Reading Indian Paintbrush Book Award nominees is a great way to discover stories that kids across Wyoming think are exciting, meaningful and worth sharing. The award is unique because Wyoming students in grades 4th-6th nominate and vote for the books themselves, so the list reflects what real readers enjoy.
The nominee list for the 2026-2027 Indian Paintbrush Book Award is out now! All the books are available to check out from the Campbell County Public Library as physical books, and as eBooks and eAudiobooks on Libby. Start your summer reading list with these books! Fourth through sixth grade students are encouraged to read at least three books on the list, and then vote for their favorite. They can also nominate any book they loved that was published within the last five years for next year’s Indian Paintbrush Book Award.
Stop by the children’s desk the children’s staff will:
- Answer your questions about the Indian Paintbrush Book Award
- Help you find copies of the nominees (or put them on hold for you)
- Help you cast a vote for your favorite book from this year’s nominees list
- Help you nominate a book for next year’s award
Not sure which book to start with? Check out these teasers for each of this year’s ten nominees to get you started:
Greeking Out: Tales from the Underworld
Do you like mythology stories? Do you like podcasts? If so, this is the Indian Paintbrush book for you! From the creators of the Greeking Out podcast comes the third book that’s all about stories from the Underworld. There are 20 different stories from all over the world, including Ancient Greece, Scandinavia, Egypt and China. Figures in these tales that you might be familiar with include Hades, Persephone, Odin, Loki, and Odysseus. Grab the book that includes amazing illustrations or try the audiobook that’s complete with great sound effects!
Kidnapped from Ukraine: Under Attack
From popular historical fiction writer Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch comes a thriller based on current events. The war between Russia and Ukraine began in 2022 when the Russians attacked the Ukrainian city of Mariupol on February 24th. This story follows 12-year-old twin sisters Rada and Dariia Popkova. When their city is attacked, the family is separated- Rada is with her dad and Dariia with her mom. Later on, Russian officials separate Dariia from her mother and send her to live with a Russian family. This is the first book in a three-book series. If you have enjoyed Skrypuch’s other books such as Don’t Tell the Nazi and Making Bombs for Hitler, then this is the Indian Paintbrush book for you!
Ripley: Fire Station Number Five
Do you like stories about dogs? Have you read any of the popular A Puppy Tale books by author W. Bruce Cameron? This is the second story in the Dogs with a Purpose series, and it follows Ripley, a border collie. After his first owner decides that he won’t make a good guide dog like his siblings, Ripley is adopted by a firefighter named Ben. Ben thinks Ripley will be a great fit at the fire station—he’s smart, fast, and brave! Ripley will need to learn to do things like run towards danger and assist on rescues to prove himself to the Fire Station Five team. Ripley meets a girl named Samantha after a housefire and she shows him that one way to rescue someone is to help them face their fears. If stories about dogs are your thing, then grab this Indian Paintbrush nominee!
The Trouble with Heroes is a fast-paced read that follows one kid’s summer after getting into trouble with the law and school. The book starts with Finn Connelly, a seventh grader who is pessimistic and unmotivated, getting in trouble for vandalizing a gravestone in a cemetery. The gravestone belonged to a legendary hiker, Edna Grace Thomas, who summited all 46 peaks of the Adirondack Mountains located in New York and helped many other hikers accomplish this goal during her lifetime. After getting caught, Edna’s family decides instead of having Finn pay for the headstone, they’d like him to spend the summer climbing all 46 Adirondack peaks with different volunteers. He also has to bring along Edna’s dog, Seymour. Finn’s mom agrees to this deal and Finn begrudgingly starts “paying back” the family through his hikes. At the same, he also has to make up a major assignment from English in order to not fail the schoolyear. The assignment: creating 20 poems about someone he thinks of as a hero. His teacher suggests his dad, who become a local hero after 9/11. Finn’s dad was a firefighter in New York City on 9/11 and became famous through a photograph taken at the time. The trouble is Finn’s dad died two years ago and Finn has a lot of mixed feelings about his dad and the challenges he saw his dad face. Throughout Finn’s writing and hiking adventures, he contends with his dad’s mental health struggles and processes his grief over the loss of his parent. He also finds community in unexpected places and finds himself enjoying things he never thought he would. This story is heavy in subject matter, but also has lots of humor and heart. Good for anyone who likes realistic reads.
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest is a fantastic story about Clare, a lonely badger, who lives in Deadwood Forest; a place not quite living and not quite dead, just like Clare. The lonesome badger was run over as a pup, but never crossed over into the afterlife. Instead, he lives as his gruesome run-over self in Deadwood Forest, with the job of ushering other animals into one of the four realms of the afterlife. Although Clare is lonely, he is mostly happy with his solitary life, until Gingersnipes, a funny and persistent Badger, shows up on his doorstep. Unlike all the other animals Clare has met before, Gingersnipes is unable to cross over to the afterlife, no matter what Clare tries. Determined to do his job and get rid of Gingersnipes who is growing attached, the two of them head out to find Hesterfowl, a visionary grouse, to see if she can help. Unfortunately, what Hesterfowl tells Clare terrifies him and puts him on a mission to change his fate. Clare and Gingersnipes’ adventures through the forest are so well described and fun to read. I felt like a movie was playing in my head while I read this book. The two main characters’ back and forth banter will make you laugh out loud and you’ll root for their friendship to persist until the end.
The Deadlands: Hunted is a new series that takes place in prehistoric times. A battle rages between the dinosaur kingdoms of Cretacea, a land that saw destruction after a Fallen Star struck the Earth, bringing death and despair, ash and toxic rain. But some dinosaurs survived . . . and were changed. Their minds grew alert. They learned to speak. To dream. To wage war. Now there are two remaining dinosaur kingdoms fighting for lush territory that promises a chance at survival, and loyalty to the herd is the only thing that matters. Eleri, the son of a prince, makes a fatal mistake one night by accidentally saving a dinosaur from a rival kingdom and is banished to the Deadlands for his decision. There, Eleri meets other dinosaurs who have been exiled to the Deadlands, including the dinosaur he saved. To survive, the dinosaurs band together to avoid becoming prey and help each other survive the terrifying desert full of tar pits, poisonous gas, and ruthless carnivores. As the group grows closer, they discover the horrific truth behind the war and the unlikely heroes must do all they can to save their kingdoms from a lurking predator and a secret plot that might destroy them all.
The 39 Clues: Maze of Bones (Graphic Novel)
When their grandmother dies, siblings Amy and Dan discover their family is connected to some of the most powerful people in history— Benjamin Franklin, Marie Curie, and even Harry Houdini.
The siblings can take a million-dollar inheritance and walk away — or join a race to find 39 clues that could reveal the source of their family’s power. The problem: the same offer is on the table for the rest of their extended family—and no one is interested in fighting fair. If they risk it all and accept the challenge, will Amy and Dan be able to outsmart, outwit, and outrun the rest of their family? Check out this faced-paced, globe-trotting adventure to find out.
The Mystery of Mystic Mountain
Twelve-year-old Becca’s had a perfect summer planned. She’d somehow formed a friendship that has given her a promising “in” to the popular crowd, has a cute boy crushing on her, and an amazing summer job lined up. Her plans go up in smoke when her mom forces her to leave the sunny beaches of the East Coast for the Wild West—Montana. To make matters worse, the spa retreat her mom thought she booked, turns out to be a rustic dude ranch instead…a dude ranch with a mysterious history. Cue strange sights and sounds, an outlaw’s missing treasure, and danger around every corner. Becca finds herself caught up in the adventure of it all as she teams up with new friends for a treasure hunt—through mountain passes and haunted ghost towns, and in the pages of long-forgotten stories. But, she and her friends might not be the only ones searching for treasure. Part mystery, part adventure, this one keeps you guessing until the very last page. Perfect for readers who love solving puzzles right alongside the main characters.
On Maggie’s birthday, she’s so excited to finally get the puppy she’s dreamed of her whole life. Then disaster strikes—she has a horrible allergic reaction when she visits the animal shelter. After some testing, Maggie finds out she is severely allergic to animals with fur and feathers. With severe allergies keeping her from fulfilling one of her biggest wishes, Maggie doesn’t even know who she is anymore. But, Maggie’s destroyed plans for a pet aren’t the only thing causing upheaval in her life. She has to start at a different school and a baby sibling is due to arrive soon. Join Maggie as she struggles to navigate new friendships, new family dynamics, and her new medical diagnosis. Funny, real, and hits hard if you’ve ever felt like you just don’t fit in.
From the author of Odder, the winner of the 2023-2024 Indian Paintbrush Book Award, comes Pocket Bear, the story of a small stuffed bear created to fit in the pocket of a WWI soldier’s uniform. During the War, Pocket looked up with his big eyes at a soldier, reminding the soldier of the people back home who loved him. Now, over 100 years later, Pocket keeps a different kind of troops in line—the refurbished stuffed animals at the Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured. The story of Pocket is told through the eyes of Zephyrina, Pocket’s precocious best feline friend, known around town as “The Cat Burglar.” Zephyrina finds abandoned stuffed toys around town, and brings them as “new recruits” to Pocket and the owners of Second Chances. In the years they’ve spent together, Pocket and Zephyrina have seen all manner of people and stuffed animals come and go from Second Chances. They’ve learned a lot about love and loss, but there may be even further discoveries for the cat, the bear, of course, the reader too! Don’t miss this unforgettable tale of bravery, loyalty, and kindness. It’s sure to have you rooting for second chances.
