He was only one squirrel. There wasn’t much time. What should he do? Nuts to You by Newbery Medal winner Lynne Rae Perkins encourages us to ask this question and plenty of others. The story will take students and families on a journey of self-discovery and survival, and it will have every reader laughing out … 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
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
“Anything is possible with rabbits.” That’s how Emma expresses the world of possibility she discovers in this novel from Cynthia Lord. What starts as a story about rescuing a pet rabbit turns into a rich, sensitive story about leaving a home-schooled past and assimilating to public school in fifth grade. “Excited is way ahead, but … 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
What would you do if you discovered your grandfather had turned into a 13-year-old wise-cracking kid? Grandpa Melvin is a scientist and he’s discovered a cure for aging. (It involves jellyfish.) He appears on his estranged daughter’s doorstep, looking for help breaking into his old lab and to recover his research. He ends up enrolled … Read more
“If you ever have to live in your car, you are going to have some problems with feet… Stinky dad feet. The Magic Marker smell of nail polish on your mom’s toes because she says she still wants to look nice so please just deal with it. Sister feet kicking you just as you’re falling … 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
“You need a stable family environment.”“You need a family that’s not all broken like yours is.” Charlie finds herself leaving her city home in Raleigh, North Carolina, sent away to small-town Colby, through no fault of her own. Her father is in jail for fighting and now he’s “getting corrected,” and her mother is depressed … Read more
Imagine life as a gopher snake. They look ferocious. They appear to be aggressive. But really that’s just because they often get confused for rattlesnakes. “I’m big, strong, and mean – and, though not deadly to humans, my bite doesn’t exactly tickle.” Crusher, the gopher snake, would love to be a rattlesnake. Instead, she is … 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
“It’s Simon Barnes here. But everybody calls me the Notorious D.O.G., because I might be little but I’ve got a loud bark. Okay, not true. Nobody calls me the Notorious D.O.G. yet.” As Simon prepares for his first day of fifth grade, he’s nervous because he’s always had trouble letting his inner voice be heard. … Read more
“Some of these places I am still getting to know, some of these places I have known all my life. All these places made me, are making me.” Amara Baker lives in Beaverton, Oregon, and all she wants for her twelfth birthday is to go to New York with her father on his business trip … Read more
