Preschool
We All Play
by Julie Flett
Animals and kids love to play! This wonderful book celebrates playtime and the connection between children and the natural world.
Beautiful illustrations show birds that chase and chirp! Bears that wiggle and wobble! Whales that swim and squirt! Owls that peek and peep! And a diverse group of kids that loves to do the same, shouting, "We play too!" / "kimêtawânaw mîna."
This book also includes a glossary of Cree words for the wild animals that appear in the book and a pronunciation guide and link to audio pronunciation recordings.
Let Me Fix You a Plate: A Tale of Two Kitchens
by Elizabeth Lilly
This tale of a family road trip highlights the author's joy in both her American and Colombian heritage and captures all the warmth and love of her family's two distinct cultures. Inspired by Elizabeth Lilly's childhood vacations and the sense memories of late-night journeys, Let Me Fix You a Plate is a vivacious exploration of family traditions old and new — from toast with homemade blueberry jam to fresh orange juice and arepas con queso blanco to midnight waffles at home.
Primary (Kindergarten–Grade 2)
Blackout
by John Rocco
It was a hot summer night in the city when the power went out. Everything changed, but that was not necessarily a bad thing. Not normal can be fun.
Bugs Hide and Seek
by Laura Buller
Bugs Hide and Seek tells the story about a leaf bug that introduces other bugs with great camouflage. Early readers will have fun trying to find the camouflaged bugs before they reveal themselves. With short sentences and simple vocabulary as well as picture dictionary boxes with word labels, Bugs Hide and Seek is perfect for children just beginning to learn to read.
Intermediate (Grades 3–5)
Goblin Secrets
by William Alexander
In the town of Zombay is a witch named Graba who has clockwork chicken legs and who moves her house around — much like the fairy tale figure of Baba Yaga. Graba takes in stray children, and Rownie is the youngest boy in her household. Rownie's only real relative is his older brother Rowan, who is an actor. But acting is outlawed in Zombay, and Rowan has disappeared.
Desperate to find him, Rownie joins up with a troupe of goblins that skirt the law to put on plays. But their plays are not only for entertainment, and the masks that they use are for more than make-believe. The goblins also want to find Rowan because Rowan might be the only person who can save the town from being flooded by a mighty river.
This atmospheric fantasy takes a gentle look at love, loss, and family while delivering a fast-paced adventure.
Yummy: A History of Desserts
by Victoria Grace Elliott
Have you ever wondered who first thought to freeze cream? Or when people began making sweet pastry shells to encase fruity fillings? Food sprite Peri is excited to show you the delicious history of sweets while taking you around the world and back!
The team-up that made ice cream cones! The mistake that made brownies!
Learn about and taste the true stories behind everyone's favorite treats, paired with fun and easy recipes to try at home. After all, sweets — and their stories — are always better when they're shared!
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
The Lion of Mars
by Jennifer L. Holm
Bell is just like any other kid. He loves cats, eats all kinds of cake, and is curious about everything. Oh, and he lives on another planet! Living on Mars comes with a ton of rules. Like don't go outside without a buddy. Always keep a glow stick in your pocket. And no contact with the kids in the other settlements. Ever. Then a virus breaks out among the grown-ups, and the children are the only ones who can help. Suddenly, it's up to Bell — a regular kid in a very different world — to uncover the truth and save his family . . . and possibly unite an entire planet.
Poop Happened!
by Sarah Albee, illustrations by Robert Leighton
Did lead pipes cause the fall of the Roman Empire?
How many toilets were in the average Egyptian pyramid?
How did a knight wearing fifty pounds of armor go to the bathroom?
Was poor hygiene the last straw before the French Revolution?
Did Thomas Crapper really invent the modern toilet?
How do astronauts "go" in space?
History finally comes out of the water closet in this exploration of how people's need to relieve themselves shaped human development from ancient times to the present.
High School (Grades 9–12)
Raybearer
by Jordan Ifueko
Nothing is more important than loyalty. But what if you have sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?
Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends Tarisai to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince's Council of Eleven. If she is picked, she'll be joined with the other council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won't stand by and become someone's pawn — but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself? With extraordinary world-building and breathtaking prose, Raybearer is the story of loyalty, fate, and the lengths that we are willing to go for the ones we love.
Juliet Takes a Breath
by Gabby Rivera
Juliet Milagros Palante is a self-proclaimed closeted Puerto Rican from the Bronx. Only she's not so closeted any more. Not after coming out to her family the night before flying to Portland, Oregon, to intern with her favorite feminist writer — what's sure to be a life-changing experience. And when Juliet's coming out crashes and burns, she's not sure that her mom will ever speak to her again.
But Juliet has a plan — sort of . . .
Books in Spanish
De cómo tia Lola vino de visita a quedarse
de Julia Alvarez
De cómo tía Lola vino de visita a quedarse, una novela juvenil de Julia Alvarez, cuenta la deliciosa historia de una familia dominicana, instalada en Vermont, que recibe la visita de una pariente muy especial. La irresistible, incontrolable e incluso mágica tía Lola transforma la vida de su familia. Sombreros, pañuelos, vestidos alegres, tacones, maracas, un tambor para las fiestas, café, hierbabuena, orégano, anís, hojas de guanábana, ajíes . . . , su alegría invade la casa y — poco a poco — a todo el pueblo. Un relato rico, cálido y lleno de humor, que nos llevará a sonar con la posibilidad de tener una tía tan entrañable como tía Lola.
Y
o, Naomi León
de Pam Muñoz Ryan
Naomi Soledad León Outlaw ha tenido que enfrentarse a mucho en su corta vida, empezando por su nombre. También está el problema de su ropa (hechas por su abuela en tela de poliéster), su timidez y la fama que tiene en la escuela de no ser nadie especial. Pero según su abuela, la mayoría de los problemas se solucionan con mentalidad positiva. Y su vida, junto a su abuela y su pequeño hermano, Owen, en el parque de casas móviles Avocado Acres, es tranquila y feliz . . . hasta que su mamá aparece luego de siete años, creando confusión y retando a Naomi a que averigüe quién es.
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.