High School Nutmeg Nominees
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Ariel Crashes a Train by Olivia A. Cole
Ariel is a sweet, caring, and artistic young woman, but the disturbing intrusive thoughts caused by her OCD have convinced her she is a danger to the people around her. She wants to work, make friends, and be happy, but first she must break free of the worries that hold her back.
The Color of a Lie by Kim Johnson
Despite escaping a horrible tragedy in Chicago, Calvin doesn’t want to leave his Black community for an all-white neighborhood in Pennsylvania. It’s 1955, and Calvin and his family are all Black, but they “pass” for white, leaving them all in a tense and potentially dangerous situation.
Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce
Riley Morris is in trouble. Now she’ll be working at her father’s game store for the foreseeable future, though she has no interest in Dungeons & Dragons-type role-playing games. Soon Riley finds herself in a fake dating scheme with her coworker Nathan, in a race to save her school’s spring musical, and getting to know her Dad. What does Riley truly want in life anyway?
Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand, art by Tara Anand
Nitasha, a South Asian teenager, doesn’t feel “Indian enough” for her family or “American enough” for her friends. Follow Nitasha as she navigates the pressure to be a “perfect Indian daughter” while she learns about identity, belonging, and what a real, supportive community can look like in this graphic novel.
Looking For Smoke by K.A. Cobell
Elements of identity, tradition and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) crisis weave together as four teens scramble to prove their innocence when a Blackfeet Nation girl is found murdered after a traditional ceremony on the reservation.
Rez Ball by Byron Graves
Tre Brun lives on the Red Lake Nation Reservation in Minnesota. He misses his late brother Jaxon, and is trying to live up to Jaxon’s basketball legacy. When Tre gets a spot on the Red Lake Warriors varsity team, the pressure is on. Can his team be the first Ojibwe team to win Minnesota’s State Championship?
In a world of floating sky-islands, Conrad is exiled from nobility to the lowest rung, serving a ruthless uncle while monsters prowl the clouds below. When a deadly contest offers a chance at freedom, he risks everything to rise above betrayal, brutal trials, and the secrets that destroyed his family to save his sister. In the skies, survival isn’t about how far you climb, it’s about how far you’re willing to fall.
Swarm by Jennifer D. Lyle
Shur’s anxiety disorder should have helped her prepare for the apocalypse, but even she never could have envisioned the giant butterflies attacking her town. Using her basement as a bunker, Shur, her siblings, and two best friends try their best to create a sanctuary, hoping for a day when they can again see the outside world.
Under This Red Rock by Mindy McGinnis
Neely, a teenage girl struggling with her mental health, takes a job as a cavern tour guide to keep herself distracted and gain independence. When her coworker and crush is found murdered, Neely must decide whether her hallucinations made her forget her involvement or if something altogether more sinister is at play.
Youth Group by Jordan Morris, art by Bowen McCurdy
Kay has been forced to attend the Underground Youth Group after her parents’ divorce. Instead of singing about Jesus or learning to avoid temptation, she discovers the stereotypical youth pastors are actually demon hunters, and Kay is exactly who they need to continue the battle.