K-1 BOOKS
The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess (Tom Gaul)
In this fresh new fairy tale, a wooden robot embarks on a quest to find his missing sister– making for a memorable contemporary bedtime story in acclaimed graphic novelist Tom Gauld’s first picture book for children.
Over and Under the Waves (Kate Messner)
Discover the depths of the kelp forest, and all the creatures living just a paddle’s length away-both over and under the waves.
Worm and Caterpillar are Friends (Kaz Windness)
A worm and a caterpillar are best friends and when one of them is about to go through a big change, they both learn what is inside is what counts.
The Book of Turtles (Sy Montgomery and Matt Petersen)
This tribute to one of the most diverse, fascinating, and beloved species on the planet (turtles) speaks to the diversity and wisdom of these long-lived reptiles.
Eclipse (Andy Rash)
After hearing about the total solar eclipse happening in two months, a boy makes a plan with his father to go see it. They drive to the perfect campsite, not wanting to miss the couple of minutes when the sun will be completely hidden by the moon. When the moment happens, being together makes it even more special.
Dragons Love Tacos (Adam Rubin)
Hooray, you’re hosting your very first taco party for dragons! And if you have plenty of tacos, nothing could possibly go wrong at your party. Right?
Big (Vashti Harrison)
When a young brown-skinned girl is born, her life is full of possibilities. As she grows and learns, she’s told that being a big girl is a good thing. Later, the word big begins to have negative connotations. Eventually, the girl is tired of feeling bad about who she is and she decides to give the hurtful words of others back to them. She stands up for herself and chooses to love herself just as she is.
Shake it Off! (Vanessa Brantley Newton)
After getting stuck in a well, a clever little goat finds a way to rescue herself. Inspired by Vanessa Brantley-Newton’s own experiences with adversity, this playful story about persistence, determination, and thinking outside the box is sure to make readers cheer.
There’s a Unicorn in Your Book (Tom Fletcher)
Unicorns love to sing, but this unicorn isn’t singing because a worry gremlin has crept in! Help unicorn by using your finger wand and listening to its worries so it can return to normal.
The Magical Yet (Angela DiTerlizzi)
A rollicking, rhyming, and inspirational picture book for fans of Oh, the Places You’ll Go! and every child who is frustrated by what they can’t do…YET!
Evergreen (Matthew Cordell)
To deliver her mother’s delicious soup to her sick Granny Oak, Evergreen the squirrel must face her fears and make the journey, during which she meets other forest dwellers, including some who want to get their hands on her soup!
Series
Pigeon (Mo Willems)
Kids will love this funny series about a stubborn pigeon who always tries to get his way. These books are great for reading aloud.
Piggie and Gerald (Mo Willems)
The series follows the lives of an elephant named Gerald and a pig named Piggie. The two characters are the best of friends. Gerald the Elephant is antsy and serious, while Piggie is exuberant and lively. Willems aimed to teach his readership about the issues of friendship.
Pete The Cat (Eric Litwin)
The story reinforces that whatever happens in life, you can rise above it. The moral of Pete’s story is: “No matter what you step in, keep walking along and singing your song because it’s all good.”
The Bad Seed Series (Jory John)
Foods with attitude learn social-emotional skills in this charming and hilarious series.
What If You Had Animal Series (Sandra Markl)
Your children will love exploring this imaginative series that challenges them to consider what life would be like with animal eyes, ears, and more.
Grades 2-3 BOOKS
What are the Summer Olympics? (Gail Herman)
Back in 775 BC, athletes from all over Ancient Greece came together to compete in various games. The contests were held every four years and winning athletes brought honor and respect to their homelands. The tradition of the Olympic Games faded over time until 1896, when they were brought back to life.
The Chalk Box Kid (Clyde Robert Bulla)
A new neighborhood. A new school. A lonely birthday. Life isn’t easy for nine-year-old Gregory. Then he finds an abandoned chalk factory behind his house. It’s a secret place, just for him! Now he can draw anything he imagines on the dark brick walls. What amazing thing will Gregory draw first?
Because of Winn Dixie (Kate DeCamillo)
A young girl, Opal, who is lonely and feels abandoned by her mother. She befriends a dog, Winn-Dixie, and he helps her form more new friendships. In the end, Opal is no longer sad and becomes happy with her life the way it is.
Pizza and Taco. Who is the Best? (Steven Sasken)
Best friends Pizza and Taco agree on nearly everything until Pizza declares himself the best of all, leading to debating, voting, competing, and finally defining what being the best really means.
The Activist (Nikkolas Smith)
Motivated by the realization of global inequities, a young boy embraces his dual identities as an artist and activist, becoming an “artivist” to make a difference by using his viral mural as a catalyst for positive change.
Jumper (Jessica Lanan)
What if you were small as a bean, Could walk on the walls and ceiling, Sense vibrations through your elbows, And jump five times your body length? That is Jumper’s world. Open this book to discover the vibrant, hidden life of a backyard jumping spider.
Beneath (Cori Doerrfeld)
In this stunning story, a child and their grandfather take a walk in the woods and discover more about themselves. This sweet and tender picture book celebrates our similarities, differences, and that there’s always more under the
surface of what we can see.
Endless Ever After (Laurel Canyon)
In this rhyming mash-up of many fairy tales, the reader is invited to follow Rosie down the many possible paths which may lead to a sleeping maiden, a hungry wolf, a girl locked in a tower, or a goose that lays golden eggs–but with some luck, and some smart choices, Rosie may save herself and her fellow fairy tale characters.
The Rise of the Earth Dragon (Tracey West)
Eight-year-old Drake is snatched up by the King’s soldiers and taken to the castle where he is told by the wizard Griffith that he has been chosen to be a Dragon Master like Ana, Rori, and Bo–and his first task will be to discover whether his dragon, Worm, has any special powers.
Fergus and Zeke (Kate Messner)
Fergus, the pet mouse in Miss Maxwell’s classroom, stows away in a backpack on a field trip to the museum. He makes a new friend, Zeke, another mouse, who shows Fergus many interesting exhibits, but now he wonders how to get back to school.
Series
Mindy Kim (Lyla Lee)
Fresh Off the Boat meets Junie B. Jones in this adorable chapter book series following Mindy Kim, a young Asian American girl. Mindy is so excited to be a big sister—but also nervous, because she’s never been one before! When her baby brother, Charlie, arrives, Mindy wants to be as helpful as she can.
Sarai (Sarai Gonzalez/Monica Brown)
Meet Sarai, a girl who can do anything! This chapter book series is inspired by the life of viral video sensation and social activist Sarai Gonzalez with the help of award-winning children’s book author Monica Brown.
Magic Tree House (Mary Pope Osbourne)
A brother and younger sister discover a magic tree house about a ten minute walk from their house. It sends them off to a historical time and place where they have to accomplish something, narrowly escape danger, then be back at the treehouse by chapter ten.
Princess in Black (Shannon and Dean Hale )
Who says princesses don’t wear black? Not Princess Magnolia, whose monster-fighting alter ego saves the kingdom from monsters again and again in this funny, action-packed series.
Bad Guys (Aaron Blabey)
The Bad Guys is an illustrated children’s graphic novel series written by Australian author Aaron Blabey. It revolves around a gang of anthropomorphic animals known as the “Bad Guys”, who attempt to perform good deeds to change society’s perception of them as criminals.
Grades 4-5 BOOKS
The Labors of Hercules Beal (Gary D. Schmidt)
Pedro was born into a large Mexican family in the heart of America and he’s about to experience his heritage in a way he could never imagine! Pedro’s father suggests a trip in the family Winnebago from their home in California back to Mexico on a mission to bring home their legendary grandfather.
Dogs (Andy Hersch)
Join one friendly mutt on a journey to discover the secret origin of dogs, how genetics and evolution shape the species.
The Swifts (Beth Lincoln)
On the day they are born, every Swift child is brought before the sacred Family Dictionary. They are given a name and a definition. A definition that it is assumed they will grow up to match.
Ferris (Kate De Camillo)
It’s the summer before fifth grade and for Ferris Wilkey, it is a summer of sheer pandemonium. In this heartfelt love story, a girl, a ghost, and a grandmother all living under the same roof find the true meaning of family, friendship, community and kindness.
The Mona Lisa Vanishes (Nicholas Day)
It happened on a Monday. Monday, August 21, 1911, to be precise. A man in a white coat walked over to the Mona Lisa, a relatively obscure painting at the time. He deftly removed it from the wall, took it from its frame, and after some mild difficulties with a door, left the Louvre itself.
How Do You Spell Unfair? (Carole Boston Weatherford)
The story of eighth grader MacNolia Cox, the first African American to win the Akron, Ohio, spelling bee, and the racism she faced during her journey to COPMCOMOOPcompete .prestigious National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.
Holes (Louis Sachar)
Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention where the boys build character by spending all day digging holes.. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake but there are an awful lot of holes.
A Rover’s Story (Jasmine Warga)
Meet Resilience, a Mars rover determined to live up to his name. Res was built to explore Mars. He was not built to have human emotions. But as he learns new things from the NASA scientists who assemble him, he begins to develop human-like feelings.
Hatchet (Gary Paulsen)
Brian is on his way to Canada to visit his father when the pilot of his small prop plane suffers a heart attack. Brian is forced to crash-land the plane in a lake–and finds himself stranded in the remote Canadian wilderness with only his clothing and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present before his departure.
The Secret Library (Kekla Magoon)
History, mystery and more are all part of Dally’s adventures in this time-traveling book. Family secrets and the courage within yourself are all part of this fantasy adventure.
Series
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Jeff Kinney)
Filled with laugh-out-loud hilarious text and cartoons, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series follows Greg Heffley as he records the daily trials and triumphs of friendship, family life and middle school where undersized weaklings have to share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner and already shaving!
Show Me History (Mark Shulman & James Buckley Jr.)
The Show Me History series are rollicking 96-page hardcover graphic novels that tells the stories of legendary figures from history, such as Babe Ruth and Amelia Earhart. Every book comes signed and sketched by the artist.
Last Kids on Earth (Max Brailler)
Self-described late developer, thirteen-year-old Jack Sullivan has so far survived the zombie apocalypse by hiding out in his tree house, playing video games and eating junk food. Jack’s life has actually become more like a video game than reality, battling monsters on a daily basis.
I Survived (Lauren Tarshis)
I Survived is a historical fiction series that tells the stories of iconic historical events—from the Revolutionary War to the sinking of the Titanic to the September 11 terrorist attacks—through the eyes of a young witness.
Weird But True Series (National Geographic Kids)
Read about the planet’s weirdest facts in this nonfiction series filled with colorful photographs. The series contains over 50 titles, Whether hunting for dinosaur fossils or flying planes, no topic is off limits when exploring the strange and curious ways our world works!
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