Featured Reads

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100 Days! (An All Are Welcome Early Reader)

Alexandra Penfold

Celebrate 100 days of learning in this Step 2 Early reader featuring the beloved characters from the New York Times Bestselling picture book All Are Welcome! Perfect for emerging readers who are proud to show what they are learning in school.

The kids from All Are Welcome are celebrating a new milestone in school: 100 days! How do they celebrate? They each bring 100 things to school to share. They’ve learned so much with their friends, and they’ve only just begun!

Step 2 Readers use basic vocabulary and short sentences to tell simple stories. They are ideal for children who recognize familiar words and can sound out new words with help. Perfect for children who are ready to read on their own!

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Ellie Finds Her Voice

Callie Barkley

In the thirtieth book of the Critter Club series, Ellie recovers her love for singing to help an injured fox.

Ellie is heartbroken when she has a less-than-great audition for a singing contest. The Critter Club decides to cheer her up with a snowy trip to the mountains, where they’ve volunteered to help a fox sanctuary with an injured fox. When the fox takes a liking to Ellie’s singing, Ellie realizes she must regain confidence in her own voice.

With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The Critter Club chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.

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Big Bub, Small Hat

Alastair Heim

A monster wants to wear a hat that is too small for his head in this funny Ready-to-Go! Ready-to-Read, the third book in the Big Bub series.

Big Bub the monster wants to wear a hat, but it is too small. What will he do? He will get creative—and silly too—in this follow-up to Big Bub, Small Tub and Big Bub, Small Car!

Perfect for kids at the beginning of their reading journeys, Big Bub, Small Hat was written for children who have learned the alphabet and are ready to start reading! And what better way to get kids excited than with a hilarious story with words they can read on their own?

Each Ready-to-Go! Ready-to-Read includes a note to parents explaining what their child can expect, a guide at the beginning for readers to become familiar with the words they will encounter in the story, and reading comprehension questions at the end. Each Ready-to-Go! story contains about 100 words and features sight words, rhyming words, and repetition to help children reinforce their new reading skills. In this book, readers will learn twenty-two sight words and sixteen words from seven word families. So come on and get reading!

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Light It Up! (Avatar Legends Bending Academy: Fire #1)

Ash J. Wu

Four young Firebenders enter their island’s regional Firebending Tournament in the first book of this new original chapter book series taking place in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender!

Adaki dreams of being a powerful Firebender, but at eleven years old, he feels like he’s not where he should be. So when the chance to train with his school’s best firebending master arises, Adaki jumps at the opportunity, even though it means he and his friends will have to compete in a tournament full of older kids with more experience—and more attitude. When training does not go as planned—what do cooking and math have to do with being a Firebender?—Adaki begins to wonder: Can he and his friends overcome their inexperience and defeat the older competitors?

This funny, action-packed story is the first in a new illustrated chapter book series set in the world of Avatar Legends, perfect for young readers who love stories about adventure and friendship!

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Salmon Run

Annie Chen

A Junior Library Guild Gold Selection

★ "The art is a wonder in both style and effectiveness. . . This is an exemplary use of illustrations to convey the biological processes that are often unseeable to humans. R*" - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

An exquisitely presented account of the life cycle of a Pacific salmon that is sure to entice young naturalists with its accessible design and inviting and informative text

She begins as a tiny orange egg . . . smaller than a pea! Salmon Run follows a Pacific coho salmon as she begins her journey in the freshwater rivers of Washington State, travels to the vast Pacific Ocean, and finally returns to the place of her birth to spawn and begin the cycle of life once again.

During this arduous adventure that spans hundreds of miles, she will grow and change through five distinct stages of life: egg, alevin, fry, smolt, and adult. From river to estuary to ocean, she will hide from predators, search for food, and encounter a range of marine environments.

With a careful balance of scientific accuracy and luminous illustrations, Salmon Run invites young readers to explore the remarkable life of this keystone species in the North Pacific ecosystem--and the magic of its journey home.

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Wish Upon a Star: The Science, Magic and Meaning of Stars

Catherine Ard

A beautifully illustrated non-fiction book about stars for children aged 7+, covering the science, their various forms in nature, and the myths, stories and symbolism that they have inspired.

A richly illustrated guide to the myths, histories and science of stars. Covering their various forms, including constellations and galaxies, how we study stars and our connections to stars, including navigation, astronomy, art and mythology from around the world.

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Soup's on Around the World

Denyse Waissbluth


From the creators of Teatime Around the World, this poetic picture book takes readers ages 4-8 across the globe exploring different soups and soup traditions!

Soup's on. A tasty treat.
Fill your bowl up. Time to eat!

Through vibrant illustrations and heartwarming text, Soup's On Around the World invites readers on a flavorful journey of soups across the globe, each with its own unique history and traditions!

Every soup tells its own story, revealing fascinating stories such as:
 

  • The popular Chinese dish, Wonton Soup, is over 1000 years old
  • In Finland, a unique Christmas dried fruit soup is served as a sweet dessert, topped with whipped cream
  • Bitter-leaf Soup, a traditional dish from West Africa, was first used to treat illnesses
  • French Onion Soup was possibly invented by a king!


Bright, detailed pictures by acclaimed artist Chelsea O'Byrne brings to life Denyse Waissbluth's joyous celebration of soup. With sidebars full of delicious facts, this second title in the Taste the World series is a celebration of diversity and deliciousness exploring a beloved food--soup!--and all the tasty ways we can enjoy a bowl (or two!).

The second book in the Taste the World series

Discover the world through food in this vibrant picture book series that celebrates culture and diversity. Taste the World takes young readers on a delicious journey, introducing them to different traditions, cultures and countries, and the unique dishes that bring communities together. With rich illustrations and poetic stories, this series inspires curiosity, appreciation for global cultures, and the joy of sharing a meal.

 

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The Six Triple Eight

Tonya Abari



 

A powerful and vibrantly illustrated account of the resilience and dedication of the unsung Black heroines who played a major role in World War II. Perfect for fans of Hidden Figures, Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free, and Tyler Perry's blockbuster film The Six Triple Eight.

In 1944, the United States was facing a unique wartime crisis--too much mail! Millions of letters and packages, stacked from floor to ceiling, sat unsent in cold, dark warehouses, with no one to sort through the backlog and no way to deliver mail to the troops.

Enter the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.

Formed of Black women who had advocated fiercely for their right to enlist in the U.S. military, the "Six Triple Eight" battalion had one special task: sort and send the mail. It wasn't easy, but the Six Triple Eight got to work!

Putting in long hours to send out each piece of mail in record time, they had a four-word motto that powered them through: "No mail, low morale!" As they helped deliver support to the soldiers on the frontlines, these women proved there was nothing they couldn't do!

Former teacher turned multigenre writer and editor Tonya Abari and debut illustrator Lance Evans honor these women with a stunning nonfiction picture book sure to educate and inspire future generations.

The Six Triple Eight is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!

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Paloma Flies Away

María J. Guarda

Paloma's home has changed. The dictator who took over the country has stripped its people of their freedoms, and it's no longer OK to think for yourself. So, like birds, Paloma and her parents fly away in search of a new home, without a chance to pack or say goodbye. The new country is different and generous, and their arrival is a big adventure. Though things are unfamiliar and Paloma misses the country she left, her new friends are soon like family, and she feels right at home. Then she grows older, and more changes come, and Paloma and family are flying away again, to a country she can barely remember . . . With a simple narration and stunning illustrations, María J. Guarda brings us a tender story about home, family, and identity during times of immeasurable change.

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