Preschool
All I Need to Be
by Rachel Ricketts, illustrations by Tiffany Rose
When the world gets to be too much, we can always take a moment to look within ourselves for love, support, and healing. This lyrical mindfulness guide filled with an inspiring, positive self-esteem message helps young ones to feel big feelings and celebrate their whole being.
I Need a Hug/Necesito un abrazo
by Aaron Blabey
A tiny porcupine just wants a cuddle. All of the other animals turn him away because of his prickly spikes. But finally the porcupine meets an animal who is happy to hug — a snake!
Primary (Kindergarten–Grade 2)
Something, Someday
by Amanda Gorman, illustrations by Christian Robinson
You're told that
This won't work,
But how will you know
If you never try?
Sometimes the world feels broken. And problems seem too big to fix. But, somehow, we all have the power to make a difference. With a little faith, and maybe the help of a friend, together we can find beauty and create change.
With intimate and inspiring text and powerfully stunning illustrations, Something, Someday reveals how even the smallest gesture can have a lasting impact.
The Map of Good Memories/El mapa de los buenos momentos
by Fran Nuño, illustrations by Zuzanna Celej, translation by Jon Brokenbrow
Some say that we always return to the places where we embraced life, where we were happy. Zoe, a girl who must flee her city with her family because of the war, remembers these places before she leaves.
Intermediate (Grades 3–5)
Noticing
by Kobi Yamada, illustrations by Elise Hurst
Noticing follows a young girl and an accomplished painter as they learn to observe the beauty and magic in each day. It is a story that will encourage you to pay attention, to make new discoveries, and to explore the unknown. It is also an invitation to look within . . . to your own hopes and dreams . . . and perhaps to discover even more.
The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum
by Lisa Yee, illustrations by Dan Santat
Olive Cobin Zang has . . . issues. And they mostly aren't her fault. (No, really!) Though she often slips under the radar, problems have a knack for finding her. So imagine her doubts when she is suddenly dropped off at the strangest boarding school ever: a former castle turned prison that is now a "reforming arts school"!
Nothing could have prepared Olive for the school known as RASCH (not "rash"). There, she is lumped in with a team of other kids who never quite fit in and discovers that the academy isn't what it seems — and neither is she. In fact, RASCH is a cover for an elite group of misfits that fights crime, and Olive has arrived just in time.
It turns out that RASCH is in danger of closing unless Olive's class can stop the heist of the century. As Olive falls in love with this wacky school, she realizes that it's up to her new team to save the only home that has ever welcomed them.
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
The Accidental Apprentice (Book 1 of 4 in Wilderlore)
by Amanda Foody
Barclay accidentally breaks his town's most sacred rule: never, ever, EVER stray into the Woods, for within the Woods lurk vicious magical Beasts.
To Barclay's horror, he faces a fate far worse than being eaten. He unwittingly bonds with a Beast and is run out of town by an angry mob. Determined to break this bond and return home, Barclay journeys to find the mysterious town of Lore Keepers, where there are people who have also bonded with Beasts and share their powers.
But after making new friends, entering a dangerous apprenticeship exam, and even facing the legendary Beast of the Woods, Barclay must make a difficult choice: return to the home and rules that he has always known or embrace the adventure awaiting him.
The Smell of Old Lady Perfume/Olor a perfume de viejita
by Claudia Guadalupe Martínez
Chela Gonzalez is a nerdy soccer player who is excited to start sixth grade. But it is nothing like she imagined it to be — her best friend ditches her to hang out with the popular girls. Chela focuses on homework and her family, but everything changes when her dad suffers a stroke.
High School (Grades 9–12)
Give Me a Sign
by Anna Sortino
Lilah is stuck in the middle. At least, that's what having a hearing loss seems like sometimes — when you don't feel "deaf enough" to identify as Deaf or you don't feel "hearing" enough to meet the world's expectations. But this summer, Lilah is ready for a change.
When Lilah becomes a counselor at a summer camp for the deaf and blind, her plan is to brush up on her American Sign Language. Once there, she also finds a community. There are cute British lifeguards who break hearts but not rules, a YouTuber who is just a bit desperate for clout, the campers whom Lila is responsible for (and overwhelmed by), and then there's Isaac, the dreamy Deaf counselor who volunteers to help Lilah with her signing.
But all signs seem to point to love. Unless she's reading them wrong? One thing is for sure: Lilah wanted change, and things here . . . they are certainly different from what she is used to.
Saints of the Household
by Ari Tison
Saints of the Household is a gripping novel about Bribri (Indigenous Costa Rican) American brothers, Max and Jay, who intervene in a fight that leads to violent consequences. As they face the repercussions, they question their identities and relationship with each other while confronting their abusive past. Through alternating viewpoints and poetry, the story explores themes of brotherhood, trauma, and healing.
Books in Spanish
Al otro lado (K–grado 2)
de Cristina Falcón Maldonado, ilustraciones de Mariona Cabassa
Hoy Juan José no tiene nada que hacer porque se rompió el cable de la tirolina que es la que usa para llegar a la escuela al otro lado del río. Entonces, cierra los ojos y empieza a soñar despierto con todas las cosas que quiere en la vida. Este libro está inspirado en una historia real de Venezuela.
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.