Read-Aloud Recommendations
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One, Two, Grandpa Loves You
Set to the classic rhyme of "One Two, Buckle My Shoe," this full-color picture-book story is a joyful ode to the special bond between grandfathers and their grandchildren, from acclaimed creators Shelly Becker and Dan Yaccarino.
One, two, Grandpa loves you.
Three, four, rush to the door.
Five, six, camping trip.
Seven, eight, best travel mate.A girl and her grandfather strike out on an outdoor adventure in this heartfelt rhyming picture book.
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Let's Go Puddling!
Grab a raincoat, pull on some boots, and head out the door for a joyful celebration of splish-sploshing in puddles. Squelch!
Clouds gather,
skies darken,
rain falls,
puddles appear.
Yippee! Here comes the rain! Three families meet up in front of their high-rise apartment building, all with the same idea. The children can’t wait to stimp-stamp-stomp through the muddy puddles until their boots overflow—then snuggle with the grown-ups on the couch as their soggy socks dry. Emma Perry’s buoyant text summons the thrill of being outdoors regardless of the weather, while Claire Alexander’s lively watercolors capture the children’s exuberant play amid the splashing drops. -
I Was Born a Baby
Don't miss this irresistible read-aloud in the vein of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom--with catchy rhymes and bold, silly art about baby animals and the names they share!
I was born a baby and grew into a kid...
Soon all the other baby animals can't help but share what they are called and what they grew up into! Readers will learn about owlettes, pufflings, and more. But when the chick, calf, cub, and pup realize they share their names with several other species, they can't believe it. "No way! No how! That can't be true!" becomes a catchy, energetic refrain readers will love chanting.
The text invites readers to predict what the baby animal is by using context clues and checking the endpapers to see if they guessed right.
The strong rhythm and unexpected discoveries of the baby animal kingdom, plus deadpan humor and wonderfully expressive art, will spark a conversation about names and nature and leave readers wanting to read it aloud again and again.
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Firefighter Flo!
Ring! Clang! Firefighter Flo and her team race to stop a fire in this picture book filled with bold art and fun onomatopoeia.
Last night at the Fire Station…
With a jingly-jang, the telephone rang.
RING-RING! RING-RING!
Firefighter Flo jumps out of bed! There’s a fire and only a pro like Flo and her team can help. Read along as the firefighters put on their fireproof suits, rush off in their truck, douse the fire with the big hose, and rescue the family pet. The CLANG of the siren and WHOOSH of the fire will have parents and kids reading aloud together.
The Big Jobs, Bold Women series introduces even the youngest readers to strong women in tough hands-on jobs. The first in the series, Firefighter Flo! makes this empowering message accessible with a showstopping art and story about a job every kid loves. Don't miss out on the second book in the series, Crane Jane!
With dynamic artwork from Dan Yaccarino, Nickelodeon character designer for The Backyardians, and energetic verse from Andrea Zimmerman, best-selling author of Trashy Town, Firefighter Flo is the perfect read for kids who love to watch the big red fire trucks rush by. -
Bear Has a Belly
In this multilayered Big, Little Concepts book for preschoolers, explore body parts along with animals and celebrate the differences and similarities of our wonderful bodies.
A soft, round belly,
Bear has a belly.
I do too!Do you have a nose like Fox, cheeks like Squirrel, and a tongue like Frog does? In rhythmic text perfect for an energetic read-aloud, Bear Has a Belly points out Moose's legs, Otter's back, and Duck's feet, inviting little ones to chime in with every body part they share in common. Bright photographs of the animal friends are paired with images of real children of diverse backgrounds and abilities who are joyfully engaging with that body part.
Jane Whittingham, author of Animals Move and A Good Day Ducks, channels her expertise as a children's librarian into yet another celebration of active preschooler fun. The chant-along text supports pattern recognition for language learning and reading readiness, and a closing spread of enriching age-appropriate activities invite further exploration and learning. The book's Toddler Tough format with a padded cover, rounded corners, and extra-heavy pages makes it a sturdy choice for endless repetitions of foot-stomping, belly-laughing, body-positive story times.
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Ready to Soar
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Rabbit Listened, a story of learning to stay true to yourself, rather than what others want you to be.
Riley made a paper airplane and couldn’t wait to let it soar. But just before the plane could take off—SQUAWK. An eagle swoops in and insists Riley’s plane could never fly. It’s much too small. So Riley makes it bigger! But just as this bigger paper airplane is ready to go, a parrot squawks that the plane is way too boring to fly. So Riley makes it fancier! Bird after bird offers advice, and Riley tries making the airplane faster longer, taller, and slimmer.
When the plane crashes to the ground after all these changes, Riley finally meets a more supportive friend . . . and rediscovers the joy and wonder of soaring. -
Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover
From critically acclaimed author Lucy Ruth Cummins and Pete Oswald, New York Times bestselling illustrator of The Sour Grape and The Big Cheese, comes a story featuring Sleepy Sheepy and his very first sleepover!
It's time for Sleepy Sheepy's very first sheepover! But when it's time for bed, Sleepy Sheepy CANNOT SLEEPY! You see, his blankets scratch, and his pj's don't match! Sleepy Sheepy...misses his home! Will Grammy and Grampy ever get their favorite little sheep to sleep?
From acclaimed author Lucy Ruth Cummins and brought to life by New York Times bestselling illustrator Pete Oswald (The Bad Seed, The Good Egg, The Smart Cookie, The Sour Grape), Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover is a fun and funny bedtime read-aloud that will appeal to any child who has felt a bit unsure at their first sleepover.
Praise for Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover:
"Young readers needn’t feel sheepish about appreciating this sweet, entertaining story." --Kirkus reviews
"Amusing and endearing. As a classroom read-aloud choice, this picture book is sure to elicit sleepover memories from young listeners." --Booklist
"With humor that can only be dubbed fluffy and terrific bouncy rhymes, this warm bedtime story of a “sheep-over” will be a comfort for young children." -- School Library Journal
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Buffalo Fluffalo
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Introducing a sweet and silly buffalo who tries to bluff and fluff his way into being bigger than he really is. This laugh-out-loud story by an Emmy-nominated comedy writer shows it’s okay to be yourself.
I’m the Buffalo Fluffalo
I heave and I huffalo
Leave me alone because
I’ve had enuffalo.
Buffalo Fluffalo arrives on the scene puffed up with self-importance. Stomping around and raising billows of dust, Buffalo Fluffalo proclaims his superiority to the other creatures—the ram, the prairie dog, and the crow—who just want to be his friend. So Buffalo Fluffalo, who has had enuffalo, heads off to grumble to himself. Suddenly, a rain shower pours down from the clouds and—what’s this? All of his fluffalo is a soggy mess! There Fluffalo stands, a drenched pip-squeak without his disguise. The other animals, who could see through Fluffalo’s bravado from the start, circle around to comfort him. As prairie dog says with a smile in his eyes, You’re great how you are, no matter your size.
Readers will find Buffalo Fluffalo’s insecurity endearing and will be moved to reassure him. This humorous and delightful book encourages self-acceptance with a lighthearted touch.
Kids Recommendations
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A Very Cranky Book
The first picture book collaboration from bestselling husband-and-wife team Tony and Angela DiTerlizzi is the charmingly irreverent tale of a very cranky book . . . who might not be so cranky after all.
Are you ready to meet the world's crankiest book
Cranky doesn't want to be read. He just wants you to leave him alone. After all, there are so many other things you can do--ride a bike, play a game, or draw a picture. There's no reason for you to be bothering him! But when other books show up for story time, will Cranky change his mind
Angela and Tony DiTerlizzi, two creative forces, have crafted a story as silly as it is clever. In the vein of Grumpy Monkey and The Day the Crayons Quit, this tale humorously explores the big emotions of one very cranky book.
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Raindrops to Rainbow
A gentle rhyming picture book that shows how color can be found all around us, whether there are raindrops falling or a bright rainbow high above.
Raindrops are falling outside, but there's still a world of color to experience! Delightful rhymes and brilliant illustrations detail how a gloomy, rainy day might not actually be so gloomy after all when you get to spend time with Mom, Brown Bear, and the colors around you. And when a "beaming rainbow, bold and bright" cuts through the sky, everyone gets to experience the joy of all the colors that can only come after the rain. -
There's a Dragon in Your Book
OH LOOK! The cutest baby DRAGON has hatched inside YOUR book! Get ready for another lively, interactive read-aloud in the Who's In Your Book series!
This infectious read-aloud invites kids to use their powers of imagination--along with some stamping, blowing, and flapping--to save their book from an adorable baby dragon's flammable sneezes!
First, you'll see there's an egg in your book. Then, a darling little dragon hatches from it! But whatever you do, don't tickle its nose, because you don't want it to sneeze. ACHOO! UH-OH!
Bestselling author and musician Tom Fletcher and illustrator Greg Abbott have once again created a creature that readers will fall in love with--and want to play with--again and again!
Don't miss a single story in the Who's In Your Book series- There's a Monster In Your Book
- There's a Dragon In Your Book
- There's an Elf In Your Book
- There's an Alien in Your Book
- ...and more books to come!
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Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur?
The creator of Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover), Off-Limits, and I’m a Unicorn brings her original whimsy to the tale of a child’s special friend who goes missing after a bath—or does he?
Help! This little girl has lost her best friend. He’s a dinosaur (not the extinct kind). He’s enormous (bigger than a panda!). He was last seen before she gave him a bath and washed off all the mud (maybe that wasn’t a good idea?). She’s tried to lure him with snacks and put up Lost Dinosaur posters, but nothing has helped. If only it weren’t such a clear day—if only it were raining, or snowing, or the leaves were falling, or . . . something. Would it help if she drew a picture? With delicate visual sleights of hand and an underlying sweetness, author-illustrator Helen Yoon invites us to see through a child’s eyes. -
Are You a Cheeseburger?
A Kids' Indie Next List pick! Laugh-out-loud humor and a tender friendship blossom in author-illustrator Monica Arnaldo's charming picture book about a lonely raccoon and a glowing seed, and the world's most important question: Can this seed grow cheeseburgers?
Grub is a lonely racoon. Rumbling in the trash. Looking for food.
Seed is, well, a seed! Patiently waiting in the trash. Hoping someone will plant it.
When the two finally meet, they realize they might be able to help each other! Grub has just one big question first: What will Seed grow? Could Seed grow Grub's favorite food, mouthwatering cheeseburgers? Seed isn't sure what a cheeseburger is exactly, but . . . maybe!
And so begins a hilarious friendship following two unlikely strangers learning more about the other and discovering the pressure that comes with fulfilling expectations. Author-illustrator Monica Arnaldo will leave readers giggling and clamoring for more in this charming story that celebrates the unexpected--and how the most special friendships bloom only when we are unapologetically ourselves.
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Penguin Problems
Have you ever thought: I have so many problems and nobody even cares? Well, penguins have problems too! Discover them in this hilarious collaboration from Jory John (All my friends are dead. and Quit Calling Me a Monster!) and Lane Smith (The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales)!
This penguin has come to tell you that life in Antarctica is no paradise. For starters, it is FREEZING. Also, penguins have a ton of natural predators. Plus, can you imagine trying to find your mom in a big ol’ crowd of identical penguins? No, thank you.
Yes, it seems there is no escaping the drudgery of your daily grind, whatever it might be. Or perhaps we’ve just learned that grumps are everywhere. . . .
This book is sure to tickle kids’ funny bones and will elicit appreciative sighs from the adults reading it aloud.
"We are all Mortimer [the main character in Penguin Problems]." —The New York Times
“Bursting with humor.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The snark level is cranked up high.” —The Horn Book, Starred
“Will be right at home with fans of Jon Klassen’s This Is Not My Hat.” —Booklist
“Classic comedy.” —Publishers Weekly
“Rib-tickling.” —School Library Journal
Teen Recommendations
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The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway
"Ashley Schumacher's latest novel is a delightful read, with diverse characters and an irresistible setting. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway proves that there's no better place to find yourself than at a Renaissance Faire." - Jen Deluca, author of Well Met
Dumplin' meets Well Met in this novel about finding your place in the world, learning love is a risk worth taking, and discovering what happens when you take your fate into your own hands.
Since her mother’s death, Madeline “Gwen” Hathaway has been determined that nothing in her life will change ever again. That’s why she keeps extensive lists in journals, has had only one friend since childhood, and looks forward to the monotony of working the ren faire circuit with her father. Until she arrives at her mother’s favorite end-of-tour stop to find the faire is under new management and completely changed.
Meeting Arthur, the son of the new owners and an actual lute-playing bard, messes up Maddie’s plans even more. For some reason, he wants to be her friend - and ropes her into becoming Princess of the Faire. Now Maddie is overseeing a faire dramatically changed from what her mother loved and going on road trips vastly different from the routine she used to rely on. Worst of all, she’s kind of having fun.
Ashley Schumacher's The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is filled with a wise old magician who sells potion bottles, gallant knights who are afraid of horses and ride camels instead, kings with a fondness for theatrics, a lazy river castle moat with inflatable crocodile floaties, and a plus-sized heroine with a wide open heart... if only she just admits it.
"Set in one of my favorite places in the world — a Renaissance Faire full of jousts, royalty, bards, and castles— this is a wise, beautiful, funny book with tremendous heart. I absolutely loved it." - Jamie Pacton, author of The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly and Lucky Girl -
Turtles All the Way Down
FEATURED ON 60 MINUTES and FRESH AIR
“So surprising and moving and true that I became completely unstrung.” – The New York Times
Named a best book of the year by: The New York Times, NPR, TIME, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Entertainment Weekly, Southern Living, Publishers Weekly, BookPage, A.V. Club, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Vulture, and many more!
JOHN GREEN, the acclaimed author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, returns with a story of shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.
Aza Holmes never intended to pursue the disappearance of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Pickett’s son Davis.
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. -
Six of Crows
The Grishaverse will be coming to Netflix soon with Shadow and Bone, an original series
Enter the Grishaverse with the #1 New York Times-bestselling Six of Crows.Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price--and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone. . . .
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.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.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo returns to the breathtaking world of the Grishaverse in this unforgettable tale about the opportunity--and the adventure--of a lifetime.
"Six of Crows is a twisty and elegantly crafted masterpiece that thrilled me from the beginning to end." -New York Times-bestselling author Holly Black
"Six of Crows is] one of those all-too-rare, unputdownable books that keeps your eyes glued to the page and your brain scrambling to figure out what's going to happen next." -Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra
"There's conflict between morality and amorality and an appetite for sometimes grimace-inducing violence that recalls the Game of Thrones series. But for every bloody exchange there are pages of crackling dialogue and sumptuous description. Bardugo dives deep into this world, with full color and sound. If you're not careful, it'll steal all your time." --The New York Times Book Review
Praise for the Grishaverse"A master of fantasy." --The Huffington Post
"Utterly, extremely bewitching." --The Guardian
"The best magic universe since Harry Potter." --Bustle
"This is what fantasy is for." --The New York Times Book Review
" A] world that feels real enough to have its own passport stamp." --NPR
"The darker it gets for the good guys, the better." --Entertainment Weekly
"Sultry, sweeping and picturesque. . . . Impossible to put down." --USA Today
"There's a level of emotional and historical sophistication within Bardugo's original epic fantasy that sets it apart." --Vanity Fair
"Unlike anything I've ever read." --Veronica Roth, bestselling author of Divergent
"Bardugo crafts a first-rate adventure, a poignant romance, and an intriguing mystery " --Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series
"This is a great choice for teenage fans of George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien." --RT Book Reviews
Read all the books in the Grishaverse
The Shadow and Bone Trilogy
(previously published as The Grisha Trilogy)
Shadow and Bone
Siege and Storm
Ruin and RisingThe Six of Crows Duology
Six of Crows
Crooked KingdomThe Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic
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A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
THE MUST-READ MULTIMILLION BESTSELLING MYSTERY SERIES • This is the story about an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect. Coming to Netflix soon!
Everyone in Fairview knows the story.
Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.
But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?
Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.
And don't miss the sequel, Good Girl, Bad Blood!
"The perfect nail-biting mystery." —Natasha Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author -
Salt and Sugar
The grandchildren of two rival Brazilian bakeries fall in love despite their families' feud in this delicious debut rom-com perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Gloria Chao.
Trust neither thin-bottomed frying pans nor Molinas.
Lari Ramires has always known this to be true. In Olinda, Brazil, her family's bakery, Salt, has been at war with the Molinas' bakery across the street, Sugar, for generations. But Lari's world turns upside down when her beloved grandmother passes away. On top of that, a big supermarket chain has moved to town, forcing many of the small businesses to close.
Determined to protect her home, Lari does the unthinkable--she works together with Pedro Molina to save both of their bakeries. Lari realizes she might not know Pedro as well as she thought--and she maybe even likes what she learns--but the question remains: Can a Ramires and a Molina truly trust one another? -
After the Fire
An Edgar Award finalist
A gripping and unforgettable story of survival after life in a cult, inspired by the survivors of the Branch Davidian siege in Waco, Texas, 1993
The things I've seen are burned into me, like scars that refuse to fade.
Before, she lived inside a fence with her family. After, she's trapped, now in a federal facility.
Before, she was never allowed to leave the property, never allowed to talk to Outsiders, never allowed to speak her mind. After, there are too many people asking questions, wanting to know what happened to her, trying to find out who she really is.
Before, she thought she was being protected from something. After, people are telling her that now she's finally safe.
She isn't sure what's better, before or after, all she knows is that there are questions she can't answer, and if everything she's been told is a lie, how can she know who's telling the truth now?
Suspenseful and moving, After the Fire is perfect for readers looking for
- cult books and stories
- young adult historical fiction
- binge-worthy teen thrillers
- an intense, ripped-from-the-headlines plot
- compulsively readable books that keep you hooked until the very end
Praise for After the Fire:
"Genuinely different...thrilling and spellbinding!"--Patrick Ness, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"The gripping story of survival and escape...It will keep you up late until you get to the very end."--Maureen Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of Truly Devious
"A heartrending portrait of a young girl's struggle to survive a domineering religious sect and the resilience of the human spirit; this belongs on every YA shelf." --School Library Journal
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Kill Her Twice
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl comes a YA murder mystery noir set in 1930s Los Angeles’s Chinatown.
“A captivating and crackling noir full of suspenseful twists. Readers will fall in love with the Chow sisters and their quest for the truth.” —Kathleen Glasgow, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces and The Agathas
LOS ANGELES, 1932: Lulu Wong, star of the silver screen and the pride of Chinatown, has a face known to practically everyone, especially the Chow sisters—May, Gemma, and Peony—Lulu’s former classmates and neighbors. So the girls instantly know it’s Lulu when they discover a body one morning in an out-of-the-way stable, far from the Beverly Hills home where she lived after her fame skyrocketed.
The sisters suspect Lulu’s death is the result of foul play, but the police don’t seem motivated to investigate. Even worse, there are signs that point to a cover-up, and powerful forces in the city want to frame the killing as evidence that Chinatown is a den of iniquity and crime, even more reason it should be demolished to make room for the construction of a new railway depot, Union Station.
Worried that neither the police nor the papers will treat Lulu fairly—no matter her fame and wealth—the sisters set out to solve their friend’s murder themselves, and maybe save their neighborhood in the bargain. But with Lulu’s killer still on the loose, the girls’ investigation just might put them square in the crosshairs of a cold-blooded murderer.