Picture books for all ages
Belle, the Last
Mule at Gee’s Bend by
Calvin Alexander Ramsey – An inspiring story based on actual events, about a
small and courageous Alabama community – and their two mules! – who came to
play a surprising role in history. It offers a unique glimpse into Martin
Luther King, Jr.’s impact on ordinary people.
The Boy Who Cried
Ninja by
Alex Latimer – A clever and hilarious book, sort of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” in
reverse. Our young hero comes up with a clever way to prove to everyone that he
really was telling the truth!
The Mangrove Tree:
Planting Trees to Feed Families by Susan L. Roth – Incredible mixed-media
collage illustrations bring to life the story of one man who turned his
personal experience of suffering into something positive for hundreds of people
halfway around the world.
A New Year’s
Reunion
by Yu Li-Qiong – A bittersweet tale of a happy but all-too-brief family reunion
as Maomao’s Papa joins the many migrant workers in China who spend most of the
year far from their loved ones. A charming, beautifully illustrated story of
family love.
Wumbers by Amy Krouse
Rosenthal – A fun book that may inspire hours of creative word and number play!
And may also look familiar to anyone who’s done a bit of texting. Here’s an example:
“Are you usually prompt, or do you 10d 2 be l8 and keep others w8ing?”
Elementary
& Middle School Chapter Book Fiction
Almost Zero by Nikki Grimes – A short, illustrated chapter book about a lively young heroine. Unlike many chapter books for younger readers, this one also provides great material for discussions about needs vs. wants, how important (or not) it is to have what “everyone else” has, etc.
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai – Inspired by the author’s childhood experiences as a Vietnamese refugee in the US, this story in verse follows Hà as she and her family attempt to build a new life in Alabama.
Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead – From the Newbery-winning author of When You Reach Me, has produced another wonderfully complex and quietly engrossing novel, one that explores issues of family, friendship, honesty and deception.
The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John – Set on a South African game reserve, this is a suspenseful animal story with a touch of magic… Great sense of place and an intriguing plot!
Wild Wings by Gill Lewis – A deeply moving story by a Scottish veterinarian about a small group of friends determined to save an endangered bird. In the process they forge online friendships across thousands of miles and help to heal ties in their own little community.
Middle
& High School Chapter Book Fiction
The
Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk – Starting over at a new school can be hard –
and it’s even harder for Will, who decides to leave his school for the deaf and
try out a regular public school. He survives the mean kids, makes a new friend,
and together the two take on the mystery of a classmate’s death while on a
field trip in this original book with many surprising touches of humor.
How to
Save a Life by Sara Zarr –
A story of love and loss, and what makes a family… everyone reacts to a death
in the family differently, and Jill is not at all happy when, in the aftermath
of her father’s death, her mother decides to adopt a new baby.
Michael
Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans – Page turners don’t get much more
exciting than this! Michael has special powers that no one at school can know
about – in fact he and his mom have had to move many times already to keep his
secret. So what’s going to happen now the cat is out of the bag…?
Pink by Lili Wilkinson – How do you
rebel when your parents are already “out there”? In this Australian teen title,
Ava leaves behind her alternative school – and wardrobe - for a complete change
that leaves her family and friends baffled. How long until she figures out who
she really
is and where
she really
belongs?
Re-gifters
by Mike Carey –
In this graphic novel we meet Dixie, a Korean American teenager in Los Angeles,
who is dedicated to the martial art hapkido. She’s determined to emerge victorious at the upcoming
championship, but her crush on a boy leads her to make a series of poor
choices… can she recover in time to win?
Non-fiction
Elizabeth Leads
the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote by Tanya Lee Stone
(grades 1 and up) – A great introductory biography that brings this remarkable
woman vividly to life. It also does a great job of showing readers how much of
what we take for granted as normal today was actually the result of hard won
battles in the not-too-distant past.
One Beetle Too
Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin by Kathryn Lasky
(grades 3 and up) – A highly accessible and engaging biography of an important
scientific figure. This book makes the complicated cultural context in which
Darwin worked accessible to the young reader.
Red Scarf Girl: A
Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang (grades 5 and up) – This is
a memoir that really brings history to life in a vivid way since the author
describes the events of Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution as she experienced
them beginning as a 12 year old.
She Touched the
World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer by Sally Alexander Hobart (grades
3 and up) – Helen Keller is a familiar figure, but Bridgman, who lived half a
century earlier, was every bit as remarkable, having lost her senses of
hearing, sight and smell. The author of this wonderfully written book is blind
as well. A truly inspirational story.
We've Got a Job:
The 1963 Birmingham Children's March by Cynthia Levinson (grades 6 and up) – A
compelling and suspenseful title that sheds light on the remarkable actions of
the many young people who dared to take risks that helped change this country
forever.
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