African American Characters
Daniel Finds a Poem
By: Micha Archer
What is poetry? Is it glistening morning dew? Spider thinks so. Is it crisp leaves crunching? That’s what Squirrel says. Could it be a cool pond, sun-warmed sand, or moonlight on the grass? Maybe poetry is all of these things, as it is something special for everyone… Read More
Bippity Bop Barbershop
By: Natasha Tarpley
In this companion book to the bestselling “I Love My Hair!, ” a young boy, Miles, makes his first trip to the barbershop with his father. With the support of his dad, the barber, and the other men in the barbershop, Miles bravely sits through his first haircut. Read More
Dad, Who Will I Be?
By: G. Todd Tyler
Dad, Who Will I Be? is written by G.Todd Taylor, a former educator and child mental health expert with over 20 years of experience. This book inspires, encourages and educates young readers to be great by introducing to them heroes of color from a number of different professions on an elementary level… Read More
Not Norman: A Goldfish Story
By: Kelly Bennett
Norman the goldfish isn’t what this little boy had in mind. He wanted a different kind of pet — one that could run and catch, or chase string and climb trees, a soft furry pet to sleep on his bed at night. Definitely not Norman… Read More
Ada Twist, Scientist
By: Andrea Beaty
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… Read More
Jabari Jumps
By: Gaia Cornwall
Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He’s finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he’s a great jumper, so he’s not scared at all. “Looks easy,” says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back… Read More
Manners with a Library Book
By: Amanda Doering Tourville
Should your baby sister play with your library book? Find out how good manners can help everyone enjoy library books.
World of Reading: Black Panther: This is Black Panther (Level 1)
By: Alexander C. West
Learn how T’Challa, an African Prince, protects his nation and becomes the Super Hero Black Panther. Read More
Those Shoes
By: Maribeth Boelts
I Can Do Hard Things
By: Gabi Garcia
Riley Can Be Anything
By: Mrs. Davina Hamilton
The Snowy Day
By: Ezra Jack Keats
A Squiggly Story
By: Andrew Larsen
A young boy wants to write a story, just like his big sister. But there’s a problem, he tells her. Though he knows his letters, he doesn’t know many words. “Every story starts with a single word and every word starts with a single letter,” his sister explains patiently. “Why don’t you start there, with a letter?” So the boy tries… Read More
Bob, Not Bob!
By: Audrey Vernick
Little Louie is stuck in bed with a bad cold. His nose is clogged, his ears are crackling, and his brain feels full. All he wants is his mom to take care of him, but whenever he calls out for her, his stuffed-up nose makes it sound like he’s summoning slobbery dog Bob instead! Read More
Say Something
By: Peter H. Reynolds
In this empowering new picture book, beloved author Peter H. Reynolds explores the many ways that a single voice can make a difference. Each of us, each and every day, have the chance to say something: with our actions, our words, and our voices… Read More
The Very Last Castle
By: Travis Jonker
A curious little girl watches the man who guards the last castle in town. Every time she passes by him, she tries to catch his eye. While the other townspeople fear what may be locked up inside the mysterious castle, the girl finally gets up the courage to knock on the door and find out what’s really behind the gate… Read More
The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do
By: Ashley Spires
Lou and her friends are BRAVE adventurers. They run FASTER than airplanes. They build MIGHTY fortresses. They rescue WILD animals. But one day, when they re looking for a ship to play pirates in, Lou s friend has an idea: Up there! The tree can be our ship! Ummm … says Lou. This is something new. Lou has never climbed a tree before, and she is sure she can’t do it… Read More
The Day You Begin
By: Jacqueline Woodson
National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson and two-time Pura Belpre Illustrator Award winner Rafael Lopez have teamed up to create a poignant, yet heartening book about finding courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone… Read More
Rulers of the Playground
By: Joseph Kuefler
A stunning picture book about sharing, friendship, and kindness in a playground setting from Joseph Kuefler, the author/illustrator of Beyond the Pond. Perfect for fans of Jon Klassen and Oliver Jeffers.
One morning, Jonah decided to become ruler of the playground. Everyone agreed to obey his rules to play in King Jonah’s kingdom . . . Everyone except for Lennox . . . Read More
Allie all Along
By: Sarah Lynne Reul
Have you ever felt mad enough to stomp, smash, and crash? Allie has! Meet one angry little girl and see how she calms down, bit by bit—with the help of her understanding big brother.
Poor Allie! She’s in a rage, throwing a tantrum, and having a fit! Her emotions have built and built and now they just burst. Is there a sweet little girl hiding somewhere under all the angry layers? Read More
The Breaking News
By: Sarah Lynne Reul
When devastating news rattles a young girl’s community, her normally attentive parents and neighbors are suddenly exhausted and distracted. At school, her teacher tells the class to look for the helpers—the good people working to make things better in big and small ways. She wants more than anything to help in a BIG way, but maybe she can start with one small act of kindness instead . . . Read More
Dear Dragon
By: Josh Funk
George and Blaise are pen pals, and they write letters to each other about everything: their pets, birthdays, favorite sports, and science fair projects. There’s just one thing that the two friends don’t know: George is a human, while Blaise is a dragon! What will happen when these pen pals finally meet face-to-face? Read More
Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Library
By: Julie Gassman
Have you ever thought about bringing your dragon to the library? Don’t do it! You might have the best intentions, but that dragon will cause nothing but trouble. Using rhyming text and a diverse cast of characters, this charming picture book will provide some important–and some not so important–library etiquette in a very entertaining way. Read More
Save the Ocean
By: Bethany Stahl
From exciting and adventurous to educational and captivating, Bethany Stahl’s immersive stories express heartfelt messages while engaging parents and children. With beautiful and charming illustrations, as well as a lovable sea turtle named Agwe, this is a book adults will love reading over and over again with their kids. Save the Ocean has a heartwarming lesson of recycling and conservation that will stay with the reader for a lifetime. Read More
Off and Away
By: Cale Atkinson
How would you get mail if you lived in the middle of the sea? It’s Jo’s dad’s job to deliver it, taking bottles wherever they need to go. He always comes home with exciting stories to tell-but Jo is far too afraid to go out on the ocean herself. Until Dad gets a bad sea cold, that is. With no one but Jo to deliver the bottles, she must find her courage and set sail alone… Read More
One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree
By: Daniel Bernstrom
A sneaky snake has no idea that the captives in his belly are planning their escape! In the spirit of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback, the reader sees a cutaway of the snake’s belly and can even guess how the tale ends! Read More
A Boy Like You
By: Frank Murphy
There’s more to being a boy than sports, feats of daring, and keeping a stiff upper lip. A Boy Like You encourages every boy to embrace all the things that make him unique, to be brave and ask for help, to tell his own story and listen to the stories of those around him. In an age when boys are expected to fit into a particular mold, this book celebrates all the wonderful ways to be a boy. Read More
Ruby Finds a Worry
By: Tom Precival
Meet Ruby–a happy, curious, imaginative girl. But one day, she finds something unexpected: a Worry. It’s not such a big Worry, at first. But every day, it grows a little bigger . . . And a little bigger . . . Until eventually, the Worry is ENORMOUS and is all she can think about… Read More
How to Code a Sandcastle
By: Josh Funk
From the computer science nonprofit Girls Who Code comes this lively and funny story introducing kids to computer coding concepts. Pearl and her trusty rust-proof robot, Pascal, need to build a sandcastle before summer vacation is over, and they’re going to do it using code. Pearl breaks the big we-need-a-sandcastle problem into smaller steps… Read More
Izzy Gizmo
By: Pip Jones
Izzy Gizmo just loves to invent, but her inventions never seem to work the way she wants them to. When she finds a crow with a broken wing she just has to help. Izzy tries again and again to build him a new pair of wings, but nothing is working. Can Izzy overcome her failures? Or will her new crow friend never fly again? Read More
Trying Again (My Feelings, My Choices)
By: Emily Arrow
Have you ever tried something that didn’t work? Did you give up, or did you give it another try? When things don’t work, we can choose to learn and grow by Trying Again! It’s all part of understanding My Feelings, My Choices.
Keisha Ann Can!
By: Daniel Kirk
Keisha Ann is proud that she can ride the school bus, share with friends, and help the teacher. As she zips through her day, she knows what fun learning and playing can be. Full color. Read More
Astronaut Annie
By: Suzanne Slade
Career Day is approaching, and Annie can’t wait to show her family what she’s planning to be when she grows up. But, she must keep it a secret until Friday! So curious family members each ask Annie for a clue. Convinced that she’ll be a news reporter like he once was, Grandpop gives her his old camera and notebook to use for her presentation… Read More
Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion
By: Alex T. Smith
Yum! The lovely Alex serves up a sweet treat fairy tale. A hungry lion. A little girl. A box of doughnuts…? Gorgeous proof that a perfect picture book can look even more tempting than a sweet shop window. Worried about wolves? Don’t make Little Red laugh. She’s not even scared of hungry lions. After all, why would this furry chap want to gobble her up? She’s sure he’d rather have a doughnut… Read More
Rosie the Dragon and Charlie Make Waves
By: Lauren H. Kerstein
It’s summertime, and you’re invited for a rollicking day at the pool with Charlie and his pet dragon (and best friend!), Rosie. But be careful—swimming with a dragon can be, um, challenging. As Rosie and Charlie blow bubbles (don’t forget your umbrella!), practice flutter kicks (watch out for tidal waves!), and offer shoulder rides (hang on tight!), Rosie proves that dragons make the most fun pets ever. Now if only Charlie can keep Rosie’s attention focused on the rules at the pool… Read More
A Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague
By: Julia Finley Mosca
After touring a German submarine in the early 1940s, young Raye set her sights on becoming an engineer. Little did she know sexism and racial inequality would challenge that dream every step of the way, even keeping her greatest career accomplishment a secret for decades… Read More
The Secret Olivia Told Me
By: N. Joy
Can you keep a secret? Olivia has a BIG secret. It’s a secret that she tells only to her very best friend. And her friend promises she won’t say a word. But the secret is really BIG and JUICY. What happens when a trusted friend slips and the secret gets out? Can you keep a secret? In The Secret Olivia Told Me, find out what happens when Olivia’s friend can’t. Read More
Lizard from the Park
By: Mark Pett
While walking through the park, Leonard finds an egg. Inside is…a lizard! Leonard soon has a problem, though, and it’s bigger than you can imagine. Will Leonard be able to keep his lizard under wraps, or is it becoming too much trouble to handle? Read More
One Word from Sophia
By: Jim Averbeck
Sophia tries varied techniques to get the giraffe she wants more than anything in this playfully illustrated story about the nuances of negotiation. Sophia has one true desire for her birthday. But she has Four Big Problems in the way: Mom, Dad, Uncle Conrad…and Grand-mama. Will her presentations, proposals, and pie charts convince them otherwise? Read More
CHAMP: Building Character in The City
By: J.J. Spencer
The best book on building strong character for boys! In this bike-riding adventure, Champ goes on a quest thru his community and learns building blocks of character from everyday heroes. Along the way, Champ meets three heroes that teach him character traits he can begin to use right away… Read More
The King of Kindergarten
By: Derrick Barnes
Starting kindergarten is a big milestone–and the hero of this story is ready to make his mark! He’s dressed himself, eaten a pile of pancakes, and can’t wait to be part of a whole new kingdom of kids. The day will be jam-packed, but he’s up to the challenge, taking new experiences in stride with his infectious enthusiasm! Read More
Grace for President
By: Kelly DiPucchio
“Where are the girls?” When Grace’s teacher reveals that the United States has never had a female president, Grace decides she wants to be the nation’s first and immediately jumpstarts her political career by running in her school’s mock election! The race is tougher than she expected: her popular opponent declares that he’s the “best man for the job” and seems to have captured the votes of all of the class’s boys. But Grace is more determined than ever… Read More
Sulwe
By: Lupita Nyongo’o
Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything… Read More
Green Pants
By: Kenneth Kraegel
For kids who march to their own drum or are especially attached to a comfort object here is a completely adorable character who wears his singularity in style. Jameson only ever wears green pants. When he wears green pants, he can do anything. But if he wants to be in his cousin’s wedding, he’s going to have to wear a tuxedo, and that means black pants. It s an impossible decision: Jameson would love nothing more than to be in his cousin’s wedding, but how can he not wear green pants? Read More
Last Stop on Market Street
By: Matt de la Pena
Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don’t own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them. Read More
Firstgarten
By: Carliss Maddox
Firstgarten is about a little boy named Michael, who loved his kindergarten class so much that when it was time for him to go to first grade, he didn’t want to go. Michael was overcome with so much fear about going to first grade, that he decides to come up with a plan to attend both grades at the same time! As Michael enters his first-grade classroom, he looks for the little round tables he once had in his kindergarten class, but all he sees are desks that look larger than life… Read More
Olive Olvare’s Long Long Hair
By: Amariah Rauscher
Olive Olvare loves her shiny black hair so much that she refuses to cut it. Not even a trim on the ends! When her long, long, long hair begins to tangle things up, she realizes that she needs to find a place where her hair will have room to grow… Read More
Raising Dragons
By: Jeradine Nolen
When a dragon hatches on her pa’s farm, a young girl finds a best friend. At first Ma and Pa are wary of Hank, but it’s not long before they see him as their daughter does–and welcome the baby dragon into their family… Read More
Monster Trouble
By: Lane Frederickson
Nothing frightens Winifred Schnitzel—but she DOES need her sleep, and the neighborhood monsters WON’T let her be! Every night they sneak in, growling and belching and making a ruckus. Winifred constructs clever traps, but nothing stops these crafty creatures. What’s a girl to do? Read More
My Kicks: A Sneaker Story
By: Susan Verde
Boys love sneakers. But when a child finds that his toes have outgrown his favorite shoes, and they’ve gotten too dirty and smelly, his mom says it’s time for a new pair. Resistant to let go, the boy reminisces about all the good times he’s had with his favorite kicks on the city streets… Read More
King and Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats
By: Dori Hillestad Butler
Kayla made peanut butter treats for Jillian’s new puppy, Thor. But now the treats are missing. What does Kayla know? There are three treats missing. King was in the kitchen. King’s breath doesn’t smell like peanut butter. What does King know? There’s an intruder in the house… Read More
King and Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code
By: Dori Hillestad Butler
Kayla and Mason both got mysterious letters, written in code. What does Kayla know? The same person left both letters. It’s someone she and Mason both know. The two letters are the same, except for the second word. What does King know? Jillian left the letters. What do the letters say? Read More
The Library Book
By: Tom Chapin
What’s the best way to cure a gloomy day? A trip to the library! Based on the hit song by Tom Chapin and Michael Mark, here is an affectionate, exuberant, uproarious celebration of books, reading, and—SHHH!—libraries! Read More
Pedro’s Big Goal
By: Fran Manuschkin
Pedro dreams of playing goalie for the next big soccer match. But he worries he’s too slow and too small. Will Pedro meet his big goal? Reader-support tools, such as a glossary and discussion questions, make this a great choice for early-readers. Read More
The Hula-Hoopin Queen
By: Thelma Lynne Godin
Kameeka is confident that today she will finally beat her rival, Jamara, and become the Hula-Hoopin Queen of 139th Street. But then Mama reminds her that today is their neighbor Miz Adeline s birthday, and Kameeka has a ton of chores to do to get ready for the party they are hosting. Kameeka s disappointed to be stuck at home and can only think about the hoopin competition… Read More
Bedtime Bonnet
By: Nancy Redd
This joyous and loving celebration of family is the first-ever picture book to highlight Black nighttime hair traditions–and is perfect for every little girl who knows what it’s like to lose her bonnet just before bedtime. Read More
Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment
By: Parker Curry and Jessica Curry
When Parker Curry came face-to-face with Amy Sherald’s transcendent portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama at the National Portrait Gallery, she didn’t just see the First Lady of the United States. She saw a queen—one with dynamic self-assurance, regality, beauty, and truth who captured this young girl’s imagination. When a nearby museum-goer snapped a photo of a mesmerized Parker, it became an internet sensation. Read More
Saturday
By: Oge Mora
In this warm and tender story by the Caldecott Honor-winning creator of Thank You, Omu!, join a mother and daughter on an up-and-down journey that reminds them of what’s best about Saturdays: precious time together. Read More
Big Hair, Don’t Care
By: Crystal Swain-Bates
Lola has really really REALLY big hair, much bigger than the other kids at her school, but that doesn’t stop her from telling anyone who will listen just how much she LOVES her hair! Read More
Shanti Saves Her Money
By: Lisa Bullard
Shanti wants to try the Monster Ride. It’s the wildest ride at Fun Park! But the Monster costs money. So Shanti makes a special save jar. She tries not to spend all her allowance. She even helps her busybody brother study! But will Shanti save enough for a turn on the Monster? Read More
Pumpkin Day
By: Candice Ransom
In this Step 1 Step into Reading early reader, a boy and his family visit a pumpkin patch to pick out perfect autumn gourds—just in time for Halloween! Buoyant rhymes and joyful art evoke the excitement of the season. Read More