Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas. Ages 3-6
"We rhyme all the time!" declare googly-eyed dust bunnies Ed, Ned, and Ted. All except Bob, to whom they should really listen.
Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Rosenthal.
Ages 3-6
It's a duck. No, it's a rabbit. See the duck’s beak? No, they're rabbit ears. You’ll just have to read this and decide for yourself!
Let’s Do Nothing by Tony Fucile. Ages 5-7
Sal and Frankie discover ‘doing nothing’ is a lot harder than it looks.
Elephants Cannot Dance! by Mo Willems. Ages 5-8
Elephant and Piggie do many things together --play outside, go to parties, throw a ball, even surprise each other. But apparently they will not be dancing together anytime soon, since Elephants Cannot Dance!
I Spy Fly Guy!by Tedd Arnold. Ages 5-7
While playing hide-and-seek with Buzz, Fly Guy disappears.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney. Ages 10-15
Its summer vacation and Greg Heffley is living out his ultimate summer fantasy--a video game marathon. But Greg’s mom has a different vision for an ideal summer.
Girl Power
Fancy Nancy: Pajama Dayby Jane O'Connor. Ages 5-8
Nancy can't wait to wear her new nightgown for Pajama Day at school, until her best friends Bree and Clara show up wearing matching pink polka-dot pajamas.
Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel by Nikki Grimes. Ages 7-10
Smart, confident Dyamonde sits in her third-grade classroom and wonders why she’s been at her new school for weeks and still doesn’t have a best friend. Then in walks Free, a new student who’s so irritable Dyamonde secretly names him Rude Boy.
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. Ages 11-14
It all starts with a letter that says, "I'm coming to save your friend's life." This cryptic note suggests that someone is watching Miranda and they know what’s going to happen.
Bylines by Sue Macy. Ages 10-14
Nellie Bly, one of the first investigative journalists, got voluntarily committed to an insane asylum for a story. She never shied away from a challenging assignment.
The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney. Ages 4-8
Fabulous illustrations relate the well-known Aesop fable of the mouse who is captured by a lion, only to be unexpectedly released.
Inside-Outside Dinosaurs by Roxie Munro. Ages 5-8
The latest Inside-Outside album portrays eight familiar dinosaurs as fossil skeletons and then, on the next spread, shows the dinosaur in an open, natural setting with several other creatures of the same era.
Life-Size Zoo by Toyofumi Fukuda. Ages 5-10
A zoo tour between covers, this oversized volume brings viewers face-to-face with a menagerie of creatures from anteaters to zebras.
Animals Up Close by Igor Siwanowicz. Ages 7-12
Cool, yet kind of icky, the photographs zoom in on some very interesting insects and small animals--from centipedes to sea urchins, hermit crabs to chameleons.
Spyology: The Complete Book of Spycraftby Spencer Blake. Ages 9 -14
Everything you ever wanted to know about being a spy is here, from secret codes to beating a lie detector.
Puzzling Mysteries
The Composer is Deadby Lemony Snicket.
Ages 7-11
The Composer is dead (“This is called decomposing”) and the Inspector is called in to uncover the murderer—or murderers. Music CD included.
The Magician’s Elephantby Kate DiCamillo.
Ages 8-12
On a perfectly ordinary day, Peter Augustus Duchene goes to a fortune-teller who says that his sister is alive and that an elephant will help him find her.
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma
by Trenton Lee Stewart. Ages 10-14
Reynie, Kate, Constance, and Sticky must use their gifted minds to puzzle through Ledroptha Curtain's scheme to regain his deadly Whisperer machine.
Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Ages 10-14
First they are Found, 36 infants alone on an airplane, and then they are Sent, into the past to discover their origins.
Fantasy
The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas. Ages 9-12
Conn, an orphan boy, picks the pocket of the wizard Nevery. Instead of punishing the boy, the wizard invites Conn to dinner. The Magic Locus Stone he grabbed kills anyone who touches it, and since Conn lived, he may possess some interesting magical abilities.
Syrenby Angie Sage. Ages 10-14
Wolf Boy is sent on a task by Aunt Zelda, while Septimus and the dragon Spit Fyre fly off to bring their friends home. Instead, they all wind up on an island whose secrets are as dangerous as its inhabitants.
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. Ages 9-14
Percy Jackson, whose ADHD is caused by the supercharged blood coursing through his veins courtesy of his father Poseidon, returns to save the world from Kronos in the concluding volume of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
The Faceless Ones by Derek Landy. Ages 10-14
Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain must find and wield the Scepter of the Ancients to send the Faceless Ones back into their own dimension before they destroy the Earth.
Books for Boys - Experience the Adventure
Dinotrux by Chris Gall. Ages 4-6
Chomping, digging, honking, and rolling, such fearsome creatures as "Craneosaurus," "Dumploducus," and "Blacktopadon," blend the endless appeal of dinosaurs and trucks into one hilarious volume.
Egg Dropby Mini Grey. Ages 5-8
A hen tells a barnyard of chicks this mock tragedy about an egg who insists on flying. As with most cautionary tales, things don't end well for our hero.
Luke on the Loose by Harry Bliss. Ages 6-8
Luke races through park, sidewalk, street, and straight up to the roof, much to the consternation of his poor parents, wise-cracking animals, and an array of city-dwellers.
Machines Go to Work by William Low.
Ages 6-10
A fun and feisty tour of big, powerful and fascinating machines; each of them is ready, willing and eager to "go to work." With fold-out pages.
Knights by Simon Adams. Ages 10-14
Great interactive illustrations depict the armor, weaponry, and training for battles and tournaments of the medieval knight.
The Siege of Macindawby John Flanagan.
Ages 11-14
In Book 6 of the popular Ranger’s Apprentice series, Will, his friend Horace, and a sorcerer join forces with a fierce troop of Skandians to recapture Castle Macindaw, rescue Alyss from its tower, and restore the castle to its rightful owner.
Celebrating You & Me
My People by Langston Hughes, photos by Charles R. Smith. Ages 6-10
Echoing the graceful simplicity of Hughes’ verses, Smith’s pictures capture African- American faces of every size, shape, age, and hue, their countenances shining out from fields of glossy black.
Words to My Life’s Song by Ashley Bryan. Ages 9-12
In rich collages of words and pictures, this highly visual autobiography introduces artist Ashley Bryan’s life and his vision of the world around him.
What Can You Do With a Paleta? by Carmen Tafolla. Ages 4-6
When the tinkly bell sounds, children race to the paleta wagon and find creative ways to enjoy the icy treat.
Extra Credit by Andrew Clements. Ages 9-12
It begins as a way for Abby to not fail English, but the extra credit pen pal project gets interesting when the Arab boy Sadeed Bayatis breaks the rules and writes back.
Books for Teens
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Ages 12+
In the sequel to The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta are seen as a threat to the Capitol, inspiring uprisings throughout Panem. Then a shocking announcement is made about the upcoming televised Quarter Quells.
Just Another Hero by Sharon Draper. Ages 12+ Arielle, November, Jericho, and their friends are enjoying their senior year until the fire alarm goes off in English class. With only a matter of seconds to stop a tragedy, who will step up?
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.
Ages 14+
What lies beyond her walled village? Is there only the forest filled with the Unconsecrated, aggressive flesh-eating Zombies, or is there another safe zone for Mary and her small band of desperate human survivors?
