Summer Reading
Why should students read during the summer?
The purpose of the PWCS Summer Reading Program is to encourage students to enjoy quality literature and to continue developing their independent reading skills. Summer is a great time for students to read for pleasure and dive deep into their favorite genre or experience something new. Providing students with a choice in what they read increases their reading motivation and engagement.
Benefits to support the summer reading leap:
- Build vocabulary
- Develop reading skills
- Enjoy new stories
- Learn new information
Reading Lists
The Prince William County Public Schools Suggested Summer Reading List aims for students to enjoy quality literature and continue developing their independent reading skills to support critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and citizenship. Student participation in the challenge is voluntary. Students who choose to participate will read books they self-select. Students that read during the summer can grow and explore new experiences to support lifelong reading habits.
The following titles are suggestions to help foster a love of reading for pleasure. Other books selected by the student with guidance from a parent, guardian, or librarian are also acceptable.
This list is a "suggested list," and families can access CommonSense Media and School Library Journal to review resources to determine readability. Families may use their discretion when selecting reading materials.
You can find many titles at the Prince William Public Library (PWPL). The PWPL Digital library "provides free access to thousands of online and digital resources including e-books, audiobooks, newspapers, and premium websites." Options for the digital content include: Read, Listen, Watch, and Learn. If you do not have a PWPL card, you can contact the public library to register for a Digital Library card.
More Information
Where can students get the books?
Prince William Public LibraryStudents who choose the option of participating in the Prince William Public Library summer reading program should read the number of books for their grade level.
Contact Us
Schenell Agee
Supervisor, Library Media Programs and Research
ageesx@pwcs.edu
Kindergarten
| Author | Title | Publication Date | Annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexie, Sherman | Thunder Boy Jr. | 2016 | "Thunder Boy Jr. wants a normal name...one that's all his own. Dad is known as Big Thunder, but Little Thunder doesn't want to share a name"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Byers, Grace | I Am Enough | 2019 | This gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another. |
| Beaty, Andrea | Ada Twist, Scientist | 2016 | Ada Twist's head is full of questions. Like her classmates, Iggy and Rosie-stars of their own New York Times bestselling picture books, Iggy Peck, Architect, and Rosie Revere, Engineer-Ada has always been endlessly curious. Even when her fact-finding missions and elaborate scientific experiments don't go as planned, Ada learns the value of thinking her way through problems and continuing to stay curious. |
| Cabrera, Jane | Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star or any primary picture book by Jane Cabrera | 2012 | A variety of baby animals are lulled to sleep by a version of the familiar lullaby tailored to their environment. |
| Capucilli, Alyssa Satin | Biscuit Loves the Library or any book in the Biscuit Series | 2014 | In "Read to a Pet Day" at the library, Biscuit plays with story-time puppets, visits with friends, and listens to recorded books before a librarian helps him discover his favorite activity. |
| Carle, Eric | Amigos or any primary picture book by Eric Carle | 2016 | A sweet and heartfelt story about the power of friendship. When a best friend moves away, it can be painful for the child who is left behind. But the spunky boy in this upbeat story makes up his mind to find his missing playmate. Friends tell a story alive with love, perseverance, and hope, and all brightened with the vibrant, unmistakable art of Eric Carle. |
| Cherry, Matthew A | Hair Love | 2019 | Zuri's hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it's beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he'll do anything to make her -- and her hair -- happy. |
| Dean, Kimberly, and James | Pete the Cat: Snow Daze or any book in the Pete the Cat Series | 2016 | After a heavy snowfall cancels school, Pete enjoys his day off, but when one snow day turns into many, he realizes you can have too much of a good thing. |
| Dewdney, Anna | Llama Llama Hoppity-hop or any book in the Llama Llama Series | 2012 | Llama Llama TOUCH! Llama Llama TAP! Llama Llama Red Pajama CLAP, CLAP, CLAP! Can you move like Llama Llama? Watch Llama hop, stretch, touch, and tap. Then you can do it, too! |
| Dodd, Emma | Dog's 123: a canine counting adventure or any primary picture book by Emma Dodd | 2015 | Dog starts the day with just one black spot on his ear. But wherever he goes, he runs into different things that leave their mark. By the time he finally arrives home, Dog has ten spots. Then it's bath time. |
| Ehlert, Lois | Rain Fish or any primary picture book by Lois Ehlert | 2016 | Through rhyme and mixed-media collage illustrations, "rain fish" -- the varied, colorful, and unique little collections of materials that float along streams of rainwater during storms--come to life. |
| Henkes, Kevin | When Spring Comes or any primary picture book by Kevin Henkes | 2016 | Animals and children watch as the world transforms from the dark and dead of winter to a full and blooming spring. |
| Jenkins, Steve | Creature Features or any primary book by Steve Jenkins | 2014 | Packed with many cool facts and visuals on where certain animals live and what they eat, this book captures twenty-five humorous--and very true--explanations of why animals look the way they do to exist in this world. |
| Jules, Jacqueline | Sofia Martinez: Lights Out or any book in the Sofia Martinez Series | 2017 | After a strong storm, Sofia and her family are without power. Sofia and her dad head to the store to buy supplies and come home with the perfect plan to have fun with or without power! This early chapter book includes Spanish words. |
| Levine, Michelle | Giant Pandas or any book in the Pull Ahead Animal Series | 2006 | Do you know--Why giant pandas rub on trees? What are baby giant pandas called? What sounds do giant pandas make? Read this book to discover the answers! |
| Numeroff, Laura Jaffe | If You Give a Mouse a Cookie or any picture book by Laura Numeroff | 1985 | Relating the cycle of requests a mouse is likely to make after you give him a cookie takes the reader through a young child's day. |
| Manushkin, Fran | Pedro's Mystery Club or any book in the Pedro Series. | 2017 | Pedro forms a new club with his friends dedicated to solving mysteries--and the first two assignments are finding his mother's locket and his father's cell phone. |
| Manushkin, Fran | The Best Club or any book in the Katie Woo Series | 2017 | Katie Woo and her friends would love to be part of Sophie's new club, but Sophie does not think they, or anyone, are good enough, so they form their club. |
| Martin, Bill | Chicka, Chicka Boom Boom, or any primary picture book by Bill Martin | 1989 | When all the letters of the alphabet race one another up the coconut tree, will there be enough room? |
| Marzollo, Jean | I Spy Numbers or any I Spy book by Jean Marzollo | 2012 | Toddlers and preschoolers can search photos from the original I Spy series for numbers to help them learn counting and basic math skills. |
| Pinkney, Jerry | The Lion & the Mouse or any primary picture book by Jerry Pinkney | 2009 | In this wordless retelling of an Aesop fable, an adventuresome mouse proves that even small creatures can do great deeds when he rescues the King of the Jungle. |
| Robinson, Christian | You Matter | 2020 | In this full, bright, beautiful picture book, many different perspectives worldwide are deftly and empathetically explored-from a pair of birdwatchers to the pigeons they're feeding. Readers see how everyone is connected and that everyone matters. |
| Ruddell, Deborah | The Popcorn Astronauts: and other bitable rhymes | 2015 | A collection of seasonal poems pays tribute to favorite foods with entries ranging from "Strawberry Queen" and "Only Guacamole" to "21 Things to Do with an Apple" and "The Cocoa Cabana." |
| Shannon, David | No, David or any book in the David Series | 1998 | A young boy is depicted doing a variety of naughty things for which he is repeatedly admonished, but finally, he gets a hug. |
| Shea, Bob | Dinosaur vs. School or any "Dinosaur vs." book in the Series | 2014 | Fearless Dinosaur takes on new challenges as he starts preschool, from meeting new friends to pasting glitter and googly eyes, but one task requires assistance from everyone. |
| Wilson, Karma | Bear Says Thanks (The Bear Books) | 2012 | What better way for Bear to say thanks than over a nice, big dinner? Bear decides to throw a feast! Bear's friends show up with different platters of delicious food to share. There's just one problem: Bear's cupboards are bare! What is he to do? |
| Thomas, Jan | Rhyming Dust Bunnies or any primary picture book by Jan Thomas | 2008 | As three dust bunnies, Ed, Ned, and Ted, demonstrate how much they love to rhyme, a fourth, Bob, is trying to warn them of approaching danger. |
| Thompkins-Bigelow, Jamilah | Mommy's Khimar | 2018 | A young Muslim girl spends a busy day wrapped up in her mother's colorful headscarf in this sweet and fanciful picture book from debut author Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and illustrator Ebony Glenn. |
| Wallace, Karen | Big Machines | 2000 | Big Machines by Karen Wallace shows diggers, dump trucks, and other machines as they transform an old factory site into a park for the community. |
| Willems, Mo and Charise Mericle | The Good for Nothing Button or any book in the Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! Series. | 2017 | "Yellow Bird has found a button and wants to share it with Red Bird and Blue Bird. This is just an ordinary button. It does not do anything when you press it. But when Red Bird and Blue Bird give it a try, they are delighted to find that the button does nothing, and that is something!"-- Provided by publisher. |
Grade 1
| Author | Title | Publication Date | Annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold, Ted | Hi! Fly Guy | 2005 | When Buzz captures a fly entering the Amazing Pet Show, his parents and the judges tell him that a fly cannot be a pet, but Fly Guy proves them wrong. |
| Barnes, Derrick | I Am Every Good Thing | 2020 | A boy, speaking in the first person, tells about his experiences and characteristics of himself that contribute to his personality, strength, and feeling of self-worth. |
| Berger, Samantha | What If... | 2018 | A young girl ponders the possibilities of how to create if resources were diminishing. |
| Blabey, Aaron | I Need a Hug or any primary picture book by Aaron Blabey | 2019 | A tiny porcupine wants a cuddle. All of the other animals turn him away because of his prickly spikes. But finally, the porcupine meets an animal who's happy to hug - a snake! |
| Brown, Skila | Clackety Track: Poems About Trains | 2019 | Trains of all shapes and sizes are coming down the track - bullet train, sleeper trains, underground train, zoo train, and more. All aboard! Skila Brown's first-class poems, as varied as the trains themselves, reflect the excitement of train travel. At the same time, Jamey Christoph's vintage-style illustrations provide a wealth of authentic detail to pore over. |
| Burnell, Heather | Unicorn and Yeti Sparkly New Friends | 2019 | Unicorn and Yeti run into each other, and despite some differences, the two become friends over a shared love of hot chocolate. |
| Butler, Dori Hillestad | King and Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog | 2017 | When the treats for a new puppy go missing, everyone suspects King. How can he prove he is innocent? King and Kayla are on the case. |
| Clanton, Ben | Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea or any book in the A Narwhal and Jelly Book Series | 2016 | This story is about a wonderfully silly, early graphic novel series featuring a happy-go-lucky Narwhal and Jelly, a no-nonsense jellyfish. The two might not have much in common, but they love waffles, parties, and adventures. Join Narwhal and Jelly as they discover the whole wide ocean together. |
| Clark- Robinson, Monica | Let The Children March | 2018 | In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. They protested the laws that kept black people separate from white people. Facing fear, hate, and danger, these children used their voices to change the world. Monica Clark-Robinson's moving and poetic words document this remarkable time. |
| Deenihan, Jamie L.B. | When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree | 2019 | When Grandma gives you a lemon tree, don't make a face! Care for the tree, and you might be surprised at how new things, and new ideas, bloom. |
| DiTerlizzi, Angela | Just Add Glitter | 2018 | It all starts with a mysterious mail delivery, a little girl with a big imagination, and a sprinkling of sparkling glitter. Before long, there's glitter here, glitter there--glitter, glitter EVERYWHERE! But when she's about to add more glitter, the little girl realizes there is such a thing as too much bling when you and your best pal start to get lost in it... |
| Dominguez, Angela | Sing, Don't Cry | 2017 | Presents a loving Abuelo who brings his guitar and memories on visits spent singing with his grandchildren in the face of good and bad times. |
| Duling, Kate | Sun Power or any other book in the My Physical Science Library Series | 2019 | The sun is huge and bright. We get heat, light, and energy from this star. Readers will also learn about cause and effect. |
| Faruqi, Saadia | Meet Yasmin! Or any book in the Yasmin collection | 2018 | Yasmin is a spirited second-grader who's always on the lookout for those "aha" moments to help her solve life's little problems. She boldly faces any situation by taking inspiration from her surroundings and her big imagination, assuming her imagination doesn't get too big! A creative thinker and curious explorer, Yasmin and her multi-generational Pakistani American family will delight and inspire readers. |
| Freedman, Deborah | Carl and the Meaning of Life | 2019 | Carl is an earthworm. He spends his days happily tunneling in the soil until a field mouse asks him a simple question that stops him short: "Why?" Carl's quest takes him on an adventure to meet all the forest animals, who seem to know exactly what they were put on this earth to do, unlike the curious Carl. But it's not until the world around him has changed that Carl realizes everyone, no matter how small, makes a big difference just by being themselves. |
| Jules, Jacqueline | My Family Adventure or any book in the Sofia Martinez Series | 2015 | Little Sofia Martinez has a big personality and big plans, making every day memorable. Her family focuses on her many adventures between her sisters and cousins. From taking school pictures to doing chores, this 7-year-old knows how to make every moment count. Sofia loves her family and loves her life. What could be better? |
| Kurtz, Jane | What Do They Do with All That Poo? | 2019 | There are so many different animals at the zoo, and they each make lots and lots (and sometimes LOTS!) of poo. So, what do zoos do with all of that poo? This laugh-out-loud picture book explores all kinds of zoo poo, from cube-shaped wombat poo to teeny tiny worm droppings, and all of the places it ends up, including in science labs and your back garden! |
| LaRochelle, David | See the Cat | 2021 | Cat takes his place when Dog is sick, doing everything in the book. But will Cat soon be sick of being a dog? |
| Manushkin, Fran | Pedro Book Series | 2016 | Spend some time with Pedro, Katie Woo's fun-loving friend. From a buggy disaster to a run for class president, Pedro has what it takes to be the hero of first grade. No matter what he's doing, Pedro is always good for some laughs and adventure. |
| Morales, Yuyi | Dreamers | 2018 | Dreamers is a celebration of making your home with the things you always carry: your resilience, your dreams, your hopes, and history. It's the story of finding your way in a new place, navigating an unfamiliar world, and finding its best parts. In dark times, it's a promise that you can make a better tomorrow. |
| Muhammad, Ibtihaj | The Proudest Blue | 2019 | Faizah relates how she feels on the first day her sister, sixth-grader Asiya, wears a hijab to school. |
| Pallotta, Jerry | Ultimate Showdown | 2019 | Which dangerous animals would win in a fight? Find out in this awesome book from the series Who What When? The collection features a range of mammals, sea creatures, insects, and dinosaurs to satisfy all kinds of animal fans. |
| Pettiford, Rebecca | Matter or any other book in the Science Starters Series | 2019 | Whether solid, liquid, or gas, matter is everywhere. We need all states to live, and this book shows how. |
| Pizzoli, Greg | The Book Hog | 2019 | A hog who loves to collect books eventually learns that he can learn to read them himself. |
| "Rookie Biography" series | Benjamin Franklin or any book in the Rookie Biography Series | Various | Briefly introduces the life of Benjamin Franklin, touching on his inventions and contributions to the city of Philadelphia and the newly formed United States of America. |
| "Rookie Read-About Science" series | Giant Pandas: Gifts from China or any book in the Rookie Read about Science Series | Various | This title is one from a series published by Children's Press about various science topics, published by Children's Press. |
| Sarcone-Roach, Julia | There Are No Bears in This Bakery | 2019 | One night, Muffin hears a suspicious noise. Mouse? Raccoon? Bat? Nope, not the usual suspects. But Muffin hears . . . growling. Could it be? Yup. A bear. Just a cub. Whose stomach is growling? Muffin's got this case solved--clearly, and this bear needs some donuts. |
| Scotton, Rob | Splat the Cat Takes the Cake or any book in the Splat the Cat Series | 2012 | Splat enters a cake-baking contest and aims to create a cake shaped like a superhero. |
| Sherman, Jill | Animals and Fish or any other book in the Let's Learn About Natural Resources Series | 2017 | We share this Earth with many other species. They are treasured natural resources used for food, clothing, and work. An activity is included. |
| Starling, Robert | Super Sloth | 2019 | Super Sloth is not fast. He cannot fly. But he is very good at moving slowly and looking like a tree. He vows to save the day when his enemy Anteater makes off with some prize mangoes. |
| Stevens, Janet | The Donkey Egg or any primary picture book by Janet Stevens | 2019 | Bear would rather sleep all day than work on his farm, and Fox knows just the kind of help he needs-a donkey! When Fox tricks Bear into buying a donkey egg, Bear can't wait for it to hatch so he can meet his new friend. But donkeys don't come from eggs! And when the "egg" finally opens, Bear gets a fruity surprise. Luckily, Bear doesn't have to face disappointment alone… Hare is there to help! |
| Thong, Roseanne Greenfield | One is a Pinata | 2019 | One is a rainbow, and one is a cake; one is a pinata ready to break. Children discover a fiesta of numbers in the world around them. Many of the objects are Latino in origin. |
| Variety of Authors | Blastoff! Readers Backyard Wildlife Series | 2011 | Young learners will discover the physical characteristics of various animals, where they live, and what they eat. There is a table of contents and a glossary in these nonfiction books. |
| Willems, Mo | Today I Will Fly! or any book in the Elephant and Piggie Series | 2007 | While Piggie is determined to fly, Elephant is skeptical, but when Piggie gets a little help from others, amazing things happen. |
Grade 2
| Author | Title | Publication Date | Annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander, Kwame | The Undefeated | 2019 | This poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the civil rights movement's faith and fire, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. |
| Bates, Amy | The Big Umbrella | 2018 | A spacious umbrella welcomes anyone and everyone who needs shelter from the rain. |
| Bentley, Tadgh | Little Penguin and the Lollipop | 2017 | Little Penguin has a problem...his friend Kenneth is upset! And it's all because Little Penguin ate Kenneth's deliciously yummy razzle dazzle seaweed lollipop! Little Penguin tried everything he could to make it up to Kenneth, but nothing seemed to help--not even a hug! Can YOU help him save the day? |
| Byers, Grace | I am Enough | 2018 | "Shares a story of loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another"--OCLC. |
| Christoph, Jamey | Clackety Track-Poems about Trains | 2019 | This title is a collection of poems about railroad trains. |
| Cornwall, Gaia | Jabari Jumps | 2017 | Working up the courage to take a giant, important leap is hard, but Jabari is almost absolutely ready to make a giant splash. |
| Davis, Viola | Corduroy Takes a Bow | 2018 | When Lisa takes Corduroy to the theater for the first time, it's so magnificent and exciting that he can't help heading out on his own to explore. From the orchestra pit to the prop table and the dressing rooms, Corduroy sees it all. Could there be a place for Corduroy on stage, too? |
| Dean, James & Kimberly | Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party | 2019 | "After inviting his friends over for a pizza party, Pete piles his favorite pepperoni topping on the pie he is making. When his guests arrive and add their toppings to the pizza, Pete wonders if his perfect pizza will be ruined."--OCLC. |
| Deenihan, Jamie | When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree | 2019 | A young girl is given a lemon tree and learns to care for it until she can make lemonade for a lemonade stand. |
| DiTerlizzi, Angela | Just Add Glitter | 2018 | Illustrations and simple, the rhyming text encourages the reader to add glitter to everything in sight until even what should sparkle is obscured. |
| Elliott, Rebecca | Eva's Treetop Festival or any book from the Owl Diaries Series | 2015 | Having a Bloomtastic Festival at school to celebrate spring is a great idea--but Eva Wingdale, a young owl, discovers that it is also a lot of work, and there is nothing wrong with asking her friends for help. |
| Fitch, Sheree | Everybody's Different on Everybody Street | 2018 | Readers will enjoy a picture book with rhyming text that celebrates individuality. |
| Freedman, Deborah | Carl and the Meaning of Life | 2019 | "When a field mouse asks Carl the earthworm why he tunnels through the dirt, Carl doesn't have an answer, so he sets off to find out."--OCLC. |
| John, Jory | The Good Egg | 2019 | A good egg learns to relax and not be perfect always. |
| Kostecki-Shaw, Jenny Sue | Same, Same but Different | 2011 | Pen pals Elliott and Kailash discover that even though they live in different countries--America and India--they love climbing trees, owning pets, and riding school buses. |
| Meltzer, Brad | Any book in Ordinary People Change the World or any book in the Series | The 2000s | Each book tells the story of one of America's icons in a vivacious, conversational way. And each book focuses on a particular character trait that made that person heroic. |
| Noll, Amanda | Are You My Monster? | 2019 | "A young boy compares a drawing of his monster--depicted with a long tail, pointy nails, and big teeth--with various other monsters until he finds the perfect match."--OCLC. |
| Nywong'o, Lupita | Sulwe | 2019 | When five-year-old Sulwe's classmates make fun of her dark skin, she tries lightening herself to no avail, but her encounter with a shooting star helps her understand there is beauty in every shade. |
| Parish, Herman | Amelia Bedelia Tries Her Luck | 2013 | In this title, literal-minded Amelia Bedelia and her friends test superstitions related to such symbols as black cats, four-leaf clovers, and broken mirrors. |
| Park, Barbara | Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus or any book from the Series | 1992 | In her own words, a young girl describes her feelings about starting kindergarten and what she does when she decides not to ride the bus home. |
| Parr, Todd | It's Okay to Make Mistakes | 2014 | It presents a series of situations in which taking chances and trying new things can lead to good results, even if there are mistakes. |
| Penfold, Alexandra | All are Welcome | 2018 | "Illustrations and simple, rhyming text introduce a school where diversity is celebrated and songs, stories, and talents are shared"--Provided by publisher. |
| Sarcone-Roach, Julia | There are No Bears in This Bakery | 2019 | When Muffin, a cat, hears a suspicious noise at the Little Bear Bakery, his investigation reveals a hungry bear cub. |
| Scotton, Rob | Splat The Cat And The Lemonade Stand | 2019 | Splat opens a lemonade stand to make enough money to buy a Super Jump Water Park ticket. |
| Stevens, Janet | The Donkey Egg or any primary picture book by Janet Stevens | 2019 | After fast-talking, Fox leaves him with a large, green egg, Bear spends minutes, hours, days, and weeks lovingly caring for it with the help of his neighbor Hare. |
| Stewart, Melissa | Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, & Stinkers: celebrating animal underdogs | 2018 | This title looks at the behaviors of various animals, such as shrews, armadillos, naked mole rats, and okapi. |
| Teckentrup, Britta | We are Together | 2020 | On our own, we're special, and we can chase our dream. But when we join up, hand in hand, together, we're a team. Celebrate the power of love and friendship in this beautiful book featuring vibrant artwork and peek-through pages. |
| Verde, Susan | I Am Human | 2018 | A child recognizes his humanity, capacity for doing harm and being harmed, ability to feel joy and sadness, belief in hope, and promises to keep learning. |
| Wong, Liz | Quackers | 2016 | Quackers have always believed that he is a duck, but when he meets new friends who look like him and call themselves cats, he has to find a way to combine the best of both worlds. |
Grade 3
| Author | Title | Publication Date | Annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander, Kwame | The Undefeated | 2019 | This title is an ode to Black American triumph and tribulation, with art from a two-time Caldecott Honoree in picture book form. (Caldecott Medal Award) |
| Barton, Bethany | I'm Trying to Love Spiders | 2019 | I'm Trying to Love Spiders will help you see these amazing arachnids in a whole new light, from their awesomely excessive eight eyes, to the seventy-five pounds of bugs a spider can eat in a single year! And you're sure to feel better knowing you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than being fatally bit by a spider. (Children's Choice Award) |
| Barton, Chris | Whoosh! | 2016 | You know the Super Soaker. It's one of top 20 toys of all time, and it was invented entirely by accident. Read how this toy was invented and is so popular. |
| Clark-Robinson, Monica | Let the Children March | 2018 | Under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, children and teenagers march against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963. (Coretta Scott King Award, Virginia Readers Choice) |
| Elliott, Zetta | Dragons in a Bag | 2018 | In Brooklyn, 9-year-old Jax joins Ma, a curmudgeonly witch who lives in his building, on a quest to deliver three baby dragons to a magical world, and along the way discovers his true calling. |
| Engle, Margarita | Dancing Hands | 2019 | The story of Teresa Carreño, a child prodigy and immigrant from Venezuela who played piano for Abraham Lincoln. (Pura Belpre Award) |
| Eulberg, Elizabeth | The Great Shelby Holmes: Girl Detective | 2017 | Shelby Holmes, age 9, is the best detective her New York City neighborhood has ever seen. She uses her mind to solve crimes even before the police have a chance. When John Watson, age 11, moves into her building, Shelby finds a new friend to help her solve the dog napping case in her neighborhood. (Virginia Readers' Choice nomination 2-18-19) |
| Florian, Douglas | Poem Depot: Aisles of Smiles or any children's poetry book by this author | 2014 | An illustrated collection of silly nonsense poems about topics kids care about: talents, avoiding homework, friends and more. |
| Gates, Stefan | Science You Can Eat: Putting What We Eat Under the Microscope | 2019 | This exciting kids' book tackles all the tasty science questions you have about food - plus plenty more that you hadn't even thought of! Science You Can Eat will transform your kitchen into an awesome lab through 20 fun food experiments. (Children's Choice Awards) |
| Johnson, Terry Lynn | Avalanche! (Survivor Diaries) | 2018 | Twelve-year-old twins Ashley and Ryan are tested to the extreme when faced with a powerful avalanche while skiing in Wyoming's Grand Teton mountains. (Virginia Readers Choice) |
| Jones, Noah | Moldylocks and the Three Beards or any book in the Princess Pink and the Land of Fake-Believe Series | 2014 | After falling through the refrigerator into the Land of Fake-Believe, Princess meets a girl named Moldylocks who takes her to the home of the Three Beards for chili - but when the Beards capture her friend, Princess must come up with a plan to save her. |
| Kirby, Stan | Captain Awesome to the Rescue! or any book in the Captain Awesome Series | 2012 | When second-grader Eugene and his family move to a new neighborhood and he starts at a new school, he has a chance to bring out his superhero alter ego, Captain Awesome, to find the kidnapped class hamster. |
| Krieg, Katherine | Marie Curie: Physics and Chemistry Pioneer | 2014 | Discover the life and career of the famous scientist; from her work to her two Noble Prize awards. |
| Lieb, Josh | Chapter Two is Missing | 2019 | An investigation is launched to find the missing chapter. Milo, the book's janitor, offers to help, but he ends up not really helping. This comical mystery is a favorite that will prompt readers to talk to the book in order to help solve the mystery. (Children's Choice Awards) |
| Lorenzi, Natalie | Long Pitch Home | 2016 | Bilai, age 10, has to leave his home, Pakistain, to come live in America, Bilai tries to keep up with his older cousin by joining a baseball team. Being a cricket player doesn't really help with baseball, but maybe if he proves himself as a pitcher his father just may join the family in America. (Virginia Readers' Choice Title 2018-19) |
| Maas, Wendy and Stead, Rebecca | Bob | 2019 | It's been five years since Livy and her family have visited Livy's grandmother in Australia. Now that she's back, Livy has the feeling she's forgotten something really, really important about Gran's house. Bob, a short greenish creature dressed in a chicken suit, has been waiting five years for Livy to come back, hiding in a closet like she told him to (Virginia Readers Choice) |
| Maciano, Johnny Chenoweth, Emily | Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat | 2018 | Klawde is not your average cat but an emperor from another planet exiled to Earth. He's cruel. He's cunning. He's brilliant...and about to become Raja's best friend. Elementary Virginia Readers' Choice nomination 2020-21 |
| Marko, Cindy | Let's Get Cracking or any book in the Kung Pow Chicken Series | 2014 | Gordon Blue and his brother Benny, unlikely superheroes, must save Fowladelphia from Granny Goosebumps, who has filled the city with cookies that cause innocent chickens' feathers to fall off. |
| McDonald, Megan | Judy Moody, Mood Martian or any book in the Judy Moody Series | 2014 | When it is "Backward Day," Judy must turn her usual sour mood upside down and be happy and nice for a change. |
| Meltzer, Brad | I Am Martin Luther King, Jr. or any book in the Ordinary People Change the World Series | 2016 | A biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. that tells the story of how he used nonviolence to lead the civil rights movement. |
| Mylnowski, Sarah | Fairest of All or any book in the Whatever After Series | 2012 | After moving to a new house 10-year-old Abby and brother Jonah discover an antique mirror that transports them into the Snow White fairy tale. |
| Parry, Rosanne | A Whale of the Wild | 2020 | A young orca whale must lead her brother on a adventurous journey to be reunited with their pod. This animal adventure novel explores family bonds, survival, global warming, and a changing seascape. Includes information about orcas and their habitats. (Booklist Starred Review) |
| Peirce, Lincoln | Big Nate: In a Class by Himself or any book in the Big Nate Series | 2010 | Supremely confident middle school student Nate Wright manages to make getting detention from every one of his teachers in the same day seem like an achievement. |
| Pierce, Lincoln | Max and the Midknights (series) | 2020 | With his trademark comic book-style illustrations, Lincoln Peirce brings epic adventure, riotous fun and medieval silliness in Max and the Midknights (Virginia Readers Choice) |
| Robeson, Teresa |
Queen
of
Physics:
How
Wu
Chien
Shiung
Helped
Unlock
the
Secrets
of
the
Atom |
2019 | When Wu Chien Shiung was born in China 100 years ago, most girls did not attend school; no one considered them as smart as boys. But her parents felt differently. They encouraged her love of learning and science. This engaging biography follows Wu Chien Shiung as she becomes what Newsweek magazine called the "Queen of Physics" for her work on beta decay. (International Literacy Association Award) |
| Shaffer, Jody Jensen | Bearded Dragons | 2014 | Describes the physical characteristics, behavior and environment of the bearded dragons. |
| Sherman, Jill | All About Online Gaming | 2017 | Explores the fascinating world of online gaming with exciting looks at this technology and all it does. |
| Stewart, Melissa | Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs | 2020 | Describes how the characteristics of some animals that may appear to be weaknesses are critical for finding food or staying safe, from the size of the Amau frog to the stink of the hoatzin's feathers. (Virginia Readers Choice) |
| Ullman, R. L. | Epic Zero Book 7: Tales of a Long Lost Leader | 2020 | Elliott Harkness is now the leader of Next Gen, his very own team of preteen superheroes! But when they try to stop a powerful Meta villain from attacking Keystone City, Elliott discovers they're in way over their heads, resulting in absolute disaster! (series) |
| Winick, Judd | Hilo Book 6: All the Pieces Fit | 2020 | D.J. and Gina are totally ordinary kids. But Hilo isn't! Hilo fell out of the sky and doesn't know where he came from, or what he's doing on Earth. But UH-OH, what if Hilo wasn't the only thing to fall to our planet? Can the trio unlock the secrets of Hilo's past? Find out in each HILO laugh-out-loud, epic story of friendship! Adventure! (Series) |
Grade 4
| Author | Title | Publication Date | Annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applegate, Katherine | One and Only Ivan | 2012 | When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life. |
| Bowen, Carl | Quarterback Rush or any Sports Illustrated Kids Graphic Novel book | 2015 | The Otters keep leaving their game on the practice field and losing their football games.Wide receiver Steve Michaels must overcome his own frustrations and help Aaron Corbin, his quarterback, get past his fears and play like the champion he can be. |
| Brallier, Max | The Last Kids on Earth or any book in the Last Kids on Earth Series | 2015 | After a monster apocalypse hits town, average 13-year-old Jack Sullivan builds a team of friends to help slay the eerily intelligent monster known as Blarg. |
| Castaldo, Nancy | Mission: Polar Bear Rescue, or The Story of Seeds, or Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs Save the World | 2014 | Mission: Polar Bear Rescue shares stories and facts that reveal the real-life survival challenges that have caused polar bears to become endangered and provides information about what kids can do to support conservation efforts. |
| Colfer, Chris | Land of Stories | 2012 | "Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, twins Alex and Conner leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about"--Provided by publisher. |
| Dahl, Roald | James and the Giant Peach | 1961 | Strange things happen when James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree. The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and before long it's as big as a house. When James discovers a secret entranceway into the fruit and crawls inside, he meets wonderful new friends--the Old-Green-Grasshopper, the dainty Ladybug, and the Centipede of the multiple boots. After years of feeling like an outsider in his aunts' house, James finally found a place where he belongs. With a snip of the stem, the peach household starts rolling away--and the adventure begins! Roald Dahl's first and most widely celebrated book for young people continues to thrill readers around the world. |
| DiCamillo, Kate | Because of Winn-Dixie | 2002 | A 10-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. |
| Draper, Sharon | Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs: The Buried Bones Mystery or any book in the Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs Series | 2006 | After the neighborhood basketball court is vandalized, Ziggy and his friends decide to form a club called the Black Dinosaurs and build their clubhouse in Ziggy's backyard. |
| Fleming, Candace | Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera | 2020 | This title describes the life cycle of the hard-working honeybee. |
| Hiaasen, Carl | Hoot | 2002 | New to his small Florida community, Roy becomes involved in another boy's attempt to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction site. |
| Holm, Jennifer | Babymouse: Queen of the World! or any book in the Babymouse Series | 2005 | An imaginative mouse dreams of being queen of the world, but will settle for an invitation to the most popular girl's slumber party. (Graphic Novel) |
| Kibuishi, Kazu | Amulet Book 1: The Stonekeeper or any book in the Amulet Series | 2008 | Emily and Navin follow their mother into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals. (Graphic Novel) |
| Law, Ingrid | Savvy or any other book in the Savvy Series | 2008 | Savvy recounts the adventures of Mibs Beaumont, whose thirteenth birthday has revealed her "savvy" - a magical power unique to each member of her family. |
| Luper, Eric | Key Hunters: The Mysterious Moonstone or any book in the Key Hunters Series | 2016 | Cleo and Evan are curious about where the librarian disappears to at the back of the library, so they follow her into a magical library full of locked books and find a letter which tells them that the previous librarian is trapped between the covers of one of the enchanted books, and that they must find her. |
| McDonough, Yona Zeldis | Who Was Harriet Tubman? or any book in the Who Was…? Series | 2002 | A biography of the nineteenth-century woman who escaped slavery and went back many times to take other slaves north to freedom on the Underground Railroad. |
| Park, Linda Sue | Wing & Claw: Forest of Wonders or any book in the Wing & Claw Series | 2016 | When Raffa makes a cure from a rare crimson vine he finds deep in the forbidden forest, the bat he saves transforms into something much more. |
| Patterson, James & Alexander, Kwame | Becoming Muhammad Ali | 2020 | A biographical novel tells the story of Cassius Clay, the determined boy who would one day become Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time. |
| Paulson, Gary | Hatchet | 1987 | After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce. |
| Peirce, Lincoln | Big Nate Blasts Off or any book in the Big Nate Series | 2016 | After his fight with Randy Betancourt makes headlines in the school paper, Big Nate has a problem worse than detention on his hands. |
| Riley, James | Story Thieves or any book in the Story Thieves Series | 2015 | Besides reading the Kiel Gnomenfoot magic adventure series, Owen's life is boring until he sees his classmate Bethany climb out of a book in the school library. He learns Bethany is half-fictional and has searched every book for her missing father, a fictional character. |
| Riordan, Rick | Percy Jackson, and the Olympians | 2005 | After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, twelve-year-old Percy is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods. |
| Sachar, Louis | Fuzzy Mud or any children's book by this author | 2015 | Fuzzy Mud is the story of two middle-grade kids who take a shortcut home from school and discover what looks like fuzzy mud but is actually a substance with the potential to wreak havoc on the entire world. |
| Sachar, Louis | Holes | 1998 | As further evidence of his family's bad fortune which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself. |
| Spinelli, Jerry | Crash | 1996 | Seventh-grader John "Crash" Coogan has always been comfortable with his tough, aggressive behavior, until his relationship with an unusual Quaker boy and his grandfather's stroke make him consider the meaning of friendship and the importance of family. |
| Spyri, Johanna | Heidi | 1880 | After Heidi, an orphan, builds a strong bond with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps, she is sent into town to attend school and be a friend to a wealthy man's daughter, who is restricted to a wheelchair, but Heidi's health begins to fail as her desire to return to her home in the mountains increases. |
| Stilton, Geronimo | Bollywood Burglary or any book in the Geronimo Stilton Series | 2017 | Asked by a Bollywood star for help protecting a valuable ruby, Geronimo Stilton and Hercule Poirat are inadvertently cast in the actress's film in spite of limited acting skills and are horrified when an anonymous thief makes off with the ruby. |
| Tarshis, Lauren | Tornado Terror or any book in the I Survived: True Stories Series | 2017 | It tells the stories of two young people who survived terrifying tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri and includes tornado facts and profiles of the well-respected scientists and storm chasers who study them. |
| Watson, Jude | Mission Titanic or any book in the 39 Clues series | 2015 | A 17-year-old Ian Kabra, the head of the powerful Cahill family, hopes he can find Amy and Dan to decipher clues that will help him prevent four of history's greatest disasters. |
| Williams-Garcia, Rita | One Crazy Summer | 2010 | Delphine, 11, and her two younger sisters don't know what to expect when their dad puts them on a plane to visit their mother, who abandoned the family years ago. It is 1968, and their mother is active in Oakland's Black Power movement. The girls hope to visit Disneyland, but their mother sends them to a camp run by the Black Panthers. As the summer wears on, the sisters learn about themselves, their mother, and their country during a pivotal moment in African American history. If this is your child's first exposure to historical fiction, she may be hooked. |
Grade 5
| Author | Title | Publication Date | Annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander, Kwame | Animal Ark | 2017 | This engaging informational picture book celebrates the world's threatened species in gorgeously hued photos and haiku. Alexander and Sartore have crafted a stunning journey through the animal kingdom to provide an up-close look at dozens of animals, in poetry and photographs. |
| Blair, Shelia | Rock, Brock, and the Savings Shock | 2017 | Rock and Brock may be twins, but they are as different as two twins can be. One day, their grandpa offers them a plan―for ten straight weeks on Saturday he will give them each one dollar. But there is a catch! "Listen now, for here's the trick, each buck you save, I'll match it quick. But spend it, there's no extra dough, so save your cash, and watch it grow." Rock is excited―there are all sorts of things he can buy for one dollar! Brock is saving his. .... it is never too late to start saving. |
| Boston-Weatherford, Carole | Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself To Freedom | 2010 | Henry Brown wrote that long before he came to be known as Box, he "entered the world a slave." He was put to work as a child and passed down from one generation to the next - as property. When he was an adult, his wife and children were sold away from him out of spite. Henry Brown watched as his family left bound in chains, headed to the deeper South. What more could be taken from him? But then hope - and help - came in the form of the Underground Railroad. Escape! |
| Barton, Carl | Whoosh! : Lonnie Johnson's Super-soaking Stream of Inventions | 2016 | Lonnie Johnson always tinkered with something. Early projects included rockets, a robot, and a powerful sound system for parties. The story documents his perseverance in overcoming obstacles, some stemming from being African American-a school aptitude test that indicated he was not cut out to be an engineer, the prejudice he and his high-school team experienced while winning the 1968 University of Alabama science fair. Barton makes clear how Johnson struggled in his unconventional line of work, and also shows the rewards of his persistence -- attending Tuskegee Institute, engineering for NASA, and developing a super-blast water gun. |
| Bowen, Carl | Quarterback Rush or any Sports Illustrated Kids Graphic Novel book | 2015 | The Otters keep leaving their game on the practice field and losing their football games.Wide receiver Steve Michaels must overcome his own frustrations and help Aaron Corbin, his quarterback, get past his fears and play like the champion he can be. |
| Brown, Monica | Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos | 2017 | This title is based on the life of one of the world's most influential painters, Frida Kahlo, and the animals that inspired her art and life. The fascinating Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is remembered for her self-portraits, her dramatic works featuring bold and vibrant colors. Her work brought attention to Mexican and indigenous culture and she is also renowned for her works celebrating the female form. |
| Bryant, Jen | Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball | 2020 | Hall-of-famer Elgin Baylor was one of basketball's all-time-greatest players-an innovative athlete, team player, and quiet force for change. One of the first professional African-American players, he inspired others on and off the court. But when traveling for away games, many hotels and restaurants turned Elgin away because he was black. One night, Elgin had enough and staged a one-man protest that captured the attention of the press, the public, and the NBA. |
| Chin, Jason | Redwoods | 2015 | A ordinary subway trip is transformed when a young boy happens upon a book about redwood forests. As he reads the information unfolds, and with each new bit of knowledge, he travels―all the way to California to climb into the Redwood canopy. Jason Chin's first book is innovative nonfiction set within a strong and beautiful picture storybook and crammed with interesting and accurate information about these incredible natural wonders. |
| Garcia-Williams, Rita | Clayton Byrd Goes Underground | 2018 | Clayton is happiest when he can play his harmonica with his grandfather, Cool Papa Byrd and his band, the Bluesman. When his grandfather dies suddenly, Clayton's pain is unbearable and he has to figure out how to live life without him. Cool Papa's daughter, Clayton's mother disapproved of her father's music and gets rid of all of Cool Papa's things even his guitars. Clayton decides to run away hoping to find a place with bluesman. Instead, he finds a group of street boys making their way with beat music and dance. |
| Gianferrari, Maria | Hawk Rising | 2018 | A red-tailed hawk hunts as its chicks wait in a cedar tree and two human children observe from their house and backyard. Over the course of the day, he makes several failed attempts at catching prey, and the children watch as crows mob him. Eventually, as the day ends, he succeeds, carrying a squirrel back to his hungry young. Realistic ink and watercolor illustrations accompany a sensory, poetic text, setting the suburban scene and offering a dynamic, naturalistic depiction of the predator's behavior. Perspectives and colors shift, presenting breathtaking bird's- and child's-eye views of sunrises, sunsets, prey, the neighborhood, and more. |
| Fleming, Candance | Giant Squid | 2016 | Fleming artfully introduces readers to a mysterious sea monster that glides through the deepest and darkest reaches of the ocean. Double-page close-ups are excellently detailed, and the dark color palette adds to the eerie, deep-sea feel. Bit by bit, each illustration focuses on a particular part of the sea creature until the entire squid is portrayed in a dramatic foldout spread. A final diagram and a list of further reading add a scientific bent to this visually stunning exploration of a mysterious creature. |
| Floca, Brian | Moonshot!: the Flight of Apollo 11 | A fresh, expanded edition of Floca's tribute to the first moon landing. How is the revised edition different? The text is more inclusive (no longer implying that only men worked in NASA's control room) and more expressive. A double-page spread acknowledges and depicts racially diverse groups of individuals representing the thousands of men and women who planned the mission, designed and built the spacecraft, and made the spacesuits. Includes a fuller portrayal of the mission, including the night spent on the moon, Eagle's crucial docking with Columbia, and the capsule's dramatic reentry into Earth's atmosphere. | |
| Grundmann, Emmanuelle | When Elephants Listen With Their Feet: Discover Extraordinary Animal Senses | 2021 | This book highlights the extraordinary ways some creatures' unique senses are highly developed. The text is graceful and often humorous, with an extensive vocabulary. Each section begins with a short introduction to the sense, usually comparing it to humans' use of it. The text is organized by the five senses. There is a section that describes animals that use Earth's electromagnetism and one section on those that use vibrations. For example, the termite will bang its head against the wall using a specific, rapid rhythm to warn the others if the colony is being attacked. An index of animals offers additional information about each creature and the corresponding page number. |
| Haynes, Richard | Orangutan Hats and Other Tools Animals Use | 2021 | Move over, humans! We're not the only creatures who can invent and use tools to keep ourselves fed, warm, safe, healthy, comfortable-even entertained. Thanks to the careful observations of biologists working in the field, we now know that elephants use sunscreen, long-tailed macaques floss their teeth, assassin bugs use bait to lure their prey, orangutans make pillows, and crows will go sledding just for fun. Who's the clever one now, eh? |
| Korman, Gordon | Restart | 2017 | When Chase awakens in a hospital, he is surrounded by strangers. He can't remember anyone, how he fell off a roof or even his name. When he returns to Hiawassee Middle School and discovers fragments of who he was through other students' reactions, they aren't good. As time passes, Chase learns of his past as a bully and must decide about his future. Who does he want to become with this new chance to restart his life? Korman weaves a compelling, humorous story of bullying, regret, and forgiveness through various perspectives, leaving the reader much to ponder after the final chapter. |
| Lê, Minh | Lift | 2020 | Iris loves to push the elevator buttons in her apartment building, but she's pretty put out when it's time to share the fun with a new family member. Until the sudden appearance of a mysterious new button opens up entire realms of possibility, places where she can escape and explore on her own. But when she's forced to choose between going at it alone or letting her little brother tag along, Iris finds that sharing the discovery with the people you love can be the most wonderful experience. |
| Levine, Gail Carson | Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly | 2014 | Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine shares the secrets of her writing success, including how to get ideas, creating beginnings and endings, writing great dialogue, developing memorable characters, and more. |
| Lombard, Jenny | Drita, My Homegirl | 2008 | Drita is a 10-year-old Muslim Albanian refugee from Kosovo living in Brooklyn, New York. Maxie is African American, one of the in-crowd that wants nothing to do with the newcomer--until their 4th-grade social studies teacher charges Maxie to interview Drita about her story. The two girls learn their differences and connections: Drita's mother is having a breakdown; Maxie cannot confront her grief about her mother's death in a car accident three years before. The message connecting schoolyard bullying with war is heavy. Still, the girls' growing friendship and respect for one another is touching, as is the climax when Maxie presents her report about what Drita left behind. |
| Luper, Eric | Key Hunters: The Mysterious Moonstone or any book in the Key Hunters Series | 2016 | Cleo and Evan are curious about where the librarian disappears to at the back of the library, so they follow her into a magical library full of locked books and find a letter which tells them that the previous librarian is trapped between the covers of one of the enchanted books, and that they must find her. |
| Magoon, Kekla | The Season of Styx Malone | 2018 | Caleb, the narrator of the story and older brother Bobby Gene meet Styx Malone, a mysterious, lanky, smooth-talking teenager. The boys embark on an adventure of a lifetime that encompasses rule breaking, laugh-out-loud, and nail-biting fun. Magoon creates a summer adventure with humor, heart, and a touch of melancholy. A hopeful story with a captivating cast of characters. |
| Marks, Janae | From the Desk of Zoe Washington | 2020 | On her 12th birthday, Zoe Washington receives a letter from her birth father, Marcus, who has been in prison her entire life. He wants to get to know her, and even though she knows her mom won't like it, she writes back. So, Zoe keeps the letter a secret and begins corresponding with Marcus regularly. He shares his favorite songs and encourages Zoe's baking-competition dreams. When Marcus tells Zoe he is innocent, and her grandmother agrees, Zoe begins to learn about inequality in the criminal justice system. She and her best friend Trevor set out to find the alibi witness who can prove his innocence. This powerful debut packs both depth and sweetness, tackling a tough topic in a sensitive, compelling way-an extraordinary, timely, must-read debut about love, family, friendship, and justice. |
| Medina, Meg | Merci Suárez Can't Dance | 2021 | A follow-up to the Newbery Medal-winning Merci Suarez Changes Gears, this books follows another year of highs and lows in the life of Cuban American middle schooler Merci Suárez. Life is a little different for Merci Suárez in seventh grade. Her older brother, Roli, is off at college; her grandfather Lolo's Alzheimer's is more pronounced; and she has to regularly babysit her Tía Inés' spirited young twins. She also finds a new responsibilities at school too. She works in the school store alongside her classmate Wilson, who she might have a crush on, and is still at odds with classmate Edna. Merci and her friends' struggles with friendships, responsibility, school, crushes, and jealousy that Merci and her friends face will strike a chord with many readers. |
| Montgomery, Heather L. | Something Rotten: A Fresh Look at Roadkill | 2018 | Montgomery's story-part memoir, part scientific overview-begins with a squashed snake and follows her as she learns more and more about the animals she finds run over on the side of the road. With wry humor, gory detail, and great enthusiasm, the author explains how this mystery, and others, are being solved thanks to civilian scientists who pick up and/or report roadkill sightings to science centers."The book is not," she writes, "for squeamish souls." But budding naturalists or eco-activists will find it a smashing read. |
| National Geographic | National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry: more than 200 Poems with Photographs that Float, Zoom, and Bloom! | 2015 | Former U.S. Children's Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis has compiled a selection of poems from well-known and obscure poets. Each poem is paired with captivating photos, which, on every page, show an element of nature that fits along with the various themed sections. The selections represent a variety of styles, time periods, countries of origin, lengths, and themes; all are set against a stunning backdrop. |
| Rusch, Elizabeth | The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity | 2017 | On June 10, 2003, a little rover named Spirit blasted off on a rocket headed for Mars. On July 7, 2003, a twin rover named Opportunity soared through the solar system with the same mission: to find out if Mars ever had water that could have supported life. A thrilling addition to the acclaimed Scientists in the Field series, The Mighty Mars Rovers tells the greatest space robot adventure of all time through the eyes-and heart-of Steven Squyres, professor of astronomy at Cornell University and lead scientist on the mission. |
| Sepahban, Lois | Paper Wishes | 2016 | In 1942, ten-year-old Manami's family is forced into the Manzanar internment camp. Heartbroken by the loss of her dog, Yujiin, Manami becomes mute; her emotional trauma is sensitively portrayed. Manami recovers her voice when she needs it most, and the story closes on a hopeful note. Readers ready for a somber story should find this novel about Japanese American internment honest and engaging. |
| Sotomayor, Sonia | Turning Pages: My Life Story | 2018 | As the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor has inspired young people around the world to reach for their dreams. But what inspired her? For young Sonia, the answer was books! They were her mirrors, her maps, her friends, and her teachers. They helped her to connect with her family in New York and in Puerto Rico, to deal with her diabetes diagnosis, to cope with her father's death, to uncover the secrets of the world, and to dream of a future for herself in which anything was possible. |
| Williams-Garcia, Rita | One Crazy Summer | 2010 | Delphine, 11, and her two younger sisters don't know what to expect when their dad puts them on a plane to visit their mother, who abandoned the family years ago. It is 1968, and their mother is active in Oakland's Black Power movement. The girls hope to visit Disneyland, but their mother sends them to a camp run by the Black Panthers. As the summer wears on, the sisters learn about themselves, their mother, and their country during a pivotal moment in African American history. If this is your child's first exposure to historical fiction, she may be hooked. |
Grade 6
| Author | Title | Publication Date | Annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander, Kwame | Rebound, or any middle school book by Kwame Alexander | 2016 | In the summer of 1988, 12-year-old Chuck Bell is sent to stay with his grandparents, where he discovers jazz and basketball and learns more about his family's past. |
| Auxier, Jonathan | Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster | 2018 | In 19-century England, after her father's disappearance Nan Sparrow, ten, works as a "climbing boy," aiding chimney sweeps, but when her most treasured possessions end up in a fireplace, she unwittingly creates a golem. |
| Bartoletti, Susan Campbell | Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America, or any middle school book by Susan Campbell Bartoletti | 2015 | A true story of Mary Mallon, a cook who unwittingly infected dozens with typhoid in the early 1900s, and the efforts of doctors and scientists to identify the cause and stop the spread of the disease. (nonfiction) |
| Becker, Helaine | Dirk Daring, Secret Agent, or any middle school book by Helaine Becker | 2014 | The spy missions of Darren Dirkowitz (aka Dirk Daring, Secret Agent) are interrupted when his stepbrother gets hold of his top-secret notebook. |
| Bowling, Dusti | The Canyon's Edge | 2021 | Enjoy reading the novel-in-verse, edge-of-your-seat survival adventure. A year after her mother's death in a restaurant shooting, Nora is left struggling to stay alive when a climbing trip with her father goes wrong. |
| Bunce, Elizabeth C. | Premeditated Myrtle, or any Myrtle Hardcastle mystery book by Elizabeth C. Bunce | 2020 | When 12-year-old aspiring detective Myrtle Hardcastle learns her neighbor in quiet Swinburne, England, a breeder of rare flowers, has died she is certain it was murder and that she must find the killer. |
| Cisneros, Ernesto | Efrén Divided | 2020 | While his father works two jobs, seventh-grader Efrén Nava must take care of his twin siblings, kindergartners Max and Mia, after their mother is deported to Mexico. Includes glossary of Spanish words. |
| Gerber, Alyson | Taking up Space | 2021 | A 12-year-old Sarah is used to being the star on her basketball team, playing with her best friends, but suddenly she finds that her body is changing. She does not understand why she cannot keep up on the court, plus she does not understand why her mother has gotten so weird about food, binging on candy while forgetting about dinner. She does not know why she told Benny, her crush, about her mother--but when Benny offers to teach her how to cook and suggests she partners with him in a cooking competition, she starts to find a way to stand up for herself and change her life for the better. (Overview from Follett) |
| Haddix, Margaret Peterson | The Strangers, or any middle school book by Margaret Peterson Haddix | 2019 | Told from separate viewpoints, Chess, Emma, and Finn Greystone, ages 12, 10, and 8, investigate why their mother went missing and uncover their ties to an alternate world. |
| Hernandez, Carlos | Sal & Gabi Break the Universe | 2019 | Sal's ability to rip a hole in the space-time continuum is handy, like when he misses his dead mother or needs to put a chicken in a locker. Teaming up with enemy-turned-friend Gabi seems like a good idea, but all of this universe-breaking may have disastrous results. |
| Higuera, Donna Barba | Lupe Wong Won't Dance | 2020 | Lupe Wong is determined to be the first female pitcher in the Major Leagues. She has also championed causes her whole young life. So, when the square dancing horror rears its head in the gym. She's not going to let that slide. |
| Jamieson, Victoria, and Omar Mohamed | When Stars Are Scattered | 2020 | Omar and his younger brother Hassan live in a refugee camp. When an opportunity for Omar to get an education comes along, he must decide between going to school every day or caring for his nonverbal brother. (graphic novel) |
| Johnson, Varian | Twins, or any middle school book by Varian Johnson | 2020 | Maureen and Francine Carter are twins and best friends. But just before the girls start sixth grade, Francine becomes Fran -- a girl who wants to join the chorus, run for class president, and dress in ways that set her apart from Maureen. The sisters are growing apart and there's nothing Maureen can do to stop it. (graphic novel) |
| Keller, Tae | When You Trap a Tiger, or any middle school book by Tae Keller | 2020 | When Lily, her sister Sam, and their mother move in with her sick grandmother, Lily traps a tiger and makes a deal with him to heal Halmoni. |
| Kessler, Liz | When the World Was Ours | 2021 | This is a story of three close friends living in Germany in 1936; two are Jewish, and one is not. The story follows each of them as one escapes Germany with his mother, experiences the ghetto and a concentration camp, and lives with a high-ranking Nazi father. He has transformed his son into a successful Hitler Youth. The story is based on actual events from some of the author's family members. |
| Korman, Gordon | Supergifted, or any book by Gordon Korman | 2018 | After years at the Academy for Scholastic Distinction, all Noah dreams of is the opportunity to fail if he wants to and he's landed in the perfect place to do at Donovan's school. |
| Levy, Joshua S. | Seventh Grade vs. the Galaxy | 2019 | What was supposed to be the last day of seventh grade turns into the first day of saving the world. |
| McManis, Charlene Willing | Indian No More | 2020 | When Regina's Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and her family must relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles, she goes on a quest to understand her identity as an Indian despite being so far from home. |
| Medina, Meg | Merci Suarez Changes Gears, or any middle school book by Meg Medina | 2018 | Merci attends sixth grade in a private school in Florida as a scholarship student and deals daily with problem girls. Her beloved grandfather begins forgetting things and becomes clumsy and angry. When the other adults in her life aren't really helping her, Merci changes gears to help herself. |
| Reynolds, Jason | Patina, or any book in the Track series by Jason Reynolds | 2017 | A newbie to the track team, Patina must learn to rely on her teammates as she tries to outrun her personal demons. |
| Soontornvat, Christina | A Wish in the Dark | 2020 | In a Thai-inspired fantasy world, Christina Soontornvat's twist on Victor Hugo's Les Misérables is a dazzling, fast-paced adventure that explores the difference between law and justice -- and asks whether one child can shine a light in the dark. |
| Swanson, James | "The President Has Been Shot!" The Assassination of John F. Kennedy, or any middle school book by James Swanson | 2013 | A breathtaking and dramatic account of the JFK assassination. (nonfiction) |
| Telgemeier, Raina | Guts, or any middle school book by Raina Telgemeier | 2019 | After a particularly bad bout of the flu in fourth grade, Raina keeps having stomach aches and intense feelings about food and germs. The thought of being near a sick person sends her into a panic, and conflicts among her friends at school and embarrassment about bodily functions in general certainly don't help matters. (graphic novel) |
| Warga, Jasmine | Other Words for Home | 2019 | Sent with her mother to the safety of a relative's home in Cincinnati when her Syrian hometown is overshadowed by violence, Jude worries for the family members who were left behind as she adjusts to a new life with surprises. |
Grade 7
| Author | Title | Publication Date | Annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bigelow, Lisa Jenn | Hazel's Theory of Evolution | 2020 | Hazel knows a lot about the world. But even Hazel doesn't have answers to the questions awaiting her as she enters eighth grade. As Hazel struggles to cope, she'll realize that sometimes you have to look within yourself--instead of the pages of a book--to find the answer to life's most important questions. This book contains the protagonist's struggle to accept one of her mom's second miscarriages. |
| Blankman, Anne | Blackbird Girls | 2020 | Valentina and Oksana lived near the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in 1986. When one of the reactors explodes, the girls are sent to live with Valentina's grandmother in Leningrad. While there, both girls learn more about their own families and the power of friendship, and the ability to trust. |
| Braden, Ann | The Benefits of Being an Octopus | 2018 | Seventh-grader Zoey Albro focuses on caring for three younger siblings and avoiding rich classmates at school until her fascination with octopuses gets her on the debate team, and she begins to speak out. |
| Calabrese. Keith | Connect-the-Dots | 2020 | Twelve-year-olds Oliver Beane and Frankie Figge are starting middle school in their suburban town of Lake Grove Glen. Things seem a little weird from the beginning with the mysterious girl Matilda Sandoval. Weird things continue with a series of apparently random events that may not be random at all. It all leads back to Preston Oglethorpe, a former student genius at their school who mysteriously disappeared. If the boys and Matilda can connect the dots, maybe they can figure out who or what is manipulating their lives and why. |
| Callender, Kacen | King and the Dragonflies | 2020 | Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When his former best friend, the gay son of the local sheriff, runs away, the weight of expectations and secrets leads King to examine everything he thinks he knows about being brave, being a man, and being himself. |
| Craft, Jerry | New Kid, or any middle school book by Jerry Craft | 2019 | Seventh-grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. (graphic novel) |
| Dionne, Evette | Lifting As We Climb: Black Women's Battle for the Ballot Box | 2020 | his National Book Award longlisted book tells the important, overlooked story of Black women as a force in the suffrage movement when fellow suffragists did not accept them as equal partners in the struggle. (nonfiction) |
| Engle, Margarita | Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: a Memoir, or any middle school book by Margarita Engle. | 2015 | In this poetic memoir, Margarita Engle, the first Latina woman to receive a Newbery Honor, tells of growing up as a child of two cultures during the Cold War. |
| Gemeinhart, Dan | The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise | 2019 | Twelve-year-old Coyote and her father rush to Poplin Springs, Washington, in their old school bus to save a memory box buried in a park that will soon be demolished. |
| Gratz, Alan | Grenade, or any middle school book by Alan Gratz | 2020 | "On April 1, 1945, fourteen-year-old native Okinawan Hideki was handed two grenades and told to kill American soldiers. Hideki wants to find his family, and his struggle across the island will bring him face-to-face with Ray, a marine, in his first battle." |
| Haddix, Margaret Peterson | Children of Exile, or any middle school book by Margaret Peterson Haddix | 2016 | Twelve-year-old Rosi, raised in a foster village, is returned to her biological parents and discovers her home is not what she expected. |
| Hale, Nathan | Blades of Freedom, or any book in the series of Nathan Hale's hazardous tales | 2020 | The story of the Haitian Revolution and its role in Napoleon's decision to sell Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe the whole Louisiana Territory when they sought to buy only New Orleans. (graphic novel) |
| Hiaasen, Carl | Squirm, or any middle school book by Carl Hiaasen | 2018 | Billy Dickens discovers that his mysterious father lives in Montana, so this summer, Billy will fly across the country, hike a mountain, float a river, dodge a grizzly bear, shoot down a spy drone, and save his father. |
| Hiranandani, Veera | The Night Diary | 2018 | Set in 1947, during the months before and after the independence of India and subsequent division with Pakistan. The book is written as diary entries from the perspective of Nisha, a girl who has just celebrated her twelfth birthday along with her twin brother, Amil. |
| Hunt, Lynda Mullaly | Shouting at the Rain, or any book by Lynda Mullaly Hunt | 2019 | Delsie loves tracking the weather, living with her grandmother, and supporting friends and neighbors but misses having a "regular family," especially after her best friend outgrows her. |
| Key, Watt | Deep Water, or any middle school book by Watt Key | 2018 | When a dive off the coast of Alabama goes wrong, twelve-year-old Julie and one of her father's scuba clients struggle to survive after reaching an abandoned oil rig. |
| Korman, Gordon | Restart, or any book by Gordon Korman | 2017 | Chase does not remember falling off the roof; he does not remember anything about himself. When he returns to middle school, he begins to learn who he was through the reactions of the other kids--the trouble is, he is not sure he likes the Chase that is being revealed, but can he take the opportunity amnesia has provided and restart his life? |
| Ponti, James | City Spies | 2020 | Sentenced to juvenile detention after exposing her foster parents' crimes, a talented young hacker is rescued by a British spy who recruits five teen savants from different world regions to become elite agents for MI5. |
| Reedy, Trent | Words in the Dust, or any middle school titles by Trent Reedy | 2011 | Zulaikha, a thirteen-year-old girl in Afghanistan, faces a series of frightening but exhilarating changes in her life. She defies her father and secretly meets with an older woman who teaches her to read, and her older sister gets married. American troops offered her surgery to fix her disfiguring cleft lip. |
| Rhodes, Jewell Parker | Ghost Boys, or any book by Jewell Parker Rhodes | 2018 | After a White police officer shoots and kills seventh-grader Jerome , he observes the aftermath of his death and meets the ghosts of other fallen black boys, including Emmett Till. |
| Soontornvat, Christina | All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team | 2020 | A unique account of the amazing Thai cave rescue told in a heart-racing, you-are-there style blends suspense, science, and cultural insight. (nonfiction) |
| Surrisi, Cynthia | Side of Sabotage, or any middle school book by Cynthia Surrisi | 2018 | A fancy fine dining establishment has opened in Quinnie Boyd's Maine town, creating new competition for her father's humble café. When things start to go wrong at the café, Quinnie suspects the people behind the new restaurant are to blame. |
| Wolk, Lauren | Echo Mountain | 2020 | As a result of the Great Depression, Ellie and her family are forced to move from her home to one on the mountain. After her father's accident results in a coma, Ellie tries anything to wake him up, including visiting the "old hag" on the mountain. Ellie works to care for her father and others in a story of perseverance, determination, and survival. |
Grade 8
| Author | Title | Publication Date | Annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bossley, Michele Martin | Cracked | 2007 | Junior high detectives Trevor, Robyn and Nick help their friend Courtney whose brother Josh, competing for the Canadian national bobsled team, is accused of sabotaging another competitor's sled. |
| Bowling, Dusti | Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus | 2017 | New friends and a mystery help Aden, thirteen, adjust to middle school and life at a dying western theme park in a new state, where her being born armless presents many challenges. |
| Cartaya, Pablo | Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish | 2018 | After a fight at school leaves Marcus facing suspension, Marcus's mother takes him and his younger brother, who has Down syndrome, to Puerto Rico to visit relatives they do not remember or have never met, and while there Marcus starts searching for his father, who left their family ten years ago and is somewhere on the island. |
| Collins, Suzanne | Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, or any book in the Hunger Games series | 2020 | An origin story for both President Snow and the Hunger Games as we know them. |
| Day, Christine | I Can Make this Promise | 2019 | When 12-year-old Edie finds letters and photographs in her attic that change everything she thought she knew about her Native American mother's adoption, she realizes she has a lot to learn about her family's history and her own identity. |
| Fleming, Candace | The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh | 2020 | In this riveting biography, you discover the dark side of Charles Lindbergh, one of America's most celebrated heroes and complicated men. (nonfiction) |
| Fipps, Lisa | Starfish | 2021 | This title is a powerful novel-in-verse that addresses body-shaming in our culture, schools, and even sometimes our families. Ellie has been bullied her entire life because of her body size. After some traumatic events that push her to the edge, and with the help of some wonderful new allies, she gains the confidence to stand up for herself. |
| Greenwald, Tom | Game Changer | 2018 | While 13-year-old Teddy fights for his life after a football injury at training camp, his friends and family gather to support him and discuss events leading to his coma. He is told through dialogue, text messages, newspaper articles, transcripts, an online forum, and Teddy's inner thoughts. |
| Hale, Shannon | Real Friends, or any middle school book by Shannon Hale | 2017 | Shannon and Adrienne have been best friends ever since they were little. But one day, Adrienne starts hanging out with Jen, the most popular girl in class and the leader of a circle of friends called The Group. Everyone in The Group wants to be Jen's #1, and some girls would do anything to stay on top, even if it means bullying others. (graphic memoir) |
| Lee, Yoon Ha | Dragon Pearl | 2020 | Min, a 13-year-old girl with fox-magic, stows away on a battle cruiser and impersonates a cadet in order to solve the mystery of what happened to her older brother in the Thousand World Space Forces. |
| McIntosh, Will | Watchdog | 2017 | Orphaned and homeless, 14-year-old twins Vick and Tara, who is autistic, go up against a crime lord and her four-legged robotic army, with help from their robotic dog, Daisy. |
| Messner, Kate | Breakout, or any middle school book by Kate Messner | 2018 | From multiple perspectives, tells of a time capsule project and the middle schoolers who contribute, including future journalist Nora Tucker and newcomer Elidee Jones, whose brother is in the local prison. |
| Oppel, Kenneth | Bloom, or any middle school book by Kenneth Oppel | 2020 | The world is overtaken by monster alien plants that emit toxic pollens and swallow up people. Three kids on a remote island look for clues in their unusual allergies to understand their immunity to the invaders. |
| Queido, Daniel Nayeri Levine | Everything Sad is Untrue | 2020 | "At the front of a middle school classroom in Oklahoma, a boy named Khosrou (whom everyone calls 'Daniel') stands, trying to tell a story. His story. But no one believes a word he says. To them, he is a dark-skinned, hairy-armed boy with a big butt whose lunch smells funny; who makes things up and talks about poop too much. But Khosrou's stories are beautiful and terrifying, stretching back years, decades, and centuries. From the moment he, his mother, and his sister fled Iran in the middle of the night, stretching back to family tales set in the jasmine-scented city of Isfahan, the palaces of semi-ancient kings, and even the land of stories"--Jacket flap. |
| Reynolds, Jason | Stamped--racism, antiracism, and you A remix of the national book award-winning stamped from the beginning. | 2020 | From their roots in Europe until today, a history of racist and antiracist ideas in America, from their roots in Europe today, adapted from the National Book Award winner "Stamped from the Beginning." (nonfiction) |
| Saeed, Aisha | Amal Unbound | 2018 | In Pakistan, Amal holds onto her dream of being a teacher even after becoming an indentured servant to pay off her family's debt to the wealthy and corrupt Khan family. |
| Smith, Roland | Peak, or any book by Roland Smith | 2014 | After 14 year old Peak Marcello is caught climbing a building, the judge tells him he must leave New York and join his father in Thailand. Peak's father wants him to become the youngest person ever to climb Mt. Everest, and Peak excitedly agrees, not knowing what sacrifices the adventure will demand of him. |
| Takei, George | They Called Us Enemy | 2019 | A stunning graphic memoir recounting actor/author/activist George Takei's childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II. |
| Taylor, Mildred | All the Days Past, All the Days to Come, or any middle school book by Mildred Taylor | 2020 | First met in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Cassie Logan is a young woman now searching for her place in the world. A journey takes her from Toledo to California, to law school in Boston, and, ultimately, in the 60s, home to Mississippi to participate in voter registration. |
| Westerfeld, Scott | Impostors, or any middle school book by Scott Westerfeld | 2019 | Frey and Rafi are twin sisters, but few people know of Frey's existence, because she has been raised to be her sister's body double and lethal bodyguard, while Rafi has been raised to further the family's political power. When their father sends Frey in her sister's place as collateral in a tricky deal, the son of a rival leader gets close enough to suspect something is amiss. |
| Woodson, Jacqueline | Before the Ever After, or any middle school book by Jacqueline Woodson | 2020 | ZJ's friends Ollie, Darry and Daniel help him cope when his father, a beloved professional football player, suffers severe headaches and memory loss that spell the end of his career. |
| Yang, Gene Luen | Dragon Hoops, or any middle school book by Gene Luen Yang | 2020 | The men's varsity team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season that's been decades in the making. Each victory brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships. (graphic novel) |
Grade 9
| Author | Title | Publication Date | Annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alifirenka, Caitlin & Martin Ganda with Liz Welch | I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives | 2015 | In this dual memoir, Caitlin and Martin recount how they became best friends--and better people--through their long-distance exchange [as pen-pals]. (nonfiction) |
| Cabot, Meg | All American Girl or any title by Meg Cabot | 2002 | A sophomore girl stops a presidential assassination attempt, is appointed Teen Ambassador to the United Nations, and catches the eye of the very cute First Son. |
| Card, Orson Scott | Children of the Fleet or any book by Orson Scott Card | 2017 | Dabeet Ochoa is a very smart kid. He's top of his class in every school, but he doesn't think he has a chance at Fleet School, because he has no connections to the Fleet. But then Colonel Graff arrives at his school for an interview, and everything changes. |
| Cass, Kiera | The Selection or any book by Kiera Cass | 2012 | A 16-year-old America Singer lives in the caste-divided nation of Illea, which formed after the war that destroyed the United States. America is chosen to compete in the Selection--a contest to see which girl can win the heart of Illea's prince--but all she wants is a chance for a future with her secret love, Aspen, who is a caste below her.--Provided by publisher. |
| Chee, Traci | We Are Not Free | 2020 | For 14-year-old budding artist Minoru Ito, his two brothers, his friends, and the other members of the Japanese-American community in southern California, the three months since Pearl Harbor was attacked have become a waking nightmare: attacked, spat on, and abused with no way to retaliate--and now things are about to get worse, their lives forever changed by the mass incarcerations in the relocation camps. |
| Clare, Cassandra | Clockwork Angel or any book by Cassandra Clare | 2010 | The 16-year-old Tessa Gray travels to England searching for her brother, only to be abducted by the Dark Sisters. They are residents of London's Downworld, home to the city's supernatural folk. She becomes the object of much attention--both good and bad--when it is discovered she has the power to transform at will into another person. |
| Condie, Allyson | Matched or any book by Allyson Condie | 2010 | All her life, Cassia has never had a choice. Society dictates everything: when and how to play, where to work, where to live, what to eat and wear, when to die, and most importantly to Cassia, as she turns 17, who to marry. When she's matched with her best friend Xander, things couldn't be more perfect. But why did her neighbor Ky's face also show up on her match disk? |
| Dashner, James | The Eye of Minds or any book by James Dashner | 2013 | Michael is a skilled internet gamer in a world of advanced technology. When a cyber-terrorist begins to threaten players, Michael is called upon to seek him and his secret's out-- Provided by publisher. |
| Deuker, Carl | Golden Arm | 2020 | Lazarus Weathers, a high school senior from the wrong side of the tracks, seeks to protect his half-brother while pitching his way out of poverty, one strike at a time. |
| Fleming, Candace | The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh | 2020 | A biography of one of America's most celebrated heroes and most complicated, troubled men, Charles Lindbergh. (nonfiction) |
| Gratz, Alan | Refugee | 2017 | This book weaves the stories of three young refugees from three different countries in three different time periods: Josef from Nazi Germany, Isabel from 1994 Cuba, and Mahmoud from Aleppo, Syria, in 2015. Each main character is extremely brave and must face dilemmas, dangers, and tragedies that are strikingly similar despite their forced migrations' different locations and eras. |
| Lu, Marie | Warcross or any other title by Marie Lu | 2017 | When teenage coder Emika Chen hacks her way into the opening tournament of the Warcross Championships, she glitches herself into the game and a sinister plot with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire. |
| Lupica, Mike | The Batboy or any book by Mike Lupica | 2010 | Even though his mother feels baseball ruined her marriage to his father, she allows 14-year-old Brian to become a bat boy for the Detroit Tigers, who have just drafted his favorite player back onto the team. |
| Paolini, Christopher | Eragon or any title by Christopher Paolini | 2003 | In Alagaesia, a 15-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters. |
| Park, Linda Sue | A Long Walk to Water or any high school title by Linda Sue Park | 2010 | When the Sudanese civil war reaches his village in 1985, eleven-year-old Salva becomes separated from his family and must walk with other Dinka tribe members through southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya in search of safe haven. Based on the life of Salva Dut, who, after emigrating to America in 1996, began a project to dig water wells in Sudan. |
| Pierce, Tamora | Trickster's Choice or any title by Tamora Pierce | 2003 | Alianne must call forth her mother's courage and her father's wit to survive on the Copper Isles in a royal court rife with political intrigue and murderous conspiracy. |
| Rivera, Lilliam | Never Look Back | 2020 | A modern retelling of the myth, Orpheus and Eurydice, in which Eury leaves Puerto Rico for the Bronx, haunted by losing all to Hurricane Maria and by evil spirit Ato, and meets a bachata-singing charmer, Pheus. |
| Sáenz, Benjamin Alire | Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe | 2012 | Fifteen-year-old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner with a brother in prison, but when he meets Dante and they become friends, Ari starts to ask questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he has never asked before. |
| Yang, Gene Luen | American Born Chinese or any book by Gene Luen Yang | 2006 | Alternates interrelated stories about three characters, including a Chinese American trying to participate in popular culture; a Chinese folk hero attempting to be worshipped as a god; and a teenager who is so ashamed by his Chinese cousin's behavior that he changes schools. (graphic novel) |
| Yousafzai, Malala | I Am Malala : The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban | 2013 | Malala Yousafzai describes her fight for education for girls under Taliban rule, the support she received from her parents to pursue an education, and how the Taliban retaliated against her by trying to kill her. (nonfiction) |
| Zusak, Markus | The Book Thief or any title by Markus Zusak | 2006 | Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors. |
Grade 10
| Author | Title | Publication Date | Annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acevedo, Elizabeth | Clap When You Land | 2020 | A 16-year-old girl, Camino Rios of the Dominican Republic and Yahaira Rios of New York City, is devastated to learn of their father's death in a plane crash and stunned to learn of each other's existence. (novel in verse) |
| Adeyemi, Tomi | Children of Blood and Bone or any title by Tomi Adeyemi | 2018 | Both 17-year-old Zélie, her older brother Tzain, and rogue princess Amari fight to restore magic to the land and activate a new generation of magi. But they are ruthlessly pursued by the crown prince, who believes the return of magic will mean the end of the monarchy. |
| Alameda, Courtney | Pitch Dark or any title by Courtney Alameda | 2018 | Tuck Durante, a shipraider, and Lana Gray, a curator, must work together to try to rescue a space capsule hijacked by nightmarish creatures who kill with a scream. |
| Bagieu, Pénélope | Brazen: Rebel Ladies who Rocked the World | 2018 | With her characteristic wit and dazzling drawings, celebrated graphic novelist Penelope Bagieu profiles the lives of these feisty female role models. From Nellie Bly to Mae Jemison or Josephine Baker to Naziq al-Abid, the stories in this comic biography are sure to inspire the next generation of rebel ladies. (graphic novel/nonfiction) |
| Carter, Ally | All Fall Down or any title by Ally Carter | 2015 | Many influential people along Embassy Row want Grace to block out her unpretty thoughts. But Grace will not stop until she finds out who killed her mother and make the killer pay. |
| Dessen, Sarah | The Rest of the Story or any title by Sarah Dessen | 2019 | Unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her late mother's estranged relatives at scenic North Lake, a teen finds herself torn between her mother's working-class relatives and her father's wealthier associates. |
| Doerr, Anthony | All the Light We Cannot See | 2014 | This award-winning title is about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. |
| Feinstein, John | The Walk On or any title by John Feinstein | 2014 | After moving to a new town his freshman year in high school, Alex Myers is happy to win a spot on the varsity team as a quarterback but must deal with the idea of not playing for two years since the first-string quarterback is not only a local hero, he is also son of the corrupt head coach. |
| Gansworth, Eric L | Apple: Skin to the Core --A Memoir in Words and Pictures | 2020 | Eric Gansworth tells the story of his life and family through poems about their Onondaga heritage, from the horrible legacy of government boarding schools to watching his siblings leave and return and go again, to his fight to be an artist who balances multiple worlds. (nonfiction) |
| Hesse. Monica | Girl in the Blue Coat | 2016 | This is a tale of WWII resistance in Anne Frank's Amsterdam. Hanneke is a black market runner who is asked to find a Jewish teenager that an old lady had been hiding until she vanished from her hiding place. The task draws an at-first reluctant Hanneke into a complicated and dangerous mystery. |
| Khorram, Adib | Darius the Great Is Not Okay | 2018 | Clinically depressed Darius Kellner, a high school sophomore, travels to Iran to meet his grandparents, but their next-door neighbor, Sohrab, changes his life. |
| Lockhart, E. | We Were Liars or any title by E. Lockhart | 2013 | Spending the summers on her family's private island off the coast of Massachusetts with her cousins and a special boy named Gat, teenaged Cadence struggles to remember what happened during her fifteenth summer. |
| Yamile Saied Méndez | Furia | 2020 | A 17-year-old Camila Hassan, a rising soccer star in Rosario, Argentina, dreams of playing professionally in defiance of her father's wishes and at the risk of her budding romance with Diego. |
| Myers, Walter Dean | Monster or any high school title by Walter Dean Myers | 1999 | While on trial as an accomplice to a murder, 16-year-old Steve Harmon records his experiences in prison and in the courtroom in the form of a film script as he tries to come to terms with the course his life has taken. |
| Oppel, Kenneth | Airborn or any title by Kenneth Oppel | 2004 | Matt, a young cabin boy aboard an airship, and Kate, a wealthy young girl traveling with her chaperone, team up to search for the existence of mysterious winged creatures reportedly living hundreds of feet above the Earth's surface. |
| Sepetys, Ruta | Between Shades of Gray (also released as Ashes in the Snow) or any title by Ruta Sepetys | 2011 | In 1941, 15-year-old Lina, her mother, and her brother were pulled from their Lithuanian home by Soviet guards and sent to Siberia, where her father was sentenced to death in a prison camp. She fights for her life, vowing to honor her family and the thousands like hers by burying her story in a jar on Lithuanian soil. Based on the author's family, it includes a historical note. This book contains strong violent content based on the experiences of Siberian prisoners. |
| Shusterman, Neal | Dry or any high school title by Neal Shusterman | 2018 | A lengthy California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, turning Alyssa's quiet suburban street into a warzone, and she is forced to make impossible choices if she and her brother are to survive. |
| Silvera, Adam | More Happy Than Not | 2015 | After enduring his father's suicide, his own suicide attempt, broken friendships, and more in the Bronx projects, Aaron Soto, sixteen, is already considering the Leteo Institute's memory-alteration procedure when his new friendship with Thomas turns to unrequited love. |
| Skloot, Rebecca | The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks or any title by Rebecca Skloot | 2010 | This book documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling discoveries in such areas as cancer research, in vitro fertilization, and gene mapping. (nonfiction) |
| Stiefvater, Maggie | Raven Boys or any title by Maggie Stiefvater | 2012 | Though she is from a family of clairvoyants, Blue Sargent's only gift seems to be that she makes other people's talents stronger. When she meets Gansey, one of the Raven Boys from the expensive Aglionby Academy, she discovers that he has talents of his own--and that, together with their talents, are a dangerous mix. This book contains the frequent use of strong language. |
| Venkatraman, Padma | A Time to Dance or any other title by Padma Venkatraman | 2015 | In India, a girl who excels at Bharatanatyam dance refuses to give up after losing a leg in an accident. (novel in verse) |
Grade 11
| Author | Title | Publication Date | Annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acevedo, Elizabeth | The Poet X or any other title by Elizabeth Acevedo | 2018 | Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and fierceness do the talking. (novel in verse) |
| Aveyard, Victoria | Red Queen or any other title by Victoria Aveyard | 2015 | In a world divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, gifted with superhuman abilities--17-year-old Mare, a Red, discovers she has an ability of her own. To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his sons. But Mare risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard --a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. |
| Bardugo, Leigh | Six of Crows or any other title by Leigh Bardugo | 2015 | Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction--if they don't kill each other first. This book contains several instances of graphic violence. |
| Gaiman, Neil | The Graveyard Book or any other title by Neil Gaiman | 2008 | The orphan Bod, short for Nobody, is taken in by the inhabitants of a graveyard as a child of eighteen months and raised lovingly and carefully to the age of eighteen by the community of ghosts and otherworldly creatures. |
| Green, John | The Fault in Our Stars or any other title by John Green | 2012 | A 16-year-old Hazel, a stage IV thyroid cancer patient, has accepted her terminal diagnosis until meeting with a boy at a cancer support group forces her to reexamine her perspective on love, loss, and life. |
| Hesse, Monica | They Went Left | 2020 | An 18-year-old Zofia Lederman, a Holocaust survivor, travels across post-war Europe as she searches for her younger brother, Abek, and seeks to rebuild her shattered life. |
| Keplinger, Kody | That's Not What Happened | 2015 | In the three years since the Virgil County High School Massacre, a story has grown around one of the victims, Sarah McHale, that says she died proclaiming her Christian faith--but Leanne Bauer was there and saw what happened. She has a choice: stay silent and let people believe in Sarah's martyrdom, or tell the truth. |
| Lee, Stacey | The Downstairs Girl | 2019 | 1890, Atlanta. By day, 17-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid for the cruel Caroline Payne, the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for 'the genteel Southern lady.' |
| Lewis, John | March or any other title by John Lewis | 2013 | Book One spans John Lewis' youth in rural Alabama; his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King Jr. It also includes the birth of the Nashville Student Movement and their battle to tear down segregation through nonviolent lunch counter sit-ins, building to a stunning climax on the steps of City Hall. (graphic novel/nonfiction) |
| Mafi, Tahereh | A Very Large Expanse of Sea or any title by Tahereh Mafi | 2018 | In 2002, a 16-year-old Muslim girl named Shirin started over at yet another high school, having dealt with the prejudice and abuse that followed 9/11. She copes with the anti-Islamic animosity by turning to music and break-dancing. She meets Ocean James, who comes from a very different background, but wants to get to know her. But she's had the walls up for so long that she doesn't know if she can let him in. |
| McCullough, David | 1776 or any title by David McCullough | 2005 | In this masterful book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence-when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed. The noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper. (nonfiction) |
| McGinnis, Mindy | Heroine or any title by Mindy McGinnis | 2019 | When a car crash sidelines Mickey just before softball season, she has to find a way to hold on to her spot as the catcher for a team expected to make a historic tournament run. Behind the plate is the only place she's ever felt comfortable, and the painkillers she's been prescribed can help her get there. The book contains an exploration of the opioid crisis. |
| Reynolds, Jason | Long Way Down or other high school title by Jason Reynolds | 2017 | As Will, 15, sets out to avenge his brother Shawn's fatal shooting, seven ghosts who knew Shawn board the elevator and reveal truths Will needs to know. (novel in verse) |
| Ribay, Randy | After the Shot Drops or any title by Randy Ribay | 2018 | Told from alternating perspectives, Bunny takes a basketball scholarship to an elite private school to help his family, leaving Nasir, his best friend, behind in their tough Philadelphia neighborhood. |
| Wile, Deborah | Kent State | 2020 | Told from different points of view--protesters, students, National Guardsmen, and "townies"--recounts the story of what happened at Kent State in May 1970, when National Guardsmen killed four college students, and a student protest was turned into a bloody battlefield. (free-verse/nonfiction) |
Grade 12
| Author | Title | Publication Date | Annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acevedo, Elizabeth | With the Fire on High or any other title by Elizabeth Acevedo | 2019 | Teen mother Emoni Santiago struggles with the challenges of finishing high school and her dream of working as a chef. |
| Anderson, Laurie Halse | The Impossible Knife of Memory or any other high school title by Laurie Halse Anderson | 2014 | Hayley Kincaid and her father move back to their hometown to try a 'normal' life, but the horrors he saw in the war threaten to destroy their lives. |
| Atkinson, Rick | The Army at Dawn or any title by Rick Atkinson | 2002 | In 1942-43, North Africa became a proving ground where American officers learned how to lead and just what it took to vanquish the enemy. This book is the first volume in a trilogy about the liberation of Europe in World War II. (nonfiction) |
| Brown, Don | The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees | 2018 | An important, timely, and eye-opening exploration of the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis, exposing the harsh realities of living in and trying to escape, a war zone. (graphic novel/nonfiction) |
| Crutcher, Chris | Whale Talk or any other title by Chris Crutcher | 2001 | There's bad news and good news about the Cutter High School swim team. The bad news is that they don't have a pool. The good news is that only one of them can swim anyway. Bestselling author Chris Crutcher's controversial and acclaimed novel follows a group of outcasts who take on inequality and injustice in their high school. |
| Culley, Betty | Three Things I know Are True | 2020 | When Liv's older brother, Jonah, accidentally shoots himself with his best friend Clay's father's gun, her life changes forever. Now Jonah needs round-the-clock care just to stay alive and Liv feels like she's the only one who can still see her brother inside his broken body. When Liv's mom sues Clay's family, Liv knows there are lines that she can't cross, but Clay is her friend, too, and she refuses to give up on Clay and Jonah. (novel in verse) |
| Deuker, Carl | Swagger | 2013 | High school senior point guard Jonas Dolan is on the fast track to a basketball career until an unthinkable choice puts his future on the line. |
| Emezi, Akwaeke | Pet | 2019 | In a near-future society that claims to have gotten rid of all monstrous people, a creature emerges from a painting seventeen-year-old Jam's mother created, a hunter from another world seeking a real-life monster. |
| Grisham, John | The Firm or any title by John Grisham | 1999 | Mitch McDeere, a Harvard Law graduate, becomes suspicious of his Memphis tax firm when mysterious deaths, obsessive office security, and the Chicago mob figures into its operations. |
| Hammonds Reed, Christina | The Black Kids | 2020 | With the Rodney King riots closing in on high school senior Ashley and her family, the privileged bubble she has enjoyed, protecting her from the difficult realities most black people face, begins to crumble. |
| Holland, Sara | Everless or any title by Sara Holland | 2018 | In a land where the rich can hoard time, Jules Ember returns to the estate where she and her father used to be servants and where the youngest son of an aristocratic family is planning to marry the queen's daughter. |
| Hosseini, Khaled | A Thousand Splendid Suns or any title by Khaled Hoesseini | 2007 | Two women born a generation apart witness the destruction of their home and family in war-torn Kabul, losses incurred over 30 years that test the limits of their strength and courage. |
| Jackson, Tiffany D. | Allegedly | 2017 | A young girl convicted of murder as a child serves her sentence only to be placed in a group home, where, upon her release, she must grapple with starting over and unplanned pregnancy. |
| Krakauer, Jon | Into Thin Air or any title by Jon Krakauer | 1999 | The author relates his experience of climbing Mount Everest during its deadliest season and examines what it is about the mountain that makes people willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense. (nonfiction) |
| Magoon, Kekla | How It Went Down or any title by Kekla Magoon | 2014 | When 16-year-old Tariq Johnson is shot to death, his community is thrown into an uproar because Tariq was Black and the shooter, Jack Franklin, is white, and in the aftermath everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events agree. |
| Medina, Meg | Burn Baby Burn or any high school title by Meg Medina | 2016 | Nora Lopez is 17 during the summer of 1977 when New York is besieged by arson, a massive blackout, and a serial killer named Son of Sam. Meg Medina transports us to a time when tempers and temperatures ran high to share the story of a young woman who discovers that the greatest dangers are often closer than we like to admit. |
| Panetta, Kevin | Bloom | 2019 | Ari can't wait to escape his home town and the boredom of working in his family's bakery. He has plans to move to the city and hopes to make it big with his band. But before he can move forward, his family needs to find a replacement for him at the bakery. That's when he meets Hector, one of the candidates for his job. And the more they get to know each other, the more obvious it becomes that there could be a love connection if Ari plays his cards right. (graphic novel) |
| Slater, Dashka | The 57 Bus or any other high school title by Dashka Slater | 2017 | If it weren't for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard, a Black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes (nonfiction) |
| Stone, Peter | The Perfect Candidate | 2018 | When Cameron Carter goes straight from high school in small-town California to a summer internship with a powerful U.S. Congressman he admires, he soon learns that not everything in Washington, D.C., is as it appears. |
| Sullivan, Mark | Beneath a Scarlet Sky or any title by Mark Sullivan | 2017 | In 1940s Italy, teenager Pino Lella joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps and falls for a beautiful widow. He also becomes the personal driver of one of the Third Reich's most powerful commanders. |