Books by Theme

Imagine!

Imagine!

Think outside of the box. Create. Wonder. Read. Explore. Look. See. Whether in science or at home, in poetry or prose, with or without words, creativity is all around. And stretching your imagination is a great way to start the New Year.

Chasing Space: Young Readers' Edition

Chasing Space: Young Readers' Edition

By: Leland Melvin
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Leland was an imaginative, tenacious kid who grew up to play professional football, gain post graduate degrees in science, and then become an astronaut on the international space station. He tells his own story in this inspirational, accessible memoir enhanced by numerous photographs.

Draw the Line

Draw the Line

By: Kathryn Otoshi
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Lines drawn by two boys connect and so do the boys in joyful play. An accidental tug-of-war, however, causes a rift until a smile and additional creativity bring them together again. Though wordless, watercolor illustrations speak volumes and are certain to ignite storytelling.

Everywhere, Wonder

Everywhere, Wonder

By: Matthew Swanson
Illustrated by: Robbi Behr
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Creativity, wonder and more all starts with an open book, “a little gift from me to you.” It grows beyond walls, into the whole, wide world. Child-like watercolors accompany the text, inviting readers to celebrate the joys of imagination.

Imagine That!

Imagine That!

By: Yasmeen Ismail
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Lila’s inventive play doesn’t stop as she and her mother prepare to visit Lila’s grandfather, depicted on alternating pages. What is seen as a table on one page becomes Lila fighting a fearsome sea monster on the next. Lively language and animated illustrations depict Lila’s adventures  soon joined by her granddad!

Lines

Lines

By: Suzy Lee
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

What can you do with a pencil? Create lines that skate across a page with a single figure in a red hat and mittens. When lines become too chaotic, an eraser smooths them and a new skater is introduced. Just imagine what happens when more lively but delicate lines, skaters, and erasures come together in the last pages of this inventive book.

Little Poems for Tiny Ears

Little Poems for Tiny Ears

By: Lin Oliver
Illustrated by: Tomie dePaola
Genre: Poetry
Age Level: 0-3
Reading Level: Pre-Reader

For babies and toddlers, each moment is full of wonder and discovery. This delightful collection of original poems celebrates the everyday things that enthrall little ones, such as playing peekaboo, banging pots and pans, splashing at bath time, and cuddling at bedtime. Full of contagious rhythm and rhyme, this inviting picture book introduces young children to the sound of poetry.

Masterpiece Mix

Masterpiece Mix

By: Roxie Munro
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

As an artist lays out tools needed to paint, she seeks inspiration from the masters. Along the way, well-known paintings from the National Gallery of Art are presented grouped by genre. Readers can examine each then read more about them on concluding pages, as the artist does “what [she] really love[s].”

Princess and the Peas

Princess and the Peas

By: Rachel Himes
Genre: Fiction, Fairytales, Folk Tales, and Tall Tales
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

John’s mother thought cooking was more important than beauty in this gently humorous riff on a traditional tale. Here, John finds perfection in a batch of perfectly prepared black-eyed peas. A tasty looking recipe concludes this colorfully illustrated tale told with a distinctively Southern flavor.

What's Your Favorite Color?

What's Your Favorite Color?

By: Eric Carle
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Eric Carle’s favorite color is yellow, William Low’s is brown, while Uri Shulevitz likes all colors. A veritable who’s who of illustrators answer the question posed in the book’s title accompanied by an original illustration, sure to spark discussion and a quest to find more books by the illustrators’ books.

Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions

Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions

By: Chris Barton
Illustrated by: Don Tate
Genre: Biography, Nonfiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

As a kid, Lonnie fiddled around with toy rockets and more. But all of his tinkering led to a career in engineering, working at NASA and inventing the Super Soaker! His life is engagingly presented in text and illustration.

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