What do you do when you have nominated books whose titles are questions? You make a list!
This collection of “20 questions” explore some of kids’ favorite things (like weird animals and aliens); answer questions they ask themselves, help them process growing up and emotions, and, yes, a few talk about poo! (eww!)
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BOARD BOOKS & FICTION PICTURE BOOKS
Do You Remember?
by Sydney Smith
Using a series of descriptions and the luscious pictures that accompany them, a boy describes memories that are so meaningful to him as he is about to move into a new home. Self-contained episodes take readers into the mind of the boy as he processes the complex emotions as part of this life change.
Using a series of descriptions and the luscious pictures that accompany them, a boy describes memories that are so meaningful to him as he is about to move into a new home. Self-contained episodes take readers into the mind of the boy as he processes the complex emotions as part of this life change.
Does a Bear Poo in the Woods?
by Jonny Leighton, Mike Byrne (Illustrator)
When a shy bear feels the urge to go, there’s only one thing on his mind: finding a private place where he can poo in peace! But a whole host of woodland animals who have no problem about pooing wherever they please just won’t leave him alone. Where can the little bear go?
When a shy bear feels the urge to go, there’s only one thing on his mind: finding a private place where he can poo in peace! But a whole host of woodland animals who have no problem about pooing wherever they please just won’t leave him alone. Where can the little bear go?
Have You Seen My Sock?
by Colombe Linotte, Claudia Bielinsky (Illustrator)
A colorful and amusing simple whodunit! Engaging, rhyming text tells about socks that have mysteriously socks of all colors, shapes, and patterns. Just where could they have gone? Readers will squeal with delight when they find out!
A colorful and amusing simple whodunit! Engaging, rhyming text tells about socks that have mysteriously socks of all colors, shapes, and patterns. Just where could they have gone? Readers will squeal with delight when they find out!
How Are You, Verity?
by Meghan Wilson Duff, Taylor Barron (Illustrator)
A neurodivergent child interacts with their neighbors to discover the true meaning behind greetings and salutations.
Verity is bubbling with excitement about an upcoming school field trip to the aquarium! When neighbors ask, “How are you?” Verity shares their excitement and fascinating facts about sea animals. Their older brother John kindly suggests that the question "How are you?" is actually a greeting and not an invitation to share so much. Verity plans an experiment to find out if their brother is right.
A neurodivergent child interacts with their neighbors to discover the true meaning behind greetings and salutations.
Verity is bubbling with excitement about an upcoming school field trip to the aquarium! When neighbors ask, “How are you?” Verity shares their excitement and fascinating facts about sea animals. Their older brother John kindly suggests that the question "How are you?" is actually a greeting and not an invitation to share so much. Verity plans an experiment to find out if their brother is right.
What Would You Do?: If Water Was Blue
by S Newman
A delightful rhyming book that challenges the imagination of young children with questions asking what they would do if water was in various different colors and forms. For example, if water was pink, would they have a drink? Or if water was rainbow colored, or flowed like sand.
A delightful rhyming book that challenges the imagination of young children with questions asking what they would do if water was in various different colors and forms. For example, if water was pink, would they have a drink? Or if water was rainbow colored, or flowed like sand.
Where Are the Eggs? (Storytelling Math)
by Grace Lin
The chickens have laid their eggs all over the yard! Mei looks for the eggs, searching next to a watering can, behind a flower pot, inside a wheelbarrow . . . and under a chicken! Go on a springtime egg hunt in this playful story about spatial sense.
Storytelling Math celebrates children using math in their daily adventures as they play, build, and discover the world around them.
The chickens have laid their eggs all over the yard! Mei looks for the eggs, searching next to a watering can, behind a flower pot, inside a wheelbarrow . . . and under a chicken! Go on a springtime egg hunt in this playful story about spatial sense.
Storytelling Math celebrates children using math in their daily adventures as they play, build, and discover the world around them.
Who Jumps More? (Storytelling Math)
by Grace Lin
Olivia and Mei jump in the snow all the way to the tall tree. Mei takes a few big leaps like a deer. Olivia makes lots of smaller hops like a bunny. Each jumps “more” in a different way. A playful exploration of measurement, proportion, and friendship.
Olivia and Mei jump in the snow all the way to the tall tree. Mei takes a few big leaps like a deer. Olivia makes lots of smaller hops like a bunny. Each jumps “more” in a different way. A playful exploration of measurement, proportion, and friendship.
Whose Feet? (Mix-and-match Flip Books)
by Sam Williams, Ekaterina Trukhan (Illustrator)
Funny split-page pictures and simple reading text make these books perfect to share with toddlers. Full of humor and fun, they aid child development as your little one learns to read visual clues and match legs to the right animals.
Funny split-page pictures and simple reading text make these books perfect to share with toddlers. Full of humor and fun, they aid child development as your little one learns to read visual clues and match legs to the right animals.
ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE-GRADE GRAPHIC NOVEL
Who Is Tibet’s Exiled Leader?: The 14th Dalai Lama: An Official Who HQ Graphic Novel
by Teresa Robeson, Who Hq, Angela Poon (Illustrator)
Follow the Fourteenth Dalai Lama's harrowing escape to India in 1959, as he fled Chinese suppression of a national uprising in Tibet. A story of risk and political tension, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves in the incredible story of the Tibetan spiritual and political leader -- brought to life by gripping narrative and vivid full-color illustrations that jump off the page.
Follow the Fourteenth Dalai Lama's harrowing escape to India in 1959, as he fled Chinese suppression of a national uprising in Tibet. A story of risk and political tension, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves in the incredible story of the Tibetan spiritual and political leader -- brought to life by gripping narrative and vivid full-color illustrations that jump off the page.
MIDDLE-GRADE FICTION
What Happened to Rachel Riley?
by Claire Swinarski
Anna Hunt may be the new girl at East Middle School, but she can already tell there’s something off about her eighth-grade class. Rachel Riley, who just last year was one of the most popular girls in school, has become a social outcast. But no one, including Rachel Riley herself, will tell Anna why. As a die-hard podcast enthusiast, Anna knows there’s always more to a story than meets the eye. So she decides to put her fact-seeking skills to the test and create her own podcast around the question that won’t stop running through her.
Anna Hunt may be the new girl at East Middle School, but she can already tell there’s something off about her eighth-grade class. Rachel Riley, who just last year was one of the most popular girls in school, has become a social outcast. But no one, including Rachel Riley herself, will tell Anna why. As a die-hard podcast enthusiast, Anna knows there’s always more to a story than meets the eye. So she decides to put her fact-seeking skills to the test and create her own podcast around the question that won’t stop running through her.
ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE-GRADE NONFICTION
Butt or Face?: A Hilarious Animal Guessing Game Book fo…
by Kari Lavelle
Can YOU tell a butt from a face? Discover fascinating facts about animals with this hilarious guessing game picture book! Butt or Face offers kids a delightfully cheeky examine a close-up photo of an animal, and then guess whether you're looking at the top or the…um…bottom. The answer is revealed on the next page with a compete photo of the animal! Also included are factual animal details along with how these animals use camouflage or other trickery to engage with their home.
Can YOU tell a butt from a face? Discover fascinating facts about animals with this hilarious guessing game picture book! Butt or Face offers kids a delightfully cheeky examine a close-up photo of an animal, and then guess whether you're looking at the top or the…um…bottom. The answer is revealed on the next page with a compete photo of the animal! Also included are factual animal details along with how these animals use camouflage or other trickery to engage with their home.
How Do Meerkats Order Pizza?: Wild Facts about Animals and the Scientists Who Study Them
by Brooke Barker
Did you know that crows never forget a face? Or that jaguars have a favorite cologne? Have you ever wondered how to pet a yeti crab? Or whether dogs can tell if you’re smiling? And just what is a burrowing bettong?
Meet these weird, wonderful animals and the equally weird and wonderful scientists who study them. From crafting fake poop to slurping up bugs with a straw, there’s nothing these amazing humans won’t do to help us learn more about the animals around us.
Did you know that crows never forget a face? Or that jaguars have a favorite cologne? Have you ever wondered how to pet a yeti crab? Or whether dogs can tell if you’re smiling? And just what is a burrowing bettong?
Meet these weird, wonderful animals and the equally weird and wonderful scientists who study them. From crafting fake poop to slurping up bugs with a straw, there’s nothing these amazing humans won’t do to help us learn more about the animals around us.
How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee
by Carole Boston Weatherford, Frank Morrison (Illustrator)
In 1936, eighth grader MacNolia Cox became the first African American to win the Akron, Ohio, spelling bee. And with that win, she was asked to compete at the prestigious National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC, where she and a girl from New Jersey were the first African Americans invited since its founding. She left her home state a celebrity—right up there with Ohio’s own Joe Louis and Jesse Owens—with a military band and a crowd of thousands to see her off at the station. But celebration turned to chill when the train crossed the state line into Maryland, where segregation was the law of the land. Prejudice and discrimination ruled—on the train, in the hotel, and, sadly, at the spelling bee itself.
In 1936, eighth grader MacNolia Cox became the first African American to win the Akron, Ohio, spelling bee. And with that win, she was asked to compete at the prestigious National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC, where she and a girl from New Jersey were the first African Americans invited since its founding. She left her home state a celebrity—right up there with Ohio’s own Joe Louis and Jesse Owens—with a military band and a crowd of thousands to see her off at the station. But celebration turned to chill when the train crossed the state line into Maryland, where segregation was the law of the land. Prejudice and discrimination ruled—on the train, in the hotel, and, sadly, at the spelling bee itself.
Is It Okay to Pee in the Ocean?: The Fascinating Science of Our Waste and Our World
by Ella Schwartz, Lily Williams (Illustrator
Explore the human systems that make pee happen, tackle environmental questions about the impacts of human waste, discover surprising uses of urine throughout history-like in mouthwash and skin creams-and even try out at-home, hands-on experiments (with no bodily fluids required, of course!).
With engaging black-and-white-illustrations and just enough ick-factor, this engrossing (and sometimes a little bit gross) book gets to the bottom of an oft-ignored part of the science of life.
Explore the human systems that make pee happen, tackle environmental questions about the impacts of human waste, discover surprising uses of urine throughout history-like in mouthwash and skin creams-and even try out at-home, hands-on experiments (with no bodily fluids required, of course!).
With engaging black-and-white-illustrations and just enough ick-factor, this engrossing (and sometimes a little bit gross) book gets to the bottom of an oft-ignored part of the science of life.
Is There Anybody Out There? (A Wild Thing Book): The Search for Extraterrestrial Life, from Amoebas to Aliens
by Laura Krantz
In recent years, armed with state-of-the-art technology and better information, the search for extraterrestrials overflows with exciting possibilities.
Is There Anybody Out There? turns our collective gaze What’s the likelihood of life on other planets? Or that aliens have already made the trip to visit us? How would they get here? Why do we want to find them? And what does it mean if we do (or don’t)?
In recent years, armed with state-of-the-art technology and better information, the search for extraterrestrials overflows with exciting possibilities.
Is There Anybody Out There? turns our collective gaze What’s the likelihood of life on other planets? Or that aliens have already made the trip to visit us? How would they get here? Why do we want to find them? And what does it mean if we do (or don’t)?
What Does Hate Look Like?
Sameea Jimenez, Corinne Promislow, with Larry Swartz
We use the word hate all the time―“I hate vegetables” or “I hated that movie!”―but what about the hate that actually hurts someone? There are words, symbols, ideas, beliefs, and actions that cause pain to us, our friends, family, neighbors, and classmates.
What if you’ve caused that kind of pain yourself? Or what if you, or someone you know, has been the victim of hate so scary it made you want to cry? Real kids from real classrooms share their stories here to help us to see the bias, prejudice, violence, discrimination, and exclusion around us―what hate looks like to them.
We use the word hate all the time―“I hate vegetables” or “I hated that movie!”―but what about the hate that actually hurts someone? There are words, symbols, ideas, beliefs, and actions that cause pain to us, our friends, family, neighbors, and classmates.
What if you’ve caused that kind of pain yourself? Or what if you, or someone you know, has been the victim of hate so scary it made you want to cry? Real kids from real classrooms share their stories here to help us to see the bias, prejudice, violence, discrimination, and exclusion around us―what hate looks like to them.
What’s Inside a Caterpillar Cocoon?: And Other Questions About Moths & Butterflies
by Rachel Ignotofsky
Butterflies soar in the sunlight. While moths flutter under the moon and stars. Find out more about these mysterious and majestic insects similarities and differences, and their awe-striking metamorphosis!
Butterflies soar in the sunlight. While moths flutter under the moon and stars. Find out more about these mysterious and majestic insects similarities and differences, and their awe-striking metamorphosis!
Where Are the Aliens?: The Search for Life Beyond Earth
by Stacy McAnulty
Scientists haven’t discovered life beyond Earth, not even a single teeny-tiny organism. But there’s a whole lot of outer space, and humans have searched only a fraction of a fraction of it. So do you believe in the possibility of life out there? Or do you think Earth is perfectly unique in its ability to grow organisms? Packed with playful illustrations and fascinating factoids, this is the perfect book for anyone who has ever looked up and asked, "What's out there?"
Scientists haven’t discovered life beyond Earth, not even a single teeny-tiny organism. But there’s a whole lot of outer space, and humans have searched only a fraction of a fraction of it. So do you believe in the possibility of life out there? Or do you think Earth is perfectly unique in its ability to grow organisms? Packed with playful illustrations and fascinating factoids, this is the perfect book for anyone who has ever looked up and asked, "What's out there?"
Who’s Got Mail?: The History of Mail in America
by Linda Barrett Osborne
Full of eccentric characters, great stories, and technological achievements, this fun middle-grade narrative nonfiction celebrates one of our oldest and strongest institutions. This is an intriguing, fact-filled look at how the mail has been delivered in the United States since before the Constitution was even signed. In the United States, the spread of the postal service went hand in hand with the spread of democracy and transportation.
Full of eccentric characters, great stories, and technological achievements, this fun middle-grade narrative nonfiction celebrates one of our oldest and strongest institutions. This is an intriguing, fact-filled look at how the mail has been delivered in the United States since before the Constitution was even signed. In the United States, the spread of the postal service went hand in hand with the spread of democracy and transportation.
POETRY COLLECTION
What Is Hope?
Sylvia Vardell, Janet Wong
Inspired by a wide variety of diverse and inclusive black-and-white photos, these poems explore the many places where hope pops up in our lives. The voices in this book represent popular names in the children's poetry community and new talents, too.
Inspired by a wide variety of diverse and inclusive black-and-white photos, these poems explore the many places where hope pops up in our lives. The voices in this book represent popular names in the children's poetry community and new talents, too.