| K-2 | Ada Twist, Scientist | Beaty, Andrea | Nonfiction | 2016 | Inspired by real-life makers Ada Lovelace and Marie Curie, this beloved #1 bestseller champions STEM, girl power and women scientists in a rollicking celebration of curiosity, the power perseverance, and the importance of asking “Why?” | STEM, Fascinating People |
| K-2 | We Are Water Protectors | Lindstrom, Carole | Fiction, Native American Folklore | 2022 | 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 | STEM |
| K-2 | Chick and Brain: Smell My Foot | Ball, Cece | Fiction, Graphic Novel | 2019 | Meet Chick and Brain. And their friend Spot. Chick likes to follow the rules. Brain might not be as smart as he looks. And Spot just wants to eat lunch. | Silly Stories, Social Emotional Development, Friendship |
| K-2 | Yasmin the Chef | Faruqi, Saadia | Fiction, chapter book | 2019 | Yasmin loves hosting parties! Music, friends, fun! But what she doesn’t love is the spicy food her Pakistani family serves. Yasmin puts on her chef hat and plans to make her own amazing, fantastic recipe…as soon as she figures out what that is! | Cultural connections |
| K-2 | What About Worms!? | Higgins, Ryan T. | Fiction | 2020 | Tiger is BIG. Tiger is BRAVE. And Tiger is NOT afraid of anything . . . except WORMS! Are Tiger’s worm worries worse than worms? | Silly Stories, Social Emotional Development |
| K-2 | Snail and Worm: Three Stories about Two Friends | Kugler, Tina | Fiction, short stories | 2016 | Told in three comical, episodic shorts and ranging in topic from adventuring to having pets, Snail and Worm will have readers laughing at the friends’ silly antics, making it a perfect book for readers transitioning between picture books and chapter books. | Silly Stories, Social Emotional Development, Friendship |
| K-2 | Sofia Martinez: My Family Adventure | Jules, Jacqueline | Fiction | 2015 | Little Sofia Martinez has a big personality and big plans, which makes every day memorable. Between her sisters and cousins, her family is the focus of her many adventures. From taking school pictures to doing chores, this 7-year-old knows how to make every moment count. Sofia loves her family and loves her life. | Family, Cultural Connections |
| K-2 | Hair Love | Cherry, Matthew A | Fiction | 2019 | Story about self-love and self-care. Adapted into a Pixar short. | Family, Cultural Connections |
| K-2 | Joan Proctor, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles | Valdez, Patricia | Nonfiction | 2018 | Biography of a pioneering scientist. | STEM, Fascinating People |
| K-2 | Flow, Spin, Grow: Looking for Patterns in Nature | Barss, Patchen | Nonfiction | 2018 | Introduction to identifying patterns in nature. | STEM |
| K-2 | Power Up | Fishman, Seth | Nonfiction | 2019 | Introduction to how the human body is powered by energy. | STEM |
| 1-3 | In the Past | Elliott, David | Nonfiction, poetry | 2018 | A poetic introduction to the world of dinosaurs. | STEM, Animals |
| 1-3 | A Boy and a Jaguar | Rabinowitz, Alan | Nonfiction, autobiography | 2014 | Alan Rabinowitz, a famous jaguar expert, tells the story of how becoming an advocate for animal conservation helped him overcome his stutter. | STEM, Animals, Fascinating People, Social Emotional Development |
| 1-3 | King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth | Hillestad Butler, Dori | Fiction, mystery | 2018 | Kayla and her dog, King, investigate another mystery. Part of a series told King’s point of view. | Social Emotional Development, Animals |
| 1-3 | Summer in Savannah (Ana & Andrew) | Platt, Christine | Fiction | 2019 | Ana & Andrew travel to visit their grandparents in Savannah, Georgia. While they are there, they learn Grandma and Grandpa’s church was built by slaves. Part of the Ana & Andrew series. | History, Social Emotional Development, Equity |
| 1-3 | Imagine | Herrera, Juan Felipe | Nonfiction, poetry, autobiography | 2018 | Poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera tells his own story about leaving home and finding yourself through an illustrated poem. | Social Emotional Development, Fascinating People |
| 1-3 | The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read | Hubbard, Rita Lorraine | Nonfiction | 2020 | The story of Mary Walker, who was born into slavery and learned to read at 116 years old. | History, Social Emotional Development, Fascinating People |
| 1-3 | Zoe & Sassafrass Book 1: Dragons and Marshmallows | Citro, Asia | Fiction, Sci-Fi, Fantasy | 2018 | Each story in the Zoey and Sassafras series features a new magical animal with a problem that must be solved using science. | STEM, Adventure |
| 1-3 | Most Perfect You | Simon, Jazmyn | Fiction | 2022 | Irie’s mother helps her come to love herself just as she is. | Social Emotional Development |
| 1-3 | Poppy & Sam the Leaf Thief | Cathon | Fiction, Mystery | 2018 | Poppy and her panda friend, Sam, lead an investigation into a suspicious commotion. | Friendship, Animals |
| 1-3 | Dragon Masters | Tracey West | Fiction, Fantasy | 2014 | Illustrated chapter book filled with dragons, wizards, and magic. Part of a series. | Adventure |
| 2-4 | Gross as a Snot Otter: Discovering the World’s Most Disgusting Animals | Keating, Jess | Nonfiction | 2019 | A collection of some of the world’s weirdest, wildest, and grossest creatures (and how what makes them gross also helps them survive). | STEM, Animals |
| 2-4 | Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race | Shetterly, Margaret Lee | Nonfiction | 2018 | This book explores the pivotal contributions of African-American women mathematicians to America’s space program. | STEM, Space, History |
| 2-4 | Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship: Stories From India | Soundar, Chitra | Fiction | 2018 | A series of stories inspired by traditional Indian folktales featuring best friends Prince Veera and Suku. | Adventure, Friendship, Cultural Connections |
| 2-4 | The Dragon Slayer: Folktales From Latin America | Hernandez, Jaime | Nonfiction, Graphic Novel | 2017 | Jaime Hernandez transforms beloved myths into bold, stunning, and utterly contemporary comics. | Adventure, Cultural Connections |
| 2-4 | Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix | Marin, Jacqueline Briggs | Nonfiction | 2017 | Famed chef Roy Choi explores how food not only means culture, but love. | Cultural Connections |
| 2-4 | Frankie Sparks and the Class Pet | Blakemore, Megan Frazer | Fiction | 2019 | Frankie Sparks, the self-proclaimed “best inventor int he third grade,” creates a tool to try to persuade her classmates that a rat would be the perfect class pet. | STEM, Animals |
| 2-4 | The Birchbark House | Erdrich, Louise | Historical Fiction | 1999 | A seven-year-old member of the Ojibwe tribe lives through the joys of summer and the perils of winter on an island in Lake Superior in 1847. | History, Cultural Connections |
| 2-4 | Wedgie & Gizmo | Fisinger, Barbara | Fiction | 2017 | Gizmo, an evil genius guinea pig, is constantly thwarted by the lovable Corgi, Wedgie. | Animals |
| 2-4 | Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen | Florence, Debbi Michiko | Fiction | 2017 | Eager to do something her big sister has not done first, Jasmine Toguchi decides to pound mochi with the men and bous when her family gets together to celebrate the New Year. | Cultural Connections, Family |
| 2-4 | Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orechestra of Paraguay | Hood, Susan | Nonfiction | 2016 | The true story of Favior Chavez, a music teacher who transforms Ada and her small town with a love of music. | STEM, Fascinating People |
| 3-5 | Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You | Sotomayor, Sonia | Fiction | 2019 | A book about how our differences make each of us unique. | Social Emotional Development |
| 3-5 | Kitten Construction Company | Green, John P. | Fiction, Graphic Novel | 2018 | Marmalade is a trained architect who isn’t taken seriously because, well, she’s a kitten. | Social Emotional Development, Equity |
| 3-5 | Peter and Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths | Annable, Graham | Fiction, Graphic Novel | 2018 | Peter and Ernesto are sloths. Peter and Ernesto are friends. But Peter and Ernesto are nothing alike. | Social Emotional Development, Friendship |
| 3-5 | Stella Diaz Has Something to Say | Dominguez, Angela | Fiction | 2018 | Stella wants to be able to speak in front of the class, but sometimes she accidentally speaks Spanish instead of English, which makes her turn roja. | Social Emotional Development, Cultural Connections |
| 3-5 | Emmy in the Key of Code | Lucido, Aimee | Fiction | 2019 | Emmy has never felt more out of place, but when she takes her first coding class things start to look up. | STEM, Social Emotional Development, Friendship |
| 3-5 | Front Desk | Yang, Kelly | Fiction | 2018 | English is not Mia Tang’s first language, but she wants to be a writer. That’s not her only secret, either — her family lives and works in a motel. In the empty rooms they hide other immigrant families like theirs. | Social Emotional Development, Cultural Connections |
| 3-5 | Selena: Queen of Tejano Music | Lopez, Silvia | Nonfiction | 2020 | The story of Selena Quintanilla, who faced an uphill battle to be come a star in a genre dominated by male performers. | Cultural Connections, Fascinating People |
| 3-5 | Rocket to the Moon | Brown, Don | Nonfiction, Graphic Novel | 2019 | The history of rocket building, from ancient Chinese rockets to the moon landing. | STEM |
| 3-5 | Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having a Disability | Burcaw, Shane | Nonfiction, autobiography | 2017 | A humorous, relatable, and honest glimpse into the life of Shane Burvaw, who was born with spinal muscular atrophy. | Social Emotional Development, Equity |
| 3-5 | Rutabega the Adventure Chef | Colossal, Eric | Fiction, Graphic Novel, Fantasy | 2015 | Rutabaga and his magic cooking pot, Pot, join young adventurers Winnifred, Manny, and Beef on a quest to defeat a dragon, discover new ingredients, find monsters to have for and/or to dinner, and to save the day through cooking. | Adventure, Friendship |
| 3-5 | Wow in the World presents Wow in the Wild: The Amazing World of Animals | Thomas, Mindy and Guy Raz | Nonfiction | 2022 | A hilarious guide to creatures big and small. | STEM, Animals |
| 3-5 | The Magical Adventures of Phoebe and Her Unicorn | Simpson, Dana | Fiction, Graphic Novel, Fantasy | 2020 | Phoebe and her unicorn best friend explore a world full of magical mysteries and adventure, taking on everything from cruel classmates to candy-breathing dragons. | Adventure, Friendship |
| 3-5 | Cucubmber Quest Book 1: The Donut Kingdom | D.G., Gigi | Fiction, Webcomic, Graphic Novel | 2017 | The seven kingdoms of Dreamside need a hero, Instead, they have to settle for Cucumber, a nerdy magician, and his way more heroic sister, Almond. | Adventure |
| 3-5+ | Zita the Spacegirl | Hatke, Ben | Fiction, Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi | 2011 | When her best friend is abducted by an alien doomsday cult, Zita leaps to the rescue and finds herself a stranger on a strange planet. Humanoid chickens and neurotic robots are shocking enough as new experiences go, but Zita is even more surprised to find herself taking on the role of intergalactic hero. First book in a series. | Adventure, Space |
| 3-5+ | The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian #1: The Fuzzy Apocalypse | Messinger, Jonathan | Fiction, Graphic Novel Sci-Fi | 2020 | When Explorer Troop 301 gets stuck on a planet that’s about to explode, Finn and his friends will have to face giant aliens, a leader with mind control powers, and one evil, fluffy bunny rabbit in order to save the planet and themselves. | Adventure, Friendship, Space |
| 4-6 | Pilu of the Woods | Nguyen, Mai K. | Fiction, Graphic Novel, Fantasy | 2019 | A beautiful and bittersweet story of friendship, loss, and finding your way home. | Social Emotional Development, Family |
| 4-6 | Your Place in the Universe | Chin, Jason | Nonfiction | 2020 | A book all about the mind-boggling scale of the known Universe. | STEM, Space |
| 4-6 | Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science Behind Your Favorite Monsters | Beccia, Carlyn | Nonfiction | 2019 | The historical and cultural origins of eight famous monsters. | History, STEM |
| 4-6 | Resist: 35 Profiles of Ordinary People Who Rose Up Against Tyranny and Injustice | Chambers, Veronica | Nonfiction | 2018 | The stories of 35 people who changed the world by taking a stand. | History, Social Emotional Development |
| 4-6 | Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild | Thimmesh, Catherine | Nonfiction | 2018 | How humans are helping China’s panda population make a comeback. | STEM, Animals |
| 4-6 | Chasing Space | Melvin, Leland | Nonfiction | 2017 | After his football career was cut short by an injury, Leland Marvin found a new dream that was literally out of this world. | STEM, Space, Fascinating People |
| 4-6 | Stargazing | Wang, Jen | Fiction, Graphic Novel | 2019 | Growing up in the same Chinese-American suburb, perfectionist Christine and impulsive Moon become unlikely best friends. | Cultural Connections, Friendship, Social Emotional Development |
| 4-6 | Pashmina | Chanani, Nidhi | Fiction, Graphic Novel | 2017 | Indian-American teen Priyanka attempts to reconnect to her mother’s homeland through a magical shawl. | Cultural Connections, Family |
| 4-6 | Witches of Brooklyn | Escabasse, Sophie | Fiction, Graphic Novel | 2020 | When Effie moves to Brooklyn she discovers that her strange aunt might actually be a witch. | Family |
| 4-6 | Becoming RBG | Levy, Deborah | Nonfiction, Graphic Novel | 2019 | The illustrated origin story of the one and only RBG. | History, Fascinating People |
| 4-6 | Each Tiny Spark | Cartaya, Pablo | Fiction | 2019 | Emilia Torres struggles with ADHD, her controlling abuela, her mother’s job, and her father’s challenges after returning from deployment on top of her struggles with friendships and growing up. | Family, Friendship, Social Emotional Development |
| 4-6 | Finding Langston | Cline-Ransome, Lesa | Fiction | 2018 | A book of Langston Hughes’ poetry in the library helps a boy cope with the loss of his mother, moving north, and being bullied. | Social Emotional Development, Fascinating People |
| 4-6 | Starfish | Fipps, Lisa | Fiction | 2021 | Ellie has been bullied for her weight, but now a swimming hobby, a kind therapist, and a new neighbor help her embrace her true self. | Social Emotional Development, Friendship |
| 4-6 | Get a Grip, Vivi Cohen | Kapit, Sarah | Fiction | 2020 | KEleven-year-old knuckleball pitcher Vivy Cohen, who has autism, becomes pen pals with her favorite baseball player after writing him a letter as part of a school assignment for a social skills class. | Social Emotional Development |
| 4-6 | Simon B. Rhymin’ | Reed, Swayne | Fiction | 2021 | Chicago fifth grader Simon Barnes is forced to confront his shyness and fear of public speaking to demonstrate his talens during an oral presentation at school. | Social Emotional Development |
| 4-6 | Twins | Johnson, Varian | Fiction, Graphic Novel | 2020 | Twins Maureen and Francine try to distinguish themselves by pursuing different interests at the beginning of 6th grade. | Family, Social Emotional Development |
| 4-6 | A PHO Love Story | Le, Loan | Fiction | 2021 | Two Vietnamese-American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighboring restaurants. | Family, Social Emotional Development, Cultural Connections |
| 4-6 | Everything Sad is Untrue (A True Story) | Nayeri, Daniel | Fiction, Autobiographical | 2020 | In an Oklahoman middle school, Khosrou (whom everyone calls Daniel) stands in front of a skeptical audience of classmates, telling the tales of his family’s history, stretching back years, decades, and centuries | Cultural Connections, Family |
| 4-6 | American as Paneer Pie | Kelkar, Supriya | Fiction, Autobiographical | 2020 | As the only Indian American kid in her small town, Lekha Divekar feels like she has two versions of herself: Home Lekha, who loves watching Bollywood movies and eating Indian food, and School Lekha, who pins her hair over her bindi birthmark and avoids confrontation at all costs. | Cultural Connections, Family |
