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Cam Jansen books by D. A. Adler
Cam is Jennifer Jansen, a girl with a photographic memory. (Cam is a nickname that is short for Camera.) Cam and her friend Eric Shelton have adventures and solve mysteries.

Fudge-a-mania by J. Blume
Pete describes the family vacation in Maine with the Tubmans, highlighted by the antics of his younger brother, Fudge.

Tornado by B. C. Byars
As they wait out a tornado in their storm cellar, a family listens to their farmhand tell stories about the dog that was blown into his life by another tornado when he was a boy.

The Chocolate Touch by P. Catling
A boy acquires a magical gift that turns everything his lips touch into chocolate.

Mostly Magic by R. Chew
From the day Pete comes to fix a leak in the house and his miniature ladder opens up into a full-size one, a brother and a sister experience a series of magical adventures.

The Dog That Pitched a No Hitter by M. Christopher
Mike’s telepathic dog Harry is able to send him signals about the opposing players on the baseball field, but Mike’s weak pitching arm requires them to find another plan to save the game.

A Case for Jenny Archer by E. Conford
After reading three mysteries in a row, Jenny becomes convinced that the neighbors across the street are up to no good and decides to investigate.

Adventures of the Bailey School Kids books by D. Dadey
There are some pretty weird grown-ups in Bailey City. Meet all of them, from Ms. Jeepers, who might be a vampire, to leprechaun-like Mr. O'Grady in this fun series of chapter book adventures.

Aliens for Breakfast by J. Etra
Finding an intergalactic special agent in his cereal box, Richard joins the extraterrestrial in a fight to save Earth from the Dranes, one of whom is masquerading as a student in Richard's class.

There’s an Owl in the Shower by J. C. George
Because protecting spotted owls has cost Borden's father his job as a logger, Borden intends to kill any spotted owl he sees, until he and his father find themselves taking care of a young owlet.

Knights in Shining Armor by G. Gibbons
A look at knighthood presented in a captivating yet understandable form for young readers.

Kidnap at the Catfish Café by P. R. Giff
Assisted by her cat Max, sixth grader Minnie starts up her new detective agency by investigating a kidnapping and a thief who will steal anything, even a hot stove.

4B Goes Wild by J. Gilson
Fourth-graders on a three-day camping trip with their teachers experience frights and delights.

Alvin Webster’s Surefire Plan for Success (And How It Failed) by S. Greenwald
Gifted fifth grader Alvin Webster, accustomed to always being the best, the first, and the one with the most right answers, has some adjustments to make when he finds out he is getting a new baby brother. At the same time he tries to tutor a less gifted student who does not want to be tutored.

Bunnicula series by J. Howe
When the Monroe family brings home a bunny they find in a movie theater while watching Dracula, Chester the cat and Harold the dog are suspicious of the new resident. They believe him to be a vampire. Read all about their adventures in this series.

Oh, No Noah! by J. Hurwitz
Noah struggles to impress the kids he meets when he and his family move to a new house.

Herbie Jones and the Class Gift by S. Kline
Disaster strikes when Annabelle trusts Herbie Jones and Raymond with the job of picking up the class’s gift for their teacher.

Keep Ms. Sugarman in the Fourth Grade by E. Levy
Jackie, who has always had trouble in school, begins to develop more self-confidence under the guidance of her fourth-grade teacher and is crushed when Ms. Sugarman is promoted to principal in the middle of the school year.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by P. MacLachlan
When their father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, Caleb and Anna are captivated by their new mother and hope that she will stay.

The Doll People by A. M. Martin
A family of porcelain dolls that have lived in the same house for one hundred years is taken aback when a new family of plastic dolls arrives and doesn’t follow The Doll Code of Honor.

Magic Tree House series by M. P. Osborne
Jack and Annie are just two regular kids. That is, until they discover a mysterious tree house packed with all sorts of books. As they soon find out, this is a magical tree house and the books have the power to transport them to any place in history or the future.

Junie B. series by B. Park
Junie B. Jones just can't help getting into all kinds of scrapes. She does her best, but life just has so many interesting possibilities, which often land her in trouble with the teacher and her parents.

A Pizza the Size of the Sun by J. Prelutsky
A collection of humorous poetry on a variety of topics.

How to Eat Fried Worms by T. Rockwell
Two boys set out to prove that worms can be a delicious meal.

Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs by J. Rumford
A biography of the French scholar whose decipherment of the Egyptian hieroglyphic language made the study of ancient Egypt possible.

Cricket in Times Square by G. Selden
This book describes the adventures of a country cricket who unintentionally arrives in New York and is befriended by Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat.

The Flunking of Joshua T. Bates by S. Shreve
Driving home from the beach on Labor Day, Joshua receives some shocking news: he must repeat the third grade.

Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
Wilbur, the pig, is desolate, when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer’s Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him.

The Pretender by K. A. Applegate
Someone who claims to be Tobias’s long-lost cousin is looking for him, but he is not sure she is telling the truth.

Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi
Falsely accused of theft and murder, an orphaned peasant boy in fourteenth-century England flees his village and meets a larger-than-life juggler who holds a dangerous secret.

Tuck Everlasting by N. Babbitt
The Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a ten-year-old girl and a malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose water prevents one from growing any older.

Coffin on a Case by E. Bunting
Twelve-year-old Henry Coffin, the son of a private investigator, helps a high school girl in her dangerous attempt to find her kidnapped mother.

Secret Garden by F. Burnett
Ten-year-old Mary comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors and discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.

Incredible Journey by S. Burnford
A Siamese cat, an old bull terrier, and a young Labrador retriever travel together 250 miles through the Canadian wilderness to find their family.

Wanted--Mud Blossom by B. Byars
Convinced that Mud is responsible for the disappearance of the school hamster that was his responsibility, Junior Blossom is determined that the dog should be tried for his “crime.”

The Wanderer by S. Creech
Thirteen-year-old Sophie and her cousin Cody record their transatlantic crossing to visit their grandfather in England aboard the Wanderer.

Make Like a Tree and Leave by P. Danzinger
Sixth-grader Matthew gets into trouble at home and at school, and helps save an elderly friend’s property from the hands of a developer.

Because of Winn Dixie by K. DiCamillo
Ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes her first summer in the town of Naomi, Florida, and all the good things that happen to her because of her big ugly dog Winn Dixie.

The Whipping Boy by S. Fleischman
A bratty prince and his whipping boy have many adventures when they inadvertently trade places after becoming involved with dangerous outlaws.

The Life and Death of Crazy Horse by R. Freedman
A biography of the Oglala leader who resisted the white man's attempt to take over Indian lands.

My Side of the Mountain by J. C. George
A boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskills including his struggle for survival, his animal friends, and his realization that he needs human companionship.

Jackie and Me: A Baseball Card Adventure by D. Gutman
With his ability to travel through time by using baseball cards, Joe goes back to meet Jackie Robinson, turning into a black boy in the process.

Among the Hidden by M. P. Haddix
In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family’s farm, until another “third’ convinces him that the government is wrong.

Misty of Chincoteague by M. Henry
Two youngsters’ determination to own a Chincoteague pony is greatly increased when the Phantom and her colt are among those rounded up for the yearly auction.

Bartlett and the Ice Voyage by O. Hirsch
When an impatient queen longs to taste the delicious but fragile melidrop fruit, two explorers use “Inventiveness, Desperation, and Perseverance” to try to bring it to her.

The Bone Detectives: How Forensic Anthropologists Solve Crimes and Uncover Mysteries of the Dead by D. Jackson
Explores the world of forensic anthropology and its applications in solving crimes.

A Wrinkle in Time by M. L'Engle
Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.

Ella Enchanted by G. C. Levine
In a magical world where all children are given a gift at birth by a fairy godmother, Ella is gifted with obedience. Unable to refuse any command, she is often taken advantage of. So begins her quest to free herself.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Four schoolchildren find their way through the back of a wardrobe to the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch who has cursed the land with eternal winter.

Number the Stars by L. Lowrey
In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark , ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to be brave and courageous when she helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis.

Shiloh by P. Naylor
When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog’s real owner, a mean-spirited man known to mistreat his dogs.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by S. O'Dell
Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California , a young Indian girl spends eighteen years, not only surviving through her enormous courage and self-reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life.

Bridge to Terabithia by K. Paterson
The life of a ten-year-old boy in rural Virginia expands when he becomes friends with a newcomer who subsequently meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.

Escape from Slavery: Five Journeys to Freedom by D. Rappaport
Five accounts of black slaves who managed to escape to freedom during the period preceding the Civil War.

There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom by L. Sachar
An unmanageable, but lovable eleven-year-old misfit learns to believe in himself when he gets to know the new school counselor, who is sort of a misfit too.

The Ghosts of Rathburn Park by Z. K. Snyder
Lost in the woods of Rathburn Park , eleven-year-old Matthew weighs the odds of dying from thirst, embarrassment, or at the hands of the forest’s reputed ghostly inhabitants.

Maniac Magee by J. Spinelli
After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee’s life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by M. D. Taylor
A black family living in the South during the 1930's are faced with prejudice and discrimination which their children don't understand.

Dicey’s Song by C. Voight
Now that the four abandoned Tillerman children are settled in with their grandmother, Dicey finds that their new beginnings require love, trust, humor, and courage.

101 Ways to Bug Your Parents by L. Wardlaw
When his parents call off the family vacation and enroll their son in a creative writing class instead, twelve-year-old Steve comes up with a wacky moneymaking project.

These lists of recommended books are compiled annually by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). Each list is divided into four categories: Younger Readers, Middle Readers, Older Readers, and All Ages. The following titles are selections from that list, which the library owns.

Younger Readers

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon
The myriad joys of the world are reflected with warmth and affection in this look at a day in a small community near the ocean. (A 2010 Caldecott Honor Book.)

Benny and Penny in the Big No-No! by Geoffrey Hayes
Siblings Benny and Penny encounter trouble when curiosity about a mysterious neighbor leads them into unexpected adventures. (The 2010 Geisel Award Book.)

Birds by Kevin Henkes
An young unseen narrator explores  colors, shapes, and sizes as she watches red, blue, yellow and green birds outside her window. Perfect for the youngest.

A Book by Mordicai Gerstein
Part of a family who live inside a book, a young girl travels through fairy tales, mysteries, adventure yarns, and historical novels in search of a story of her own.

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
Liam discovers a patch of lonely plants in an elevated train track and encourages them to grow into a magnificent garden that spreads throughout the drab city.

Higher! Higher! by Leslie Patricelli
With Dad pushing her higher and higher in the swing, a little girl soars into the realm of fun and fantasy.

I Spy Fly Guy! by Tedd Arnold.
A disastrous ending to a game of hide and seek finds Fly Guy hauled away to the local dump in this new take on a lost pet. (A 2010 Geisel Honor Book.)

Little Mouse Gets Ready by Jeff  Smith
Little Mouse narrates this story with humor and excitement as he dons clothes and dreams of adventures to come. (A 2010 Geisel Honor Book.)

Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth
Children of Korphe, Pakistan describe their world and how they worked with an American to build a school for their village. Stunning collages enhance the story.

Mommy, Mama and Me by Lesléa Newman
In this gentle board book two loving mothers share daily activities with their baby.

Mouse and Mole: Fine Feathered Friends by Wong Herbert Yee
Artistic Mole and poetic Mouse join forces to hatch a clever plan for watching skittish birds and create their own book of paintings and poems celebrating their bird-watching adventures (A 2010 Geisel Honor Book.)

My Abuelita by Tony Johnston
As a grandmother flows through the book pages in her robes as flamboyant as the stories she loves to tell, she inspires her grandson to want to be just like her when he grows old. (A 2010 Belpré Illustrator Honor Book.)

Pearl and Wagner: One Funny Day by Kate McMullan
Friends Pearl and Wagner experience the hijinks and pranks of April Fools' Day. (A 2010 Geisel Honor Book.)

Posy by Linda Newbery
Posy the kitten scampers through a busy day tangling yarn and catching spiders. Her antics are described with minalist art and playful rhyming text perfect for the youngest reader.

Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman
Evocative poems celebrate color and enliven the senses as readers follow a woman and her dog surrounded by myriad intricately costumed and stylized figures through the seasons.  (A 2010 Caldecott Honor Book.)

Thunder Boomer by Shutta Crum
A family runs for cover on their farm as a hot day brings  a frightening storm, then delivers a soaked and shivery surprise.

Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser
First squirrel, then hedgehog, and finally bear wait anxiously for winter to appear as they mistake several  white and wet and cold and soft objects for snow.

Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales by Lucy Cousins
Bright illustrations in primary colors accompany bold retellings of eight familiar folktales. Young listeners will gobble these up!

Middle Readers

Adventures in Cartooning by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold and Alexis Frederick-Frost
The Magic Cartooning Elf mesmorizes readers with the story of a knight and a princess that also provides step-by-step instruction for creating cartoons.

An Eye for Color: The Story of Josef Albers by Natasha Wig
In a picture book format, Wing offers simple explanations of the unusual ways that artist Josef Albers used color and shape to open the eyes of the world.

Anne Frank: Her Life in Words and Pictures from the Archives of the Anne Frank House by Menno Metselaar and Ruud van der Rol
A visual companion to other accounts of Anne Frank's life is told chiefly through photographs, many published nowhere else, and handwritten excerpts from her actual diary in a well-researched and powerful and compact package.

Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Former slave Bass Reeves, the first black U.S. Marshall,  staunchly defended territorial law in the American West through many remarkable deeds.

Crow Call by Lois Lowry
Reunited after serving in the war, a father and youngest daughter  begin their journey of reconnection through a hunting shirt, cherry pie, tender conversation, and a crow call.

The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors by Chris Barton
This glowing biography tells of two inventive brothers who worked together from a startling discovery in their basement to a lifetime creating fluorescent colors. (A 2010 Sibert Honor Book.)

Diego: Bigger Than Life by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
A series of chronological poems delve into the life of artist Diego Rivera, enlivened by bold, bigger than life images. (A 2010 Belpré Illustrator Honor Book and Belpré Author Honor Book.)

Eidi by Bodil Bredsdorff
Feeling displaced by the birth of her half-brother, Eidi leaves her beloved family in Crow Cove and sets out on a journey to discover her independence and talents. (A 2010 Batchelder Honor Book.)

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
Eleven-year-old Calpurnia Virginia Tate and her curmudgeony old grandfather bond over their interest in the evolution of the species on a Texas plantation at the turn of the last century. (A 2010 Newbery Honor Book.)

A Faraway Island by Annika Thor
Two Jewish sisters from Vienna, Austria, are sent by their parents to Sweden to escape the Nazis. (The 2010 Batchelder Award Book.)

The Frog Scientist by Pamela S.Turner
Tyrone Hayes and his students work to understand frogs so they can save these amphibians from the pesticides that are slowly killing off creatures older than dinosaurs.

The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Rescued Jews during the Holocaust by Karen Gray Ruelle and Deborah Durland DeSaiz
Powerful illustrations illuminate a little known aspect of WWII resistance: the heroic Muslim effort to orchestrate the escape of Jews who were aggressively pursued by Nazis during the four year occupation of Paris.

How Oliver Olson Changed the World by Claudia Mills
A third-grade science project gives Oliver the confidence to break free from his overprotective parents in this humorous, realistic school story.

In the Belly of an Ox: the Unexpected Photographic Adventures of Richard and Cherry Kearton by Rebecca Bond
Establishing a new era in nature photography, two brothers spend many weekends finding ingenious ways to photograph bird nests in the nineteenth century English countryside.

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
A fortune teller's strange prediction and a magician's startling trick lead Peter on an extraordinary journey to find his sister in the kingdom of Baltese.

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
Homer, an admitted liar and teller of tales, must rescue his brother Harold after Uncle Squinton Leach sells him to the Union Army. (A 2010 Newbery Honor Book.)

Pharaoh's Boat by David L. Weitzman
Meticulously created, hieroglyphic-like illustrations along with a detailed text reveal the riddle of reconstructing a regal boat commissioned by Cheops, the Pharaoh, to journey into the afterlife.

River of Dreams: The Story of the Hudson River by Hudson Talbott
With illustrations that flow along with the text, this book celebrates the river that has played a key role in the settling of the New World, the outcome of the Revolutionary War, and the history of a state and a country.

The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis by Barbara O'Connor
Popeye grabs at a chance for adventure and friendship when a boy his age named Elvis rolls into the sleepy town of Fayette.

The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan
At the stark, dry height of the 1937 Kansas dust bowl, 11-year-old Jack tries to bring back the rain when he challenges a mythical figure in this stirring graphic novel.

Tsunami! by Kimiko Kajikawa
Through deep personal sacrifice, Ojiisan, known as grandfather, saves his village from a tsunami. The tension in this Japanese folktale is heightened by the rich texture of the mixed media illustrations.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Twelve-year-old Miranda must unravel a puzzle involving increasingly strange notes warning that someone she knows may die. (The 2010 Newbery Award Winner.)

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
A young Chinese girl, long a believer in her father's fantastic stories, goes on a quest to find the legendary Old Man of the Moon in the hope of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain.  (A 2010 Newbery Honor Book.)

A Whiff of Pine, A Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems by Deborah Ruddell
Clever rhyming verse showcases a variety of forest animals throughout the seasons.

You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! by Jonah Winter
Sandy Koufax's achievements as a great left-handed pitcher come to life in dramatic and dynamic illustrations coupled with smitherings of alluring facts and figures.

Older Readers

Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Jason, a 12-year-old with autism spectrum disorder, finds life in a “neurotypical” world daunting but achieves success through his creative writing online.

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone
In the early 1960s, 13 women endured rigorous testing and training for the space program, as well as prejudice. Numerous photographs and a revealing text chronicle their difficulties and achievements. (The 2010 Sibert Award Winner.)

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
Nine months before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus, a 15-year-old girl was arrested for defying the same Montgomery, Alabama bus laws. This is her long-neglected story. (A 2010 Newbery Honor Book and Sibert Honor Book.)

The Giant-Slayer by Iain Lawrence
An epic narrative spun for the residents of a polio ward in 1955 becomes personal for the young storyteller Laurie Valentine.

The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum by Candace Fleming
This sweeping biography of a famous, sometimes infamous, trickster and businessman who left no stone unturned to bring the famous Barnum & Bailey Circus to an eager 19th century audience.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
A hunted young Prince Aleksander Ferdinand and a girl disguised as a boy must form an unlikely alliance to survive in this steampunk version of WWI.

The Lost Conspiracy by Frances Hardinge
A complex political puzzle filled with subterfuge and intrigue is at the center of this enticing fantasy set on a remote tropical island about two sisters who must grapple with an unknown evil. 

Marching For Freedom: Walk Together, Children, and Don't You Grow Weary by Elizabeth Partridge
Haunting illustrations and moving text tell the story of children leading the way on freedom marches, through voter registration drives, and even to jail during the quest for civil rights.

Mother Poems by Hope Anita Smith
This touching collection of free verse poems explores a child's view of her mother and their life together, then expresses raw emotions after her mother's death.

Mr. Lincoln's High-Tech War: How the North Used the Telegraph, Railroads, Surveillance Balloons, Ironclads, High-Powered Weapons, and More to Win the Civil War by Thomas B. Allen & Roger MacBride Allen
Breaking new historical ground, this book explores how Lincoln came to understand, value, and use “modern” technology to assist the North and help win the Civil War.

Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez
When Tyler's father is unable to maintain the family farm, he hires undocumented workers, resulting in an interdependent relationship that mirrors current social and political conditions in the U.S. (The 2010 Belpré Author Award Book.)

The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon
Seeing the injustice in his 1968 Chicago neighborhood after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is killed, Sam Childs knows he can't be patient like his Civil Rights leader father nor join the Black Panthers like his brother: he must struggle to be his own man.

Sweethearts of Rhythm: The Story of The Greatest All-Girl Swing Band in the World by Marilyn Nelson
Unique poetry and creative illustrations bring to life the story of an integrated all-girl swing band that traveled the US in the 1940s.

Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan
Fifteen ‘radically' and surrealistically illustrated tales guide readers in unexpected directions in this quirky, thoughtful, and sometimes even disturbing collection of stories and art.

Tofu Quilt by Ching Yeung Russell
In a patchwork ‘quilt' of free verse poems the author recounts her struggle to become a writer growing up in 1960s Hong Kong.

Troll's Eye View: A Book of Villanous Tales edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling
Fifteen deeply twisted, fantastically funny, and hauntingly human fairy tales are told from the point of view of the villain in this excellent collection of very grim short stories.

Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting by Jim Murphy
In the middle of World War I, British and German forces quit fighting to celebrate Christmas together peacefully. First person details present the human side of this bloody war.

Wild Things by Clay Carmichael
Spunky eleven-year-old Zoe comes to live with Uncle Henry who is a metal sculptor  and learns that a safe home and acceptance are possible, even for wild things like her.

Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally M. Walker
Crime Scene Investigation meets early American History—exposing ancient crimes and describing patterns of everyday life as told and written on the bones of the early Jamestown settlers.

Years of Dust: The Story of the Dust Bowl by Albert Marrin
This  ecological disaster created by human misdeed forces a grim choice upon the people of the plains during the depths of the Great Depression.

All Ages

Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Is it a duck? Is it a rabbit? Simple words and bold illustrations, challenge children with this optical illusion.

The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
Pictures are worth thousands of words in this rendition of a classic fable, illustrated with striking watercolors. (The 2010 Caldecott Award Winner.)

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca
Forty years after the first and last humans (for now) stepped on the moon's surface, a handsome, largely visual chronicle of that historic journey brings its majesty and mystery to young readers. (A 2010 Sibert Honor Book.)

My People by Langston Hughes
Warm photographic portraits celebrating the diversity of African-American faces illustrate Langston Hughes' 1923 classic poem.

Redwoods by Jason Chin
Jason imaginatively steps into his book about redwoods and embarks on an adventurous exploration climbing  through  the canopy of these giants.

Shades of People by Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly
Images of happy children with many shades and colors of skin show the beauty of all people inside and out.

Younger Readers

A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker
The simple backdrop of bear's forest home sets the stage for a visit from the persistent and irritating mouse who insists the two will become friends.

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee
With lively, detailed, subtly retro cartoons, Frazee gently pokes fun at adult expectations and captures the unbounded joy of two friends experiencing a parent-free summer adventure. (2009 Caldecott Honor Book)

Goose and Duck by Jean Craighead George
Goose imprints on the boy who finds his egg, Duck imprints on goose, and both follow the boy around until fall when they figure out who they are and join their fellows flying south.

How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham
On a busy city street, young Will stops for an injured pigeon. Soft watercolor panels depict the family's care of the bird and its subsequent release into the sky over the city.

Maybe a Bear Ate It! by Robie H. Harris
When a favorite book goes missing, our frantic narrator conducts a frenzied search, imagining the worst. Cartoony art illustrates the emotions of losing and finding a cherished object.

Old Bear by Kevin Henkes
During his annual hibernation, Old Bear dreams of the seasons of his youth. Seasonal changes and Old Bear's sense of wonder are gently evoked in Henkes' ink and watercolor pictures.

Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara
Faced with a houseful of ghosts, a little girl and her cat come up with a creative solution for repurposing them. Orange and black linocuts, collaged with rice paper “ghosts,” complete this appealing package for very young children.

The Hinky Pink by Megan McDonald
Until the young seamstress Anabel finds the perfect bed for the Hobbledy-gob Hinky-Pink, she will get no sleep and the Princess's dress will never be ready in time for the ball.

Just in Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book by Yuyi Morales
Vibrant jewel-tone colors masterfully capture the story of Señor Calavera's quest to find the perfect birthday gift for Grandma Beetle. Part ghost story, part trickster tale, the book features motifs from Mexican culture that represent each letter of the Spanish alphabet. (2009 Belpré Illustrator Award Book and Author Honor Book)

One Boy by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Seeger's eye-catching picture book leads readers to discover words within words through a distinctive die-cut design and clean, bold illustrations. (2009 Geisel Honor Book)

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson
This timeless bedtime verse offers reassurance to young children that there is always light in the darkness. Elegant line, with touches of golden watercolor, evoke the warmth and comfort of home, as well as the joys of exploring the wider world. (2009 Caldecott Medal Book)

Middle Readers

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
Intertwining stories of an embittered man, a loyal hound, an abandoned cat and a vengeful lamia sing of love, loss, loneliness and hope. (2009 Newbery Honor Book)

Frogs by Nic Bishop
Bishop presents salient facts about frogs through clear text, augmented with fascinating photographs of species around the world. Even the frog-phobic will be fascinated.

Masterpiece by Elise Broach
An artistic beetle with a yen for adventure and a lonely 11-year-old boy team up to catch the thief who has stolen a priceless Albrecht Durer from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

All Stations! Distress!: April 15, 1912 , the Day the Titanic Sank by Don Brown
Selecting just the right amount of essential information, Brown artfully captures the drama of what happened to the unsinkable Titanic on that fateful night.

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
In a race against time, twelve-year-old Ted, with his sister Kat, uses his special skills and perceptions to discover how their cousin Salim disappeared while riding the London Eye, the world's tallest observation wheel.

Bird by Zetta Elliott
A young boy, Mehkai, nicknamed Bird because he loves to draw birds, finds solace in his art work as his beloved grandfather dies and his admired older brother Marcus succumbs to drug addiction. (2009 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award)

The Porcupine Year by Louise Erdrich
In this third in the Birchbark House series set in 1852, Omakayas, a young Ojibwa girl now 12, and her family face serious challenges as they move westward from land the U.S. government has claimed.

Buffalo Music by Tracey E. Fern
Pioneer Mary Ann Goodnight saves her beloved Texas buffalo from extinction by shipping those that escape slaughter to Yellowstone to become part of a new national herd. Spare scenes of primitive abstract art create a stunning visual landscape.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
A child marked for death by an ancient league of assassins escapes into an abandoned graveyard, where he is reared and protected by its spirit denizens. A delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing, Gaiman's tale is told in magical, haunting prose.  (2009 Newbery Medal Book)

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Through the Gates and Beyond by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
Beginning with a description of the dramatic “Gates” project installed for two weeks in Central Park in 2005, readers are introduced to the extraordinary pair whose art, in its immense scope, has amazed and astounded the world.

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
In a vibrantly illustrated graphic novel set in a make-believe frontier land, an untraditional Rapunzel escapes the tower, uses her long braids as weapons, and takes revenge on the wicked Mother Gothel.

Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall, Thin Tale (Introducing His Forgotten Frontier Friend) by Deborah Hopkinson
Taking a boyhood story about Lincoln as inspiration, Hopkinson provides a lively, tongue-in-cheek telling with as many bends as Knob Creek. Hendrix's broad, cartoony illustrations visually suggest several possible outcomes to the boys' predicament.

What To Do About Alice ? How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy! by Barbara Kerley
Growing up as the daughter of the President was not easy, but being the President and father of Alice Roosevelt was not easy either. Kerley's playful use of language and Fotheringham's rollicking illustrations converge to introduce energy and outrageousness. (2009 Sibert Honor Book)

Savvy by Ingrid Law
This rich first-person narrative draws readers into a wild bus ride, winding through the countryside on a journey of self-discovery for Mibs Beaumont and her companions. (2009 Newbery Honor Book)

Way Up and Over Everything by Alice McGill
Stylized watercolors illustrate A storyteller's account of the five newly purchased Africans who escaped the horrors of slavery by flying away from the Georgia plantation where her great-grandmama's mama lived and worked.

Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls
Using clever lists, insightful questions, thoughtful journal entries and drawings, eleven-year-old Sam shares his perspective on his leukemia and his upbeat attitude as he faces the end of his life.

Planting the Trees of Kenya : The Story of Wangari Maathai by Claire A. Nivola
Naïf, charming pictures, and well-chosen details illuminate the life and work of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, who responded to the impending desertification of her native Kenya by instigating the planting of 30 million trees.

Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman by Marc Tyler Nobleman
Part picture book, part graphic novel, this is the fascinating story of how two high school friends created a superhero that endures to this day.

Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum by Robert Andrew Parker
Parker imagines renowned jazz pianist Tatum's early years, employing a first person narrative that takes readers from his Toledo youth to big city clubs and concert halls. Luminous watercolors compellingly extend the text. (2009 Schneider Family Book Award)

When the Wolves Returned: Restoring Nature's Balance in Yellowstone by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Lively photographs, capturing images of wildlife, and an easy text make it clear to young readers the beneficial impact to the ecosystem when wolves were reintroduced.

Six Innings: A Game in the Life by James Preller
The heart stopping action of a little league baseball game frames a personal introduction to the players, the strategies, and twelve-year-old Sam, sidelined by cancer.

Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad by James Rumford
Ali, a young boy in contemporary Baghdad , loves calligraphy and practices his art to shut out the sights and sounds of war. Mixed media illustrations contrast rich color, lush texture, bold silhouettes, and flowing calligraphy.

Knucklehead: Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories about Growing Up Scieszka by Jon Scieszka
A hilarious saga of growing up in a household with five brothers during the 1950's and 1960's by the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, illustrated with candid pictures from the period.

Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City by Janet Schulman
Lush watercolors and personable narrative bring to life the story of Pale Male, a male hawk who nests atop a swanky Fifth Avenue apartment building and sparks a battle for his habitat among residents and conservationists.

How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz
Recounting memories of his family's flight from the Warsaw Blitz and his years as a refugee during World War II, Shulevitz employs watercolor and ink to depict a boy liberated from his dreary existence through flights of fancy inspired by the map his father buys in the village market. (2009 Caldecott Honor Book)

The Blacker the Berry by Joyce Carol Thomas
A collection of twelve poems celebrating and affirming the variations in skin color and individuality of African American children, illustrated with richly colored paintings of children complementing the imagery of the free verse. (2009 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and Author Honor Book)

Older Readers

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Sold as a slave to an influential New York Tory family, 13-year-old Isabel spies for the patriot side during the American Revolution in a desperate hope to gain freedom for herself and her 5-year-old sister.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
In a science-fiction cliffhanger, Katniss takes her younger sister's place as one of twenty-four youths who are turned over to the Capitol in a deadly annual reality game in which only one can survive.

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor
Longing for the loving family life her younger half-sisters have with her former stepfather, resilient sixth-grader Addie copes with living in a trailer in Schenectady , New York with her neglectful mother. (2009 Schneider Family Book Award)

Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past by James M. Deem
In this exploration of the archaeology of glacier science, Deem's visual presentation engages readers through period newspaper illustrations, paintings, maps and photographs of ice mummies and artifacts from four continents. (2009 Sibert Honor Book)

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba 's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle
Hauntingly beautiful free verse prose breathes life into this finely crafted story that illuminates Cuba 's fight for independence from Spain in the 1800's.  (2009 Newbery Honor Book and Belpré Author Award Book)

The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West by Sid Fleischman
This rip-roaring biography of America 's quintessential humorist is as outrageous as its subject. Twains's early life is conveyed through memorable quotes and period photographs. Fleischman disentangles facts from fiction, provides ample documentation, and a version of The Jumping Frog.

The Lincolns : A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary by Candace Fleming
Short articles, vignettes, excerpts from letters, historical photographs and documents form the scrapbook demonstrating the intertwined lives of the Civil War president and his devoted but unbalanced wife and giving equal attention to both parties.

The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body by David Macaulay with Richard Walker
The amazing human body gets an equally amazing treatment for all its systems and functions. Thorough explanations, visual and verbal, offer an inside look of the body's marvels.

Tiger Moon by Antonia Michaelis
A betrayed woman facing death, a most unlikely hero, and a sarcastic talking white tiger in colonial-era India come together in a magical story within a story. This masterfully crafted tale moves seamlessly from reality to fantasy as it reveals the profound power of story. (2009 Batchelder Honor Book)

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
This fascinating and well-documented history of Negro League Baseball is told in the voice of an “everyman” narrator. Dignified, riveting full-page illustrations capture the spirit of these larger-than-life men who loved the game, despite the prejudice they faced. (2009 Sibert Medal Book, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and CSK Illustrator Honor Book)

Ain't Nothing But a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson and Marc Aronson
A historian explains how he connected bits of information acquired in a larger research project to identify the actual story and person behind the John Henry folksong.

Afghan Dreams: Young Voices of Afghanistan by Tony O'Brien and Mike Sullivan
Young people from various backgrounds around Kabul share their hopes and dreams in this amazing and heart-rending collection of full color photo portraits.

Nation by Terry Pratchett
After a tsunami, island native, Mau, and shipwreck survivor, Daphne, construct a nation that blends each other's customs, science, and faith in a multi-leveled novel of survival and politics. (2009 Printz Honor Book)

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve
Reeve places his Arthur in the Dark Ages of the sixth century where Myrddin embellishes his story by creating a modern spin on this ancient tale that combines wishes, lies, and dreams into the now familiar legend.

Keeping the Night Watch by Hope Anita Smith
While the rest of the family welcomes his father's return, thirteen-year-old C.J. cannot hide his hurt and anger over his father's abandonment. Smith's graceful poetry delves deeply into C.J.'s emotional life. (2009 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book)

After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
Bonded by Tupac's music, three girls explore the lure of freedom and build a friendship that redefines their own identities. (2009 Newbery Honor Book)

All Ages

Wild Tracks!: A Guide to Nature's Footprints by Jim Arnosky
Life-sized footprints depicting more than 60 North American wild animals make this an enticing field guide for young explorers.

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out by National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance
One hundred and eight finest authors and illustrators for children tell both the historical and human stories of a beloved national landmark.

Reader's Corner for Adults
Reader's Corner for Young Adults

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Last Updated: 2/22/10
Last Reviewed: 12/19/09