Sunshine State Young Readers Award
Sunshine State Young Readers Award references 53 books assigned across applicable K-12 grade levels in US schools.
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The Sunshine State Young Readers Award (SSYRA) is a statewide reading-motivation program of the Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME) in which students in grades 3-8 read from an annual master list of nominated books and vote for their favorite. The lists are refreshed each year, so the titles are Florida-specific and current.
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18 books on the current master lists (2025-26 grades 6-8, 2026-27 grades 3-5)
Brick Dust and BonesM.R. Fournet
Confessions of a Class ClownArianne Costner
Control FreaksJ.E. Thomas
CurveballPablo Cartaya
Fowl PlayKristin O'Donnell Tubb
Growing HomeBeth Ferry
HeroesAlan Gratz
J vs. KKwame Alexander & Jerry Craft
Mid-AirAlicia D. Williams
Misfit MansionKay Davault
PunycornAndi Watson
Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the CoatlJulie Kagawa
Simon Sort of SaysErin Bow
SkyridersPolly Holyoke
The First State of BeingErin Entrada Kelly
The House at the Edge of MagicAmy Sparkes
The Lost YearKatherine Marsh
The Sherlock SocietyJames Ponti
Past Sunshine State winners (35)
Books Florida students voted their favorite in past years. Winners from 2014 on come from the Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME); each card shows the year where known.
Amari and the Night BrothersB. B. AlstonWinner 2023
Among the HiddenMargaret Peterson HaddixPast winner
Because of Winn-DixieKate DiCamillo · 610LPast winner
City SpiesJames PontiWinner 2021
Curlfriends: New in Town (a Graphic Novel)Sharee MillerWinner 2026
Curse of the Night WitchAlex AsterWinner 2023
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's LibraryChris GrabensteinPast winner
Escaping the Giant WavePeg KehretPast winner
FoundMargaret Peterson HaddixPast winner
Greetings from Witness Protection!Jake BurtWinner 2020
HolesLouis Sachar · 660LPast winner
InvisibleChristina Diaz GonzalezWinner 2024
LegendMarie LuWinner 2014
Midnight at the Barclay HotelFleur BradleyWinner 2022
New Dragon CityMari MancusiWinner 2025
PieSarah WeeksWinner 2016- RestartGordon KormanRestartGordon Korman · 730LWinner 2019
Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver ScreenCandace FlemingWinner 2021
StungBethany WigginsWinner 2016
The Adventures of Invisible BoyDoogie HornerWinner 2026
The Area 51 FilesJulie BuxbaumWinner 2024
The CandymakersWendy MassWinner 2014
The City of EmberJeanne DuPrauPast winner
The Cursed MoonAngela CervantesWinner 2025
Show all 35 titles
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- The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1) · Rick Riordan · Past winner
- The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane · Kate DiCamillo · Past winner
- The Neptune Project · Polly Holyoke · Winner 2017
- The Terrible Two · Mac Barnett · Winner 2017
- The War That Saved My Life · Kimberly Brubaker Bradley · Winner 2018
- The Wild Robot · Peter Brown · Winner 2018
- Touching Spirit Bear · Ben Mikaelsen · Past winner
- Variant · Robison Wells · Winner 2015
- Wedgie & Gizmo · Suzanne Selfors · Winner 2020
- When Stars Are Scattered · Victoria Jamieson · Winner 2022
- Wish · Barbara O'Connor · Winner 2019
About this curriculum framework
This curriculum is one of dozens of named English Language Arts frameworks tracked across US public-school districts. Frameworks differ in scope (district-level vs state-level vs national), in mandate (required vs recommended vs elective), and in how prescriptive their reading lists are (single fixed text list vs broad reading-pool selection).
The book list below represents titles cited as required, recommended, or commonly assigned within this framework, sourced from the framework's primary documentation (or, where the framework is administered at district level, from public district curriculum pages). Each book's detail page links the specific source document for that citation.
How to use this Sunshine State Young Readers Award reading list
The book list above represents titles ReadingList has confirmed as referenced by Sunshine State Young Readers Award— either through the framework’s own published documentation, through audited classroom syllabi citing the framework, or through US state and district curriculum guides that map their reading expectations to it. Each book’s detail page links the specific primary source so parents, teachers, and students can verify the citation and locate the official document.
Reading lists evolve. Sunshine State Young Readers Award citations on ReadingList are reviewed on a rolling basis as primary sources publish updates. If you teach or learn under this framework and a title on this page is no longer used (or you know of one that should appear), the ReadingList methodology page explains how to submit a correction with a citation.
Related on ReadingList
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Copy + paste this snippet into any school newsletter, classroom blog, library site, or homeschool resource page. The embed shows the top 12 titles and links back to the full list. Updates automatically when ReadingList’s data changes.
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Sunshine State Young Readers Award include?
53 books are referenced by Sunshine State Young Readers Award across applicable K-12 grade levels. Each book page cites the primary source assignment (the official curriculum standard, exemplar list, or syllabus where the title appears).
What grades does Sunshine State Young Readers Award cover?
Sunshine State Young Readers Award is a reading-program curriculum spanning applicable K-12 grade levels via the standards framework. Browse by grade using the grade-filter links on this page or visit /grade for the full grade index across all curricula.
Where does Sunshine State Young Readers Award data come from?
Sourced from published curriculum documents + standards organizations. Cross-referenced with Common Core exemplars at achievethecore.org. Every book page on ReadingList.school cites the standards origin for that assignment.
Is Sunshine State Young Readers Award required reading?
Sunshine State Young Readers Award provides recommended exemplars + assignments — adoption varies by district and teacher. Always check with your school's English department for the specific required vs recommended list at your grade level.
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