Amazing Collection of Literature Books for K-12 Students
Enter keywords to filter list
| Title | Author | Grades | Description | Copyright | Genre | Classification | Culture | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Library | Nikki Giovanni | K,1,2 | In this lyrical picture book, world-renowned poet, New York Times bestselling author, and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Nikki Giovanni and fine artist Erin Robinson craft an ode to the magic of a library as a place not only for knowledge but also for imagination, exploration, and escape. | 2022 | Fiction, Poetry | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Black/African American | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Ethnic Studies |
| A River's Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn | Patricia Newman | K,1,2,3,4,5 | Discover how changes to the Elwha River harmed the ecosystem but through persistence, cooperation, and advocacy it was renewed and restored. | 2022 | Nonfiction | Picture Book | Native American | American History, Earth Science, Life Science (Biology) |
| All Are Neighbors | Alexandra Penfold | K,1,2 | Moving to a new place can be hard, but when your neighbors welcome you with open arms, there are so many things to discover and celebrate. | 2022 | Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book, Rhyming Book | Multicultural | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Ethnic Studies, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health |
| Be A Bridge | Irene Latham | K,1,2 | Rhyming verse describes different ways in which readers can be a bridge, from welcoming a new student and listening respectfully when someone else is talking to standing up to a bully and comforting a classmate who is upset. | 2022 | Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book, Rhyming Book | Multicultural | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health |
| Can I Be Your Dog? | Troy Cummings | K,1,2 | A heart-tugging dog adoption story told through letters from a dog as he seeks a forever home! It also showcases many different styles of letter writing, making it appealing to parents and teachers looking to teach the lost art of written communication. | 2018 | Fiction, Humor | Easy Reader, Picture Book | English-Language Arts/General, Global Social Issues | |
| Emmy Noether: The Most Important Mathematician You've Never Heard Of | Helaine Becker | K,1,2 | Emmy Noether is not pretty, quiet or good at housework ‚ all the things a girl of her time is expected to be. What she is, though, is brilliant at math. And when she grows up, she skirts the rules to first study math at a university and then teach it. She also helps to solve of the most pressing mathematical and physics problems of the day. And though she doesn't get much credit during her lifetime, her discoveries continue to influence how we understand the world today. | 2020 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Picture Book | Western European | English-Language Arts/General, Global Historical Events and Figures, International Studies/World History, Mathematics, Physical Science (Chemistry and Physics), Women‚Äôs Studies |
| Eyes That Speak to the Stars | Joanna Ho | K,1,2 | A young boy comes to recognize his own power and ability to change the future. When a friend at school creates a hurtful drawing, the boy turns to his family for comfort. He realizes that his eyes rise to the skies and speak to the stars, shine like sunlit rays, and glimpse trails of light from those who came before fact, his eyes are like his father's, his agong's, and his little brother's, and they are visionary. Inspired by the men in his family, he recognizes his own power and strength from within. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Picture Book | South Asian | |
| Gigi and Ojiji | Melissa Iwai | K,1,2 | Gigi can wait for her Japanese grandpa move in. Gigi plans lots of things to do with him, like playing tag, reading books, and teaching Roscoe, the family dog, new tricks. But her plans don't work out quite the way she hoped. And her grandpa doesn't seem to like Roscoe. Will Gigi find a way to connect with her Ojiji? | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Japanese/Japanese American | |
| Harvest Days: Giving Thanks Around the World | Kate DePalma | K,1,2 | Explore harvest festivals from around the globe! Lyrical, rhyming text and lush, detailed artwork from Italian artist Martina Peluso immerse young readers in some of the most ancient traditions in the world. | 2022 | Nonfiction | Picture Book | Multicultural | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, International Studies/World History, Lifestyles Around the World, World Cultures: Perspectives, Practices, and Products |
| Have You Ever Seen a Flower? | Shawn Harris | K,1,2 | This enchanting picture book explores the relationship between childhood and nature. In this simple yet profound story, one child experiences a flower with all five senses--from its color to its fragrance to the entire universe it evokes--revealing how a single flower can expand one's perspective in incredible ways. | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Picture Book | Life Science (Biology) | |
| How to Wear a Sari | Darshana Khiani | K,1,2 | When a little girl tires of being treated like she's too little, she sets out to prove to her family that she can do anything she puts her mind to ¶ including putting on a colorful, twinkly, silky sari. Sure, they're long and unwieldy--but that only means her family will be even more impressed when she puts it on all by herself. | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | East Indian/East Indian American, South Asian | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, International Studies/World History, Lifestyles Around the World, World Cultures: Perspectives, Practices, and Products |
| Hundred Years of Happiness | Thanhha Lai | K,1,2 | This book showcases the love between grandparents and grandchildren, the challenges of memory loss, and the joy that sweet reminders of a faraway home can bring. | 2022 | Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Vietnamese/Vietnamese American | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Ethnic Studies, International Studies/World History, Lifestyles Around the World, World Cultures: Perspectives, Practices, and Products |
| I Am One: A Book of Action | Susan Verde | K,1,2 | One seed to start a garden, one note to start a melody, one brick to start breaking down walls: Every movement and moment of change starts with purpose, with intention, with one. With me. With you. | 2020 | Fiction | Concept Book, Easy Reader, Picture Book | Multicultural | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Global Social Institutions, Global Social Issues, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health |
| I Forgive Alex: A Simple Story About Understanding | K,1,2 | Alex's enthusiasm and energy can sometimes be a challenge for his classmates. He loves to play ball on the playground with his friends, but when his rambunctious behavior inadvertently upsets one of the other students, he finds himself at odds with the whole class. In a story that sees the perspective of both sides, Alex learns quickly that the right thing to do is say he's sorry, leaving it up to his friend to find the compassion and empathy to accept it. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Picture Book, Wordless Book | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health | ||
| Josie Dances | Denis Lajimodiere | K,1,2 | Josie dreams of dancing at next summer's powwow. But first she needs many special things: a dress, a shawl, a cape, leggings, moccasins, and, perhaps most important of all, her spirit name. To gather all these essential pieces, she calls on her mom, her aunty, her kookum, and Grandma Greatwalker. They have the skills to prepare Josie for her powwow debut. | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Indigenous Peoples, Native American | Dance, Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Ethnic Studies, Lifestyles Around the World, Physical Fitness, Women’s Studies |
| Just Like Grandma | Kim Rogers | K,1,2 | Becca watches her grandma create, play, and dance--and she knows that she wants to be just like Grandma. Becca loves spending time with Grandma. Every time Becca says, "Let me try," Grandma shows her how to make something beautiful. Whether they are beading moccasins, dancing like the most beautiful butterflies, or practicing basketball together, Becca knows that, more than anything, she wants to be just like Grandma. And as the two share their favorite activities, Becca discovers something surprising about Grandma. | 2023 | Realistic Fiction | Picture Book | Native American | |
| Justice Is...: A Guide for Young Truth Seekers | Preet Bharara | K,1,2 | In clear and simple language, Preet Bharara, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, explains what justice is and what it takes to achieve it for even the youngest readers. Drawing on examples of historic justice seekers whose deeds best demonstrate those attributes by asking hard questions, keeping an open mind, defending the truth, and using their voices and their bodies to fight injustice such as Ida B. Wells, John Lewis, Malala Yousafzai, and many others, this timely book is perfect for exploring the concept of justice. | 2022 | Nonfiction | Picture Book | Multicultural | American History, Diversity, Global Historical Events and Figures, Global Social Issues, Government and Politics, Law and Legal Studies |
| Keepeunumuk: Weeachumun's Thanksgiving Story | Alexis Bunten, Anthony Perry, Danielle Greendeer | K,1,2 | "The Thanksgiving story that most Americans know celebrates the Pilgrims. But without members of the Wampanoag tribe who already lived on the land where the settled, the Pilgrims would never have made it through their first winter. And without Wee√¢chumun (corn), the Native people wouldn't have helped. An important picture book honoring both the history and tradition that surrounds the story of the first Thanksgiving." | 2022 | Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Indigenous Peoples, Native American | American History, Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Ethnic Studies, Life Science (Biology), Personal and Community Health |
| Kind Like Marsha: Learning from LBGTQ+ Leaders | Sarah Prager | K,1,2 | Kind Like Marsha celebrates 14 amazing and inspirational LGBTQ+ people throughout history. Fan favorites like Harvey Milk, Sylvia Rivera, and Audre Lorde are joined by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Frida Kahlo, and more in this striking collection. With a focus on a positive personality attribute of each of the historical figures, readers will be encouraged to be brave like the Ugandan activist fighting for LGBTQ+ rights against all odds and to be kind like Marsha P. Johnson who took care of her trans community on the New York City streets. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography | Picture Book | Multicultural | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Global Historical Events and Figures, Gender/Sexuality |
| Kindergarten: Where Kindness Matters Every Day | Vera Ahiyya | K,1,2 | Leo, a quiet kid who is not ready for his first day of kindergarten, ends up having a great day when he makes a kindness pledge and discovers he knows a lot about being kind to others. | 2022 | Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Multicultural | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health |
| Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion | Shannon Stocker | K,1,2 | From the moment Evelyn Glennie heard her first note, music held her heart. She played the piano by ear at age eight, and the clarinet by age ten. But soon, the nerves in her ears began to deteriorate, and Evelyn was told that, as a deaf girl, she could never be a musician. What sounds Evelyn couldn't hear with her ears, though, she could feel resonate through her body as if she, herself, were a drum. And the music she created was extraordinary. Evelyn Glennie had learned how to listen in a new way. And soon, the world was listening too. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography | Picture Book | Western European | English-Language Arts/General, Music, Women’s Studies |
| Look, Grandma! Ni, Elisi! | Art Coulson | K,1,2 | Bo wants to find the perfect container to show off his traditional marbles for the Cherokee National Holiday in this exploration of volume and capacity. | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Indigenous Peoples, Native American | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Mathematics, Measurement & Geometry (Geometry), Number Sense |
| Luli and the Language of Tea | Andrea Wang | K,1,2 | When five-year-old Luli joins her new English as a Second Language class, the playroom is quiet. Luli can speak English, neither can anyone else. That's when she has a brilliant idea to host a tea party and bring them all together. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Chinese/Chinese American, Multicultural | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Ethnic Studies, Immigration/Migration, Lifestyles Around the World |
| Magnolia Flower | Ibram X. Kendi, Zora Neale Hurston | K,1,2 | Born to parents who fled slavery and the Trail of Tears, Magnolia Flower is a girl with a vibrant spirit. Not to be deterred by rigid ways of the world, she longs to connect with others, who too long for freedom. She finds this in a young man of letters who her father disapproves of. In her quest to be free, Magnolia must make a choice and set off on a journey that will prove just how brave one can be when leading with one's heart. | 2022 | Fairy Tale, Folklore | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Black/African American, Indigenous Peoples, Native American | American History, Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Ethnic Studies, Women’s Studies |
| Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle | Nina LaCour | K,1,2 | For one little girl, there's no place she rather be than sitting between Mama and Mommy. So when Mommy goes away on a work trip, it's tricky to find a good place at the table. As the days go by, Mama brings her to the library, they watch movies, and all of them talk on the phone, but she still misses Mommy as deep as the ocean and as high as an astronaut up in the stars. As they pass by a beautiful garden, the girl gets an idea . . . but when Mommy finally comes home, it takes a minute to shake off the empty feeling she felt all week before leaning in for a kiss. | 2022 | Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Multicultural | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health, Women’s Studies, Gender/Sexuality |
| No Truth Without Ruth: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Kathleen Krull | K,1,2 | Ruth Bader Ginsburg may be one of the most respected women in the United States, but her recognition is nothing short of hard-won. For years before becoming a justice of the Supreme Court, Ruth had to fight the notion that being female meant that she was less smart, less qualified, and less worthy of attention than her male counterparts. Throughout college, law school, and her work life, she faced discrimination, because she was a woman. | 2018 | Biography/Autobiography | Picture Book | Jewish/Jewish American | English-Language Arts/General, Global Historical Events and Figures, Government and Politics, Law and Legal Studies, Women’s Studies |
| On the Trapline | David A. Robertson | K,1,2 | A boy and Moshom, his grandpa, take a trip together to visit a place of great meaning to Moshom. A trapline is where people hunt and live off the land, and it was where Moshom grew up. As they embark on their northern journey, the child repeatedly asks his grandfather, "Is this your trapline?" Along the way, the boy finds himself imagining what life was like two generations ago -- a life that appears to be both different from and similar to his life now. | 2021 | Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Indigenous Peoples, Native American | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Lifestyles Around the World, World Cultures: Perspectives, Practices, and Products |
| One Boy Watching | Grant Snider | K,1,2 | The experience of a long school bus ride is seen through the eyes of a rural boy who is the first student to board on his route. ‚ÄúOne boy. Waiting. For two bright headlights. Bus Number Four. Three big steps up.‚ From his seat he watches the view out the window, seeing trees, deer, cars, sunflowers, and an infinite sky. Eventually 48 kids arrive at school, and later in the day they get back on the bus for the trip home. Everything is described numerically, as this observant child, who has light skin and black hair, contemplates the landscape of his daily routine. Vibrant colors and a childlike sensibility infuse the introspective text with an upbeat energy. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Concept Book, Picture Book | ||
| Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment | Jessica Curry, Parker Curry | K,1,2 | When Parker Curry came face-to-face with Amy Sherald's transcendent portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama ... She saw dynamic self-assurance. She saw truth and beauty. She saw a queen. But most importantly, Parker saw Her hopes. Her dreams, Her power. Her promise. Herself. | 2019 | Realistic Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Black/African American | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Visual Arts |
| Patchwork | Matt De La Pena | K,1,2 | In profound, uplifting verse and sumptuous artwork, beloved creators Matt de la Peña and Corinna Luyken explore the endless possibilities each child contains: A young dancer may grow into a computer coder; a basketball player might become a poet; a class clown may one day serve as an inspiring teacher; and today's quiet empath might be tomorrow's great leader. Here's a profound and uplifting new classic with an empowering message for readers of all ages: Your story is still being written. | 2022 | Poetry | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Multicultural | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health |
| Powwow Day | Traci Sorell | K,1,2 | Because she has been very ill and weak, River cannot join in the dancing at this year's tribal powwow, she can only watch from the sidelines as her sisters and cousins dance the celebration--but as the drum beats she finds the faith to believe that she will recover and dance again. | 2022 | Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Indigenous Peoples, Native American | Dance, Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Ethnic Studies, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health, Personal and Community Health, Religion/Spirituality |
| Riley Reynolds Slays the Play | Jay Albee | K,1,2 | It's one hour until the curtain goes up, and nonbinary fourth-grader Riley and their classmates just had a disastrous dress rehearsal. How can they fix everything in time? Riley and their classmates find out that there are many ways to solve a problem, especially when the clock is ticking and fun is on the line! | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Early Chapter Book | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Theatre, Gender/Sexuality | |
| Saturday at the Food Pantry | Diane O'Neill | K,1,2 | Molly and her mom don't always have enough food, so one Saturday they visit their local food pantry. Molly's happy to get food to eat until she sees her classmate Caitlin, who's embarrassed to be at the food pantry. Can Molly help Caitlin realize that everyone needs help sometimes? | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book, Rhyming Book | Multicultural | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Global Social Issues, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health, Personal and Community Health |
| Sewing the Rainbow: A Story about Gilbert Baker | Gayle E. Pitman | K,1,2 | "Gilbert Baker always knew he wanted a life full of color and sparkle. In his small, gray, flat Kansas hometown, he helped his grandma sew and created his own art whenever he could. It wasn't easy; life tried over and over again to make Gilbert conform. But his sparkle always shone through. He dreamed of someday going somewhere as vibrant and colorful as he was. Set against the backdrop of San Francisco during the gay rights movement of the 1970s, Gilberta's story unfolds just like the flag he created: in a riot of color, joy, and pride. Today the flag is everywhere, even in the small town where Gilbert grew up!" | 2018 | Biography/Autobiography | Picture Book | Multicultural | American History, Diversity, Visual Arts, Gender/Sexuality |
| Sharice's Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman | Nancy K. Mays, Sharice Davids | K,1,2 | When Sharice David's was young, she never thought she be in Congress. And she never thought she be one of the first Native American women in Congress. During her campaign, she heard from a lot of doubters. They said she couldn't win because of how she looked, who she loved, and where she came from. | 2021 | Biography/Autobiography | Picture Book | Indigenous Peoples, Native American | American History, Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Government and Politics, Law and Legal Studies, Women’s Studies, Gender/Sexuality |
| She Persisted in Science: Brilliant Women Who Made a Difference | Chelsea Clinton | K,1,2 | This book features women scientists who didn't listen to those who told them ‚ and who used their smarts, their skills and their persistence to discover, invent, create and explain. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography | Picture Book | Multicultural | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Global Historical Events and Figures, Women‚Äôs Studies |
| Still This Love Goes On | Buffy Sainte-Marie | Preschool/Pre thru K,K,1,2 | Based on Sainte-Marie's song of the same name, Still This Love Goes On combines Flett's breathtaking art with vivid lyrics to craft a stunning portrait of a Cree worldview. At the heart of this picture book is a gentle message about missing our loved ones, and the promise of seeing each other again. | 2022 | Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book, Rhyming Book | Indigenous Peoples, Native American | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Lifestyles Around the World, Music, World Cultures: Perspectives, Practices, and Products |
| Swoop and Soar: How Science Rescued Two Osprey Orphans and Found Them A New Family in the Wild | Deborah Lee Rose , Jane Veltkamp | K,1,2 | Swoop and Soar, two young osprey chicks, are safe in their forest nest until a powerful storm sends their tree crashing to the ground. SWOOP AND SOAR is the true story of how raptor biologist Janie Veltkamp used science to rescue the orphans and find them a new osprey family in the wild. In a race against time, Janie sets out to find the checks a new nest and new parents. But will the new osprey parents accept Swoop and Soar as their own chicks, or fly away from the nest forever? | 2022 | Nonfiction | Easy Reader | English-Language Arts/General, Life Science (Biology) | |
| That's Not My Name! | Anoosha Syed | K,1,2 | Mirha is so excited for her first day of school! She can't wait to learn, play, and make new friends. But when her classmates mispronounce her name, she goes home wondering if she should find a new one. Maybe then she'd be able to find a monogrammed keychain at the gas station or order a hot chocolate at the cafe more easily. Mama helps Mirha to see how special her name is, and she returns to school the next day determined to help her classmates say it correctly--even if it takes a hundred tries. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Picture Book | South Asian | |
| The Elote Man Goes to College | Chalome Gonzalez, Maia Gonzalez | K,1,2 | Every morning Diego packs his elote cart with care and travels across his community to provide for his family. One day, his daughter Marisol joins him while he works. The Elote Man Goes to College tells the story of all the hardworking street vendors in our communities, selling their wares to provide for themselves and their families. | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Picture Book | Latino/Latino American | Immigration/Migration |
| The Fire | Elizabeth Gurno, Thomas Peacock | K,1,2 | This story is a fictionalized account of the Great Fire of 1918 based on a 1973 interview of Elizabeth (Betty) Gurno, a Fond du Lac Reservation elder. Betty was a little girl when the fire swept the area. The Fire of 1918 destroyed the city of Cloquet, Minnesota and surrounding communities, including the Fond du Lac Reservation, and resulted in the loss of many lives. | 2021 | Adventure, Historical Fiction | Picture Book | Indigenous Peoples, Native American | American History, Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Geography |
| The Kindest Red: A Story of Hijab and Friendship | Ibtihaj Muhammad, S.K. Ali | K,1,2 | "It's picture day and Faizah can't wait to wear her special red dress with matching hair ribbons, passed down from her mother and sister. Faizah's teacher starts the day by asking her students to envision the kind of world they want, inspiring Faizah and her friends to spend the day helping one another in ways large and small. But when it's time for sibling pictures, Faizah realizes that she and her older sister, Asiya, don't match like her classmates do with their siblings. With help from her classmates inspired by Asiya's hijab, Faizah finds that acts of kindness can come back to you in unexpected ways. " |
2023 | Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Black/African American, Muslim | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Ethnic Studies, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health |
| The Most Beautiful Thing | Kao Kalia Yang | K,1,2 | Drawn from Kao Kalia Yang's childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this heartfelt picture book offers a window into the life of a family with little money and a great deal of love. The theme of respect and love for an aging family member is central to this moving story, as is the stunning, expressive art that includes visual references to Hmong fabric. | 2020 | Realistic Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Hmong/Hmong American | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Ethnic Studies, Immigration/Migration, Lifestyles Around the World, World Cultures: Perspectives, Practices, and Products |
| The Mother of a Movement: Jeanne Manford | Rob Sanders | K,1,2 | The Mother of a Movement tells the story of Jeanne Manford, the founder of PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). When her son Morty was beaten by New York City officials for handing out pro-gay leaflets, Manford wrote a powerful letter to the New York Post to complain about how Morty was treated. In the letter she came out as the mother of a gay son. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Picture Book | American History, Diversity, Global Social Issues, Government and Politics, Law and Legal Studies, Gender/Sexuality | |
| The Notebook Keeper: A Story of Kindness from the Border | Stephen Briseno | K,1,2 | In this moving and stunningly illustrated picture book, Noemi and Mama flee their home in Mexico, and head for the US border. There, they look for "The Notebook Keeper"-- the person in charge of a ledger for those waiting to cross, and they add their names to the book. As the days turn into weeks, and hope dwindles, the little girl looks for kindness around her-- and inside herself. One day, when the Notebook Keeper's own name is called to cross, Noemi and her Mama are chosen--for the generosity in their hearts-- to take her place. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Latino/Latino American | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Global Social Issues, Government and Politics, Immigration/Migration, International Studies/World History, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health |
| The Water Walker | Joanne Robertson | K,1,2 | The dual language edition, in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) and English, of The Water Walker, the award-winning story of a determined Ojibwe Nokomis (Grandmother) Josephine-ba Mandamin and her great love for Nibi (water). Nokomis walked to raise awareness of our need to protect Nibi for future generations, and for all life on the planet. She, along with other women, men, and youth, have walked around all the Great Lakes from the four salt waters, or oceans, to Lake Superior. The walks are full of challenges, and by her example Josephine-ba invites us all to take up our responsibility to protect our water, the giver of life, and to protect our planet for all generations. | 2017 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Picture Book | Native American | Earth Science, Life Science (Biology) |
| The World Belonged to Us | Jacqueline Woodson | K,1,2 | It's getting hot outside, hot enough to turn on the hydrants and run through the water--and that means it's finally summer in the city! Released from school and reveling in their freedom, the kids on one Brooklyn block take advantage of everything summertime has to offer: Freedom from morning till night to go out to meet their friends and make the streets their playground--jumping double Dutch, playing tag and hide-and-seek, building forts, chasing ice cream trucks, and best of all, believing anything is possible. | 2022 | Historical Fiction | Picture Book | Black/African American | |
| This is a School | John Schu | K,1,2 | A school isn't just a building; it is all the people who work and learn together. It is a place for discovery and asking questions. A place for sharing, for helping, and for community. It is a place of hope and healing, even when that community can be together in the same room. | 2022 | Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Multicultural | English-Language Arts/General, Lifestyles Around the World, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health, Personal and Community Health |
| This Story Is Not About A Kitten | Randall de Sève | K,1,2 | A heartwarming picture book about a neighborhood coming together to help a kitten find a home. It is a story about community compassion, and generosity. | 2022 | Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Multicultural | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General |
| Twas the Night Before Pride | Joanna McClintick | K,1,2 | This joyful picture-book homage to a day of community and inclusion--and to the joys of anticipation--is also a comprehensive history | 2022 | Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Multicultural | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Global Historical Events and Figures, Global Social Issues, Gender/Sexuality |
| V is for Voting | Kate Farrell | K,1,2 | An engaging introduction to the tenets of democracy, V Is for Voting is a playful, poetic, and powerful primer about the importance of voting and activism. | 2020 | Nonfiction | Alphabet Book, Picture Book | Multicultural | American History, Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Government and Politics, Law and Legal Studies |
| We Are Here | Tami Charles | K,1,2 | We Are Here is a poignant story about Black and brown heritage and community. Full of assurance, tenderness, and triumph, this much-anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestselling picture book All Because You Matter offers an equally inspirational and arresting ode to all of the Black women and men throughout history who have made momentous contributions from the beginning of time. | 2023 | Fiction | Easy Reader, Picture Book | Black/African American | Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Ethnic Studies, Global Historical Events and Figures, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health, World Cultures: Perspectives, Practices, and Products |
| We Want to Go to School! The Fight for Disability Rights | Janine Leffler, Maryann Cocca-Leffler | K,1,2 | There was a time in the United States when millions of children with disabilities weren't allowed to go to public school. But in 1971, seven kids and their families wanted to do something about it. They knew that every child had a right to an equal education, so they went to court to fight for that right. The case Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia led to laws ensuring children with disabilities would receive a free, appropriate public education. Told in the voice of Janine Leffler, one of the millions of kids who went to school because of these laws, this book shares the true story of this landmark case. | 2021 | Nonfiction | Picture Book | Multicultural | American History, Diversity, English-Language Arts/General, Law and Legal Studies |
| What's Your Name? | Bethanie Murguia | K,1,2 | Names hold power. They can be a greeting, provide comfort, act as a warning, or honor our ancestors and heroes. Sometimes growing into a name, or selecting a new one, can take a little time. Names connect us to others and help create who we are and what makes us uniquely special. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Picture Book | ||
| With Lots of Love | Jenny Torres Sanchez | K,1,2 | A beautiful, lyrical story about a girl who moves from her home in Central America to the United States, and everything she leaves behind and longs for--especially her Abuela--as she makes a new life. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Picture Book | Latino/Latino American | Immigration/Migration |
| A Comb of Wishes | Lisa Stringfellow | 3,4,5 | Set against the backdrop of Caribbean folklore, Lisa Stringfellow's spellbinding middle grade debut tells of a grieving girl and a vengeful mermaid | 2022 | Fantasy, Folklore | Chapter Book | ||
| A Land of Books: Dreams of Young Mexihcah Word Painters | Duncan Tonatiuh | 3,4,5 | A young Aztec girl tells her little brother how their parents create beautiful painted manuscripts, or codices. She explains to him how paper is made from local plants and how the long paper is folded into a book. Her parents and others paint the codices to tell the story of their people's way of life, documenting their history, science, tributes, and sacred rituals. | 2022 | Historical Fiction | Picture Book | Indigenous Peoples, Latino/Latino American | |
| A River's Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn | Patricia Newman | K,1,2,3,4,5 | Discover how changes to the Elwha River harmed the ecosystem but through persistence, cooperation, and advocacy it was renewed and restored. | 2022 | Nonfiction | Picture Book | Native American | American History, Earth Science, Life Science (Biology) |
| Blast Off!: How Mary Sherman Morgan Fueled America Into Space | Suzanne Slade | 3,4,5 | Chronicles the life of the first female rocket scientist who, chosen to create the fuel to launch a rocket carrying America's first satellite, broke gender barriers and overcame many challenges to succeed. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography | Picture Book | Physical Science (Chemistry and Physics) | |
| Bok's Giant Leap: One Moon Rock's Journey Through Time and Space | Neil Armstrong | 3,4,5 | Based on a speech Neil Armstrong gave upon receiving the moon rock he named Bok, this unique picture book tells the story of how the Earth and the Moon came to be. Includes facts about the Earth and the Moon. | 2022 | Science Fiction | Picture Book | ||
| Built by Animals: Meet the Creatures Who Inspire Our Homes and Cities | Christiane Dorion | 3,4,5 | From the bee's honeycomb shape that strengthens structures to termites' that build their nests with natural air con, these creatures did it first! And, at the end of the book, find out who wins big at the Animal Builder Awards! Will it be the prairie dog, the peacock, the beaver, or the firefly? | 2022 | Nonfiction | Life Science (Biology) | ||
| Caves | Nell Cross Beckerman | 3,4,5 | A masterful exploration of one of nature's most curious ecosystems, Caves is a magical journey into subterranean wonders. | 2022 | Nonfiction | Earth Science | ||
| Cece Rios and the King of Fears | Kaela Rivera | 3,4,5 | Cece and her sister Juana must journey into the stronghold of Devil's Alley to challenge the criatura king El Cucuy. Cece Rios thought saving her sister would be the end of her adventures in the world of criaturas. But part of Juana's soul is still trapped in Devil's Alley. As Cece tries to find a way to get it back using her new curandera abilities, Juana takes her fate in her own hands and sets off alone, intent on restoring her soul and getting revenge on El Sombrerón. | 2022 | Fantasy, Mythology | Chapter Book | Latino/Latino American | |
| Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement | Angela Joy | 3,4,5 | An informational picture book about Mamie Till Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, beautifully tells a wrenching story. The repeated refrain, “It was the braver thing,” underscores Mamie Till Mobley’s lifelong inclination to do the thing that was often more frightening, more difficult. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Picture Book | Black/African American | American History |
| Cornbread & Poppy | Matthew Cordell | 3,4,5 | Cornbread LOVES planning. Poppy does not. Cornbread ADORES preparing. Poppy does not. Cornbread IS ready for winter. Poppy...is not. But Cornbread and Poppy are the best of friends, so when Poppy is left without any food for the long winter, Cornbread volunteers to help her out. Their search leads them up, up, up Holler Mountain, where these mice might find a new friend...and an old one. | 2022 | Humor | Easy Reader | ||
| Cress Watercress | Gregory Maguire | 3,4,5 | When Papa doesn't return from a nocturnal honey-gathering expedition, Cress holds out hope, but her mother assumes the worst. It’s a dangerous world for rabbits, after all. Mama moves what’s left of the Watercress family to the basement unit of the Broken Arms, a run-down apartment oak with a suspect owl landlord, a nosy mouse super, a rowdy family of squirrels, and a pair of songbirds who broadcast everyone’s business. Can a dead tree full of annoying neighbors, and no Papa, ever be home? | 2022 | Fantasy | Chapter Book | ||
| Eden's Everdark | Karen Strong | 3,4,5 | Twelve-year-old Eden is mourning the loss of her mother when she and her father make their first visit to Safina Island, off the coast of Georgia, to meet her maternal relatives. Once there, she accidentally slips into an alternate magical world inhabited by eerie, mystical creatures from her dead mother’s sketchbook. The complex narrative portrays multifaceted characters as it weaves together history, magic, and grief. | 2022 | Fantasy | Chapter Book | Black/African American | |
| Endlessly Ever After | Laurel Snyder | 3,4,5 | In this rhyming mash-up of many fairy tales, the reader is invited to follow Rosie down the many possible paths which may lead to a sleeping maiden, a hungry wolf, a girl locked in a tower, or a goose that lays golden eggs--but with some luck, and some smart choices, Rosie may save herself and her fellow fairy tale characters. | 2022 | Adventure, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Folklore, Science Fiction | Picture Book | ||
| Freddie vs. The Family Curse | Tracy Badua | 3,4,5 | In this thrilling and hilarious middle grade adventure, a young Filipino-American boy must team up with his ancestor to break the curse that's haunted their family for generations… or be trapped in an amulet forever. | 2022 | Fantasy, Science Fiction | Chapter Book | Filipino/Filipino American | Immigration/Migration |
| Frizzy | Claribel Ortega | 3,4,5 | Marlene loves three things: books, her cool Tía Ruby and hanging out with her best friend Camila. But according to her mother, Paola, the only thing she needs to focus on is school and "growing up." That means straightening her hair every weekend so she could have "presentable", "good hair". | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Graphic Novel | Black/African American, Latino/Latino American, Multicultural | |
| Growing Pangs | Kathryn Ormsbee | 3,4,5 | Eleven-year-old Katie navigates life as a homeschooler, forms a better understanding of the OCD she experiences, and learns that growing apart from friends is sometimes part of growing up. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Graphic Novel | Mental, Emotional, and Social Health | |
| How to Find What You're Not Looking For | Veera Hiranandani | 3,4,5 | Middle schooler Ariel Goldberg must find her own voice and define her own beliefs after her big sister elopes with a young man from India following the Supreme Court decision that strikes down laws banning interracial marriage. | 2021 | Historical Fiction | Chapter Book | Jewish/Jewish American | |
| I Am Ruby Bridges | Ruby Bridges | 3,4,5 | When Ruby Bridges was six years old, she became the first African American student to integrate an elementary school in the South. Told in the perspective of her six year old self and based on the pivotal events that happened in 1960, Ruby tells her story like never before. Embracing her name and learning that even at six years old she was able to pave the path for future generations, this is a story full of hope, innocence, and courage. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography | Black/African American | American History | |
| In the Beautiful Country | Jane Kuo | 3,4,5 | Anna can’t wait to move to the beautiful country—the Chinese name for America. Although she’s only ever known life in Taiwan, she can’t help but brag about the move to her family and friends. But the beautiful country isn’t anything like Anna pictured. Her family can only afford a cramped apartment, she’s bullied at school, and she struggles to understand a new language. On top of that, the restaurant that her parents poured their savings into is barely staying afloat. The version of America that Anna is experiencing is nothing like she imagined. How will she be able to make the beautiful country her home? | 2022 | Fiction in Verse, Poetry, Realistic Fiction | South Asian | Immigration/Migration | |
| Jennifer Chan is not alone | Tae Keller | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | Being the new kid is never easy, and it can be especially hard at a new school with mean, popular kids. Chinese American Jennifer Chan moves in across the street from Korean American Mallory Moss in small-town Norwell, Florida. Jennifer, full of self-confidence, has a strong belief in aliens, and Mallory can tell that she's going to have trouble fitting in at their predominantly white middle school. As wild rumors spread about Jennifer, Mallory finds herself stuck between becoming friends with her or sticking with the queen bees of their seventh-grade class. | 2022 | Mystery, Realistic Fiction | Chinese/Chinese American | ||
| Just Harriet | Elana Arnold | 3,4,5 | Harriet Wermer is unhappy about having to spend the summer with her grandmother until she discovers a mystery involving her dad when he was a boy living on the island. | 2022 | Mystery, Realistic Fiction | Chapter Book | ||
| Kapaemahu | Dean Hamer, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Joe Wilson | 3,4,5 | Native Hawaiian legend about how four extraordinary individuals of dual male and female spirit, or Mahu, brought healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii. | 2022 | Fairy Tale, Folklore, History, Nonfiction | Picture Book | Indigenous Peoples, Native American, Pacific Islander | Gender/Sexuality |
| Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers | Juliet Menéndez | 3,4,5 | Discover how 40 influential Latinas became the women we celebrate today! In this collection of short biographies from all over Latin America and across the United States, Juliet Menéndez explores the first small steps that set the Latinitas off on their journeys. | 2021 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Latino/Latino American | American History, Global Historical Events and Figures | |
| Listen to the Language of the Trees: A Story of How Forests Communicate Underground | Tera Kelley | 3,4,5 | This captivating book explores the real connection and communication that runs underground between trees in the forest. The well-researched details about trees' own social network will help readers see that the natural world's survival depends on staying connected and helping others—just like us! | 2022 | Nonfiction | Picture Book | Earth Science, Life Science (Biology) | |
| Love in the Library | Maggie Tokuda-Hall | 3,4,5 | After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Tama is sent to live in a War Relocation Center in the desert. Trying not to think of the life she once had, she works in the camp's tiny library… And she isn't the only one. George waits each morning by the door, his arms piled with books checked out the day before. As their friendship grows, Tama wonders: Can anyone possibly read so much? Is she the reason George comes to the library every day? | 2022 | Historical Fiction | Picture Book | Japanese/Japanese American | American History, War |
| Maizy Chen's Last Chance | Lisa Yee | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | Eleven-year-old Maizy Chen visits her estranged grandparents, who own and run a Chinese restaurant in Last Chance, Minnesota; as her visit lengthens, she makes unexpected discoveries about her family's history and herself. | 2022 | Fiction in Verse, Realistic Fiction | Chinese/Chinese American | Immigration/Migration | |
| Moonflower | Kacen Callender | 3,4,5 | The spirit realm is where they have their one and only friend, Wolf, and where they’re excited to experience an infinite number of adventures. But when the realm is threatened, it’s up to Moon to save the spirit world. With the help of celestial beings and guardians, Moon battles monsters and shadows, and through their journey, they begin to learn that a magical adventure of love and acceptance awaits them in the world of the living, too. | 2022 | Fantasy, Realistic Fiction | Chapter Book | Black/African American | Mental, Emotional, and Social Health, Psychology/Sociology, Gender/Sexuality |
| New From Here | Kelly Yang | 3,4,5 | When the coronavirus hits Hong Kong, ten-year-old Knox Wei-Evans's mom makes the last-minute decision to move him and his siblings back to California, where they think they will be safe. Suddenly, Knox has two days to prepare for an international move--and for leaving his dad, who has to stay for work. As racism skyrockets during COVID-19, Knox tries to stand up to hate, while finding his place in his new country. Can you belong if you're feared; can you protect if you're new? And how do you keep a family together when you're oceans apart? Sometimes when the world is spinning out of control, the best way to get through it is to embrace our own lovable uniqueness. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Chapter Book | Chinese/Chinese American | Immigration/Migration |
| Not My Idea: A Book about Whiteness | Anastasia Higgenbotham | 3,4,5 | In this call to action, a young white child catches news fragments of a police officer shooting an unarmed black man. They witness their family members' discomfort, avoidance, and eventual dismissal of the shooting (and the resulting protests) while claiming, "We don't see color." The child's confusion leads them to the library for answers about the history of racism in the United States. Ultimately, they vocalize feelings of frustration to their parent. Told in second person to an assumed white audience, the text intersperses firm declarations that the structure of whiteness oppresses people of color with gentle reassurances that growth and change are possible—when bolstered by honesty and accountability. | 2018 | Nonfiction | Picture Book | American History | |
| Polar Bear | Candace Fleming | 3,4,5 | As spring approaches in the Arctic, a mother polar bear and her two cubs tentatively emerge from hibernation to explore the changing landscape. When it is time, she takes her cubs on a forty-mile journey, back to their home on the ice. Along the way, she fends off wolves, hunts for food, and swims miles and miles. | 2022 | Nonfiction | Picture Book | Earth Science, Life Science (Biology) | |
| Sanctuary: Kip Tiernan and Rosie's Place, the Nation's First Shelter for Women | Christine McDonnell | 3,4,5 | Relates the story of social activist Kip Tiernan and her efforts to open Rosie's Place, the nation's first homeless shelter for women, in Boston. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Picture Book | Women’s Studies | |
| Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal about the Japanese American Incarceration | Elizabeth Partridge, Lauren Tamaki | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | Legendary photographers Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams all photographed the Japanese American incarceration, but with different approaches-and different results. This nonfiction picture book for middle grade readers examines the Japanese-American incarceration-and the complexity of documenting it-through the work of these three photographers. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Picture Book | Japanese/Japanese American | American History, Visual Arts, War |
| Shine On, Luz Véliz! | Rebecca Balcárcel | 3,4,5 | Eleven-year-old injured soccer player Luz has a hard enough time reframing her identity as a computer programmer, but when her Guatemalan half-sister moves in, she learns what it truly means to start over. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Chapter Book | Latino/Latino American | Immigration/Migration |
| Small Town Pride | Phil Stamper | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | Jake is just starting to enjoy life as his school’s first openly gay kid. While his family and friends are accepting and supportive, the same can’t be said about everyone in their small town of Barton Springs, Ohio. When Jake’s dad hangs a comically large pride flag in their front yard in an overblown show of love, the mayor begins to receive complaints. A few people are even concerned the flag will lead to something truly outlandish: a pride parade. Except Jake doesn’t think that’s a ridiculous idea. Why can’t they hold a pride festival in Barton Springs? The problem is, Jake knows he’ll have to get approval from the town council, and the mayor won’t be on his side. And as Jake and his friends try to find a way to bring Pride to Barton Springs, it seems suspicious that the mayor’s son, Brett, suddenly wants to spend time with Jake. But someone that cute couldn’t possibly be in league with his mayoral mother, could he? | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Gender/Sexuality | ||
| Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs | Pam Muñoz Ryan | 3,4,5 | On the brink of her Quinceanera, and her official coronation, Princess Solimar is given a magical gift that sets her life on a new path. | 2022 | Fantasy, Science Fiction | Chapter Book | Latino/Latino American | |
| Still Dreaming | Claudia Guadalupe Martínez | 3,4,5 | In the first children's book to describe the long-forgotten chapter of US history known as Mexican Repatriation, a boy and his family leave their beloved home to avoid being separated by the government. Faced with the prospect of being separated from each other, a young boy and his family make the difficult decision to leave their home and begin a journey filled with uncertainty. On the road, they meet other people like them. Families with deep roots tied to the land. Others that helped build the railroads. Some were shop owners and factory workers. Each with similar hopes and dreams. | 2022 | Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction | Picture Book | Latino/Latino American | American History, Immigration/Migration |
| Swim Team | Johnnie Christmas | 3,4,5 | Middle-schooler Bree and her hard-working dad make the move from Brooklyn to Palmetto Shores, FL, where she discovers that swim-team culture is huge. The problem: Bree can’t swim. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction, Sports | Graphic Novel | Black/African American | Physical Fitness |
| The Button Box | Bridget Hodder, Fawzia Gilani-Williams | 3,4,5 | After Jewish fifth-grader Ava and her Muslim best friend Nadeem are called hateful names at school, Ava's Granny Buena rummages in her closet and pulls out a glittering crystal button box. It's packed with buttons that generations of Ava's Sephardic ancestors have cherished. With the help of Granny's mysterious cat Sheba, Ava and Nadeem discover that a button from the button box will take them back in time. Suddenly, they are in ancient Morocco, where Nadeem's ancestor, Prince Abdur Rahman, is running for his life. Can Ava and Nadeem help the prince escape to Spain and fulfill his destiny, creating a legendary Golden Age for Muslims, Jews and Christians? | 2022 | Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction | Chapter Book | Jewish/Jewish American, Muslim | American History, Global Historical Events and Figures, International Studies/World History |
| The Gardener of Alcatraz | Emma Bland Smith | 3,4,5 | When Elliott Michener was locked away in Alcatraz for counterfeiting, he was determined to defy the odds and bust out. But when he got a job tending the prison garden, a funny thing happened. He found new interests and skills--and a sense of dignity and fulfillment. Elliott transformed Alcatraz Island, and the island transformed him. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Picture Book | American History | |
| The Last Mapmaker | Christina Soontornvat | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | Joining an expedition to chart the southern seas, twelve-year-old mapmaker's assistant Sai, posing as a well-bred young lady with a glittering future, realizes she's not the only one on board harboring secrets when she discovers the ship's true destination. | 2022 | Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction | South Asian | ||
| The Marvellers | Dhonielle Clayton | 3,4,5 | Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, a magic school in the clouds where Marvellers from around the world practice their cultural arts. Despite her excitement, Ella discovers that being the first isn’t easy—some Marvellers mistrust her magic, which they deem “bad and unnatural.” But eventually, she finds friends in elixirs teacher, Masterji Thakur, and fellow misfits Brigit, a girl who hates magic, and Jason, a boy with a fondness for magical creatures. When a dangerous criminal known as the Ace of Anarchy escapes prison, supposedly with a Conjuror’s aid, tensions grow in the Marvellian world and Ella becomes the target of suspicion. Worse, Masterji Thakur mysteriously disappears while away on a research trip. With the help of her friends and her own growing powers, Ella must find a way to clear her family’s name and track down her mentor before it’s too late. | 2022 | Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction | Chapter Book | Black/African American | |
| The Secret Battle of Evan Pao | Wendy Wan-Long Shang | 3,4,5 | A fresh start. That's all Evan Pao wants as he, along with his mother and sister, flee from California to Haddington, Virginia, hoping to keep his father's notoriety a secret. But Haddington is a southern town steeped in tradition, and moving to a town immersed in the past has its own price. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Chapter Book | Chinese/Chinese American | |
| The Tryout | Christina Soontornvat | 3,4,5 | When cheerleading tryouts are announced, Christina and her best friend, Megan, literally jump at the chance to join the squad. As two of the only kids of color in the school, they have always yearned to fit in-and the middle school cheerleaders are popular and accepted by everyone. But will the girls survive the terrifying tryouts, with their whole grade watching? And will their friendship withstand the pressures of competition? | 2022 | Sports | Graphic Novel | Middle Eastern, South Asian | Nutrition and Physical Activity |
| The Wolves of Yellowstone: A Rewilding Story | Catherine Barr | 3,4,5 | In the 1930s, the last wolves disappeared from Yellowstone National Park. They carefully relocated fourteen wolves from the Canadian Rockies to Yellowstone. This is the story of their homecoming. Engaging, informative, and hopeful, The Wolves of Yellowstone shows us that every creature plays a role in sustaining a thriving ecosystem. | 2022 | Nonfiction | Picture Book | Life Science (Biology) | |
| Tumble | Celia Pérez | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | Before she decides whether to accept her stepfather's proposal of adoption, twelve-year-old Adela Ramirez reaches out to her estranged biological father--who is in the midst of a career comeback as a luchador--and the eccentric extended family of wrestlers she has never met, bringing Adela closer to understanding the expansive definition of family. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction, Sports | Latino/Latino American | Physical Fitness | |
| Two Degrees | Alan Gratz | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | Fire. Ice. Flood. Three climate disasters. Four kids fighting for their lives. Akira, Owen, George, and Natalie are all swept up in the devastating effects of climate change. They are also connected in ways that will shock them--and could alter their destinies forever. | 2022 | Adventure | Japanese/Japanese American, Latino/Latino American | Earth Science | |
| Wake, Sleepy One: California Poppies and the Super Bloom | Lisa Kerr | 3,4,5 | Follow the golden poppy's journey as it slowly wakes inside its seed, stretches its roots, and unfolds its delicate petals. Watch as it transforms the land into an ocean of orange--the amazing "super bloom." A lyrical ode to California's most treasured wildflower, Wake, Sleepy One gently captures the quiet strength of the poppy in all its breathtaking wonder. | 2022 | Nonfiction | Picture Book | Life Science (Biology) | |
| Wave | Diana Farid, Kris Goto | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | When her best friend's cancer returns in the summer of 1987, none of her usual pursuits--surfing, singing, or reading poetry--can keep thirteen-year-old Ava afloat. | 2022 | Fiction in Verse, Poetry, Realistic Fiction | Middle Eastern | ||
| Who Was the Voice of the People?: Cesar Chavez | Terry Blas | 3,4,5 | Follow Cesar Chavez and the National Farm Workers Association, as they set out on a difficult 300-mile protest march in support of farm workers' rights. A story of hope, solidarity, and perseverance, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves in the life of the famous Latino American Civil Rights leader -- brought to life by gripping narrative and vivid full-color illustrations that jump off the page. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Graphic Novel | Latino/Latino American | American History |
| Yummy: A History of Desserts | Victoria Grace Elliott | 3,4,5 | Explore the history of desserts through a fun adventure with facts, legends, and recipes for readers to try at home. | 2021 | Nonfiction | Graphic Novel | ||
| A Duet for Home | Karina Yan Glaser | 6,7,8 | From the New York Times best-selling creator of the Vanderbeekers series comes a triumphant tale of friendship, healing, and the power of believing in ourselves, told from the perspectives of two biracial sixth graders living in a homeless shelter. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Black/African American, Multicultural | Music | |
| A Seed in the Sun | Aida Salazar | 6,7,8 | Lula, a farm-working girl with big dreams, meets Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong, and other labor rights activists and joins the 1965 protest for workers' rights. | 2022 | Fiction in Verse, Historical Fiction, Poetry | Latino/Latino American | American History, Immigration/Migration | |
| Air | Monica Roe | 6,7,8 | Twelve-and-a-half year old Emelyn Ethrige lives with her father in South Carolina, dreams of wheelchair motocross, and makes custom chair bags trying to earn enough money to buy a serious set of wheels. She has been in a wheelchair all her life, and is just fine getting around without help, but it seems that since her mother was killed in an accident everyone have started treating her differently: urging caution and trying to "help" and for an independently-minded girl who loves speed and big air tricks it is frustrating--so Emelyn and her best friends come up with a plan to change their minds. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction, Sports | Physical Fitness | ||
| Alice Austen Lived Here | Alex Gino | 6,7,8 | Middle school student Sam is comfortable with their nonbinary identity, and their family has accepted it too (as long as they do their homework and chores), so when their history teacher assigns as a project coming up with a proposal for the new statue honoring a historical Staten Islander (there is a contest involved) they and their friend TJ decide to focus on Alice Austen, a lesbian photographer, whose house on Staten Island is a museum--but they have to overcome the presumption on the part of their teacher that only straight males are eligible. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Gender/Sexuality | ||
| Alone | Megan Freeman | 6,7,8 | When twelve-year-old Maddie hatches a scheme for a secret sleepover with her two best friends, she ends up waking up to a nightmare. She’s alone—left behind in a town that has been mysteriously evacuated and abandoned. With no one to rely on, no power, and no working phone lines or internet access, Maddie slowly learns to survive on her own. Her only companions are a Rottweiler named George and all the books she can read. After a rough start, Maddie learns to trust her own ingenuity and invents clever ways to survive in a place that has been deserted and forgotten. As months pass, she escapes natural disasters, looters, and wild animals. But Maddie’s most formidable enemy is the crushing loneliness she faces every day. Can Maddie’s stubborn will to survive carry her through the most frightening experience of her life? | 2021 | Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction in Verse, Science Fiction | |||
| American Murderer: The Parasite That Haunted the South | Gail Jarrow | 6,7,8 | The newest installment of Jarrow’s “Medical Fiascoes” series delves into the devastating impact and attempted eradication of hookworm in the American South. The species in question, Necator americanus, or “American murderer,” was discovered by epidemiologist Charles Wardell Stiles. Thriving in warm climates, the hookworm larva enters the body via the skin—often of bare feet—and travels in the bloodstream to the lungs, where it exits the capillaries and is swallowed. Once in the small intestine, it attaches itself and grows to maturity on the blood of its host. Like the others in the series, this account provides necessary social and cultural context alongside robust (and horrifying) medical and scientific information. | 2022 | Nonfiction | American History, Global Historical Events and Figures, Life Science (Biology), Personal and Community Health | ||
| Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids | Cynthia Leitich Smith | 6,7,8 | A bustling anthology of 16 short stories framed by opening and closing poems all connect to an annual intertribal powwow in Ann Arbor. Readers are immersed in the sights, sounds, energy, and emotions of a powwow experience. | 2021 | Realistic Fiction, Short Story | Indigenous Peoples, Native American | American History | |
| Anne of West Philly: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Anne of Green Gables | Ivy Noelle Weir | 6,7,8 | When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert decide to foster a teenage girl for the first time, their lives are changed forever. Their redheaded foster daughter, Anne Shirley, is in search of an exciting life and has decided that West Philly is where she's going to find it. Armed with a big personality and unstoppable creativity, Anne takes her new home by storm as she joins the robotics club, makes new friends in Diana and Gilbert, experiences first love, and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. But as Anne starts to get comfortable, she discovers one thing she wasn't looking for: a family. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Graphic Novel | Black/African American | |
| Caprice | Coe Booth | 6,7,8 | After a wonderful seven weeks at Ainsley International School, twelve-year-old Caprice has been offered a full scholarship and she should be delighted, but instead she is full of doubts because what happened at the last night dance has brought back the memory of being sexually abused by her uncle as a four-year-old; worse, her maternal grandmother is ill, and that means going back to the house in Baltimore where it all happened--Caprice has never told anybody but now, as she realizes that her grandmother knew, she tries to find the words to tell someone, and the strength to finally confront her abuser. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Black/African American | Mental, Emotional, and Social Health, Women’s Studies | |
| Captain America. The Ghost Army | Alan Gratz | 6,7,8 | In this thrilling historical adventure, 18 year-old Steve Rogers (AKA Captain America) and his young sidekick, Bucky Barnes are fighting in WWII when they encounter a threat like none they've ever seen -- a Ghost Army. The dead of this war and wars past are coming back to life, impervious to bullets, flames, or anything else the Allies can throw at them. The armies rise from the ground in the night and seem to disappear without a trace. How can Cap and Buck fight something that's already dead? And just what does the mysterious Baron Mordo, sitting in his castle atop nearby Wundagore Mountain have to do with this? | 2023 | Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction | Graphic Novel | War | |
| City of Thieves | C. Alexander London | 6,7,8 | In a modern mega-city built around dragons, one boy gets caught up in the world of underground dragon battles and a high-stakes gang war that could tear his family apart. | 2021 | Fantasy, Science Fiction | |||
| Ellen Outside the Lines | A.J. Sass | 6,7,8 | Ellen, an autistic thirteen-year-old, navigates a new city, shifting friendships, a growing crush, and her queer and Jewish identities while on a class trip to Barcelona, Spain. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Jewish/Jewish American | Gender/Sexuality | |
| Falling Short | Ernesto Cisneros | 6,7,8 | Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won’t change things at home—not without each other’s help. This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac’s parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father’s approval by earning a spot on the school’s basketball team. But will their friendship and support for each other be enough to keep the two boys from falling short? | 2022 | Realistic Fiction, Sports | Latino/Latino American | Physical Fitness | |
| Freewater | Amina Luqman-Dawson | 6,7,8 | After an entire young life of enslavement, twelve-year-old Homer escapes Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, leaving his beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there’s no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the recesses of the swamp. | 2022 | Historical Fiction | Black/African American | American History | |
| Golden Girl | Reem Faruqi | 6,7,8 | Seventh grader Aafiyah loves playing tennis, reading Weird but True facts, and hanging out with her best friend, Zaina. However, Aafiyah has a bad habit that troubles her—she’s drawn to pretty things and can’t help but occasionally “borrow” them. But when her father is falsely accused of a crime he hasn’t committed and gets taken in by authorities, Aafiyah knows she needs to do something to help. When she brainstorms a way to bring her father back, she turns to her Weird but True facts and devises the perfect plan. | 2022 | Fiction in Verse, Realistic Fiction | Muslim, South Asian | ||
| Ground Zero | Alan Gratz | 6,7,8 | In time for the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, master storyteller Alan Gratz (Refugee) delivers a pulse-pounding and unforgettable take on history and hope, revenge and fear -- and the stunning links between the past and present. | 2021 | Historical Fiction | Latino/Latino American, Middle Eastern | American History, War | |
| Hazard | Frances O'Roark Dowell | 6,7,8 | A kid filled with rage, suspended from the football team for unsportsmanlike conduct, and his father, newly home from the war in Afghanistan, reckon with the injuries they’ve caused to others and themselves in this unflinching middle grade novel in verse about love and forgiveness. | 2022 | Fiction in Verse, Poetry, Realistic Fiction | Mental, Emotional, and Social Health, War | ||
| Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day | Dan Nott | 6,7,8 | We use water, electricity, and the internet every day--but how do they actually work? And what’s the plan to keep them running for years to come? This nonfiction science graphic novel takes readers on a journey from how the most essential systems were developed to how they are implemented in our world today and how they will be used in the future. | 2023 | Nonfiction | Graphic Novel | Physical Science (Chemistry and Physics) | |
| How to Build a Human: In Seven Evolutionary Steps | Pamela Turner | 6,7,8 | This entertaining, informative, accessible account about human evolution starts with an explanation of natural selection and returns to it throughout as it touches on major milestones in the evolution of hominins, including which traits, behaviors, and skills allowed them—us—to continue to survive and evolve.  | 2022 | Nonfiction | Life Science (Biology) | ||
| Hummingbird | Natalie Lloyd | 6,7,8 | Twelve-year-old homeschooled Olive is tired of being seen as "fragile" just because she has osteogenesis imperfecta (otherwise known as brittle bone disease) so she's thrilled when she finally convinces her parents to let her attend Macklemore Elementary. Olive can't wait to go to a traditional school and make the friends she's always longed for, until a disastrous first day dashes her hopes of ever fitting in. Then Olive hears whispers about a magical, wish-granting hummingbird that supposedly lives near Macklemore. It’ll be the solution to all her problems! If she can find the bird and prove herself worthy, the creature will make her most desperate, secret wish come true. | 2022 | Fantasy, Science Fiction | |||
| Invisible | Christina Diaz Gonzalez, Gabriela Epstein | 6,7,8 | For fans of New Kid and Allergic, a must-have graphic novel about five very different students who are forced together by their school to complete community service... and may just have more in common than they thought. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Graphic Novel | Latino/Latino American | |
| Isla to Island | Alexis Castellanos | 6,7,8 | This stunning wordless graphic novel follows a young girl in the 1960s who immigrates from Cuba to the United States and must redefine what home means to her. Marisol loves her colorful island home. Cuba is vibrant with flowers and food and people…but things are changing. The home Marisol loves is no longer safe—and then it’s no longer her home at all. Her parents are sending her to the United States. Alone. | 2022 | Historical Fiction | Graphic Novel, Wordless Book | Latino/Latino American | Immigration/Migration |
| Iveliz Explains It All | Alyssa Bermudez, Andrea Beatriz Arango | 6,7,8 | This novel in verse offers a deeply moving and honest look at a middle schooler struggling with depression. Twelve-year-old Iveliz is trying to manage her mental health and advocate for the help and understanding she deserves, but in the meantime her new friend calls her crazy and her abuela Mimi dismisses the therapy and medicine Iveliz needs to feel like herself. | 2022 | Fiction in Verse, Poetry, Realistic Fiction | Latino/Latino American | ||
| Jennifer Chan is not alone | Tae Keller | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | Being the new kid is never easy, and it can be especially hard at a new school with mean, popular kids. Chinese American Jennifer Chan moves in across the street from Korean American Mallory Moss in small-town Norwell, Florida. Jennifer, full of self-confidence, has a strong belief in aliens, and Mallory can tell that she's going to have trouble fitting in at their predominantly white middle school. As wild rumors spread about Jennifer, Mallory finds herself stuck between becoming friends with her or sticking with the queen bees of their seventh-grade class. | 2022 | Mystery, Realistic Fiction | Chinese/Chinese American | ||
| Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves | L.M. Elliott | 6,7,8 | In 1941, after Hitler declares war on the United States, unleashing U-boat submarines to attack American ships, Louisa June, with the waves outside her house carrying dangerous enemies, must help her mother after her father and brother are caught in the crossfire. | 2022 | Historical Fiction | Global Historical Events and Figures, War | ||
| Maizy Chen's Last Chance | Lisa Yee | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | Eleven-year-old Maizy Chen visits her estranged grandparents, who own and run a Chinese restaurant in Last Chance, Minnesota; as her visit lengthens, she makes unexpected discoveries about her family's history and herself. | 2022 | Fiction in Verse, Realistic Fiction | Chinese/Chinese American | Immigration/Migration | |
| Merci Suarez Plays It Cool | Meg Medina | 6,7,8 | Merci is starting eighth grade at Seaward Pines Academy, and as the school year begins, she is juggling chores, spending time with her family—including older brother Roli, who is home for the semester—changing schedules and shifting friendships, and the advancement of her beloved grandfather Lolo's Alzheimer's disease. Taking on new roles and responsibilities, Merci tries to find time to spend with different friend groups while also developing feelings for classmate Wilson. She's also busy helping to care for her younger twin cousins and at times grows frustrated with the difficulties that Lolo's memory loss brings. As Merci navigates the changing world around her, she comes to find that loss does not care where you are or what you are doing; it simply comes. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Latino/Latino American | ||
| Miss Quinces | Kat Farjardo | 6,7,8 | Rising star Kat Fajardo's debut middle-grade graphic novel about a girl who would rather do anything other than celebrate her quinceañera! A funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about navigating the expectations of family and cultural tradition. | 2022 | Humor | Graphic Novel | Latino/Latino American | |
| Morning Sun in Wuhan | Ying Chang Compestine | 6,7,8 | When the pandemic emerges in Wuhan, thirteen-year-old Mei discovers that her love of cooking can make a difference in a locked-down city that is filled with uncertainty and panic. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Chinese/Chinese American | Global Historical Events and Figures, World Cultures: Perspectives, Practices, and Products | |
| Once There Was | Kiyash Monsef | 6,7,8 | When fifteen-year-old Iranian American Marjan discovers her murdered father was secretly a veterinarian to magical creatures, she realizes she must take up his mantle, despite the many dangers. | 2023 | Adventure, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Folklore, Science Fiction | Middle Eastern | ||
| Peace Is a Chain Reaction: How World War II Japanese Balloon Bombs Brought People of Two Nations Together | Tanya Lee Stone | 6,7,8 | From an award-winning author comes a vivid depiction of an act of war from opposing sides of the conflict in World War II--and a rare reconciliation and wish for peace that evolved years later. | 2022 | Nonfiction | Japanese/Japanese American | American History, Global Historical Events and Figures, Religion/Spirituality | |
| Pride: An Inspirational History of the LGBTQ+ Movement | Stella Caldwell | 6,7,8 | Young readers will learn about groundbreaking events, including historic pushes for equality and the legalization of same-sex marriages across the world. They will dive into the phenomenal history of queer icons from ancient times to the present and read about Harvey Milk, Marsha P. Johnson, Audre Lorde, and more. Including several personal current essays from inspiring young LGBTQ+ people, this book encourages readers to take pride in their identity and the identities of those around them. | 2022 | Nonfiction | Gender/Sexuality | ||
| Rez Dogs | Joseph Bruchac | 6,7,8 | Malian, a Wabanaki girl, can’t go home to her parents in Boston because she must shelter in place with her grandparents on the rez, thanks to being caught there by the COVID-­19 pandemic during a weekend visit. She loves her grandparents but is often bored. That changes one morning when she wakes up and sees the rez dog outside, just as she had dreamed he would be. When it becomes obvious that he has adopted the family and become its self-appointed protector, Malian names him Malsum, the old name for a wolf. Noted Abenaki author Bruchac limns Malian’s growing friendship with the dog in this accomplished novel in verse.  | 2021 | Fiction in Verse, Realistic Fiction | Indigenous Peoples, Native American | ||
| School Trip | Jerry Craft | 6,7,8 | Eighth grader Drew Ellis recognizes that he isn't afforded the same opportunities, no matter how hard he works, that his privileged classmates at the Riverdale Academy Day School take for granted, and to make matters worse, Drew begins to feel as if his good friend Liam might be one of those privileged kids and is finding it hard not to withdraw, even as their mutual friend Jordan tries to keep their group of friends together. | 2023 | Realistic Fiction | Graphic Novel | Black/African American | |
| Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal about the Japanese American Incarceration | Elizabeth Partridge, Lauren Tamaki | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | Legendary photographers Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams all photographed the Japanese American incarceration, but with different approaches-and different results. This nonfiction picture book for middle grade readers examines the Japanese-American incarceration-and the complexity of documenting it-through the work of these three photographers. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Picture Book | Japanese/Japanese American | American History, Visual Arts, War |
| Singing with Elephants | Margarita Engle | 6,7,8 | It’s 1947 when Olivia, her sister, Catalina, and her veterinarian parents move to Santa Barbara. Life in a new country isn’t easy for them, and it is full of racial taunts. Still mourning the death of her abuelita, Olivia befriends famous poet Gabriela Mistral, who encourages her to write and express her emotions. Lacking confidence, Olivia finds solace in her cheerful animal friends, who, like her, speak their individual, poetic language. Before long, she befriends two baby elephants, one of whom is taken by an actor and made into a spectacle. Full of anger, Olivia learns to stand up for herself and for those who don’t have a voice.  | 2022 | Fiction in Verse, Historical Fiction, Poetry | Latino/Latino American | ||
| Small Town Pride | Phil Stamper | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | Jake is just starting to enjoy life as his school’s first openly gay kid. While his family and friends are accepting and supportive, the same can’t be said about everyone in their small town of Barton Springs, Ohio. When Jake’s dad hangs a comically large pride flag in their front yard in an overblown show of love, the mayor begins to receive complaints. A few people are even concerned the flag will lead to something truly outlandish: a pride parade. Except Jake doesn’t think that’s a ridiculous idea. Why can’t they hold a pride festival in Barton Springs? The problem is, Jake knows he’ll have to get approval from the town council, and the mayor won’t be on his side. And as Jake and his friends try to find a way to bring Pride to Barton Springs, it seems suspicious that the mayor’s son, Brett, suddenly wants to spend time with Jake. But someone that cute couldn’t possibly be in league with his mayoral mother, could he? | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Gender/Sexuality | ||
| Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler | Ibi Zoboi | 6,7,8 | Fragments—photos, notebook pages, quotes, poems, and snippets of biography several pages long—pointedly coalesce into a pattern revealing writer Octavia Estelle Butler's unique position in the galaxy of great contemporary science fiction writers. And while readers younger than high-school age may not have encountered Butler’s renowned work, they will certainly appreciate the way her childhood obsessions, from pop culture to horses to a pink notebook, as well as her propensity for daydreaming (noted sharply by a teacher in a report card), influenced her.  | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Black/African American | ||
| The Curse of the Mummy: Uncovering Tutankhamun's Tomb | Candace Fleming | 6,7,8 | Award-winning and critically acclaimed author Candace Fleming presents the edge-of-your-seat true story of the search for Tutankhamun's tomb, the Western public's belief that the dig was cursed, and the battle for ownership of the treasures within. | 2021 | Nonfiction | Global Historical Events and Figures, International Studies/World History | ||
| The Door of No Return | Kwame Alexander | 6,7,8 | In 1860, 11-year-old Kofi Offin, an Asante boy of the fictional West African village of Upper Kwanta, reveres his older brother Kwasi and loves the stories told by his grandfather, Nana Mosi. He has a best friend, Ebo, and a crush on a girl named Ama. He resents his schoolteacher for insisting that his students speak “the Queen’s English” rather than their native Twi in school. And he is often at odds with his bully of a cousin, who has challenged him to a swimming competition. But the rhythms of Kofi’s daily life and relationships are disrupted when Kwasi accidentally kills the son of the leader of nearby Lower Kwanta in a wrestling match at the annual Kings Festival. | 2022 | Adventure, Fiction in Verse, Historical Fiction | Black/African American | ||
| The Last Hope in Hopetown | Maria Tureaud | 6,7,8 | Twelve-year-old Sophie and her 300-year-old best vampire friend Delphine break into a secret government facility to find a cure for the illness causing vampires to go rogue. | 2022 | Fantasy, Science Fiction | Gender/Sexuality | ||
| The Last Mapmaker | Christina Soontornvat | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | Joining an expedition to chart the southern seas, twelve-year-old mapmaker's assistant Sai, posing as a well-bred young lady with a glittering future, realizes she's not the only one on board harboring secrets when she discovers the ship's true destination. | 2022 | Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction | South Asian | ||
| The Ogress and the Orphans | Kelly Barnhill | 6,7,8 | When a child goes missing from the Orphan House in the town of Stone-in-the-Glen, the mayor suggests the kindly Ogress is responsible, but the orphans do not believe that and try to make their deluded neighbors see the real villain among them. | 2022 | Fairy Tale, Fantasy | |||
| The Overground Railroad (Young Adult Edition): The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America | Candacy Taylor | 6,7,8 | For years, it was dangerous for African Americans to travel in the United States. Because of segregation, Black travelers couldn't eat, sleep, or even get gas at most white-owned businesses. The Green Book listed hotels, restaurants, department stores, gas stations, recreational destinations, and other businesses that were safe for Black travelers. It was a resourceful and innovative solution to a horrific problem. It took courage to be listed in the Green Book, and the stories from those who took a stand against racial segregation are recorded and celebrated. This young reader's edition of Candacy Taylor's critically acclaimed adult book Overground Railroad include her own photographs of Green Book sites, as well as archival photographs and interviews with people who owned and used these facilities. | 2022 | Nonfiction | Black/African American | American History | |
| The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls | James Bird | 6,7,8 | After being caught stealing one too many times, Benjamin Waterfalls is sent to a 'boot camp' at the Ojibwe reservation where he searches for answers as he tries to turn his life around and embrace this second chance. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Indigenous Peoples, Native American | ||
| The Sun Does Shine: An Innocent Man, a Wrongful Conviction, and the Long Path to Justice (Young Readers) | Anthony Ray Hinton, Lara Love Hardin, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich | 6,7,8 |  Adapted for young readers, this true story follows a man who spent thirty years on death row for a crime he didn't commit and how he transformed not only his own spirit, but those of his fellow inmates, until his release in 2015. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography, Memoir, Nonfiction | Black/African American | ||
| The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner | Marissa Moss | 6,7,8 | As a female Jewish physicist in Berlin during the early 20th century, Lise Meitner had to fight for an education, a job, and equal treatment in her field, like having her name listed on her own research papers. Meitner made strides in the study of radiation, but when Hitler came to power in Germany, she suddenly had to face not only sexism, but also life-threatening anti-Semitism as well. Nevertheless, she persevered and one day made a discovery that rocked the world: the splitting of the atom. While her male lab partner was awarded a Nobel Prize for the achievement, the committee refused to give her any credit. Suddenly, the race to build the atomic bomb was on--although Meitner was horrified to be associated with such a weapon. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Jewish/Jewish American | Global Historical Events and Figures, Physical Science (Chemistry and Physics), Women’s Studies | |
| Thirst | Varsha Bajaj | 6,7,8 | A heroic girl in Mumbai fights for her belief that water should be for everyone. Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai, where access to water is limited to a few hours a day and the communal taps have long lines. Lately, though, even that access is threatened by severe water shortages and thieves who are stealing this precious commodity--an act that Minni accidentally witnesses one night. Meanwhile, in the high-rise building where she just started to work, she discovers that water streams out of every faucet and there's even a rooftop swimming pool. What Minni also discovers there is one of the water mafia bosses. Now she must decide whether to expose him and risk her job and maybe her life. How did something as simple as access to water get so complicated? | 2022 | Adventure | South Asian | ||
| Tumble | Celia Pérez | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | Before she decides whether to accept her stepfather's proposal of adoption, twelve-year-old Adela Ramirez reaches out to her estranged biological father--who is in the midst of a career comeback as a luchador--and the eccentric extended family of wrestlers she has never met, bringing Adela closer to understanding the expansive definition of family. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction, Sports | Latino/Latino American | Physical Fitness | |
| Two Degrees | Alan Gratz | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | Fire. Ice. Flood. Three climate disasters. Four kids fighting for their lives. Akira, Owen, George, and Natalie are all swept up in the devastating effects of climate change. They are also connected in ways that will shock them--and could alter their destinies forever. | 2022 | Adventure | Japanese/Japanese American, Latino/Latino American | Earth Science | |
| Violets Are Blue | Barbara Dee | 6,7,8 | Twelve-year-old Wren, who is learning special effects makeup, is thrilled to be makeup artist for her new school's production of Wicked, but her parents' divorce is seriously affecting her mother. | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs, Mental, Emotional, and Social Health, Theatre | ||
| Wave | Diana Farid, Kris Goto | 3,4,5,6,7,8 | When her best friend's cancer returns in the summer of 1987, none of her usual pursuits--surfing, singing, or reading poetry--can keep thirteen-year-old Ava afloat. | 2022 | Fiction in Verse, Poetry, Realistic Fiction | Middle Eastern | ||
| A Year to the Day | Robin Benway | 9,10,11,12 | A year after her sister Nina's death and still unable to imagine a world without her, Leo forms a friendship with Nina's boyfriend East based on their shared grief, only to discover he knows more about the accident that killed Nina than he is letting on. | 2022 | Mystery, Realistic Fiction | Mental, Emotional, and Social Health | ||
| Aetherbound | E.K. Johnston | 9,10,11,12 | After escaping her abusive family's interstellar merchant ship, seventeen-year-old Pendt lands on a remote space station run by the Brannick twins, and together they make plans to thwart the destinies they never wanted. | 2021 | Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction | Life Science (Biology), Gender/Sexuality | ||
| All My Rage | Sabaa Tahir | 9,10,11,12 | A family extending from Pakistan to California, deals with generations of young love, old regrets, and forgiveness. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | South Asian | Global Social Issues, Immigration/Migration | |
| At the End of Everything | Marieke Nijkamp | 9,10,11,12 | "The world never wanted them. They refuse to be forgotten." A group of teens at the Hope Juvenile Treatment Center are shocked to discover their guards have abandoned them, but their joy turns to fear when they learn a catastrophic pandemic has occurred outside their walls, turning their new-found freedom into a fight for survival. | 2022 | Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction | Gender/Sexuality | ||
| Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre | Brandy Colbert | 9,10,11,12 | In the early morning of June 1, 1921, a white mob marched across the train tracks in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and into its predominantly Black Greenwood District--a thriving, affluent neighborhood known as America's Black Wall Street. They brought with them firearms, gasoline, and explosives. In a few short hours, they'd razed thirty-five square blocks to the ground, leaving hundreds dead. The Tulsa Race Massacre is one of the most devastating acts of racial violence in US history. But how did it come to pass? What exactly happened? And why are the events unknown to so many of us today? | 2022 | Nonfiction | Black/African American | American History | |
| Briarcliff Prep | Brianna Peppins | 9,10,11,12 | Avi LeBeau juggles navigating her first year at a Historically Black Boarding School with the revelation that her older sister Belle is in an abusive romantic relationship. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Black/African American | Women’s Studies | |
| Brown Girl Ghosted | Mintie Das | 9,10,11,12 | In Meadowdale, Illinois, sixteen-year-old Violet deals with mean girls, racism, murder, and being spurred by immortal Lukas to accept being an Aiedeo, a hereditary warrior queen charged with protecting the world. | 2020 | Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction | South Asian | Global Social Issues, Immigration/Migration | |
| Deaf Utopia: A Memoir — and a Love Letter to a Way of Life | Nyle DiMarco, Robert Siebert | 9,10,11,12 | A heartfelt and inspiring memoir and deaf culture anthem by Nyle DiMarco, actor, producer, two-time reality show winner, and cultural icon of the international deaf community. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Personal and Community Health | ||
| Disability Visibility: 17 First-Person Stories for Today | Alice Wong | 9,10,11,12 | The seventeen eye-opening essays in Disability Visibility, all written by disabled people, offer keen insight into the complex and rich disability experience, examining life's ableism and inequality, its challenges and losses, and celebrating its wisdom, passion, and joy. | 2021 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Personal and Community Health | ||
| Don't Let in the Cold | Keely Parrack | 9,10,11,12 | A blackout and a blizzard leave seventeen-year-old Lottie and her new stepsister Jade trapped in an isolated ski cabin in Tahoe, where they are soon joined by a cute, fast-talking stranger named Alex, who claims to be lost and in need of shelter--but the girls realize Alex is not who he claims to be, and he has dangerous friends. | 2022 | Adventure, Mystery | |||
| Don't Look Back: A Memoir of War, Survival, and My Journey from Sudan to America | Achut Deng, Keely Hutton | 9,10,11,12 | For ten years, Achut Deng surrived at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya after her family was ripped apart by the Second Sudanese Civil War. But Achut wanted to do more than merely survive. She wanted to live. The twenty-two-year civil war essentially orphaned over 20,000 children and drove them from their villages in southern Sudan. Some of these children walked over a thousand miles, through dangerous war zones and across unforgiving deserts. They are often referred to as The Lost Boys. But there were girls, too. Achut Deng was one of them. This is her story. It's a story of unimaginable hardship and selfless bravery, of tormenting physical pain and amazing emotional resilience, of unbreakable bonds of friendship and family. It's a story about what happens when your dream comes true, only to give way to a new nightmare. It's about how hard you will fight to save your own life. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | African, Black/African American | Global Social Issues, Immigration/Migration | |
| Every Line of You | Naomi Gibson | 9,10,11,12 | Lydia has been creating her AI, Henry, for years--since before her little brother died in the accident that haunts her nightmares; since before her dad walked out, leaving her and Mum painfully alone; since before her best friend turned into her worst enemy. Now, Henry is strong, clever, loving and scarily capable: Lydia's built herself the perfect boyfriend in a hard-drive filled with lines of code. But what is Henry really--and how far is he willing to go to be everything Lydia desires? | 2022 | Science Fiction | |||
| Gallant | Victoria Schwab | 9,10,11,12 | Olivia Prior has grown up at the grim Merilance School for Girls with no past except for her one treasure, her mother's journal, so when a letter arrives inviting her to come home to ruinous manor, Gallant, she seizes the chance to find out about her family. | 2022 | Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction | |||
| Home Field Advantage | Dahlia Adler | 9,10,11,12 | Amber McCloud's dream is to become cheer captain at the end of the year, but after the football team's quarterback dies in an accident, this seems like a tough feat. When the quarterback is replaced by a girl, Amber knows she should work against this unliked Jaclyn to keep her cheer status but the two fall for each other. | 2022 | Sports | Physical Fitness, Women’s Studies, Gender/Sexuality | ||
| I Must Betray You | Ruta Sepetys | 9,10,11,12 | In a country governed by isolation, fear, and a tyrannical dictator, seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer, but he decides to use his position to try to outwit his handler, undermine the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. | 2022 | Historical Fiction, Mystery | Global Social Issues, Government and Politics, War | ||
| Inheritance: A Visual Poem | Andrea Pippins, Elizabeth Acevedo | 9,10,11,12 | Elizabeth Acevedo embraces all the complexities of Black hair and Afro-Latinidad--the history, pain, pride, and powerful love of that inheritance. | 2022 | Poetry | Black/African American, Latino/Latino American | Women’s Studies | |
| Last Night at the Telegraph Club | Malinda Lo | 9,10,11,12 | 1954, in San Francisco's Chinatown, seventeen-year-old Lily Hu falls in love with Kathleen Miller. Writing beautifully with a knowing, gentle hand that balances Lily’s unease and courage, Lo presents a must-read love story in an uncommon setting: the midcentury queer Bay Area at a time when racism, homophobia, and McCarthyism held tight grips on the citizenry. | 2021 | Historical Fiction | Chinese/Chinese American | War, Gender/Sexuality | |
| Lawless Spaces | Corey Ann Haydu | 9,10,11,12 | While a highly publicized sexual assault case threatens to destroy her and her mother, sixteen-year-old Mimi Dovewick tries to understand their tense relationship by reaching out to the women of her maternal line through the journals they all kept. | 2022 | Poetry, Realistic Fiction | Women’s Studies | ||
| Lobizona | Romina Garber | 9,10,11,12 | Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who's on the run from her father's Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida. Until Manu's protective bubble is shattered. Her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, and finally without shackles, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past-a mysterious 'Z' emblem-which leads her to a secret world buried within our own. A world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizona, a werewolf. | 2020 | Fantasy, Science Fiction | Latino/Latino American | Global Social Issues, Immigration/Migration | |
| Long Story Short | Serena Kaylor | 9,10,11,12 | A sixteen-year-old homeschooled math genius finds herself out of her element at a theater summer camp and learns that life--and love--can't be lived by the (text)book. | 2022 | Fiction | Theatre | ||
| Loveless | Alice Oseman | 9,10,11,12 | Georgia has parents who are still in love, two sets of grandparents that are still together, and a brother who married his girlfriend, but at eighteen she has never even kissed someone (not even her lesbian best friend, Felipa) or particularly even wanted to; at the prom afterparty she is surrounded by couples making out, and she really does not know what is wrong--but in college she comes to understand herself as asexual/aromantic, and to capture the part of her identity that has always eluded her. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Gender/Sexuality | ||
| Man Made Monsters | Andrea Rogers, Jeff Edwards | 9,10,11,12 | Haunting illustrations are woven throughout these horror stories that follow one extended Cherokee family across the centuries and well into the future as they encounter predators of all kinds in each time period. | 2022 | Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction | Indigenous Peoples, Native American | ||
| Measure of Serenity | Bryan Prosek | 9,10,11,12 | Forced into a parallel reality by dimension-hopping enemies, Serenity, a brilliant but awkward teen, must impersonate her alter-ego as a resistance leader, or else lose all hope of returning to her own world. | 2021 | Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction | |||
| Muted | Tami Charles | 9,10,11,12 | For seventeen-year-old Denver, music is everything. Writing, performing, and her ultimate goal: escaping her very small, very white hometown. So Denver is more than ready on the day she and her best friends Dali and Shak sing their way into the orbit of the biggest R&B star in the world, Sean Mercury Ellis. Merc gives them everything: parties, perks, wild nights--plus hours and hours in the recording studio. Even the painful sacrifices and the lies the girls have to tell are all worth it. Until they're not. | 2021 | Fiction in Verse, Realistic Fiction | Black/African American | Music | |
| Not Here to Be Liked | Michelle Quach | 9,10,11,12 | After losing the editor-in-chief job of the student newspaper to inexperienced newcomer Len, Eliza inadvertently starts a feminist movement in her school, but amid growing tensions within the school, she begins developing feelings for Len. | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Chinese/Chinese American, Vietnamese/Vietnamese American | Global Social Issues, Immigration/Migration, Women’s Studies | |
| On the Hook | Francisco Stork | 9,10,11,12 | Hector has always worked hard and minded his own business. He wants to be captain of his school's chess team, go to college, and help his family make their way to a better life someday. Until Joey singles him out. Joey, whose older brother, Chavo, is head of the Discipulos gang, tells Hector that he's going to kill him: maybe not today, or tomorrow, but someday. And Hector, frozen with fear, does nothing. From that day forward, Hector's death hangs over his head every time he leaves the house. He tries to fade into the shadows, to drop off Joey's radar, to become no one. But when a fight between Chavo and Hector's brother Fili escalates, Hector is left with no choice but to take a stand. The violent confrontation lands Hector in a reform school where he has to live side-by-side with his enemy, Joey. There, it's up to Hector to choose whether he's going to lose himself to anger and seek revenge, or get back to the hard work of living. | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Latino/Latino American | ||
| One for All | Lillie Lainoff | 9,10,11,12 | In 1655 sixteen-year-old Tania is the daughter of a retired musketeer, but she is afflicted with extreme vertigo and subject to frequent falls; when her father is murdered she finds that he has arranged for her to attend Madame de Treville's newly formed Academie des Mariees in Paris, which, it turns out, is less a school for would-be wives, than a fencing academy for girls--and so Tania begins her training to be a new kind of musketeer, and to get revenge for her father. | 2022 | Adventure, Historical Fiction | |||
| Ophelia After All | Racquel Marie | 9,10,11,12 | Seventeen-year-old Ophelia Rojas, well known for her rose garden and her dramatic crushes on every boy in sight, begins to question her sexuality and sense of self when she starts to fall for cute, quiet Talia Sanchez in the weeks leading up to their high school prom and graduation. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Latino/Latino American | Gender/Sexuality | |
| Prepped | Bethany Mangle | 9,10,11,12 | Raised among doomsday preppers, Becca Aldaine's life has centered on planning for the worst, but when her escape plan is jeopardized, she turns to the boy she is expected to marry and hopes for the best. | 2021 | Adventure, Fiction | |||
| Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People | Kekla Magoon | 9,10,11,12 | In this comprehensive history of the Black Panther Party, the author introduces readers to the Panthers' community activism, grounded in the concept of self-defense, which taught Black Americans how to protect and support themselves in a country that treated them like second-class citizens. For too long the Panthers' story has been a footnote to the civil rights movement rather than what it was: a revolutionary socialist movement that drew thousands of members--mostly women--and became the target of one of the most sustained repression efforts ever made by the U.S. government against its own citizens. | 2021 | Nonfiction | Black/African American | American History, Ethnic Studies | |
| Running | Natalia Sylvester | 9,10,11,12 | When fifteen-year-old Cuban American Mariana Ruiz's father runs for president, Mari starts to see him with new eyes. A novel about waking up and standing up, and what happens when you stop seeing your dad as your hero-while the whole country is watching | 2020 | Realistic Fiction | Latino/Latino American | Government and Politics | |
| Salt and Sugar | Rebecca Carvalho | 9,10,11,12 | To save her family's bakery, Salt, which has been at war with the Molinas' bakery, Sugar, across the street, Lari Ramires does the unthinkable by teaming up with Pedro Molinas to save both their bakeries, falling in love in the process. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Latino/Latino American | ||
| Scout's Honor | Lily Anderson | 9,10,11,12 | Prudence Perry is a legacy Ladybird Scout, born to a family of hunters sworn to protect humans from mulligrubs. Masquerading as a prim and proper ladies' social organization, the Ladybirds brew poisons masked as teas and use knitting needles as daggers. Three years ago, Prue's best friend was killed during a hunt, so she kissed the Scouts goodbye. But old monster-slaying habits die hard and Prue finds herself falling back into the fold. When her town is hit with a mysterious wave of demons, Prue knows it's time to confront the most powerful monster of all: her past. | 2022 | Fantasy, Science Fiction | Latino/Latino American | ||
| Sensory: Life on the Spectrum: An Autistic Comics Anthology | Bex Ollerton | 9,10,11,12 | This is an anthology featuring comics from thirty autistic creators about their experiences of living in a world that doesn’t always understand or accept them. It contains illustrated explorations of everything from life pre-diagnosis to tips on how to explain autism to someone who isn't autistic, to suggestions for how to soothe yourself when you’re feeling overstimulated. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction | Graphic Novel | Mental, Emotional, and Social Health | |
| She's Gone | David Owen Bell | 9,10,11,12 | Accused of murdering his girlfriend, who disappeared after they were in an accident, Hunter Gifford races against time to clear his name, putting his freedom, family and life at risk, as his former best friend makes a true-crime documentary condemning him. | 2022 | Mystery | |||
| She's Too Pretty to Burn | Wendy Heard | 9,10,11,12 | When seventeen-year-old Veronica's photograph of her introverted girlfriend goes viral, they are sent into a spiral of fame and lethal danger as they navigate the turbulent waters of their relationship, secrets, acclaim, and the underground San Diego art scene. | 2021 | Mystery | Visual Arts, Gender/Sexuality | ||
| Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet | Laekan Zea Kemp | 9,10,11,12 | Told in two voices, Pen, whose dream of taking over her family's restaurant has been destroyed, and Xander, a new, undocumented, employee seeking his father, form a bond. | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Latino/Latino American | Global Social Issues, Immigration/Migration | |
| Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions | Navdeep Singh Dhillon | 9,10,11,12 | When Mindi Vang steals the notebook that once belonged to his brother, and that he has filled with rash decisions on prom night, Sunny Gill, who doesn't look like a Sikh anymore, chases after her and has an unexpected all-night adventure filled with reckless, wonderful, romantic, stupid, life-changing decisions. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | East Indian/East Indian American, Hmong/Hmong American, South Asian | ||
| Switch | A.S. King | 9,10,11,12 | Set in a parallel version of America where time has stopped, the novel tells the story of one teenage girl trying to untangle her toxic family's secrets--and maybe restart the world's clocks in the process. | 2021 | Fantasy, Science Fiction | |||
| The Girls I've Been | Tess Sharpe | 9,10,11,12 | When seventeen-year-old Nora O'Malley, the daughter of a con artist, is taken hostage in a bank heist, every secret she is keeping close begins to unravel. | 2021 | Adventure | Gender/Sexuality | ||
| The Honeys | Ryan La Sala | 9,10,11,12 | Mars has always been the lesser twin, the shadow to his sister Caroline's radiance. But when Caroline dies under horrific circumstances, Mars is propelled to learn all he can about his once-inseparable sister who'd grown tragically distant. Mars's genderfluidity means he's often excluded from the traditions--and expectations--of his politically-connected family. This includes attendance at the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy where his sister poured so much of her time. But with his grief still fresh, he insists on attending in her place. What Mars finds is a bucolic fairytale not meant for him. Folksy charm and sun-drenched festivities camouflage old-fashioned gender roles and a toxic preparatory rigor. Mars seeks out his sister's old friends: a group of girls dubbed the Honeys, named for the beehives they maintain behind their cabin. They are beautiful and terrifying--and Mars is certain they're connected to Caroline's death. But the longer he stays at Aspen, the more the sweet mountain breezes give way to hints of decay. Mars's memories begin to falter, bleached beneath the relentless summer sun. Something is hunting him in broad daylight, toying with his mind. If Mars can't find it soon, it will eat him alive. | 2022 | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction | Gender/Sexuality | ||
| The Inheritance Games | Jennifer Lynn Barnes | 9,10,11,12 | When a Connecticut teenager inherits vast wealth and an eccentric estate from the richest man in Texas, she must also live with his surviving family and solve a series of puzzles to discover how she earned her inheritance. | 2020 | Mystery | |||
| The Knockout | Sajni Patel | 9,10,11,12 | When seventeen-year-old Kareena Thakkar finally admits she is a top-level Muay Thai fighter, knowing that might further alienate her from her Indian community, her classmates, especially handsome Amit, enthusiastically support her. | 2021 | Realistic Fiction, Sports | South Asian | Physical Fitness | |
| The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen | Isaac Blum | 9,10,11,12 | Hoodie Rosen's life isn't that bad. Sure, his entire Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to the quiet, mostly non-Jewish town of Tregaron, but Hoodie's world hasn't changed that much. He's got basketball to play, studies to avoid, and a supermarket full of delicious kosher snacks to eat. The people of Tregaron aren't happy that so many Orthodox Jews are moving in at once, but that's not Hoodie's problem. That is, until he meets and falls for Anna-Marie Diaz-O'Leary--who happens to be the daughter of the headstrong mayor trying to keep Hoodie's community out of the town. And things only get more complicated when Tregaron is struck by a series of antisemitic crimes that quickly escalate to deadly violence. As his community turns on him for siding with the enemy, Hoodie finds himself caught between his first love and the only world he's ever known. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Jewish/Jewish American | ||
| The Q | Amy Tintera | 9,10,11,12 | When the president's son, Lennon, is kidnapped and pushed out of an airplane over the Q, a vast quarantine zone, Maisie gives him a seventy-two hour vaccine and together the two teenagers attempt to fight their way through the Q in order to survive. | 2022 | Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction | Latino/Latino American | Personal and Community Health | |
| The Rumor Game | Dhonielle Clayton, Sona Charaipotra | 9,10,11,12 | At Foxham Prep, a posh private school for Washington, D.C.'s elite, a rumor gains momentum as it collects followers on social media, pulling three girls into its path--Bryn, who wants to erase all memories of the mistake she made last summer; cheer captain Cora, who desperately wants to believe in her boyfriend's faithfulness; and shy Georgie, newly hot after a summer at fat camp and ready to reinvent herself--but who can stop a dangerous rumor once it takes on a life of its own? | 2022 | Fiction | |||
| The Temperature of Me and You | Brian Zepka | 9,10,11,12 | Sixteen-year-old Dylan Highmark thought his winter was going to be full of boring shifts at the Dairy Queen, until he finds himself in love with a boy who's literally too hot to handle. | 2022 | Fantasy, Science Fiction | Gender/Sexuality | ||
| These Deadly Games | Diana Urban | 9,10,11,12 | Soon after receiving an anonymous message stating that she has twenty-four hours to play a game by the sender's rules or he will kill her sister, sixteen-year-old Crystal Donovan realizes that cooperating will destroy her friends' lives and she must figure out a way to beat the kidnapper at his own game before she loses everything. | 2022 | Horror, Mystery | |||
| This Is My America | Kim Johnson | 9,10,11,12 | While writing letters to Innocence X, a justice-seeking project, asking them to help her father, an innocent black man on death row, teenaged Tracy takes on another case when her brother is accused of killing his white girlfriend. | 2020 | Realistic Fiction | Black/African American | American History | |
| This Train Is Being Held | Ismée Williams | 9,10,11,12 | Told in two voices, ballet dancer and private school student Isabelle Warren and poet and baseball star Alex Rosario grow closer after meeting on a subway, bonding over their parents' expectations and their own dreams. | 2020 | Realistic Fiction | Latino/Latino American | ||
| Unpregnant | Jenni Hendriks, Ted Caplan | 9,10,11,12 | Seventeen-year-old Veronica Clarke never thought she'd want to fail a test--that is, until she finds herself staring at a piece of plastic with two solid pink lines. With a promising college-bound future now disappearing before her eyes, Veronica considers a decision she never imagined she'd have to make: an abortion. There's just one catch-the closest place to get one is over nine hundred miles away. With conservative parents, a... let's say less-than-optimal boyfriend, and no car, Veronica turns to the only person she believes won't judge her: Bailey Butler, a legendary misfit at Jefferson High--and Veronica's ex-best friend. The plan is straightforward: a fourteen-hour drive to the clinic, three hours for the appointment, and a fourteen-hour drive home. What could go wrong? Not much, apart from three days of stolen cars, shot guns, crazed ex-boyfriends, aliens, ferret napping, and the pain and betrayal of a broken friendship that can't be outrun. Under the starlit skies of the American Southwest, Veronica and Bailey discover that sometimes the most important choice is who your friends are. | 2019 | Realistic Fiction | |||
| Unretouchable | Sofia Szamosi | 9,10,11,12 | Olive is spending the summer before college helping a fashion-industry imaging specialist--and pondering the impact of this work behind the scenes. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Graphic Novel | Visual Arts | |
| Victory. Stand!: Raising My Fist for Justice | Dawud Anyabwile, Derrick Barnes, Tommie Smith | 9,10,11,12 | On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships. In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest. | 2022 | Biography/Autobiography, Nonfiction, Sports | Graphic Novel | Black/African American | American History, Nutrition and Physical Activity, Physical Fitness |
| Vinyl Moon | Mahogany Browne | 9,10,11,12 | A teen girl reeling from the scars of a past relationship finds healing and hope in the words of strong Black writers and the new community she builds in Brooklyn, New York. | 2022 | Poetry, Realistic Fiction | Black/African American | ||
| When You Call My Name | Tucker Shaw | 9,10,11,12 | In 1990 New York City, eighteen-year-olds Adam and Ben learn to navigate life, love, and loss as gay teens during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Gender/Sexuality | ||
| White Smoke | Tiffany Jackson | 9,10,11,12 | Believing her new home to actually be alive, especially when her brother almost dies, Marigold and her new blended family won't be safe until she brings the truth to light once and for all. | 2021 | Horror, Mystery | Black/African American | ||
| You Truly Assumed | Laila Sabreen | 9,10,11,12 | Sabriya has her whole summer planned, but those plans go out the window after a terrorist attack near her home. When the terrorist is assumed to be Muslim and Islamophobia grows, Sabriya turns to her online journal for comfort. Soon two more teens, Zakat and Farah, join Bri to run 'You Truly Assumed' and the three quickly form a strong friendship. When one of them is threatened, the search to find out who is behind it all begins, and their friendship is put to the test when all three must decide whether to shut down the blog and lose what they've worked for. | 2022 | Realistic Fiction | Black/African American, Muslim | ||
| You've Reached Sam | Dustin Thao | 9,10,11,12 | Seventeen-year-old Julie fell in love with Sam the day she met him, and planned to attend college with him; but Sam died, and getting rid of his things, trying to erase him from her life is not working, so desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls his cellphone expecting to hear his voicemail--but then Sam answers, and suddenly their cellphones become the living connection between them, a connection Julie finds impossible to let go. | 2021 | Fantasy, Science Fiction | |||
| Zara Hossain Is Here | Sabina Khan | 9,10,11,12 | Ever since her family moved to Texas from Pakistan when she was a baby, seventeen-year-old Zara Hossain has only ever called Corpus Christi home. Being the only Muslim girl at her conservative Catholic school, blending in isn't really an option, especially with people like Tyler Benson always tormenting her. But one day Tyler takes thing too far by defacing Zara's locker with a racist message, which gets him suspended. As an act of revenge, Tyler and his friends vandalize the Hossains' house with Islamophobic graffiti, which leads to a violent crime that puts Zara and her family's entire future at risk. | 2021 | Realistic Fiction | Muslim, South Asian | Immigration/Migration, Gender/Sexuality |