Fast Five Fiction: Black History Month

It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! Each week I share five fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. All month long we've been celebrating Black History Month with various displays and book recommendations. Celebrate along with us by reading one of these fiction titles that #AmplifyBlackVoices! And because I couldn't help myself, scroll to the bottom for a few nonfiction recommendations too. 

Click the title to be directed to the book in our catalog. Book descriptions are from Goodreads.

Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. They were all too busy--

Talking about boogers.
Stealing pocket change.
Skateboarding.
Wiping out.
Braving up.
Executing complicated handshakes.
Planning an escape.
Making jokes.
Lotioning up.
Finding comfort.
But mostly, too busy walking home.

Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and brilliantly weaves them into one wickedly funny, piercingly poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life. 

New Kid by Jerry Craft

Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.

As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself? 

This Newbery award winning title is also available on Playaway.

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

The letter waits in a book, in a box, in an attic, in an old house in Lambert, South Carolina. It's waiting for Candice Miller.

When Candice finds the letter, she isn't sure she should read it. It's addressed to her grandmother, after all, who left Lambert in a cloud of shame. But the letter describes a young woman named Siobhan Washington. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding the letter-writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle. Grandma tried and failed. But now Candice has another chance.

So with the help of Brandon Jones, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues in the letter. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert's history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter's promise before the summer ends?

Genesis Begins Again by Alice D. Williams

This deeply sensitive and powerful debut novel tells the story of a thirteen-year-old who must overcome internalized racism and a verbally abusive family to finally learn to love herself.

This is the story of a thirteen-year-old girl who is filled with self-loathing and must overcome internalized racism and a verbally abusive family to finally learn to love herself.

There are ninety-six things Genesis hates about herself. She knows the exact number because she keeps a list. Like #95: Because her skin is so dark, people call her charcoal and eggplant—even her own family. And #61: Because her family is always being put out of their house, belongings laid out on the sidewalk for the world to see. When Genesis reaches #100 on the list of things she hates about herself, will she continue on, or can she find the strength to begin again?

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

For as long as ZJ can remember, his dad has been everyone's hero. As a charming, talented pro football star, he's as beloved to the neighborhood kids he plays with as he is to his millions of adoring sports fans. But lately life at ZJ's house is anything but charming. His dad is having trouble remembering things and seems to be angry all the time. ZJ's mom explains it's because of all the head injuries his dad sustained during his career. ZJ can understand that--but it doesn't make the sting any less real when his own father forgets his name. As ZJ contemplates his new reality, he has to figure out how to hold on tight to family traditions and recollections of the glory days, all the while wondering what their past amounts to if his father can't remember it. And most importantly, can those happy feelings ever be reclaimed when they are all so busy aching for the past?

Nonfiction Recommendations

28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World by Charles R. Smith

Each day features a different influential figure in African-American history, from Crispus Attucks, the first man shot in the Boston Massacre, sparking the Revolutionary War, to Madame C. J. Walker, who after years of adversity became the wealthiest black woman in the country, as well as one of the wealthiest black Americans, to Barack Obama, the country's first African-American president.

With powerful illustrations by Shane Evans, this is a completely unique look at the importance and influence of African Americans on the history of this country.

The ABC's of Black History by Rio Cortez

An alphabet book that presents key names, moments, and places in Black history with simple text lyrically written by poet Rio Cortez. This is an opportunity for children to learn their ABCs to the sound of words beyond apple, boy, and cat, and an opportunity for young thinkers to prepare for big ideas

Have I Ever Told You Black Lives Matter by Shani Mahiri King

This book affirms the message repeatedly, tenderly, with cumulative power and shared pride. Celebrating Black accomplishments in music, art, literature, journalism, politics, law, science, medicine, entertainment, and sports, Shani King summons a magnificent historical and contemporary context for honoring the fortitude of Black role models, women and men, who have achieved greatness despite the grinding political and social constraints on Black life. Frederick Douglass, Toni Morrison, Sojourner Truth, John Lewis, Langston Hughes, Louis Armstrong, Maya Angelou, Aretha Franklin, and many more pass through these pages. An America without their struggles, aspirations, and contributions would be a shadow of the country we know.  A hundred life sketches augment the narrative, opening a hundred doors to lives and thinking that aren’t included in many history books. 

Happy Friday, and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Valentine's Day Books

It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! Each week I share five fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. With Valentine's Day being right around the corner, today I've got five adorable Valentine themed books perfect readers of any age. 

Click the title to be directed to the book in our catalog. Book descriptions are from Goodreads.

The Secret Life of Squirrels: A Love Story by Nancy Rose

Mr. Peanuts spends his days climbing trees and gathering nuts--but he wishes he had another squirrel to share his time with. When he meets a special squirrel friend, he soon finds himself falling in love! They visit the bookstore, go to the park, and have a romantic candlelit dinner. Will Mr. Peanuts get his happily ever after?

Little Blue Truck's Valentine by Alice Schertle

Join Little Blue Truck as he delivers Valentine's Day cards to all his farm animal friends. But as Blue beeps along, he starts to wonder: will he get any cards of his own?

Llama Llama I love you by Anna Dewdney

In Llama Llama I Love You, little llama shows his friends and family how much he loves them with heart-shaped cards and lots of hugs. What could be sweeter than Llama Llama on Valentine's Day?

Lilly's Chocolate Heart by Kevin Henkes

Lilly loves her chocolate heart.
Will she save it?
Forever and ever?
What do you think?

Pete the Cat: Valentine's Day is Cool by Kimberly and James Dean

At first, Pete thinks Valentine's Day isn't cool...until he realizes all the special cats there are in his life. Pete the Cat: Valentine’s Day Is Cool comes complete with a poster, stickers, and twelve punch-out Valentine’s Day cards.

Once Pete the Cat realizes how much fun Valentine’s Day can be, he decides to make valentine cards for his family and friends. But what happens when he realizes he's forgotten to make a card for a very important cat?

Happy Friday and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Digital Resources

 It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! Each week I share five fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. Since the library is temporarily closed I thought I'd share about some of our digital resources, all available for free with your library card. Today I've got five favorite series available in e-book or e-audiobook format. 

The library provides e-content access through a couple of different channels. Overdrive has e-books and e-audiobooks that can be accessed through the Overdrive app or the Libby app depending on your device. Hoopla offers e-books, e-audiobooks, music, movies, & TV shows. 

Here are five series that are enormously popular in our children's department and are available through Overdrive, Hoopla, or both!

The Green Ember series by S.D. Smith

This has been one of our most popular series in recent years.  The e-content includes a collection of novellas that are not available in print format. 

My place beside you, my blood for yours. Till the Green Ember rises, or the end of the world.

Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world.

Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants ascend and terrors threaten. Betrayal beckons, and loyalty is a broken road with peril around every bend.

Where will Heather and Picket land? How will they make their stand? 

For Overdrive: click here

For Hoopla: click here 

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

The Harry Potter books have long been available through Overdrive but there are often lengthy waitlists because they are so popular. Items on Hoopla are available instantly for download and they just recently added the entire Harry Potter series.

From the first book in the series: Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry.

Though Harry's first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it's his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined.

For Overdrive: click here

For Hoopla: click here

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Boxcar Children is another much beloved series in the children's department and one of our most popular series.  There are a ton of e-book and e-audiobook's on both of our sources or e-content.

For Overdrive: click here

 For Hoopla: click here

Lincoln Pierce's Big Nate series are available as books and as graphic novels. Read them all before the Nickelodeon adaptation comes out later this year!

From the first in the series: Nate knows he’s meant for big things. REALLY big things. But things don’t always go your way just because you’re awesome. Nate barely survives his dad’s toxic oatmeal before rushing off to school—minus his lunch. He body slams the no-nonsense principal. He accidentally insults his least favorite teacher, the horrifying Mrs. Godfrey (aka Godzilla). And school has barely started!

Trouble always seems to find him, but Nate keeps his cool. He knows he’s destined for greatness. A fortune cookie told him so.

Here comes BIG NATE, accidental mischief maker and definitely NOT the teacher’s pet.

For Overdrive: click here

For Hoopla: click here

Minecraft!

Creepers, enderman, pickaxes, redstone, skins, and of course Steve. If you understood that last sentence than you surely have a Minecraft fan in your home. And if that reader is looking for something Minecraft related to read there are hundreds of options to choose from. 

For Overdrive: click here

For Hoopla:click here

This month is also the first of 2021 where Hoopla is offering Bonus Borrows. One month per quarter (February, May, August, November), patrons can choose from hundreds of titles in hoopla's Bonus Borrows collection. These hoopla Instant titles will be at NO cost to libraries and require ZERO patron borrows!

Happy Friday, and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Caldecott Winners

It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! Each week I share five fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. American Library Association's award were announced this week, including the 2021 Caldecott winner so today's book roundup is five fantastic Caldecott winners, including this year's winner. 

Started in 1938, The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. 

Click the title to be directed to the library's catalog. Book summaries are from Goodreads. 

We are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom 

Illustrated by Michaela Goade (2021 winner)

Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth's water from harm and corruption--a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade.

Water is the first medicine.
It affects and connects us all . . .

When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth
And poison her people's water, one young water protector
Takes a stand to defend Earth's most sacred resource.

This year's historic win is the first win for a BIPOC woman and makes Goade the first Native American winner. 

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat (2015 winner)

This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and-at long last-is given his special name: Beekle.

This is Not my Hat by Jon Klassen (2013 winner)

When a tiny fish shoots into view wearing a round blue topper (which happens to fit him perfectly), trouble could be following close behind. So it's a good thing that enormous fish won't wake up. And even if he does, it's not like he'll ever know what happened...

Visual humor swims to the fore as the best-selling Jon Klassen follows his breakout debut with another deadpan-funny tale.

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aaredema

Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon (1976 Winner)

"In this Caldecott Medal winner, Mosquito tells a story that causes a jungle disaster. "Elegance has become the Dillons' hallmark. . . . Matching the art is Aardema's uniquely onomatopoeic text . . . An impressive showpiece." -Booklist, starred review.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1964)

Max, a wild and naughty boy, is sent to bed without his supper by his exhausted mother. In his room, he imagines sailing far away to a land of Wild Things. Instead of eating him, the Wild Things make Max their king.

To see the complete list of past Caldecott winners click here.

Happy Friday and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: New Graphic Novels

 It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! Each week I share five fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. We've had some great new graphic novels come in over the last couple of weeks that I'll be highlighting today. 

Graphic Novels are one of the fastest growing sections in our children's department.  Our young patrons can't get enough.  In addition to being a ton of fun to read there are a lot of benefits too. Graphic novels are full of text, they're engaging and can help kids develop empathy. Images are powerful and the images that coincide with the text helps readers to relate to the characters. Reading graphic novels helps build comprehension and critical thinking skills and gets kids excited about reading!

Click the title to be directed to the library's catalog. Book summaries are from Goodreads. 

City of Secrets by Victoria Ying

Ever Barnes is a shy orphan guarding a secret in an amazing puzzle box of a building.

Most of the young women who work at the building’s Switchboard Operating Facility, which connects the whole city of Oskar, look the other way as Ever roams around in the shadows. But one of them, Lisa, keeps an eye on the boy. So does the head of the Switchboard, Madame Alexander . . . a rather sharp eye.

Enter Hannah, the spunky daughter of the building’s owner. She thinks Ever needs a friend, even if he doesn’t know it yet.

Good thing she does!

Lisa and Madame Alexander are each clearly up to something.

Ever is beset by a menacing band of rogues looking to unlock the secret he holds–at any cost.

And whatever is hidden deep in the Switchboard building will determine all of their futures.

On a journey that twists and turns as much as the mechanical building Ever Barnes calls home, he and his new friend Hannah have to ­ and out what’s really going on in this mysterious city of secrets . . . or else!

Katie the Catsitter by Colleen Venable

Katie is dreading the boring summer ahead while her best friends are all away at camp--something that's way out of Katie and her mom's budget, UNLESS Katie can figure out a way earn the money for camp herself. But when Katie gets a job catsitting for her mysterious upstairs neighbor, life get interesting. First, Madeline has 217 cats (!) and they're not exactly . . . normal cats. Also, why is Madeline always out EXACTLY when the city's most notorious villain commits crimes?! Is it possible that Katie's upstairs neighbor is really a super villain? Can Katie wrangle a whole lot of wayward cats, save a best friendship (why is Beth barely writing back? And who's this boy she keeps talking about?!), AND crack the biggest story in the city's history? Some heroes have capes . . . Katie has cats!

Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel

If you have a Bad Kitty fan in your household you won't want to miss these full-color adaptations. 

Kitty's life is hard. Really, really, really hard. She's always being bothered, Puppy is always in her space (and drooling on her), and her plans for world domination seem to be at a bit of a stand still. So, when she gets the opportunity to go with her very favorite, generous, kind-hearted Uncle Murray to LOVE LOVE ANGEL KITTY WORLD, how on earth could she refuse?

Kitty is so excited--this is going to be the adventure of a lifetime! But what she doesn't realize is that it will be an adventure just trying to get there...and when she and Uncle Murray end up in a precarious situation, they will have to rely on their wit and love for each other to get themselves out.

The Tea Dragon Tapestry by Katie O'Neill

Join Greta and Minette once more for the heartwarming conclusion of the award-winning Tea Dragon series!

Over a year since being entrusted with Ginseng's care, Greta still can't chase away the cloud of mourning that hangs over the timid Tea Dragon. As she struggles to create something spectacular enough to impress a master blacksmith in search of an apprentice, she questions the true meaning of crafting, and the true meaning of caring for someone in grief. Meanwhile, Minette receives a surprise package from the monastery where she was once training to be a prophetess. Thrown into confusion about her path in life, the shy and reserved Minette finds that the more she opens her heart to others, the more clearly she can see what was always inside.

Unicorns are the Worst! by Alex Willan

Perfect for fans of Dragons Love Tacos and Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great, this wildly funny and imaginative picture book celebrates the value of differences as a grumpy goblin gets to know his new unicorn neighbors.

It’s an undeniable fact that unicorns are the worst!

Magic is serious business, but all unicorns do is frolic around, have tea parties, and leave glitter all over the place! They’re nothing like goblins—practical and hard-working, who can put magic to good use! Unicorns aren’t helpful at all.

Or are they?

Happy Friday and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Winter books

It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! Each week I share five fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. Since snow is coming this weekend it seemed the perfect time to share some winter themed picture books.

Click the title to be directed to the library's catalog. Book summaries are from Goodreads. 

Winter is Here by Kevin Henkes

Snow falls, animals burrow, and children prepare for the wonders winter brings. Caldecott Medalist and award-winning author Kevin Henkes’s striking text introduces basic concepts of language and the unique beauty of the winter season. Laura Dronzek’s expressive paintings beautifully capture the joyful wonders of winter.

The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming

Alive with swirling snow and lots of outdoor fun, the first ten days of winter bring special gifts for a special friend. This cumulative tale will have children chanting along as they discover all the trimmings needed for the most perfect snowman ever!

When Winter Comes by Nancy Van Laan

Where oh where do the leaves all go when winter comes and the cold winds blow? 

What happens to fish, flowers, field mice, and other living things when ponds freeze and the air turns blustery? Walk with a curious child and his parents as winter's first snow falls and find out....

If Winter Comes, Tell it I'm Not Here by Simona Ciraolo

Nothing is better than summer, with its joys of swimming every day and eating ice cream. One little boy’s older sister tells him he’d better make the most of it, because summer is going to end soon. When winter comes, she assures him, it will be cold and dark, and the icy rain will turn to snow. They’ll be stuck on the sofa for days and won’t even dream of eating ice cream…. Simona Ciraolo’s expressive illustrations belie the bleak forecast with images of glowing autumn leaves, cozy couch snuggles, wintry play, and sweet desserts. A celebration of the changing of the seasons, this inviting tale shows how much fun can be found around every sunny—or snowy—corner.  

No Two Alike by Keith Baker

No two snowflakes are alike, 
almost, almost . . . 
but not quite. 

Follow a pair of birds on a snowflake-filled journey though a gorgeous winter landscape to explore how everything, everywhere is wonderfully unique--from branches and leaves to forests and trees to friends and loved ones.

Happy Friday and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: New Series

 It's Friday and time for Fast Five Fiction! Each week I share 5 fiction books: new books, notable books, books around a common theme. This week I've got 5 books in a series new to our shelves that you may want to check out! Click the title to be directed to the library's catalog. Book summaries are from Goodreads. 

Never After by Melissa de la Cruz

Real life and fairy tales collide in Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy, book one in the new middle-grade Never After series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Descendants series, Melissa de la Cruz.

Nothing ever happens in Filomena Jefferson-Cho's sleepy little suburban town of North Pasadena. The sun shines every day, the grass is always a perfect green, and while her progressive school swears there's no such thing as bullying, she still feels bummed out. But one day, when Filomena is walking home on her own, something strange happens.

Filomena is being followed by Jack Stalker, one of the heroes in the Thirteenth Fairy, a series of books she loves about a brave girl and her ragtag group of friends who save their world from an evil enchantress. She must be dreaming, or still reading a book. But Jack is insistent--he's real, the stories are real, and Filomena must come with him at once!

Soon, Filomena is thrust into the world of evil fairies and beautiful princesses, sorcerers and slayers, where an evil queen drives her ruthless armies to destroy what is left of the Fairy tribes. To save herself and the kingdom of Westphalia, Filomena must find the truth behind the fairytales and set the world back to rights before the cycle of sleep and destruction begins once more.

An Epic Series of Failure by Chris Rylander 

A boy discovers his destiny could totally stink in this riotously funny fantasy-adventure

Risk-averse Greg Belmont is content with being ordinary. He's got a friend--that's right, just one--at his fancy prep school, and a pretty cool dad (even if he is obsessed with organic soaps that smell like a mix of salted pork and Icelandic bog). The problem is, Greg isn't ordinary . . . he's actually an honest-to-goodness, fantastical Dwarf!

He discovers the truth the day his dad brings home a gross new tea--one that awakens bizarre abilities in Greg. Then a murderous Bro-Troll kidnaps his dad and Greg is whisked away to the Underground, where Dwarves have lived for centuries right beneath the subways of Chicago.

With the help of some awesome new friends and a talking ax, Greg learns all about the history of the Dwarves, which has been marked with tales of epic failure since the dawn of time. However, the return of the magic they once wielded means big changes are afoot, escalating tensions with the Dwarves' sworn enemy: the Elves.

Vanderbeekers by Karina Yan Glaser

The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It's practically another member of the family. So when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they are. And all is fair in love and war when it comes to keeping their home.

Babysitters Club by Ann M. Martin

With the success of the graphic novel adaptations by Raina Telgemeier and the hit Netflix show, Scholastic has released new editions of the beloved Babysitters Club books. 

When Kristy Thomas has the great idea to form a baby-sitters club--a chance to earn money and spend time with her friends, all while doing something they each love to do--she has no idea how much the club will change everything.

Crank calls, uncontrollable toddlers, wild pets, untruthful clients . . . running a business is hard work! Kristy and her co-founders, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey, are sure they can handle anything. But only if they stick together . . . 

The Best of Iggy by Annie Barrows

Meet Iggy Frangi. He's not a bad kid, he's really not. Okay, so he's done a few (a few is anything up to 100) bad things. And okay, he's not very sorry about most of them. People make a big deal about nothing. What's a little pancake here and there? Is that something to get mad about? Iggy doesn't think so. No one got hurt, so there's not problem. No one got hurt except for that one time, that one time when the Best Idea Ever turned into the Worst Idea of All Time.

Iggy is sorry he did it. He is really, really, really sorry.

"For what?" you might ask.
"What did he do?"

Well, you'll have to listen to and/or read the book to find out.

Things Iggy will NOT do this book:

Be the most polite kid ever.
Play the cello.
Think before acting.
Learn a lesson.
Regret his actions. (Most of them, anyway.)

Happy Friday, and happy reading!

Fast Five Fiction: Favorite Newbery's

It's the first Friday of the New Year! Here's to hoping 2021 is a happier, healthier year than 2020. Over the last few weeks in the children's department we've been switching out our copies of Newbery Award winning books with nice, clean, new copies. Some of our Newbery's have been on the shelf for multiple decades and it was definitely time for some updated graphics and unstained pages!

The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children". The Newbery (for chapter books) and the Caldecott Medal (for picture books) are considered the two most prestigious awards for children's literature in the United States! These books have been vetted by a committee that read well over 200 books and have chosen it as the best book for that year. 

Click on the title to be taken to our catalog to request items. Book summaries are from Goodreads. 

Here are five of my favorites!

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (1963)

It was a dark and stormy night. Out of this wild night, a strange visitor comes to the Murry house and beckons Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe on a most dangerous and extraordinary adventure—one that will threaten their lives and our universe.

Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo (2014)

It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry—and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (1968)

When suburban Claudia Kincaid decides to run away, she knows she doesn’t just want to run from somewhere, she wants to run to somewhere — to a place that is comfortable, beautiful, and, preferably, elegant. She chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Knowing her younger brother Jamie has money and thus can help her with a serious cash-flow problem, she invites him along.

Once settled into the museum, Claudia and Jamie find themselves caught up in the mystery of an angel statue that the museum purchased at auction for a bargain price of $225. The statue is possibly an early work of the Renaissance master, Michelangelo, and therefore worth millions. Is it? Or isn’t it?

Claudia is determined to find out. Her quest leads her to Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the remarkable old woman who sold the statue, and to some equally remarkable discoveries about herself.

New Kid by Jerry Craft (2020)

Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade.

As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself? 

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting (1923)

Doctor John Dolittle, the veterinarian who can actually talk to animals, sets sail on the high seas for new adventures! Accompanied by his young friend Tommy Stubbins and the beloved animals of his household -- Polynesia the parrot, Jip the dog, and Chee-Chee the monkey -- the good doctor is off to forbidding Spider Monkey Island to examine the rare jabizri beetle. But the mysterious island holds another, darker secret: The famous Indian naturalist, Long Arrow, has mysteriously disappeared -- and Doctor Dolittle urgently needs to speak with him.

Doctor Dolittle and his friends brave a shipwreck, find the floating island, and meet the incredible Great Glass Sea Snail -- the keeper of the greatest mystery of all. This is the most popular of the twelve Doctor Dolittle novels. The next has been carefully edited for modern readers by renowned children's book authors Patricia and Fredrick McKissack. This new edition, featuring color illustrations by best-selling artist Michael Hague, is sure to bring a whole new generation under the spell of Doctor Dolittle and his animal friends.

Curious about what other books have won the Newbery? Here's  a complete list of Newbery Winners as well as the Honor books from 1922-present. 

Happy Friday, and happy reading!