Utah Authors for Children and Young Adults

The following books were written by authors who live in or have spent significant parts of their lives in Utah.  Most of the authors have written several books, so if you enjoy one, try the others!

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After the Dancing Days
Artist/Author/Cast:
Rostkowski, Margaret I.
Call Number:
YP F Rostkowski
Description:

At the hospital where her father works, Annie befriends a badly burned veteran.

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians
Artist/Author/Cast:
Sanderson, Brandon
Call Number:
JF Sanderson
Description:

Thirteen-year-old Alcatraz must save the world from the evil librarians after they steal his inheritance, an extraordinary bag of sand.

The Arctic Code
Artist/Author/Cast:
Kirby, Matthew J.
Call Number:
JF Kirby
Description:

The Earth is in the grip of a new Ice Age when twelve-year-old Eleanor's scientist mother disappears in the Arctic.

Bear Dancer: The Story of a Ute Girl
Artist/Author/Cast:
Wyss, Thelma Hatch
Call Number:
JF Wyss
Description:

The story of historical figure Elk Girl, a member of the Ute tribe and sister to Chief Ouray.

Artist/Author/Cast:
Williams, Terry Tempest; Parnall, Peter (Illustrator)
Call Number:
J574.84099 W7273be
Description:

"The marsh is an edge where water and land meet between cattails..." and a place where many animals live.

Big Bad Ironclad!: A Civil War Steamship Showdown
Artist/Author/Cast:
Hale, Nathan (Author, Illustrator)
Call Number:
GN J973.75 H1634b
Description:

Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale (no relation to author) describes the Civil War battle of 1861 between two ironclad ships.

The Candy Shop War
Artist/Author/Cast:
Mull, Brandon
Call Number:
JF Mull
Description:

Four children are thrilled to try out new candy that gives them superpowers.

The Children of Topaz: The Story of a Japanese-American Internment Camp: Based on a Classroom Diary
Artist/Author/Cast:
Tunnell, Michael O.; Chilcoat, George W.
Call Number:
J940.5317 T9265c
Description:

A moving book based on a diary kept by a third-grade class at a Japanese-American internment camp during WWII.

Cliff Hanger
Artist/Author/Cast:
Skurzynski, Gloria; Ferguson, Alane
Call Number:
JF Skurzynski
Description:

Missing artifacts, a cougar on the prowl, and a terrifying cliff-side fall all add up to mystery and adventure.

Dragon Slippers
Artist/Author/Cast:
George, Jessica Day
Call Number:
YP F George
Description:

After being captured by a dragon, Creel intends to ask for some gold but gets something very different instead.

The Eternity Elixir
Artist/Author/Cast:
Cole, Frank L.
Call Number:
JF Cole
Description:

Aspiring Potion Master Gordy Stitser must prevent the Eternity Elixir from falling into the hands of the rebel Elixirists.

Fanny's Dream
Artist/Author/Cast:
Buehner, Caralyn; Buehner, Mark (Illustrator)
Call Number:
JP Buehner
Description:

Hard-working Fanny hopes her fairy godmother will make her dreams come true.

The Girl and the Bicycle
Artist/Author/Cast:
Pett, Mark (Author, Illustrator)
Call Number:
JP Pett
Description:

A little girl longs to own the green bicycle she sees in a shop window.

The Great Brain
Artist/Author/Cast:
Fitzgerald, John Dennis; Mayer, Mercer (Illustrator)
Call Number:
JF Fitzgerald
Description:

The adventures of three brothers growing up in a small Utah town in the late 1800s.

How to Read to a Grandma or Grandpa
Artist/Author/Cast:
Reagan, Jean; Wildish, Lee (Illustrator)
Call Number:
JP Reagan
Description:

Two children provide instructions on how to read to a grandma or grandpa, including how to choose a good book. 

I Loved You Before You Were Born
Artist/Author/Cast:
Bowen, Anne; Shed, Greg (Illustrator)
Call Number:
JP Bowen
Description:

A grandmother shares all the things she thought about before her grandchild was born.

Janitors
Artist/Author/Cast:
Whitesides, Tyler; Dorman, Brandon (Illustrator)
Call Number:
JF Whitesides
Description:

A sixth-grader stumbles upon a secret that threatens to turn schoolchildren everywhere into mindless automatons. 

The Maze Runner
Artist/Author/Cast:
Dashner, James
Call Number:
YP F Dashner
Description:

Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze.

Miracles on Maple Hill
Artist/Author/Cast:
Sorensen, Virginia Eggertsen; Krush, Beth (Illustrator); Krush, Joe (Illustrator)
Call Number:
JF Sorensen
Description:

Miracles happen when Marly and her family move from the big city to a farmhouse on Maple Hill.

Mr. President Goes to School
Artist/Author/Cast:
Walton, Rick; Sneed, Brad (Illustrator)
Call Number:
JP Walton
Description:

When the President finds his job overwhelming, he disguises himself and returns to kindergarten. 

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