Picture Books | Chapter Books & Middle Grade | Young Adult
Whether young readers want to go on an adventure, learn something new, or just enjoy some laugh-out-loud characters, we’ve got their perfect summer read.
Perfect for: Toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners who love to repeat refrains and turn the pages themselves during a read aloud.
★ “Dynamic, fun-filled, imaginative, and ideal for participatory reading aloud.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“Wonderful pacing and exceptional charm…comedy gold. This is likely to become one of those well-worn ‘again, again’ books.” ―Wall Street Journal
Follow along as Hattie the rabbit conjures up a parade of animals from her magic hat in this highly interactive story. Simple, repetitive language along with ample opportunities for prediction and fun magic words add to its engaging qualities. From renowned author and illustrator Satoshi Kitamura.
Downloadable Activity Sheet available!
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Perfect for: Children aged 4-8 who love dogs and are looking forward to spending time with their grandparents (or great uncles and great aunts) this summer.
★“A beautifully designed introduction to the lives of therapy dogs…. This intergenerational story of love and acceptance is an important addition…for young, elementary-aged readers.” —School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
Madeline Finn and Star are off to Walker Oaks, a retirement community where Star will take his tests to become a therapy dog. Accompanied by Mom, Mrs. Dimple, and Bonnie the library dog, Madeline and Star make their way through a variety of challenges and meet several new friends. But Madeline Finn can’t stop thinking about an elderly man in a wheelchair who never smiles. Is there something she and Star can do to help?
Downloadable Activity Kit available!
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Perfect for: Inventive and creative 1st and 2nd graders who love reading Dr. Seuss aloud.
★“Doherty’s joyous, inventive, action-packed language begs to be shouted out loud. The moonlit night sparkles in town and city as Litten’s fanciful illustrations fill in the details of the tale and showcase Bear’s inventiveness. Little readers might want to create their own Thingity-Jigs. A delightful, rollicking, joyous romp.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
Under the light of a silvery moon, Bear wanders into people town and discovers a springy thing, a bouncy thing—a sit-on-it, jump-on-it thing! This Thingity-Jig is too heavy to carry home by himself, so Bear runs back to the woods and asks for help. Too bad for Bear, his friends are sleepy and shoo him away. So Bear invents a Rolly-Rumpity to wheel the Thingity-Jig home, but then it all gets stuck in the mud! How will Bear tackle this bump in the road?
Downloadable Teacher’s Guide with discussion questions and activities available!
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Perfect for: Young bookworms learning about making new friends and the importance of staying true to yourself.
★“Even the most rule-bound reader will be cheered up by these stodgy lemmings.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
The Society of Distinguished Lemmings aims to be distinguished in absolutely everything. It takes an awful lot of rules to be so distinguished, and Bertie has had quite enough of the society and all its rules. After venturing outside, Bertie discovers a bear, who is very unlike a lemming. With the bear’s help, Bertie learns that prancing about in the wild is quite a lot of fun! But when the other lemmings find out about the bear, they decide everything about him will have to change if he’s ever to fit in. Will the Society ever accept Bertie’s new friend, or is the bear simply too big and clumsy of a creature to be distinguished?
Downloadable Discussion Guide available!
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Perfect for: Rising 2nd and 3rd graders who love reading on their own, and who are always on the lookout for series because they can read a whole chapter book in an afternoon.
“Entertaining reading for the newest generation of detectives.” —Kirkus Reviews
When Jillian’s dog, Thor, is accused of digging up Mr. Gary’s garden, King and Kayla put their detective skills to work to clear his name. At the scene of the crime, Kayla picks up several clues—there is too much damage for a small dog like Thor to have caused, and several half-eaten vegetables are scattered on the ground. King also finds a clue: A witness to the crime tells King that the culprit is a “new guy” who likes to fight. But who could that be? And can they track down this new guy and clear Thor’s name?
Downloadable Activity Kit available!
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Perfect for: Independent readers who love imagining the secret lives of their pets.
When Lillian turns six, her favorite gift is an extraordinary fish whose body shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow. But when the brand-new birthday fish disappears, Lillian is devastated.
While she and her brothers try to unravel the mystery, the other family pets―the horse, the goat, the dog, the cat, the turtle, the spider, and the bird―secretly band together to find out what has happened to the little fish. A trail of clues soon leads the animals on a fantastic adventure along the river and deep into the woods, where they encounter new places and strange creatures.
Downloadable Discussion Guide available!
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Perfect for: Adventurous middle graders looking for a thrilling, escapist read.
“A rich and joyful adventure story for those who enjoy daring escapades in a fairy-tale setting.” —School Library Journal
Chaya, a nobleman’s rebellious, outspoken, no-nonsense daughter, just can’t resist the shiny temptations the king’s palace has to offer. But playing Robin Hood for her impoverished community doesn’t come without risks, and after a messy getaway and equally haphazard prison break, Chaya barely escapes on the king’s prized elephant! With leeches and revolution lurking in the jungle, Chaya leads her companions on a thrilling adventure. After leaving her village as a thief, can she return as a hero? Or will Chaya’s sticky fingers be the beginning—or the end—of everything for the intrepid gang?
Downloadable Discussion Guide available!
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Perfect for: Mystery-loving young readers and future detectives looking to do some summer sleuthing.
“This light mystery is just right for young readers…. Cole mixes humor with intrigue to keep the narrative bouncing along, and readers will get a kick out of the unusual detective team.” —Booklist
Homing pigeon Homer and his parrot friend Lulu learn something is afoul when they witness four-legged criminals stealing valuables from both the animal and human communities. Lulu and Homer track down the bandits, but need human help to stop them for good. Can they lead their human keepers to the culprits’ hideout and stop the thieves?
Downloadable Discussion Guide available!
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Perfect for: Becky Albertalli fans who want a humorous and witty narrative voice alongside their rom-com tropes.
“Guillaume’s cinematic story weaves together beloved romantic comedy tropes touched with magic—or is it science?—and drops them into a fresh, contemporary setting. Despite the playful tone, this isn’t without nuance, taking on serious topics such as male body image, friendship, and asexuality.” —Booklist
Sixteen-year-old Katie Camilleri can’t believe she’s accidentally created a teenage boy. A boy six-feet tall with floppy hair and eyes like the sky on a clear summer’s day. A boy completely devoted to Katie. But silly musings and kitchen antics with her best friend, Libby, have definitely taken a whimsical twist into something bigger than Katie could have ever daydreamed. Turns out the consequences of fumbling a human being into existence are rather complicated. More importantly, does Guy, the golden Adonis Katie’s created, like her because he wants to, or because he has to? And will he be Katie’s very first kiss?
Downloadable Discussion Guide available!
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Perfect for: YA fans looking for a body-positive beach read.
“This is the book I would hand to teen me.” —Becky Albertalli, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
The last thing sixteen-year-old Maisie Martin thought she’d be doing on her vacation is entering a beauty pageant. Not when she’s spent most of her life hiding her body from everyone. Not when her Dad is AWOL and her gorgeous older sister has returned to rock Maisie’s already shaky confidence. And especially not when her best friend starts flirting with the boy she’s always loved. But Maisie’s got something to prove.
As she writes down all the ways this vacation is going from bad to worse in her school-assignment journal, what starts as a homework torture-device might just end up being an account of how Maisie didn’t let anything, or anyone, hold her back.
Downloadable Discussion Guide available!
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