Dragons in a Bag is a much-needed contribution to the world of fantasy kidlit. It practically stands alone in a subgenre lacking characters of color. In fact, author Zetta Elliott intentionally wrote this book to add some representation to this space and show children that “magic can happen to anyone, anywhere—not just white kids in … Read more
Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 is Christopher Paul Curtis’ Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award winning novel of a family’s life in Flint, Michigan and their summer journey to Birmingham, Alabama. They take the trip in an effort to get the oldest child, Byron, to straighten up, hoping that a summer with Grandma … Read more
Bud, Not Buddy is the Newbery Award-winning follow-up to Christopher Paul Curtis’s acclaimed The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963. It tells the story of Bud (not Buddy), a ten-year-old African-American boy in search of his father in Depression-era Michigan. Bud’s mother has died, landing him in the Home, an orphanage in Flint. When he … Read more
“Don’t judge a man until you’ve walked two moons in his moccasins.” This familiar saying is the premise for Sharon Creech’s 1995 Newbery Medal winning Walk Two Moons. When we talk about books building empathy, this book is just what we are talking about. Creech masterfully weaves together three separate stories, each one compelling enough … Read more
The Zoey and Sassafras series provides a wonderful way to get young readers excited about science. The first book, Dragons and Marshmallows, cleverly introduces the scientific method in a memorable and exciting way. It’s a unique blend of logic and imagination, just as any good science experiment should be. But, this story is far from a dry scientific … Read more
Lola Levine is a confident 2nd grader with lots of winning qualities. She loves soccer, jumping on her bed, writing in her diary, painting, kittens, and eating all the delicious foods from her mixed heritage. She also loves writing notes to her friends, family, and teachers, and those notes are key to this heartwarming story. … Read more
Mrs. Brisbane, the regular teacher in Room 26 at Longfellow School, is missing. In Betty Birney’s 8th Humphrey novel, Mysteries According to Humphrey, Humphrey is confronted with a series of mysteries all associated with the central questions, “What happened to Mrs. Brisbane?” and “What’s up with the weird new substitute teacher?” The well-meaning Mr. E, … Read more
School Days According to Humphrey returns readers to Mrs. Brisbane’s classroom, Room 26 of Longfellow School. Students identify and relate more directly when authors connect with recognizable aspects of their daily classroom environment, things that are funny along with things that are annoying or emotionally challenging. It’s what the Humphrey series is really about. In … Read more
Read to Them schools can’t get enough of Humphrey the hamster, everyone’s favorite classroom pet. The diminutive psychologist manages to charm families and befriend students and school staff alike. He seeks and learns life lessons and imparts his newfound wisdom to children and adults, students and families, at Longfellow School and at your school, too. In Friendship … Read more
By popular demand! The simple, accessible, wonderful, endearing story of the humble hamster – Humphrey. With his common sense and aggressive nose for right and wrong, Humphrey turns the world of those he meets upside down – for the better! Fresh from the Pet-O-Rama, Humphrey is initially a reluctant member of Room 26 at Longfellow … Read more
Katherine Applegate invites you to listen to trees. “…if you find yourself standing near a particularly friendly-looking tree on a particularly lucky-feeling day, it can’t hurt to listen up. Trees can’t tell jokes. But we can certainly tell stories.” And so Red, a Wise Old Tree, invites us to listen to this story of a … Read more
A novel in verse. From Newbery-winning author, Kwame Alexander. For middle schools. About soccer. About books. And relationships. Nick Hall is a pretty typical middle schooler. He’s a king on the soccer field, he’s doing well in school, and he’s gearing up to ask out April, the girl of his dreams. However, Nick doesn’t like … Read more
“This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky.But no one saw it happen. No one heard anything. So instead, this story will begin like all the…good ones.With boogers.” And thus begins a story in ten acts, told as only Jason Reynolds could tell it … Read more
Searching for books with diverse characters? How do you know which underrepresented group to feature? It can be hard to do when you can only choose one book at a time. Enter Flying Lessons, a collection of short stories with several protagonists often overlooked in children’s literature, written by some of our finest authors. Consider … Read more
“You know, Stella, someone can only make you feel bad if you let them. It’s just words.” The school year is off to a rocky start for Stella, a third grader working hard to find her way. While she is smart and creative, her quiet nature draws the wrath of the class bully. Stella’s mother … Read more
Read to Them is excited to offer Finding Langston as an opportunity to explore a richly written story that weaves together The Great Migration, The Chicago Renaissance, the poetry of Langston Hughes, loss and grief, bullying, and the power of poetry in just over 100 pages. It’s a mystery as to how an author can … Read more
Zoe Washington is intrepid. She’s just turned 12, she wants to be a pastry chef, she’s interning at a local bakery, and she wants to audition for Food Network’s Kids Bake Off Challenge (and be the first Black girl to win). She’s also trying to navigate a rough patch with her longtime best friend, Trevor. … Read more
What do Judy Blume, Kate DiCamillo, Kevin Henkes, and Renée Watson have in common? They were all inspired by the late Beverly Cleary’s Ramona Quimby series, inspired to write about everyday kids having everyday problems in their everyday lives. They all write about their characters unabashedly, warts and all. But they also write with tender … Read more
“Always remember, when you are with your people, you are home.” Welcome to the ARRT Room – A Room To Talk. Here, six Brooklyn middle school students are afforded one hour each Friday to talk amongst themselves – no adults present. The students are blessed with a humane and understanding teacher who creates this private … Read more
“But in a place like Eerie-on-Sea, legends can sometimes have a little more… bite.” This is a lesson that Herbert “Herbie” Lemon, Lost-and-Founder of the Grand Nautilus Hotel, quickly discovers when he learns about the fearsome Malamander – a half-fish, half-man – that’s kept the town of Eerie-on-Sea weary of misty evenings for generations. “Because … Read more
This edition of Malala’s story is 172 pages – ideal for elementary and upper elementary school shared reading. The story of Malala Yousafzai – the Afghan girl who defied the Taliban, was attacked and injured, and went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize – is deservedly well-known by adults. But each succeeding wave of … Read more
“They say the Year of the Dog is for friends and family. But there’s more to it than that. The Year of the Dog is for thinking… it’s a good year to find yourself.” In The Year of the Dog we meet ten-year-old Pacy in a story inspired by author Grace Lin’s real life. Pacy … Read more
There’s a lot to know about Maria Luisa, better known as Malú, but let’s start with this: she loves punk music, she loves to make creative zines, and she hates cilantro. Malú’s father runs a punk record store in Florida, while Malú and her mother – whom she teases as SuperMexican – are temporarily moving … Read more
“I knew what it felt like to want to be the best at something.” J. Dillard’s debut book will have readers laughing, learning, fist-pumping, and page-flipping as they get to know young J.D. He wears his hair in cornrows. Now it’s time for his first real haircut… J.D. doesn’t have a cool dad to cut … Read more
