Preschool
Tiny T. Rex and the First-Day Oopsies: A Back-to-School Book
by Jonathan Stutzman
Tiny is certain he's ready for anything at his BIG new school—but learns that even the best-prepared dinosaur will still meet some "oopsies" along the way!
The Day the Crayons Made Friends
by Drew Daywalt
Duncan’s crayons just can’t seem to stay put!
After convincing one group of crayons to go back to work after they wanted to quit and rescuing another group who got lost in the most inconvenient places, Duncan’s crayons have disappeared once more.
But this time, they’ve gone out into his room to make friends. From Red Crayon, who fulfills his dream of driving a firetruck; to Blue Crayon, who meets a fashion doll desperately in need of a head; to fan favorite Esteban, who is off to tame a teddy bear (or as he would call it, a wild beast), each crayon has an exciting story to share about the new objects they’ve met and the new adventures they’ve had.
Primary (Kindergarten–Grade 2)
The Girl Who Makes a Million Mistakes
by Brenda Li
Want to teach children how to turn mistakes into resilience, then watch them shine bright?
From tangled hair to missing teeth, Millie's track and field race turns into a disaster when she makes mistakes after mistakes. This young girl dreams of being a top athlete. But whatever she does, she always messes up. Millie squeezes too much toothpaste, uses too much glue, spills milk all over and spells 'banana' wrong. When she repeatedly makes errors in the race, she feels frustrated and discouraged. She even ends up in a tree!
Will she quit? Will she ever become an amazing athlete she aspires to be?
The exciting ups and downs will leave young readers rooting for this highly relatable girl.
See how Millie finally succeeds through learning, creative problem solving, mental toughness and determination!
Wish in a Tree
by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Oliver’s brain is a volcano of ideas—always bubbling with questions. This makes it hard to focus at school, and sometimes he worries he won’t ever fit in there. So it’s a good thing he has a friend who reminds him that great minds don’t think alike. And that a brain that blazes with curiosity and imagination is a glorious thing. Featuring artwork showcasing all the wonderful things going on in Oliver’s astonishing brain, this uplifting book celebrates out-of-the-box thinking, the power of creativity, and the importance of being proud of the things that set us apart.
Intermediate (Grades 3–5)
Ruby René Always Gets Her Way
by Ashley Iman
Ruby René had so much to say…so she got her own segment on the school's morning announcements. But now Ruby’s got a co-host! After an unexpected sick day, Ruby René returns to someone new sitting in her anchor chair–Yanin Luray. Ruby reluctantly agrees to a shared show and is surprised that she loves having an assistant to bounce ideas off of.
But when Yanin refuses to come back to do the show, Ruby René is forced to reflect on how it’s not only important to share her voice, but her ears, too. As the girls learn to listen and talk in equal measure, they discover how to both get their way, as co-hosts.
Sammy and Sunny's First Day of School
by Nina LaCour
It's the first day of kid school for Sammy and the first day of puppy school for Sunny. They both feel nervous, but they end up having a great time— making friends, playing and napping, and learning all sorts of new things.
That afternoon, they tell Mom and each other all about day one, Sammy with words and Sunny in his own special way. But what will happen on day two? Sammy wonders. And readers are in for a very funny surprise!
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
Schoolbot 9000: A Graphic Novel
by Sam Hepburn
James Gordon is already annoyed by the robots in his life—the drones that look like bugs, the dogbots at the park, his HomeBot babysitter, and now? He’s just found out that Schoolbots are replacing all of his favorite middle school teachers.
James’s teachers have always cared about his feelings and supported his art, but with the news that artificial intelligence is replacing them, James’s life feels like it’s full spiraling into chaos. All the Schoolbots care about is improving students’ test scores and efficiency, and they’ve had some seriously unnerving glitches.
James is determined to fight back but is going to need some help from a very unlikely ally in order to keep these robot teachers from taking over his school.
Troublemaker
by Andrew Clements
Clayton Hensley is accustomed to trouble: There’s a folder of incident reports in Principal Kelling’s office that’s as thick as a phonebook and growing daily. Most recently, Clay’s art teacher told the class to spend the period drawing anything they wanted, and Clay decided to be extra “creative” by drawing a spot-on portrait of Principal Kelling…as a donkey.
It’s a pretty funny joke, but Clay is coming to realize that the biggest joke of all may be on him. When his big brother, Mitchell, gets in some serious trouble, Clay decides to change his own mischief-making ways…but he can’t seem to shake his reputation as a troublemaker.
High School (Grades 9–12)
Not Nothing
by Gayle Forman
Alex is twelve, and he did something very, very bad. A judge sentences him to spend his summer volunteering at a retirement home where he’s bossed around by an annoying and self-important do-gooder named Maya-Jade. He hasn’t seen his mom in a year, his aunt and uncle don’t want him, and Shady Glen’s geriatric residents seem like zombies to him.
Josey is 107 and ready for his life to be over. He has evaded death many times, having survived ghettos, dragnets, and a concentration camp—all thanks to the heroism of a woman named Olka and his own ability to sew. But now he spends his days in room 206 at Shady Glen, refusing to speak and waiting (and waiting and waiting) to die. Until Alex knocks on Josey’s door...and Josey begins to tell Alex his story.
As Alex comes back again and again to hear more, an unlikely bond grows between them. Soon a new possibility opens up for Alex: Can he rise to the occasion of his life, even if it means confronting the worst thing that he’s ever done?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
Charlie is a painfully shy freshman. A wallflower who watches the world around him rather than interact with it. Which makes finding friends, dealing with his family, and falling in love difficult. When it all becomes too much, and Charlie has a mental breakdown, he has to find a way back to the world and himself.
Books in Spanish
Paletero Man ¡Que Paletero tan Cool!/Popsicle Man, What a cool popsicle man!
by Lucky Diaz (Preschool)
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Can you hear his call? Paletas for one! Paletas for all! / ¡Vengan a comprar! Paleta para uno ¡o pa’ to’a la vecindad!
Follow along with our narrator as he passes through his busy neighborhood in search of the Paletero Man. But when he finally catches up with him, our narrator’s pockets are empty. Oh no! What happened to his dinero? It will take the help of the entire community to get the tasty treat now.