Kids
The Watsons go to Birmingham-- 1963
Christopher Paul Curtis
jFICTION Curtis, Christopher Paul
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor, Kids
The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in the summer of 1963.
Midnight without a moon
Linda Williams Jackson
jFICTION Jackson Linda
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Kids
Rose Lee Carter, a thirteen-year-old African-American girl, dreams of life beyond the Mississippi cotton fields during the summer of 1955, but when Emmett Till is murdered and his killers are unjustly acquitted, Rose is torn between seeking her destiny outside of Mississippi or staying and being a part of an important movement.
It's summer in Mississippi in 1955 and one town over from where Rose Lee Carter lives with her grandparents, a boy named Emmett Till is murdered. Unrest begins to build, and Rose Lee is forced to question everything she's ever known and decide whether to join a dangerous movement for change in the South. Complex, multilayered characters dealing with wider social change as well as family events. -Anne W
The giver
Lois Lowry
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Lowry, Lois
Dystopian, Classics, Kids, Fiction, Science Fiction
Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.
A dystopian classic about a haunting world of total conformity, in which a 12-year-old boy begins slowly to uncover the secrets of the society with no discontent but also no choice or feelings. -Anne W
When you reach me
Rebecca Stead
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Stead, Rebecca
Kids, Fiction, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Mystery
As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.
Mix of sci-fi, mystery, and historical fiction (set in the 1970s), a middle-school girl must investigate the source of mysterious notes that appear in her personal belongings and, she realizes, predict the future. Time travel! -Anne W
El deafo
Cece Bell
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Bell
Graphic Novels, Kids
The author recounts in graphic novel format her experiences with hearing loss at a young age, including using a bulky hearing aid, learning how to lip read, and determining her "superpower."
In this funny, poignant graphic novel memoir, author/illustrator Cece Bell chronicles her hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic Ear, a very powerful—and very awkward—hearing aid. -Anne W
The hidden witch
Molly Ostertag
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Ostertag
Graphic Novels, Kids
When Aster's non-magical friend Charlie finds herself the target of a curse, Aster and his unconventional talent for witchery must find the source of the curse before more people get hurt.
As the sequel to The Witch Boy continue so does Aster’s difficulty in breaking out of his gender role so he can train to be a witch, previously a girl’s only role. His willingness to work hard pays off in his ability to help others, making him likable and ambitious. It is a perfect time to read the sequel as the third book in this series comes out in Nov. 2019. -Angie
Harold & Hog pretend for real!
Mo Willems
jREADER Willems Mo
Kids, Early Readers
Can the friendship of best friends Harold and Hog, a carefree elephant and a careful hog, survive a game of pretending to be Mo Willems's Elephant and Piggie?
This meta–early reader begins (between the end pages and the title page) with the famous duo Elephant and Piggie expressing excitement about reading a book about a pig and an elephant who happen to be best friends, just like them. Piggie holds a copy of Harold & Hog Pretend for Real!—which is identical to the book readers are holding, leading them to believe that the characters are reading the same book. Piggie and elephant Gerald then open the cover of the book just as elephant Harold and Hog push it open from the inside, and the story seamlessly shifts to the latter pair’s perspective. Harold and Hog—illustrated with depth and fairly realistically, compared to the cartoonlike Piggie and Gerald—are excited to see the famous duo, and Harold suggests they pretend to be them. Harold then produces round, wire-rimmed glasses for himself and a cartoon pig’s snout for Hog so that they can pretend “for real.” Unfortunately, Hog is “too CAREFUL to be Piggie,” and Harold is “too CAREFREE to be Gerald!” The question then arises: Can Harold and Hog’s friendship survive this game? Building on the popular Elephant and Piggie books and with the frame story contributed by Mo Willems, Santat creates yet another early reader that is at once playful, self-aware, and perceptive in its exploration of the differences of personalities and the complications (or simplicities) of friendship. A hoot for readers who already know Elephant and Piggie. -Kirkus Reviews -Angie
Drawn together
Minh Lê
jE Le
Kids, Picture Books
A boy and his grandfather cross a language and cultural barrier using their shared love of art, storytelling, and fantasy.
It can sometimes be hard for grandparents to connect with their grandchildren due to generational gaps. Add a language barrier and the challenge becomes even more difficult. Drawn Together by Minh Le is a children’s book about a young boy spending time with his grandfather. They don’t speak the same language, eat the same food, or like the same TV. This is a beautiful story that will resonate with the entire family. -Angie
A drop of the sea
Ingrid Chabbert
jE Chabbert
Kids, Picture Books
When Ali's aged great-grandmother, with whom he lives, tells him the one thing she wishes for that she never did was to see the sea, two days walk away across the desert, he sets out with a pail to make the journey for her.
This is a gorgeous inter-generational tale about devotion and dreams coming true at any age. The love Ali feels for his great-grandmother is universal, and children everywhere will recognize their own best selves in Ali's heroic act of kindness. -Angie
The biggest puddle in the world
Mark Lee
jE Lee
Kids, Picture Books
"When Sarah and Charlie go to stay with their grandparents, it rains for days. At first, they have fun exploring inside the big, old house, but eventually they want to explore outside, too. "Where does the rain come from?" Sarah asks her grandfather, Big T. He promises to show her once it stops raining. When the storm passes, Sarah, Big T., Charlie and Keeper the dog go exploring. They jump in puddles, draw a puddle map and finally find the biggest puddle in the world!"--
The weather may be damp and gray, but smiles are sunny and spirits while at their grandparents are high in this picture book. The book is ideal for sharing on a rainy day or for inspiring outdoor adventures with grandparents. -Angie
You will laugh out loud again and again until the end, when you'll cry. A family from Michigan goes to visit relatives down South in Birmingham for the summer. Ten year old Kenny, the protagonist, has a wonderful voice and spirit. -Anne W