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As this school year comes to a close, now is a great time to begin preparing your Tome Society chapter for a strong start in the fall. A little planning now can help your students feel confident, excited, and ready to engage from the very first meeting.
Consider assigning summer reading from the first Reading Bowl exam list to your team. Getting an early start helps students stay on pace and reduces pressure during the busy fall months. You may also want to let your club members know the August Books of the Month so they can begin reading before your first meeting. This helps create immediate momentum and encourages meaningful discussion right away. Spring is also an ideal time to vote for officers for the upcoming school year. Giving student leaders time to prepare allows them to step confidently into their roles and begin contributing ideas early. Fundraising planning can begin now as well. Brainstorm ideas with your students for raising funds for chapter dues or TomeCon expenses. When students help generate ideas, they often feel more invested in the success of the plan. Take time at your final meeting to talk through the competition options available next year. Helping students understand the different opportunities encourages participation and helps them begin thinking about where their interests and talents fit best. Finally, review the Chapter of the Year document together. Set a goal as a chapter and create a simple plan for how you will work toward reaching your points target throughout the year. Thoughtful preparation now can make next year more organized, more engaging, and more enjoyable for both you and your students. Explore the Tome Society website to learn more.
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Announcing the 2026-2027 Tome Society Book Award winners! We can't wait for our students to read these amazing books in the 2026-2027 school year. The Tome Society Book Award is awarded annually to excellent juvenile fiction and young adult fiction titles . The list is used by over 275 member schools across the country for book clubs, discussions, competitions, projects and library purchasing. Tome Society (grades 9-12)
Junior Tome (grades 6-8)
Club Tome (grades 2-5)
   By Becca Hamby
Hi! I’m Becca Hamby — Tome Society co-founder, former high school librarian, and current homeschool mom of three. The two questions I hear most often from other moms are: "Do you have any book recommendations for my kids?" and "How can I get my kids to want to read for fun?" For the first question, I always point them to the current and past Tome Society Book Award lists. In this post, I’m tackling the second — how to help kids get hooked on reading and discover the joy of stories that keep them turning pages. Tip #1: Start with Great Books If kids aren’t reading well-written books with page-turning plots, it’s no wonder stories can’t compete with all the other entertainment options in our world. At Tome Society, we carefully select titles for the Tome Society Book Award that are recently published, high-quality, and high-interest. If a book doesn’t make us want to keep reading, we know it won’t grab the kids either. If you’re not sure where to start, pull up your child’s grade-level Book Award list with them and let them choose three titles that look most interesting. Then do a quick internet search together to read the summaries and decide where to begin. Here are a few tried-and-true favorites that have hooked my own kids: Tome Book Award Authors Guaranteed to Kick-Start a Reading Obsession (Check age-appropriateness for your child.)
Tip #2: Make It a Family Thing My family loves listening to audiobooks together in the car. Over the years, we’ve enjoyed everything from compelling, kid-friendly biographies of famous men and women to the Harry Potter series — and, of course, plenty of Tome Book Award titles. On a recent road trip, we binged the first book of The Hunger Games series. Our family rule is simple: as long as Mom and the two older kids are in the car, we listen — we can catch Dad up later. If starting a family audiobook feels a little awkward at first, make it special. Try something like, “We’re going to start listening to one of my favorite books from childhood — and to celebrate, we’ll grab ice cream while we listen.” A few bumps at the start are normal, but pick a great book and stick with it. I promise — they won’t complain for long. If audiobooks aren’t your jam, another excellent option is family read-aloud time. We’ve done this since the kids were little, and the books have grown up with them. It was Goodnight Moon and Little Blue Truck when they were toddlers, and now we spend a few minutes before bed escaping into Narnia, Middle-Earth, and other fascinating worlds whenever we can. Even just a few shared reading moments each week will pay off in a big way. However your family finds time to do it, experiencing stories together not only builds a shared love of reading but also sparks some of the best conversations. For instance, while reading The Hunger Games, we found ourselves asking: Do we see instances of violence as entertainment in our own culture? What parallels was the author drawing between Panem and Ancient Rome? Questions like these show how powerful shared stories can be — they open the door to deeper conversations you might not have had otherwise. What book do you want to share with your kids? Tip #3: Make It a Habit To truly get hooked on a story, kids need consistent time inside that story. Set a goal of at least 20 minutes of reading a day — and stick to it. If motivation is an issue, connect reading with clear boundaries: no video games until the reading is done. If your family’s schedule makes daily reading tricky, try a weekly goal instead — for example, 100 minutes over the course of the week or no Saturday morning screen time. You can also frame it as a reward: read 20 minutes every day this week and celebrate with ice cream on Friday night. The method is flexible, but the expectation should be steady. Frequent reading is the key to helping kids truly engage with their books. Tip #4: Try Immersive Reading Immersive Reading is the practice of reading a print book while listening to the audiobook at the same time. My kids often use this method in our homeschool when tackling more challenging texts. For example, my 6th-grade daughter was able to enjoy the unabridged versions of Robinson Crusoe and Oliver Twist last year because she wasn’t bogged down by the difficulty of the language. When kids are just learning to read — or when they struggle — the act of decoding can make reading feel like a chore. But we want reading to be a joy! Immersive Reading removes that barrier, allowing kids to dive straight into the story without the battle. An added bonus is that they both see and hear the words pronounced correctly, which builds vocabulary and strengthens fluency. In our home, Immersive Reading has been a game-changing tool for unlocking age-appropriate stories that might otherwise feel out of reach. At the end of the day, what matters most is that our kids see reading as a gift, not a burden. Tools like immersive reading, family reading time, daily habits, and the right kind of stories can help us open that door for them. When we point them toward great books, give them a little support, and cheer them on, we’re helping them unlock something that will last a lifetime—a true love of books. Announcing the 2025-2026 Tome Society Book Award List!
Tome Student Literacy Society is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025-2026 Tome Society Book Award! This year’s selections are packed with unforgettable stories, diverse voices, and page-turning adventures. We are also excited to announce the expansion of the Junior Tome Book Award list to 12 titles. We can’t wait for you to Embrace the Journey and read these incredible books! Tome Society (grades 9-12)
Titles denoted with an asterisk (*) will not be tested as part of the Reading Bowl competition. The It List has a new name! Now called the Tome Society Book Award list, this list is comprised of the best recently published, PG books for students in grades 2-12.
We are excited to announce the official 2024-2025 Tome Society Book Award winners! Tome Society (Grades 9-12) Artifice by Sharon Cameron Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other) by Livia Blackburne Curses and Other Buried Things by Caroline George Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer Last Girl Breathing by Court Stevens League of Liars by Astrid Scholte Powerless by Lauren Roberts Rise of the Vicious Princess by CJ Redwine Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken Take by Jennifer Bradbury Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal The Silent Unseen by Amanda McCrina The Weight of Everything by Marcia Argueta Mickelson The Wide Starlight by Nicole Lesperance Thieves Gambit by Kayvion Lewis This is Not a Personal Statement by Tracy Badua Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson Unraveller by Frances Hardinge Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh Wishtress by Nadine Brandes Junior Tome (grades 6-8) Children of the Fox by Kevin Sands Farewell Cuba, Mi Isla by Alexandra Diaz Hamra and the Jungle of Memories by Hanna Alkaf Hands by Torrey Maldonado Heroes by Alan Gratz The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt The Patron Thief of Bread by Lindsay Eagar The Switch by Roland Smith Uprising by Jennifer A. Nielsen Where the Black Flowers Bloom by Ronald Smith Club Tome (grades 2-5) Finally Seen by Kelly Yang Honestly Elliott by Gillian McDunn Millie by McCall Hoyle Nothing Else But Miracles by Kate Albus The Book of Stolen Dreams by David Farr The Boy Who Met a Whale by Nizrana Farook The Elephant Girl by James Patterson & Ellen Banda-Aaku The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle by Taryn Souders The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix Turtles of the Midnight Moon by Maria Jose Fitzgerald Is reading more one of your goals in 2024? It should be! Use this easy printable tracker to track up to 75 books read for the year. Add your own personal reading goals at the bottom. Color in a book on the shelf for every book completed! Click HERE for the printable PDF.  Books of the Month
Tome Society (High School, grades 9-12) August
Traitor by Amanda McCrina Under the Magnolias by T.I. Lowe Enduring Freedom by Jawad Arash and Trent Reedy Where I Belong by Marcia Argueta Mickelson Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray The Deep Enders by Dave Reardon Reading Bowl Exam #2 The Last She by H.J. Nelson Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz The Red Palace by June Hur This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi Mirror Girls by Kelly McWilliams Reading Bowl Exam #3 Gallant by V.E. Schwab The Summer We Forgot by Caroline George Gold Mountain by Betty G. Yee My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth The Memory Index by Julian R. Vaca Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch Girl Forgotten by April Henry Junior Tome Society (Middle School, grades 6-8) August - Santiago’s Road Home by Alexandra Diaz September - Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A.F. Steadman October - Yonder by Ali Standish November - Nura and the Immortal Palace by M.T. Khan December - Lines of Courage by Jennifer Nielsen January - Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu February - The Fort by Gordon Korman March - The Worlds We Leave Behind by A.F. Harrold April - Dinged by Tommy Greenwald May - The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh Reading Bowl Exam #1
Club Tome (Elementary, Grades 2-5) August - The Green Ember by S.D. Smith September - Solving for M by Jennifer Swender October - Coop Knows the Scoop by Taryn Souders November - The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris Grabenstein December - A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll January - Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs by Pam Muñoz Ryan February - Freddie vs. the Family Curse by Tracy Badua March - The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton April - Out of Range by Heidi Lang May - Just Gus by McCall Hoyle Reading Bowl Exam #1 The Green Ember by S.D. Smith Solving for M by Jennifer Swender Reading Bowl Exam #2 Coop Knows the Scoop by Taryn Souders A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll Freddie vs. The Family Curse by Tracy Badua Reading Bowl Exam #3 The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton Out of Range by Heidi Lang    Great job, Winston Elementary!
 We are pleased to announce the 2023-2024 Tome Society It List! We can't wait for you to read these amazing books and discover what it means to be Brave On Purpose!
Tome Society (High School, grades 9-12) Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan Enduring Freedom by Trent Reedy and Jawad Arash Gallant by V.E. Schwab Girl Forgotten by April Henry Gold Mountain by Betty G. Yee Mirror Girls by Kelly McWilliams My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch The Deep Enders by Dave Reardon The Last She by H.J. Nelson The Memory Index by Julian R. Vaca The Red Palace by June Hur The Summer We Forgot by Caroline George This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi Traitor by Amanda McCrina Under the Magnolias by T.I. Lowe Where I Belong by Marcia Argueta Mickelson Junior Tome Society (Middle School, grades 6-8) Dinged by Tommy Greenwald Lines of Courage by Jennifer Nielsen Nura and the Immortal Palace by M.T. Khan Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu Santiago’s Road Home by Alexandra Diaz Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A.F. Steadman The Fort by Gordon Korman The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh The Worlds We Leave Behind by A.F. Harrold Yonder by Ali Standish Club Tome Society (Elementary School, grades 2-5) A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll Coop Knows the Scoop by Taryn Souders Freddie vs. The Family Curse by Tracy Badua Just Gus by McCall Hoyle Out of Range by Heidi Lang Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs by Pam Muñoz Ryan Solving for M by Jennifer Swender The Green Ember by S.D. Smith The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris Grabenstein Books of the Month 2022-2023
Tome Society (grades 9-12) August
Junior Tome (grades 6-8) August - The Canyon’s Edge by Dusti Bowling September - Real by Carol Cujec with Peyton Goddard October - I Am Defiance by Jenni L. Walsh November - Treasure of the World by Tara Sullivan December - Oddity by Eli Brown January - Ten Thousand Tries by Amy Mackechnie February - Paradise on Fire by Jewell Parker Rhodes March - Pony by RJ Palacio April - Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan May - The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera Club Tome (grades 2-5) August - Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly September - The Elephant’s Girl by Celesta Rimington October - The Girl and the Witch’s Garden by Erin Bowman November - The Magic in Changing Your Stars by Leah Henderson* December - Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by Fleur Bradley* January - A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus February - Rescue by Jennifer Nielsen March - Wilderlore by Amanda Foody April - The Islanders by Mary Alice Monroe* May - Lotería by Karla Arenas Valenti Reading Bowl Exam Lists Tome Society (grades 9-12) Exam #1
Junior Tome (grades 6-8) Exam #1
Club Tome (grades 3-5) Exam #1
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