​Cloaked in Courage: Uncovering Deborah Sampson,
         Patriot Soldier
Written by Beth Anderson
Illustrated by Anne Lambelet
Age Level: 7 - 10
Grade Level: 2 – 5

​Can you imagine a woman fighting in the Revolutionary War? Deborah Sampson did. She lived a hard-knock life, sent off at age 5 to earn her own keep. At 18 Deborah became a masterless woman who could make her own choices. One of the first, to sign up as a soldier with a new name, Robert Shurtliff. She worked just like the other soldiers, fought like them, even took a bullet. But that’s not when her secret was uncovered. Read and discover more of her one-of-a-kind story! 

​Green Pants: An Ode to Individualism
Written & Illustrated by Kenneth Kraegel
Age Level: 3 - 7
Grade Level: PS – 2
 
Have you ever loved something so much you refused to wear anything else? That’s how Jameson feels about his green pants. He thinks they’re good luck, so why would he wear anything else? All that changes when his favorite cousin wants him in his wedding. The problem, his cousin wants him to wear a tuxedo, with BLACK pants. Oh, the horror of it all! But don’t worry…Jameson finds a way to make himself happy, and his cousin too. You’ll have to read the book to find out how!

​How to Talk like a Bear
Written by Charlie Grandy
Illustrated by Alex G. Griffiths
Age Level: 3- 7
Grade Level: P – 2

If you’ve ever wanted to talk like a bear, this is the book for you. Your teacher, a bear who happens to speak English. After two tries that go oh, so wrong—imagine roaring for an ice cream sundae when you were really asking for a haircut?! Oh, the horror of it all, but don’t worry! On the third try, you growl and get out of almost everything, except…You’ll have to read to find out what it is. And don’t forget to check out the illustrations; they’re as good as the cover! 

​It’s BIG Brother Time
Written by Nandini Ahuja
Illustrated by Catalina Echeverri
Age Level: 4 - 8
Grade Level: P – 3

Do you know a big brother or sister who’s not thrilled about a new baby?. This one wants to know how long it’s staying—forever. Then when he’s told it’s going to be his best friend, he’s not so sure. But the story flips when the big brother says it’s loud, messy, and smelly. Dad’s reply, he should teach the little one the rules, after all, he’s the BIG brother. The rest of the story, simple, cute, and so much fun!

​​Eyes that Speak to the Stars: An Uplifting Story About                  Family and Inner Strength for Kids
Written by Joanna Ho
Illustrated by Dung Ho
Age Level: 4 - 8
Grade Level: P – 3

For kids, being like everyone else matters. So what do you do if you’re different? If you look at a picture of your friends and notice your eyes aren’t like theirs, what can you do? The boy in this story talks to his father. He says his son’s eyes are like his own. Like his grandfather’s, and his brother’s too. They rise to the skies and speak to the stars, and the boy realizes his eyes are fine just the way they are. So is he, and so are you.  

​The Princess in Black and the Mermaid Princess
Written by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
Illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Age Level: 5 - 8
Grade Level: K – 3

This young chapter book has it all—lots of  great illustrations and three fun characters: the Princess in Black (she only wears black), the Goat Avenger (he dresses as a goat), and the Princess in Blankets (she’s actually wrapped in them).
 
Add in a plot that kids will love. The Princess in Black borrows a ship and sails off to find adventure. She’s looking for a mermaid, but when she finds her, there’s a very big problem. Princess Posy can’t protect her sea goats from a greedy kraken. Don’t worry! The Princess in Black saves them, but you’ll have to read to find out how.
 
                          PS-The Princess in Black books are so good that this is book 9 in a series of 12. 

​The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever
Written by H. Joseph Hopkins
Illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Age Level: 3 - 8
Grade Level: K – 5

​Can one person make a difference? Katherine Olivia Sessions did. She changed San Diego from a dry desert town to the leafy green place it is today. How? When she wanted to do something and people said girls didn’t, Katherine did. Like when she was the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a science degree. Katherine marched to her own beat, and it made all the difference for the people of San Diego. 

​Good in the Midst of Evil
Written by Dana Fast and Yvona Fast

If you’ve wondered what it’s like to live in the Ukraine, first with the Russian invasion, and now amidst the fog of war, you need to read this book. It’s not about the Ukraine. It’s about what happened in Poland in 1939 when the Nazi’s invaded, and afterward when they conquered and controlled the country.
 
It’s an unusual book, written by the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. This is her mother’s story, of how she escaped danger over and over again. It stalked her, no matter where she hid. Imagine changing your name, your personality multiple times as a child, to hide, so that you could survive.
 
The Ukrainians are paying a huge price for their defiance. Dana Fast told her daughter about the price she paid to survive, and eventually to thrive. It opened my eyes to the history of the past, and to how it’s repeating today.

​Rain
Written & Illustrated by Sam Usher
Age Level: 2 - 6

This is a really cute story about the power of waiting. What kid doesn’t want to go out and playing the rain? Sam does, but his grandpa says to wait, so Sam stays inside. But after he drinks hot chocolate and reads a few books, Grandpa’s still working on a really important letter. That’s when Grandpa tells him that things are better when you wait for them. Thank goodness for Sam and Grandpa, their waiting ends in a magical adventure.
 
PS- Rain is part of a four-book series about the weather. The title, Seasons.

​Lenny & Lucy
Written by Phillip C. Stead
Illustrated by Erin E. Stead
Age Level: 4 - 7
Grade Level: PS – 2

​Need a story to help your child cope with moving? Try this one! When Peter moves next to a woods, he worries about who else lives there. He finds comfort in building a guard named Lenny. Then when he worries about Lenny, Peter comes up with Lucy. This is a lovely story about moving, friendship, and solving problems, AND it even has Common Core connections.