April is National Poetry Month, and April 15 is National ASL Day
Preschool
Buffalo Fluffalo
by Bess Kalb, illustrations by Erin Kraan
Buffalo Fluffalo arrives on the scene puffed up with self-importance. Stomping around and raising billows of dust, Buffalo Fluffalo proclaims his superiority to the other creatures — the ram, the prairie dog, and the crow — who just want to be his friend. So Buffalo Fluffalo, who has had enuffalo, heads off to grumble to himself. Suddenly, a rain shower pours down from the clouds, and — what's this? All of his fluffalo is a soggy mess! There Fluffalo stands, a drenched pipsqueak without his disguise. The other animals, who could see through Fluffalo's bravado from the start, circle around to comfort him. As Prairie Dog says with a smile in his eyes, You're great how you are, no matter your size.
Monster Hands
by Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan, illustrations by Dion MBD
Milo is scared of a monster under his bed, but his best friend Mel helps him face his fear by making shadow puppets to scare the monster. When their plan backfires, Milo and Mel team up to find a way to confront the monster together, learning that the best cure for fear is having a friend by your side.
Primary (Kindergarten–Grade 2)
My Block Looks Like
by Janelle Harper, illustrations by Frank Morrison
My block looks like
a collision of cultures
a melting pot of cool
a burst of life
my favorite groove
. . . No matter what happens
I've seen it for myself
my block looks like
the coolest place
I've ever been.
A lyrical and proud picture book that recognizes the beauty of the bodegas, subways, and playgrounds that characterize everyday life in the Bronx and pays homage to the ways that its residents have shaped pop culture through music, visual art, and dance.
Home
by Isabelle Simler, translation by Vineet Lal
This book explores incredible animal homes worldwide. From alpine marmots' underground burrows to Sumatran orangutans' treetop nests, creatures everywhere build extraordinary shelters. With poetic text, stunning art, and scientific connections, this book showcases nature's creativity. Young readers will be captivated by the diverse ways that animals find safety and comfort, making home a beautiful celebration of the natural world.
Intermediate (Grades 3–5)
A Whale of a Time: A Funny Poem for Each Day of the Year
by Lou Peacock, illustrations by Matt Hunt
This beautiful, rib-tickling anthology is guaranteed to put a smile on your face! Whether it's a poem about socks or spaniels, eggs or elephants, this bright and brilliant collection will bring you cheer and laughter every day. Perfect for reading aloud and sharing even more side-splitting hilarity with family and friends.
Family Poems for Every Day of the Week
by Francisco X. Alarcón, illustrations by Maya Gonzalez
Children visit their grandparents on Sunday, play with school friends on Monday, daydream on Tuesday, eat popcorn at the local market on Wednesday, and more . . . until we arrive at Saturday, when they get to play nonstop all day. Along the way, we also learn how the names of the seven days came to be.
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
The In-Between
by Katie Van Heidrich
By the early 2000s, thirteen-year-old Katie Van Heidrich has moved more times than she can count, for as long as she can remember. There have been the slow moves where she could see the whole thing coming. There have been the fast ones where she grabbed what she could in seconds. When Katie and her family come back from an out-of-town funeral, they discover that their landlord has unceremoniously evicted them, forcing them to pack lightly and move quickly.
They make their way to an Extended Stay America motel, with Katie's mother promising that it is temporary. Within the four walls of their new home, Katie and her siblings, Josh and Haley, try to live a normal life — all while wondering whether things would be easier living with their father. Lyrical and forthcoming, Katie navigates the complexities that come with living in-between: in between homes, in between parents, and in between childhood and adulthood, all while remaining hopeful for the future.
Cruzita and the Mariacheros
by Ashley Granillo
Cruzita dreams of becoming a pop star, but when she has to help at her family's struggling bakery after her Tío Chuy's death, her summer plans are derailed. While learning mariachi music and embracing her family's legacy, Cruzita discovers that being a star isn't just about fame — it's about honoring her roots and finding joy in unexpected places.
High School (Grades 9–12)
Call Us What We Carry
by Amanda Gorman
This luminous poetry collection by #1 New York Times best-selling author and presidential inauguration poet Amanda Gorman captures a shipwrecked moment in time and transforms it into a lyric of hope and healing. In Call Us What We Carry, Gorman explores history, language, identity, and erasure through an imaginative and intimate collage. Harnessing the collective grief of a global pandemic, this beautifully designed volume features poems in many inventive styles and structures and shines a light on a moment of reckoning.
Wild Dreamers
by Margarita Engle
Ana and her mother have been living in their car after her father became one of the FBI's most wanted. When Ana meets Leandro, they instantly connect and form a rewilding club to help protect wildlife like mountain lions. Through their efforts to restore habitats, Ana and Leandro find hope for a better future for both animals and themselves.
Books in Spanish
¿Dónde estás, primavera? (preescolar a segundo grado)
de Eva Manzano, ilustraciones de Mariana Ruiz Johnson
Una historia encantadora sobre la búsqueda colectiva emprendida por los habitantes del bosque para encontrar a la primavera, que parece haberse olvidado de presentarse a tiempo.
To access the books on our monthly MPS Reads book lists, visit your school library or local library, or go online to Sora* (formerly OverDrive) and log in with your MPS student ID number.
*Some titles are not available through Sora.