Theme: Courage
Gracie Under the Waves
“It was so intense and vibrant that Gracie felt like she could hear the color shouting.” Gracie loves snorkeling so much, she plans a family vacation to Roatán, Honduras. Readers who travel to Roatán with Gracie will encounter two worlds: the vibrant, hidden ecosystem of fish and fauna who call coral reefs their home, and the complex familial web in which Gracie must negotiate the delights and challenges of her neurodivergent brother, Ben. … Read more
Framed!
Masterpiece meets Encyclopedia Brown in this fast-paced tale of sleuthing and derring-do in which precocious Florian Bates is enlisted by the FBI to help solve a series of art thefts. “You can tell a lot about someone just by what you see from the sidewalk.” Florian is a 12-year old budding Sherlock Holmes. He has just moved to Washington D.C. where … Read more
From an Idea to Lego: The Building Bricks Behind the World’s Largest Toy Company
Who wouldn’t want to learn the story of all things LEGO? Lowey Bundy Sichol has bundled the fascinating origins of LEGO into a brisk 110-page book, handy and accessible to kids of all ages – and to the kid in each of us. Readers will gain a full-fledged appreciation for the toy beloved all over the world, a toy that encourages exactitude, problem-solving, and free creative play. The first bit of trivia they’ll master? … Read more
Sophia’s War
Read to Them offers you a fine way to experience the American Revolution and help you celebrate its 250th anniversary with Sophia’s War by Avi. Sophia’s War ferries readers to New York City in 1776, occupied by the British – when all Americans must decide whether to remain a loyal to the King, to support the Patriot cause, or stay out of the fight and … Read more
Race to Fire Mountain
When Jarell gets caught drawing in math class instead of learning algebra, his teacher asks him this question: “What makes you so special?” Readers of Race to Fire Mountain will soon discover that the real answer to his query is also the heart of this book, as Jarell sets off on a quest to learn if he has what it takes … Read more
Revolutionary War on Wednesday
What’s the best way to get your students eager to learn, question, and celebrate the American Revolution? Try Revolutionary War on Wednesdays, a popular installment in Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House series. In book #22, Jack and Annie are in the middle of a four-book quest in which task #2 requires them to find “something … Read more
Dogtown
“Friendship is mysterious… Then along comes a tiny rodent and a robot dog… And we’re littermates for life.” Chance is a three-legged dog who lives in Dogtown – a wonderful, lively shelter full of intelligent humans, dogs with personality and histories, and a family of mice hiding in the eaves. As a three-legged dog, no … Read more
Dog Driven
Fourteen-year-old McKenna is competing in the historic Great Superior Mail Run along the banks of Lake Superior in Ontario, Canada. This dog-sled race honors the tradition of long-ago mail carriers who delivered correspondence to remote outposts in the late-1800s. In fact, McKenna enters the race to deliver a letter about Stargardt disease, a degenerative condition that … Read more
Big Foot and Little Foot
“The world is full of mysteries if you just pay attention.” Deep in the cold North Woods, in the back of Widdershins Cavern, lives a young Sasquatch (better known as a squidge) named Hugo. Hugo may have some large feet, but he has an even larger heart for adventure. There’s just one problem: the Sasquatch … Read more
Wink
“I’m lying on the steel table, all too aware of the giant ray gun pointed in my direction.” This is the voice of Ross Maloy, a kid who is just about to undergo his first radiation treatment. Ross has been diagnosed with a rare eye cancer…one that we learn early on is malignant. The “bad … Read more
Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring
“Whether she liked it or not, Paloma Marquez was in Mexico City for a whole month.” Paloma just wants to spend a normal summer at home reading her favorite mystery novels by the pool, but instead she’s headed to Mexico City. Her Mom has received a prestigious fellowship in her father’s home country, creating an … Read more
To Catch a Thief
“From one direction came the scents of salt water, washed-up kelp, and dead crabs. From the other, fresh bread, crackling fires, herb gardens, and even a few rosebushes. The town smelled good. As if it could be home.” A thief has entered the charming but run-down Urchin Beach. This seaside town isn’t the sort of … Read more
Nowhere Boy
“And the children too. Listen to them. Sometimes they are more observant than the adults.” Max Howard is a young American who, thanks to his diplomat father, is forced to spend a year in Brussels and unhappy about having to attend a French-speaking school. Ahmed Nasser is fleeing the violence of his home in Syria. … Read more
Count Me In
“They are like two chocolates in a box. But on the inside, they have different centers.” Karina and Chris are neighbors, but they aren’t friends. Karina is a 7th grader who dreads the school bus where kids like Chris tease her for having hair on her arms. Chris struggles with math but unexpectedly discovers … Read more
Alone
“I am the most ancient teenager/on the planet.” Maddie Harrison, a 12-year-old girl, plans a secret sleepover with her two best friends and no adults to enjoy the glory of being all alone. When a stomach bug throws a wrench in the plan, Maddie decides to go solo anyway… and then wakes up the next … Read more
Willodeen
“The earth is old and we are not, and that is all you must remember.” Eleven-year-old Willodeen is an old soul wrapped in youthful determination. She loves nature and all of its creatures – especially the ones that others find distinctly unlovable. In fact, she much prefers the company of screechers (think of a cross … Read more
Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs
“I’ll need to be courageous someday. Why not start today? I give myself permission.” Meet Solimar, the reluctant princess-to-be in the kingdom of San Gregorio, high in the mountains of central Mexico. Her quinceañera/coronation is fast approaching, but she would much rather romp in her hiking boots than practice walking in high heels. “You are … Read more
Winnie’s Great War
“…sometimes the best stories are, in fact, true.” How did Winnie the Pooh become the world’s favorite bear? The amazing true story begins in 1914 in the woods of Canada with a special black bear cub. In Winnie’s Great War, co-authors Lindsay Mattick and Josh Greenhut expand the Caldecott-medal picture book Finding Winnie to a … Read more
The Guardian Test
Dear Miss Plum, I have the pleasure of inviting you to the Guardian Academy on Lotus Island. With this letter, young Plum leaves her caregiver grandparents and their farm on Little Island to begin her studies as a Trainee Guardian. She hopes to join the ranks of animal shapeshifters who protect the imagined world of … Read more
Cress Watercress
“No one bothered to lock the door or to look back at nobody waving goodbye.” So begins the journey of Cress, her mama, and her little brother, Kip, as they leave their snug home in the rabbit warren. Papa has not returned from his journey to gather honey so the family needs a new place … Read more
A Rover’s Story
“I am not built for startling. I have been built for observation.” Dive into the inner thoughts of Resilience (Res for short), a NASA rover destined for the surface of Mars. He awakens to the clarity of his purpose: he was built for exploring a faraway planet, and he was not built for human emotions. … Read more
A Whole New Ballgame
It’s the first day of fifth grade for Rip and Red, lifetime best friends. These two kids look pretty different on the outside. Rip is a Black kid with dreads and an easy-going manner. Red has his namesake red hair, and is far from easy-going. But they make their friendship work on a deeper level, … Read more
Rescue at Lake Wild
“The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.” – Jane Goodall As a self-proclaimed animal whisperer, twelve year old Madison Lewis lives by these words from her personal hero. Her late grandmother was a wildlife rehabilitator, and Madi is determined to be one too. But after rescuing countless … Read more