Kids Book Index
Triinu Laan
Written by Triinu Laan and published by Restless Books, John the Skeleton features John, a classroom skeleton who retires. Grams and Gramps take him in and regard him as family. Pencil illustrations use black, white, and hot pink. It was named a 2025 Mildred L. Batchelder Award winner. Retirement is portrayed as a time when each person deserves quiet and rest.
This book appears on 2 reading lists across 1 edition from 2 organizations.
Onyx & BeyondAmber McBrideIn 1970, twelve-year-old Onyx dreams about space and astronauts while trying to protect his mother, who has dementia. He is also trying to stay safe and keep attention away from his home, fearing that Child Protective Services could place him in foster care. Set as the Civil Rights Movement is gaining momentum, the free-verse story follows Onyx as he manages responsibilities at home and learns to accept help from other people.Nine to TwelveOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
The ObservologistGiselle ClarksonThis illustrated field guide introduces observology, the practice of closely looking at the world nearby. Its small everyday expeditions focus on tiny creatures, plants, and fungi. Readers encounter details such as water snails moving upside down beneath the water’s surface, flies without wings, earthworms with bristles, and butterflies that taste using their feet. The book combines scientific observations with detailed digital illustrations and includes an index.Nine to TwelveOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details
Juneberry BlueCandice RansomAndie expects to spend her time working in her grandmother’s diner and creating a magical recipe. A ghost cat leads her toward magic and a mystery in town, while Andie wonders whether she has inherited a family gift. Beneath those questions, she wants her father to return home. Greyscale spot illustrations and a map accompany this story of family, food, and unexpected discoveries.Nine to TwelveOn the same reading list for the same age or grade groupView book details