Preschool
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon
by Patty Lovell, illustrations by David Catrow
Molly Lou Melon is short and clumsy, has buck teeth, and has a voice that sounds like a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor. She doesn't mind. Her grandmother has always told her to walk proudly, smile big, and sing loud, and she takes that advice to heart.
But then Molly Lou has to start in a new school. A horrible bully picks on her on the very first day, but Molly Lou Melon knows just what to do about that.
Chicken Soup for the Soul BABIES: A Gift for Me? (I Want It!)
by Zeena Pliska, illustrations by Hazel Quintanilla
It's the winter gift-giving season, and Arctic Hare wants every gift she sees. "I want that!" she cries over and over. But when she sees the joy that giving brings the giver as well as the receiver, Arctic Hare changes her tune to "I want to give!" She gives a special personal item of her own.
Primary (Kindergarten–Grade 2)
Maddi's Fridge
by Lois Brandt, illustrations by Vin Vogel
Best friends Sofia and Maddi live in the same neighborhood, go to the same school, and play in the same park, but while Sofia's fridge at home is full of nutritious food, the fridge at Maddi's house is empty. Sofia learns that Maddi's family doesn't have enough money to fill their fridge and promises Maddi that she will keep this discovery a secret. But because Sofia wants to help her friend, she is faced with a difficult decision: to keep her promise or tell her parents about Maddi's empty fridge.
Filled with colorful artwork, this storybook addresses issues of poverty with honesty and sensitivity while instilling important lessons in friendship, empathy, trust, and helping others. A call to action section is also included, with six effective ways for children to help fight hunger and with information on anti-hunger groups.
This Is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from Around the World
by Matt Lamothe
In Japan, Kei plays freeze tag, while in Uganda, Daphine likes to jump rope. While the way that they play may differ, the shared rhythm of their day — and this one world that we all share — unites them.
Intermediate (Grades 3–5)
The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels
by Beth Lincoln, illustrations by Claire Powell
On the day that they are born, every Swift child is brought before the sacred Family Dictionary. They are given a name and a definition . . . a definition, it is assumed, that they will grow up to match.
Meet Shenanigan Swift: Little sister. Risk taker. Mischief maker.
Shenanigan is getting ready for the big Swift Family Reunion and plotting her next great scheme — hunting for Grand Uncle Vile's long-lost treasure. She is excited to finally meet her arriving relatives — until one of them gives Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude a deadly shove down the stairs.
So what if everyone thinks that she'll never be more than a troublemaker just because of her name? Shenanigan knows that she can become whatever she wants, even a detective. And she is determined to follow the twisty clues and catch the killer.
Mañanaland
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Maximiliano loves stories, especially the legend about a mythical gatekeeper who can guide brave travelers on a journey into tomorrow.
If Max could see tomorrow, he would know whether he would ever meet his mother, who disappeared when he was a baby. So when Max uncovers a buried secret — involving an underground network of guardians who lead people fleeing a neighboring country to safety — he decides to seek answers on his own.
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
Impossible Creatures
by Katherine Rundell
The day that Christopher saved a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lake would change his life forever.
It's the day that he learned about the Archipelago — a cluster of unmapped islands where magical creatures of every kind have thrived for thousands of years . . . until now. And it's the day that he met Mal — a girl on the run in desperate need of his help.
Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure, racing from island to island, searching for someone who can explain why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. They consult sphinxes, battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the closer they get to the dark truth of what's happening, the clearer it becomes: no one else can fix this. If the Archipelago is to be saved, Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves.
Boy 2.0
by Tracey Baptiste
Win "Coal" Keegan has just landed in his latest foster home with a big, noisy, slightly nosy family named the McKays. They seem eager to welcome Coal, but he's wary of trusting them. So he doesn't tell them that he went for a walk with chalk in his pocket to cover a nearby street with his art. He doesn't tell them that a neighbor found Coal drawing, pulled a gun on him, and fired it. He doesn't tell them that the police chased him.
And he definitely doesn't tell them that when everything went down, Coal somehow turned invisible.
But he did.
Now he has to figure out how. Is he a superhero? Some kind of mutant? A science experiment? Is that why he has no family of his own? As Coal searches for answers and slowly learns to control his invisibility, he turns to the McKay kids and friends both new and old for help. But they soon discover that they are not the only ones looking for a Black boy with superpowers, and the situation is far stranger — and more dangerous — than they ever could have expected.
High School (Grades 9–12)
Betting on You
by Lynn Painter
When seventeen-year-old Bailey starts a new job at a hotel waterpark, she is less than thrilled to see that one of her coworkers is an old acquaintance. Bailey met Charlie a year ago on a flight to Omaha, where she moved after her parents' divorce. Charlie's cynicism didn't mix well with Bailey's carefully well-behaved temperament, and his endless commentary was the irritating cherry on top of an already emotionally fraught trip.
Now Bailey and Charlie are still polar opposites, but instead of everything about him rubbing Bailey the wrong way, she starts to look forward to hanging out and gossiping about the waterpark guests and their coworkers — particularly two who keep flirting with each other. Bailey and Charlie make a bet on whether or not the cozy pair will actually get together. Charlie insists that members of the opposite sex can't be just friends, and Bailey is determined to prove him wrong.
Eleanor and Park
by Rainbow Rowell
It all starts when Park agrees to let Eleanor sit next to him on the school bus on the first day of school. At first, they don't even talk to each other, but little by little, they share their hobbies and start a friendship . . . and end up falling in love the way that you fall in love the first time, when you're young and you feel like you have nothing and everything to lose.
Books in Spanish
Por ahí viene el huracán (desde K5 hasta tercer grado)
de Laura Rexach Olivencia, ilustraciones de Mya Pagán
Conoce a Isa y a su gato, Mau. A Isa le encantan las aventuras. A Mau, no tanto.
Son mejores amigos y siempre están juntos. Viven en un monte hermoso en la isla de Puerto Rico. Ambos aman su pequeño rincón del mundo y la naturaleza que los rodea. En Por ahí viene el huracán, la primera de muchas aventuras de Isa y Mau, los mejores amigos viven la aventura de sus vidas antes, durante y después del paso de un gran huracán por su adorada isla.
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.