Kids
My best friend
Julie Fogliano
eBOOK
Kids, Picture Books
Two girls quickly become best friends, even before they learn one another's names.
The birchbark house
Louise Erdrich
This is a vital and dramatic novel of a year in the life of a young Ojibwa girl in the mid-1800s.
Birchbark is a great parallel for readers who enjoy the Little House books. Louise Erdrich provides a unique perspective into Ojibwa daily life during the nineteenth-century. The story is divided into the four seasons and told through the eyes of 7-year-old, Omakayas. Readers learn about a Native American family’s daily life, traditions, and connection with nature. Erdrich, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwa, was able to weave in her research, observations, and conversations with Ojibwa elders into a narrative that is accessible to middle-grade children. -Becky
Betty before X
Ilyasah Shabazz
eAUDIO
Kids
Raised by her aunt until she is six, Betty, who will later marry Malcolm X, joins her mother and stepfamily in 1940s Detroit, where she learns about the civil rights movement.
Hopeful, heartwarming, but honest about real hardships. -Anne W
From the desk of Zoe Washington
Janae Marks
"Avid baker Zoe Washington receives a letter on her twelfth birthday from her biological father, who is in prison for a terrible crime"--
The author, Janae Marks, deftly weaves the all too common experiences of African-Americans with the U.S. justice system and its fallout into an engaging tale of a young girl on the cusp of adulthood, juggling several things at one time while balancing what she feels is the right thing to do and the fear of suffering the consequences, both if she does or does not follow through in her quest. -Paul
Wink
Rob Harrell
eAUDIO
Kids
After being diagnosed with a rare eye cancer, twelve-year-old Ross discovers how music, art, and true friends can help him survive both treatment and middle school.
A cancer survivor himself, author Rob Harrell brings both honesty and humor to this comics-illustrated book. If you liked Cece Bell’s El Deafo -- like Cece, Ross imagines a superhero alter-ego to help him through the frustrating ups and downs of friendship. -Angie
The goose girl
Shannon Hale
eAUDIO
Kids
On her way to marry a prince she's never met, Princess Anidori is betrayed by her guards and her lady-in-waiting and must become a goose girl to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim the crown that is rightfully hers.
Readers will love cheering for Ani as she learns to take charge of her destiny in this nuanced and clever retelling of a classic fairytale. Though the first installment in the Books of Bayern Trilogy, Goose Girl is a fabulous standalone. I’m loving listening to the full cast audio recording for my reread! -Casey
The forgotten girl
India Hill Brown
When eleven-year-old Iris sneaks out at night to make snow angels, she was not expecting to raise the ghost of Avery Moore, a girl her own age; but bringing to light the segregated and abandoned black cemetery seems like the perfect way to help Avery get the recognition she craves, and it will also be a good idea for the school project about the history of her small North Carolina town, where racial tensions are never far from the surface--only it seems that if Avery gets everything she wants Iris will join her as a ghost, best friends forever.
Can they figure out what the ghost wants, and what her story is, before it’s too late? This is a classic ghost story that also teaches readers about systemic racism in the past and present. -Anne W
The inquisitor's tale, or, the three magical children and their holy dog
Adam Gidwitz
eBOOK
Kids
"A peasant girl and her holy greyhound, an oblate on a mission from his monastery, and a young Jewish boy travel across medieval France to escape persecution and save holy texts from being burned"--
Recommended for upper elementary and above, for some content and word complexity. -Paul
Where the mountain meets the moon
Grace Lin
eBOOK
Kids
Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River.
Believing the fantastic tales her father weaves every night, Minli sets out on a quest to change their family’s fortune. If you have yet to read Grace Lin’s Newbery Honor winning modern classic, now might be the perfect time to escape to Fruitless Mountain. -Casey
The strangers
Margaret Peterson Haddix
eBOOK
Kids
Told from separate viewpoints, Chess, Emma, and Finn Greystone, ages twelve, ten, and eight, investigate why their mother went missing and uncover their ties to an alternate world.
This is the beginning of a new page-turning adventure that examines assumptions about identity, family, and home, from the master of middle grade suspense. -Angie
Soaring illustrations accompany lyrical text about what it means to have and be a best friend. This one is a gem! -Casey