Preschool
Bright Star
by Yuyi Morales
With the combination of powerful, spare language and sumptuous, complex imagery characteristic of her work, Yuyi Morales weaves the tale of a fawn making her way through a landscape that is dangerous, beautiful — and full of potential. A gentle voice urges her onward to face her fears and challenge the obstacles that seek to hold her back.
Roxy, the Last Unisaurus Rex
by Eva Chen, illustrations by Matthew Rivera
Dinosaurs are awesome. Unicorns are, too. So what happens when you combine the best parts of each? Roxy, the Last Unisaurus Rex!
Join Roxy in all her sassy, steak-loving, glittery glory as she learns about the importance of staying true to yourself, celebrating your differences, and finding friends who love you for who you are.
Primary (Kindergarten–Grade 2)
I Got the School Spirit
by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illustrations by Frank Morrison
Summer is over, and this little girl has got the school spirit! She hears the school spirit in the bus driving up the street — VROOM, VROOM — and in the bell sounding in the halls — RING-A-DING! She sings the school spirit in class with her friends — ABC, 123! The school spirit helps us all strive and grow. What will you learn today?
Our Class Is a Family
by Shannon Olsen, illustrations by Sandie Sonke
With its heartfelt message and colorfully whimsical illustrations, Our Class Is a Family is a book that will help build and strengthen the class community. Kids learn that their classroom is a place where it's safe to be themselves, it's okay to make mistakes, and it's important to be a friend to others. When hearing this story read aloud by their teacher, students are sure to feel like they are part of a special family.
Intermediate (Grades 3–5)
We Can: Portraits of Power
by Tyler Gordon
Fifteen-year-old Tyler Gordon's journey from growing up as a regular kid in San Jose, California, to becoming a nationally recognized artist wasn't without its challenges. For the first six years of his life, he was fully deaf, which led to a stutter and bullying. Art gave him a creative outlet for his pain. Then, after painting a portrait of Kamala Harris and posting it on social media, he received a call from the vice president herself! Soon his art was everywhere. If Tyler can make art and follow his dreams, you can, too. We all can.
Mi Familia: A Mexican American Family
by Ana Cristina Gluck, illustrations by Gabriela Issa Chacón
This book was written especially for Mexican American children. This is the story of a multicultural family as told by Juan, a boy born in the United States whose parents are Mexican. Juan is proud of being bilingual, and he thinks that speaking Spanish helps him to communicate with his loved ones, such as his grandparents who live in Mexico. Mi Familia: A Mexican American Family is a children's book in Spanish with a few words in English.
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
Flight of the Puffin
by Ann Braden
Libby comes from a long line of bullies. She wants to be different, but sometimes that doesn't work out. To bolster herself, she makes a card with the message "You are amazing." That card sets off a chain reaction that ends up making a difference in the lives of kids who could also use a boost — kids dealing with bullies, unaccepting families, or the hole that grief leaves. Receiving an encouraging message helps each kid summon up the thing that they need most, whether it's bravery, empathy, or understanding. It helps them to realize that they matter — and that they're not flying solo anymore.
Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja
by Marcus Emerson and Noah Child, with Sal Hunter, illustrations by David Lee
My name is Chase Cooper, and I'm a sixth grade ninja. It's my first day at a different school, and the only person I know is my cousin, Zoe (but she might be a little too cool for me). I was just another scrawny kid until a group of ninjas recruited me into their clan. It was a world of trouble I wasn't prepared for, which is why I kept this diary (or "chronicle," as my dad would call it) — to warn other kids about the dangers of becoming a ninja. They say that history is destined to repeat itself . . . well, not if I can help it.
Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja is a funny thriller for kids, middle school students, and adults.
High School (Grades 9–12)
The Summer I Turned Pretty
by Jenny Han
Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer — they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover their special friendship — the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
Books in Spanish
El increíble niño comelibros (Kindergarten–Grade 2)
de Oliver Jeffers
Esta es la historia de Enrique, un niño al que le encantan los libros, pero no como a cualquier niño pueden gustarle. Un día, mientras tenía en una mano una paleta y en la otra un libro, Enrique, distraídamente, probó el libro. Notó que le gustaba, y aunque tenía sus dudas decidió comerse primero una palabra, luego una oración y, después, una página, luego de un par de días ya se había comido un libro entero. Inexplicablemente el conocimiento que contenían los libros llegaba al cerebro de Enrique, y pensó que con esto en poco tiempo podría ser la persona más lista del mundo, pero de pronto todo empezó a complicarse.
Manolito Gafotas (Grades 4–6)
de Elvira Lindo, ilustraciones de Emilio Urberuaga
Llega Manolito Gafotas, uno de los personajes más famosos del "mundo mundial." Este chaval de Carabanchel (Alto) nos ofrece, a través de sus gafas, una visión del mundo rebosante de humor. ¡Manolito es único, magnífico, inimitable . . . ! Junto a él, y junto a su hermano el Imbécil, su abuelo Nicolás y por supuesto, toda la pandilla, vivremos divertidas aventuras.
To access the books on our monthly MPS Reads book lists, visit your school library or local library, or go online to OverDrive* and log in with your MPS student ID number.
*Some titles are not available through OverDrive.