Staff Picks

On the surface, this is a kid's-eye-view of a neighborhood, with maps highlighting neighbors' houses, the school, library, and beloved places - and the interior of the narrator's house. At the end, it becomes clear this is a generous gesture from someone who has moved away so that whoever is moving into the house can already begin to know the heart of the neighborhood. The playful illustration style and bright colors draw the reader in, and notes on the maps detail what makes the places special.

 

A young cartographer leaves a one-of-a-kind gift behind for the kid moving into his old house. He’s drawn and annotated maps of all the neighborhood places of interest—no playground, reading nook, or chicken coop left uncharted. During a big move, a child can feel a lot of pressure to be excited for the future, to open their heart to the place they’re headed. But the roads they’ve been down hundreds of times, the familiar faces, and the house where they know every noisy pipe and leaky faucet all deserve care, too. A Book of Maps for You honors the homes we leave behind and the ones we haven’t met yet, reminding us that they may just be two sides of the same coin. Lourdes Heuer’s attentive text speaks volumes in each word, and Maxwell Eaton III’s signature detail-rich illustrations call for re-reads to drink in and explore every page

 

Very clever and funny story that ties together rhyming, creativity, and finding a new way of collaborating among siblings.

 

A boy begrudgingly composes a sometimes-rhyming adventure with his precocious little sister.'

 

Cute book with so many adorable illustrations showing Baby Capybara living authentically and finding friends he can be himself with. Super fun and chaotic!

 

Loud and splashy Baby Capybara must change his ways if he wants a bevy of peaceful birds perched on his back, but when an unexpected critter splashes onto the scene, he realizes he does not need to change himself to find friends.

 

As a first-generation American who has been the family interpreter since I was a child, this book brought tears to my eyes! It is an honor and a privilege to interpret for my parents who do not speak English fluently, but at times it was too much for a young child to handle. This picture book perfectly encapsulates the experience of many first-gen kids who do their best to help their parents, whilst acknowledging the weight of responsibility.

 

A sharp and heartfelt picture book about a young soccer-loving girl who's an interpreter for her Spanish-speaking parents.

 

 

 

I loved this book! It's the story of an ambitious dragon who might be destined for evil. It seems like it's for older kids than the Wings of Fire: Original Series.

 

Publisher's description:

Long before the SandWing and the Dragonet Prophecy, Darkstalker, half NightWing and half IceWing, is hatched under the three moons--born into a divided heritage, he is destined to become the most powerful and dangerous dragon Pyrrhia will ever know, and it will take the combined efforts of a SeaWing named Fatham and a NightWing seer named Clearsight to come up with a way to save all the kingdoms from his anger.

 

 

Kids get to pilot a thrilling undersea STEM expedition in this choose-your-own-adventure-style nonfiction for young readers. Innovative, inclusive, and brimming with fascinating facts about squid and the various scientists that study them, this is a terrific pick for elementary school science lovers as well as kids who struggle to connect with traditional reading. 

 

Publisher's description:

An exciting ocean-themed choose-your-path STEM adventure for emerging readers! Take a journey to the ocean's twilight zone in Search for a Giant Squid ! An exciting mixture of action and non action, this choose-your-own-adventure-style story allows readers to take on the mantle of a teuthologist looking for a giant squid in its natural habitat. Once readers pick their submersible, pilot, and dive site, the adventure begins!

 

Tender, nostalgic, hilarious.

 

This graphic novel explores the complex questions persistently posed to many masculine-presenting folks which are: What does it mean to be a "man"? What feelings, experiences, and circumstances contribute to the development of toxic masculinity? Is there such a thing as positive masculinity, or is masculinity in itself inherently toxic?

 

Neatly packaged in a hilarious narrative about an imaginary shark, this text encourages deep engagement from youth and adults alike, and will especially resonate with middle schoolers.

 

Publisher's description:

A hilarious middle-grade graphic memoir about boyhood, toxic masculinity and a shark named Jaws. For fans of Guts and New Kid.

 

This is one of my favorite books to read with rough-and-tumble kids. Princess Pinecone would LOVE to get a real warhorse for her birthday. And her family tries...but they don't quite get it right. What follows is a fun book for horse kids, brave kids, fantasy kids, and kids who are really good at looking at challenges in a new way.

 

Publisher's description:

Princess Pinecone would like a real war horse for her birthday, instead of which she gets a plump, cute pony--but sometimes cuteness can be a kind of weapon, especially in a fight with dodgeballs and spitballs and hairballs and squareballs.

 

Four Brooklyn middle schoolers race against time to save a baby robot after it crash-lands from outer space. Funny and action-packed, the story centers on Mimi Perez, a 12-year-old coping with the recent loss of her Papi to deportation. Mimi has always loved tinkering thanks to Papi's electronics repair shop, and she and her friends must use all their tech and street smarts to outwit government agents and reunite the little robot with its parental units. From hidden-robot hijinks to hilarious money-making schemes, the scrappy friend group is impossible not to root for, while a supporting cast of caring adults adds warmth and humor. This book will appeal greatly to both striving and precocious readers around 8-12 years old, and would make a terrific follow-up for fans of The Wild Robot.

 

Publisher's description: 

E.T. meets cult classic The Iron Giant in this middle grade light sci-fi from Emmy Award-winner Oz Rodriguez and New York Times best-selling author Claribel A. Ortega, perfect for fans of Witchlings.

 

Young Angie translates a lot of things for her Cantonese-speaking dad when they move to Canada. Together, they navigate new experiences and learn more about each other in this sweet, community-focused story.

 

Publisher description: A young girl helps her dad navigate life in a new country where she understands the language more than he does, in an unforgettable story about communication and community. Angie is used to helping her dad. Ever since they moved to Canada, he relies on her to translate for him from English to Chinese. Angie is happy to help: when they go to restaurants, at the grocery store, and, one day, when her dad needs help writing some signs for his work. Building off her success with her dad's signs, Angie offers her translation skills to others in their community. She's thrilled when her new business takes off, until one of her clients says he's unhappy with her work. When her dad offers to help, she can't imagine how he could. Working together, they find a surprising solution, fixing the problem in a way Angie never would have predicted. A gorgeously illustrated picture book from up-and-coming author-illustrator Jack Wong (When You Can Swim, Scholastic) that is at once a much-needed exploration of the unique pressures children of immigrants often face, a meditation on the dignity of all people regardless of their differences, and a reminder of the power of empathy.

 

Find The Words We Share in the online catalog.