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All Amara wants for her birthday is to visit her father’s family in New York City — Harlem, to be exact. She can’t wait to finally meet her Grandpa Earl and cousins in person, and to stay in the brownstone where her father grew up. Maybe this will help her understand her family and herself in new way. But New York City is not exactly what Amara thought it would be.  As she explores, asks questions, and learns more and more about Harlem and about her father and his family history, she realizes how, in some ways more than others, she connects with him, her home, and her family.

Dan was an awkward 8th grader who generally stayed quiet and rather unnoticed until an even more awkward school presentation. The boy’s self-confidence gradually grows during a weeks-long study trip to Paris. The graphic format is effective in presenting this often-humorous memoir and his sometimes uncomfortable memories. 

Two tweens are suspended for fighting in school. Their story is told in verse from two points of view: Ebony (aka Eb) and Flow (real name De’Kari). Their lives gradually unfold in readable free verse and as readers come to understand them, and both Eb and Flow begin to realize they share a lot in common, ultimately reaching détente in this plausible and moving novel.

Evergreen is a timid young squirrel who is frightened to take soup to ailing Granny Oak. But as Evergreen confronts and overcomes each obstacle, her confidence grows. Line and wash illustrations by a Caldecott medalist and short chapters are humorous but with more serious themes of kindness and bravery.

Though he enjoys music and company, Walter, a crocodile, is painfully shy and prefers staying just below the surface. Until one day, he finds his voice to help his friend turtle from being tossed around by big birds. Expressive illustrations, almost translucent, evoke Walter’s watery world and the joy in finding one’s voice.

Young children frequently don’t have the words to describe strong feelings. Words and emotions come together in simple, bright, evocative illustrations on colorful pages just right to generate conversation — preferably before these feelings are experienced!

To start, Judy Moody doesn’t have high hopes for third grade. Judy also has an abundance of individuality and attitude, and when her teacher Mr. Todd assigns a very special class project, she really gets a chance to express herself! Megan McDonald’s spirited text and Peter Reynolds’s wry illustrations combine in a feisty, funny first chapter book for every kid who has ever felt a little out of sorts.

A young nonconformist invents a self-sufficient civilization in his suburban backyard. Words and images fluidly play off one another as Wesley creates a language for his new produce and the crop erupts into a lush tropical landscape. It isn’t long before his neighbors and classmates develop more than an idle curiosity about Wesley — and exactly how he is spending his summer vacation.

“I can’t wait for my hair to grow” is the powerful opening to this book, which lays groundwork for this compelling story highlighting not only the significance of hair to Indigenous peoples, but also memory, generational trauma, and the power of healing. Using three generations of hair as the medium, Lindstom’s sparse, poetic language (“Our ancestors say: Our hair is our memories. Our source of strength”) and Littlebird’s bright palette capture both serenity and hope. (School Library Journal)

A window into a child’s experience of the Great Migration. Climbing aboard the New York bound Silver Meteor train, Ruth Ellen embarks upon a journey toward a new life up North — one she can’t begin to imagine. Stop by stop, the perceptive young narrator tells her journey in poems, leaving behind the cotton fields and distant Blue Ridge mountains.

The confident Black narrator of this book is proud of everything that makes him who he is. He’s got big plans, and no doubt he’ll see them through — as he’s creative, adventurous, smart, funny, and a good friend. Sometimes he falls, but he always gets back up. There are superheroes in our midst!

A playful, illustrated guide to a simple meditation practices for young children experiencing stress, difficulty focusing, and difficult emotions. All you’ll need to practice it is a quiet spot and four ordinary pebbles.

Storms delay travelers at a Chicago airport but it is a lost toddler and a mistake by TSA staff that connects young Asian Americans in this series of interconnected short stories by a range of Asian American writers. Sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, the book highlights the diversity of Asian Americans as well as the biases they often confront.

“What is love?” a young boy asks. “I can’t answer that,” his grandmother says, and so the boy goes out into the world to find out. But while each person he meets — from the fisherman to the actor to everyone in between — has an answer to his question, not one seems quite right. The boy must find his own answers in this timeless affirmation of familial and familiar bonds.

Of all the kids in Violet’s class, only one leaves her speechless: Mira, the girl with the cheery laugh who races like the wind. If only they could adventure together! But every time Violet tries to tell Mira how she feels, Violet goes shy. As Valentine’s Day approaches, Violet is determined to tell Mira just how special she is.

An ode to self-confidence, respecting others, and kindness from actor and activist Grace Byers, this picture book depicts girls of diverse body shapes and skin tones. “We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it.”

Learning to soar ‘from the people who came before’ two siblings are told both that their feelings have been experienced by others, and that “nobody can ever cuff/ your brilliant and beautiful mind,” a lesson they pass on in turn. The book reminds children that imagination is a powerful tool in any situation, and López’s warm, colorful art enhances this message. This book is a companion to The Day You Begin (opens in a new window) by the same author/illustrator team.

Badger and Bear are separated by the salty, wet sea. Being apart is hard, until Badger looks more closely and sees all the beauty — and all the connections to Bear — around her. Delicately textured watercolors add depth to the unusual look at friends separated by time and distance.

Instead of a puppy, Jacob was stuck with the three baby sisters. The impact of triplets on the 9-year-old, his friends, and his family is told in spare but elegant language for a relatable and engaging novel. Black and white sketches appear throughout.

Expressive ink and watercolor illustrations detail the story of a playground mishap. Alex tosses a ball that accidentally knocks another child’s artwork into a puddle. Other kids pick up on that child’s unhappiness and give Alex the cold shoulder until the child whose artwork got wet asks Alex to play ball again. Suggestions for readers conclude this engaging and relatable book. 

A small bear knows it can do almost anything — from cartwheels to swimming — “when you say/you believe in me.” Wells’ signature illustrations and a warm, easy rhyming narrative present an affirming book on the relationship between a child and their adult.

A collection of stories, comics and poems that celebrate Black boyhood from critically acclaimed Black authors including Jason Reynolds, Jerry Craft and Kwame Mbalia.

A gentle story about the everyday discoveries and accomplishments that school can bring. Ming is curious and playful and ready for adventure, but even she gets scared of new things sometimes. Kids will relate to her desires and fears and will be excited to see Ming at the top of the slide by the story’s end.

Meet a diverse group of six children ranging in age from Kindergarten through fifth grade. With nerves and excitement each child gears up for a new school year by hustling in the morning, meeting new teachers and new classmates during the day, and heading home with homework and relief by day’s end. Simple, bright illustrations focus on each child and their worries, hopes, and successes on the first day of school.