​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.

​Lola Levine
Written by Monica Brown
Illustrated by Angela Dominguez
Age Level: 6 - 10
Grade Level: 1 – 5

Lola Levine is such a great character! Part Jewish; part Peruvian. She writes in a journal and plays soccer. She’s a big sister who doesn’t get along with her little brother, but she helps him with his hair and his kindergarten girlfriend.
 
So who said Lola was mean? The mean girls at school, all because she took out a boy in a soccer game. Sometimes that happens! My favorite part, Lola doesn’t ask for help. She even writes mom a note saying she’ll take care of it herself, and she does. Lola is a great character!
 
PS- This is Book 1, and now there are 8!

​Ride, Roll, Run: Time For Fun!
Written by Valerie Bolling
Illustrated by Sabrena Khadija
Age Level: 4 - 6
Grade Level: PS – K

What can you do when school’s out? Check out this book! It could help you have fun all summer-long. You can ride a bike, roll on a skateboard, or run some bases. This book is as diverse as the kids on its pages – or the things they find to do. Looking for fun all year long? Check out this book!

Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack
Written by Stacy McAnulty
Illustrated by Matthew Rivera
Age Level: 4 - 8

I spotted this cover and HAD to read the book! Imagine—a zombie chef who’s given up brains, even though he’s dying to eat them. Kids will love the fun facts about its size, weight, and how it works. I did!