Special Collections
Summer Fun for Emerging Readers
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Frederick
by Leo LionniWhile the other field mice work to gather grain and nuts for winter, Frederick sits on a sunny rock by himself.
"I gather sun rays for the cold dark winter days," he tells them. Another day he gathers "colors," and then "words."
And when the food runs out, it is Frederick, the dreamer and poet, whose endless store of supplies warms the hearts of his fellow mice, and feeds their spirits during the darkest winter days.
Frederick's story will warm readers as well in this Caldecott Honor winning fable.Now available as an eBook.
We Are Water Protectors
by Carole LindstromInspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption―a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade. Water is the first medicine. It affects and connects us all . . . When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth And poison her people’s water, one young water protector Takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.
Steam Train, Dream Train
by Tom Lichtenheld and Sherri Duskey RinkerThe team behind the #1 New York Times bestseller Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site returns with another fabulous book for bedtime!
The dream train pulls into the station, and one by one the train cars are loaded: polar bears pack the reefer car with ice cream, elephants fill the tanker cars with paints, tortoises stock the auto rack with race cars, bouncy kangaroos stuff the hopper car with balls.
Sweet and silly dreams are guaranteed for any budding train enthusiasts!
Space Boy
by Leo LandryThis world, decides Nicholas, is too noisy for him.
Time to take a trip.
He packs a snack, puts on his suit, and takes off . . . to the utterly quiet craters and vast deserts of the distant moon.
In this utterly charming picture book, the allure of space travel and the longing for peace and quiet entice a young boy to take his space rocket to the moon for a picnic.
The Kids of Cattywampus Street
by Lisa Jahn-Clough&“An extraordinary book.&” --Lemony Snicket, author of A Series of Unfortunate Events Lovers of Roald Dahl and Louis Sachar's Sideways Stories from Wayside School will be captivated by the adventures of this very special group of friends who live on the same street.In this delightful chapter book filled with black-and-white pictures, you'll meet Jamal, Lindalee, Hans, Matteo, and others--the kids who live on Cattywampus Street, not far from the Waddlebee Toy Store. Each of the eleven chapters in this magical, mysterious, silly, scary, happy, and sometimes sad chapter book tells an utterly unforgettable tale about one of the kids. Whether it's about Jamal and his magic ball, which knows how to find him after its been stolen away; or Charlotta, who shrinks so small that she can fit inside her dollhouse; or Rodney, whose pet rock becomes the envy of all the kids on Cattywampus Street, here are stories sure to charm, captivate, and engage all readers of chapter books, even the most reluctant.
The Deaf Musicians
by Pete Seeger and Paul Dubois JacobsLee is a piano man. Every night, he plays jazz for the crowd. It sounds something like this:
Plink-a-plink-BOMP-plink-plink.
Yimba-timba-TANG-ZANG-ZANG.
One night, Lee's bandmates notice something is off. Lee's music comes out like this:
Ronk. Phip. Tonk.
There's no way to hide it: Lee is losing his hearing. Then Lee discovers sign language. And soon after, he meets Max, who plays the sax. Together they form a new band-the Deaf Musicians. But who will listen to a deaf musician?
With The Deaf Musicians, Pete Seeger, Paul DuBois Jacobs, and three-time Coretta Scott King Honor winner R. Gregory Christie present an inspiring story of overcoming obstacles, set to a jazzy score.
OO-AH, BE-DOOP, BE-DOOP, OO-AH, YEAH!
Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award
Dear Professor Whale
by Megumi IwasaNow that Professor Whale has retired, he writes many letters to "You, Whoever You Are, Who Lives on the Other Side of the Horizon". Seal and Pelican are busy delivering the letters and Penguin is now teaching. Although he is happy his friends are doing so well, Whale wants a special friend, who might call him by a friendly sort of name. Like Whaley, maybe, instead of "Professor."
In this charming follow-up to the international bestseller Yours Sincerely, Giraffe, another correspondence flourishes across the horizons. The letters bring penguins, whales, and seals together in the famous Whale Point Olympics, where the winners are friendship and humor.
Charlie & Mouse
by Laurel Snyder and Emily HughesFour hilarious stories, two inventive brothers, one irresistible story! Join Charlie and Mouse as they talk to lumps, take the neighborhood to a party, sell some rocks, and invent the bedtime banana. With imagination and humor, Laurel Snyder and Emily Hughes paint a lively picture of brotherhood that children will relish in a format perfect for children not quite ready for chapter books.
Winner of the 2018 Theodore Seuss Giesel Award
Toot & Puddle
by Holly HobbieIt's a glorious day in Woodcock Pocket. The sun is shining, the birds are singing . . . and Toot is moping.
The Very Noisy Night
by Diana HendryLittle Mouse keeps Big Mouse awake with his worries about nighttime noises.
Big Mouse offers him earmuffs, but the quiet only makes Little Mouse feel lonely.
By morning, both mice are sound asleep in Big Mouse's bed.
Dory Fantasmagory
by Abby HanlonDory the rascal turns learning to read into a hilarious adventure through the power of imagination
Ever since Dory met Rosabelle, a real true friend whose imagination and high spirits match her own, school has been pretty good. But now the class is learning to read, and it's proving to be a challenge for Dory.
While Rosabelle can read chapter books in her head, Dory is stuck with baby books about a happy little farm. Dory wishes for a potion to turn her into a reader but things don't go as planned. Suddenly, a naughty little girl who looks an awful lot like Dory's imaginary nemesis, Mrs. Gobble Gracker, shows up. And a black sheep leaves the pages of the farm book to follow Dory to school. It really needs her help--this seems like a job for a superhero!
And it would help if she knew how to read. I
n her third book, Dory the rascal takes reluctant reading to new heights with a story that is as one-of-a-kind and hilarious as she is.
My New Mom & Me
by Renata GalindoHere is a heartwarming and completely accessible story about adoption, diversity, and acceptance. Told from the point of view of a puppy who is adopted by a cat, this gentle and reassuring tale is perfect for very young readers and listeners.
When the puppy comes to live with his new mom, he is nervous. After all, his mom has stripes and he doesn't. But his mom says she likes that they look different, and soon the puppy likes it, too. (And who cares what anyone else thinks!)
The puppy's new mom does all the things other parents do. She plays with him, takes care of him, and sometimes even makes him mad! But that's okay, because when he's feeling sad, she knows just what to say.
The Gruffalo
by Julia DonaldsonA mouse is taking a stroll through the deep, dark wood when along comes a hungry fox, then an owl, and then a snake. Mouse outwits them by talking about his friend, the gruffalo, a creature with terrible claws, and terrible tusks in its terrible jaws, and knobbly knees and turned-out toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of its nose. Of course, there's no such thing as a gruffalo... or is there?
Oona
by Kelly DiPucchioThis comical and heartfelt picture book is a winning celebration of invention, creativity, and friendship. With gorgeous underwater scenes and a crowd-pleasing tale, this is one little mermaid who is here to make a splash! New York Times bestselling author Kelly DiPucchio and illustrator Raissa Figueroa would like to introduce Oona-the big wide sea's littlest mischief-maker. Oona and her best friend Otto love to search for treasure...and often find trouble instead. Messy trouble. Tricky trouble. Even shark-related trouble. That's never stopped them before, though! After all, no proper treasure hunt is without some adventure. But when the grandest treasure yet is stuck in a deep, dark rift, Oona's not sure if she can dive right in. What might be waiting for her in those unknown waters?
Becoming Charley
by Kelly DiPucchioA New York Times bestselling author and an award-winning illustrator team up for a striking, modern-day take on The Very Hungry Caterpillar that celebrates staying true to oneself.
Everyone is trying to teach Charley the right way to become a butterfly: Eat your milkweed! Think black! Think orange!But Charley's busy admiring the many beautiful things in the world. Like the swaying trees, and the tall mountains, and the turquoise sea. . . . Is there really a "right" way for Charley to become a butterfly?
Young readers will see themselves in Charley--a little caterpillar with an emerging identity--in this dazzling picture book that beautifully explores the nature of self-love.
J.D. and the Hair Show Showdown
by J. DillardEight-year-old kid barber J.D. takes his talent to an Atlanta hair show in this illustrated chapter-book series.At only eight years old, J.D. the Kid Barber has already won a barber battle and appeared on local TV. Now he&’s the youngest barber to be invited to the Beauty Brothers Hair Expo in Atlanta! J.D. gets the VIP treatment—he takes his first flight, rides in a limo for the first time, and gets gifts from the show&’s sponsors. At the show, there are hair classes to take, product samples to try, and some of J.D.&’s favorite hair influencers to meet. And, of course, there&’s his own demo alongside kid hairstylist, Isabel Is Incredible. But what J.D. is most excited about is snapping a pic with eleven-year-old rap sensation Li&’l Eazy Breezy, which is harder than it sounds! The world of hair and beauty is so much bigger than J.D. could&’ve imagined, and he&’s ready to step up his game. Check out the other chapter books in the J.D. the Kid Barber series:J.D. and the Great Barber Battle J.D. and the Family Business
The Lemonade War
by Jacqueline DaviesFor a full hour, he poured lemonade. The world is a thirsty place, he thought as he nearly emptied his fourth pitcher of the day. And I am the Lemonade King. Fourth grader Evan Treski is people-smart. He's good at talking with people, even grownups. His younger sister, Jessie, on the other hand, is math-smart, but not especially good with people. So when the siblings' lemonade-stand war begins, there really is no telling who will win--or even if their fight will ever end. Brimming with savvy marketing tips for making money at any business, definitions of business terms, charts, diagrams, and even math problems, this fresh, funny, emotionally charged novel subtly explores how arguments can escalate beyond anyone's intent. This book features a teaser chapter from book two of the Lemonade War series, The Lemonade Crime.
The Storm Whale
by Benji DaviesNoi and his father live in a house by the sea. Noi's father works hard as a fisherman, and Noi often has only their six cats for company.
So when, one day, he finds a baby whale washed up on the beach after a storm, Noi is excited and takes it home to care for it. He tries to keep his new friend a secret, but but there's only so long you can keep a whale in the bath without your dad finding out.
Noi is eventually persuaded that the whale has to go back to the sea where it belongs, but now very much aware of his son's loneliness, his father helps and in the weeks that follow the whale's return, finds time to do more with him, be it colouring or going on a picnic.
For Noi, even though he can't keep it, the arrival of the whale changes his life for the better - the perfect gift from one friend to another.
Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius
by Lynne CoxIn this picture book that is both heartwarming and exciting, join Yoshi, a sea turtle, on her remarkable journey as she swims farther than any animal in recorded history—23,000 miles!—to return to the beach where she first hatched, to lay her own eggs.
Inside every loggerhead turtle is genius: the ability to find their first home, no matter how far away. Follow one, from her birth on a beach in Australia…to her trip across an ocean filled with sharks and seahorses and much more…to her rescue from a net by a fisherman, who names her Yoshi…to her rehabilitation at an aquarium…to her record-breaking swim across the Indian Ocean to the beach on which she hatched, to lay her eggs.
Written by Lynne Cox, also a record-breaking swimmer, here is the true story of a sea turtle who swam the longest distance of any animal in recorded history.
Rot, the Cutest in the World
by Ben ClantonA mutant potato learns that he’s pear-fect just the way he is in this bright, fun, and silly picture book from the creator of It Came in the Mail that will have kids collapsing in giggles (and rescuing the contents of the vegetable drawer).
Rot is a mutant potato. Like most mutant potatoes, Rot loves all sorts of games and contests. So when he sees a sign for the “Cutest in the World Contest,” he can’t wait to enter.
But when Rot realizes who he’s up against—an itty-bitty baby bunny, a little-wittle cuddly kitten, and an eenie-weenie jolly jellyfish—he loses confidence. Will the judges find room in their hearts for an adorable mutant potato?
The Bear's Song
by Benjamin ChaudSweet has new meaning in this richly illustrated, immersive picture book about two bears on a big-city adventure.
Papa Bear is searching for Little Bear, who has escaped the den. Little Bear is following a bee, because where there are bees, there is honey!
When the quest leads both bears into the bustling city and a humming opera house, theatrical hijinks ensue, culminating in a deliciously harmonious reunion.
Children and parents alike will savor Benjamin Chaud's lush illustrations, and relish in the book's bonus seek-and-find elements.
Start Saving, Henry!
by Nancy CarlsonHenry's finally old enough to get an allowance, and he can't wait to spend it every week on giant jawbreakers, a huge pencil, and other silly things. But when Henry finds something he really wants, he discovers that saving money can be more difficult- and more rewarding-than he ever imagined. With candy-bright artwork, a popular main character, and a story that every child will relate to, Nancy Carlson's new book makes perfect "cents" for young readers!
Imani's Moon
by Janay Brown-Wood and Hazell MitchellWanting to do something great, Imani, a young Maasai girl with a loving mother, decides she wants to touch the moon and works hard to reach her goal despite the teasing of detractors, in a story complemented by facts about Maasai folklore and culture.
Ruby Bridges Goes To School
by Ruby BridgesThe extraordinary true story of Ruby Bridges, the first African-American child to integrate a New Orleans school--now with simple text for young readers!
In 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges walked through an angry crowd and into a school where she changed history.
This is the true story of an extraordinary little girl who helped shape our country when she became the first African-American to attend an all-white school in New Orleans. With simple text and historical photographs, this easy reader explores an amazing moment in history and the courage of a young girl who stayed strong in the face of racism.
Lexile Measure: 470L