lost Lake, Fiona Crane discovers a mysterious, unfinished book in the library about two sisters who lived in the town decades ago. As the events in the book begin to mirror her own life, Fiona must solve a cold-case disappearance to prevent history from repeating itself.

Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya

Marcus is a misunderstood eighth-grader who is sent to Puerto Rico with his family after a fight at school. While there, he embarks on a journey across the island to find his estranged father, ultimately discovering more about his heritage, his family, and his own identity.

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen

Emmett Atwater is recruited by a mysterious corporation to travel to the planet Eden to mine a highly valuable substance called Nyxia. He must compete against nine other teenagers in a series of brutal trials, realizing that the company is hiding dangerous secrets about the mission and the planet.

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Jude is forced to leave her father and brother behind in war-torn Syria to move to America with her pregnant mother. As she navigates life in a new country, Jude finds her voice through a school musical and learns what it means to belong when "home" feels so far away.

Restart by Gordon Korman

After a fall from a roof leaves him with total amnesia, Chase Ambrose returns to school only to realize he was a notorious bully in his "past life". Given a chance to start over, Chase must decide if he will return to his old ways or become a better person, even as his former victims remain wary of him.

The Secret Battle of Evan Pao by Wendy Wan-Long Shang

When Evan Pao moves to a small Virginia town, he finds himself an outsider facing prejudice and bullying from a classmate obsessed with the town's Civil War history. To find his place, Evan researches the forgotten contributions of Chinese Americans in U.S. history, fighting his own battle for recognition and truth.

Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston

Twelve-year-old Sharkita has "shark teeth" (extra rows of teeth) and carries the heavy burden of caring for her younger siblings while her mother struggles with instability. After a crisis leads to them being placed in foster care, Sharkita must find the courage to tell the truth about her home life to seek a better future for her family.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

While grieving the loss of his best friend, Tristan accidentally opens a portal to the Midpass, a world where African American folk heroes and West African gods are real. To get back home and save this new world, Tristan must team up with legends like John Henry and Brer Rabbit to defeat a growing darkness.

Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen

Mia, a girl who is both Jewish and Muscogee, feels caught between two cultures that her divorced parents keep separate. In a quest for identity, she secretly travels to Oklahoma to visit her father’s nation, discovering how her two heritages can coexist within her.

When We Flew Away by Alice Hoffman

This historical novel explores the life of Anne Frank and her family in the Netherlands before they were forced into hiding during the Nazi occupation. It depicts the gradual loss of their freedoms and the resilience of a young girl who would eventually share her story with the world.

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