Zero! The Number That Almost Wasn’tSarah Albee, illustrated by Chris HsuZero, “a number that means nothing,” has great meaning in the world of mathematics, but as a numeral, zero “had to be invented.” This informational text takes the reader on a crash course through the history of zero, beginning with early humans who counted with the help of objects and moving on to various civilizations’ mathematical developments. Babylonians, for instance, created place value, including a symbol to represent an empty value (as in the number 309). (The Maya people used a symbol for zero, too, but their records were mostly destroyed.) It was an unknown Indian mathematician who created the first zero that was introduced to others via trade routes; when the information reached Persia, a man named al-Khwarizmi wrote a book about the Indo-Arabic numerals that we know and use today. Interestingly, though perhaps not surprisingly, it took some time for Europe to embrace this number system, which they considered foreign and suspect. With the adoption of these numerals over time, though, mathematics flourished, and “new fields of knowledge opened up.” With occasional helpful diagrams to illustrate concepts, this book of math history is digestible and enlightening.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldATOS Book Level 5.0AR Interest Level LG K-3View book detailsCCBC Choices 2026
The 2026 edition contains 231 selections published by the Cooperative Children's Book Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison. The source uses 13 audience or subject sections, including Science, Technology, and the Natural World, Seasons and Celebrations, Historical People, Places, and Events, and Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir. It is one annual edition of CCBC Choices, the librarians' bibliography of recommended books.
CCBC Choices 2026See the original list
Selections231
Published byCooperative Children's Book Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Sections13 sections
Browse sections13 sections
Science, Technology, and the Natural World
22 selections
Zero! The Number That Almost Wasn’tSarah Albee, illustrated by Chris HsuZero, “a number that means nothing,” has great meaning in the world of mathematics, but as a numeral, zero “had to be invented.” This informational text takes the reader on a crash course through the history of zero, beginning with early humans who counted with the help of objects and moving on to various civilizations’ mathematical developments. Babylonians, for instance, created place value, including a symbol to represent an empty value (as in the number 309). (The Maya people used a symbol for zero, too, but their records were mostly destroyed.) It was an unknown Indian mathematician who created the first zero that was introduced to others via trade routes; when the information reached Persia, a man named al-Khwarizmi wrote a book about the Indo-Arabic numerals that we know and use today. Interestingly, though perhaps not surprisingly, it took some time for Europe to embrace this number system, which they considered foreign and suspect. With the adoption of these numerals over time, though, mathematics flourished, and “new fields of knowledge opened up.” With occasional helpful diagrams to illustrate concepts, this book of math history is digestible and enlightening.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldATOS Book Level 5.0AR Interest Level LG K-3View book details
The Secret Life of a Sea TurtleMaddalena BearziThis account by a marine biologist follows a green sea turtle from her hatching and treacherous journey into the ocean to her return years later to that same spot to lay eggs of her own. From a nest of approximately 100 baby turtles, she is one of just ten that survives predation on land and in water to then follow a path through the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. At a couple of years of age she is less susceptible to predators but still faces threats from large sharks, although an evasive maneuver of rolling her body sideways so the width of her carapace faces the shark’s mouth is a successful tactic. Human-made nets are more difficult to evade and pose a significant risk to sea turtles. When she reaches 30 years, the sea turtle returns to the shore where she hatched to dig a nest and lay her eggs within it. The book closes with an illustration of her hatchlings embarking on their own secret life. The stunningly realistic illustrations are equally adept at capturing scenes on land and underwater. Six pages of added information at the book’s end include suggestions of ways to protect sea turtles, highlight differences among sea turtle species, and describe how to become a sea turtle researcher.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldView book details
I Am We: How Crows Come Together to SurviveLeslie Barnard Booth, illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey“[W]hen winter comes / and hunger thrums / and danger hovers overhead,” it’s roosting time for the murder of American crows that narrates this poetic informational picture book. As the sky reddens around the setting sun, the crows call to one another, cackling “like witches” casting a simple spell: “I follow him, / and he follows she, / and they follow me, / and me turns to we—and we roost in these trees / together.” Their purpose is survival; more eyes means a greater chance of spotting and defending against predators like owls and cats. When day breaks, “[n]ow we lift off. Now we disperse. / The weave is unwoven. / The magic reversed”—until the crows come together again for the night. Magnificent illustrations depict crows in small and large groups against moody blues and grays and glowing orange skies; once they seem to burst from a witch’s flowing cape. Rich, lyrical language emphasizes the corvids’ social nature and intelligence, while back matter covers other characteristics of these fascinating birds.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldLexile Text Measure AD510LATOS Book Level 2.3View book details
HurricaneJason Chin, illustrated by Jason ChinStorms can frighten kids—especially huge, destructive storms like hurricanes. Jason Chin’s talent for breaking down complex topics while also featuring accessible human narratives triumphs in this stunning informational text. Endpaper maps center the real- life location for this story’s fictional hurricane: Hatteras Island, North Carolina. A day- by-day countdown shows the approach, arrival, and aftermath of a hurricane over the course of nearly two weeks. Scenes from space, the meteorology center, beaches, and neighborhoods show the anticipation and preparation for the storm. The ominous tone of the impending storm is countered by an emphasis on community. Many members of the scientific and weather communities work together to track and communicate critical details, while neighbors help each other board up windows, put fuel in vehicles, and check on supplies. With Chin’s detailed pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations, a play-by- play as the hurricane makes landfall is as vivid as a photograph. Much is damaged in the storm, but everyone is safe, and the community is back to lend a helping hand. End matter spotlights specific aspects of hurricanes with helpful diagrams showing such things as the structure of a hurricane and hurricane formation.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldATOS Book Level 5.8AR Interest Level LG K-3View book details
Mighty: The Story of an Oak Tree EcosystemHenry Cole“Sometimes things happen by chance. A blue jay drops an acorn, and a tree’s life begins.” Throughout the course of this picture book, the tree in question will grow to become a majestic oak. But first the acorn must germinate, its roots reaching through the soil. It is a seedling stretching upward, “a tiny part of a large forest floor.” Over the next decade, it becomes a sapling, and then a small tree. Once the tree has grown large and “sturdy,” animals “make their homes in the massive branches.” After a century, the tree has attracted or been home to myriad insects that feed migrating songbirds; it has produced acorns that have been eaten by other animals; it has dropped leaves that have fed worms, fungi, and more. In winter, it provides shelter for animals; in summer, humans rest in its shade. After nearly two centuries, a house is built nearby, and a small town develops around the now-enormous tree, which has become a landmark of sorts. “It is still a home for wildlife,” but it is also “a place for children, for couples, for families. It is a place for celebrations. The tree is home.” While at times idyllic, the narrative provides a solid overview of the life contained within and supported by a single tree. Gorgeous, highly detailed pen drawings teem with life semi-concealed within the leaves, making for something akin to a satisfying seek-and-find experience.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldView book details
In the World of WhalesMichelle Cusolito, illustrated by Jessica LananA free diver trained “to dive on a single breath of air” witnesses a remarkable underwater scene in this awe-inspiring, poetic real-life story. Spotting a clan of sperm whales near the surface, the diver, in wetsuit, googles, and flippers, enters the water and slowly descends toward a “cloud of blood”—the birth of a whale! Mature sperm whales are floating nearby to welcome and embrace the new calf. The diver, “silent and stealthy,” goes up for a breath as the whales help the calf surface for the first time. When they notice the diver, he wonders whether he’ll be seen as a threat. He keeps his movements slow; he is “graceful, / patient, / allowing the whales to approach.” Their sounds “vibrate the man’s bones / and heat his chest.” They observe him curiously, and then, as if he is one of them, “the mother nudges the calf toward the man. She presents her wrinkly baby as if to say, ‘Meet the newest member of our family.’” A gatefold in the book opens up to a magnificent view of the man floating, camera in hand, in front of the calf, the two of them surrounded by enormous whales. Back matter includes information about free divers (including Fred Buyle, featured in this story) and whales.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldView book details
Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka Con la PapaSara Andrea Fajardo, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal“Up and down the crooked spine of the / Andes goes Alberto, playing an epic / game of paka paka con la papa, / potato hide-and-seek.” A delightful picture book about Peruvian scientist Alberto Salas describes his travels around the Andes collecting potatoes. He’s hunting down as many potato varieties as he can, racing the clock against climate change and urban development to preserve them. “Scientists study each papa’s superpowers and create new varieties that can grow everywhere, from salty swamps to icy mountain peaks, maybe even one day on Mars.” The writing is lively and playful but always emphasizes the seriousness of Salas’s work. “He collects a potato rainbow with names as sweet as songs. / Azul Sunqu, Puma Maki, Wamanpa Uman / … gifts from the Andes that feed the world.” Hand-textured papers and mixed media were used to create illustrations dominated by rounded shapes and soft golds and browns. End matter includes a “Cultural Dictionary,” “More about Alberto Salas,” and “More about Potatoes,” including the importance of preserving plant diversity.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldATOS Book Level 3.6AR Interest Level LG K-3View book details
Wanda Hears the Stars: A Blind Astronomer Listens to the UniverseAmy S. Hansen, Wanda Díaz Merced, illustrated by Rocío Arreola MendozaGrowing up in a small town in the rainforests of Puerto Rico, Wanda Diaz Merced did not often get to see the stars due to the thick forest canopy. However, on a fishing trip with her father, the night sky captivated her scientific curiosity. She pushed herself through school and made it to college, where she studied physics, but her life changed when her vision deteriorated as the result of diabetes in her junior year. In a short amount of time, Wanda became blind. Through the encouragement of her roommate, she sought support in navigating campus and college life with her disability. Afraid that she would have to give up her study of physics, a friend turned her on to the sounds of space. Suddenly, Wanda’s ability to hear the stars gave her a new way to pursue her studies and passion. Animated illustrations and descriptive text show how Wanda’s sharp, careful hearing allowed her to make a successful career analyzing radio waves from space. While there is an inspirational quality to Wanda’s story, the focus on scientific discovery through sound is fascinating in itself. Extensive end matter, including a glossary, round out this picture book biography.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldLexile Text Measure 540LFountas & Pinnell Text Level NView book details
Poo Pile on the PrairieAmy Hevron“Behold! The majestic bison of the Great Plains.” A new entry in the excellent “Tiny Habitats” series for young children explores the thriving habitat found in … bison dung! As with Hevron’s other “Tiny Habitats” books, a brief narrative full of child appeal balances its lighthearted tone with accessible information. When that “majestic bison” dumps a pile of poo on the prairie, as bison do, the poo pile becomes a small center of activity and transformation across the seasons. It’s a treasure trove for insects, birds, and animals, while its nutrients feed the soil. Prairie violets bloom on it. “Belowground, earthworms and prairie dogs tunneled into the rich, poo-filled soil.” Each two-page spread has only a few sentences of primary text, while illustrations that skillfully straddle a line between sweet (they aren’t) and adorable (they are) include humorous speech-bubble dialogue from the many types of prairie creatures featured. End matter includes “The Scoop on Bison Poop,” suggestions for additional reading, and sources.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldView book details
Toes, Teeth, and Tentacles: A Curious Counting BookSteve Jenkins, Robin PageThe signature style of Steve Jenkins and Robin Page shines in this well-designed book of animal and insect facts disguised as a counting book. Realistic collage illustrations pop against white pages, while clear facts in crisp font accentuate numerical creature features. For example, for the first collection, “Spine, barb, sac, casque, and ear,” an anglerfish, cone snail, hooded seal, cassowary, and praying mantis exemplify the number one with a singular, unique body part. “The praying mantis has only one ear. Located in the middle of its body, the ear detects sounds of approaching bats, giving it an early warning of danger.” Following numbers one through ten, two additional page turns highlight bigger numbers, like the nautilus’ ninety retractable tentacles. A visual index at the conclusion of this numerical beast feast offers additional information about size, geographic range, and diet for each subject.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldView book details
The Spider Lady: Nan Songer and Her Arachnid WWII ArmyPenny Parker Klostermann, illustrated by Anne LambeletInterested in “bugs” since she was a child, a remarkable citizen scientist turns her passion into a career. Nan Songer (white) found pleasure in observing living specimens, an inclination that led to a vast collection of creatures in her home. When a friend informed her that he had used spider’s silk to repair his surveying scope, Nan’s brain lit up. Could she harvest and sell spider silk to make crosshairs in gunsights, periscopes, and more for use in the war? Through trial and error, and with much creativity, Nan discovered that a spider’s dragline, which is cast out when it falls from a height, is optimal; that spiders can be held harmlessly in place with hairpins while their silk is extracted; that a small lightbulb in a popcorn can will illuminate the silk without overheating the spider; that sudden, loud noises can cause spiders to spin a different kind of silk; and that different species, ages, and sexes of spiders spin silk with different characteristics. After testing the silk of more than 50 species, Nan found that the silk of black widows was optimal, and that it could be split or combined with the silk of other spiders, depending on the weight needed. A detailed narrative illuminates the innovation, successes, and challenges behind Nan’s awe- inspiring work.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldLexile Text Measure 940LView book details
Who Owns the Moon? And Other Conundrums of Exploring and Using SpaceCynthia Levinson, Jennifer SwansonAs NASA’s Artemis program works to return humans to the moon within the next few years, a timely account offers insight into the challenges of international cooperation as it relates to space exploration. The Outer Space Treaty (OST), created in 1967, provides a basic framework for countries’ behavior in space. Space is the province of all, for instance, and it shall be used for humankind’s benefit. No state shall take weapons of mass destruction into space. No state shall own other planets. Yet as technology rapidly advances, the OST has not evolved at the same rate; it doesn’t address certain issues that can and do arise now. For example, while the moon itself cannot be owned, what about the regolith on its surface? What if a conflict arises between astronauts from different countries while they are on the moon? And while the OST offers guidance for countries, what about the private companies now sending civilians to space? Interspersed throughout the account is historical, political, and scientific context on space exploration, including the space race, debates about the lower limit of outer space, the increasing amount of space debris and the challenge of removing it, the International Space Station, space tourism, and the myriad space-related careers that exist. Imagined scenarios between fictional countries offer readers a chance to think through hypothetical sticky situations. Accessible and thought- provoking, this account encourages young people to consider how they might contribute to space exploration in their lifetimes.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldView book details
The True and Lucky Life of a TurtleSy MontgomeryFor decades, a large common snapping turtle lived a peaceful life in a pond near a fire station. For snapping turtles, a measure of luck is required even to reach maturity; born “as small as a quarter,” this turtle was already fortunate not to have been eaten or destroyed as he developed within his egg. Locating a water source, too, made for a fraught journey. Discovered and named “Fire Chief” by firefighters one year, the turtle’s annual trek across a nearby dirt road to a larger pond for winter hibernation became well known to the firefighters. But as decades passed and humans developed the area, the road—made into a state highway—became much more hazardous. One year, Fire Chief was struck and injured by a vehicle. Luckily, Turtle Rescue League was prepared to take him in. (“We never give up on a turtle!”) Fire Chief’s broken shell was patched and his legs rehabilitated with the help of a custom wheelchair. Fully recovered a couple of years later, Fire Chief was released into a new pond “far from any road,” built by his human “friends.” A lucky turtle, indeed. Remarkably lifelike, detailed paintings bring Fire Chief and his environs to life in this informative, uplifting account. The author and illustrator met Fire Chief while volunteering at the turtle rescue; Fire Chief’s current pond is located on the illustrator’s property.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldView book details
Sun Bird: The Amazing Journey of the Arctic TernLindsay MooreWhile the term “sun bird” may first call to mind tropical animals, it here refers to the remarkable migratory habits of Arctic terns, who “experience more hours of sunlight than any other animal.” Born during the Arctic summer, tern chicks are fed and protected by adult terns from predators. They chase the sun south when summer ends, soaring over the ocean for a month, dodging skua birds and skimming the ocean for fish. Their destination is Antarctica; finally, they reach the Weddell Sea, where it is springtime. The terns live there all summer, resting among southern birds busy with their young. At the end of the season, when the sea begins to freeze, the terns return to the north, “following the sun … toward longer days and another polar summer.” Accessibly written and accompanied by lovely illustrations showing terns encountering various other species at home and sea, the account concludes with a timeline, a map of the Arctic tern’s global journey, and additional facts about these graceful birds.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldView book details
Firefly Song: Lynn Frierson Faust and the Great Smoky Mountain DiscoveryColleen Paeff, illustrated by Ji-Hyuk KimMost fireflies in the world flash their lights at random intervals unrelated to the flashes of those nearby. For a long time, the only synchronous fireflies—groups that light up simultaneously—were believed to live not in North America but in Southeast Asia. Lynn Frierson Faust, who grew up vacationing in the Smoky Mountains, was the first to alert the scientific community to the fireflies there. “Blink! Shine! Twinkle! Pop! Flash! Spark! DARK”—and repeat. As an adult, Lynn spent summers watching the synchronized, rhythmic flashes of these insects from the front porch of her husband’s family’s cabin. While not initially a scientist, Lynn certainly became a citizen scientist as she assisted Dr. Jonathan Copeland, a biologist, in observing, collecting, and studying the species that became known as Photinus carolinus, “the first documented case of synchronous fireflies in the entire Western Hemisphere,” for the next 17 years. This remarkable story is a testament to the power of observation and curiosity, and a reminder that there are always natural wonders waiting to be discovered by those who are willing to look.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldView book details
Behold the Chameleon!Suzanne SladeBehold a thorough introduction to the “colorful, captivating creature” known as the chameleon, a reptile with especially distinct physical characteristics. A sparse narrative text flows throughout, complemented on each two-page spread by a paragraph of related information. The page opposite the word “stalking,” for instance, elaborates on chameleons’ independent eye movement, while “snatching” is accompanied by facts about chameleons’ quick, sticky tongues. The straightforward account covers these lizards’ other physical traits, such as their prehensile tails, sharp teeth, and ability to change color (which is for body temperature control or communication—not camouflage); behaviors, including hunting, attracting mates, and laying eggs; and varied habitats. General information is often followed by facts about a specific chameleon species. A bibliography and additional facts are included in the back matter. Magnificent, detailed close-ups of multihued chameleons drawn with pastel, colored pencil, and airbrush stun throughout this fascinating volume.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldView book details
The Blue Jays That Grew a ForestLynn Street, illustrated by Anne HunterA polished, poetic narrative with rhythm and repetition delineates the symbiotic relationship between blue jays and oak trees in this appealing work of nonfiction. As winter approaches, blue jays—realistically illustrated in colored pencil with wide, staring eyes—begin the busy work of gathering and burying acorns that will become “future feasts and forests.” The jays’ hoarding of this edible treasure is just what oaks need, too: for their seeds to be carried to a space where, come spring, they might sprout and mature into trees. Carrying as many as five acorns at a time, the “blue crew” makes hundreds of trips over the countryside to gather acorns that “fall like hailstones / pummeling the dirt,” hiding them “near a clue to mark the location.” During the cold months, the birds will “dine on their hidden gems”—but there are some that will be forgotten underground. Over time, a forest expands, and new forests begin. “The jays and the oaks. / The oaks and the jays. / Thrive. / Together.” Additional information about oak trees and blue jays, including examples of other jays and oaks with similar mutualistic relationships; a glossary; further reading; and a bibliography are appended.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldView book details
3 Weeks in the Rainforest: A Rapid Inventory in the AmazonJennifer SwansonFollow along as a team from Chicago’s Field Museum travels to a spot deep in the Amazon rainforest in Colombia. Working with a curated team of scientists, government officials, NGO representatives, and local experts, including farmers and members of the Indigenous community, the R130 Team (30 people total) will spend three weeks at several carefully mapped-out locations. The inventory groups include the Flora and Vegetation (Plant) Team, the Herpetology (Amphibian and Reptile) Team, the Mammal Team, the Fish Team, the Bird Team, and the Social Team. Chapters profile each team, campsite set up, inventory experiences, and the work of connecting with villagers. Clear photographs, captions, text boxes, and section breaks bring focus to the many details. For example, in a chapter titled “A Nighttime Trek with the Herpetology Team,” vivid descriptions make it easy to imagine the difficulty of searching for nocturnal amphibians and reptiles in a dense, dark forest with headlamps. When the team hears a group of snoring animals, they quickly climb trees for safety to avoid the razor-sharp teeth of a herd of white-lipped peccaries (similar to wild boars, but without tusks) as they awaken. Compelling text and abundant photos depict the skills and teamwork needed to perform real-world science in a complex environment.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldLexile Text Measure 920LView book details
My Presentation Today Is About the AnacondaBibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Annemarie Van Haeringen, Nancy Forest-FlierA series of oral reports on animals is delivered by other animals in a fiction/nonfiction hybrid that is equal parts hilarious and informative. A cleaner fish presents on its “favorite customer,” the shark, who has “yummy leftovers between his teeth.” Some animals choose their subjects based on similarities between them: A zebra talks about purely black-and- white animals, and a midwife toad points out that both midwife toads and koalas (his topic) carry their young with them. Animals in the audience chime in with questions, comments, and even criticism. (“I would like to know how you can sleep at night after all the murders you’ve committed of members of my family,” a goose asks a fox, who delivers a controversial report on geese.) Alongside ample animal trivia, tips on conducting research and giving presentations are cleverly woven into the narrative (A howler monkey whose topic is unicorns is told, “You have to say ‘I consulted such-and-such a book.’”), and misinformation is dispelled (Gila monsters do not have the “breath of death”). Subjects and presenters are wide-ranging and include insects, arachnids, fish, reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans, birds, and mammals. The final chapter on compiling an index is the cherry on top of this fresh, brilliant volume (or the breast on the goose carcass, if you’re the fox). Full-page color portraits of the animal subjects contribute to the playfulness.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldATOS Book Level 4.3AR Interest Level Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur: A Graphic Novel Based on a True StoryAllan Wolf, illustrated by Jose PimientaThis carefully executed graphic novel is a fast-paced account of the true story of a lake in rural Louisiana that turned into a gigantic whirlpool of disaster on November 20, 1980. Told from the vantage of the lake, precise panels, clear visuals, and careful notes outline events before, during, and after the tumultuous human-caused natural disaster. The fact that there were no casualties is the likely reason this event is not better known, though the scale and impact make it hard to forget. Cinematic spy shots highlight some of the people who were on the lake that fateful day. An uncle and a nephew out fishing, a tugboat crew, an estate owner and landscape manager, three dogs, a salt mine mining crew, oil workers, and oil company men are all subjects on the catastrophic timeline. Gripping sequences outline how a multi-layered underground salt mine and an underground oil well intersected in such a way that the mine flooded, sucking in the lake water (including tankers, barges, trees, and shoreline), and then belched it all back out. Unbelievable but true, this graphic novel, along with its satisfying Author’s Note, invites discussion about human actions and the environment.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldATOS Book Level 5.1AR Interest Level MG+ 6 and upView book details
An Immense World: How Animals Sense Earth’s Amazing SecretsEd Yong, adapted by Annmarie AndersonThe introduction to this fascinating celebration of animal senses opens with a scenario: a school gym filled with an elephant, mouse, robin, owl, rattlesnake, spider, and mosquito, and the question of how they perceive each other. Readers might have guesses as to how the animals smell, taste, hear, see, and feel, but those are not the only senses at work. Each of these creatures utilizes sensory tools beyond those of humans, such as tiny vibrations on the spider’s web, or the Earth’s magnetic field directing the robin to a south-facing window. Brisk, tidy chapters with generous color illustrations highlight familiar and novel senses. In a chapter about color perception, for example, readers learn that pollinators see ultraviolet (UV) light, making their perception of flowers radically different from humans’. In contrast, rodents might only have black-and-white vision, but they only need to see the outline of predators. Sidebars detail various concepts, such as how some humans, like artist Claude Monet, develop UV vision. Field notes capture Yong’s travel and interactions with different animals around the world, such as the time he put his hand in an aquarium with a mantis shrimp to experience its powerful punch. Implicit throughout the text is the message that there are many ways to sense and experience the world, including by members of our own species.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldView book details
Rewriting the Rules: How Dr. Kathleen Friel Created New Possibilities for Brain Research and DisabilityDanna Zeiger, illustrated by Josée BisaillonBorn with cerebral palsy at a time when doctors recommended institutionalization, the parents of Kathleen Friel insisted that she would be raised at home like any other child. As a young child, “Kathleen taught herself to do everything … her own way. How to fasten buttons. How to cut up food. And when she couldn’t grasp her favorite cereal … she licked her finger and dipped it in. She rewrote the rules for even the smallest movements.” In time, Kathleen would rewrite the rules in the scientific world despite prejudice for the way her body worked. After college, her interest in revising long-held ideas took shape through her study of monkeys with brain injuries to see if they could make new connections in their brain by engaging in repeated movements. It turned out they could, and the research and treatment were transferable to humans with cerebral palsy. Dr. Friel’s accomplishments and personality come through clearly in this well-crafted narrative. End matter provides more information about cerebral palsy and Dr. Friel’s research and advocacy.Science, Technology, and the Natural WorldFountas & Pinnell Text Level QView book detailsSeasons and Celebrations
6 selections
This Year, a Witch!Zoey Abbott, illustrated by Zoey AbbottEager to put the “utterly adorable” costumes of Halloweens past behind her, the young, white narrator of this picture book has her sights set on a scary getup. “This year, a witch!” Yes, gone are the days of pink bunny onesies and oversized mouse ears. This year, she’s been growing out her “witchy locks,” “whipping up spells,” and teaching herself to speak to animals. She knows a lot about witches, who are generally independent and self-sufficient. They “don’t need their lovies. Or daddies. Or naps.” Excitement builds as she dons her dress and hat. “Get ready to run! Get ready to hide! Here comes … a witch??? A witch!! Ahhhhhhhhh!” One glimpse of her pointed hat and colorfully made-up face in the mirror is enough to scare the narrator right out of her costume. Fortunately, Daddy is there to support her as she recuperates from the fright. When she’s ready, the two of them get ready together (Daddy goes as a cat) and head out to trick-or-treat. “Look out, world!” Risograph printing adds pops of neon to the mostly black-and-white illustrations of a bold girl who craves independence but still needs the comfort of a loving parent now and then.Seasons and CelebrationsView book details
Gather GratefulMegan Litwin, illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey“Colors change. Cold sweeps near. The time for gathering is here. Gather, gather, great and small. Gather food. Gather fall.” A palette of cool blues and rusty reds is a cozy match for this poetic narrative celebrating the harvest season. Animals and people are shown preparing meals and homes as temperatures drop. A family of skunks settles into a dark den beneath a porch, while an intergenerational family of humans (and two cats) sits down for a meal at a long dining table. “Gather, huddle, herd, heat. Gather, cuddle, hug, greet.” Whether imagining the warmth of a rabbit warren or an embrace from visiting relatives, this book epitomizes the sentiment of gratitude.Seasons and CelebrationsView book details
Slow Down, Shoshi! It’s Shabbat in UgandaShoshana NambiShoshi, a member of the Abayudaya (Ugandan Jewish) community, learns the importance of slowing down before Shabbat arrives. This Friday is a special one; Shoshi and her grandfather, whom she calls Jajja, are going to town to sell their family’s coffee. Shoshi has waited patiently for the cherries to ripen on the flowering trees and joined her family in picking bucketfuls of them. After shelling, washing, and drying the beans, they are ready to be sold. Shoshi is in a hurry! She has a lot of things to gather for their Shabbat meal. She is frustrated when Jajja takes time to linger on their route with young friends who want to hear his stories, but he insists that “it’s more important to take time for friends” than be first in line at the market. Finally, Shoshi rushes through her shopping and returns home— only to find that she has forgotten the most important item: the Shabbat candles. Her grandmother offers reassuring words (and locates her special oil lamps). The important thing is not the candles themselves, but the reminder that “there is a light present in each of us,” a light to be shared with the world. As Shoshi hurries to a neighbor’s house to borrow oil, she remembers to slow down, thank her neighbor, and wish her a Shabbat shalom. This story offers a cheerful reminder that everything happens in its own time, and that time spent connecting with others is never wasted.Seasons and CelebrationsView book details
One Spring Up NorthJohn OwensA wordless picture book filled with crisp line drawings and pastel colors depicts a family’s experiences camping and canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of Northern Minnesota during spring. The multiracial family experiences the elements (blustery winds and wild waves) and observes beautiful moments (a V of geese flying overhead) and tender sights (a robin’s broken egg). The humorous side of camping life is also depicted, such as the reality of using a pit toilet in the dark of night. Two-page spreads convey the vastness of the wilderness, while small, embedded scenes (like a trio of nesting owlets) offer singular spots of nature in this accessible and appreciative nod to camping and the seasons.Seasons and CelebrationsView book details
The 13th Day of ChristmasAdam Rex, illustrated by Adam RexEver wished for some context on the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas?” In this funny and surprisingly moving story, the recipient of the elaborate gifts tells all. It begins, of course, with a bird and a tree, which is “nice enough.” He likes pears. “[My] true love sent it, so of course I loved it. Of course I did.” Twelve days later, the narrator (white) has an uncomfortable phone call with his true love concerning the hordes of people—drummers, milkmaids, dancers, men in leotards—and animals packed into his house like sardines (“Why did you think I would like this?”) Accompanied by his gifts, he visits his mother and inadvertently starts a parade. There he meets a child who says that he’d sell the cows’ milk to buy books for his school—and just like that, the narrator gains a little perspective. He and his posse organize a circus and a bake sale (“You can bake a lot of cakes when you have a hundred and twelve cows, geese, and hens…”), with proceeds going to the child’s library. It feels good to help. The narrator flies (on swans) to his true love, to thank her for the gifts… only to find that they weren’t what she’d intended to send. (The website had been “really confusing.”) Presented in full-page illustrations, as well as in panels with speech bubbles, the colorful, busy artwork is as amusing as the narrative of this offbeat, heartwarming holiday tale.Seasons and CelebrationsATOS Book Level 3.1AR Interest Level Lower Grades (LG K-3)View book details
Shabbat Is…A. J. Sass, illustrated by Noa KelnerShabbat looks different for three young members of one Jewish congregation in this unconventional story about the day of rest. On Friday night, a red-haired child cheers their sister on at her basketball game; afterward, the siblings and their two moms shop for groceries. Others have more traditional observances. A brown-skinned child walks to Friday-night services to welcome in Shabbat with their parents, and a Black child savors a big family meal at home; their uncle sets the oven to shut off on its own, and their aunt places tape over the light switches. On Saturday morning, the three families attend services on a particularly special day: one of their cousins is having their b’nai mitzvah ceremony. This affirming, inclusive story celebrates Shabbat as “unique and beautiful for every person,” a day that is especially lovely when it can be shared with a community. The narrative invites the reader to consider what Shabbat means to them. It “can be a walk. Eating challah. Dinner with relatives. Maybe for you it’s something different.” An Author’s Note and extensive glossary are included.Seasons and CelebrationsView book detailsHistorical People, Places, and Events
13 selections
The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice: How to Discover a ShapeAmy Alznauer, illustrated by Anna BronMarjorie Rice’s childhood fascination with patterns and science persisted into her adulthood, though caring for her five children left her with little time to explore her interests. Reading her son’s July 1975 issue of Scientific American one day, she became engrossed in Martin Gardner’s column Mathematical Games, in which Gardner described the age-old puzzle of pentagrammic tiles forming tessellations. Intrigued by the concepts of art and math combining in an endless jigsaw puzzle, Marjorie wondered about the five known designs of five-sided tiles. When the following month’s column announced that a sixth design had been discovered, Marjorie began puzzling for more. While not a professional mathematician, Marjorie used her own ideas about nature and patterns to create several new convex tiling pentagons over the course of the next 20 years. She was eventually recognized by the Mathematical Association of America for her brilliant amateur contributions. Every detail of this well-designed picture book biography brings to life Marjorie’s interest and exploration of nature and patterns. Creative, colorful layouts explain mathematical concepts without interfering with the engaging narrative. For example, on one two-page spread Marjorie and her cat contemplate a pentagon, number the corners, and then manipulate the design to show how the shapes fit together. Informative end matter includes an Author’s Note and additional resources.Historical People, Places, and EventsView book details
White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War, Then Rewrote the HistoryAnn BausumThis searing account thoroughly details the 160-year propaganda campaign to promote the South’s version of the Civil War. Known as the Lost Cause, it’s based on two main untruths: that the South did not lose the war, and that the war was not fought over slavery. Bausum’s well-researched, rock-solid argument is accompanied by a visual inventory of Civil War monuments, many of which are still standing. Robert E. Lee is venerated by many for his Civil War leadership, but his defection of the U.S. Army to lead the Confederates was an act of treason. Thanks to government deal-making and efforts to reunite the country, he was ultimately not prosecuted. In time, however, groups committed to defending the Lost Cause championed a positive and patriotic view of Lee along with numerous buildings, statues, and scholarships in his honor. The author meticulously curates the wide-spread, insidious, and unrelenting efforts to deny losing the war and preserve White superiority. Evidence of propaganda in plantations, modern textbooks, flags, holidays, laws protecting statues, and White supremacist activities, as well as in broader issues like racial disparity, critical race theory, and book challenges, is presented. Humanizing this cold catalog, the author recounts her childhood in Virginia and what she understood as truth before living outside of the South. For meaningful context, Bauman discusses cultural deprogramming efforts in post-WWII Germany. Highly discussable, this is a timely tome for dedicated young historians.Historical People, Places, and EventsView book details
Revolutionary Mary: The True Story of One Woman, the Declaration of Independence, and America’s Fight for FreedomKaren Blumenthal, Jen McCartneyMary Katharine Goddard is not a well-known figure in the history of the Revolutionary War, though her name is the only woman’s name to appear on the Declaration of Independence. Like many activists, Mary did not set out to make her (quiet) mark on history. Inheriting and operating a printing press was an unusual circumstance for a woman, but Mary’s brother left her and her mother in charge when he pursued other ambitions. Printing was tough, physical work in the 1770s, as demonstrated in the action-filled illustrations. As the fight for independence took hold in the colonies, Mary stood by her printing business and defended the right to a free press, an act that was increasingly considered treasonous. When the need for a broadside to be printed and distributed arose, Mary was the one to set the type and produce “The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America.” Informative end matter provides additional details about Mary Katharine Goddard, the printing history of the Declaration of Independence, and printing and publishing in colonial times. This is an exciting and accessible narrative with themes of feminism, activism, and freedom of the press.Historical People, Places, and EventsView book details
A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, a Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes OutNicholas Day, illustrated by Yas ImamuraNicholas Day successfully juxtaposes two related events that took place in 1815 and 1816: the eruption of the Indonesian volcano Mount Tambora, and the creative catalyst of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Tambora was one of the biggest volcanic events in world history and radically altered Earth’s climate and weather for several years. The magnitude of the destruction is referred to as “climate shock;” it foreshadows our current state of climate change. At the time of the eruption, world news was limited, so while the people of Indonesia knew exactly what had happened, the resulting climate problems that spread around the globe were misunderstood. The physical impact of the eruption and its social and geographic effects are carefully chronicled and contextualized. The extreme famine and poverty that resulted, especially in Europe, are vividly depicted. Combined with the eerie weather (sunspots; gray, ash-filled skies; day after day of rain), life seemed unbearable. Enter the imagination of Mary Shelley, who harnessed the stark backdrop of the worst of humanity and the magic of science to create Frankenstein. Mary’s commitment to her writing career was no small feat. Despite her challenging roles as wife (to poet Percy Shelley) and mother, she managed to publish a visionary story that she was only posthumously credited for. Atmospheric art by Yas Imamura; short chapters; and pointed, critical questions for readers makes A World Without Summer a chilling story from the past as well as a cautionary forecast.Historical People, Places, and EventsLexile Text Measure 780LFountas & Pinnell Text Level ZView book details
Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of JonestownCandace FlemingOpening with a description of the gruesome scene that confronted U.S. troops after the mass deaths of Jonestown residents in 1978, this account delves into the history of Jim Jones and his cult. As a child, Jones was enamored of persuasive orators like Adolf Hitler and Pentecostal preachers; he honed his own speaking skills as an itinerant preacher who performed fake healings before opening his own integrated church, the Peoples Temple. As the Peoples Temple became more demanding and controlling of its members, Jones dropped the “church” façade to focus on socialism. Addicted to drugs, he began using sex, violence, and elaborate, staged “healings” to control people. Fearing defections and negative press, Jones sent his followers to Guyana to build Jonestown. While life in the commune had its joyful moments, fear and violent coercion roiled beneath the surface. When Congressman Leo Ryan traveled to Jonestown to investigate, he was assassinated at the nearby airstrip. The Peoples Temple came to an end with the mass murders and coerced suicides of more than 900 of its members, over 200 of them children. This well-researched account drawing on archival photographs, recordings, and survivors’ accounts does not sensationalize the tragedy but speaks of the deceased with dignity and respect, asserting that they were average human beings under the powerful influence of a charismatic criminal. Many of Jones’s followers were Black women; racial dynamics, such as Jones’s imitations of Black preachers and the way he used his privilege to manipulate Black members, are clearly illuminated.Historical People, Places, and EventsView book details
The House on the Canal: The Story of the House That Hid Anne FrankThomas Harding, illustrated by Britta TeckentrupLong before it became a hiding place for Anne Frank, the “tall, narrow house” on an Amsterdam canal served many different roles. Constructed in 1635, the brick house with a green front door housed a succession of families: the stonemason who built it; a young woman and her twelve children, who weathered a plague there; a wealthy merchant and his wife, who renovated it. It became a horse stable, and then a chemist’s workplace. It survived a fire. It was home to many more families over the years, families with children who played on the roof between the front house and annex, and who spent time under the chestnut tree in the garden. When World War II began, the house was empty. Otto Frank purchased it for his business in 1941. His diarist daughter, “a young girl with a sweet smile,” is the house’s most famous occupant. After the war, Anne’s father returned to the house alone. He shared his daughter’s diary with the world, and later he helped to turn the house into a museum visited by all kinds of people. Beautifully detailed, earth-toned illustrations perfectly complement this illuminating narrative about a house with a rich and tragic history.Historical People, Places, and EventsATOS Book Level 4.5AR Interest Level Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
White House Secrets: Medical Lies and Cover-UpsGail JarrowWith an American presidential history that includes eight deaths while in office, and a third of incumbents experiencing serious illness during their terms, there is plenty of material to draw on for this chronological account of Commanders-in-Chief with ill health and the cover-ups that often accompanied it. The first chapter highlights James Garfield, shot in 1881 just a few months after taking office. Garfield lingered for 80 days before succumbing to an injury that may have been survivable if the wound hadn’t been contaminated by doctors’ dirty hands, unclean instruments, and unwillingness to consider antiseptic medical practice, which was widely accepted by other physicians of the time. Morning newspaper medical bulletins painted an optimistic picture for weeks while Garfield’s condition deteriorated. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan are among other presidents included, and the final chapter, “The Disastrous Debate,” highlights Joe Biden. An Epilogue summarizes why presidents chose to hide medical problems, often because they saw it as being in the country’s best interest. Others may have done so to help win an election, maintain power, or simply protect their reputation. Spouses, aides, and physicians were commonly instrumental in maintaining the cover-ups. The well-designed volume includes photos, newspaper headlines, and other images, as well as a timeline, glossary, and link to additional sources.Historical People, Places, and EventsView book details
Lady of the Lines: How Maria Reiche Saved the Nazca Lines by Sweeping the DesertMichaela MacCollOne woman’s dedication brought attention and protection to the Nazca Lines, ancient scratches in the Earth’s surface visible from space. Maria Reiche was a German whose curiosity led her to travel to Peru in 1941. An American anthropologist introduced her to the Nazca lines, huge images carved into the Peruvian desert by the Nazca people, whose civilization existed from 500 BCE to 500 CE. With ordinary brooms, Maria swept the desert sand and rocks to uncover the images, whose meaning is still disputed today. Since the images were far too large to see in whole from the ground, she took measurements so that she could draw what she discovered. Later viewing the enormous images from a helicopter, she reported that “flying is the only way you can see the full beauty of the lines.” When the desert was scheduled to be flooded for irrigation, she led efforts to protect the Nazca lines, which are now a UNCESCO heritage site. After decades in the bright, hot desert, Maria lost her sight and needed to use a wheelchair, but she never regretted her life’s work. Photographs, a timeline, and additional information about the Nazca, including theories about the lines, round out this entrancing true story.Historical People, Places, and EventsView book details
Earthrise: The Story of the Photograph That Changed the Way We See Our PlanetLeonard S. MarcusA picture is worth a thousand words—or in this case, 147 pages. Short, accessible chapters detail the Apollo 8 mission on which astronaut Bill Anders took the iconic photo known as “Earthrise”—the earth rising above the moon—which had a notable cultural impact, especially on the environmental movement. A summary of the space race and the U.S.’s commitment to reaching the moon provide context for the Apollo 8 mission. Descriptions of the astronauts’ time in space, including their first glimpse of the Earth—they were deeply moved and then scrambled to capture it on film—are captivating. Chapters detail the photo’s entry into our cultural image bank and the fact that many people no longer realize its source. While none are as arresting as the titular color photograph, ample black- and-white photos supplement the informational narrative.Historical People, Places, and EventsView book details
The Spy in the Museum: How Rose Valland Saved Art from the NazisErin McGuire“Rose Valland loved art.” She loved it so much that her careful efforts would save a great number of treasured works from destruction by the Nazis. Rose found herself in the right place at the right time: She worked at the Jeu de Paume, a French museum that became the Nazis’ “dumping ground” for stolen art, the place from which it was shipped to other locations. The only employee allowed to stay on, quiet Rose was overlooked by the Nazis, who didn’t realize she spoke German in addition to her native French. Rose effectively became a spy. She “listened and took notes. Which art? What train? Where was it going? Who would save these treasures, if not Rose?” Determined to continue her courageous work, she continually persuaded the Nazis to allow her to remain at the museum, even as they became suspicious of her. As the war came to an end, Rose enlisted the aid of the French Resistance in locating a trainload of art that had been hurriedly moved from the Jeu de Paume. Though she could not save everything, her quick thinking led to the recovery of 148 crates of paintings; later still, her invaluable notes led to the return of tens of thousands of stolen works to their rightful owners. Warm, clear illustrations and a straightforward narrative make for an accessible, awe-inspiring portrait of a passionate and heroic woman.Historical People, Places, and EventsView book details
Snowshoe Kate and the Hospital Built for PenniesMargi Preus, illustrated by Jaime ZollarsIn the mid-1900s, many families in northern Wisconsin had no phones and were a two-hour drive from the hospital. Storms and unplowed roads could prevent them from venturing out for medical attention. But tying a red cloth to a tree branch would bring Dr. Kate to their door, even if she had to travel by snowshoes to get there. Dr. Kate was in demand, visiting patients where they lived and at distant medical centers while wishing for a hospital near her home. A classroom of children challenged to imagine what a million pennies would look like was inspired to collect them to fund building a hospital for Dr. Kate. The students wrote letters requesting donations, counted the incoming pennies, tracked their origins on a map, and typed thank-you notes. The penny-collection story was reported in national newspapers and newsreels, prompting incoming pennies from across the U.S. and abroad. Although the school reached their million-penny goal (totaling $10,000), it was not enough to build a hospital, but continued publicity eventually yielded the required amount. Illustrations highlighting the collection include a giant penny heap covering the gym floor, and sightseers having their picture taken atop a penny pile. A spectacular double-page spread filled with nothing but tiny pennies upon pennies invites children to contemplate the number, coincidentally at a time when the coin is exiting the U.S. currency stage. An excellent Author’s Note shares additional details about Kate Pelham’s life and includes a photo of her trekking on snowshoes, doctor bag in hand.Historical People, Places, and EventsView book details
American Spirits: The Famous Fox Sisters and the Mysterious Fad That Haunted a NationBarb RosenstockA prank blossoms into a nationwide phenomenon in this meticulously researched account of two acclaimed spiritualists. In Hydesville, New York, in 1848, unexplained rapping noises in the Fox family home, interpreted as messages from a murdered peddler buried in the cellar, drew widespread attention. White sisters Maggie (14) and Kate (11) were the only ones able to communicate with the spirit. Taking advantage of their sudden notoriety, the girls—along with their older sister, Leah—began touring cities to hold séances for wealthy, astonished clients, many of whom longed to communicate with deceased family members. Their long-term popularity spurred the birth of the Modern Spiritualist movement; over the years, Maggie, Kate, and other mediums expanded their repertoire to include not only an alphabet and rapping noises but automatic writing, levitations, and apparitions. Years of constant work, fame, and public scrutiny, however, took a heavy toll on the two women. Maggie’s partner’s family considered her work disreputable and refused to accept her. Both sisters abused alcohol, and Kate nearly lost custody of her sons. Along with liberal use of intriguing visuals, the author examines the news media’s sensationalized portrayal of the women’s work and personal lives, the psychology of belief in Spiritualism, and expectations of and opportunities available to women at the time. While the account concludes with Maggie’s confession that the seances were hoaxes, the Author’s Note invites readers to make their own judgments about the Fox sisters’ controversial work.Historical People, Places, and EventsView book details
Returning the Sword: How a Japanese Sword of War Became a Symbol of Friendship and PeaceCaren StelsonCaptain Orval Amdahl returned to his Minnesota home in 1945, bringing a Japanese sword that he’d been offered as a military souvenir of the war. The devastation he witnessed in Nagasaki just one month after the atomic explosion stayed with him when he rejoined his family, and he began a weekly ritual of polishing the sword and wondering about its origin. Years later in a conversation with a researcher about his experience in Nagasaki, Orval displayed the sword and shared his wish to return it to its owner. The researcher (this book’s author) contacted a Japanese friend who identified the sword’s owner’s family, leading to an exchange of letters between Orval and Tadahiro Motomura, the owner’s son. In 2013, 68 years after the end of World War II, Orval gave the sword to Tadahiro Motomura in a ceremony in St. Paul, with the words “I return this sword to you in peace—peace with honor.” End notes provide additional background to the sword’s story and include a message from Mr. Motomura.Historical People, Places, and EventsView book detailsBiography, Autobiography, and Memoir
9 selections
Jim! Six True Stories About One Great Artist: James MarshallJerrold Connors, illustrated by Jerrold ConnorsThis unique picture book biography comprises six stories about author/illustrator James Marshall, depicted here as Fox from Fox and His Friends, the character Marshall said “was most like him.” Generous white space, succinct text, and framed full-page illustrations make this biography an attractive and accessible read. In “Story Number One: The Book,” Jim and his friend Harry [Allard] create Miss Nelson Is Missing. “Story Number Two: ‘How Cute!’” details Jim’s struggle to have his art taken seriously. The third story introduces Jim’s friends Maurice [Sendak], a bulldog wearing a “Wild Thing” shirt, and Arnold [Lobel], a bespectacled pig with a frog and toad on his belt buckle. These visual Easter eggs add humor and interest to the short chapters. In the final story, James is in the hospital (dying of AIDS). When he asks who will remember him, his parents name his family and friends. “And the kids … Your readers—they will remember you.” An excellent Author’s Note elaborates on each story. For example, Connors explains that he “tried to stay true to a James Marshall feeling” in his illustrations, except for one thing: He doesn’t use Native American headdresses as a costume, like James often did. He also notes that “James Marshall was gay. He and his partner Billy loved each other very much. His friends and publishers knew … But at this time, being gay wasn’t something that was easy to talk about.” This honest homage to a beloved book creator is a standout.Biography, Autobiography, and MemoirView book details
Loudmouth: Emma Goldman vs. America (A Love Story)Deborah HeiligmanThis luminous biography of Jewish activist and anarchist Emma Goldman spotlights her turn-of-the-century activism while highlighting contemporary issues. A tumultuous early life in Lithuania and St. Petersburg included beatings by her father, an experience that solidified her independent spirit and resistance of authority. Smart, curious, and a seeker of art and culture, Goldman arrived in the U.S. in 1885, already intrigued by the radical political ideals of anarchy. A short-lived marriage cemented Emma’s citizenship and her commitment to free love. Moving to New York City as a single seamstress, she met famous anarchist Johann Most and began moving in activist circles. She also met Alexander “Sasha” Berkman and his cousin, Modest, two men who became her lifelong friends and on-again/off-again lovers. The trio pursued many political issues together, but the Homestead steel strike hardened their anarchistic beliefs. Convinced that Henry Clay Frick, Andrew Carnegie’s chief negotiator in Homestead, must die, Sasha carried out an attempted assassination. Emma’s fateful connection to Sasha and her brief citizenship- granting marriage trailed her throughout her life, ultimately serving as proof of her status as a public enemy of the United States. Heiligman’s engaging profile depicts an imperfect activist ahead of her time.Biography, Autobiography, and MemoirView book details
Outside In and the Inside Out: A Story About Arnold LobelEmmy Kastner, illustrated by Emmy KastnerThis picture book biography of Arnold Lobel opens with a discussion of wet socks. It’s the first of many examples that help readers consider how the outside makes them feel on the inside (in the case of wet socks, pretty uncomfortable). In Arnold’s case, getting sick as a young child—whether from wet socks or not—influenced his creative development. He spent many months in the hospital, drawing and looking out the window. He grew up to become an artist, though it took him a while to figure out how to let his curious, quirky self tell stories the way he wanted to tell them. The text in this biography is both playful and informative; the author uses second-person point-of-view to speak directly to readers while keeping the narrative centered on Arnold. The artwork is equally important; acrylic gouache, pen, and ink illustrations give a nod to Arnold’s style but are also uniquely the work of Emmy Kastner. A variety of layouts encourages engagement with the story, from double-page spreads of spot art reminiscent of a rebus, to fanciful borders and paneled scenes from his life. The book also brings a contemporary lens to Arnold’s private life as a gay man, ascribing deeper meaning to the book’s title.Biography, Autobiography, and MemoirView book details
At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for FreedomErin Entrada KellyWhile the author of this account acknowledges that there are significant chunks of information missing about Joey Guerrero’s life, this biography nonetheless feels satisfyingly complete. As a young woman living in her native Philippines, Guerrero contracted Hansen’s disease (then known as leprosy) just prior to the arrival of World War II in the Pacific. Despite scientific knowledge that Hansen’s disease is not easily spread, and that 95 percent of people are immune, it was highly stigmatized; Guerrero received intermittent treatment in secret. Extraordinarily selfless and courageous, she worked with guerilla groups, passing critical information, spying, and, most notably, delivering—on foot—a map of land mines that allowed the U.S. military to liberate prisoners of war at Santo Tomas. After the war, Guerrero spent some time in a quarantine center where conditions were horrific; there she did all she could to improve the lives of other patients before she was finally given permission to travel to the United States for treatment at the renowned leprosarium in Carville, Louisiana. Largely considered a hero in both the U.S. and the Philippines for her service during the war, Guerrero chose to live a life of anonymity after she recovered. While Guerrero is the primary subject, the compelling and compassionate narrative is supplemented by additional information about key events and people in the Philippines during World War II.Biography, Autobiography, and MemoirATOS Book Level 7.3AR Interest Level Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
Hick: The Trailblazing Journalist Who Captured Eleanor Roosevelt’s HeartSarah MillerIn the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s, Lorena Hickok was a skilled and popular journalist, chronicler of the Depression for the U.S government, and intimate friend of Eleanor Roosevelt. This fascinating biography begins with Hickok’s childhood. Her abusive father couldn’t hold a job; the family moved often throughout the upper Midwest, including Wisconsin, where she was born. By the time she was an older teen she’d been supporting herself for several years. After a brief stint at college, she began working in newspapers. At a time when women journalists were relegated to features and society pages, Hick, as she liked to be known, earned a reputation as a reporter of both news and features. She was sharp and perceptive, and could skillfully convey facts, pain, poignancy, and humor in her stories. Hick met Eleanor Roosevelt in the early 1930s and was immediately captivated; so, too, was Eleanor. Their relationship’s level of physical intimacy during the time they were closest, which lasted into the 1940s (they remained friends until Eleanor’s death), has been debated. Here, author Miller never belabors the point; details reveal that the two women were in love, regardless of how they may or may not have expressed it. Miller uses the term “queer” to describe Hick and her relationship with Eleanor, a decision she discusses in the Introduction, and one that presents this aspect of Hick’s identity matter-of-factly, offering resonance for readers today.Biography, Autobiography, and MemoirView book details
Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being SeenJames Robinson, illustrated by Brian ReaJames Robinson was born with a vision impairment called anomalous retinal correspondence, a type of strabismus that means his eyes rapidly take turns looking straight ahead. “Whale eyes,” he calls it. In this outstanding memoir, James uses a highly original, interactive format to help the reader understand the way in which text appears to jump about the page when he reads, and how the red dots and white boxes of vision tests never seem to meet. At school, James simply pretended to read; he felt humiliated by classmates’ staring and the extra time he needed to finish exams. He knew people were uncomfortable making eye contact with him. Eventually homeschooled by his mom, who used teaching techniques uniquely suited to his needs, he thrived academically and developed an interest in documentary filmmaking. Observing that eyes like his appear in pop culture as a “visual cue” that indicates a character is “disconnected from reality,” “evil,” or “unintelligent,” he made a short film explaining his condition, which was eventually published in the New York Times and led to his making additional films on difficult-to-explain disabilities. His documentary had a purpose—to make the audience care about disability and disabled people—and James here provides clear tips on how to tell a story, or communicate an experience, effectively. James’s compassion, good humor, and ability to clearly explain a complicated condition are remarkable.Biography, Autobiography, and MemoirLexile Text Measure 880LFountas & Pinnell Text Level YView book details
The Sky Was My Blanket: A Young Man’s Journey Across Wartime EuropeUri ShulevitzUri Shulevitz’s last book tells the story of his uncle Yehiel Szulewicz, focusing on the time between when he left home in 1930 at age 15 through the end of World War II. Yehiel left in part because of his father’s strict religious-based parenting, but also because he wanted to see more of the world. He did—but often just one (literal) step in front of disaster. Yehiel managed to cross borders and evade fascist military forces without having mandatory identity and travel papers as he moved through Czechoslovakia, Austria, Croatia, Italy, France, and Spain. He fought as a soldier for the Spanish Republican Army opposing Franco in the Spanish Civil War and worked with the Jewish Resistance in France. His good fortune didn’t always hold, especially as evidenced by the descriptions of horrific combat in Spain. Yehiel and his older brother survived the war, but two brothers and his parents did not. Short chapters and an unvarnished, matter-of-fact tone combine to make this both accessible and a stylistic standout in an account of one person’s survival through turmoil, deprivation, battle, and genocide. Bold black-and-white illustrations and photographs visually augment the text.Biography, Autobiography, and MemoirView book details
Smash, Crash, Topple, Roll! The Inventive Rube Goldberg: A Life in Comics, Contraptions, and Six Simple MachinesCatherine ThimmeshThis substantial picture book is a fun and fascinating dissection of what makes a Rube Goldberg, the man whose comics became an adjective. Lively illustrations break down the six simple machines and how they play a role in daily life. In tandem, the book explores how the genius of Rube Goldberg’s comics was the fun he poked at daily life. Goldberg’s career as a cartoonist and the impact of his 2D inventions are explored. Rube himself was not mechanically minded. He once said, “I don’t really have any interest in trying to figure things out the way I’m reputed to do.” He was, however, mechanically creative, and his imaginative mindset is what is celebrated in this physics-focused informational text. Less an instruction manual and more a narrative overview, this lively illustrated book offers readers inspiration to try, fail, and try again.Biography, Autobiography, and MemoirView book details
I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You ThisEugene Yelchin, illustrated by Eugene YelchinA follow-up to Yelchin’s illustrated middle grade memoir The Genius Under the Table, this chilling YA graphic memoir picks up a few years after Genius ends. In Cold War-era Leningrad, Yevgeny, now a young man, is an artist feeling the oppressive eyes of the KGB on his work. To avoid the military draft that would send him to Afghanistan, he finds a dreary job in Siberia designing sets for plays. He has recently lost a friend, a refusenik—a Jewish person who was refused permission to emigrate from the Soviet Union to Israel— who was likely murdered by the KGB, and he has fallen in love with an American student, Libby, who wants to help Yevgeny leave the country. As punishment for draft dodging, Yevgeny is forced to undergo a nightmarish stay in a psychiatric hospital; while he has no mental illness upon his arrival, he notes that he certainly leaves with one. Bleak, atmospheric, and foreboding, Yevgeny’s fear, paranoia, and lack of freedom under the authoritarian regime are palpable throughout. Mercifully, the memoir ends with a hopeful scene, with Yevgeny on a plane to the U.S., where he will join Libby, now his wife. Yelchin’s stylized illustrations are magnificently expressive, and the moody, grayscale palette imparts an appropriately bleak feeling in a memoir whose themes of resistance and freedom of speech are resonant today.Biography, Autobiography, and MemoirView book detailsContemporary People, Places, and Issues
8 selections
Whales in the CityNancy F. Castaldo, illustrated by Chuck GroeninkThe return of whales to the rivers and waterways around New York City after decades of pollution is at the center of this book’s narrative about the impact of the Clean Water Act of 1972 and the rise of the environmental movement. The text and visuals work in tandem to show how whales and other aquatic creatures around New York City thrived before the arrival of Europeans by boat, and how the eventual urban development drastically changed the water quality over time. A sickening scene of fish and whales coming to the surface to try to get a breath of fresh air expounds on the impact of human activity and contamination. Information about whales, the Hudson River, and environmental advocacy completes this impactful picture book.Contemporary People, Places, and IssuesLexile Text Measure AD600LATOS Book Level 3.9View book details
Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed VaultMegan Clendenan, illustrated by Brittany CiccheseOn a Norwegian island not far from the North Pole, deep inside a mountain, more than 580 million seeds are stored in three temperature-controlled vaults. The seeds originate around the globe and are sent to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault as a backup: “Just in case.” There they are preserved and carefully protected, available to be withdrawn and planted at any time, even centuries from the time of deposit. This fascinating account of an innovative form of preservation illustrates not only the planning, design, construction, and daily operations of the seed vault, but also the reasoning behind its creation. Climate change has affected what grows in certain locations. Diversity of major crops has diminished. War has threatened smaller seed vaults in other locations. “Seeds are more than the foundation of our food. They are history. And they are the future.” The main narrative, concisely written yet substantial, is supplemented by sidebars with additional details; back matter provides further resources and information on storing seeds and the composition of the Svalbard collection. Soft digital illustrations offer nice visuals of the vault’s design and interior, the process of packing up and delivering seeds, and crops, gardens, and small seed vaults around the world.Contemporary People, Places, and IssuesLexile Text Measure 850LATOS Book Level 4.8View book details
The Black Mambas: The World’s First All-Woman Anti-Poaching UnitKelly CrullFantastic photographs and engaging graphics bring the encouraging true story of the Black Mambas to life. A gallery of headshots on the endpapers introduces readers to the titular team with the directive, “Meet the rangers. Can you find all of us in the book?” Twenty smiling women in camouflage uniforms comprise the Black Mambas, the first female park rangers in South Africa and the first women-led anti-poaching unit in the world. Most of the rangers profiled grew up in the villages surrounding the Olifants West Nature Reserve yet had never seen the animals it protected. Ranger positions offered women the opportunity to support their families, though there wasn’t always approval for women to do what was considered a dangerous job. Rangers patrol for poachers, usually men from villages hoping to make money by selling animal parts or meat. The female rangers trained together and forged a sisterhood on the job. Clear text and photos detail ranger tasks and tools, such as patrolling fencelines, using walkie talkies, and searching the bush for snares, without shying away from the dangers of working with wildlife and the brutalities of poaching. Sidebars and quotes enhance the main narrative and offer insights from individual rangers, as well as quick facts (for example, black mambas have black mouths, but they’re not black snakes). Pride in the work they do to protect animals radiates from this absorbing informational text.Contemporary People, Places, and IssuesLexile Text Measure 720LATOS Book Level 4.6View book details
Ablaze: The Story of America’s First Female SmokejumperJessica Lawson, illustrated by Sarah GonzalesDeanne Shulman’s childhood love of nature became a passion for fighting wildfires with the U.S. Forest Service when she was an adult. The work was physically and mentally arduous, but Deanne excelled as a member of wildland crews and hotshot crews, working 24-hour days in extreme heat. “But there was still one dangerous job that she’d never had a chance to try… Smokejumper.” These elite firefighters parachute from planes to be the first on the scene of a wildfire. Deanne easily passed the first of the required physical tests, but she reached a stumbling block before the second. At the time, smokejumpers were required to be at least five feet, five inches tall and 130 pounds. Deanne was too small. But she refused to be deterred; she filed a formal complaint based on the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, and within two years, she was allowed to take the tests— and passed. Her efforts led to a change in the size requirements and opened the doors for more women to become smokejumpers. This story of an impressive young woman concludes with a substantial glossary of terms related to the high-interest topic of fighting wildfires.Contemporary People, Places, and IssuesLexile Text Measure AD620LView book details
Not Like Every DayStephanie V. W LucianovicWith school lockdown drills now a frightening reality for many children, this story offers understanding and coping strategies to help ease anxiety. “Not real, not real, not real,” Henry (white) reminds himself repeatedly as the class waits silently in the dark. Other classmates hold hands as they wait for the assistant principal to check that their door is locked. When it’s all over, Ms. Betancourt provides encouraging words and an extra recess, which is met with excitement. “Why is it so easy for them and not me?” Henry cannot move past his anxiety so easily. Ms. Betancourt notices and invites Henry to talk about it; he opens up about his feelings and nightmares. His teacher tells him that he’s “not alone” and that “it’s okay to have those feelings,” and she asks him if he’d like a hug. Her hug is “just tight enough to feel good. Safe.” They take some deep breaths and engage in a grounding exercise, strategies that Henry decides he will turn to during the next drill. “Remember that I am here,” Ms. Betancourt says. “And I am with you.” Feeling lighter, Henry joins his friends on the playground. Relatable, honest, and helpful, this gentle story validates understandable feelings of fear and introduces coping strategies.Contemporary People, Places, and IssuesView book details
ParksMarc MajewskiAs iconic as Central Park is, it’s only one example of what a park can be. An impressively varied catalog of real parks around the world invites the reader to think expansively about the characteristics, locations, and purposes of these spaces—which can be big, yes, but can also be small, dedicated patches of land in the middle of an urban street. “Parks are tidy” (like France’s Versailles Gardens, with its symmetrical design and neat, potted plants) and “parks are messy” (like Denmark’s Emdrup Junk Playground, an “adventure playground” full of objects repurposed for play). Parks can be found in sunny and snowy places. They can “fly” on an abandoned elevated railway, “float” on water, “twinkle” with stars, or “dazzle” with rows and rows of flowers. There are dog parks and national parks. Some parks protect wildlife, and others honor the dead. And, of course, “[p]arks play” (a topiary park) “and play” (a collection of sculptures meant for climbing) “and play some more” (a park filled with tires to explore). Vibrant acrylic paintings invite readers to linger on each page of an account that celebrates the great diversity of these public spaces, from the traditional to the wildly innovative. The back matter identifies each park shown throughout.Contemporary People, Places, and IssuesView book details
Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ RightsAshley Hope Pérez“When adults … refuse to acknowledge that adolescence isn’t a time of innocence and ease for everyone, when they try to take away books that reflect the wide range of experiences of young people, they are attempting to change the narrative of what it means to be a teen in the United States” (Isabel Quintero). Fourteen creators of books for youth whose works have been among those targeted by censors challenging materials in school and public libraries in recent years offer their perspectives on book bans and censorship in the United States. They do so in pieces that share life experiences that inform their work; how the censorship landscape has impacted them; and, above all, their commitment to creating books that reflect the realities of life for children and teens today, as well as life in our country in the past. The offerings include essays, comics, short stories, and poems. Among them are powerful personal reflections. Occasional, excellent contextual information is provided throughout, such as the difference between a book challenge and a book ban, components of the challenge process, information on obscenity laws, examples of reasons books have been banned, and how to start a banned-book club. In addition, booklists follow most of the authors’ contributions, offering additional reading suggestions on related topics or themes.Contemporary People, Places, and IssuesView book details
Bird Brothers: A Delhi StoryRina SinghBrothers Nadeem Shehzad and Mohammad Saud established a wildlife rehabilitation center for black kites, birds of prey commonly found in Delhi, India. As children, Nadeem and Mohammad frequently encountered black kites injured by manja, glass-coated kite strings. As the brothers got older, and Delhi became more populous and choked with smog, black kites began to suffer from dehydration and respiratory problems as well as manja cuts. The compassionate brothers’ decision to bring an injured black kite to their own home to care for it while it recuperated led to additional action on their part: They began gathering injured birds, caring for them, bargaining for meat to feed them, and learning how to repair broken bones and torn muscles and tendons. Nadeem and Mohammad built aviaries on their rooftop and became known in the community for their work. Since 2010, they “have nursed more than 26,000 birds back to health.” Well-paced and engaging, this remarkable true story both saddens and inspires.Contemporary People, Places, and IssuesView book detailsUnderstanding Oneself and Others
3 selections
Where Are You, Brontë?Tomie dePaola, illustrated by Barbara McClintockAn opening wordless spread shows Tomie dePaola holding a framed photo of his dog while an empty dog bed sits on the floor nearby. The titular question (“Where Are You, Brontë?”) is repeated throughout a chronology of Brontë’s life with Tomie, from his puppy days to energetic adulthood, through his blindness as an older dog and then finally his death. “The day you left me” page is followed by a dozen more where Tomie is visibly deflated with grief and then buoyed by the realization that his beloved pet would be in his heart forever. Billed as the last book Tomie dePaola wrote before his 2020 death, McClintock’s illustrations deftly blend his style with her own, making artful use of white space and a varied page format. The loss-of-a-pet pantheon of picture books receives a heartfelt addition in this personal memorial.Understanding Oneself and OthersWord Count 288View book details
My BrotherLaura DjupvikMy Brother is a somber exploration of saying goodbye and accepting the finality of death. A father and child take their boat out on the fjord to fish. The child is excited, the father reluctant. The eager child brings the fishing pole, Father casts the line, and they catch something. Something big. Father pulls and pulls … and out comes the child’s brother. He is so cold, but he is back! Without any acknowledgment of the unbelievability of Brother’s return to life, they row him home, where the child runs him a warm bath, and the father makes supper. Brother is back, but he is restless. He runs into the woods, playing and hiding in the forest. After observing him for a while, Father says to his living child that they need to go home, and that Brother won’t be coming. The child watches and waits, but something shifts. They know that Brother does not belong with them anymore. Brother wades back into the fjord, where he presumably lost his life. “You won’t need to cry anymore at night, I say, now that we know he exists. Father holds me. I hold Father too.” Black-and-white line drawings with careful, crisp crosshatching effectively convey scenes and emotions. Limited use of color in the illustrations brings focused attention to what the parent and child perceive in their individual and shared grief, while also leaving it open to the reader’s interpretation.Understanding Oneself and OthersView book details
And They Walk OnKevin Maillard“When someone walks on, where do they go?” The loss of a biracial (Mexican and Seminole) child’s grandmother evokes poignant imaginings about what happens after death. Could their loved one be found engaged in her usual activities, like “thumping melons” at the market, or fishing with a bucket of minnows? The child longs to tell their grandmother stories about their day and hopes that when she completes her journey, she’ll “turn around and come home.” Memories and reminders of her are everywhere: “hair in the brush, starlight mints by the bed, shoes on the floor.” The fragrances of eucalyptus tea and grape dumplings bring her cooking to mind. Toward the end of the book, the particularities of this child’s grief give way to universal, comforting reassurances that loved ones who “walk on” remain with us in our hearts and memories and continue to guide us. There’s a feeling of gentle solidarity and community in the closing line. “In the end, we all walk on… together.” The Author’s Note provides more information about the Native expression “walk on,” which can signify a “continuance of spirit” regardless of one’s belief in an afterlife.Understanding Oneself and OthersView book detailsThe Arts
9 selections
How Sweet the Sound: A Soundtrack for AmericaKwame Alexander, illustrated by Charly PalmerAn exuberant, lyrical text celebrates the rich history and variety of music made and influenced by Black Americans. The chronological account begins with the beat of talking drums, “the fireside chorus / of the motherland,” before moving to forms of music that “shouldered” the enslaved and “lifted / the insufferable weight off our world”: hymns, field hollers, juba, litanies, spirituals. Music “crooned” and “moaned” in juke joints and jazz clubs, sometimes a “rapid-fire tempo,” other times a “musical conversation.” As the decades passed, music evolved and genres emerged: scat and bebop, rock ‘n roll, funk, rap, and more. Often inextricably tied to or reflective of the political moment, Black music—American music—is “a symphony / of refuge and redemption / the sweet sound of a people / surviving and thriving / all the while learning / to love themselves / by singing it LOUD / and PROUD.” Brimming with energy and emotion, and smoothly incorporating song and album titles and lyrics, the text reads not like a straightforward history but like music itself; it begs to be read aloud and revisited. Vibrant, dynamic acrylic paintings complement the text, while extensive back matter provides additional historical context and elaborates on the musical styles, artists, and songs to which the main narrative alludes.The ArtsView book details
Here Is a BookElisha Cooper, illustrated by Elisha CooperFrom an artist seated on the grass with her sketchpad, this chronology of the creation, editing, and production of a book comes full circle to a child reading the book before moving to a blank sketchbook page to begin work on their own story. In between that beginning and ending, the description of the book’s path meanders through the components of daily life, concrete and abstract: paper, watercolors, tea, and wonder in the artist’s home studio; assistants, computers, coffee, and teamwork at the publisher’s office; paper, ink, glue, and time at the printer’s shop; and books, shelves, readers, and curiosity in the school where the books are delivered. Elisha Cooper’s trademark watercolor and pencil illustrations range from small thumbnails set off by generous white space to color- washed full-page spreads.The ArtsView book details
Holding on to WonderErin. Mary Oliver FrankelBeloved poet Mary Oliver’s life is lovingly related in this picture book biography. A quiet and observant child who was most comfortable outside, exploring nature, young Mary yearned for a way to express the peace and comfort she experienced on her wanderings. As a young woman, she was inspired to write to the sister of her favorite poet, the deceased Edna St. Vincent Millay, who offered Mary a job sorting through the poet’s papers. The opportunity helped Mary blossom; a budding poet herself, she began to share her words with the world. Her keen and profound observations made it easy for her to relate to a photographer she met, Molly Malone Cook, who became her lifelong romantic partner. Publishing a new book of poetry every one to two years, Mary eventually received a Pulitzer Prize. Known for her beautiful and accessible way with words, her poetry was also criticized for being pedestrian. Yet it was her childlike sense of wonder that inspired so many of her poems and warranted her appeal. Dreamy digital watercolor illustrations accompany the clear narrative.The ArtsView book details
The Music Inside Us: Yo-Yo Ma & His Gifts to the WorldJames Howe, illustrated by Jack WongAs a young child, Yo-Yo Ma lived with his musical family in Paris. Unlike his sister and father, he did not want to play violin. He wanted a bigger instrument, so at age four he got a cello. He flourished under the tutelage of Paris’s best cello teacher. Able to play an entire Bach cello suite from memory, his incredible musical talent was apparent early. At age seven, his family moved to New York City, where he performed with his sister on television and for the President. At the time, though he was a well-trained musician, it took additional practice before Yo-Yo was able to play the cello with true feeling and from his heart. As he became a teenager, he worked to determine who he was outside of the expectations placed on him; eventually, he made the decision to go to college not for music but for anthropology. His interest in people and cultures inspired him to journey around the world learning about musical traditions, and to make music with people who were strangers. In this way, Yo-Yo Ma became his own best self and the world’s best cello player. The fresh tone of this inspiring text was written by cellist James Howe (of Bunnicula fame) and illustrated with intimate beauty by Jack Wong.The ArtsView book details
Making Light Bloom: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany LampsSandra NickelIn childhood, Clara Driscoll reveled in the gardens and natural world of her home. After art school, she moved to New York City to earn money to help her family. Hired by glassmaker Louis Comfort Tiffany, Clara was one of “a team of artists who selected and cut glass to create pictures and shapes in windows.” She was soon put in charge of a workshop of women, the Tiffany Girls. When she asked her sisters to send flowers and butterflies from home, their return mail inspired her to design a lamp that incorporated the shape of butterfly wings, followed by another incorporating dragonflies. The lamps were laborious to make, but Louis was so impressed that he asked her to make one to display at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, where it won the bronze medal. Louis wanted more lamps and windows by the Tiffany Girls, which angered the company craftsmen who fit the glass pieces together with metal borders. While he promised the craftsmen that Clara’s workshop wouldn’t get bigger, he also put her in charge of lamp making. She designed nearly 60 intricate lamps, for which Louis Tiffany received credit until Clara’s letters to her sisters and mother describing her work were discovered after her and Tiffany’s deaths. Saturated colors and bold black outlines reflect the Tiffany glass aesthetic in the pen-and- ink and gouache illustrations.The ArtsView book details
Imogen: The Life and Work of Imogen CunninghamElizabeth Partridge, illustrated by Yuko ShimizuA striking picture book biography details the pioneering work of photographer Imogen Cunningham, the author’s grandmother. Imogen grew up in a rural setting outside of Seattle as one of ten children. Her father, who named Imogen after a character in his favorite Shakespeare play, always found a way of supporting his daughter’s artistic pursuits, even when the family didn’t always have the means. A dreamer and observer, Imogen’s modes of artistic expression didn’t click until she discovered her potential as a photographer. At the turn of the century, photography equipment and female creative role models were difficult to come by, but Imogen made do. Her father converted a woodshed into a darkroom so that Imogen could make her own prints. Staging portraits became her career; she went on to photograph fellow artists, such as Frida Kahlo and Ruth Asawa, and exhibit her work in galleries across the U.S. and the world. Richly layered ink illustrations evoke printmaking and help convey Imogen’s life and vision.The ArtsView book details
Woody’s Words: Woodrow Wilson Rawls and Where the Red Fern GrowsLisa RogersWhile his novel Where the Red Fern Grows has been read and loved by countless students, the impressive and unusual story behind its creation is less well known. A member of the Cherokee nation, Woodrow “Woody” Wilson Rawls grew up on an Oklahoma farm where he spent much of his time outdoors. He was captivated by The Call of the Wild, the book that “made Woody a reader.” It also made him want to be a writer. His family was poor, though, and Woody left school to look for work. He spent much of his adulthood in and out of jail for theft, but all the while he wrote for his own pleasure, never sharing his stories with anyone. Finally, he confided in his wife, Sophie. “I told her I had this great and awful desire to write.” It was Sophie’s encouragement (and willingness to proofread his work) that persuaded Woody to write a new draft of one of his old stories—a story about a boy and his dogs— and try to get it published. Well-chosen quotations and a straightforward narrative style illuminate the long, hard path taken by this writer to realize his lifelong dream.The ArtsView book details
Make a Pretty Sound: A Story of Ella Jenkins–The First Lady of Children’s MusicTraci N. Todd“Ella is a South Side girl, a Bronzeville bird, skipping in streets that smell of sweets and black-eyed peas.” A narrative that pulses with rhythm and sings with lyrical language describes the life of Ella Jenkins, who was attuned to the sounds of the world around her, including music, from the time she was a child growing up in Chicago. Ella moved to San Francisco in adulthood, continuing to absorb diverse sounds and rhythms. She learned to play conga drums, developing her own style that she shared with the children she taught as she sang old songs and wrote new ones “on the spot.” She played and sang in marches for freedom, too, but singing for children gave her the greatest hope, “for all that music can teach them about themselves and about each other.” This “First Lady of Children’s Music” eventually traveled the world, playing for children and learning new songs and rhythms to share. Warm digital illustrations showcase Ella’s boundless energy and caring nature in this dynamic picture book written in the present tense. A lengthy Author’s Note tells more about Ella, who died at age 100 in November 2024, shortly before this book was released. Ella’s recordings for children will make a perfect accompaniment to this composition about her life.The ArtsView book details
His Fairytale Life: A Book About Hans Christian AndersenJane YolenGrowing up a poor, illiterate Danish boy, a remarkable destiny seemed unlikely for Hans Christian Andersen. Today known worldwide as the Father of the Modern Fairy Tale, Andersen is the creator of 156 fairy stories (only 12 based on actual folktales). His life experiences echoed the trials and tribulations of the animals and princesses searching for love and meaning in his stories. The entire text of this efficient and admiring biography is a single sentence, complemented by warm watercolor illustrations that animate Andersen’s life and such memorable characters as the Ugly Duckling and the Snow Queen.The ArtsView book detailsPoetry
5 selections
In the DesertDavid Elliott, illustrated by Gordy WrightA standout collection of clever, engaging poems about animals and insects living in the Sahara begins by setting the desert scene, where sun “blinds the sky / and scrapes the land / clean like a butcher / with his favorite knife.” This ominous imagery foretells the danger posed by several predators—the desert horned viper, the deathstalker scorpion, the Nile crocodile—highlighted in the poems that follow. The writing incorporates subtle rhyme and clever wordplay. (The Saharan cheetah is “spotted,” which refers not only to its black-dotted coat but also the fact that its prey has seen it lurking nearby.) Wry humor abounds, as in the two-liner about the Nile crocodile (“What are you thinking of now, Old Grinner? / I’m thinking of you, my dear. I’m thinking of dinner.”) and the two-worder on the desert hedgehog (“Yikes! / Spikes!”). The poems vary in length, but all are satisfyingly concise and artfully spotlight the distinctive and fascinating qualities of their animal subjects with admiration and respect. (The painted dog has a coat “so astonishing, / so original, / so rare.” The dung beetle’s “lowly work’s / determined / by the / stars. How / elegant!” The Nubian vulture, “the desert’s / hardest teacher” reminds us “that everything / must have its end.”) The collection concludes with additional trivia on the spotlighted creatures.PoetryView book details
How Elegant the Elephant: Poems About Animals and InsectsMary Ann HobermanCompiled by the late Mary Ann Hoberman, poems from previously published books, plus eight new poems, celebrate creatures of all kinds. Pencil and watercolor illustrations by Marla Frazee imagine the menagerie of animals and insects as guests at a retro-style resort complete with a large crew of attentive squirrel bellhops. Clever wordplay animates animal antics, like the havoc wreaked by Mole (shown inconveniently popping up on a miniature golf course): “Look for the humps and the bumps and the lumps he strews out behind him . . . and then go and find them.” The nearly 70 poems, with perfectly matched visuals, offer young readers a refreshing vacation from prose.PoetryView book details
Dear Acorn (Love, Oak): Letter Poems to FriendsJoyce Sidman, illustrated by Melissa SweetEight pairs of poems, written as letters from one inanimate object to another, comprise this delightful book of poetry. The engaging epistolary format invites readers to celebrate each object as well as their relationship to one another. Crisp textual imagery and stunning artwork bring each poem to life. For example, in “Sky/Bubble,” a newly formed Bubble utters, “O Sky, as I float up and up / in your dazzling air—so blue— / how I long to / be / part / of you / POP!” In response, Sky says that while it holds many things, it rarely experiences the sensation of being held, and it reciprocates, “So, Bubble: / Thanks for that / brief, brilliant hug, / that soapy / kiss.” The distinctive voices of the letter writers are perfectly paired with bright and whimsical collage illustrations.PoetryATOS Book Level 3.8AR Interest Level Lower Grades (LG K-3)View book details
Five Little Friends: A Collection of Finger RhymesSean TaylorA cozy collection of new and familiar finger plays includes accessible illustrations that convey both the imagery of the poem and ways to engage with fingers or body while reading. For example, in “One Seed, Two Seed,” panels show the outlines of fingers acting out the seed planting, while mixed-media artwork imagines seeds, raindrops, and sunshine in step with each stanza. Illustrations featuring humans are notably inclusive in terms of hair, skin, and disability. Whether enjoyed as a lap-sit reading or as selections demonstrated during a group storytime, Five Little Friends provides fun, easy engagement for young children and their caregivers.PoetryView book details
This Is Not a Small Voice: Poems by Black Poetsillustrated by Jade Orlando, Traci N. ToddThis handsome treasury opens with a letter from Traci Todd offering examples of the ways in which poetry shaped her life when she was a child and the inspiration behind this collection. She discusses the broad inclusion of Black poets, using identity terminology by time, culture, and mood. There are many types of poems, from haiku to hip hop, and from inspirational to intentional. Colorful illustrations by Jade Orlando depict realistic children as well as imaginative scenes and decorations. On a two-page spread, five children of different sizes, abilities, hairstyles, and skin tones are shown with confident expressions. On the left, Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan’s poem, “This Body II” declares, “My body is / perfect and / imperfect and / Black and / girl and / … my body is my masterpiece and / my body is mine.” On the right, an extract from “Morning Liturgy” by Ijeoma Umebinyuo affirms, “There is so much beauty within / beauty attached to my name / … beauty attached to my flaws / look at me, brewing stars in my skin.” A discussion about the African diaspora and poems about power and protests are included in the back.PoetryView book detailsPicture Books
66 selections
The InterpreterOlivia Abtahi, illustrated by Monica Arnaldo“Some kids had one job. To be a kid. Cecilia worked two.” Bilingual (Latine) Cecilia’s second—and more demanding—job is to interpret for her parents, who only speak Spanish. She does so at the doctor’s office, the DMV, the auto repair shop, the hairdresser’s, restaurants, and more. Her second job is running her ragged, and it often keeps her from the thing she’d rather be doing: simply playing with her friends. Finally, at a parent- teacher conference, her teacher asks Cecilia how she is doing. “Cecilia couldn’t take it anymore. She was done being a professional.” Her feelings come pouring out, cascading down the page. “I want to help,” she concludes. “Just not all the time.” After that, her older brother comes home from college to help for a weekend, and her aunt comes over to help with an appointment. Now her family acknowledges the work she does for them and makes sure she has breaks—and plenty of time to be a kid. With much of the dialogue in colored speech bubbles (blue for English, yellow for Spanish), the book’s design is clever but requires a measure of patience to follow. Despite that, this comically written yet deeply felt story is a refreshing validation of the necessary work many bilingual children do for their parents.Picture BooksLexile Text Measure 530LATOS Book Level 2.4View book details
Tíos and PrimosJacqueline AlcántaraVisiting her papa’s homeland, a young Latine girl is anxious about meeting members of her large extended family for the first time. Every time she is introduced to a new uncle or cousin, she is asked if she speaks Spanish like her papa. “Más o menos” (“more or less”) is her standard response. She does know some Spanish but is intimidated to speak it while absorbing all the new sights and sounds on her travels. What she soon realizes is that her father’s family is simply glad to meet and spend time with her during their visit. Relatable exchanges, like enthusiastic hugs from unfamiliar grown-ups, and getting a manicure from a cool teen cousin, will be familiar to many children. Colorful illustrations convey familial love and warmth and the beauty of an unnamed country.Picture BooksView book details
Elsa’s ChessboardJenny AndrusA passion for chess becomes a catalyst for human connection in this story based on actual events. Growing up in Vienna in the early 1900s, Elsa (white) defies gender expectations when she develops a skill for a game typically played by boys and men: chess. When she turns ten, her brothers present her with the “small wooden box with a latch that opened into a chessboard” that will accompany Elsa throughout her life. As an adult, she and her future husband, Edmund, enjoy a game on her chessboard at the library upon meeting for the first time, and later they play while their baby girl sleeps in a cradle beside them. The chessboard is among the few treasured possessions the Jewish family brings to the U.S. upon escaping Europe in the 1930s. When she finds work as a seamstress in San Francisco, chess becomes a shared language between Elsa and her English-speaking coworkers and bonds her to a group of women who want to learn the game. Later in life, when Elsa moves in with her grown daughter, the chessboard is packed away and, for many years, forgotten. It’s not until Elsa’s great-grandson accidentally discovers the latched box that Elsa returns to her beloved game, inspiring a love of chess in a new generation of her family. Young readers interested in chess will find ample resources on learning and playing in the end matter of this inspiring tale.Picture BooksView book details
Wind WatchersMicha Archer“Sometimes we call out to Wind, ‘How will you blow today?’ In spring, Wind answers with a puff at the petals, making them flutter and fall, or by nudging rain clouds to send us showers.” Simple, descriptive text describes the changing nature of the wind throughout the four seasons as seen through the eyes of a trio of brown-skinned siblings. Gorgeous, layered illustrations made from acrylic ink and patterned paper collage bring vitality and dimension to the children’s escapades with the wind on the beach, during a rainstorm, and while the autumn leaves fall. Wind Watchers offers young readers a way to appreciate the invisibility of the wind through the vibrant and visible ways it engages the senses and interacts with the environment.Picture BooksLexile Text Measure AD580LATOS Book Level 3.8View book details
The Three-Year Tumble: Based on a Korean FolktaleDayeon Auh, illustrated by Dayeon Auh, Tim MohrIn a small Korean village, a large mountain stands in the way of travelers. Called Misfortune Mountain, anyone who falls while hiking on it has three years left to live. The old grandfather at the center of this story knows about the curse, but he needs to get to the village for supplies. He takes care, but a sudden noise causes him to fall while climbing the mountain, and he knows he is cursed. As the third year arrives, he grows ill, but when his granddaughter visits and hears his fateful story, she surprises him with a clever solution that saves his life. Now renamed Good Fortune Mountain, the grandfather and other travelers are no longer afraid of taking missteps. Bright, colorful paintings bring energy and humor to this fresh Korean folktale.Picture BooksView book details
Every Monday MabelJashar Awan, illustrated by Jashar Awan“Monday is the best day of the week (according to Mabel, at least.)” Her Monday-morning routine includes dragging a chair out of her bedroom, through the house, and out the front door. Each of her family members has their own perspective on Mabel’s Monday activity. Her older sister thinks it’s “the most boring thing,” her mom “the cutest thing,” and her dad “the funniest thing.” Brown-skinned Mabel situates her chair at the top of the driveway, the “perfect spot to sit and wait.” Soon her patience pays off; there’s a rumbling and the blare of a horn. “It’s here! The best thing in the world is finally here! THE GARBAGE TRUCK IS HERE!” With the truck’s arrival, the pages’ backdrop becomes a vibrant yellow. Onomatopoeia peppers the pages. Exclamation points and capital letters abound. “IT GRABS THE TRASH CAN! AND LIFTS IT INTO THE AIR!” Once the truck has done its job, Mabel “sighs contentedly,” unable to believe that her family is so dismissive of such a magnificent sight. As she heads inside, the perspective shifts to follow the truck further into the neighborhood, where plenty of other fans are perched eagerly at their windows in anticipation. This book’s outstanding pace, design, and tone are sure to delight truck lovers (and maybe even the truck-indifferent) alike.Picture BooksATOS Book Level 1.9AR Interest Level LG K-3View book details
Picking Tea with BabaXu Bin, illustrated by Yu Yin, Shan ChenJoining Baba in picking tea leaves on the mountain near their Chinese village is “a special treat” for this book’s narrator and his brother. After a steep trek, the boys and their parents reach a “serene” garden striped with orderly rows of green tea shrubs. Baba gets to work immediately, snapping leaves off their stems. The boys help, but they also enjoy the garden’s delights: chasing bamboo partridges, catching praying mantises, and collecting fruits from a camellia tree to enjoy during lunch. They notice honeybees and black snakes and marvel at the way their voices echo. After lunch, the family weathers a short rainstorm, and at sunset they sort and bag their tea leaves. Before their day is done, though, they must stop by the tea factory to sell their fresh leaves. As they walk home, a truck carrying tea leaves passes them on the road. “There go our tea leaves!” While the boys’ wonder is at the forefront of the story, the painted illustrations reveal just how hard Baba works (even as the rest of the family naps after lunch). Yet the narrator’s reflection that the work may be “backbreaking” but “also joyful, especially when I do it with my family,” is abundantly clear.Picture BooksLexile Text Measure 610LView book details
Fish Fry FridayWinsome Bingham, illustrated by C. G. EsperanzaFriday evenings are for fish fries at Granny’s, but this Friday is extra special. School is out, which means the young, Black narrator gets to join Granny in catching the fish. The day’s work begins before sunrise, but by the time they reach the pier at the Army post, the sky is glowing pink. Granny says a quick prayer before she and her grandchild are greeted like celebrities by the others at the pier; Granny’s the “fish magnet queen” who brings luck to everyone. Her grandchild helps Granny reel in a bucketful of “blue catfish and croakers, spots and speckled trout,” and then they head home to clean their catch and prepare a meal. Sensory details and cooking sounds pepper the page as Granny shows the narrator how to prepare the batter. It’s the narrator’s idea to turn the leftover batter into hushpuppies, which the two of them sample before the rest of the family arrives toting sides to complete the feast. Over the course of the story, Granny mentions a lot of favorites—the fillets, the batter, the hushpuppies—but spending the day with her grandchild is her “favorite, favorite, favorite part!” Vibrant, dynamic oil paintings add movement and excitement to a mouth-watering story.Picture BooksView book details
The PlaydateUje Brandelius“Me and Mom are going to Henry Henriksson’s house. I’m super excited to see Henry. He’s so fun to play with and has a funny dog.” A girl with light skin and black hair carefully packs snacks in her backpack and makes her way across town with her mother. Arriving at Henry’s, she is welcomed by his mom and starts playing with Henry and his little dog right away. A page turn shows the playdate in motion—the children running through rooms, the dog at their heels—while the girl’s mom carries a vacuum up the stairs. Left unsaid is that her mom is a house cleaner, and the playdate is actually work for her. Intentional visuals provide insight into Henry’s family’s privilege: They have large, framed works of art and a busy family calendar. In one scene, the girl and her mother eat their premade sandwiches in one room, while Henry and his mom enjoy spaghetti bolognese in another. The girl’s naivete (or indifference) to the socioeconomics at play is put on pause for a moment when she finds a coveted toy robot in a bag that has likely been set aside for charity. Later, she shows her mom the robot that she has stolen and hidden in her backpack. At first her mom is silent, but then she says that she’ll return it the following week. While straightforward, the solution to the situation is far from simple in this highly discussable book about wealth disparity.Picture BooksView book details
The Moving BookLisa Brown“Our family moves a lot. But you probably don’t remember.” These opening lines from an older to a younger sibling launch a description of all the times their family has moved. First there was a tiny apartment in a big house, where Grandpa lived downstairs. Next there was an apartment on the top floor of a tall building, followed by a big apartment in a building with elevators. Then they moved into their current house and got to choose their own rooms. Now they’re moving to a new house, which Grandpa will share with them. For each of their homes, the older sibling describes some of the things they did there and what was nearby. They also outline what will happen during their current move before their belongings are loaded into a moving van (except for their suitcases and pets, which go in the car). They admit that sometimes they don’t want to move, but their parents have pointed out the positives (a backyard garden, walking instead of busing to school) and they’re looking forward to Grandpa’s snacks and sleeping in a bunk bed. Whether they stay in the new house for a long time or make another change soon, one thing is certain: “we are good at moving.” India ink and watercolor with digital collage illustrations offer rich details that extend the text, while the successive moves of this multiracial family offer reassurance to young readers facing the uncertainty of relocation.Picture BooksView book details
FireworksMatthew Burgess, illustrated by Cátia ChienFor the two children at the center of this blissful picture book, a carefree summer day is capped with a spectacular show. After a warm breakfast made by their grandmother, the Asian American siblings “venture out across steamy city sidewalks.” A splash in a leaky fire hydrant cuts the heat (“Whoop! Weee! Woohoo!”) as the kids wander their bustling neighborhood. Later, “shining red wedges” of watermelon quench their thirst, and salsa music drifts through open windows, inviting them to dance. As the sun sets, the siblings return home for Grandma’s sizzling dinner before climbing to the rooftop of their building. They wait. “POP! A comet streaking across the sky BURSTS into a flower of fire. (THE FIRST!)” The next several two-page spreads are devoted to the magnificent fireworks bursting in vibrant shades against black, with onomatopoeic words in various sizes scattered across the pages. “Pop POP / Swish / Zing / Tizzle-ting / POOF!” There comes a lull in the excitement. “‘Is it over?’ ‘Wait!’” A vertical gatefold reveals the cacophonous finale in all its glory. Afterward, with only the “ghosts” of the fireworks drifting in the sky, the children return home “to be tucked in with summer on our skin, listening to the gentlest kaboom kaboom kaboom within.” Glorious.Picture BooksATOS Book Level 3.5AR Interest Level LG K-3View book details
Mama CarLucy Catchpole, illustrated by Karen GeorgeTo the young, white narrator of this picture book, their mom’s wheelchair, or “Mama Car,” is a familiar, comforting part of her. Together they go on expeditions, which may be small (going from the bed to the kitchen for snacks) or big (going to the park). Wherever they’re going, the Mama Car gets them there or gets them around. If a vehicle is required, the Mama Car is folded, loaded, and brought along. Life with the Mama Car is natural and routine for this child, who decorates its wheels and helps by keeping watch for small toys that need to be moved out of its way. Just as the Mama Car is there to help Mama, it’s also there, “like home,” when the narrator needs the comfort of their mother’s lap. “In the Mama car I am as cozy as a sheep. The Mama Car is warm and I just have Mama all around me.” The love of this child for their mother—including her chair—is palpable in this welcome, child-centered story based on the author’s own chair and her daughter’s nickname for it.Picture BooksView book details
To See an OwlMatthew Cordell, illustrated by Matthew Cordell“To see an owl is magic.” A girl fascinated by owls draws them, dreams about them, and goes in search of them with her mom, to no avail. She watches programs about owls. She reads about owls. She keeps an owl journal with pictures and facts. She’s also drawn a map of the nearby woods. When her teacher, also a birder, looks at her map, he shows her a spot where he’s seen great horned owls nesting. After school that day, she and her mom head out. “When will I find you? … Hoo-hoo-hoo Hooooo-hooo.” A child’s passion is supported by her mom (who is clearly not as enamored with owls) and a teacher with a shared interest in this picture book that builds to a moment of wonder for the child and a jolt of happiness for readers and listeners. “Magic.” The story unfolds patiently and includes a judiciously repeated refrain: “Perfectly stout. Large, round eyes. Silent, knowing faces. Birds of the night.” The girl and her mother both have long black hair and light-brown skin in the detailed pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations that include pages from the girl’s owl journal.Picture BooksLexile Text Measure 510LFountas & Pinnell Text Level NView book details
Twigs and StonesJoy CowleyTwigs and stones don’t just break bones. They can also hurt feelings, as in this story about Snake and Lizard, who live together in a hole under a rock. “Sometimes they were Friends with a big F, and sometimes the f was quite small. That’s how it is with friends.” One day, Snake is skeptical of Lizard’s new décor idea—using twigs to spell out their names above the entrance to their home—but when it’s all finished, she thinks it’s pretty clever. That is, until a desert wind knocks down the letters in SNAKE. Trying to fix the word in the dark, Lizard accidentally spells out SNEAK. Discovering this in the light of morning, Lizard laughs and tries to play it off as a compliment (“I admire your sneakiness”), but the inadvertent insult—not to mention Lizard’s dismissive laughter—angers Snake. She retaliates the next night, surreptitiously removing a couple of letters from LIZARD. Looking at their new sign, SNEAK AND LIAR, Snake and Lizard “didn’t say anything. This was no longer funny. It was terrible!” Together they dismantle the sign. Apologies are not even necessary; capital-F Friendship prevails through relatable misunderstandings and petty drama. Observant readers may notice other animals in the backgrounds of the earth-toned ink-and-watercolor illustrations gathering sticks to spell out the story’s theme.Picture BooksView book details
A Song for Two HomesDr. Michael DatcherWhen her parents got divorced, Auset (Black) “got split / in two / too.” She doesn’t feel “lucky” to have two homes, two birthday parties, or two Christmases. School is hard, too, for different reasons; kids think her clothes and voice are too boyish, and Auset feels bad after hitting a classmate. She finds comfort in song lyrics by Sweet Honey in the Rock and Bob Marley, in her science class, and in playing the piano (“I can accompany / Myself / So I don’t need / Mom & Dad / To be / In harmony”). Her therapist “wasn’t good at / sewing kids back together,” but her stuffed dolphin is a good listener. And even though it’s hard to talk to her mom about her feelings, she “keeps it real” with her dad; like him, she does her best to “choose joy” every day, “Even though / Divorce / Makes Joy / A hard choice.” She knows that “one day” she’ll “be okay for reals,” and until then, she has music to get her through. Polished, deliberate text verges on stream-of-consciousness. Clear-eyed, emotionally intelligent Auset expresses strength and hope, but she’s also honest about her heartache and current challenges. Vibrant paintings depict an emotional Auset spending time with each parent, and Bob Marley makes an appearance to place a steadying hand on her shoulder.Picture BooksView book details
It’s Corn Picking Time!Jill Esbaum, illustrated by Melissa CrowtonThis cheerful ode to corn-harvest time loosely modeled on the pattern of “The House That Jack Built” features a farmer who loves her work. “This is the farmer, / her cap, / and her gloves.” The brown-skinned farmer begins her day as the sun rises; the big, red combine harvester, awoken from its slumber, needs some loving care before it is ready to be driven to the field. Then, it’s time. A bird’s-eye view shows the combine making careful sweeps across the land. “This is the corn head that clatters and knocks / as chains grab and gobble the autumn-dry stalks.” The narrative includes just enough fascinating detail: As the corn is shucked, the machine spits the chaff out the back; once the grain tank is full of kernels, the auger and spout are positioned over the grain wagon, “and corn whooshes out!” Transported to the dryer, the kernels twirl upward into the bin, where they produce “billows of steamy, roast-corn-scented cloud.” The day ends where it began—the kitchen— but now the farmer is surrounded by family members enjoying a meal. The informative, lively text is accompanied by collage-style illustrations in autumnal hues.Picture BooksLexile Text Measure 440LATOS Book Level 3.0View book details
All By Myself (But Sometimes I Need a Little Help!)Elizabeth EverettIn a cheery, matter-of-fact narrative, a child recites a host of things they can do by themself. For each, they also note a related activity with which they require help. “I can put on my shoes, but I need a little help to tie the laces. … I can decorate a kite, but I need a little help to fly it in the wind.” The tone makes clear that needing help is nothing out of the ordinary; the expressly stated message at story’s end is that needing help is perfectly okay. This intention is balanced with a marvelously child-centered text, each opening activity recognizable as a potential point of “I can do it myself” pride for young children. Buoyant, colorful collage artwork shows the multiracial, brown-skinned, short-haired child with their helpful grownups, a dad who appears Black and a mom who appears Asian.Picture BooksView book details
BrokenX. Fang, illustrated by X. FangGuilt gets the better of the protagonist of this funny and relatable story. Bored at her Ama’s house one day, Mei Mei (Asian) amuses herself by scaring the cat, Mimi, who’s snoozing in an armchair—and in the process, she knocks Ama’s mug off the side table, breaking it into three pieces. Mei Mei runs outside, her anxiety growing as she imagines Ama’s possible reactions, each increasingly more extreme. Reluctantly joining Ama for tea later, Mei Mei notices that the broken cup has been removed and realizes that Ama thinks the cat is to blame. “Mimi stared at me. Mimi knew the truth. Mimi was taking the blame.” Mei Mei simply cannot enjoy her cake with Mimi (whose accusing face grows increasingly and comically large on the page) staring at her. “I couldn’t take it anymore!” Mei Mei has no recourse but to hide in the closet “until all [her] problems [go] away.” But when Ama expresses concern, the truth comes pouring out of Mei Mei. Her confession is met with Ama’s gentle understanding and creative problem-solving. After all, “every patch and every repair tells a story.” And there’s nothing a little glue can’t fix. Mei Mei’s moral quandary and big emotions are perfectly depicted in a story that leans into dramatic tension, humor, and heart, both in text and illustration.Picture BooksLexile Text Measure AD460LATOS Book Level 2.0View book details
My Friend MayJulie FlettMay, a big black cat, and Margaux, a Cree child, have grown up together. May likes “playing in the long grass behind the house” but is “unsure of oranges.” May loves Margaux. She also tends to stay near their home, always returning by dinnertime when she does venture out. But one day she doesn’t come home by dinner, and although everyone searches for May, she’s nowhere to be found. Margaux’s auntie Nitôsis helps in the hunt before packing up the last of her things for a move to the city. As Nitôsis unpacks in her new home, she worries about Margaux and May and misses them both. An unexpected “meow” leads her to the bathroom, where she discovers May tucked inside an unpacked box. After offering a quick meal of canned salmon, Nitôsis delivers May to a grateful and relieved Margaux. “May was a cat who decided that, maybe, the best place to get lost was in the long grass behind the house, with her friend.” Author-illustrator Julie Flett offers a note to readers encouraging them to tell their own stories, followed by written explanations and charts of Cree words used in the main narrative and how to pronounce them.Picture BooksLexile Text Measure AD620LATOS Book Level 4View book details
Island StormBrian Floca, illustrated by Sydney SmithTwo white siblings dare to venture outdoors as a storm approaches their island. Wearing jackets and rain boots, they head through the woods to the cove. The weather is mild, but they “feel the wind growing. It booms in our ears…” and churns up waves that break spectacularly against the shore. “And then we ask, is this enough, or do we try for more? You pull on me, I pull on you, and we decide to go on.” This is the book’s refrain, a mutual sense of risky adventure as the siblings take each other’s hands and walk further from home. No warning from a neighbor, no boarded-up window, no shuttered grocery store will curb their sense of daring. “Our town is eerie and empty—a stage without its show.” They pass what are clearly familiar sights: an old military bunker, the lighthouse, the park and ice cream parlor, until… “Did you hear that? / What? / That! / Yes! / BOOM! / RUN!” The children race home at an exhilarating sprint as the downpour begins. Home, where relief and love, safety and dinner (and trouble) await. Home, where they will ride out the storm overnight and wake to a gentle dawn. An impeccable combination of descriptive text and moody, painted illustrations creates an atmospheric, immersive reading experience; the sense of ever-approaching danger is beautifully tempered by the ending’s palpable sense of relief.Picture BooksLexile Text Measure 549LATOS Book Level 3.6View book details
Trouble Dog: From Shelter Dog to Conservation HeroCarol A. FooteTucker loves to play and creates his own fun when he’s bored. “Romping … Chasing … Grabbing … Leaping … Chewing … CRASHING!” Tucker has been repeatedly returned to the animal shelter because of the havoc he creates. When Laura (white) arrives at the shelter, she sees the potential in energetic Tucker. Laura uses Tucker’s love of play as a reward as she trains him to recognize different scents. Tucker is a fast learner. “I knew you were the right kind of trouble … You’re going to help me save wildlife.” Tucker becomes a conservation dog, traveling with Laura to help people who study and protect wildlife and native environments. Sometimes Tucker finds invasive species, like the rosy wolf snail in Hawaii. Sometimes he locates the scat of animals being studied in their habitats, like “moon bears in China, mountain lions in Chile, and elephants in the jungles of Myanmar—so scientists could learn about animals without disturbing them.” Tucker is still a rambunctious dog who loves to play, but he’s also a world traveler and wildlife protector, one with a forever home. While Tucker is fictional, the captivating story paired with lively watercolor illustrations is based on two real dogs, Pepin and Wicket, who are featured in end matter that also provides more information about the work of conservation dogs.Picture BooksView book details
Taro Gomi's Big Book of VerbsTaro Gomi, illustrated by Taro GomiCalling all grammar enthusiasts, active bodies, and visual-puzzle fiends! Taro Gomi’s Big Book of Verbs is a book of action words, well, in action across a variety of familiar scenes. In a two-page spread showing a classroom setting, an offset pale-yellow border lists 34 verbs next to a corresponding enumerated dot. In the busy illustration, dozens of involved and animated children take part in classroom activities. What’s happening in the vignette labeled “25,” which shows a child in a cat mask chasing a frightened classmate? “Run,” says the legend. Dots “21” and “22” indicate that two children are using blocks to “build” and “scatter.” From the neighborhood to the farm, and from the ice rink to the amusement park, Taro Gomi’s colorful, stylized illustrations depict nearly 400 verbs, like “knead,” “hop,” “tickle,” and “vomit,” with humor and accuracy. The only way to improve this engaging picture book would be to make the jacket double as adhesive wallpaper.Picture BooksView book details
The House That FloatedGuojing, illustrated by GuojingIn this wordless story rendered in soft chalk drawings, a family faces a difficult change with teamwork and creativity. Before their child is born, a young couple lives in a small, red house on the edge of a sheer cliff overlooking the sea. When they have a child, their lives continue in much the same way. Together they fish, watch dolphins, enjoy the outdoors, and carve small wooden figurines for their fireplace mantel. As time passes, though, it becomes clear that environmental change is taking place. The sea level is rising, bringing water perilously close to the top of the cliff, until finally it is at their doorstep. Working together as always, the family gathers wood and constructs a large, sturdy raft. They take a moment to say goodbye to what remains of the land that was their home before leaving in a small motorboat, towing the house on the raft behind them. They travel overnight before spotting a lighthouse, on a different cliff, with people nearby: the promise of a new home. Sadly relevant in today’s changing climate, this story celebrates determination and resilience.Picture BooksView book details
Let’s Be BeesShawn Harris, illustrated by Shawn HarrisThe text reads, “Let’s be bees.” “Let’s buzz,” says the dialogue bubble next to a father reading to their child. “Let’s be fuzzy, buzzy bees and … Buzz!” shout the pair as their bodies are transformed into buzzing bees. The playful interaction between text and illustrations mimics the imaginative play of the parent and child reading their own copy of Let’s Be Bees. Meta? Yes, but there’s no time (or need) to contemplate when each page-turn is a compelling command to become bees, birds, trees, and more! The father and child become the wailing wind, pattering rain, and silent snow, until … “Avalanche!” The boisterous crayon-like drawings and small trim size of this book are opportune for reading in laps and performing again and again. If the story content is not enough fodder for imitation, the endpapers offer additional inspiration.Picture BooksView book details
Sunflower SeedsEllen HeckAfter reading a book about growing sunflowers to her diverse kindergarten class, Ms. B gives each student three seeds. Remembering a saying from the story, the students note that they have “one [seed] for the birds, one for the rain, and one to grow.” After classmate Ollie peels and pops a seed into his mouth, Ms. B smiles and gives each student one more to taste. The miraculous life cycle of sunflowers is recounted through the eyes of a young narrator (white), beginning with tiny sprouts in a paper cup and continuing on to the strong stalk standing in his backyard. Matter-of-fact observations about plant growth are intertwined with kernels of kid wisdom. When one sunflower falls prey to a nibbling backyard deer, the narrator thinks about the poem and amends it: “One for the deer, one for the rain, and one to grow.” Rich, detailed oil paintings on brown paper illuminate the inquisitive faces of young gardeners and bring botanical drama to the developing sunflowers. Occasional circular compositions add variation to the visual layout and magnify details like the delicate dance of a honeybee pollinating the tiny interior flowers of a sunflower head. Elegant writing and child-centric elements bring depth and beauty to a common rite of classroom gardening.Picture BooksView book details
A Book of Maps for YouLourdes Heuer, illustrated by Maxwell Eaton III“I made a book of maps.” This book’s narrator has created a thoughtful guidebook of hand-drawn maps of their town, street, school, public library, local park, and more addressed to an unidentified “you.” Included on each map are the sort of helpful details known only to one who has lived, played, shopped, and attended school in these places for some time. On the map of the school, the narrator notes that “the cafeteria serves the best lunch on Fridays,” while the map of the park provides a tip about the swings (“the middle one flies highest”). The narrator introduces certain notable people by name, such as librarian Mr. Mercado, who “never hushes or shushes;” Mr. Ramjit, who lives on Little Farm; and Mrs. Chang, who runs an art-supply store. The last few maps are of “our house,” and they include instructions: “Put your bed under the skylight for the best view of the stars.” In an unexpected twist, it becomes clear to whom the book is addressed. On the final two-page spread, a child is looking at the maps, which have been left on the front porch; inside the house are moving boxes waiting to be unpacked. “The maps are for you… so you’ll find your way in your new home.” Packed with colorful, detailed, visually engaging maps of various types and perspectives (among the less traditional are a maze and a pirate map), a book that at first seems simply fun becomes a bittersweet narrative of departure and arrival.Picture BooksATOS Book Level 3.5AR Interest Level LG K-3View book details
The Hardware Store / La ferreteríaLourdes HeuerA new installment in the English/Spanish bilingual “Teeny Tiendas” board book series spotlights Mrs. Sierra’s hardware store. The store sells a host of tools, from hammers and mallets to screws and pliers. A diverse cast of neighborhood customers of all ages find just what they need, often with the help of the competent, purple-haired Mrs. Sierra. The final pages show everyone gathered at the school playground, putting their purchases to use as they collectively make repairs and spruce up the play equipment.Picture BooksView book details
Where the Deer Slip ThroughKatey Howes, illustrated by Beth KrommesFrom sunrise to darkness, animals pass through a small farm by slipping through the hedge, flying through the branches, and squeezing through the hollow to nibble, frolic, and soar before leaving again into the surrounding pines. Following the “house that Jack built” format, graceful rhymes describe the animals’ fleeting visits amid the human activity glimpsed on the pages as the farm family moves through their day. Stunning scratchboard and watercolor illustrations perfectly complement the flowing language that artfully draws on alliteration and gentle imagery.Picture BooksView book details
Late TodayJungyoon HuhSeoul, South Korea, 8:15 A.M. “We can’t be late today.” Crooked rows of bumper-to- bumper rush-hour traffic inch along in pouring rain. Tiny and helpless among the vehicles, a black “kitten, barely two weeks old, [is] crossing the bridge.” She darts around, unable to find her way through the maze of moving tires, noticed by drivers and passengers who honk and exclaim and worry and look away in fear. Everyone is horrified, but what can be done? And then one person pulls over. “They hoped to hear a kitten’s cry.” Over several tense, nearly wordless pages, an adult and a child sit in the car in the driving rain, waiting. Cars honk. Windshield wipers squeak. Then, from under the car: “Mew mew.” The driver hurries out and scoops up the quivering, terrified animal. “We all were late. But it’s okay. Today was a good day to be late.” Much of this story is communicated via the artwork, made with colored pencil and oil pastel, which feels almost cinematic in its variety of perspectives and effective use of panels and montage. This suspenseful story commends bravery, but its focus on the kitten’s dangerous journey prevents it from becoming heavy-handed.Picture BooksView book details
Pee and Poo: The Do’s and Don’ts to Avoid MishapsSusanna IsernWhen it comes to pee and poo, the last thing anyone wants is a mishap. This practical, straightforward guide to toilet etiquette encourages best bathroom practices for young people who may need a few reminders. As animal friends gather for food and fun at Koala’s birthday party, “certain needs pop up.” Feeling nature’s call throughout the day, characters visit the bathroom while a snail in the illustrations provides friendly tips in unobtrusive balloon bubbles: “Don’t wait until the last minute to go to the bathroom, even if you’re having fun.” “Be sure to wipe well … to avoid getting irritated skin.” “Say excuse me if a fart slips out.” Mishaps do abound, providing plenty of teachable moments. Squirrel opens the bathroom door without knocking, only to find that Cat is inside; startled, Cat loses his aim and has to clean up his mess afterward. Turtle loiters on the toilet with his Rubik’s Cube as a line of desperate friends forms outside. And Lioness uses the last of the toilet paper to make a mummy costume, forgetting to replace the roll (which causes problems for Panda). Bathroom humor is absent; the emphasis is on helping kids navigate common scenarios and avoid bathroom faux pas.Picture BooksView book details
The Sleeper TrainMick Jackson, illustrated by Baljinder KaurFor the narrator of this soothing and unusual bedtime story, the excitement of a ride on a sleeper train chases sleep away. She and her parents, who appear to be Punjabi and Sikh, board as the sun is setting and soon commence their bedtime routine. Unable to settle, the girl takes up a post at the window. “I thought it might help if I tried to think of all the different places I have slept.” At home, if she has a bad dream, she crawls stealthily into her parents’ bed. She remembers the view of the sea from her hotel room on vacation last summer, and the warm comfort of dozing on the beach. She recalls various other nights, too—in a tent on a camping trip, in the hospital after an operation, in her mom’s old room at her grandparents’ house—and as the train snakes through towns and villages, she grows sleepy imagining all the people snug in their beds nearby. Before she knows it, it’s morning, and breakfast time, and they’re in a new South Asian city. In a full-circle moment, the sleeper train itself becomes a new sleep aid: “Now if I ever can’t get to sleep… I remember how it felt to be rocked by the train, just like a baby…” Featuring an appealing palette heavy in oranges and teals, the digitally colored pencil illustrations are packed with patterns and details but never feel too busy.Picture BooksView book details
While We WaitBee JohnsonA day spent running errands with Mom is a day filled with many small moments of waiting for two girls, starting before they even leave the house. “Boots and backpack. Lucky hat. Beaded bangles. Satchel Cat. Phone and wallet. Missing bag. While we wait, we chase and tag.” The brisk, rhyming text gains momentum as the trio is out and about, and the children must wait in line at the post office, wait while their mom chats with a friend, and wait for their food at the diner. Although usually able to find something to keep them busy, the wait at the diner asks too much, and the girls fall apart. Back home, they wait through Mom’s phone calls for dinner until finally in bed, they fall asleep, still waiting. Observant readers will notice that the ultimate wait is for Dad, whose “Be back soon” sticky note on the refrigerator is pictured on both opening and closing endpapers.Picture BooksView book details
Saturday Morning at the ’ShopKeenan JonesFor the African American narrator of this lively story, the local barbershop is a one-stop shop of sorts where the community can relax together, especially on a Saturday morning. “The ’Shop is our sound booth. Barbers blast their favorite beats. Folks bob their heads to the rhythm.” The ’Shop is also their “gallery,” the walls hung with portraits of Black heroes. It’s a raucous “sports show” when there’s a game on TV. It’s a “comedy club” where people crack jokes, a “showroom” where people sell or pitch their wares, and a “classroom” where the kids learn not only “lessons about Black leaders” but also “the latest hip-hop buzz.” Of course, the ’Shop is also a “studio” where “hair is the canvas, clippers are the brush, creating walking pieces of art.” The love the narrator has for his community is palpable in this joyful celebration of a space that is much more than just a business.Picture BooksView book details
Our LakeAngie Kang, illustrated by Angie KangA visit to a special place is both a challenge and a comfort for two grieving brothers. The younger of the two, the narrator, follows his older sibling as they hike up a rocky path that ends on a bluff overlooking a serene, blue lake. The boy matches Brother’s motions as they warm up for their dive but hangs back when Brother approaches the edge. Brother leaps, “slip[ping] neatly into the lake.” From the water he calls words of encouragement, but the narrator’s “stomach is full of stones. How did I ever do this before?” Then, on “the inside of my eyelids, I see Father.” In his mind’s eye, Father soars gracefully into the lake. “Father’s laugh leaps through my bones, making them bird-light.” The joy of the memory remains when the boy opens his eyes, and as he dives smoothly toward the water, he glimpses something on the rippling surface—a reflection of himself, or is it Father?—with arms outstretched, ready to meet him. Brother cheers as the narrator surfaces. Words aren’t needed; the boys’ mutual emotions are understood as they share a hug. “Here, in our lake, we are all together.” Gorgeous gouache paintings in deep, calming blues and teals are offset by a sunny yellow that saturates the sky, especially in the narrator’s memories of his father, while polished writing imparts the tender emotions of the day with understated elegance.Picture BooksATOS Book Level 2.3AR Interest Level Lower Grades (LG K-3)View book details
BlueSuzanne Kaufman, illustrated by Suzanne KaufmanA child and a blue heron spend a joyful day together. At sunrise, the child (brown-skinned) rushes excitedly to their bird friend, standing in the foamy water with one leg up, “echoing Blue’s stillness.” The two “shriek” and “splash” with abandon before enjoying lunch. “We are wild. We are free … chasing the afternoon sun.” The heron takes to the sky at sundown, but the child waits, watching the starry heavens in hope and anticipation until—yes! Blue returns! Carrying the child on its back, Blue takes off, rising over the water, soaring through the deep-blue night sky. When it grows too cold for comfort, the friends “softly glide” back to the child’s home, where they “say good night but not goodbye … to dream of meeting again.” The child’s love of blue herons is clear in their choice of bedroom décor and toys: a feathered costume hanging on the wall, a heron mobile, and a stuffed heron held to their chest as they sleep. Sparse, simple, lovely text and indigo-saturated illustrations leave the reality of the story up to interpretation. Is it real? Wishful thinking? A dream? Whether real or imagined, the child’s love of the majestic creature is magical.Picture BooksView book details
Home Is a HeartbeatLaekan Zea KempA child finds comfort and safety in her “special place” in a bustling home. In the narrator’s multigenerational, multifamily Latine household, it can get crowded and uncomfortable. That’s why Abuelo has his workshop, where he keeps his tools; and Abuela has the kitchen, where her beloved radio plays next to her herb garden. María and Treicy, the girl’s cousins, prefer to play in the bedroom they share with their mom. Tía Imelda has the living room, where she watches telenovelas, and Mami’s special place is an armchair by the window, where she loves to read. Built by the girl’s bisabuela, the family home is decorated with photos of ancestors, many of whom once lived there as well. When the narrator climbs into the bed she shares with her mami, she feels as though she can hear “the house’s heartbeat,” the particular combination of sounds made by her family—both those living now, and “all the people who have lived and loved in this house.” She snuggles up with Mami, hearing Mami’s heartbeat. “That’s my special place.” This cozy, warm narrative celebrates the love and memories contained in a physical space.Picture BooksView book details
Blue Sky MorningJihyun Kim, Polly Lawson“Wake up, Eunny! It’s a beautiful, blue sky morning.” A quiet, second-person narrative gently encourages small moments of mindfulness during a Korean girl’s weekday morning routine. As Eunny sits up in bed, white morning light streams into her bedroom, while outside, the street bustles with pedestrians and cyclists. After breakfast made by Grandma, Eunny and Mama step out into the world. “It’s bright when you step outside, and the air feels cool and fresh. Take a deep breath. / Have you noticed the flowers?” Eunny, who is “not in a hurry today,” takes a moment to gaze at the wide blue sky, and later at the leaves beginning to change color. Eunny and Mama talk about the day ahead before parting at Mama’s bus stop; around the corner, Sohee meets Eunny near their school. “The blue sky is making her happy too.” The girls head toward the school gates together, and the story concludes with an illustration of Eunny gazing happily out of her classroom window, and an echo of the opening sentence. “What a beautiful, blue sky morning.” Soft, clean watercolor illustrations capture the tranquility of Eunny’s home and neighborhood streets on a lovely morning.Picture BooksView book details
Diggers, Dozers & Dumpers: Small Stories About Big MachinesOle KönneckeFourteen microstories starring anthropomorphic animals introduce readers to various types of construction and farming vehicles. Amanda Crocodile, for example, is fed up with having to ride her bike to work along a bumpy dirt track. “Want to learn some swear words? Try biking to work with Amanda sometime! / One day, Amanda has had enough. She gets herself a bulldozer.” There’s also Roberta Elephant, who lets the children at the park use the bucket of her dumper like a slide. (“This is probably not strictly allowed. But why spoil everyone’s fun?”) And then there’s Hedda Hen, who finds herself in a mowing competition with a neighbor, the two of them buying increasingly larger lawn mowers until “Hedda starts up her combine harvester, and that’s the end of that.” Accompanying each fictional situation are italicized tidbits of information about how the machinery works, or how it can be used. Cheeky animals, slightly subversive humor, and a clean design with color-tabbed pages labeling the machines make this volume as appealing as it is informative.Picture BooksView book details
Rez KidAndrea LandryReferred to as the “Rez Kid” by the kids on her school bus, a Native girl wishes her classmates knew how wonderful life on her reservation is. Her family members give her various suggestions, each celebrating cultural values, but the girl wants to come up with something on her own. Pencil, crayon, and digital illustrations accentuate the girl’s familial relationships, pride in the land, and activities like beadwork and medicine gathering. Ultimately, the girl determines that the best way to showcase reservation life is to invite her classmates to visit. While perhaps unrealistic that the entire group would come together, the solution is grounded in the Native child’s generosity and commitment to her community. An introductory Author’s Note provides perspective on reservations, often referred to as “the rez” by Indigenous peoples in the United States and Canada.Picture BooksView book details
Call Me GrayAndrew LarsenEvery year the young narrator (white) of this story looks forward to building an ice rink in the backyard with their dad. “It’s a tradition. Something we do together. Something that never changes.” The work of staking out the space and shoveling the snow offers the narrator a chance to broach a topic that’s been on their mind. Their best friend is having a girls-only party, and they weren’t invited. “But there’s something more.” The narrator asks if their dad has ever felt “mixed up” about who he is or who he wanted to be. Their dad’s answer—that he used to want to be an astronaut—isn’t what the narrator means. “I look like a boy but sometimes I feel more like a girl.” After a moment, their dad takes their hands and responds kindly. “I didn’t know you felt that way … I’m glad you told me.” Later, as the pair floods the freshly packed snow to form the icy surface of the rink, the narrator takes another leap of faith and tells their dad they’d like to be called Gray. It takes a couple of reminders, but by the end of their first skate on their newly frozen rink, Gray’s dad is calling Gray by their chosen name. “It feels warm. It feels right.” This affirming, heartwarming story showcases the courage and trust of a child whose parent gives them space to explore their gender without question.Picture BooksLexile Text Measure 261LATOS Book Level 2.1View book details
A Pocket Full of RocksKristin Mahoney“You can do a lot with a pocket full of rocks.” There are repetition and constancy but also variation and surprise in this picture book as the young narrator (brown-skinned) collects rocks in winter, flower petals in spring, shells at the beach in summer, and acorns in fall. “Your mom will say the rocks are making your coat dirty. Your dad will ask where you’re going to put your other mitten. Your sister will tell you they are just ordinary rocks. But you know they are not ordinary.” Not only do their mom, dad, and sister have something to say about their choices, the child has ideas for what to do with each collected item. These vary but always include a way it can be used by the “fairies in the fairy ring.” The child also notes how each collection feels in their pocket: The rocks are “solid and cool,” the petals “mysterious and quiet and soft,” and the shells “familiar and strange” in a story with marvelous descriptive language and a warm, inviting tone. The narrative’s quiet yet playful sensibility is reflected in mixed-media illustrations showing appealing scenes of the child’s relationship to nature, family life, and imaginative play.Picture BooksLexile Text Measure AD560LATOS Book Level 3.7View book details
A Magician’s FlowerMarika MaijalaThis translated picture book features delicate watercolor illustrations that match its whimsical tone. Tending to her greenhouse garden, brown-skinned Willow’s assistant, a chicken named Eulalia (Leghorn), finds a small, new plant growing in a pot. Willow doesn’t know what kind of plant it is, nor does her friend Aspen (white), a poet who rides over on their bicycle. They decide to name the plant “Raisin” after the heroine in Aspen’s poems. The tiny plant is barely growing, so the children take it in a bicycle basket to the seashore for some air. Eulalia and Raisin get temporarily lost when their basket finds its way onto a boat, but the drama is short-lived, much like the excitement when Willow’s ice cream cone falls on the ground and is immediately eaten by a dog. Back at home, Willow finds that Raisin has blossomed into a small yellow flower after a night under the moon. At the same time, Aspen discovers a rare plant that looks just like Raisin in a book called A Magician’s Flower. This quirky and imaginative tale is peppered with vivid phrasing: “The gulls whooshed overhead like white arrows” and “It started raining. It sounded like a hundred mice were dancing on the roof.” A potential model text for classroom writing, this picture book is also simply a languid escape from reality.Picture BooksView book details
The Riding LessonJennifer K MannWearing a bike helmet and rain boots, horse enthusiast Frances (white) arrives for her first riding lesson at her friend Mae’s house with a handful of carrots and high expectations. Right away, the experience is not as she expected. The barn stinks, and Mae’s mom is using a big fork to pick up poop! Snowball, the horse she’ll be riding, is not tall and majestic but small, round, and docile—though she does have alarmingly big teeth. Before Frances rides, there are chores to do: brushing Snowball’s coat, scraping the dirt from her hooves, and fitting her with a saddle, halter, and complicated bridle. When it’s finally time to ride, Frances struggles to mount, and then Snowball steps on her foot! Maybe she doesn’t want to ride anymore. But Mae (brown-skinned) is understanding and patient. She invites Frances to ride double around the orchard with her. It’s relaxing, and soon Frances feels brave enough to try again—and she does it! She rides a horse all by herself. She even feels comfortable enough to scoop a little poop before the day is done. This lengthy picture book is formatted mostly in panels, with plenty of speech-bubble dialogue and oodles of horse-care detail. The disappointment of reality not quite meeting one’s expectations is very relatable. Frances is an endearing character who just needs a moment to get her bearings and gain a little confidence before tackling the challenges of the day with open-mindedness.Picture BooksView book details
DawnMarc Martin, illustrated by Marc MartinThis visually and textually stunning book depicts the arrival of dawn’s light in a host of quiet and profound moments. Watercolor, pencil, and digital collage illustrations handsomely framed against white backdrops portray intimate vignettes from nature. Carefully chosen words flow from one panel to the next, illuminating the arrival of the day with beauty, humor, and judicious alliteration and onomatopoeia. For instance, a quartet of panels chronicles a ladybug’s ascent of a single blade of grass brimming with dew: “climb, quench, drip, drop.” A single songbird, a canopy of birds, and an emerging arrow of geese are captioned with “call, chorus, flock, formation.” Arresting and quiet, this uncomplicated picture book offers literary meditation.Picture BooksView book details
Our Mothers’ Names: Love in Many LanguagesUma MenonAn Indian American girl whose family speaks Malayalam at home explains that she calls her mother Amma, the Malayalam word for “mother.” Some of her classmates and friends have different words for “mother” or “mom” or “mommy,” from their own family languages. Angelina, whose family is from Mexico City, calls her mom “Mamá.” Her friend Thea’s mother, who is Greek, is called “Mána.” Aliya calls her mom “Ommi,” which is Arabic, while the narrator’s Japanese pen pal uses “Okaasan.” The story shares the word for “mother” in these and other languages in an open-hearted, friendly, yet matter-of-fact way. “The world is filled with thousands of languages and many ways to say mother. But no matter how many different names people have for mothers one thing is for sure: My mother will always be my Amma!” The vibrant mixed-media illustrations have a joyful feel as they showcase the young narrator’s family and many different moms and children.Picture BooksView book details
Changing TidesJúlia MoscardóA newly blended family ventures to the beach together for the first time in this understated story. Lula (Black) is not so sure about sharing the trip with Simone and her son, Theo (white). Lula chafes a little when Theo hands her beach toys to her dad to load into the car, but she cheers up in the car and loves Simone’s suggestion that she and Theo build a sandcastle on the beach. Lula gets right to work but is soon frustrated by the waves’ encroaching on her sandy structure. That’s when Theo offers a helpful suggestion. “What if you add a moat? I can help you dig one.” Two wordless pages show Lula watching carefully as Theo digs a moat around her castle. It works! “But something is still missing.” Theo collects a variety of colorful shells from the shallow water and hands them to Lula so that she can decorate the walls. The finished castle is a thing of beauty. They show their parents… and then a wave crashes in, washing it away. Like any sweet big brother, Theo is reassuring. “It’s okay… Tomorrow we’ll make another sandcastle, taller, stronger, and prettier!” This snapshot of a couple of days in the life of a new family is quiet, satisfying, and refreshing in that it doesn’t feel the need to show a sibling struggle before the children have a unifying experience.Picture BooksView book details
Let’s Rumble: A Rough-and-Tumble Book of PlayRachel G PayneClear pencil-and-ink drawings with bright digital coloring inspire activity in a book that intentionally encourages physical play. Straightforward dialogue between a parent and two children (brown-skinned) and corresponding illustrations depict imaginative rough- housing in a home setting. “Earthquake!” “Wrecking Ball!” “Rolling Pin!” and “Doughnut” are a few of the expressions and wrestling-style moves enacted by the parent and a younger child who uses a hearing aid. When an older sibling wants to join in, the need for a code word is explained so that the play remains safe and fun for all. Occasional full- page illustrations convey the make-believe scenarios, such as when the parent dogpiles on the kids in a “sandwich” move (an animated picture shows the parent lying on the supine siblings amidst the layers of a bread, cheese, lettuce, and deli meat sandwich). For families familiar with creative physical play, this book might offer some new moves or reminders about safe boundaries. For novice wrestling families, the book suggests easy ways to engage in silly, consensual, full-body play.Picture BooksView book details
This Is Orange: A Field Trip Through ColorRachel Poliquin, illustrated by Julie MorstadUsing a curious and conversational tone, the author offers readers an exploration of the color orange, including its naming, creation, and use. The mineral realgar, for example, was used to make an orange pigment, and the orange mineral crocoite led to the discovery of the element chromium. Remarkable tidbits are balanced with more child-centered observations (“Artists can make their own orange by mixing red and yellow paints.”). On a double-page spread that shows a child viewing an oil painting, the text reads, “This painting is called Orange and Yellow. It is by Mark Rothko, and it is very large. If you stand close enough, you might feel absorbed into its orange glow.” From paintings to space suits, and from monarchs to marigolds, Poliquin’s curated field trip invites readers to consider the color orange in their own worlds.Picture BooksATOS Book Level 4.7AR Interest Level Lower Grades (LG K-3)View book details
The Library in the WoodsCalvin Alexander RamseyMoving to Roxboro, North Carolina, in 1959, a Black boy is introduced to the unexpected pleasure of a library. After bad weather ruins his crops two years in a row, Junior’s father moves the family to the city, where Junior is impressed by his new friends’ televisions and books—“and I do not mean schoolbooks.” They read books for fun, books that they check out at the library. While public libraries are segregated, this African American community has its “own library” in a log cabin in the woods. To Junior, the collection is astounding, not least for the number of Black authors it includes. He checks out three books: for himself, his mother, and his father. Daddy sits on the porch with his book every night. When it comes time for the books to be returned, Junior’s mom tells him “something important”: His father can’t read. She suggests Junior read aloud to him. “Your daddy taught you [how to swim and fish] with love and kindness, and that is how you will read his book to him.” Junior is hesitant, but as he reads aloud to his father, he notices joyful tears in Daddy’s eyes. Based on the library the author grew up visiting, this book concludes with a wonderful Author’s Note describing the importance of that library and the culture of literacy cultivated by its librarian. Soft acrylic paintings in a muted palette punctuated by swaths of cheerful gold further help situate the reader in time.Picture BooksView book details
A Place for UsJames E. Ransome, illustrated by James E. RansomeA powerful, wordless narrative illustrated with lush watercolor and colored pencils focuses on a mother and son (both Black) and their daily routine. The mom meets her son after school, they have dinner at a food court, and then they spend the evening at the public library, where the mom reads while her son does his homework. When the library closes, the parent and child walk to a park where they will spend the night on a bench. The mom stays alert, making sure they are safe, while providing a warm and comforting spot for her son to rest his head. In the morning, they get dressed and brush their teeth using a water fountain, and the routine comes full circle when the mom drops her son off at school. The realities of their life are presented as a matter of fact, without objectification or overt messaging, but not without emotion. The book succeeds in part because the story is less about the circumstances of the mother and son and more about their relationship, which is clearly one of closeness and care.Picture BooksView book details
Oh Dear, Look What I Got!Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen OxenburyA child’s shopping misadventure is built on repetition and rhyme, with page turns that are sure to provoke eager predictions by child listeners. “I went to the shop to get me a carrot. Oh dear, they gave me … [page turn] a parrot!! Oh dear, look what I got! Do I want that? No, I do NOT!” A menagerie of purchases follows: Instead of a hat, they get a cat; instead of a coat, they receive a goat; and so on. The animal medley mounts until a wriggly pup “chased the bear, that stepped on the snake, that hissed at the goat, that butted the cat, that startled the parrot” and bedlam ensues. A knock at the door admits the adults who brokered the original sales, and who now help to round up their respective creatures before walking off in pairs on the end papers. The patterned text and watercolor illustrations impart an old- fashioned sensibility with timeless appeal.Picture BooksATOS Book Level 1.1AR Interest Level Lower Grades (LG K-3)View book details
Hornbeam By and LargeCynthia RylantAffable moose Hornbean returns with friends Cuddy, Eureka, and Adorabelle for a third book in the series. Understated humor is perfectly matched with cheerful colored pencil and watercolor illustrations in these short stories. In the first, Hornbeam attends a swap meet with Eureka, where he trades an old badminton racket for a “Best Listener” trophy. In the second story, Adorabelle invites Hornbeam to play on her volleyball team, and after an antler-net entanglement, the game ends in a draw with waffle cones for all. Lastly, the whole gang attends Cuddy’s birthday party at Adventure World. While their exploits are often over-the-top, Hornbeam and company exhibit down-to-earth, affirming attitudes.Picture BooksView book details
Next to MeDaniel SalmieriA series of familiar people and objects leads the brown-skinned narrator through their afternoon routine in this cheerful story. Running down the steps after school, the child is greeted by their mom and dogs. “I see PEPPER / Next to PEANUT / Next to MAMA!” Walking home through their urban neighborhood, the child observes big and small details. Looking down, they see a chalk drawing next to tiny plants in the sidewalk cracks, and in the sky there’s “a PUFFY CLOUD / Next to an AIRPLANE.” Childlike descriptors are used (“spinny clothes” at the laundromat, “big kids” playing basketball, the “big hole” of a construction site), and occasional happy exclamations break up the list of sights (“Let’s go!” “We’re home!” “Yum!”). When they get home, there’s Papa cooking dinner (“BROCCOLI / Next to NOODLES / Next to DUMPLINGS”). Then it’s time for bath and a bedtime story, where “cozy in my bed / I feel SOFT / Next to SOFT / Next to SOFT.” Colorful, appealing paint-and-collage illustrations depict an after-school routine that will be recognizable to many readers.Picture BooksView book details
How to Reach the MoonNicolás Schuff, illustrated by Ana Sender, Lawrence SchimelIn the summer, Emilio (Latine) leaves the city and travels past a landscape of pointed mountains to the forest, where his abuelo lives in a house among the trees. There they eat dinner outside by lantern light, and afterward, in the dark, Abuelo treats Emilio to fantastical stories. Seeing the moon in the sky one night, Emilio asks whether it is “true that the moon has a face we never see.” In fact, it “has many faces!” says Abuelo. Would Emilio like to meet the moon? “I would love to.” Abuelo leads his surprised grandson on a journey through the woods, where “plants caress their legs and arms,” and where Emilio imagines himself and his grandfather as animals. They reach the edge of a ravine, and Emilio sees the moon reflected large and silver in the water below. “Ready for takeoff?” Abuelo takes Emilio’s hand; they run and run and “WHOOP! They leap and fly through the air, howling and flailing their arms with joy, and they land right in the middle of the moon in the lagoon.” After a good swim, they build a campfire and sleep beneath the stars. This beautifully translated work feels imbued with otherworldly magic. The special summer setting, Emilio’s lively imagination, and Abuelo’s playful, spontaneous spirit make for a warm and enchanting reading experience.Picture BooksView book details
Freya and the SnakeFredrik SonckFreya and her family are spending the summer in the Åland islands. When she and her siblings spot a snake sunning itself on the beach, Freya is delighted and names it “Snakey.” Her parents, concerned about Freya’s toddling baby brother getting bitten, are alarmed. Her father reads a book to learn how to safely capture a snake, but when he attempts to catch the snake with a stick and bucket, he is comically unsuccessful. The mother then suggests that he find a less sentimental way, and in a quick succession of events and page turns, he clubs the snake to death with an old oar. Freya is distraught. “SNAKE MURDERER!” she yells. She mourns the death of Snakey and is outraged by her father’s violence. She stays angry, unable to forgive him even as the rest of her family moves on and enjoys ice cream together. This Nordic picture book bluntly addresses issues of death, violence, and animal rights while also keeping the story firmly child centered. Freya’s raw emotions are as much about Snakey as they are about the human fallibility of her father. Following a moment of repair and reflection between Freya and her father, the sad story of Snakey is laid to rest, with Freya getting the final word.Picture BooksLexile Text Measure AD520LATOS Book Level 3.4View book details
Raven’s RibbonsTasha Spillett, illustrated by Daniel Ramirez“Boom-boom. Shuffle-shuffle.” Raven loves taking part in round dances, holding his grandma’s hand as “round and round they go” with other members of their Indigenous community. Raven especially admires the vibrant ribbon skirts worn by girls and women. Many of them were sewn by his grandmother, the colors carefully chosen for each individual. “Like people, no two skirts are the same.” One day, Raven ventures to ask his grandmother whether a boy could wear a ribbon skirt. Nohkum squeezes her grandson’s hand, pauses, and answers honestly. “I’ve lived for a long time, Nosesim, and have never seen a boy in a ribbon skirt.” As Raven sleeps that night, Nohkum is hard at work at her sewing machine; the next morning, she rouses Raven to present him with “the most beautiful rainbow. His very own ribbon skirt.” “I’ve lived for a long time, Nosesim,” she says, “and I’m lucky to see beautiful things that I’ve never seen before.” At the next round dance, Raven is the first to hit the dance floor, proudly “leading the way” in his new ribbon skirt. As stated in the Author’s Note, this gentle story of belonging and acceptance “honors the imperative of prioritizing our people over rigid cultural protocols.” Raven trusts Nohkum to see his whole, unique self, and Nohkum thoughtfully makes space for him. Soft acrylic paintings depict colorful ribbons flowing through Nohkum’s skilled hands, connecting individuals through a shared dance.Picture BooksATOS Book Level 3.0AR Interest Level Lower Grades (LG K-3)View book details
AnythingRebecca Stead, illustrated by Gracey ZhangA thoughtful father eases a tough transition for his young daughter. On the day the narrator and her dad move into their new apartment, Daddy makes a cake with one candle (for the apartment’s birthday) and tells his daughter to make a wish—for anything. Three anythings, in fact. “I can wish for very hard things. But Daddy didn’t look scared.” As they go about their day unpacking and visiting the nearby playground, the girl wishes for many things in her heart: that the slide were not so tall, that the apartment didn’t smell like paint, and that they hadn’t had to move at all. To Daddy, she wishes for a rainbow in her room (he paints one), pizza for dinner (granted), and to skip her bath (done). Waking up in the middle of the night, she asks Daddy for one more wish: to go home. “Daddy opened his arms. ‘All aboard the train to home!’” Around the apartment they walk, talking occasionally; Daddy’s repeated reassurances that the trip is a long one, and that he’ll be carrying her “for a long time still” are comforting. The trip ends with the narrator tucked safely into bed, and in the morning, Daddy has a new favorite breakfast ready for her. Scribbly black line drawings show Daddy and the narrator with paper-white skin; bright, rainbow colors fill in objects here and there. Touching without being too sweet, this gentle story depicts a dad who knows his daughter—and what she needs—well.Picture BooksATOS Book Level 2.3AR Interest Level LG K-3View book details
Make New FriendsJoshua David SteinMaking friends at a new school is no easy feat, so one boy gets creative. At recess, Tomasso (white) finds himself alone—until he finds a couple of old playground balls. He draws eyes on them and christens them Roland and Barry. That night, when his dad asks if Tomasso made new friends, Tomasso says, “Not yet, Dad…” Over the next few weeks, Tomasso’s posse of friends expands to include Coco, a carton of milk; Ms. Take, an eraser; Henny, a paper bag; and other friendly objects. When his dad again checks in, Tomasso says he has made some friends—and “his dad’s face lit up like a lamp.” Before Tomasso knows it, his dad has cheerfully planned a pizza night for his son and his new friends. When the day arrives, Tomasso nervously arranges his inanimate pals at the table while his dad picks up the food. His dad’s exuberant greeting upon his return is followed by a “silence as loud as thunder” when he sees his son’s “friends.” Tomasso’s anxious anticipation stretches across several pages, his cheeks burning as his father gathers himself. And then, “his dad’s face broke into a big wide Dad smile.” He pulls Tomasso in for a hug and joins in the pretend play. “You must be Roland!” At the heart of this tender story is the supportive, loving relationship between resilient Tomasso and his single father, both of whom are making the best of a challenging transition.Picture BooksView book details
Smelly PeggyHelen StephensPie, the narrator of this rollicking picture book, introduces the reader to their rescue dog, Peggy, a curly-haired thing not much bigger than a loaf of bread. “What do you think of her? Do you think she looks nice? Well, she’s not. She’s naughty.” In fact, Peggy’s naughtiness knows no bounds. In the morning, Mom gets “an extra-slobbery lick,” and Dad gets the other end—dog butt to the face—before Peggy makes off with Mom’s underwear. But there’s more. “So, when we first got Peggy, she didn’t even know what a stick was. And now? She LOVES sticks.” What does she do with them? Mows down her family as she runs past with an extra-large one. “PEGGGY!” Of course, there’s also the habit that results in Peggy’s titular moniker: She loves to roll in smelly things, especially “POOP! Rabbit poop, seagull poop, all the poops! Can you believe it? SMELLY PEGGY!” Once Peggy is sufficiently stinky, she brings the odor home and rubs it all over the carpet before being forced into the bathtub (to be followed by “the big shakedown”). “But do you think we love her? Do we? Of course we do! No one is perfect.” It’s impossible not to laugh at the protagonist’s eager, childlike voice. Despite the complaining, Pie’s love for Peggy is obvious. Appealing crayon- and-watercolor illustrations depict Pie with light skin and red hair, and carefree Peggy with irresistibly cute charm.Picture BooksView book details
So Tired, So Wide AwakeSusanne Strasser“It’s time for bed,” and most of the animals tucked snugly side-by-side in their large, shared bed “are SO tired.” But not Seal. “Seal is wide awake. … Flip flap, flip flap.” He makes his way to the bathroom. “Door open, door shut.” On the next page, everyone is snoozing but for Crocodile, her eyes wide, tail clenched anxiously between her teeth—which she has forgotten to brush! “Sciff, scuff, sciff.” To the bathroom she goes. And so goes the pattern, with the animals waking one by one and getting out of bed to take care of one task or another. The varying sounds of their feet are heard (“Flitch flotch … trippity trapp … pit, pat … tip, tip, tip”), followed by the opening and closing of the door, until finally even little Hedgehog, afraid to be left alone, gets out of bed. She joins her companions, who have gathered in the bedroom of a sleeping child (white) for a goodnight kiss. They pile on the bed to sleep, waking the child up. All of a sudden—“What a stink! Who did that?” The animals flee the smelly room, leaving the child (one eye open, a sly smile on their face) happily alone again. “Door open … Eyes shut.” A satisfying pattern, comically sweet illustrations, and a funny surprise make this simple board book a standout.Picture BooksView book details
Hilwa’s GiftsSafa Suleiman, illustrated by Anait SemirdzhyanA boy visiting his grandparents in Palestine experiences the bounty of an olive harvest for the first time. Ali is especially fond of a mature olive tree he calls “Hilwa,” which Seedo (his grandfather) planted with his grandfather. Ali loves Hilwa so much that he first insists on harvesting her olives by hand rather than using the more efficient—but alarming!— method of hitting her with a stick to make the fruit fall. He changes his mind, though, when he realizes how quickly the fruit falls with a good whack. There are so many olives, and that’s not the only gift that Hilwa gives. Seedo takes Ali along to the olive press, where the grinding machine produces fresh oil to eat and for making soap, and pulp to kindle fires for bread. Together the family cooks and enjoys a meal under the trees to celebrate the harvest. “And that’s the greatest gift of all.” This Palestinian family’s love of the land and appreciation for nature’s gifts, combined with appealing behind-the-scenes details of olive processing, make this story both joyful and fascinating.Picture BooksView book details
Cranky, Crabby Crow (Saves the World)Corey R. Tabor, illustrated by Corey R. TaborCrow, sitting on his telephone wire, repeatedly turns down various animals who approach him wanting to play with a loud “KAW!” Having successfully chased off Squirrel, Hummingbird, Rat, Bat, and even Cat, Crow hears a “RING-RING RING-RING” behind him. Answering the phone attached to the telephone pole, he assures whoever’s on the other end that he has “cleared the area.” “Good,” the voice replies. “It’s time. And we don’t have a moment to spare!” Crow leaps into action, getting on an elevator concealed within the pole and descending to a small complex of rooms. He dons a spacesuit and fires up a rocket that bursts out of the top of the pole and into space, where a giant asteroid is hurtling toward Earth. Crow employs missiles and lasers, blasting the asteroid into tiny bits before returning home. Soon, the same animals again approach, this time with invitations from Crow. They line up together and wait. It’s getting dark. Then—“Wow!” “Shooting stars!” “Purrfect.” “And Crow? Crow says nothing. But what’s that? Is Crow smiling? Nah, it couldn’t be.” Crow’s heroic mission comes as a delightful plot twist at a point when his story appears headed towards a didactic message about manners. A comic style and page layout culminate in a cinematic close-up of Crow as he breaks the fourth wall with a cheeky wink at the reader.Picture BooksATOS Book Level 1.8AR Interest Level LG K-3View book details
We Go SlowMariahadessa Ekere Tallie, illustrated by Aaron BeckerAs the rest of the family rushes out the door wearing sports uniforms and work scrubs, a Black girl and her grandfather indulge in a quiet breakfast together at home before heading out into the city where “palms of light… wave us outside.” “We go slow” is the refrain setting the pace of their day as they wander mindfully, taking in the sights: flowers, chalk drawings, soft fabrics for sale outside a store. They join “a busy, buzzing line” for “bright, bold slices of ripe sunshine” sprinkled with chili powder and lime. They stop for cups of chai, wander through a park, and watch artists painting the brick wall of a building. As the sun begins to set, they make their way home hand in hand. Soothing and meditative, this gentle story with lyrical text is awash in softly blurred watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations.Picture BooksView book details
We Are the Scrappy OnesRebekah TaussigThis purposeful, affirming book about disability concretely addresses some of the realities of being disabled in our society. Vibrant, warm illustrations created with pastel, colored pencils, collage paper, and pen tablet depict a range of smiling, playful children in real and imagined settings, along with their family members and others. Double-page spreads show a wide variety of visible and invisible disabilities, adaptive aids, and mobility or medical devices. The text celebrates the minds and bodies of children with disabilities while also validating challenges, like existing in a “world that wasn’t built with us in mind. A world starved for creativity and flexibility.” While most of the text is intentionally upbeat, there is honest acknowledgment of the hardship: “All of this—this living, this adapting, this defying—can be exhausting. There’s no shame in feeling it. When you need a break, take it.” Excellent notes from both the author and illustrator offer their personal perspectives and intentions with this picture book anthem of belonging.Picture BooksView book details
Across the Ice: How We Saved the Ojibwe HorseDarcy Whitecrow, Heather M. O’ConnorA moving fictional narrative tells of the real-life efforts to rescue and revitalize a nearly extinct horse breed. At Lac La Croix First Nation in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, two siblings are awake past their bedtime on “a special night.” As they anticipate an arrival, Nookomis offers to tell them the story of the Ojibwe horses, a pony native to—but now absent from—the land. Long ago, these “curious and friendly” ponies were captured by Indigenous people, who trained them to assist with manual labor in the fall and winter and let them roam free in the spring and summer so that they could have foals. By the time Nookomis was born, most ponies had been rounded up and killed by the government. The four that remained (all mares) were caught by the Indigenous community and transported across the frozen lake to Minnesota, where they would be safe. To preserve the breed, the farmer who took them in bred them with a mustang stallion, which continued the line and slowly increased the size of the herd. Now, on this night, the siblings and other family members are awaiting the arrival of six Ojibwe horses, the first of the breed to return home. “Now you are part of the story, too,” Nookomis tells her grandchildren as they joyfully greet the animals. An Afterword provides additional interesting information about this unique breed and its importance to the Ojibwe people.Picture BooksView book details
Go, Sloth, Go!Toni YulyDeep greens and rich blues made with ink and torn paper are the layers of a thick jungle canopy where a dark shape emerges on the page. It’s Sloth, who after some sleep is ready to eat. With a big yawn, masked eyes, and quiet resolve, Sloth begins to climb. “Go, Sloth, Go!” is the energetic refrain after each careful move on Sloth’s slow, deliberate, and dedicated climb toward food. “She moves by degrees towards the tastiest leaves.” Simple rhyming text and a satisfying chant will delight young readers and those in quest of a perfect snack.Picture BooksView book detailsBooks for Beginning Readers
12 selections
Henry’s Picture-Perfect DayJenn Bailey, illustrated by Mika SongUnlike his classmates, Henry (East Asian) is not excited for class picture day. His striped shirt is irritating: the collar too close to his ears, the cuffs too tight around his wrists. And the buttons? They’re never ending! Worse, Vivianne tells Henry that her mom says stripes make a person look taller—but Henry is not taller, which makes his shirt a liar. When the photographer is running late, the class munches on some mess-free carrots in the meantime—and Henry’s tooth starts to wiggle, leading to a degree of chaos. Vivianne frets that a loose tooth will “ruin [their] picture,” but despite his classmates’ efforts, the tooth will not be secured; to the contrary, it falls out and gets lost in the shuffle. Could it be one of those white specks in the soil of the potted plants? Better dig to find out. By the time the tooth is located, Henry’s shirt is streaked with dirt. Surely this will ruin their picture, Vivianne says. Ms. Tanaka, though, is reassuring. “Pictures are meant to show special times and special friends. That is all.” Henry takes this to heart. The class picture was “not about a shirt. Henry did not have to be perfect. He just had to be Henry.” This latest installment about Henry, who thrives on routine and is likely neurodivergent, is charming, reassuring, and full of humorous classroom antics.Books for Beginning ReadersATOS Book Level 2.7AR Interest Level LG K-3View book details
Bulldozer Goes to SchoolElise BroachBulldozer (or “B”) is a childlike construction vehicle with a (white) human family. Happy with his home routine, B is anxious about starting school in the fall and making friends. In Bulldozer’s Big Rescue, his mother gives him some cookies for the new neighbors. B is paralyzed with fear—they’re strangers! What will he say? Thankfully, the Patels (Indian American) warmly welcome him, although Bulldozer “feels insulted” when their son, Jay, wants B to give him a ride on his blade. (“He is so much more than a truck.”) Reluctantly, B gives Jay a ride while sister Millie walks beside him. When a cat darts in front of B, he slams on the brakes! The frightened cat scales a tree, and B, now in way deeper than he wanted with this social errand, finds a way to save the day while also extending his emotional boundaries. In Bulldozer Goes to School, B has a rough first day in the classroom. He can’t sit crisscross applesauce and doesn’t know what to share during Circle Time. He makes a mess while trying to clean up, and then he accidentally backs into a table and breaks it. Discouraged, B joins Millie and Ryan (white) for imaginary play during recess and is pleased when his earth-moving abilities improve the landscape for their fort. Plentiful pencil illustrations with gray and yellow shading accompany these universal stories about social anxiety.Books for Beginning ReadersView book details
Bulldozer’s Big RescueElise BroachBulldozer (or “B”) is a childlike construction vehicle with a (white) human family. Happy with his home routine, B is anxious about starting school in the fall and making friends. In Bulldozer’s Big Rescue, his mother gives him some cookies for the new neighbors. B is paralyzed with fear—they’re strangers! What will he say? Thankfully, the Patels (Indian American) warmly welcome him, although Bulldozer “feels insulted” when their son, Jay, wants B to give him a ride on his blade. (“He is so much more than a truck.”) Reluctantly, B gives Jay a ride while sister Millie walks beside him. When a cat darts in front of B, he slams on the brakes! The frightened cat scales a tree, and B, now in way deeper than he wanted with this social errand, finds a way to save the day while also extending his emotional boundaries. In Bulldozer Goes to School, B has a rough first day in the classroom. He can’t sit crisscross applesauce and doesn’t know what to share during Circle Time. He makes a mess while trying to clean up, and then he accidentally backs into a table and breaks it. Discouraged, B joins Millie and Ryan (white) for imaginary play during recess and is pleased when his earth-moving abilities improve the landscape for their fort. Plentiful pencil illustrations with gray and yellow shading accompany these universal stories about social anxiety.Books for Beginning ReadersView book details
Brianna Banana, Helper of the DayLana ButtonBrianna (white) is an impulsive third grader who longs for friends. Her good intentions are often overshadowed by her enthusiastic actions that make sense to her but annoy others. Brianna recently moved with her mom from their trailer home to a city home with her grandmother, while her father moved to Western Canada for work. Brianna wants nothing more than to be selected as the Helper of the Day in her classroom, a job that offers positive attention and the privilege of returning classroom books to the library, an errand that requires walking independently to the school’s second floor. Once again, Brianna is not chosen, and on this day, the honor is given to Rumi (brown-skinned), the quiet new girl. Brianna is envious but also tries to set Rumi at ease. With her Helper of the Day status, Rumi is welcomed into the social circle of classroom clique the Cheese Girls—but only to hold their coats at recess, not to play with them. Brianna can relate to this exclusion and invites Rumi to join her and a young neighbor that Brianna protects from bullies. Later, when the teacher asks Rumi to pick a classmate to walk with her to the library, Rumi picks Brianna. In Brianna’s excitement, she gets them lost in the hallways of the big-kid classrooms but uses her pluckiness to set things right. A straightforward school story offers tender insights into the challenges of making friends and doing your best.Books for Beginning ReadersView book details
The Beach DayAme DyckmanAfter sweating it out on a hot day in the backyard, Bat, Cat, and Rat decide to cool off at the beach. Cat packs a bag of books, Bat packs a large sun hat, and Rat packs a kite. At the beach, Bat is warned not to share his snack with the seagulls, but he cannot resist. Cat offers assistance with the swarming birds, and Bat pays it forward by helping Rat with his misplaced kite. Animated illustrations, snappy dialogue, and short sentences round out this volume of the trio’s adventures.Books for Beginning ReadersWord Count 355View book details
Night LightMichael Emberley, illustrated by Michael EmberleyWearing matching striped pajamas, a parent and child engaged in their bedtime routine are interrupted by a power outage. When a faint flashlight won’t get the job done, the parent’s solution is to climb a ladder to the stars and return with a big bag of celestial wattage. When the stars are too bright for the child to sleep, the parent procures sunglasses as the obvious solution for dimming the light. There is pleasant comfort in this getting-your-needs-met bedtime story, as well as cheerful whimsy. The easy-to-follow panel illustrations and brief dialogue make this an accessible and confidence-boosting selection for a burgeoning reader.Books for Beginning ReadersATOS Book Level 1.0AR Interest Level Lower Grades (LG K-3)View book details
Pickle on WheelsSylvie KantorovitzPickle, the lovable green dog previously seen in Pickle Gets a Car, is looking for new wheels. Inspired by TV hero Superdog, a superhero on skates, Pickle’s grandma gifts him roller skates. Pickle quickly discovers that skating is a lot harder than it looks. Bird offers encouragement and safety reminders while Coco offers to hold hands and practice together. Pickle returns the favor by encouraging his unsteady friend Felix in the same way. The biggest surprise is who shows up at the skate park with all the skills and tricks. Hint: It’s not Superdog. Comic panel illustrations and crisp text bubbles make Pickle’s escapades smooth rolling and reading.Books for Beginning ReadersView book details
Duck and Cat Ride the RiverboatDrew PanckeriDuck and Cat are enjoying a perfect day filled with sunshine, ice cream, and being together. When Duck spots a riverboat tour, she thinks it would make the day even better. Cat hates water, but to make Duck happy, he agrees to go. Unfortunately, things start to sour as soon as they embark. The boat’s cook and entertainer get sick and offboard via raft, so the dinner and live show are cancelled. The boat’s captain offers passengers crackers as a meal instead, but that is not enough for a hungry crocodile family who suddenly has its eyes on Duck and Cat. Petitioning the captain for help, Duck and Cat find themselves as the makeshift chef (Cat) and dancer (Duck) to feed and amuse the hangry crocodiles. Clean illustrations and well-formatted panel and text layout make the story easy to follow. Ample visual and textual humor abounds in this suspenseful beginning reader comic book.Books for Beginning ReadersView book details
Earl & Worm: The Bad Idea and Other StoriesGreg PizzoliWhen Earl E. Bird moves into the tree next door (The Bad Idea and Other Stories), Worm is not sure what to think of her new neighbor. He’s up at dawn, and he’s cheerful. “Worm was cranky. She did not like new things. And Earl was new.” Eventually, over glasses of sweet lemonade, the neighbors discover what they have in common: Neither likes to be alone. Thus begins a new Frog and Toad-esque friendship in a delightful trio of early reader books, each containing three stories. In The Bad Idea and Other Stories, Earl and Worm meet, make bad paint-color choices, and appreciate poetry. In The Big Mess and Other Stories, Earl and Worm learn that one person’s junk is another’s problem, contemplate what constitutes luck, and stay awake all night. In Snow Problem and Other Stories, Worm eagerly awaits wishing Earl a happy birthday, the friends fail to take a perfect selfie, and they cement their best-friend status. Charming pastel illustrations, clean layouts, and amiable humor make Earl & Worm a welcome addition to the early reader scene.Books for Beginning ReadersView book detailsEarl & Worm: The Big Mess and Other StoriesGreg Pizzoli, illustrated by Greg PizzoliWhen Earl E. Bird moves into the tree next door (The Bad Idea and Other Stories), Worm is not sure what to think of her new neighbor. He’s up at dawn, and he’s cheerful. “Worm was cranky. She did not like new things. And Earl was new.” Eventually, over glasses of sweet lemonade, the neighbors discover what they have in common: Neither likes to be alone. Thus begins a new Frog and Toad-esque friendship in a delightful trio of early reader books, each containing three stories. In The Bad Idea and Other Stories, Earl and Worm meet, make bad paint-color choices, and appreciate poetry. In The Big Mess and Other Stories, Earl and Worm learn that one person’s junk is another’s problem, contemplate what constitutes luck, and stay awake all night. In Snow Problem and Other Stories, Worm eagerly awaits wishing Earl a happy birthday, the friends fail to take a perfect selfie, and they cement their best-friend status. Charming pastel illustrations, clean layouts, and amiable humor make Earl & Worm a welcome addition to the early reader scene.Books for Beginning ReadersATOS Book Level 2.3AR Interest Level LG K-3View book details
Earl & Worm: Snow Problem and Other StoriesGreg Pizzoli, illustrated by Greg PizzoliWhen Earl E. Bird moves into the tree next door (The Bad Idea and Other Stories), Worm is not sure what to think of her new neighbor. He’s up at dawn, and he’s cheerful. “Worm was cranky. She did not like new things. And Earl was new.” Eventually, over glasses of sweet lemonade, the neighbors discover what they have in common: Neither likes to be alone. Thus begins a new Frog and Toad-esque friendship in a delightful trio of early reader books, each containing three stories. In The Bad Idea and Other Stories, Earl and Worm meet, make bad paint-color choices, and appreciate poetry. In The Big Mess and Other Stories, Earl and Worm learn that one person’s junk is another’s problem, contemplate what constitutes luck, and stay awake all night. In Snow Problem and Other Stories, Worm eagerly awaits wishing Earl a happy birthday, the friends fail to take a perfect selfie, and they cement their best-friend status. Charming pastel illustrations, clean layouts, and amiable humor make Earl & Worm a welcome addition to the early reader scene.Books for Beginning ReadersView book details
Mouse and Spoon: Owlets and TartsCynthia RylantThree mice siblings run a bakery, The Mouse and Spoon, which is popular with birds. A very tired owl father walks in one day and orders three pillow tarts. The mice whip them up and deliver them—straight to the beds of the owlets, who lay their heavy heads on the fluffy, soft tarts and promptly fall asleep, much to the relief of the tired new parents. This cozy confection of an early reader will delight fans of sweet treats and anthropomorphic animal families.Books for Beginning ReadersView book detailsBooks for Newly Independent Readers
7 selections
Stella & Marigold: Mermaids and Mix-UpsAnnie BarrowsSisters Stella (age 7) and Marigold (age 4) are often skeptical of the gifts sent by their cousin Judy; while they “always looked exciting from the outside,” the contents tended to be disappointing. Their new guided notebooks (Me and My Besties! Our Secrets, Our Faves, Our Fun!) are no different, and the girls (both white) are disheartened to realize that their number of “besties” is fewer than they’d like. Mishaps in the following chapters—swiping a scary mermaid tchotchke from the upstairs neighbors’ apartment, cutting out a hundred fake band-aids, plotting to run away—are part of the girls’ efforts to pad their lists of friends. Delightfully child-centered, this volume in the “Stella and Marigold” series revolves around more of their imaginative antics and heartwarmingly intimate and supportive sibling bond. The ample, colorful illustrations are warm, humorous, and expressive.Books for Newly Independent ReadersView book details
Orris and Timble: Lost and FoundKate DiCamilloThe unlikely friendship of Orris the rat and Timble the owl is put to the test in book two of this gorgeously illustrated series. Every night, Timble visits Orris in the barn where the old rat tells the young owl stories. One night, Timble does not arrive, and Orris is heartbroken and then dismayed. Convincing himself that they should never have been friends in the first place, Orris’s loyalty wavers—until he hears the familiar hoot of his companion. Relieved but resentful, Orris hides from Timble. The patient owl knows his friend well, though, and coaxes him out with a story of his own. “It’s a story about an owl who got lost.” Storytelling, friendship, and strong emotions shine in this big-hearted story by the brilliant Kate DiCamillo.Books for Newly Independent ReadersView book details
The Faraway Forest: Wally’s RouteDebbie FongWally is a racoon mail carrier who walks his daily route with Bo, his rabbit best friend, in this easy graphic novel comprised of four interconnected chapters. Wally and Bo help out their community in various ways as they deliver the mail, which sometimes slows them down, to the frustration of Mr. Sternbill, who is expecting an important letter. But when a torrential rainstorm might have turned the less committed aside, Wally lives his motto (“Rain, sleet, snow, or shine! Every house, every time!”) which includes Mr. Sternbill’s delivery. In the final chapter, Wally’s laid low by a cold after his day in the rain, but friends and neighbors stop by to deliver get-well gifts. Even Mr. Sternbill comes to apologize for his brusque behavior and offers his own delivery: a book on the history of the postal service. Accessibility for budding graphic novel readers pairs winningly with a cozy sensibility and charming illustrations.Books for Newly Independent ReadersView book details
Monti and Leo: A Mystery in PocketvilleSylvie KantorovitzIn this inviting installment of a graphic novel series, friends Monti (a mole) and Leo (a lizard) are excited to see a new display at the Pocketville Public Library: Mrs. Sheep’s personal collection of animal figurines. Monti wants to be a collector, too, like the librarian, who collects things people forget in library books; or like Leo, who collects rocks. In fact, everyone but Monti seems to collect something! Monti is particularly enamored with a small bird in Mrs. Sheep’s collection, which he returns to admire again the next day. When the figurine disappears, the town is in a tizzy, and Monti quickly becomes a suspect. Despite Monti’s protestations, Mrs. Sheep is convinced that he is guilty. Seeing his friend depressed and overwhelmed by the accusations, Leo is determined to find out what really happened. “Could Mrs. Sheep be right? … Wait! NO! Mrs. Sheep’s words made their way into my mind. … I need to find my own thoughts!” Leo’s commitment to uncovering the truth leads to the clearing of Monti’s name. A conversation with friends over cookies and milk provides emotional healing for Monti—and gives him an idea for a collection. Simple linework and clean, separate panels make for a smooth reading experience, while the story offers gentle guidance in making amends and supporting a friend.Books for Newly Independent ReadersView book details
Your Turn Marisol RaineyErin Entrada KellyIs it possible to improve one’s personality? Marisol (Filipina and white) and her best friend, Jada (Black), think so, and both resolve to change one thing about themselves. Jada wants to be a better athlete, and Marisol, who is quiet and anxious, wants to speak up more in class. At school the next day Marisol starts off strong, raising her hand and getting called on twice. But when classmate Evie (who definitely has no qualms about speaking up) makes fun of her, Marisol’s anxiety doubles down. When her teacher assigns a haiku-writing project that must be recited in front of the class, Marisol is paralyzed as she imagines the worst-case scenarios that will surely play out. She struggles to land on a nature subject for her poem and loses the battle with her emotions at recess, shouting at Evie for making fun of her (“You think you’re funny, but you’re not! … And all your haikus are stupid!”). She feels horrible after her outburst. When she later apologizes to Evie, she is surprised to learn that loquacious Evie, too, gets nervous. Marisol writes and recites her haiku despite her dread, and she ends the school week feeling relieved and proud—perhaps all the more so after experiencing so much anxiety.Books for Newly Independent ReadersLexile Text Measure 681LATOS Book Level 4.4View book details
Have a Good Trip, Mousse!Claire LebourgThis follow-up to A Day with Mousse offers a change of pace for our long-nosed, striped protagonist. One rainy morning, Mousse finds few seashells during his morning hunt and even fewer friends at the beach. When he learns that everyone is on summer holiday, Mousse decides to take a trip to the South. There he experiences pleasures (“velvet” beach sand, balmy weather, an ice cream shop on the terrace) and drawbacks (crowds, sunburn). He invites his walrus friend, Barnacle, to join him, and the two sign up for a spa package. The mud bath is delightful—until a new guy, Felix, rudely dives in, creating a splash. Mousse is annoyed and jealous when Barnacle befriends Felix, and things come to a head when Felix laughs at Mousse’s nickname. But there’s unexpected reconciliation—and even connection—when Mousse and Felix later discover a shared interest in collecting seashells. The vacation culminates in a delicious shared meal. “I have never had … such a great trip!” Mousse declares to his two friends. “To summer vacations!” Soft, colorful, funny illustrations round out the story, showing a world filled with animals and animal- adjacent creatures.Books for Newly Independent ReadersView book details
The Summer of the Bone HorsesVirginia Driving Hawk SneveEddie (Dakota) arrives at his maternal grandparents’ home on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota where he will spend several weeks while his father recovers from surgery in the city. While Eddie has spent time with his grandparents before, he is anxious about being separated from his parents for the first time. He is quickly and lovingly brought into his grandparents’ daily routines, many of which are new to Eddie since they live without electricity or running water. Eddie assists with weeding in the garden and takes care of Buck, his grandfather’s horse. Grandpa offers Eddie a set of bone horses to play with to pass the time on the long summer days. The bone horses are made from old cow vertebrae, but Grandpa explains that their people traditionally used bison bones. With a bit of wire, leather, and some cardboard boxes, Eddie creates riders and a corral for his new figurines. When Grandpa is injured and Grandma can’t get the car started, Eddie rides Buck to the general store to get help. By the end of his stay, he has a closer relationship with his grandparents and an appreciation for their reservation life and values. Happy to see his parents, Eddie departs with a newfound resilience and his treasured bone horses. Based on the author’s brother’s experience as a child, the end matter also includes a photo of bone horses. Colorful, stylized line drawings and spot art complete this warm family story.Books for Newly Independent ReadersLexile Text Measure 630LATOS Book Level 4.3View book detailsFiction for Children
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A Sea of Lemon Trees: A Corrido of Roberto AlvarezMaría Dolores ÁguilaFifth grader Roberto Alvarez lives in la colonia, a neighborhood of Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants in Lemon Grove, California. Roberto says goodbye to his principal on the last day of school before Christmas break in 1929 unaware he won’t be welcomed back. When school starts again, Roberto and his friends from la colonia find out they can no longer attend their grammar school; all Mexican students must now attend Olive Street School in a converted barn. Roberto’s genuine, appealing voice and engaging details of his life with his family, friends, and community ground this first-person verse novel recounting their battle against school segregation. The families of la colonia organize to fight the order. The children face expulsion for truancy when their parents keep them home. Roberto’s best friend David and his family face deportation, despite David being a U.S. citizen. Roberto, a high-achieving student who loves school, is chosen to be lead plaintiff in la colonia’s legal case against the school board. Roberto doesn’t always understand the intricacies of what’s happening, especially the legal terminology, and when he testifies in court the questions feel repetitive and overwhelming. But Papá’s loving look reminds him of the words he’s been told so often: “Eres el futuro.” “He is right / I am the future, / and I will act like it.” An excellent Author’s Note provides more information on Roberto and this case, which the families of la colonia won, as well as source material.Fiction for ChildrenLexile Text Measure 800LATOS Book Level 5.1View book details
Pocket BearKatherine ApplegateRescued from a dumpster by alley cat (and narrator) Zephyrina, an old teddy bear finds himself delivered to Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured. This unofficial toy repair and restoration effort is run by Dasha, a Ukrainian refugee, from the home where she lives with her mom. A toy entering Second Chances goes through a process: probation (a chance to be reclaimed by their owners), a spell in the freezer (which Dasha thinks will kill germs), and a thorough scrubbing; afterward, the toy joins the cuddly ranks. Dubbed “Berwon” by Dasha, the old bear is welcomed by Pocket, a tiny mascot bear originally handsewn to fit inside the pocket of a World War I soldier. But it turns out Berwon is not just any old bear. He is one of the first batch of teddies ever made, and “Picky Vicky,” a wily antique trader, wants him. When Dasha rejects Vicky’s lowball offer, Vicky resorts to underhanded means, and it’s up to haughty yet goodhearted Zephyrina to once again come to Berwon’s aid. Fortunately, Berwon—and Pocket, too—has caught the eye of a museum curator. If they have any say in the matter, the old, tired bears would appreciate such a quiet place to retire. Told with humor and warmth, this entertaining tale emphasizes community care and offers much in the way of fascinating teddy bear history.Fiction for ChildrenATOS Book Level 3.9AR Interest Level MG 4–8View book details
It’s All or Nothing, ValeAndrea Beatriz ArangoPuerto Rican American middle schooler Vale’s identity is largely tied to being an ultra- competitive, nationally ranked junior fencer. But an accident has left her with the lasting effects of a serious leg injury. Vale has not only lost valuable time fencing, but she may be facing a lifetime of chronic pain. The fact that she’s still healing on her first day back at training isn’t the only thing that worries her; she was once the best among her training peers, but now there’s a new fencer, Myrka (Cuban American), who’s as good as Vale was pre-accident. This verse novel deftly traverses Vale’s emotional landscape as she experiences feelings on many fronts. She wonders whether she is now disabled—a topic explored with sensitivity and nuance. She is jealous of Myrka, who has considerable fencing skills despite an attitude not nearly as competitive as Vale’s own, and on whom she is also developing a crush. Her complicated feelings extend to her loving, supportive parents and big brother Luis Manuel, whose suggestions about her recovery are well-meant but sometimes misguided or make Vale feel unseen. A new friend at school becomes someone in whom Vale can confide about her fears of life without fencing and process her budding crush on Myrka. The poetic text zings with Vale’s frustrations, grief, and growth in the face of uncertainty in the present and going forward.Fiction for ChildrenView book details
Sea LegsJules BakesLife aboard Janey’s parents’ sailboat, the Merimaid, has its ups and downs—sometimes literally. Janey (white) enjoys life at sea and the opportunity to travel, but seasickness, storms, and isolation make it challenging. Her relationship with her best friend, Rae (who lives in Florida), is on rocky ground. When her parents anchor at St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands in search of temporary work, Janey jumps at the chance of a friendship with brown-skinned Astrid, who lives on a nearby boat. Astrid seems sophisticated and worldly, but she can be mean, too. She pushes Janey to explore dangerous, off-limits locations, like an abandoned military bunker. When the girls nearly get trapped in an underground cistern, Janey explodes with anger over Astrid’s recklessness; Astrid, who has a negligent father, accuses Janey of complaining about things for which Astrid envies her, like having attentive parents and a homeschool routine. Recognizing Astrid’s unhappiness and low self-worth, Janey becomes the only source of encouragement in Astrid’s life. Just as the girls’ friendship begins to hit its stride, the threat of a hurricane abruptly sends Janey to her grandmother’s house while her parents ride out the storm. When Janey returns, Astrid and her family are gone, leaving Janey without a real sense of closure. Featuring clean, colorful artwork, this graphic novel based on the author’s childhood in the 1990s offers a fascinating glimpse into life at sea and very believable, if painful, friendships.Fiction for ChildrenLexile Text Measure GN330LATOS Book Level 2.8View book details
BeastsIngvild Bjerkeland, Rosie HedgerWith the arrival of predatory creatures known simply as “the beasts” comes the collapse of society. With their mother dead—killed by a beast—13-year-old Abdi and his little sister, Alva (both white), are on the move, searching for food and making their way toward the island where their father is working. As they take shelter in an abandoned farmhouse, flashbacks reveal the chaotic scramble that took place as people tracked the movement of the beasts and hoarded supplies or fled. When strangers arrive at the farmhouse, the siblings move on and are pursued by a beast into a nearby body of water. They are rescued by Lucy, an older woman whose family was killed, and taken to her remote cabin. There Abdi and Alva find respite and care. The night before they plan to move on, though, a beast arrives on their front step, viciously swinging an axe at their door, determined to gain entry. The absence of explanation—Where did the beasts come from? Why are they here? What do they want?—makes this well-paced horror story all the more frightening. The black-coated beasts have long, slender limbs; sharp teeth; hooves; and spiral claws that unfurl to become swordlike weapons; but most terrifying is their humanlike cunning. Translated from Norwegian, this short, thrilling novel is both accessible and sophisticated.Fiction for ChildrenView book details
The Enemy’s DaughterAnne BlankmanInitially stuck in New York when World War I broke out, Marta (white) and her father are returning to Germany on the Lusitania; their false documents allow them to board as Americans rather than exiled Germans. When Marta’s father’s identity is discovered moments before the ship is torpedoed, he’s suspected of facilitating the attack. Now recognized as a German, Marta’s attempts to clear her father’s name fail. Stranded alone in York, England, the 11-year-old feigns a Dutch background and is befriended by Clare, a poor Irish girl whose family takes Marta in. Marta begins to feel tormented by her secret- keeping and growing attachment to the “political enemies” who show her nothing but kindness. Her childlike rationale is believable and nuanced as she slowly accepts that the actions of a country’s government (including her beloved homeland) do not equate with an individual’s humanity. Unsure how to find a way back to her mother in Germany, Marta works at a chocolate factory with Clare and saves her money in the meantime. When someone at the factory exposes Marta’s lies, the heartbreak and drama are swift and intense. A daring escape is aided by characters who see Marta for the person she really is: a true friend and loving daughter.Fiction for ChildrenATOS Book Level 5.2AR Interest Level Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
ScattergoodH.M. BouwmanIn 1941, Peggy’s modest world revolves around her parents, cousin and best friend Delia, and neighbor friends who live within walking distance of her family’s rural Iowa farm. But lately everything seems to be changing. Delia has been diagnosed with leukemia and given six months to live, but no one will tell her the truth about her own health. And with Jewish refugees—including an attractive boy named Gunther and a chess-playing former professor, both of whom have lost their families—moving into the nearby Scattergood hostel, the faraway war seems to have arrived in Peggy’s backyard. Set over the course of about six months, this profoundly pleasurable novel is remarkable in its depiction of complex human emotions and motivations. Peggy (white) convinces herself that if only she can find the right medical information, or talk to the right person, or pray hard enough, or write Delia enough uplifting letters, she can save her cousin’s life. She is mathematically brilliant and mature for her age (12), but she is also realistically naïve and ignorant of the wider world; she has a surface-level understanding of the trauma and grief that Gunther and the Professor are experiencing, and her sometimes-uncomfortable interactions with them help her to look beyond her own pain and experiences. Nuanced, heartrending, and quietly astonishing, this is the coming-of-age novel at its best.Fiction for ChildrenView book details
Rabbit RabbitDori Hillestad ButlerCousins Bee and Alice (both white, age 12) reunite after many years for their grandparents’ 50th anniversary in late 2019. Bee adores their grandparents and lives with her mom in the small Minnesota town where her mom and Alice’s mom grew up. Religious faith is important to Bee, but she’s secretly questioning some teachings of her conservative Lutheran church since realizing she likes girls. Alice’s family lives in Seattle. Alice only has a relationship with their grandma, who visits Seattle alone because of a family rift. Alice isn’t religious, but she practically worships roller derby. None of these differences matter to the two girls, who stay connected by text after Alice’s family returns to Seattle; they’re determined to uncover the source of the family divide. Then the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts daily life. Bee is thinking more about her dad’s progressive church in Minneapolis and finds herself increasingly at odds with her opinionated grandpa. Alice’s learning differences are better accommodated by the changes in schooling, but she misses roller derby. As the girls navigate differing perspectives about pandemic precautions, shared grief over their grandma’s death, and dismay and anger at the death of George Floyd, they solidify their friendship and commit to bringing their moms, at least, together. Rich, complex characterizations ground this deeply felt story told in the girls’ alternating voices.Fiction for ChildrenView book details
The Zuzu SecretMiriam ChernickSiblings Josie, 12, and Abe, 15 (both white), have just moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, when a car accident leaves their mom with a concussion and Josie in secret possession of a bearded dragon. Josie, passionate about animals, found the lizard after the crash, but their family has a no-pets rule because Abe has a hard time being gentle with animals when he gets excited. Abe has Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare chromosomal disorder with symptoms that include intellectual disability and constant hunger. Josie is determined to take care of Zuzu, as she calls the female bearded dragon, until she can find her home—which means doing research, buying supplies, and hiding Zuzu from her dad and Abe. Abe, meanwhile, is eager to attend a Baltimore Orioles game, but only their mom shares his baseball passion, and she’s recovering at her sister’s home. As Josie’s well-meaning subterfuge and lies mount, Abe tries to piece together what she’s hiding. To divert his attention, Josie secretly promises to take Abe to the game. Orioles game day brings multiple crises and surprises involving both Zuzu and Abe before the story’s satisfying resolution. Josie and Abe are distinct and appealing characters; the siblings’ individual perspectives, their relationship, and their interactions with others, including new friend Bixby, add texture to this novel that alternates between their two points of view. End notes provide information about Prader-Willi Syndrome (which the author’s older brother has), bearded dragons, and the Baltimore Orioles.Fiction for ChildrenView book details
The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary GirlsJ. Anderson CoatsIn Colorado, in 1910, 12-year-old Stanislava lives in “Bohunk Town,” a name that uses a derogatory term for her Slovenian American community. Inspired by a novel about a college student who, like her, is an immigrant, Stanislava decides to go by the more- American “Sylvia” and dreams of one day chasing opportunities in the wider world. Her hopes are dashed, though, when her older sister, Stina, who has long been the family’s primary homemaker and childcare provider, elopes with a Protestant. Disowned by their Catholic parents, Stina moves away with her new husband, leaving her onerous duties to Sylvia, who is forced to drop out of school. Feeling trapped and desperate, Sylvia makes the bold choice to leave home, stowing away on a train to Denver, where she learns that Stina is unreachable and that she must fend for herself. The public library becomes her temporary home and haven; when she is discovered living there, she is hired to help provide outreach to a local Slovenian community. Her understanding of Slovenian cultural norms helps bridge a gap between the library and the community, and the experience helps Sylvia begin to tackle the shame she has been taught and to embrace her identity as both Slovenian and American. While she is realistically naïve about the world, Sylvia is a courageous, determined protagonist navigating issues related to class, gender, and ethnicity that are still relevant to today’s readers. An illuminating Author’s Note reveals that this story is based on the author’s grandmother’s experiences.Fiction for ChildrenView book details
The Mystery of the Haunted Dance HallCharis CotterAt a summer camp with a focus on ornithology, loner Bee is constantly guarding her secret: She has super-sensitive hearing. She’s developed a method of closing auditory “gates” that allows her to filter out some of a constant barrage of sounds. Bee soon befriends Zippy, a feisty Jewish girl with her own super-sensory power, the ability to see clearly in the dark. Along with peevish fellow camper Felicity, Bee and Zippy decide to use their abilities to aid them in investigating a mystery involving a cabin of older girls, the Hawks, whose flashlight batteries are dead every morning. Despite appearing exhausted, the Hawks are never seen leaving their beds at night. Entering the Hawks’ cabin after dark, Bee, Zippy, and Felicity (all white) discover a hidden trapdoor leading to a long, dark, underground tunnel; Bee can hear the Hawks’ voices in the distance. Summoning their courage, the younger girls follow. Their discovery—that the girls are meeting up with boys to dance—is not what it initially seems, and soon the girls are entangled in a ghost story involving not only the Hawks but also the elderly founder of the camp and the boy she secretly dated decades earlier. Moderately paced with a masterful balance of plot and character development, this mystery novel has it all: excellent writing, hair-raising scenes, prickly-yet-heartwarming friendship, and a cozy, retro vibe.Fiction for ChildrenLexile Text Measure 760LATOS Book Level 4.9View book details
Lost Evangeline: A Norendy TaleKate DiCamilloIn this newest “Norendy Tale,” a shoemaker who longs to go to sea and has given up hope of ever having a child is surprised—and delighted—by the appearance of a mouse-sized human baby in the toe of one of his boots. He raises the girl as his daughter, Evangeline, fitting her with tiny, handmade clothes and furniture—even a minuscule, functional lantern. Evangeline has the voice of an angel. The man’s wife, though, fears the girl and sells her to an ailing woman who believes Evangeline’s song will cure her. Evangeline soon escapes the woman’s clutches, but she is again intercepted, this time by a circus ringmaster who views her as a curiosity to add to his show. Evangeline escapes this cage, too—she has a clever way of using stories to persuade others to assist her—and goes to sea with her rescuer. The shoemaker, who has not stopped seeking his daughter, has taken to the water as well, hoping he might find Evangeline there. The story’s resolution is murky, which may frustrate readers; the narrative returns to the miniature lantern, now displayed in a mariner’s museum along with its legend of a father who held it aloft on the prow of a ship, hoping to find his daughter. With its beautiful language; wistful, yearning atmosphere; and masterful illustrations, this novel feels timeless and immersive.Fiction for ChildrenView book details
Growing HomeBeth Ferry, illustrated by Terry Fan, Eric FanMr. and Mrs. Tupper, who own an antique store, live with their daughter, Jillian, at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive. But in this story, the human characters (all white) take a backseat to the other residents of Number 3: Toasty, a grumpy goldfish, and Ivy, an ebullient houseplant. Toasty resents Ivy, who is talkative and rather full of herself, for being Jillian’s “favorite,” but Toasty tolerates Ivy because she fetches him cheese puffs, which he loves. When a brainy spider named Arthur arrives at the house in an antique desk, closely followed by a second potted plant, Ollie, the social dynamic shifts. Ivy begins to realize that she has a lot to learn about friendship. She also discovers that she and Ollie have magical abilities caused by splashes of water from Toasty’s antique octagonal fish tank. As it turns out, the tank is one of two magical items designed by one Augustus Octothorpe; the other is a birdcage that Mr. Tupper has acquired and is restoring. When an underhanded buyer realizes the Tuppers have no intention of selling the items to him, he breaks into the Tuppers’ home to steal them—and is met with the well-orchestrated countermeasures of Toasty, Ivy, Ollie, and Arthur, who have come together to protect themselves and their home. Cleverly plotted, charming, and satisfying, this standalone novel has a cozy, old- fashioned feel and delightful illustrations. Who knew houseplants could undergo such profound emotional growth?Fiction for ChildrenATOS Book Level 4.3AR Interest Level Lower Grades (LG K-3)View book details
Max in the Land of LiesAdam GidwitzPicking up where Max in the House of Spies left off, 12-year-old Max has parachuted into Nazi Germany as a spy for the British government in 1940. His official mission is to infiltrate the Funkhaus, stronghold of Nazi radio and propaganda. The mission of his heart, forbidden by his Uncle Ewen, who works for British naval intelligence, is to find his parents, whom he left behind in Berlin when he escaped on the Jewish Kindertransport. The official plan works better than Max could have hoped. Befriending lonely Freddie, the son of popular radio personality Hans Fritzsche, proves easy, and it isn’t long before Max’s genius has impressed Fritzsche and Nazi leaders at the Funkhaus. Max’s determination to find his parents gets assistance from a surprising source, but what he discovers is devastating—the most disheartening of the many upsetting things he witnesses and learns. The Nazis are brutal, but the capitulation of the German people to that brutality is unsettling, while Britain’s own global history, as the Nazis point out, is far from unblemished. Max’s unexpected, genuine friendship with Freddie is a bright, tender spot, but Max must battle his own fear at almost every turn and acknowledge the uncomfortable truth of his own ability to lash out in violence. The presence of Stein and Berg, the dybbuk and kobold that sit on Max’s shoulders, takes an unexpected turn in a tense tale that builds to a dangerous escape and final revelations.Fiction for ChildrenLexile Text Measure 660LFountas & Pinnell Text Level YView book details
The Nine Moons of Han Yu and LuliKarina Yan GlaserIn Chang’An, China, in 731 C.E., a boy with a remarkable ability to connect with animals finds unexpected fulfillment in a simple life. Overshadowed by his talented, high- achieving siblings, Han Yu accompanies his father to market each day to make and sell steamed buns. When his family contracts a dangerous respiratory illness, Han Yu embarks on a journey along the dangerous Silk Road in search of medicine. Along the way he meets a young poet who becomes a friend and travel companion. Across the world and centuries later, in Depression-era Chinatown in New York City, Luli helps out at her parents’ dim sum restaurant, in a building at risk of foreclosure. Luli is fascinated by a small collection of Ancient Chinese art displayed in a makeshift “museum” attached to the gift shop downstairs, which is owned by a family friend. One particular piece, a length of silk with remnants of a poem on it, may provide a reversal of fortune for Luli’s family. As Han Yu’s and Luli’s adventures progress, the connecting threads between them strengthen. The equally engaging storylines draw parallels between two vastly different times and locations using appealing sensory details and a profound appreciation for Chinese art, history, poetry, and culture.Fiction for ChildrenATOS Book Level 6.0AR Interest Level Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
OasisGuojingA speculative graphic novel explores the positive human qualities of artificially intelligent robots. JieJie (in Mandarin, “older sister”) and DiDi (“younger brother”) live without parents in a sand-covered, post-apocalyptic wasteland. Their mother lives and works in glass-domed Oasis City, “a paradise with the purest water and air,” trying to save enough to move her children there, too. While collecting water one day, the siblings chase a fox into a restricted area filled with mountains of trash from Oasis City. There they find a discarded robot, which they take home, repair, and activate. “Please state your wish,” it says. DiDi wishes for a mother, and so the robot activates “mother mode.” From then on, “AI Mom” not only meets the children’s basic needs but also provides them with moments of pleasure in their otherwise dismal, difficult lives: stories, dance lessons, and movies projected from her head onto the wall. The siblings give her one of their mother’s dresses and grow to love her. But when they miss a phone call from Mom, she returns home to check on them—and violent conflict erupts when she realizes that AI Mom has been residing with her children. When the conflict is resolved and the children’s needs are prioritized, AI Mom shares her plans to grow food with Mom. “Maybe we can live without money someday.” With sparse text and soft, black-and-white illustrations, this thought-provoking story may inspire discussions on AI, parenthood, and the future.Fiction for ChildrenATOS Book Level 2.0AR Interest Level MG 4–8View book details
Dream OnShannon Hale, illustrated by Marcela CespedesWhen white fourth grader Cassie opens a magazine sweepstakes in the mail and sees a gold sticker (“GRAND PRIZE WINNER”), it feels like her wildest dreams are about to come true. In a large family where money is tight, Cassie often feels invisible and underappreciated. Winning a vacation, a car, or a waterbed (it’s the ’80s) will surely turn things around. Cassie’s sensitive, imaginative nature is nurtured by her teacher, Mrs. Farmer, and by her best friend, Vali (Latine), who also loves to dream. Lately, though, manipulative classmate Stesha has been driving a wedge between Cassie and Vali and poisoning Cassie’s good opinion of their teacher. Cassie feels terrible when Mrs. Farmer overhears her reluctantly agreeing with Stesha that their teacher is “a weirdo.” It’s Mrs. Farmer, though, who helps Cassie to embrace her own sensitivity. When Cassie apologizes to her, Mrs. Farmer assures her that she learned long ago not to care what others think of her; she’s proud of her unusual and fascinating past and one-of-a-kind personality. Although Cassie finally accepts that the sweepstakes is not going to change her life, support from an older sister, much-needed alone time with her mom, and new, healthier friendship dynamics help. Cassie is a sweet, at times painfully relatable character; even as she and her classmates are starting to grow up, she is learning that her sensitivity and tendency to dream big are not childlike naivete but strengths.Fiction for ChildrenWord Count 11,998View book details
The Forest of a Thousand EyesFrances Hardinge, illustrated by Emily GravettPerched atop the Wall, an ancient structure many miles long that protects humans from the ever-encroaching Forest, the community of Greyman’s Gate shares a single spyglass used to spot approaching beasts. When Feather (white) meets a traveler named Merildun, she swipes the glass so that Merildun can use it to help her make a map of the surrounding area. But she misjudges Merildun’s character; he steals the spyglass and pushes Feather off the Wall. Unwilling to return without having recovered her community’s treasured tool, Feather pursues Merildun along the treacherous Wall into unknown territory. His destination is the sea, which he hopes to cross in search of a Forest-less land. Along the way, Feather passes through other small communities, each of which has its own strengths and weaknesses; while Feather sometimes shares knowledge (like how to collect fresh water in dew-funnels), she also learns from others (such as how to travel via zip wire and cultivate hanging gardens). When she and Merildun reach the coast and encounter a boy who belongs to a nearby island community with wisdom of its own, their paths diverge. Feather returns to Greyman’s Gate without the spyglass (it’s been broken) but with new knowledge and a proposal that the long-isolated communities along the Wall will be stronger if they work together. Pencil illustrations creep amply about the pages, adding to this well-paced novel’s atmosphere of ever-present danger as intrepid Feather risks her life for her community.Fiction for ChildrenATOS Book Level 5.8AR Interest Level Middle Grades Plus (MG+ 6 and up)View book details
The Undead Fox of Deadwood ForestAubrey Hartman“On All Hallow’s Eve, Deadwood will bring mayhem to Fernlight. And before the moon sets, the one in Deadwood will vanish forever.” To Clare, an undead fox whose job is to usher souls to the afterlife from Deadwood Forest, All Hallow’s Eve—the night on which all four afterlife realms are open to accept souls regardless of whether they belong there—is the worst night of the year. He’s doing his best not to think about whether this prophecy, made by Hesterfowl, is about him. When Gingersnipes, a badger, arrives at Clare’s door, Clare’s attempts to usher her to various afterlife realms (Progress, Pleasure, Peace, and Pain) all fail. Fearing that the badger’s appearance is connected to the ominous prophecy, Clare visits Hesterfowl, who tells him that Gingersnipes is not a wandering soul but the next Usher, there to take Clare’s place. But Clare is loath to step aside. Accepting his fate will require reckoning with the trauma of his past—especially the car accident that killed his mother and left Clare with a ghastly appearance, which he conceals beneath his cloak. While populated with amusing characters (in addition to the ones mentioned, there are the Pinks, a family of “trashrats” that do business with Clare), this fresh, standalone fantasy packs a powerful emotional punch.Fiction for ChildrenATOS Book Level 5.3AR Interest Level MG 4–8View book details
The Village Beyond the MistSachiko Kashiwaba; translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa, illustrated by Miho SatakeThis summer Lina Uesugi will be staying in Misty Valley, a mysterious Japanese village that can only be located with the help of a magical umbrella. Consisting of a single street and six buildings, Misty Valley is home to both fantastical creatures and humans descended from sorcerers. To earn room and board at Picotto Hall (owned by small, severe Ms. Pippity Picotto), Lina is told she must work. And so, she does: She organizes books at the used bookstore, helps a former ship’s captain and his loquacious parrot clean up the mess in their shop, dusts the wares at the pottery shop, and helps staff the toy shop. Lina’s work duties, though, extend beyond the mundane. She identifies a prince that was transformed into a piece of pottery and helps break his curse. She reunites the son of the toy shop owner with his long-lost mother. Bit by bit she finds herself winning over the hearts of Misty Valley’s inhabitants. At the end of the summer, Lina’s new friends send her home with gifts—one of which is the magical umbrella, an invitation to return to Misty Valley next summer. Whimsical and mildly uncanny, this translated fantasy novel with a kind and curious protagonist is an escapist delight with a timeless feel.Fiction for ChildrenView book details
Benny on the CaseWesley KingA guide to Newfoundland sayings prefaces this middle grade mystery set in a small coastal town in the Canadian province. Benny is an eleven-year-old b’y (that’s Newfoundland slang for “buddy,” among other things) who has mosaic Down syndrome and is transitioning to a mainstream classroom after spending his entire school career in special education. Benny lives with his widowed mother (both are white) in a large old house that doubles as a retirement home that she runs called Starflower by the Sea. Benny’s best friend is an 86-year-old man named Mr. Tom, whom Benny assists in fixing up old machines and vehicles. Mr. Tom is hopeful that Benny will make friends his own age, but Benny is doubtful based on the teasing and prejudice he experiences. Benny finds that he is not the lone new kid—an American transfer student from Seattle has moved to town. Salma is a city girl who is quickly treated like an outsider in the small island community, especially because she is Tunisian American and speaks some Arabic. Benny and Salma become friends with mutual bullies and team up to solve a mystery of stolen jewelry at the Starflower—Benny with his ability to piece things together and Salma with her tech skills. While not all aspects of the plot are believable, the budding friendship between Benny and Salma and the kindred connection between Benny and Mr. Tom buoy this bucolic whodunnit.Fiction for ChildrenATOS Book Level 4.6AR Interest Level Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
The Gate, the Girl, and the DragonGrace Lin, illustrated by Grace LinLike all Gongshi, Jin is a stone statue imbued with a spirit whose sacred duty is to watch over humans. Jin, though, prefers kicking around the zuqiu ball with other Gongshi to spending time in the human world. While the statues may take any shape, Jin is a lion cub; his lion father is additionally tasked with guarding the Sacred Sphere, which maintains balance in the universe. When the Sphere falls off its pedestal and rolls through the Old City Gate one day, Jin chases it—and finds himself trapped in the human world. There he meets a girl, Lulu (Chinese), who can hear the same mysterious, disembodied voice that’s calling Jin. Joining forces with a mustached worm who claims to be a dragon, they race to unlock the Gate before the Gongshi on the other side perish. What Jin doesn’t realize is that the Sphere was summoned through the Gate by an enigmatic Sculptor who wishes to use the Sphere for his own purposes; the owner of the mysterious voice, too, has his own self- serving intentions. The threads of this action-packed story based on elements of Chinese folklore are woven into a satisfying ending that sees villains vanquished, families reunited, and Jin gaining a new appreciation for his sacred responsibilities.Fiction for ChildrenATOS Book Level 5.2AR Interest Level Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
Dreki My Icelandic DragonMary LogueJohan is excited to spend a few weeks with his beloved Icelandic grandfather while his parents travel abroad. While Grandpa Siggy is not as spry as he once was, 12-year-old Johan (white) values his company. Soon into his stay, Johan discovers that Grandpa has been hiding something in the basement for decades: a baby dragon named Dreki. Shocked by Grandpa’s secret and the existence of this mythical beast, Johan doesn’t have much time to process before Grandpa adds to the drama. Dreki needs to return to his homeland. He has grown too big, and Grandpa Siggy has grown too old. Leaving the Mississippi shores of Stockholm, Wisconsin, behind, Johan assists with covertly smuggling Dreki onto an international flight and through customs with his plucky grandfather. Once on Icelandic soil, Johan is enchanted with the ancient island home of his grandparents, where he learns that dragons, elves, and other elements of magic are just as real as the majestic fjords and kind people. Johan realizes that not only will he be leaving Dreki in Iceland, but Grandpa Siggy will not be returning home. Humor and tenderness prevail in this fantastical family story.Fiction for ChildrenView book details
Graciela in the AbyssMeg Medina, illustrated by Anna Balbusso, Elena BalbussoOn her 13th birthday, Graciela (Latine) falls from a bluff into the sea and drowns. When she awakens 100 years later, it is to the calming presence of Amina, her spirit guide in the underwater world. As a sea spirit, Graciela works as a glazier, creating sea glass from trash, whereas Amina aspires to become an Alma, a “ruler of the sea realm.” Graciela dreads losing her friend to the Almas, so when she unexpectedly intercepts the Almas’ invitation to Amina, she hides their note. Graciela’s story alternates with that of Jorge (Latine), a living boy who stumbles upon a harpoon with a driftwood grip that resembles a horrified face caught mid-scream. As it turns out, the harpoon belonged to an unscrupulous ancestor who attempted to lance sea spirits and harvest the pearls their teeth had become. Graciela’s, Jorge’s, and Amina’s paths intersect as Jorge, in a disintegrating dinghy, flings the harpoon into the sea to prevent it being used by his greedy parents. He and Graciela, with some help from Amina and the Almas, must recover the harpoon, properly destroy it, and return Jorge to the safety of land. Rich worldbuilding and a fairy-tale ambience make for a magical, fast- paced fantasy adventure.Fiction for ChildrenView book details
The Trouble with SecretsNaomi MillinerBecky (white) would much rather practice her flute than prepare for her upcoming bat mitzvah. She worries that her Torah reading will pale in comparison to those of her talented older siblings, and she wants to audition for the All-County Band. When her dad refuses to grant permission for her to try out, Becky forges her mom’s signature on the form and secretly earns herself a spot. Becky and her three siblings are all close, but 16-year-old Sara is Becky’s most trusted confidant. When Becky learns that Sara is dating Sean, a boy who’s not Jewish—against her parents’ express wishes—Becky and Sara promise to keep one another’s respective secrets. Predictably, this requires increasingly elaborate and stressful lies and cover-up, and one terrible night, Sara sneaks out to meet up with Sean with tragic consequences. While the specifics of this heartbreaking story may speak most strongly to Jewish readers, the sibling dynamics, drama of secret-keeping, and personal exploration of one’s religious practice will resonate widely.Fiction for ChildrenView book details
How to Say Goodbye in CubanDaniel Miyares, illustrated by Daniel MiyaresIn 1956, 12-year-old Carlos and his family live on a sugarcane farm in Ceiba Mocha, Cuba, where life for Carlos is mostly carefree. But political and personal changes are coming. When his papi wins the lottery, the family moves to the city, where Carlos must adjust to a new school with students who call him “country kid” and assume he’s wealthy because his dad has his own business. Carlos also misses his abuelo, and he’s alarmed by the civil unrest in the city. Fidel Castro, recently returned to Cuba after exile, has taken control of the government. Soon Papi’s business is shut down, and suspicion abounds as neighbors begin to spy on one another in search of anyone not in support of Castro’s Revolution. Carlos knows his homeland is in turmoil, but frustratingly, his parents keep him mostly in the dark regarding political events. And then Papi disappears. In this fictional graphic novel based on the author’s father’s childhood experiences, a timeline of historical events is interspersed throughout, drawn in black-and-white and kept short and digestible. The ink- and-watercolor artwork accompanying the primary narrative is detailed and set in an earth- toned palette with pops of oranges and pinks. Life before and during the Cuban Revolution is realistically depicted from a child’s limited perspective, and the ending promises hope and a chance of a new life for Carlos and his family despite a difficult goodbye.Fiction for ChildrenLexile Text Measure 370LFountas & Pinnell Text Level XView book details
The Teacher of Nomad Land: A WWII StoryDaniel NayeriNayeri’s heartfelt storytelling provides a Middle Eastern perspective on World War II in this moving novel. Set in Iran in 1941, Babak and Sana are orphaned siblings. Iran is a neutral country occupied by the British and Soviets. The only thing Babak has left to his name is his father’s large chalkboard with carrying straps. Babak is at a loss, but Sana, full of wit and wisdom, sees opportunity. The siblings head for the hills, where they hope to find a position with a nomadic tribe, but they are dismissed by the leader as a liability. Babak is devastated, but Sana stays buoyant until they come across an armed soldier named Vulf in the woods. Terrified, the siblings try to appease him by sharing fire and food. They escape but discover that they are being followed by Ben, a young Jewish boy being hunted by Vulf. Ben is rude and deeply annoys Sana. Patient Babak coaxes Ben to share his traumatic exodus from Europe and vows to reunite him with his lost brother. The trio are soon on a fast-paced escape from Vulf, only to be caught at a military checkpoint by British and Soviet soldiers. With pluck and luck, the trio make it to the train that will take Ben to his brother—and then Vulf reappears for a final showdown. This slender novel offers a memorable sibling adventure story and fills a geographical gap in middle grade WWII novels.Fiction for ChildrenATOS Book Level 4.3AR Interest Level MG 4–8View book details
At Home in a Faraway PlaceLynne Rae PerkinsLissie (white) hopes to learn Spanish on the trip she’s taking with her dad and grandma to visit her dad’s friend, Raúl, who lives “where most people speak Spanish.” Word by word, phrase by phrase, Lissie’s Spanish skills expand in that faraway place where she has both new and familiar experiences and meets many kind people. Raúl takes them to do “local” things, like playing soccer (fútbol) in a park (parque), and “touristy” things, like visiting a Mayan pyramid, where the guide also teaches Lissie a little Kaqchikel—his first language. Time with Flory and Mateo, children of Raúl’s girlfriend, Ana, is filled with fun, good feeling, and lots of Spanish; it isn’t long before they’re making and exchanging friendship bracelets (las puseras de la Amistad). At the airport on the way home, Lissie uses her limited but ever-growing Spanish skills to lead a couple of restless younger kids in a game of Simón dice (Simon Says). Lissie also gives them each a friendship bracelet. “I know it’s not a real friendship,” she tells her grandma. “But it felt like a tiny one.” Her grandma replies, “The world is held together by tiny friendships. And bigger ones too, of course.” Black-and-white drawings illustrate elements of Lissie’s trip, as well as some of the words, phrases, and concepts she is learning in Spanish, with phonetic pronunciation and English translation provided in this quietly captivating, full-hearted story.Fiction for ChildrenLexile Text Measure 600LATOS Book Level 3.9View book details
Halfway to SomewhereJose PimientaAdjusting to life in Lawrence, Kansas, proves challenging for nonbinary Ave (Mexican American), who has moved there with their mom and younger brother, Ramón. They miss the bustle of Mexicali and long for the day when their older sister and father will join them in Kansas. Stuck in their professor mom’s office during the summer, Ave meets future classmate Rene. Unlike Ramón, Ave doesn’t speak much English and worries that if they learn, they’ll risk losing their native tongue. Although Rene’s Spanish is limited, he and his friends warmly fold Ave into their friend group, even inviting them to be the fourth in their track team’s relay group. Things are just beginning to look up when Ave learns that there were never any plans to reunite the family. Their parents have separated, and Ave feels betrayed and devastated. Repairing the broken trust in the family will require both Ave and their mother to open up about feelings and experiences they’ve been keeping to themselves. This graphic novel inspired by the author’s personal experience deftly depicts a young person trying to hold onto their identity in a place so far—literally and culturally— from home, especially when it seems everyone in their life has a different opinion on what it means to be Mexican.Fiction for ChildrenLexile Text Measure GN330LATOS Book Level 2.8View book details
Will’s Race for Home: A WesternJewell Parker RhodesAfter decades of backbreaking, thankless sharecropping work in Texas, Will’s father, who was enslaved as a child, is “grim and dull,” and Will longs for a closer relationship with him. When they hear of the Oklahoma Land Rush, they recognize it as the chance of a lifetime. With a wagon of supplies pulled by their mule, Belle, Will and his dad join thousands of others racing to stake out their own land. The journey is arduous, but Will repeatedly rises to the occasion. He kills a snake that threatens Belle. He guides Belle across a treacherous river. And he meets both friend and foe along the way, the former a fellow Black traveler and Union soldier named Caesar, who helps Will defend his supplies from thieves. Joining Will and his father on their journey, Caesar becomes like family. But he has an enemy of his own, a white Confederate soldier who has been tracking him, putting them all in danger. Before Will and his dad reach “the promised land,” Will will test the limits of his courage, daring, and loyalty in order to protect his home and loved ones. Action-packed and fast- paced, this novel offers a satisfying arc for its characters, who grow both in confidence and in closeness with one another. While mentions of Indigenous peoples are absent in the main narrative, an Afterword covers their forced relocation and acknowledges that all who settled Oklahoma took part in their oppression.Fiction for ChildrenView book details
The Midwatch Institute for Wayward GirlsJudith Rossell, illustrated by Judith RossellExpelled from her latest orphanage, Maggie (white) is dropped off at the Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls, where she joins fellow newcomers Nell (white) and Sofie (brown-skinned) in learning that the Institute’s dreary exterior is a front for a school that trains girls in the art of fighting crime. Often unnoticed and underestimated, girls can be rather useful in this arena. Maggie, Nell, and Sofie are enrolled in specialized classes (Hiding, Maps, Contriving, Motorcars, and Observing, to name a few) and each given a doll that conceals tools. Only a few weeks after the girls arrive at Midwatch, a man named Mr. Entwhistle enlists the school’s help. His friend, Miss Fenchurch, has disappeared, leaving a mysterious note behind. When Nell decodes the letter, the first-years are assigned to the case. Sneaking into the city for a reconnaissance mission via old subway exits connected to Midwatch’s underground headquarters, the girls make three discoveries. The first is that Mr. Entwhistle has been bludgeoned by a soup tureen that seems to have fallen from the sky. Second, they find a dragonfly brooch hidden inside the library book Miss Fenchurch had been using. Finally, they realize they are being pursued. The girls’ investigations, along with their skills and daring spirits, lead them into and out of the hands of the villain in this funny, quirky mystery-adventure set in a lightly steampunk city. Ample pencil illustrations decorate the pages, adding to the charm.Fiction for ChildrenView book details
Biggest Fake in the UniverseJohan Rundberg, Eva ApelqvistMovits Lind, who goes by Mo (pronounced “moo”), lives in a suburb of Stockholm with his parents and sisters (white). He has a guinea pig, Domino, who does tricks, and a best friend named Ruben. He loves to play chess and cook up unique dishes. While joining Ruben at a local skate ramp to watch Ruben’s older brother perform, Mo is instantly smitten by a talented skater girl. His feelings make him feel physically ill—it’s his first time being attracted to a girl—so he seeks the advice of his older neighbor and confidant, a brash, funny woman named Ingbritt. Ingbritt has a new boyfriend on the weekly and informs Mo on the power of love. Mo’s solution is to take up skateboarding to try to meet up with his crush, Bea. After a few bumpy lessons, Mo finds himself at a parking ramp with a bunch of experienced skaters, including Bea. As they take turns skating down the long ramp, Mo accidentally performs a series of moves that almost gets him injured but instead seems like an intentional and impressive feat. Captured on video, it instantly goes viral, turning Mo into an overnight skating celebrity. Mo has major imposter syndrome … but on the other hand, he also has Bea’s attention. When he’s asked to demonstrate his moves on TV, his simple desire to meet a girl backfires spectacularly. The over-the-top plot is kept on the rails with credible characters, wry humor, and a satisfying conclusion.Fiction for ChildrenView book details
The Poisoned KingKatherine Rundell, illustrated by Ashley MacKenziePicking up roughly a year after Book One, Christopher (white) awakens in his London home to a dragon nibbling on his face. It’s Jacques, a jaculus dragon, summoning Christopher to return to the Archipelago because his Guardian powers are needed to save dying dragons. Meanwhile, in the Archipelago, a new character is introduced. Anya (white) is the princess, second in line to the throne, though the formality of royal life in the castle does not suit her. Until recently, Anya and her father were sequestered in a forest home on the palace grounds, he with his books and botany work, and Anya with the royal gaganas, magical birds that are her constant companions. In a swift series of events, the king is poisoned, and Anya’s father is jailed for treason. With the gaganas’ help, Anya deduces that her uncle orchestrated the murder plot to secure his position as king—and Anya’s next on his list. Anya’s escape from her uncle coincides with Christopher’s return to the Archipelago. As they take sanctuary at a compound for injured creatures, the pair surmise that Christopher’s dragon-tending and Anya’s kingdom troubles are intertwined. Clue-gathering reveals that Anya’s uncle is poisoning the dragons to steal their wealth. Together, the friends plot a way to protect the dragons and bring Anya’s uncle’s treachery to light. Short, fast-paced chapters filled with rich descriptions and witty banter make this an engaging middle grade fantasy.Fiction for ChildrenATOS Book Level 5.0AR Interest Level Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
The Winter of the DollhouseLaura Amy SchlitzEleven-year-old Tiph is pushing her little brother Phillip in his stroller when she sees an old lady gripping a fence as if close to collapsing. Tiph collects the woman’s dog and helps her to a seat at the nearby dollhouse store, where Gretel, a small doll, has been put on display in hopes of a Christmas sale. Although Gretel is vintage and valuable, collectors pass her by year after year. Gretel doesn’t want a collector—she wants a child. And so, the stage is set for this unexpected trio to form a connection that will impact each of their lives in small and in significant ways. The old woman is Ms. Rózsahegyi, a sometimes prickly and often outspoken elder who solicits Tiph’s help to walk her dog and care for her cat as she recovers from surgery. Tiph welcomes the chance to get out of her house, where her father and stepmother are clashing and a new baby demands attention. She also wants to earn the money to buy Gretel from the store whose owner believes Tiph is guilty of an earlier theft—and he’s right. Complex contemporary characters and realistic interactions merge seamlessly with the magic of the dollhouse world. The satisfying conclusion heals rifts new and old while fitting together the plot’s puzzle pieces into heartfelt perfection.Fiction for ChildrenLexile Text Measure 701LATOS Book Level 4.5View book details
The ExperimentRebecca SteadNobody knows that Nathan and his family are extraterrestrials, part of a select group taking part in an experiment meant to determine whether their people, the Kast, can live safely on Earth. Unlike his parents, brown-skinned Nathan was born in New York City and has never visited the Kast mothership (“the Wagon”). When he unexpectedly grows a sentient tail, though, Nathan is summoned to appear at the Wagon—a worrisome development, as several other Kast kids, including Nathan’s friend, Izzy, have been called there and have never returned. What Nathan learns on the Wagon (disguised as a storage facility) upends everything he’s ever known. Hester, the Kast leader, is thrilled with Nathan’s tail and instructs him and his family to return home. Before he does, though, Nathan stumbles upon Izzy, now an imprisoned laborer on the Wagon, who believes they’ve all been deceived: She and Nathan are not Kast, but human. It will be up to Nathan (and his tail) to rescue not only Izzy and the others, but the actual Kast themselves—who are not what Nathan has been led to believe—from Hester. Fast-paced and exciting, this sci-fi novel is full of surprises as it unfolds. It’s easy to root for Nathan, an affable protagonist who loves his friends and carries the weight of his family’s secret identity with fortitude.Fiction for ChildrenATOS Book Level 4.2AR Interest Level MG 4–8View book details
The Cartoonists ClubRaina Telgemeier, Scott McCloud, illustrated by Raina Telgemeier, Scott McCloudFour middle schoolers learn the ins and outs of comic making along with the reader of this how-to guide set within a fictional framing story. Makayla (Black), Howard and Lynda (both brown-skinned), and nonbinary Art (white) are distinct personalities with their own unique approaches to art and storytelling. Under the guidance of knowledgeable, hijab-wearing librarian Ms. Fatima (Black), the Cartoonists Club meets in the library to learn about comics vocabulary, layouts, and production processes; drawing facial expressions and body language; and making zines. The students have different interests and motivations, which are explored as they interact and workshop their comics. The club applies to host a table at their local public library’s comics convention; their acceptance gives them a chance to learn more about attracting readers (and to accept that growing an audience doesn’t happen overnight). Easy-to-follow, straightforward instructions and pointers; appealing, enthusiastic characters; and colorful illustrations make this a useful, inspiring, and encouraging guide for anyone interested in exploring this popular storytelling art form.Fiction for ChildrenATOS Book Level 2.9AR Interest Level Middle Grades (MG 4-8)View book details
All the Blues in the SkyRenée WatsonA slim, heartrending novel written in both free verse and prose chronicles the fresh grief of 13-year-old Sage (Black), whose best friend was killed in a hit-and-run. Sage misses her best friend in every way. She longs to have a conversation with her, to sit with her at lunch, to hang out over the weekend, and to laugh and dance together. Sage attends a grief group with other kids after school, where she confesses to feeling guilty: Her best friend had been on the way to celebrate Sage’s birthday when she was struck by the car. Sage also feels prickly resentment toward some of the others in group, whose loved ones’ deaths were anticipated due to illness; unlike Sage, those kids had a chance to say goodbye. Sage forms tentative friendships—though she is reluctant to call it that—with two girls who also experienced sudden losses. They offer Sage empathy and connection when she lets her guard down. Despite her resistance, Sage finds that being honest about her raw emotions helps, and she realizes that no matter the circumstances, no one is ever truly ready for loss. With the help of her group, family members, and others, Sage takes a step toward healing, finally revealing the name of her best friend toward the story’s end as she finds a way to remember and celebrate her.Fiction for ChildrenLexile Text Measure NPATOS Book Level 5.0View book details
Bad Badger: A Love StoryMaryrose Wood, illustrated by Giulia GhiginiSeptimus is a fastidious, solitary badger living in a little cottage by the sea. Because he has spots instead of typical badger stripes on his nose, prefers the seaside to the traditional forest habitat of badgers, and likes drinking tea and listening to opera, he considers himself a “bad badger.” Sometimes he wonders if he even is a badger. Septimus’s first foray into friendship is with a seagull who starts hanging out on his porch, although Gully doesn’t say much. Septimus mostly infers his new friend’s feelings. All seems well until two outings lead to rough spots: Septimus’s choice of a tandem bike seems inconsiderate of his winged companion in retrospect, while a trip to the beach is eye-opening for Septimus as he watches Gully swoop gracefully over the sea, but it’s also annoyingly sandy. Despite Gully’s gift of a shell for Septimus’s collection, Septimus worries that they don’t have enough in common to be friends. A quirky, tender story full of laugh-out-loud moments (Septimus’s motto: “Badger safe than sorry.”) and important revelations about friendship and identity (e.g., it turns out that Septimus’s spots are “well within the parameters of badgerhood”) is full of sweet and satisfying surprises. The occasional full-page black-and- white illustrations brim with warmth and charm.Fiction for ChildrenLexile Text Measure 660LATOS Book Level 4.3View book detailsFiction for Young Adults
33 selections
Rosa By Any Other NameHailey AlcarazMexican American Rosa is passing as white to attend a Phoenix high school that will help her get into college to study journalism. It’s 1955, and Brown v. Board of Education has been legislated, but that doesn’t mean going to the all-white school is easy. Rosa aims to lie low until graduation. When she discovers that Julianne (white), her only friend at school, is dating Ramón, her longtime best friend, Rosa is dismayed. She’s also angry with their idealistic plan to attend the school dance as an interracial couple. Rosa knows the danger this could provoke but reluctantly agrees to participate by going to the dance with Tim, a white football player, while pretending to be Ramón’s date for the benefit of Julianne’s parents. The worst-case scenario unfolds when Julianne’s father, the sheriff, sees through the charade and shoots Ramón, accidentally hitting and killing Julianne as well. He claims that the shots were fired to prevent Ramón kidnapping his daughter, and as the sole eyewitness, only Rosa can challenge his statement. Ramón’s brother Marco invites Rosa to attend a meeting of activists, where she becomes inspired by their campaign to fight racism and oppression and drawn into a romance with Marco. Quiet Rosa discovers her courage and voice when she speaks out about the murders and the sheriff’s cover-up. Her journey from the sidelines to public activist highlights the slow pace of cultural change lagging behind legal milestones while demonstrating the hope found in community engagement.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Butterfly HeartMoa Backe ÅstotAt the start of summer, Vilda is a typical preteen attached to her phone and friends. Her friend group is starting to change, and appearance and dating are becoming more important. When an acquaintance says Vilda isn’t a real Sámi because she doesn’t look Sámi, Vilda is hurt and confused. Her dad is Swedish, but her mom is Sámi—albeit not very connected to the culture. Vilda’s beloved grandfather, Áddjá, is, though, and Vilda wants to learn more, both for herself and because she feels like she has something to prove to her peers. While visiting Áddjá, she tries on her late grandmother’s traditional clothing. It doesn’t fit right, but Vilda loves it; it feels like concrete evidence that legitimizes her heritage. When Áddjá dies suddenly from a heart attack, Vilda is devastated and regretful. She’s hurt when her best friend, Alma (away on summer holiday), only texts superficial condolences, and she feels resentful of her parents and sister, who don’t seem to be as saddened by Áddjá’s death as she is. At her grandfather’s funeral, Vilda develops a crush on a Sámi teen and later connects with him on social media; but at a chance meeting in person, Vilda embarrassingly realizes that she invented a romance in her head. This quiet, emotionally resonant novel captures the complexity of adolescent changes while exploring cultural identity and self-definition.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
If Looks Could KillJulie BerryIn this work of historical fiction set in the seedy streets of London and New York City in 1888, earnest, pious Pearl and independent do-gooder Tabitha serve as “Hallelujah Lasses” in the lower ranks of the Salvation Army, a relatively new organization bringing religion and social services to the poor. Tabitha, a homely, humble middle-class teen, chafes against the pretty, pure, zealous farm girl with whom she has been paired. When the white teens encounter Cora, who’s been trafficked by a cruel, exploitative brothel owner, they attempt an undercover rescue with the help of burgeoning journalist Frayda (Jewish). The bustling city, the history of the Salvation Army, and the oil-and-vinegar banter of Tabitha and Pearl are richly drawn and immersive. Across the pond, Jack the Ripper is on his murderous spree in London’s East End. The author depicts Jack as a physically ill, deluded, misogynistic gentleman doctor who butchers his female victims to procure organs for life-giving tonics. During one of Jack’s attempted murders, his victim temporarily paralyzes him with her Medusa stare and writhing crown of snakes. Jack attempts to flee Medusa’s wrath (and London police) by sailing to New York. The stories of Tabitha, Pearl, Jack, Medusa, Cora, Frayda, and others collide in an intricate time bomb of violent events that singes with scorching feminism, fierce friendship, gentle romance, and cat-and-mouse mayhem. Extensive end matter adds rich context to this sharply imagined novel about the mythology of murderers.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Sisters in the WindAngeline BoulleyA gripping thriller told in dual time periods explores the personal and generational trauma of Lucy, who in 2005 has just aged out of the foster care system. When Jamie, an attorney, tracks Lucy down to inform her that her Ojibwe maternal relatives have been searching for her, Lucy is confused and on edge. She also knows that she’s being pursued—the reader doesn’t yet know why or by whom—and plans to run, until a pipe bomb badly fractures her leg. Recovering under the care of Jamie and his girlfriend, Daunis, who know Lucy’s family, Lucy confronts the fact that her white father never told her the truth of her heritage. Jamie, who works to reunite adopted Native children with their Native family members, teaches Lucy about the Indian Child Welfare Act. Flashbacks recount Lucy’s childhood and adolescence growing up with her father, who died of cancer; the con-artist stepmother who abandoned her; and a series of foster families where abuse (emotional, sexual) was rampant. Lucy’s final and longest placement is with a farming family that fosters a group of teens— many of whom are pregnant when they arrive, or who become pregnant after moving in. Realizing that all on the farm is not as idyllic as it seems, Lucy begins investigating and finds that her past and present are more entwined than she ever imagined. Like Boulley’s other books, this emotional page-turner features a strong, clever female lead and deftly tackles systemic issues affecting Native communities.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Under the Same StarsLibba BrayThree interconnected stories follow teenagers navigating the ordinary and the extraordinary as their lives are impacted by political and global events. In Kleinwald, Germany, in 1939, Hanna and Sophie (both white) find their friendship flailing as War II progresses, but it’s re-energized when they both join the Resistance. In 1980, Jenny moves with her image-conscious, upper-middle-class family to Berlin. Jenny (white), an amateur photographer, falls for punk rocker Lena, an East German escapee desperate to get her brother out. Jenny also befriends elderly neighbor Frau Hermann, who tells stories about Sophie and Hanna, two girls from her home village who went missing years before. In March 1980, in New York City, Miles (Filipino/white) is navigating the early days of the pandemic largely on his own. One of his moms, a nurse, is staying with a friend; the other, a photographer, is stuck in Amsterdam. Even as he navigates the unsettling present, including rising tensions around race and racism, he’s also delving into the past: His friend Chloe wants help researching information her grandmother sent about two girls, Sophie and Hanna, who disappeared in Germany in 1941. The three alternating narratives have finely developed characters and plot arcs; themes of oppression on a global scale and guilt and forgiveness on a personal one resonate across them as a historical mystery unfolds and the teens at the heart of each story make decisions about standing up and speaking out on behalf of others and themselves.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Where the Heart Should BeSarah CrossanIn fictional Ballinkeel, Ireland, in 1846, Nell (white) has just started work as a scullery maid in Lord Wicken’s “Big House.” Her meager pay becomes her family’s sole source of income when her father, a tenant farmer, finds his potatoes black, slimy, and inedible. A blight has struck Ireland’s crops, and families like Nell’s struggle to survive. The residents of the Big House, however, have more than enough; Wicken is even stockpiling food to sell overseas. The childless Wicken has just named his nephew, John Browning, heir to his estate and invited him to join him from London. Johnny, as he asks Nell to call him, is disarmingly friendly; he shows an interest in Nell, and they discover a shared love of poetry. Considering their respective stations, Nell knows their budding romantic relationship is ill fated, but everything about Johnny is appealing, from his good looks to his generous spirit and humble nature. When tragedy befalls Nell’s family, Nell finds herself torn between Johnny and her father, who joins a group of men planning to steal some of Wicken’s stockpile— and who needs Nell’s help to pull it off. Written in free verse, this engaging romance offers a glimpse into the lives of both working Irish and well-to-do landowners during the Potato Famine, one of the worst periods in Irish history.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
The Executioners ThreeSusan DennardFreddie Gellar (white) aspires to be a detective, so when a body is found in the nearby woods, she’s sure it’s murder — and she’s on the case. Unexplainable and eerie events around her small town seem tied to “The Executioners Three” poem, and perhaps to her own father. He had been the town’s sheriff until he died of a supposed heart attack when Freddie was a child, but no one, including her mother, will talk about the circumstances of his death. Her investigation becomes entwined with a long-standing rivalry involving an exchange of creative pranks between her high school and the local private academy. The current sheriff’s nephew, Theo, is a student at the academy and should be her sworn enemy, so why does Freddie find him so irresistibly attractive? Increasingly ominous attacks challenge Freddie’s deductive skills, but with the help of her best friend Divya (South Asian) she perseveres despite personal risk. The engaging enemies-to-lovers storyline and sharply funny dialogue balance the darker aspects of the mystery, while Nokia phones and X-Files references firmly root the story in 1999.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Reasons We BreakJesmeen Kaur DeoRajan has always had a soft spot for Simran, a kind and patient peer tutor who helped him with math in high school despite his rough-around-the-edges demeanor. Now, a year after graduation, the Punjabi Canadian teens’ lives again intersect. Released from juvie and clean, Rajan moves back home to Kelowna, British Columbia, hoping to stay out of the crosshairs of his former Vancouver gang, the Lion’s Share. Simran, a devout Sikh, is attending a local college, forgoing her dream school to stay near her mom, who has cancer. When the Lions find Rajan, demanding he work off his debt, Simran makes a deal with them behind his back: She’ll help decode the books of rival gang the Aces in exchange for Rajan’s freedom. The deciphering work is satisfying to Simran’s mathematical mind, and she’s good at it—so good that she quickly makes herself dangerously indispensable to the Lions and a target of the Aces. Leaving the Lions once Rajan’s debt is paid off is no longer an option. This taut, high-stakes contemporary thriller includes realistic scenes of violence and drug use. The third-person perspective alternates its focus between Simran and Rajan, whose believable, slow-burn romance will either ruin or rescue them. Despite their differing circumstances, the teens share commonalities as children of immigrants who experience certain pressures. With rich characterization and an engrossing plot, this novel delivers on every front.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
SọmadịnaAkwaeke EmeziLong before Sọmadịna and her twin, Jayaike, were born, the creation of the Split ended the Starvation War. A yawning chasm, the Split severs the rest of the world from Sọmadịna’s island, where most people receive one magical ability from the goddess, Ala, when they come of age. When the twins manifest multiple gifts—and one of Sọmadịna’s causes her to murder a violent peer against her will—they are deemed “abominations” and shunned by the community. And then Jayaike is snatched in the night, abducted by the sinister “hunter,” who has appeared in Sọmadịna’s dreams. Sọmadịna’s grandfather, Zerenjọ, and her sister, Nkadi, are dịbịas, “masters of medicine and spirit” who possess multiple powerful gifts; they help Sọmadịna prepare for the dangerous search for her brother. Together Sọmadịna, her best friend Ụwafụlamiro, and Nkadi set out on the journey. Along the way, Sọmadịna struggles to accept and control her gifts, especially an emptiness that can be harnessed to kill anything in her path. Sọmadịna and Jayaike have been claimed by Ala. But the “small gods” will not understand the full extent of their powers until they are reunited and facing death at the hands of the hunter. Set in a West African-inspired fantasy setting, this richly imagined coming-of-age novel brings to life a world in which magic is both coveted and feared. At its heart is a girl longing for acceptance as she discovers her place in her family and the world.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Hekate: The WitchNikita Gill“Children born in war / are made of a different kind of clay. / We become used to the din. / We grow used to the collapse / of crumbling buildings / and fire and develop a compassion / for broken things.” A stunning verse novel imagines the life of Hekate, daughter of Titans Asteria and Perses. Seeking safety for her child as the Olympians prevail, Asteria leaves Hekate in the care of the goddess Styx in the Underworld. Hekate grieves her mother, aches at the eternal torture of her father, and grows up lonely, curious, and lost without knowledge of her powers and purpose. Forbidden to explore, she wanders anyway, mapping the Underworld realms. As she matures, Hekate seeks out the Fates in Hades’s palace, sure they must know what she is meant to be. But it’s Thanatos, bringer of peace to the dying, who helps Hekate realize she can return the dead to life. Hekate abhors the gods’ lust for power that has torn her family and the world apart time and again. And she sees how goddesses are rulebound to limit women’s power. In response, Hekate breaks the rules to wield her own power with intelligence and compassion, and to live on her own terms. Themes resonant and relevant to contemporary readers (family, betrayal, forgiveness, identity, war, love) are deeply woven into this gorgeous, textured tapestry of a story that offers glimpses of other Greek myths while centering Hekate’s determination to know herself and offer grace.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
I Am the CageAllison Sweet GrantElisabeth (white) is a 19-year-old who has settled into a quiet, anonymous life in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, following a deliberate break from her past. Chapters alternate between present-day 1999, during which Elisabeth is trying to ride out a massive winter storm alone in her cabin, and flashbacks to her past, beginning with a traumatic medical event that began when she was 11 years old. Elisabeth is intentionally sheltered and self-protective in all aspects of her life. Throughout the course of the snowstorm, she reluctantly accepts necessary assistance from her rural neighbor, Noah, the town’s very young sheriff, when the power goes out for days. While huddled in blankets near the fireplace, Elisabeth finds a way to slowly emerge from her emotional cocoon and find her real self. The genuine care and kindness shown by Noah coaxes Elisabeth to examine the purpose of her self-loathing. When Elizabeth’s mom arrives unexpectedly to check on her snowed-in daughter, horrific pain and abuse from the past resurfaces. Partially based on the author’s childhood experience with limb-lengthening surgery, this book utilizes poetry and prose to process survival and resilience.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
And the Trees Stare BackGigi GriffisIn 1980s Estonia, Soviet forces still occupy the country, but Estonians are feeling more freedom to speak out in protest. This political landscape frames the uncanny story of Vik (white), whose younger sister, Anna, disappeared five years ago when the two of them sneaked into the bog despite having been warned of its danger. Vik’s life is a shadow of what it once was … and then Anna reappears. Vik is stunned and joyous—until she realizes that Anna is still five years old. She’s dirty and mostly silent, but when she does speak, her words are in Russian, not Estonian. Could it be the magic of Soovana, a folklore trickster who draws humans into the bog with his glowing, lanternlike eyes? When word gets out about Anna’s return, the villagers suspect witchcraft and turn on Vik’s family, even when Anna falls deathly ill. Desperate to uncover the mystery behind this Anna-who-is-not- Anna, Vik and her friend, Liis (who has a limb difference), venture into the bog, calling on Vik’s oracle cards for guidance. Stumbling upon the Asylum, the girls discover the horrible truth—along with secret after secret about themselves and their own families—of what is taking place there: experimental cloning, with the eventual goal of bolstering the Soviet army. But getting the Asylum’s residents—and themselves—out may be an impossible feat. An Author’s Note identifies Vik’s mental illnesses as OCD and C-PTSD, which go unnamed in this intense, unsettling horror novel.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
The Butterfly’s StingAbbie HarlowBo Clark has spent a year carefully developing The Plan for her 18th birthday. It centers on moving out of town and, most importantly, bringing her younger siblings Kate and Zach with her, delivering them all from the home of their volatile and abusive Uncle Jack. The Plan’s success hinges on Bo winning a boxing tournament and its significant cash prize. Bo’s mom deserted the family years earlier, and her uncle Jack was appointed guardian after her father’s death. A brief stint in separate foster homes traumatized all three of the siblings, but especially Zach, the youngest. Bo is determined to protect her brother and sister and willing to suffer her uncle’s physical abuse, if that’s what it takes. Bo seems to have inherited Jack’s boxing prowess, something he is determined to exploit. In truth, Bo enjoys fighting. She trains hard and keeps the illegal fight club, where her opponents are all men, a secret. Against expectations, Bo wins successive rounds in the tournament, in part because her new cutman, classmate Liam, is good at his job and has feelings for Bo. Despite all her strategizing, The Plan fractures at a critical moment, and the scene that follows is brutally violent. Although the outcome doesn’t completely align with Bo’s long-held hopes, it offers the siblings a future free from their uncle’s control. A propulsive plot punctuated by vivid fight scenes frames this moving account of a family in crisis.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
If I Could Go BackBriana JohnsonWhen she turns 18, high school track star Aaliyah (Black) contacts her parents, Lena and Quincy, for the first time, despite knowing that her stubborn but steadfast Grandpa Joe will be furious. Joe, who raised Aaliyah, vehemently believes that her parents are worthless. Aaliyah’s act of betrayal (in Joe’s eyes) drives a wedge between her and her grandfather. Joe soon suffers a stroke that puts him in the hospital, and Aaliyah’s best friend and cousin, Ivy, blames Aaliyah for putting their grandpa’s life at risk. Feeling isolated and overwhelmed, Aaliyah turns to Lena and Quincy, who want a relationship with her. This, however, proves challenging: Quincy is rude and stubborn, and Lena stands Aaliyah up on their first meeting. Aaliyah is cautiously willing to give them a second chance, but when she learns that Lena and Quincy have withheld important information from her, she’s not sure she can move past it. As Grandpa Joe recovers, he begins to come to terms with the fact that Aaliyah is now an adult with the right to make choices about her own life, including about her family, romantic relationships, and whether she’ll run track at UCLA—or even go to college at all. Aaliyah excels at communicating her needs, expectations, and boundaries, a skill that serves her well during a tumultuous period of her life. Debut author Briana Johnson offers a complex family story with fully realized characters who are flawed, messy, infuriating, learning, and loving.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Biology LessonsMelissa KantorGrace (white) loves her small-town Texas life with her tight-knit family and best friends Addie and Sebastian. Yet she cannot wait to go to Barnard College in New York City after graduation, having fallen in love with life in the Big Apple after visiting her beloved aunt, Wendy. Her senior year countdown is transformed into a ticking timebomb when Grace discovers that she is six weeks pregnant. Shocked that a not-so-serious relationship resulted in a life-changing predicament, Grace spirals into an all-out panic. She cannot envision abandoning her big-city dreams, nor would her parents support an adoption. With the confidential support of her best friends, Grace processes and attempts to solve her predicament, ultimately deciding that an abortion is her desired option. However, in the geographical and political confines of post-Dobbs Texas, Grace quickly discovers that an abortion is nearly impossible to obtain. Even a simple internet search about seeking one puts Grace and her friends in a position of liability. This intentional novel realistically explores the emotional, logistical, religious, and socioeconomic realities of an unwanted pregnancy. Tense, compelling chapters explore Grace’s difficult journey to cross the border to a clinic. An Author’s Note and interviews with a client services manager and a legal scholar round out this contemporary novel.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Lady’s KnightAmie KaufmanWhen blacksmith’s daughter Gwen (white), a talented metalworker in her own right, joins the annual jousting tournament as “Sir Gawain,” she only hopes to prove to herself that she’s as skilled as any male knight. Enter bold, clever Lady Isobelle (white), whose hand in marriage has been promised to whomever wins. Recognizing “Gawain’s” sword as the same one she’d seen Gwen (definitely a girl) with at the market, Isobelle approaches Gwen with a proposal: Gwen can train and live at the castle for the duration of the tournament, posing as imaginary Sir Gawain’s sister, Céline. If she wins the tournament, she’ll save Isobelle from a disastrous marriage to a cruel man. (It doesn’t hurt that the two girls are falling in love.) Under Isobelle’s wing, and with the help of Isobelle’s jack-of-all-trades lady’s maid, Olivia, Gwen undergoes a crash course in etiquette and enters Isobelle’s social scene, all while juggling multiple identities and putting in hours of training in sword fighting and jousting—which comes in handy when the populace learns that dragons are not, as previously believed, completely extinct. There’s much more to this medieval fantasy than sweet lesbian romance; notably, the story’s feminist sensibilities extend to all of the women in the well-developed cast, who find they are most powerful when pooling their strengths. Purposefully anachronistic language adds a delightful layer of humor and accessibility.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Persephone’s CurseKatrina LenoRumored to be descended from Persephone, Goddess of the Underworld, the white Farthing sisters think of Henry, the ghost of a 17-year-old boy who died in their home decades prior, like a brother. Winnie, 16, is the only sister who can sometimes see other ghosts, too, although this is hardly a gift on par with those of her sisters. Bernadette (20) is a prolific writer, Evie (18) a talented pianist, and Clara (14) a gifted artist whose paintings are sometimes prophetic. After realizing Evie is in love with Henry, Winnie takes drastic action so her sister will not limit her future to their brownstone, where Henry is bound. Henry disappears. Shortly thereafter, Evie disappears, too, and a black smudge appears in the sky above their house, exuding coldness and foreboding. Winnie feels horrible for banishing Henry, desperate for Evie’s safe return, and worried about the ominous mark in the sky, which was foretold in Clara’s latest painting. She tries to fix things, but it will take all four Farthing sisters working together to unravel the meaning and power of their gifts. The sisters’ bond is sometimes snarky, occasionally fraught, and always lively, loving, and deep in this spellbinding story weaving the extraordinary into real-world joys (e.g., Winnie’s burgeoning romance with a young woman named Maybe) and challenges (Bernadette’s recent diagnosis of bipolar disorder). The vibrant New York City setting, masterful plotting, spirited dialogue, and finely drawn cast of main and supporting characters make for a richly rewarding read.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
A Forgery of FateElizabeth LimWhen Truyan Saigas’s father is lost at sea, she turns to forging valuable paintings to support her mother and two younger sisters. Desperate for cash after her mother’s gambling loss causes a lender to threaten to collect by abducting her sister, Tru hopes to pay off the debt with the sale of her most impressive work. Instead, Elang, a half-human, half-dragon prince exiled from his homeland by his grandfather, the Dragon King, offers an alternative solution. If Tru agrees to marry him and paint a perfect portrait of his grandfather, the Dragon King will be dethroned, and Elang’s generous compensation will cover her family’s debt and set them up comfortably for life. As an added incentive, Elang shares that her father may be alive and imprisoned by the Dragon King. Tru signs a contract and travels with her new husband to his besieged underwater fortress in the dragon realm, where she works on the portrait, drawing both on her artistic skill and her hidden ability to paint visions of the future. In a Chinese-inspired nod to the “Beauty and the Beast” motif, Tru and Elang’s sham marriage evolves into genuine romance while the deadline for the portrait’s completion and the threat of the Dragon King’s powerful wrath draw near.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Under a Fire-Red SkyGeraldine McCaughreanA haunting but hopeful novel chronicles the experiences of four white teens at the advent of World War II. Two boys and two girls wait on a train that will evacuate them to the safety of the countryside, but in a spontaneous moment they decide to return home instead. They crawl out the train window, each to their own destiny. Superb writing captures the distinct essence of each character while also masterfully interweaving their stories. Lawrence is an intellectual, a dreamer and thinker whose teachers said he was too “intense.” Olive is observant, kind, and endlessly irritated by her mother’s nagging. Franklin wants to be a firefighter but gets turned away because of his age and inexperience. The Gremlin is a girl with a difficult past who decides to live in an abandoned van in the woods rather than return to her abusive father. The four teens find themselves spending time together, taking long rambles with the plausible excuse of wanting to learn local history. In time, they become friends, of sorts, and name their group “The Meridians.” When the bombing of London begins, the friends experience the horrors of war: the fires, destruction, and trauma. Their individual lives crisscross and intersect in impossible and beautiful ways, and their circle widens to include connections unbelievable outside of wartime. In part based on some of her father’s history, Geraldine McCaughrean’s well- researched novel is a masterpiece.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Bird of a Thousand StoriesKiyash MonsefThis companion novel picks up a year after the events in Once There Was. Marjan (Iranian Norwegian American) continues to live a double life of sorts; she’s a teenager with homework, but she also heals magical creatures for the Fells. Her roommate, Malloryn, a self-described witch estranged from her conservative religious family, works full time at an occult shop. While in Istanbul healing a vegetable lamb, a zoophyte, Marjan has a run-in with a dangerous Nordic villain at the rug shop of her estranged uncle, who is also an animal healer and former mentor of Marjan’s late father. The villain stole a rare bird that emerged from the egg that Marjan removed from the lamb. This bird of a thousand stories holds the stories, or culture, of the world, and was destined for Marjan’s protection. Determined to save it, Marjan needs help and can no longer trust the shadowy Fells. Partnering with her reclusive uncle and opening herself up to Malloryn’s well-intentioned (and perhaps not imagined) magical strengths, Marjan commences on an international cat-and-mouse game. Hidden powers, identities, and motives complicate Marjan’s maneuvers to rescue the bird. Short fairy tales interspersed with the intense storyline provide context for the mythical animals and commentary on the role of culture and story. Beautiful writing, at times muddled by the dramatic narrative, carries this satisfying sequel to a close.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Angelica and the Bear PrinceTrung Le NguyenAngelica (Vietnamese American) is an over-achieving high school student experiencing burnout. Determined to find a single activity that brings her joy, Angelica interns at a local children’s theater, assisting in a production of East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Privately, Angelica has a literary crush on the Bear Prince character, Per, and has been chatting anonymously with someone running a Per the Bear fan account. She knows it’s weird, but she also feels safe and comforted by sharing memories of her late grandmother with a stranger. Evident to readers is that the author of @PertheBear is the new-to- town, kind, swoon-worthy nonbinary teen playing the role of the Bear Prince on stage. Meanwhile, Angelica’s best friend keeps trying connect with Angelica, but Angelica is alternately distracted and judgmental. Angelica also seems to be oblivious to her parents’ stress about the success of their restaurant business. Interspersed in this graphic novel is an episodic telling of the Norwegian fairytale, which parallels Angelica’s own quest for self-discovery and romance. Gorgeous, detailed illustrations add atmospheric warmth to a winter tale that successfully interweaves stories of personal growth and healing for multiple characters. Honest dialogue and well-crafted characters bring surprising depth to a story that at first glance appears to be about a wide-eyed girl falling in love with a teddy bear.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
SkipshockCaroline O’DonoghueEn route to a new boarding school in Dublin after she was caught trying to pawn her father’s old watch, Margo (white) finds herself traveling to a world she didn’t know existed. On the train with her is Moon, a boy Margo’s age with a crescent moon tattoo on his face. Moon is Lunati, a member of a nomadic ethnoreligious group that has mostly been killed off. He’s also a salesman—someone who travels between worlds buying and selling resources—yet he has never heard of Earth. With an offer to help her find her way home, Moon takes Margo to a boarding house where she learns that time passes differently in each world, and that a wealthy world called Semper has restricted interworld travel and created a dictatorship to tamp down the other worlds’ revolt. When Moon and Margo realize that the Southern Guard of Semper is pursuing Margo, they join with members of a resistance group who believe that war is imminent and that Margo—or, perhaps, her father’s old watch—is a weapon. The first in a duology, this swiftly paced novel features outstanding, original worldbuilding; fascinating and complex characters; and a gratifying romance. Though it ends on a cliffhanger that hints at adventures and discoveries ahead, this volume feels complete and satisfying in its own right.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Best of All WorldsKenneth OppelWhen Xavier Oak (white), his father, and his pregnant stepmother, Nia (Haitian Canadian), wake up one morning, everything at their family lake cottage is as expected—except that it’s now in a completely unfamiliar location. Frightened and dumbfounded, the Oaks explore their now-rural surroundings and find that they are trapped within an invisible dome several miles in diameter. A nearby farm, complete with crops, goats, and chickens, becomes their source of food; any tools they need simply appear in the night. Assuming they’ve been abducted by aliens, their suspicion is confirmed when Nia delivers a boy, Noah, who is resuscitated by unseen visitors while Nia, Xavier, and Xavier’s father are unconscious. Reconciling themselves to their situation, the Oaks construct a peaceful, if lonely, life under the dome. Three years later, the Jackson family (white) arrives. Xavier, now 16 years old, quickly falls for Mackenzie, who is his age, while Noah befriends younger sister Alyssa. The Jackson girls’ father, Riley, presents a challenge. Friendly on the surface, volatile Riley subscribes to bizarre conspiracy theories and believes the government is behind their abduction. He’s determined to build a hot air balloon so his family can escape via a portal in the “sky”… and Xavier is considering going with them. Crackling with tension, this speculative thriller has the potential to spark conversations about climate change, politics, and human nature.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Come Home to My HeartRiley RedgateIn small, conservative Fisherton, South Carolina, high school seniors Xia (Chinese American/white) and Gloria (white) have little in common. A social outcast and closeted lesbian, Xia is simply hanging on until she can escape her parents and small-town life for the more diverse, queer, and intellectual crowds in college. Gloria is a devout Baptist who tries to control her same-sex attraction by limiting herself to five minutes per day on her blog, where she adds photos of girls and then scrupulously clears her browser history, knowing her dad will check it later. When she neglects to clear it one day, Gloria’s parents discover her blog and promptly kick her out. She begins sleeping in the unused orchestra pit at school, meticulously saving food from her school lunches and stretching her cash out to pay for meager gas-station meals. While doing homework at the bookstore, she crosses paths with Xia, who works there, and the two strike up an unexpected friendship that turns into romance. But Gloria keeps her living situation a secret, writing letters to her parents and biding her time, even as her situation becomes more and more desperate. Realistic in its depiction of religious homophobia and LGBTQ teen homelessness, this novel makes space for complexity: Gloria finds a new church but has no desire to abandon Christianity. Neither does she dislike her small town, where queer people—like Mr. Avery (Black), Xia’s boss, who offers much-needed support—do live and thrive.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Fable for the End of the WorldAva ReidIn a future time when water levels have risen and the wealth gap has widened, brown- skinned Inesa sells non-mutated, taxidermied animals hunted by her brother, Luka. It’s barely enough to keep the family afloat, and the siblings learn just how far their mother has sunk them into debt when Inesa is declared the next Lamb for the Gauntlet, a livestreamed event in which cyborg hunters called Angels track and kill the Lamb within a set time frame. In return, the Lamb’s family’s debt will be forgiven. Melinoë (white), the Angel pursuing Inesa, has been suffering flashbacks to her last hunt, in which she was filmed having a (too-human) breakdown after killing a little girl. Despite reprogramming wipes, she has struggled to regain her single-minded, emotionless persona. Quickly the Angel catches up with the Lamb—but when Melinoë is injured, Inesa shows her compassion, delaying the Gauntlet’s inevitable end. As the two develop feelings for one another, Melinoë feels the pressure grow: Failure to kill Inesa will lead to forced retirement from her role as an Angel and marriage to a man wealthy enough to buy her. It’s her life or Inesa’s. While the queer romance in this high-stakes dystopian novel may feel rushed, the rich world-building, fast pace, and frighteningly believable culture make it an immersive page-turner.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Run Away with MeBrian SelznickThis queer romance opens with an immersive, nearly 100-page visual tour of Rome’s art and scenery, including the Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth), the Elephant and Obelisk, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, a souvenir shop, and the cobblestone streets and buildings of the city. Selznick’s striking black-and-white illustrations set the stage for a singular summer romance set in 1986. Danny (white) is sixteen and temporarily living in Rome while his mother, a book conservator, helps restore and decipher an old text found in the (fictional) Monda Museum. While out exploring, he meets an Italian boy named Angelo with an adventurous spirit. Danny is enchanted by him, and the two fall in love, though they are always aware that their time together will soon come to an end. The preciousness of their relationship is accentuated by their false names for each other, hidden notes, maps with clues, and the heady summer heat. Interwoven in their romance story are the puzzle pieces of other gay romances hidden in the history and art of Rome and revealed through Selznick’s signature style of cinematic mystery making. The contrasting excitement and boredom of travel, the newness and timelessness of romance, and the truth and fiction of stories are captured in a richly realized summer love story.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
All Better NowNeal ShustermanWhat if a disease could make people happier and kinder? Crown Royale (CR) is a virus that kills one out of every 25 people infected, but the majority who contract it not only recover but also feel permanent contentment in the aftermath. Survivors are also compelled to give away their possessions and help those in need, even if it means risking their own lives. As the virus becomes a pandemic, generosity spreads around the globe, but so, too, do threats to capitalism and imperialism. Mariel (white), homeless prior to the arrival of CR, discovers she has a natural immunity to the disease. Rón (Latino), son of one of the wealthiest men on earth, is depressed and suicidal until he contracts CR; when he recovers, he learns he’s a one-man super-spreader. While teens Rón and Mariel, who’ve fallen in love, tussle with the moral and ethical implications of Rón’s desire to infect as many people as possible—in Rón’s mind, a mission to save humanity—Morgan (Chinese/white), a brilliant, cold-blooded 19-year-old, inherits a fortune and funds efforts to create a vaccine to limit CR’s economic impact and increase her own global power. These interconnected storylines move at a breakneck pace in a compelling work of speculative fiction in which the distinction between right and wrong, good and evil, selfishness and selflessness is sharp and clear … sometimes. This provocative novel also exposes unexpected complexities and ironies in drawing those lines, echoing the realities of human existence.Fiction for Young AdultsLexile Text Measure 931LATOS Book Level 6.1View book details
Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal StoriesCynthia Leitich SmithThe 17 stories in this anthology revolve around Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive- In, a lively, bustling place that exists outside the space-time continuum, appearing when and where it’s needed. At the drive-in, the diverse Native teen protagonists at the center of these stories, who live across the United States, find food, mentoring, advice, solace—whatever they need, even if they don’t know it. A few of the teens are familiar with the drive-in, working there or visiting regularly, an important part of the welcoming atmosphere established by the elders who run it. Other main characters stumble upon Sandy June’s when they are struggling with current events in their lives. The stories, which cover a range of subjects and styles, quickly ground readers in the lives of their characters. Across the collection, the tone is upbeat, even as the teens are navigating situations that they find challenging, from aspects of identity or family dynamics to crushes or an impossible deadline that must be met. The sense of community and connection across the collection and at Sandy June’s is buoyed by intersecting characters across the stories.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
The Rose BargainSasha Peyton SmithIt’s 1848, and cruel fae queen Mor has ruled London for centuries, allowing each of her subjects to make a single bargain with her. Most young women do so during their debutante season, trading something of value—a body part, a memory, a talent— in exchange for a quality that will boost their marriageability. Ivy (white) hopes to marry rich and restore her family’s reputation, which was ruined after her older sister disappeared. (When her sister returned home, she had no memory of where she’d been.) Then, a surprise: Queen Mor announces a competition for the hand of her fae son, Prince Bram, in marriage. The catch? The losers will never be permitted to marry. With nothing to lose, Ivy is one of six women who throw their hats in the ring. But she is the only one to be approached by human Prince Emmett, who has discovered a loophole in the terms of the enchantment that keeps Mor in power; Ivy’s victory would break the spell. Ivy is determined to win Bram’s heart and free England—making the growing romantic and sexual tension between her and Emmett rather inconvenient. This twisty romantasy, the first in a duology, excels in its depiction of complicated relationships both romantic and platonic; Ivy’s five competitors are each afforded a point-of-view chapter, giving the reader insight into their individual motives and the evolving group dynamic as they go from vicious competitors to fierce allies and friends.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Meet Me at Blue HourSarah SukYena Bae has a summer job at her scientist mother’s groundbreaking memory-erasure clinic, Sori of Us, in Busan, South Korea. Yena’s task is to organize the archive of clients’ “mixtapes”: collections of sounds used to obliterate selected memories. Lucas Pak (like Yena, a Canadian) is determined to get his harabeoji, who has Alzheimer’s, into a memory- recovery study at Sori despite his grandfather’s disinterest in regaining lost memories. When Yena runs into Lucas, she’s shocked to see her old best friend, the boy on whom she had a crush; Lucas moved away when they were 14, inexplicably cutting contact with her. Yena is doubly surprised (not to mention hurt) when she realizes that Lucas has had all memories of her erased. Yena can’t tell Lucas about his own memory loss—the physical side effects would be painful for him—but she accompanies him around Busan, the two of them getting to know each other (again) as Lucas collects sounds to jog Harabeoji’s memory. What Yena doesn’t know is that she also had a memory erased, one that holds the key to their estrangement. While the scientific aspects of memory erasure take a backseat to romance in this speculative novel, the questions it raises regarding the ethics of memory tampering are thought-provoking.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
This Moth Saw BrightnessA. A VacharatWhen ’Wayne (who goes by “D”) is invited to participate in a high-profile Johns Hopkins study on teen health, he jumps at the chance, eager to challenge his dad’s low expectations of him. It doesn’t hurt that his crush, Jane (white, autistic), is also participating. D (Vietnamese and white) is fitted with a wristband, asked to complete daily puzzles and questions on his phone, and given a pill; he is not told what the pill is or how it might affect him. Knowing little about the study’s purpose, D and Jane begin meeting up to discuss their experience; D’s tech-whiz best friend, Kermit (South Asian), sometimes joins. Soon, the three of them wonder: Is something unethical—even sinister—going on here? Is it really a health study? What do the wristbands monitor? What makes D and Jane eligible? Why did a fellow study participant inexplicably drop out of school? Feeling increasingly paranoid, D begins tracking any observable changes in himself. He’s also reeling after receiving an unexpected email from his mom, who abandoned the family years ago and now wants to reconnect. This inventive, suspenseful novel, which incorporates emails, screenshots, footnotes, and other documents, asks important questions about the ethics of medical research in the United States, especially on vulnerable populations. While its open ending may frustrate some, it nonetheless invites speculation and discussion.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details
Song of a BlackbirdMaria van Lieshout, illustrated by Maria van LieshoutThis carefully crafted and artistically striking graphic novel moves between two timelines, with an omniscient blackbird providing narration. The first, in 2011 Amsterdam, follows Annick and her grandma, Oma (both white). Oma needs a bone marrow transplant, but in searching for a match she finds that her family members are not biologically related to her. This launches Annick’s investigation into Oma’s childhood. Annick uses a set of prints of Amsterdam buildings—given to Oma when she was a child during World War II—to get started. The second timeline takes place during WWII, when Emma (white), a student, is recruited by her teacher to help hide and relocate Jewish children, two of whom are Oma and her brother. The siblings are separated; Oma is taken in by a non-Jewish family, while her brother is sent to live with a priest who is hiding several Jewish boys in his church. Emma becomes involved with a group of print artists who are forging documents for Jews. The crisscrossing timelines come to a convincing conclusion that reaffirms that there are never easy answers in wartime. Mostly black-and-white art, which includes abundant photographs, conveys the dramatic story while also emphasizing the role of art as an act of resistance. Extensive end matter describes the people, events, and buildings featured in the story.Fiction for Young AdultsATOS Book Level 3.6AR Interest Level Upper Grades (UG 9-12)View book details
Daughter of DoomJean-Claude van RijckeghemYrsa (white) is the daughter of the great seafarer Toke, and though her father is a rich and respected leader, her social position in the small Danish coastal community of Mirmir’s Stool is inhibited by her crooked leg (likely club foot) and her rumored ability as a seeress. Life in the Viking village revolves around the male sailors—the whales and fish they hunt, the goods they trade, the silver and gold they steal, and the slaves and hostages they capture. After a long voyage, Toke and his men return from the seas with a prisoner, Sister Job (white), a young nun from Belgium likely to yield a handsome ransom for her safe return. Job is tough, tiny, and unabashedly intolerant of her pagan Viking captors. Yrsa, a fierce believer in the fates, nature spirits, and Viking deities, dismisses Job with her dedication to prayer, the written word, and strange tonsure. Opposite in appearance and beliefs, the young women are nonetheless strikingly similar in their quests for self- preservation. During a violent episode of vengeance and rape, Yrsa comes to Job’s aid and kills her attacker, the beloved son of a village leader. Immediately, the young women know that escape is the only chance for their survival. Vengeful warriors in pursuit, Yrsa and Job dodge dangers on land and sea, relying on their respective sharp wits and faiths to keep them one step ahead and toward a future of their own making.Fiction for Young AdultsView book details