A lyrical, heart-lifting love letter to Black and Brown children everywhere reminds them how much they matter, that they have always mattered and they always will.
Red is a rainbow color. Green sits next to blue. Yellow, orange, violet, indigo, They are rainbow colors, too, but my color is black . . .And there’s no BLACK in rainbows. From the wheels on a bicycle to the robe on Thurgood Marshall’s back, Black surrounds our lives. It is a color to simply describe some of our favorite things, but it also evokes a deeper sentiment about the incredible people who helped change the world and a community that continues to grow and survive.
On a dreary, stuck-inside kind of day, a brother and sister heed their grandmother’s advice: “Use those beautiful and brilliant minds of yours. Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing. Somebody somewhere at some point was just as bored you are now.” And before they know it, their imaginations lift them up and out of their boredom. Then, on a day full of quarrels, it’s time for a trip outside their minds again, and they are able to leave their anger behind. This precious skill, their grandmother tells them, harkens back to the days long before they were born, when their ancestors showed the world the strength and resilience of their beautiful and brilliant minds.
Kai’s aunt is getting married, and everyone in the Donovan family is excited about the wedding … except Kai. The highlight of every Donovan occasion is dancing the electric slide – a groovy line dance with footwork that Kai can’t quite figure out. More than anything, he wants to prove that he can boogie with the rest of his family and earn a cool nickname from his granddad. Can Kai break through his nerves and break it down on the dance floor?
Together, boy and boat ride the shifting tides, catching wants and wishes until fate calls for a sea change. Brothers and collaborators Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey’s newest picture book is a masterfully crafted celebration of the natural world and tribute to the families we make and the homes that we nurture.
Portico Reeves’ secret identity as Stuntboy allows him to use his superpower keep everybody safe, but when his superhero parents start fighting a lot he feels the responsibility to save them.
Simon B. Rhymin’ by Dwayne Reed with Ellien Holi | Request this book
Eleven-year-old Simon Barnes dreams of becoming a world-famous rapper that everyone calls Notorious D.O.G. But for now, he’s just a Chicago fifth grader who’s small for his age and afraid to use his voice.
From debut author Janae Marks comes a captivating story full of heart, as one courageous girl questions assumptions, searches for the truth, and does what she believes is right–even in the face of great opposition.
For as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has been everyone’s hero. As a charming, talented pro football star, he’s as beloved to the neighborhood kids he plays with as he is to his millions of adoring sports fans. But lately life at ZJ’s house is anything but charming. His dad is having trouble remembering things and seems to be angry all the time. ZJ’s mom explains it’s because of all the head injuries his dad sustained during his career. ZJ can understand that–but it doesn’t make the sting any less real when his own father forgets his name. As ZJ contemplates his new reality, he has to figure out how to hold on tight to family traditions and recollections of the glory days, all the while wondering what their past amounts to if his father can’t remember it. And most importantly, can those happy feelings ever be reclaimed when they are all so busy aching for the past?
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.
Maureen and Francine Carter are twins and best friends. They participate in the same clubs, enjoy the same foods, and are partners on all their school projects. But just before the girls start sixth grade, Francine becomes Fran — a girl who wants to join the chorus, run for class president, and dress in fashionable outfits that set her apart from Maureen. A girl who seems happy to share only two classes with her sister! Maureen and Francine are growing apart and there’s nothing Maureen can do to stop it. Are sisters really forever? Or will middle school change things for good?
In Brooklyn, nine-year-old Jax joins Ma, a curmudgeonly witch who lives in his building, on a quest to deliver three baby dragons to a magical world, and along the way discovers his true calling.
Non-Fiction & Biographies
Jump at the Sun: the True Life Tale of Unstoppable Storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston by Alicia Williams | Request this book
Zora was a girl who hankered for tales like bees for honey. Now, her mama always told her that if she wanted something, “to jump at de sun”, because even though you might not land quite that high, at least you’d get off the ground. So Zora jumped from place to place, from the porch of the general store where she listened to folktales, to Howard University, to Harlem. And everywhere she jumped, she shined sunlight on the tales most people hadn’t been bothered to listen to until Zora. The tales no one had written down until Zora. Tales on a whole culture of literature overlooked…until Zora. Until Zora jumped.
The power of her pen : the story of groundbreaking journalist Ethel Payne / written by Lesa Cline-Ransome | Request this book
Ethel Payne always had an ear for stories. Seeking truth, justice, and equality, Ethel followed stories from her school newspaper in Chicago to Japan during World War II. It even led her to the White House briefing room, where she broke barriers as the only black female journalist. Ethel wasn’t afraid to ask the tough questions of presidents, elected officials, or anyone else in charge, earning her the title, “First Lady of the Black Press.”
Shirley Chisholm Dared : the Story of the First Black Woman in Congress by Alicia D. Williams | Request this book
Meet Shirley, a little girl who asks way too many questions! After spending her early years on her grandparents’ farm in Barbados, she returns home to Brooklyn and immediately makes herself known. Shirley kicks butt in school; she breaks her mother’s curfew; she plays jazz piano instead of classical. And as a young adult, she fights against the injustice she sees around her, against women and black people. Soon she is running for state assembly…and winning in a landslide. Three years later, she is on the campaign trail again, as the first black woman to run for Congress. Her slogan? “Fighting Shirley Chisholm–Unbought and Unbossed!” Does she win? You bet she does.
The Highest Tribute : Thurgood Marshall’s Life, Leadership, and Legacy by Kekla Magoon | Request this book
Growing up in Baltimore, Thurgood Marshall could see that things weren’t fair. The laws said that Black and white people couldn’t use the same schools, parks, or water fountains. When Thurgood had to read the Constitution as punishment for a prank at school, his eyes were opened. It was clear to him that Jim Crow laws were wrong, and he was willing to do whatever it took to change them. His determination to make sure all Americans were treated equally led him to law school and then the NAACP, where he argued cases like Brown v. Board of Education in front of the Supreme Court. But to become a Justice on the highest court in the land, Thurgood had to make space for himself every step of the way.
Opening the Road : Victor Hugo Green and His Green Book by Keila V. Dawson Request this book
In the late 1930s when segregation was legal and Black Americans couldn’t visit every establishment or travel everywhere they wanted to safely, a New Yorker named Victor Hugo Green decided to do something about it. Green wrote and published a guide that listed places where his fellow Black Americans could be safe in New York City. The guide sold like hot cakes! Soon customers started asking Green to make a guide to help them travel and vacation safely across the nation too. With the help of his mail carrier co-workers and the African American business community, Green’s guide allowed millions of African Americans to travel safely and enjoy traveling across the nation.
This list has been complied by our Youth Services Department. Note: Excerpts are taken from our LS2 PAC.
In this cheerful book first published in China, readers are invited along with Zhao Di and her friends as they experience all the joy and excitement of this folk Chinese custom.
The Little Pigs and the Sweet Rice Cakes: a Story told in English and Chinese by Li Jian | Request this book
Told in a bilingual Chinese and English edition, this is the story of three little pigs whose appetites initially get the better of them. In a shared dream, they met an old man who tells them to deliver sweet rice cakes to him a week before New Year’s Eve. The next morning, they see some sweet rice cakes on their kitchen table. The three little pigs completely forget the old man and eat every bit of them. When their mother comes home, she is very angry to discover all the cakes gone. Seeing their mother unhappy, the three little pigs help her make more delicious sweet rice cakes.
Hóng is the color of firecrackers! Jīn is the hue of lucky coins. Zŏng is the shade of sweet peanut puffs. Welcome to the festivities of the Chinese New Year, where symbolic gifts, foods, and objects come together in a celebration of beautiful colors.
It’s the Lunar New Year, and it happens to be Mulan’s favorite festival! There is a lot to do to prepare for this important celebration, and for the first time, Mulan is old enough to help out. But everything Mulan does seems to turn out wrong… Follow along with Mulan in this special Lunar New Year story that captures the unique sense of magic, imagination, and possibility that surrounds the holiday!
One Chinese New Year, her mother sends Goldy Luck to the pandas next door with a plate of turnip cakes, but the pandas are out and disaster follows. Includes a recipe for turnip cakes and an explanation of Chinese New Year.
Tong tong! The legendary Nian monster has returned at Chinese New Year. With horns, scales, and wide, wicked jaws, Nian is intent on devouring Shanghai, starting with Xingling! The old tricks to keep him away don’t work on Nian anymore, but Xingling is clever. Will her quick thinking be enough to save the city from the Nian Monster?
Children have never had so many reasons to learn how Chinese people everywhere ring in the new and ring out the old. As China takes its new place on the global stage, understanding Chinese culture and values becomes ever more essential to our next generation.
The Animals of Chinese New Year by Jen Sookfong Lee | Request this title
Drawing on the myth of the Chinese zodiac, The Animals of Chinese New Year follows twelve animals as they speed across a river, competing to represent the imminent new year in a race held by the Jade Emperor, the most powerful Chinese god. Each animal competes in its own unique way. The ox works hard, the tiger is brave, the dog smiles kindly, but who will win?
Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year Parade by Lyla Lee | Request this title
Mindy is excited to go to the Lunar New Year parade in her new town with her father and her friend Sally.
In the Chinese Year of the Rat, a young Taiwanese American girl faces many challenges: her best friend moves to California and a new boy comes to her school, she must find the courage to forge ahead with her dream of becoming a writer and illustrator, and she must learn to find the beauty in change.
*Book summaries are taken from our library catalog
While Milo and his sister travel to a detention center to visit their incarcerated mother, he observes strangers on the subway and draws what he imagines their lives to be. Reserve this book.
From chasing, chirping birds, to swimming, squirting whales, this book for young readers reminds them how animals play just like them. Reserve this book.
Change Sings : a children’s anthem by Amanda Gorman ; illustrated by Loren Long
As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes–big or small–in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves. Reserve this book.
Three little monkeys and their big monkey are sitting high on a branch in the forest canopy. “OK, monkeys! I’m off,” says the big monkey. “Remember . . . Whatever you do, do NOT go down to the mango tree. There are tigers down there.” Mmm . . . mangoes! think the little monkeys. They LOVE mangoes. Hmm . . . Maybe . . . maybe they could just look at the mangoes. That would be OK, right? Reserve this book.
Something strange happened on an unremarkable day just before the season changed. Everybody who was outside . . . . . . went inside. Outside, it was quieter, wilder, and different. Inside, we laughed, we cried, and we grew. We remembered to protect the ones we love and love the ones who protect us. Reserve this book.
A lazy alligator comes up with a plan to lure his prey by opening up a restaurant for birds–until he realizes that birds are even better as friends. Reserve this book.
When a strange storm confines a fractured family in tight quarters, leaving them all in the dark, they must find a way to reconnect and face whatever the future brings-together. Reserve this book.
Marisol, who has a big imagination and likes to name inanimate objects, has a tree in her backyard named Peppina…but she’s way too scared to climb it. Will Marisol find the courage to climb Peppina? Maybe… Reserve this book.
Sixth-grader Wes Henderson sets out to save the Oaks, the neighborhood where he’s lived his whole life, from being sold to a real estate developer. Reserve this book.
Dog Squad by Chris Grabenstein ; illustrations by Beth Hughes
Fred, a scrappy and lovable dog, gets cast as a stand-in for the lead role in Dog Squad, a show about crime-fighting dogs, and he soon finds out the action doesn’t always stop on screen. Reserve this book.
Marcus Makes a Movie by Kevin Hart ; with Geoff Rodkey ; illustrated by David Cooper
Marcus is NOT happy to be stuck in after-school film class . . . until he realizes he can turn the story of the cartoon superhero he’s been drawing for years into an actual MOVIE! There’s just one problem: he has no idea what he’s doing. So he’ll need help, from his friends, his teachers, Sierra, the strong-willed classmate with creative dreams of her own, even Tyrell, the local bully who’d be a perfect movie villain if he weren’t too terrifying to talk to. Reserve this book.
Aidan disappeared for six days. Six agonizing days of searches and police and questions and constant vigils. Then, just as suddenly as he vanished, Aidan reappears. Where has he been? The story he tells is simply. . . impossible. But it’s the story Aidan is sticking to. His brother, Lucas, wants to believe him. Reserve this book.
Shenice Lockwood dreams of leading the Fulton Firebirds to the U12 softball regional championship. But Shenice’s focus gets shaken when her great-uncle Jack reveals that a career-ending-and family-name-ruining-crime may have been a setup. It’s up to Shenice to discover the truth about her family’s past-and fast-before secrets take the Firebirds out of the game forever. Reserve this book.
A family feud before the start of seventh grade propels Meilan from Boston’s Chinatown to rural Ohio, where she must tap into her inner strength and sense of justice to make a new place for herself. Reserve this book.
Guided by the last, incorporeal member of an ancient guild of protectors, aspiring adventurers Perigold and Woolfrik successfully subdue a rampaging monster and the bumbling wizard controlling it. Reserve this book.
Set at a magical school for girls, a funny and heartwarming middle-grade graphic novel adventure about friendship, defying expectations, and finding your place. Manu is always getting into trouble. The headmistress at school believes Manu has the potential to help people with her magic, but Manu would rather have fun than fit in. Reserve this book.
Every Saturday, Pawcasso trots into town with a basket, a shopping list, and cash in paw to buy groceries for his family. One day, he passes eleven-year-old Jo, peering out the window of her house, bored and lonely. Astonished by the sight of an adorable basket-toting dog on his own, Jo follows Pawcasso, and when she’s seen alongside him by a group of kids from her school, they mistake her for Pawcasso’s owner.Reserve this book.
An original middle-grade graphic novel starring breakout character (and New Jersey’s own) Ms. Marvel! Kamala Khan (a.k.a Ms. Marvel) is stretched too thin-literally. She’s having a hard time balancing schoolwork with being a good friend, being there for her family, becoming the best fanfic writer this side of the Hudson River … and, you know, becoming a Super Hero. She’s tired and just barely keeping control, BUT she’s handling it. Totally. Reserve this book.
In this updated adaptation of a classic Latin American folktale, Blancaflor, a young ogre with magical powers, decides to secretly help a charming prince who has made a foolish bet with her father. Through saving the prince and the kingdom, she learns to be honest with herself and others about the things that make her special. Reserve this book.
Despite their differences, monster neighbors Reggie and Emily make the perfect pair of explorers, and with a map to make, a beach party to plan, and a sea monster to find, Reggie will have to learn to talk about his feelings and let new friends in. Reserve this book.
Check out some of our recommended picture books, fiction, non-fiction titles for children for National Native American Heritage Month.
Chapter Books & Middle Grade
Sisters of the Neversea by Cynthia Leitich Smith
In this magical, modern twist on Peter Pan, stepsisters Lily and Wendy are spirited away to Neverland by a mysterious boy and must find a way back to the family they love. | Request this title
Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young
When Nathan goes to visit his grandma, Nali, at her mobile summer home on the Navajo reservation, he knows he’s in for a pretty uneventful summer, with no electricity or cell service. Still, he loves spending time with Nali and with his uncle Jet, though it’s clear when Jet arrives that he brings his problems with him. | Request this title
Race to the sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Guided by her Navajo ancestors, seventh-grader Nizhoni Begay discovers she is descended from a holy woman and destined to become a monsterslayer, starting with the evil businessman who kidnapped her father. Includes glossary of Navajo terms. | Request this title
Rez dogs by Joseph Bruchac
Malian loves spending time with her grandparents at their home on a Wabanaki reservation. She’s there for a visit when, suddenly, all travel shuts down. There’s a new virus making people sick, and Malian will have to stay with her grandparents for the duration. | Request this title
Peacemaker by Joseph Bruchac
A twelve-year-old Iroquois boy rethinks his calling after witnessing the arrival of a mystical figure with a message of peace in this historical novel based on the creation of the Iroquois Confederacy. | Request this title
The sea in winter by Christine Day
In this evocative and heartwarming novel for readers who loved The Thing About Jellyfish, the author of I Can Make This Promise tells the story of a Native American girl struggling to find her joy again. | Request this title
The used-to-be best friend by Dawn Quigley
Hello/Boozhoo–meet Jo Jo Makoons! Full of pride, joy, and plenty of humor, this first book in an all-new chapter book series by Dawn Quigley celebrates a spunky young Ojibwe girl who loves who she is. | Request this title
Ancestor approved : intertribal stories for kids by Cynthia Leitich Smith
This collection of intersecting stories by both new and veteran Native writers bursts with hope, joy, resilience, the strength of community, and Native pride. | Request this title
The sea-ringed world : sacred stories of the Americas by María García Esperón
Presents a collection of stories from nations and cultures across our two continents, the Sea-Ringed World, as the Aztecs called it, from the edge of Argentina all the way up to Alaska. | Request this title
Non-Fiction & Picture Books
Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman by Sharice Davids with Nancy K. Mays
This inspiring picture book autobiography tells the remarkable story of Sharice Davids, one of the first Native American women elected to Congress and the first LGBTQ congressperson to represent Kansas. | Request this title
Classified : the secret career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee aerospace engineer by Traci Sorell
Mary Golda Ross designed classified projects for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation as the company’s first female engineer. Find out how her passion for math and the Cherokee values she was raised with shaped her life and work | Request this title
Go show the world by Wab Kinew
Celebrating the stories of Indigenous people throughout time, Wab Kinew has created a powerful rap song, the lyrics of which are the basis for the text in this beautiful picture book. | Request this title
I Sang You Down from the Stars by Tasha Spillett-Sumner
A Native American woman describes how she loved her child before it was born and, throughout her pregnancy, gathered a bundle of gifts to welcome the newborn. | Request this title
Nibi’s water song by Sunshine Tenasco
When Nibi, an Indigenous girl, turns the tap in her house, only mucky brown water comes out. That starts her on a search for clean water to drink. Though she must face polluted rivers, unfriendly neighbors, and her own temporary discouragement, Nibi’s joyful energy becomes a catalyst for change and action as her community rallies around her to make clean drinking water available for all. | Request this title
Young Adult
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Daunis, who is part Ojibwe, defers attending the University of Michigan to care for her mother and reluctantly becomes involved in the investigation of a series of drug-related deaths. | Request this title
Apple : skin to the core : a memoir in words and pictures by Eric Gansworth
Eric Gansworth tells his story, the story of his family–of Onondaga among Tuscaroras–of Native folks everywhere. From the horrible legacy of the government boarding schools, to a boy watching his siblings leave and return and leave again, to a young man fighting to be an artist who balances multiple worlds. | Request this title
Walking in Two Worlds by Wab Kinew
An Indigenous teen girl is caught between two worlds, both real and virtual, in the YA fantasy debut from bestselling Indigenous author Wab Kinew. Perfect for fans of Ready Player One and the Otherworld series. | Request this title
Four Faces of the Moon by Amanda Strong
Adapted from the acclaimed stop-motion animated film of the same name, written and directed by Amanda Strong, Four Faces of the Moon brings the oral and written history of the Michif, Cree, Nakoda and Anishinaabe Peoples and their cultural link to the buffalo alive on the page. | Request this title
*Summaries are taken from publishers and book reviews.
Looking for a good scare? Check out these spooky books for older kids and teens!
Juvenile Fiction
The Night Gardener : a scary story by Jonathan Auxier
Irish orphans Molly, fourteen, and Kip, ten, travel to England to work as servants in a crumbling manor house where nothing is quite what it seems to be, and soon the siblings are confronted by a mysterious stranger and secrets of the cursed house. Request this book.
The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste
Eleven-year-old Corinne must call on her courage and an ancient magic to stop an evil spirit and save her island home. Request this book.
Doll Bones by Holly Black
Zach, Alice, and Poppy, friends from a Pennsylvania middle school who have long enjoyed acting out imaginary adventures with dolls and action figures, embark on a real-life quest to Ohio to bury a doll made from the ashes of a dead girl.Request this book.
Scary Stories for young foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker
A collection of six connected stories that follows a group of fox kits as they fight to survive in an unforgiving wilderness. Request this book.
Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh
Harper doesn’t trust her new home from the moment she steps inside, and the rumors are that the Raine family’s new house is haunted. Harper isn’t sure she believes those rumors, until her younger brother, Michael, starts acting strangely. She knows that the memories she’s blocking will help make sense of her brother’s behavior and the strange and threatening sensations she feels in this house, but will she be able to put the pieces together in time? Request this book.
The House in Poplar Wood by K.E. Ormsbee
The Vickery twins, Lee and Felix, live in a house in Poplar Wood, where, because of the “Agreement,” their mother serves Memory, and their father assists Death, and only Lee is allowed to leave the house, except for Halloween; but when a local girl is murdered, Gretchen Whipple, daughter of the mayor, offers the boys a deal–help her solve the crime and she will help them break the Agreement, and regain their freedom. Request this book.
City of ghosts by Victoria Schwab
Ever since her near-fatal drowning, Cassidy has been able to pull back the “Veil” that separates the living from the dead and see ghosts, not that she wants to, and she was really looking forward to a ghost-free summer at the beach; however her parents are going to start filming a TV series about the world’s most haunted places.Request this book.
Hoodoo by Ronald L. Smith
In 1930s Alabama, twelve-year-old Hoodoo Hatcher is the only member of his family who seems unable to practice folk magic, but when a mysterious man called the Stranger puts the entire town at risk from his black magic, Hoodoo must learn to conjure to defeat him. Request this book.
Juvenile Graphic Novels
Nightlights by Lorena Alvarez
When a mysterious girl appears at school and learns of Sandy’s drawings, that she creates from the tiny stars that appear in her room at night, Morfie’s fascination soon turns into something sinister. Request this book.
The Witches : the graphic novel by Roald Dahl
A young boy and his Norwegian grandmother, who is an expert on witches, together foil a witches’ plot to destroy the world’s children by turning them into mice. Request this book.
The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi
After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids’ mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals. Request this book.
Suee and the Shadow by Ginger Ly
Meet Suee: twelve years old, wears her hair to the left in a point, favors a black dress, has no friends, and she likes it that way! When Suee transfers to the dull and ordinary Outskirts Elementary, she doesn’t expect to hear a strange voice speaking to her from the darkness of the school’s exhibit room, and she certainly doesn’t expect to see her shadow come to life. Request this book.
Slappy’s Tales of Horror adapted and illustrated by Dave Roman, Jamie Tolagson, Gabriel Hernandez, and Ted Naifeh
A collection of short graphic novels featuring characters from famous “Goosebumps” stories includes “Ghost Beach,” in which two siblings investigate a local legend and discover a terrible secret about their family. Request this book.
Graveyard Shakes by Laura Terry
Katia and Victoria are sisters and scholarship students at a private boarding school. After a big fight, Katia runs away from school. And when Victoria goes looking for her, she accidentally tumbles into the underworld of a nearby graveyard. It’s inhabited by ghosts and a man named Nikola, who’s preparing a sinister spell that’s missing one key ingredient.Request this book.
Young Adult Fiction
The Girl from The Well by Rin Chupeco
Okiku has wandered the world for centuries, freeing the innocent ghosts of the murdered-dead and taking the lives of killers with the vengeance they are due, but when she meets Tark she knows the moody teen with the series of intricate tattoos is not a monster and needs to be freed from the demonic malevolence that clings to him. Request this book.
The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass
Sixteen-year-old Jake Livingston sees dead people everywhere. But he can’t decide what’s worse: being a medium forced to watch the dead play out their last moments on a loop or being at the mercy of racist teachers as one of the few Black students at St. Clair Prep. Both are a living nightmare he wishes he could wake up from.Request this book.
Into the Grey by Celine Kiernan
Set in Ireland in the early 1970s, this story stars twin brothers Patrick and Dom Finnerty, who have their world turned upside down when their house and all they possess is burned to the ground. Displaced, the family moves into their summer seaside cottage. Suffering from horrible nightmares, the boys’ bond of brotherly love is put to the test when they discover that the “goblin-boy” is not just a dream. Request this book.
A Taste for Monsters by Matthew J. Kirby
In 1888 seventeen-year-old Evelyn Fallow, herself disfigured by the phosphorus in the match factory where she worked, has been hired as a maid to Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man–but when the Jack the Ripper murders begin she and Merrick find themselves haunted by the ghosts of the slain women, and Evelyn is caught up in the mystery of Jack’s identity. Request this book.
The Ghost Collector by Allison Mills
After her mother’s death, Shelly, who helps lost souls transition into the next world, begins to bring the ghosts home and hide them in her room. Request this book.
Check out these titles all about the ups and downs of making and maintaining friendships!
Picture Books
Sam & Dave dig a hole by Mac Barnett
Sam and Dave are on a mission. A mission to find something spectacular. So they dig a hole. And they keep digging. And they find . . . nothing. Yet the day turns out to be pretty spectacular after all. Attentive readers will be rewarded with a rare treasure in this witty story of looking for the extraordinary — and finding it in a manner you’d never expect. Request this book.
The buddy bench by Patty Brozo
A school playground can be a solitary place for a kid without playmates; in one survey, 80 percent of 8- to 10-year-old respondents described being lonely at some point during a school day. Patty Brozo’s cast of kids brings a playground to raucous life, and Mike Deas’s illustrations invest their games with imaginary planes to fly, dragons to tame, and elephants to ride. Request this book.
Rita & Ralph’s rotten day by Carmen Agra Deedy
Rita and Ralph live on neighboring hills and they are best friends, until a silly accident while goofing around ends up with both of them angry and unhappy–and they both need to find a way to heal the break in their relationship. Request this book.
A day so gray by Marie Lamba
Once you start to notice, colors and reasons for gratitude are everywhere, and that changes everything! Celebrate the hues and comforts of a cozy winter day as a discontented girl at first notices only dull grays and browns in a snowy landscape but is coaxed by her friend to look more closely. Soon she finds orange berries, blue water, purple shadows, and more. Warm friendship and a fresh way of seeing things transform a snow-covered landscape from bleak to beautiful! Request this book.
Julián at the wedding by Jessica Love
Julián and his abuela are going to a wedding. Better yet, Julián is in the wedding. Weddings have flowers and kissing and dancing and cake. And this wedding also has a new friend named Marisol. It’s not long before Julián and Marisol set off for some magic and mischief of their own, and when things take an unexpected turn, the pair learns that everything is easier with a good friend by your side. Request this book.
Evelyn Del Rey is moving away by Meg Medina
Evelyn Del Rey is Daniela’s best friend. They do everything together and even live in twin apartments across the street from each other: Daniela with her mami and hamster, and Evelyn with her mami, papi, and cat. But not after today–not after Evelyn moves away. Until then, the girls play amid the moving boxes until it’s time to say goodbye, making promises to keep in touch, because they know that their friendship will always be special. Request this book.
The day Saida arrived by Susana Gómez Redondo
Two girls forge a forever-friendship by learning each other’s language. The Day Saida Arrived demonstrates the power of language to build bonds beyond borders. Request this book.
Bilal cooks daal by Aisha Saeed
Six-year-old Bilal is excited to help his dad make his favorite food of all-time: daal! The slow-cooked lentil dish from South Asia requires lots of ingredients and a whole lot of waiting. Bilal wants to introduce his friends to daal. They’ve never tried it! As the day goes on, the daal continues to simmer, and more kids join Bilal and his family, waiting to try the tasty dish. And as time passes, Bilal begins to wonder: Will his friends like it as much as he does? Request this book.
Chapter Books
Lions & liars by Kate Beasley
Fifth-grader Frederick is sent to a disciplinary camp where he and his terrifying troop mates have just started forging a friendship when they learn a Category 5 hurricane is headed their way. Request this book.
The sky at our feet by Nadia Hashimi
Jason has just learned that his Afghan mother has been living illegally in the United States since his father was killed in Afghanistan. Although Jason was born in the US, it’s hard to feel American now when he’s terrified that his mother will be discovered — and that they will be separated. Request this book.
You go first by Erin Entrada Kelly
Charlotte, twelve, and Ben, eleven, are highly-skilled competitors at online Scrabble and that connection helps both as they face family issues and the turmoil of middle school. Request this book.
Strange birds : a field guide to ruffling feathers by Celia C. Pérez
After Ofelia, Aster, Cat, and Lane fail to persuade a local girls club to change an outdated tradition, they form an alternative group that shakes up their sleepy Florida town. Request this book.
Liar & spy by Rebecca Stead
Seventh-grader Georges adjusts to moving from a house to an apartment, his father’s efforts to start a new business, his mother’s extra shifts as a nurse, being picked on at school, and Safer, a boy who wants his help spying on another resident of their building. Request this book.
Click’d by Tamara Ireland Stone
After spending the summer at coding camp, Allie Navarro is excited to share the app she built with her friends, until it starts to cause problems between them. Request this book.
Save me a seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan
Ravi has just moved to the United States from India and has always been at the top of his class; Joe has lived in the same town his whole life and has learning problems–but when their lives intersect in the first week of fifth grade they are brought together by a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and the need to take control of their lives. Request this book.
Harbor me by Jacqueline Woodson
When six students are chosen to participate in a weekly talk with no adults allowed, they discover that when they’re together, it’s safe to share the hopes and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world. Request this book.
Graphic Novels
Be prepared by Vera Brosgol
A misfit girl and her brother attend summer camp, where they struggle with primitive plumbing, snobby tentmates, and boys-versus-girls competitions. Request this book.
New kid by Jerry Craft
After his parents send him to a prestigious private school known for its academics, Jordan Banks finds himself torn between two worlds. Request this book.
A hole new world by Pat + Jen from PopularMMOs
An accidental trip into the underworld sends Pat and Jen on an adventure, but their attempts to flee puts them face-to-face with the most evil villain of all, Evil Jen. Request this book.
Click by Kayla Miller
When a school variety show leaves Olive stranded without an act to join, she wonders why all of her friends have already formed their own groups without her. Request this book.
The cardboard kingdom by Chad Sell
Follows the adventures of a group of neighborhood children who create costumes from cardboard and use their imagination in adventures with knights, robots, and monsters. Request this book.
The big break by Mark Tatulli
Russ’s friendship with Andrew disintegrates when Russ gets a girlfriend, leaving the video they are making without an ending, but a close encounter with the legendary Jersey Devil brings them back together. Request this book.
How to spot a sasquatch by J. Torres
Out on a camping trip with the Junior Rangers, Jay feels like the odd one out. He’s determined to get a photo of Bigfoot–but none of his friends believe Bigfoot exists. Meanwhile, Sass the Sasquatch and her curious forest friends are playing practical jokes on the campers. Request this book.
Alien Nate by Dave Whamond
Nate’s on a mission to Earth from the planet Vega. His goal: eat pizza! Luckily, soon after he crash-lands on Earth he meets Fazel, who helps him create a disguise, learn the ways of Earthlings and, most importantly, stuff himself with pizza! Request this book.
September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month.
Chapter Books
Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega
Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd’s witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby, Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely’s firefly spirits before it’s too late. Request this title
The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas
A Cuban-American boy must use his ability to communicate with animals to save the inhabitants of his town when they are threatened by a witch that transforms into animals. Request this title.
Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Twelve-year-old Max, who loves the legend Buelo tells him about a mythical gatekeeper who can guide brave travelers on a journey into tomorrow, sets out on a dangerous quest to discover if he is true of heart and what the future holds, armed with a treasured compass, a mysterious stone rubbing, and Buelo’s legend as his only guides. Request this title.
A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano
Wanting to be a part of her family’s Dia de los Muertos preparations, Leonora sneaks out of school to discover her mother, aunt, and older sisters have been keeping a secret. Request this title.
The Dragon Slayer : Folktales from Latin America by Jaime Hernandez
How would a kitchen maid fare against a seven-headed dragon? What happens when a woman marries a mouse? And what can a young man learn from a thousand leaf cutter ants? Famed Love and Rockets creator Jaime Hernandez asks these questions and more as he transforms beloved myths into bold, stunning, and utterly contemporary comics. Request this title.
Picture Books
Imagine by Juan Felipe Herrera
When Juan Felipe Herrera was very young, he picked flowers, helped his mama feed the chickens, slept under the starry sky, and learned to say goodbye to his amiguitos each time his migrant family moved on. When he grew up, Juan Felipe Herrera became a poet. Request this title.
Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Peña
Carmela, finally old enough to run errands with her brother, tries to think of the perfect birthday wish, while his wish seems to be that she stayed home. Request this title.
Lucía the Luchadora by Cynthia Leonor Garza
When the boys on the playground tell her that girls can’t be superheroes, Lucía is discouraged until her abuela reveals to her the power of the luchadoras. Request this title.
A Sled for Gabo by Emma Otheguy
Gabo, shy with other children and having no sled or winter clothing, yearns to go sledding and his neighbor’s granddaughter, Isa, helps him find a way. Request this title.
Octopus Stew by Eric Velasquez
Ramsey dons his superhero cape to rescue Grandma from the huge octopus she is trying to cook–or is he simply telling a story? Includes author’s note on the story’s origin and a recipe for Octopus stew. Request this title.
Non-Fiction Books
Bravo! : Poems about amazing Hispanics by Margarita Engle
Musician, botanist, baseball player, pilot–the Latinos featured in this collection, Bravo!, come from many different countries and from many different backgrounds. Celebrate their accomplishments and their contributions to a collective history and a community that continues to evolve and thrive today! Request this title.
Nuestra América : 30 inspiring Latinas/Latinos who have shaped the United States by Sabrina Vourvoulias
A celebration of 30 of history’s most influential Latinas and Latinos shares the uplifting stories of subjects ranging from Pura Belpré and César Chávez to Jennifer Lopez and Sonia Sotomayor. Request this title.
Path to the Stars : My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist by Sylvia Acevedo
The inspiring memoir for young readers about a Latina rocket scientist whose early life was transformed by joining the Girl Scouts and who currently serves as CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA. Request this title.
Young Adult Books
For a list of YA fiction by Hispanic authors, click here!
Unless otherwise noted, all plot descriptions are from our online catalog. View previous booklists | 2020
Are you ready to head back to school? Either way, check out some of these school related books!
Picture Books
Otter goes to school by Sam Garton
When Otter starts a school, Teddy becomes sad because the other students are all good at something and it seems he is not. Request this book.
Mission: back to school : top secret information by Susan Hood ; illustrated by Mary Lundquist
Imagined in the form of a secret agent’s set of instructions, Mason and other children negotiate the first day of school. Request this book.
School’s first day of school by Adam Rex ; pictures by Christian Robinson
It’s the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and everyone’s just a little bit nervous, especially the school itself. Request this book.
I got the school spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison ; illustrated by Frank Morrison
As a new school year begins, a young girl is filled with school spirit as she zips her book bag shut, rides the bus, enjoys her classes, and eagerly anticipates the next day. Request this book.
The pigeon has to go to school! words and pictures by Mo Willems
The pigeon must go to school, but frets about math, learning the alphabet, heavy backpacks, and what the teacher and other birds will think of him. Request this book.
Early Readers
My first day of school by Alyssa Satin Capucilli ; photographs by Jill Wachter
Beginning readers can learn what to expect on the first day of school. What will it be like? You will meet the teacher and new friends. You will sing songs, play, learn, and so much more! Request this book.
Class pet mess! by Dan Gutman ; pictures by Jim Paillot
Alexia is delighted when Mr. Cooper brings in Bob, a hognose snake, as class pet, but when Bob keels over, is Andrea’s toy poodle or Alexia’s neglect to blame? Request this book.
Daniel plays at school adapted by Daphne Pendergrass
Daniel Tiger and Miss Elaina learn to compromise when they want to do different things while playing together and receive Teacher Harriet’s gentle encouragement to try to fix the problem themselves. Request this book.
Tony Baloney : school rules by Pam Muñoz Ryan ; illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham
It is the first day of school for Tony Baloney, the macaroni penguin, and he wants to follow all the class rules, but Tony has a way of finding trouble. Request this book.
Mouse loves school by Lauren Thompson ; illustrated by Buket Erdogan
Hiding inside a backpack, Mouse spends the day at school, discovering colors, letters, numbers, and his favorite thing–friends. Request this book.
Juvenile Fiction
Welcome to unicorn school by Pip Bird ; illustrated by David O’Connell
In Pip Bird and David O’Connell’s laugh-out-loud illustrated chapter book Dave the Unicorn: Welcome to Unicorn School, Mira is excited about attending the school–until she’s paired with a very un-unicorny unicorn. Request this book.
The School for the Insanely Gifted by Dan Elish
Eleven-year-old musical genius Daphna Whispers embarks on a global journey to find her missing mother, only to uncover a shocking secret about the Blatt School for the Insanely Gifted where she is a student. Request this book.
Two dogs in a trench coat go to school by Julie Falatko ; illustrated by Colin Jack
Sassy and Waldo are good dogs, who keep their house safe (from squirrels, mostly), and worry about their boy, Stewart, who always comes home from school smelling of anxiety; so the two dogs come up with a plan to help him–they will dress up in a trench coat and attend school, posing as a new student, to find out just what is bothering Stewart. Request this book.
The fabled fifth graders of Aesop Elementary School by Candace Fleming
Throughout their fifth-grade year, a group of rambunctious students learns fable-like lessons from extraordinary activities, singing hamsters, and eccentric teachers, led by the inimitable Mr. Jupiter. Request this book.
Scary School by Derek the Ghost ; scary pictures by Scott M. Fischer
Describes a year at Scary School, where werewolves, zombies, and humans mingle and the teachers range from dragons to vampires. Request this book.
