New Books of the Month

Waylon! One Awesome Thing

by Sara Pennypacker (Author), Marla Frazee (Illustrator)

Waylon has lots of ideas for making life more awesome through science, like teleportation, human gills, and attracting cupcakes by controlling gravity. But it's impossible for him to concentrate on his inventions when he's experiencing his own personal Big Bang. 

Arlo Brody is dividing the fourth grade boys into two groups. Waylon would rather be friends with everyone. Well, everyone except the scary new kid, Baxter Boylen.

Waylon's older sister, Neon, is shooting away from the family. He wishes everything would go back to the way it was before she started wearing all black and saying "What's the point?" all the time. 

Just when it looks as though Waylon's universe is exploding, something happens to bring it all together again, and it is, without a doubt, One Awesome Thing.

EllRay Jakes Stands Tall 

by Sally Warner (Author), Brian Biggs (Illustrator)

Third Grade is halfway done, and eight-year-old EllRay Jakes is still the shortest in his class. He wants his classmates' respect, but he knows he has to be good at something to get it. And at Oak Glen Primary, that "something" means sports.

Mr. Havens, aka Coach Havens, has offered to lead pre-basketball practice for the third graders, and EllRay can't believe his luck. This could be his shot! But only if he can learn how to dribble, pass, and shoot. And only if he can get the ball. And what if his new passion isn't shared by one of his best friends, Marco? EllRay just might lose the ball and his friend in one blow. ... He needs to stand tall, in more ways than one!

Among a Thousand Fireflies

by Helen Frost  (Author), Rick Lieder  (Author)

On a summer evening, just as the stars blink on, a firefly lands on a flower. Lights start to flash all around her — first one, then three, seven. Hundreds. Thousands. How will she find just one flash among them? And will he see her flash in return?

The Stone Thrower

by Jael Ealey Richardson (Author), Matt James (Illustrator)

African-American football player Chuck Ealey grew up in a segregated neighborhood of Portsmouth, Ohio. Against all odds, he became an incredible quarterback. But despite his unbeaten record in high school and university, he would never play professional football in the United States.

Chuck Ealey grew up poor in a racially segregated community, but his mother assured him that he wouldn’t stay in Portsmouth forever. Education was the way out, and a football scholarship was the way to pay for that education. So despite the racist taunts he faced at all the games he played in high school, Chuck maintained a remarkable level of dedication and determination. And when discrimination followed him to university and beyond, Chuck Ealey remained undefeated.

Diana's White House Garden

by Elisa Carbone (Author), Jen Hill  (Illustrator)

Diana Hopkins lived in a white house. THE White House.

World War II is in full force across the seas. It's 1943, President Roosevelt is in office, and Diana's father, Harry Hopkins, is his chief advisor. And Diana wants to be part of the war effort. After some well-intentioned missteps (her quarantine sign on her father's office door was not well-received), the President requests her help with his newest plan for the country's survival: Victory Gardens!

From award-winning author Elisa Carbone comes the true story of how Diana Hopkins started her own Victory Garden on the White House lawn under the tutelage of Eleanor Roosevelt. With dedication and patience, she showed the nation that the war effort started first on the homefront.

The Hole Story of the Doughnut

by Pat Miller (Author), Vincent X. Kirsch (Illustrator)

In 1844, Hanson Gregory was thirteen when he left home to sail with the crew of the Isaac Achorn as cabin boy. In just eight years, Hanson became captain of the Ivanhoe, but he's not remembered for his brilliant sailing skill. Hanson earned a medal for bravery from the grateful Queen of Spain for a daring rescue at sea, but that's not why millions are grateful to him. It was Hanson's invention as a young ship's cook that made him deliciously memorable. Find out the hole story of his invention, one you've probably eaten!

Puddle

by Hyewon Yum  (Author)

One rainy day, a little boy is upset because he can't go out and play. His mom comes up with a way to keep him entertained--by drawing a picture of herself and him going outside, playing in the rain, and splashing in a giant puddle. They have so much fun drawing themselves that they decide to venture out and make the most of the rainy weather.

Clara: The (Mostly) True Story of the Rhinoceros who Dazzled Kings, Inspired Artists, and Won the Hearts of Everyone . . . While She Ate Her Way Up and Down a Continent!

by Emily Arnold McCully  (Author, Illustrator)

What was it like to see a baby rhinoceros from India in eighteenth-century Europe?

"Unglaublich! Incredible" declared the king of Prussia.

"Herrlich! Magnificent!" Pronounced the empress of Vienna.

"Schrecklich! Frightful!" people excpaimed. "And yet what a beautiful spirit!"

Yes, Clara - as she was called - was a wonder to behold.

Join Captain Van der Meer and his beloved Clara as hey crisscross the continent - from the orangerie of Frederick II of Germany, to the court of King Louis XV of France, to the crowds of Paris, Rome, Venice, and beyond, amazing all who see her.

Cody Harmon, King of Pets (Franklin School Friends)

by Claudia Mills (Author), Rob Shepperson (Illustrator)

Cody Harmon doesn't love reading, math, spelling, or really any of the subjects that Miss Molina teaches in her third-grade class. But he lives on a farm and he loves animals--he even has nine pets--so when the school holds a pet-show fund-raiser, it should be his time to shine. There's a ten-dollar entrance fee per pet, though, and Cody can't pay it for all nine pets. He'd love to take his pig, but what about the others?

Brave Like My Brother

by Marc Tyler Nobleman (Author)

When Charlie's brother, Joe, is called up to fight in World War II, he promises to write letters to ten-year-old Charlie as often as he can. It won't make up for not being there to help Charlie out with the neighborhood bullies, but it's all Joe can do.

Life is tough for a soldier, and Joe tells Charlie all about it, from long hikes in endless rain and mud to the stray dog his company adopts. But when Joe is sent on a secret mission with the one soldier he can't stand, he will have to face risks that place their mission -- and their lives -- in grave danger.

Charlie knew his brother was strong, but he will discover that Joe is more of a hero than he lets on. Will Joe's letters give Charlie the strength to stand up for himself and be brave, too?

Good Night Owl

by Greg Pizzoli  (Author, Illustrator)

Owl is ready for bed. But as soon as he settles in, he hears a strange noise. He'll never get to sleep unless he can figure out what's going on!

We Came To America

by Faith Ringgold (Author)

From the Native Americans who first called this land their home, to the millions of people who have flocked to its shores ever since, America is a country rich in diversity. Some of our ancestors were driven by dreams and hope. Others came in chains, or were escaping poverty or persecution. No matter what brought them here, each person embodied a unique gift—their art and music, their determination and grit, their stories and their culture. And together they forever shaped the country we all call home.

Circle 

by Jeannie Baker (Author, Illustrator)

Each year, bar-tailed godwits undertake the longest unbroken migration of any bird, flying from their breeding grounds in the Arctic to Australia and New Zealand and back again. They follow invisible pathways — pathways that have been followed for thousands of years — while braving hunger and treacherous conditions to reach their destination. In Circle,Jeannie Baker follows the godwit’s incredible flight, taking us over awe-inspiring scenes as the birds spread their wings above such beautiful landmarks as the Great Barrier Reef and China’s breathtaking cityscapes.

Steamboat School

by Deborah Hopkinson  (Author), Ron Husband (Illustrator)

When James first started school, his sister practically had to drag him there. The classroom was dark and dreary, and James knew everything outside was more exciting than anything he'd find inside.

But his teacher taught him otherwise. 

"We make our own light here," Reverend Meachum told James.

And through hard work and learning, they did, until their school was shut down by a new law forbidding African American education in Missouri. Determined to continue teaching his students, Reverend John Berry Meachum decided to build a new school-a floating school in the Mississippi River, just outside the boundary of the unjust law.

A Piece of Home

by Jeri Watts (Author), Hyewon Yum (Illustrator)

When Hee Jun’s family moves from Korea to West Virginia, he struggles to adjust to his new home. His eyes are not big and round like his classmates’, and he can’t understand anything the teacher says, even when she speaks s-l-o-w-l-y and loudly at him. As he lies in bed at night, the sky seems smaller and darker. But little by little Hee Jun begins to learn English words and make friends on the playground. And one day he is invited to a classmate’s house, where he sees a flower he knows from his garden in Korea — mugunghwa, or rose of Sharon, as his friend tells him — and Hee Jun is happy to bring a shoot to his grandmother to plant a "piece of home" in their new garden. Lyrical prose and lovely illustrations combine in a gentle, realistic story about finding connections in an unfamiliar world.

Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn't Sit Still

by Karlin Gray (Author), Christine Davenier (Illustrator)

Nadia Comaneci was a feisty and fearless little girl who went from climbing trees in the forests of Romania to swinging into history at the 1976 Olympic Games, where she received an unprecedented seven perfect scores in gymnastics. But as readers will see in this first-ever illustrated picture book about Nadia’s journey to Olympic gold, the road from small-town girl to world-class athlete was full of many imperfect moments. 

     Expert illustrations that capture the energy and fluidity of Nadia's exuberant gymnastic routines and referential back matter round out this inspirational story of determination and overcoming adversity. A perfect 10.