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Dramatic descriptions of the eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Tambora in the early 19th century open this compelling story of Earth’s warning signs, often left unheeded by humankind. This is the true story of how a massive catastrophic eruption plunged the world into darkness, altering the global climate and inspiring the likes of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Black and white sketches enhance the compelling presentation which is fully sourced and documented.

A dream inspires Okan the raccoon to save a white wolf in the mountains of Minnesota, along with a small crew unlikely companions (a skunk and a moose). So begins this action-packed survival story infused with Indigenous creation stories, history, and some Indigenous language.

Max accompanies his mother on a research trip to the Texas Gulf Coast. There he finds a beached octopus and works with others to rescue her. Named Ursula, the octopus helps Max come into his own in this moving, realistic story. 

Why does each wish put through a mysterious mail slot come true? What happens when all wishes come true? Oscar and mom have settled in a new home, but will it all be gone soon? Difficult themes are countered with magic and humor in this imaginative and highly readable story.
 

Pocket Bear was created to fit in the pocket of a soldier on the front during World War I. He is now the mascot of a used toy store where stuffed animals are refurbished to be loved again. How Pocket and his friend — a cat who is a burglar — save the store and its owners while building community makes a heartwarming, surprisingly sophisticated, tense tale.

Filled with facts, this fresh approach is sure to delight as well as inform. After all, these are animals presenting oral reports about other animals because “humans only look at things through their own human eyes. Every single time.”  Cleaner fish report on sharks; barn owl reports on Tasmanian devil, and mole knows everything there is to know about daddy long-legs. Charming line illustrations punctuate the lively language in this singular book.

Oscar is not like most 12-year-olds. He lives in a retirement community, plays bridge, and likes Frank Sinatra. To save his grandfather’s home, Oscar leaves his comfort zone and links up with a questionable new 102-year-old resident for an unforgettable adventure. Funny, quirky, and fast-paced, this novel will stay with readers long after its final page.

A lavishly illustrated story about a lion cub and a girl who must open a portal for the spirits, based on Chinese folklore. Jin is a Stone Lion — one of the guardians of the Old City Gate who is charged to watch over humans and protect the Sacred Sphere. But when Jin’s perfect kick accidentally knocks the Sacred Sphere out through the gate, he has no choice but to run after it, tumbling out of the realm he calls home and into the human world as the gate closes behind him. Stuck outside the gate, Jin must find help from unlikely allies, including a girl who can hear a mysterious voice and a worm who claims he is a dragon. Together, they must find the sphere and return it to the world beyond the gate…or risk losing everything.

A story told in two voices: siblings 12-year-old Josie and her older, disabled brother Abe each have dreams and aspirations. Based on the author’s experience growing up with a comparably challenged brother.

The Entrada apartment building was home to newcomers and longtime residents alike. How the residents old and young adjust, develop friendships, and grow, are seamlessly told as one tale though written by various authors.

The misfit detectives are again called into action to solve the mysterious but limited earthquake problem. This newest adventure first introduced the kids in A Royal Conundrum.

Ava, Medusa’s relative, and other so-called monster descendants return to the Acccademia del Forte where they thwart a plot by the Olympians. This decidedly feminist plays with traditional Greek myths in this engaging standalone second book in the Myth of Monsters series.

Dragons and their stories have traveled around the world for generations. Meet some in dramatic retellings and evocative illustrations.

Dip or dive into this book that dispels commonly held misinformation about well-known insects and other creepy crawlies. Illustrations further illuminate the information. Also in this series: Everything You Know About Dinosaurs Is Wrong!.

A coming-of-age story for one of the world’s greatest superhero: Wonder Woman. But first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning… Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law — risking exile — to save a mere mortal.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Follow Kaz and his crew into a world of magic and mayhem as they attempt to pull off ― and survive ―  the job of a lifetime. (Book 1 in the Six of Crows series)

Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Follow Alina Starkov through Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising as she discovers her dormant powers and is swept up in a world of luxury and illusion. As Alina struggles to fit into her new life, a threat to the kingdom of Ravka grows ― one that will test old alliances and challenge the very limits of magic, one that will forge a leader from a frightened girl.

Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war — and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army. (Book 1 in the King of Scars Duology)

Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas are three siblings in seventh grade together in Park, Delaware. In 1986, as the country waits expectantly for the launch of the space shuttle Challenger, they each struggle with their own personal anxieties. They exist in their own orbits, circling a tense and unpredictable household, with little in common except an enthusiastic science teacher named Ms. Salonga. As the launch of the Challenger approaches, Ms. Salonga gives her students a project — they are separated into spacecraft crews and must create and complete a mission. When the fated day finally arrives, it changes all of their lives and brings them together in unexpected ways. This heartfelt story of family and the bond of siblings is old in three alternating points of view.

A sweetly hilarious story of two Black teens preparing to take a huge first step in their relationship. In frank stream-of-consciousness prose, Reynolds rewinds the teens’ heartfelt romance to showcase its development in reverse: 24 hours before, Neon was avoiding his homework by scrolling through videos he’d recorded of his classmates. And 24 days earlier, Neon was strolling the neighborhood with Gammy and the family dog, Denzel Jeremy Washington. As events roll backward, Neon has conversations with numerous richly wrought supporting characters, including his effervescent musician friend Dodie and his open and loving sister Nat, all of whom regale Neon with their thoughts on sex and love (with varying degrees of embarrassment and enlightenment for Neon). 

It’s August 1999. For twelve-year-old Michael Rosario, life at Fox Run Apartments in Red Knot, Delaware, is as ordinary as ever—except for the looming Y2K crisis and his overwhelming crush on his sixteen-year-old babysitter, Gibby. But when a disoriented teenage boy named Ridge appears out of nowhere, Michael discovers there is more to life than stockpiling supplies and pining over Gibby. A story of time travel, friendship, found family, and first loves, this thematically rich novel is distinguished by its voice, character development, setting, and exploration of the issues that resonate with middle grade readers.

Maria Tallchief loved to dance, but was told that she might need to change her Osage name to one that sounded more Russian to make it as a professional ballerina. She refused, and worked hard at dancing her best, becoming America’s first prima ballerina.

As a child of two military parents, Deb Haaland moved around a lot when she was young before finally settling in Albuquerque to be near family. But she persisted, studying hard and eventually earning a law degree. An enrolled member of the Pueblo Laguna nation, Deb was one of the first two Native American women to be elected to Congress, where she represented New Mexico’s 1st District. In 2021, when the Senate confirmed her as President Biden’s secretary of the interior, she became the first Native American in history to become a cabinet secretary. She continues to break barriers and inspire future generations to dream of greater opportunities.

Have you ever wondered where colors come from? Explore the colors like never before in a totally engaging, often downright funny, and always informative book written by an illustrator (depicted with his dog throughout). Additional resources and activities conclude this fascinating, unique look at one aspect of art.