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By: Donald J. Sobol
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This series is definitely an “oldy but a goody” cult classic series! The books follow Leroy Brown, who is the son of the Idaville police chief. He is one of the smartest kids in his class, and has quite few friends. Not only does he do well with the school books, he is also quite keen on solving mysteries around town! Dinner time with his father involves talk of the cases that he is working on. Throughout the book, Leroy sorts through key details and clues that lead the to the culprit. The most fun thing about this series is that the books are presented in an interactive format that allows the reader to feel like they are walking in the detective clues themselves! “How did Encyclopedia Brown know he was the thief? Turn to page 80 and find out!” The end of the book contains the break down of clues that led to the discovery of the guilty party. This series puts the readers into a mindset to really put their thinking caps on and save the day!

*Early Chapter Book | Mystery
*Target Audience: 3-5
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Teaching Points:
-Problem Solving
-Context Clues
-Sequencing Events

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By: Elana K. Arnold
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This is a brilliantly written book about a boy with autism, though that is not the overriding theme of the text. Bixby Alexander Tam is a third-grade boy nicknamed Bat. He was given this name by classmates because his “flaps” when he is excited and he is sensitive to sound, just like bats. One day, instead of bringing home the vanilla yogurt for Bat, his mother (a veterinarian) brings home an orphaned skunk kit. Bat falls in love with the skunk, and wants to keep him. He looks up all the information he can about how to care for the animal in order to prove to his mother that he can care for the skunk kit as a pet instead of releasing him to a shelter. He even goes so far as to email a skunk expert about keeping skunks as pets. The character is developed in such a way that readers are able to understand the way that Bat thinks and the way that he is being perceived. I truly love this heartwarming tale and the fact that it did not focus on the autism as an overdone caricature representation, but allowed readers to really see the heart and soul of a young bot struggling with everyday things like friendship and coping with a new family dynamic (divorce).

*Early Chapter Book | Realistic Fiction
*Target Audience: 2-4
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Teaching Points:
-Acceptance
-Understanding
-Compassion
-Inclusion
-Autism

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By: Juana Medina
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“My name is Juana. It’s spelled J-u-a-n-a and it is pronounced WHO-AH-NAH.” I absolutely fell in love with this culturally immersive bilingual book! The author takes us on a ride with a young Colombian girl who, at the start of a new school year, finds that she will be taking a class that will teacher her “the English”. She is appalled and finds it completely unnecessary to have to learn the language. She asks around to her friends and family and, to her surprise, they all think it is a good idea! She struggles with the language and all of its nuances. However, her grandparents reveal to her that she must learn the language, as they will be traveling o Florida to see Astroman! The presentation of the story is phenomenal – including beautiful illustrations and swirling, curling words across the pages. This story resonates with readers who have had to learn English as a second language, and even those who struggle with it as a first language! I believe that this humorous tale of the Brussel sprout loving, book reading, spirited Juana will keep young readers engaged and begging for the next installment in the series!

*Early Chapter Book | Realistic Fiction
*Target Audience: 2-4
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Teaching Points:
-Literacy
-Language
-Culture

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By: Debbie Michiko Florence
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This book introduces a Japanese American girl named Jasmine into the literary world! She has a desire to be a part of the traditional New Year’s mochi making event, but her family tells her that at only 8 years old, she is too young. To add further insult to injury, her older sister gets to participate in the event while Jasmine is left to babysit the younger cousins. With her grandmother coming all the way from Japan and other cousins and family making the trek for the event as well, Jasmine just wants to prove herself to everyone! Not only does she sneak into helping during the event, but she takes a job that is traditionally done by the males – pounding the rice. Though she gets into trouble for the non-traditional choices that she makes, she certainly embodies strength and determination in a feisty small package! She even manages to gain the respect of her sister for being so brave and strong. This book is an easy read, and boldly introduces a multicultural character that represents a group that is sorely underrepresented in children’s literature.

*Early Chapter Book | Realistic Fiction
*Target Audience: 3-4
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Teaching Points:
-Strength
-Determination
-Confidence
-Family
-Culture/Heritage
-Traditions

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By: Barbara Robinson
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This book is one of my childhood favorites! It is certainly a read and re-read kind of tale that evokes laughter every time! The Herdmans are a family of 6 children that create havoc wherever they go. They are not the cleanest children, and are not from the most upstanding family in the community. When they hear that the church offers snacks after Sunday School, they decide to visit. They just happen to visit on the Sunday of the Christmas play auditions. After bullying their way through, they get the lead roles in the play. The Herdmans discover the story of the birth of Jesus, in quite a comical way. And in the end, they present the story in a manner that only the Herdmans can! While this story focuses on the “horrible Herdmans”, it also reminds the readers about tolerance and acceptance. These were children who were dealt a difficult hand in life, and got by the best way that they knew how. They were a tough group, but people around them had to learn to be examples of what kindness and civility can really look like. Religious overtones aside, the lesson of acceptance that can be taught through this humorous tale is well worth the read!

*Early Chapter Book | Fiction | Humor
*Target Audience: 2-4
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Teaching Points:
-Acceptance
-Tolerance
-Patience

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By: Ellie Terry
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Callie is a character that has Tourette syndrome. When she was younger, she found that she was able to hide it better. As she has gotten older, the ticks are harder to manage. She is especially self-conscious about it, as she does not stay in a single school for too long. Her mother tends to go through a stream of boyfriends, who she always follows wherever they go. This creates quite an unstable home life and school environment for Callie. We are also introduced to the other narrator, Jinsong. He is a boy that Callie meets at her latest school. Though he wants to be friends with her, the peer pressure to not be seen hanging out with the “freak new girl” leaves him torn for quite some time. We are able to see the evolution of the friendship between these two from both perspectives throughout the book. I really enjoyed reading this book, as it was an homage to the misunderstanding that is associated with Tourette syndrome. It also explores the narratives of family dynamics and new friendships.

*YA Fiction | Contemporary | Realistic Fiction | Chapter Book
*Target Audience: 7-9
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Teaching Points:
-Acceptance
-Disability Understanding
-Friendship
-Family Relationships
-Friendship
-Peer Pressure

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By: Adam Silvera
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This story is sure to give the reader ALL the feels! It is a gut-wrenching and direct approach to what happens when we are faced with our own mortality. In this literary interpretation of our world, a company called ‘Death-Cast’ calls people on the day that they are going to die. Mateo and Rufus, strangers to one another, both receive the call on the same day. For Mateo, the realization and instant regret for not living life to the fullest immediately sink in. For Rufus, the effects take a bit longer over the course of the day to set in. The two meet through an app called ‘Last Friend’, which connects people who do not want to spend their last day alone. While the synopsis may seem dark, the overall tone of the book is actually one of self-reflection and friendship, laced with humor and ending with love.

*YA Fiction | Contemporary | Chapter Book
*Target Audience: 11-12
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Teaching Points:
-Mortality
-Living Life to the Fullest
-Overcoming Fears
-Love

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By: Jeff Zentner
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This book is a powerful expose on the effects of texting and driving. Carver sends a text message to his friend, knowing that he is driving the time. In a haste to respond, the friend gets into a crash, killing all three of Carter’s best friends. Throughout the book, he deals with the grief of loss, the guilt and self-deprecating resonance of feeling that he caused the death of his best friends. We see him suffer through graphically described panic attacks in his efforts to cope with the new normal around him. The novel is so named for the “goodbye day” that he spends with the families of his deceased friends. They share memories and say proper goodbyes to the boys. This book is such a richly portrayed and deeply involved narrative about the life changing effects of our choices, and finding your place in a world that can change so quickly.

*YA Fiction | Realistic Fiction | Contemporary | Chapter Book
*Target Audience: 9-12
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Teaching Points:
-Texting & Driving
-Mortality
-Mental Health
-Loss
-Grief
-Friendships

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By: Garth Stein
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This book follows the story of Enzo and his family, and is told from his perspective of it all. Enzo, is in fact, a dog! We follow him from the time he was a puppy and first met his owner, Denny and through many ups and downs of the family’s lives. The title of the book is a reference to the main character Denny, who is a racecar driver that has a particularly well- known skill for being able to race well in the rain. This sentiment, throughout the book, is presented metaphorically. If you cannot focus and keep on track during the hard times and difficult situations, you will fall off course and never reach the destination. The philosophical overtones of the novel come from Enzo and his desire to be human upon reincarnation. He spends so much time taking in knowledge and observing things around him, making him such an insightful character in the novel. One of the many things that I enjoyed about this multifaceted read was understanding the importance of listening and not interjecting into a situation or conversation. Observation allows for so much learning and understanding of the world around us!

*YA Fiction | Contemporary | Chapter Book
*Target Audience: 10-12
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Teaching Points:
-Metaphors
-Personification
-Family Dynamics
-Loss

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"Americanized: Rebel Without A Green Card'

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"Americanized: Rebel Without A Green Card'

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By: Sara Saedi
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This book is based on the real-life experiences of the author, Sara Saedi. She is an Iranian-American immigrant living in the States illegally. Brought here when she was only two years old, her parents moved mountains and sacrificed tremendously to make sure that she and her siblings grew up in a free land. She discusses aspects of her Iranian culture, as well as her fear or being deported back to Iran where she is unfamiliar with pretty much everything. The combination of serious moments and wit that she infuses throughout this memoir make it such a pleasure to read. It is a story that has a common pervading theme in this country right now, and will open the conversational floodgates about what life looks like for someone on in a situation like this.

*YA Nonfiction | Autobiography | Chapter Book
*Target Audience: 6-12
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Teaching Points:
-Immigration
-Iranian Culture & History

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By: David Anderson
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This ode-to-tween novel gives an intricate glimpse into the world where words are cast without a care and just how far reaching the negative effects can be. The students in this middle school are so concerned with being popular and accepted, that they are lacking in the areas of empathy, tolerance, acceptance, and compassion. After a series of unappealing text messages are sent between groups of students, all of the cell phones are taken away. Students are then assigned to write their “texts” on post-it notes. While this is not my absolute favorite book, I enjoyed the messages that it provided for tween readers. Words are powerful, and can be weaponized and dangerous. Thinking before speaking and always being mindful that NOTHING social is private, can really help deter some of the negative cyber interactions. This book would really make a good class read!

*YA Fiction | Realistic Fiction | Chapter Book
*Target Audience: 6-8
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Teaching Points:
-Social Media Best Practices
-Tolerance
-Respect
-Effective Communication

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By: Jen Petro-Roy
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In Good Enough, we are introduced to a character that is being admitted into a program for her struggle with an eating disorder. When Riley is picked on about her weight, she becomes determined to lose it, which ultimately leads to an unhealthy obsession with her weight, and overall an eating disorder. The book was written as a journal, which allows the reader to really connect with all of the raw emotion that Riley experiences on her journey into the spiral of her eating disorder. I am particularly fond of the way that the author navigates the story all the way through the recovery as well, and that she chose to do so in such a realistic fashion. Riley struggled, really struggled, with the recovery process. This book does such a good job of unearthing the secrecy and embarrassment that often accompanies this disease. This is certainly a read that evokes emotion and will spark conversation about serious and often glossed over topics that affect tweens.

*YA Fiction | Chapter Book
*Target Audience: 5-8
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Teaching Points:
-Eating Disorders
-Anorexia
-Mental Health
-Social Stigmas

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By: Tony Abbott
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Firegirl follows the story of Tom, a middle school boy whose life is changed by a new student named Jessica. After being left in the car during a store run with her mother, the car ignites and Jessica is trapped inside and traumatically burned. At her new school, students were not accepting, and even referred to her as “mushy”, after one student held her hand during prayer and was revolted by the texture of her burned skin. After this very public display, Jessica began to miss school. As Tom lived in the same neighborhood, he is asked by the teacher to take Jessica’s homework to her. During this time, Tom finds a picture of a very pretty blonde girl that Jessica dropped. She says that it is her deceased sister. Tom also learns that Jessica has a contentious relationship with her mother, who she blames for her accident. From this point on, Tom and Jessica grow closer as friends. He begins to defend her at school. Resulting, more students become accepting of Jessica, and even stop picking on her. At the story’s end, Tom discovers that the girl in the photo was really Jessica, before she was badly burned. This story delves into the world of a girl who was physically and emotionally traumatized by a life changing accident. It did not shy away from serious issues, and was quite an emotionally charged and intense read at times!

*YA Fiction | Chapter Book
*Target Audience: 6-8
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Teaching Points:
-Compassions
-Friendship
-Embracing Differences
-The Power of Words

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By: Lois Lowry
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In this dystopian world, we meet Jonah. He lives in a society where everything is peachy, as far as he knows. Because he is turning twelve, he and all of his friends are being assigned a job within the society, for which they will begin training each day. Jonah is unsure of his assignment, as it is not something that he has heard of before. He will be “the Receiver”. He meets with the Giver each day, and begins to learn things that he never before knew – he sees colors, experiences temperatures, becomes aware of sunshine. After receiving pleasant things, the Giver begins to transmit painful memories and other upsetting things to Jonah. Over the course of his training, his eyes are opened to the reality of the community where he lives, and he is not pleased with the life that he and his community are being forced to live. He wants everyone to experience things, to feel. The idea in the book that living only in the now without regard or desire to know more about the past or worry for the future can be limiting, and even dangerous. The ambiguity of the ending leaves something to be desired, but also opens up the avenues for meaningful conversation.

*YA Fiction | SciFi | Chapter Book
*Target Audience: 6-8
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Teaching Points:
-Emotions
-Death
-Living Beyond Expectations

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By: Sid Fleishman
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This book is an old classic! When tough talking orphan Jemmy does not cow-tow to Prince Horace (more commonly referred to as Prince Brat), he is assigned to the task of whipping boy. This means that, whenever the Prince gets into trouble and issued a punishment, it is Jemmy who will receive the punishment. Prince Brat gets into a lot of trouble, which really puts Jemmy through it! When the Prince does not receive the attention of his father, the King, with his antics he decides to run away from home. The Prince and Jemmy embark on an adventure that takes them through some humbling experiences, in which the Prince learns the value of the friendship that Jemmy provides. When they return home, Prince Brat does away with the post of whipping boy, and Jemmy is a full member of the kingdom.

*Juvenile Fiction | Chapter Book
*Target Audience: 3-6
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Teaching Points:
-Friendship
-Humanity
-Historical Aspects of Nobility