New Fiction

Elementary and Middle School Fiction

Will Sparrow's Road - Karen Cushman
In 1599 England, twelve-year-old lying, thieving Will Sparrow runs away, meets many colorful characters on the road, and then reluctantly joins a traveling "oddities" exhibit, where he learns to see beyond appearances.

Legends of Zita the Spacegirl - Ken Hatke
Zita is determined to find her way home to Earth, but her exploits have made her an intergallactic megastar, and as her true self is eclipsed by her public persona, she faces a robot doppelganger, unsure of who she can trust. (graphic novel)

Best Shot in the West: The Adventures of Nat Love
- Patricia C. McKissack & Fredrick L. McKissack
Fictionalized account, in graphic novel format, of the life of Nat Love, also known as Deadwood Dick, who grew up to become the most famous African-American cowboy in the Old West.

Twelve Kinds of Ice - Ellen Bryan Obed
From the first ice, a thin skin on a bucket of water, through thickly-iced fields, streams, and gardens, a girl, her family, and friends anticipate and enjoy a winter of skating, ending with an ice show complete with costumes, refreshments, and clowns.


The Spindlers - Lauren Oliver
Accompanied by an eccentric, human-sized rat, Liza embarks on a perilous quest through an underground realm to save her brother, Patrick, whose soul has been stolen by the evilest of creatures--the spider-like spindlers.

The Whole Truth - Kit Pearson
It is 1932. Polly, almost ten, and her older sister, Maud, travel by train and boat from Winnipeg to an island between Vancouver and Victoria to live with their grandmother, who is their guardian. Will the dark secret the sisters share threaten their newfound happiness and the bonds of family love?

Splendors and Glooms - Laura Amy Schlitz
A 2013 Newbery Honor winner. When Clara vanishes after the puppeteer Grisini and two orphaned assistants were at her twelfth birthday party, suspicion of kidnapping chases the trio away from London and soon the two orphans are caught in a trap set by Grisini's ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it is too late.

Cardboard - Doug TenNapel
When cardboard creatures come magically to life, a boy must save his town from disaster. (graphic novel)

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There - Catherynne M. Valente
After returning to Fairyland, September discovers that her stolen shadow has become the Hollow Queen, the new ruler of Fairyland Below, who is stealing the magic and shadows from Fairyland folk and refusing to give them back.

YA Fiction

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl - Jesse Andrews
Seventeen-year-old Greg has managed to become part of every social group at his Pittsburgh high school without having any friends, but his life changes when his mother forces him to befriend Rachel, a girl he once knew in Hebrew school who has leukemia.

The Crimson Crown - Cinda Williams Chima
Book 4 in the Seven Realms series. Young queen Raisa works to unite her people against a possible lover who threatens the Fells, while former streetlord and Wizard Council member Han Alister navigates a world of cutthroat politics only to discover a powerful secret.

If We Survive - Andrew Klavan
When revolutionaries seize control of a country in Central America where sixteen-year-old Will is serving at a mission, he and the other volunteers find themselves in a desperate race to escape the violence and return home.

New Picture Books

Aunt Ant Leaves Through the Leaves: A Story with Homophones and Homonyms - Nancy Coffelt

In a homonym-filled tale reminiscent of "The little red hen," a monkey asks for help moving a stack of bananas so that he can bake a pie.


Homer - Elisha Cooper
Homer the dog is content to watch from the porch as his family goes out to enjoy the day.

Chirchir is Singing- Kelly Cunnane & Jude Daly
Chirchir wants to help her family with their daily chores, but each of their tasks proves too challenging for her.

It's Raining, It's Pouring - Christine Davenier
Based on the song by Peter, Paul and Mary. The enclosed CD contains this and two other songs.

How Rocket Learned to Read - Tad Hills
A little yellow bird teaches Rocket the dog how to read by first introducing him to the "wondrous, mighty, gorgeous alphabet."

No Bears - Meg McKinlay
Ella tells a story with fairies, princesses, castles, and no bears.

Hide & Seek - Il Sung Na
When the animals play hide and seek, Elephant finds everyone but Chameleon, who has hidden so well no one can find him.

Mole Had Everything - Jamison Odone
Mole is content with very few possessions until his friend Emerson comes to tea and claims that he does not have nearly enough, and soon Mole has acquired so many things that he no longer has time to enjoy his life.

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving - Dav Pilkey
School children on a field trip to Mack Nugget's farm save the lives of eight turkeys in this poem based on "The Night Before Christmas."

Zayde Comes to Live - Sheri Sinykin
When Rachel's beloved grandfather, Zayde, comes to spend his last days with her family, she worries what will happen when he dies, especially after friends tell her the Christian and Muslim beliefs about the afterlife.

New Nonfiction & Biographies for Elementary Grades

Nonfiction
Ocean Sunlight - Molly Bang
Explains how all life on the Earth depends, directly or indirectly, on light from the sun, and describes how all ocean life, from the tiniest plankton to great whales, including the creatures in the darkest depths, form a web that uses sunshine.

Awesome Snake Science! 40 Activities for Learning About Snakes - Cindy Blobaum
Discusses the various types of snakes found around the world, and offers games, activities, and experiments for hand-on learning.

Ruby, Violet, Lime: Looking for Color - Jane Brocket
Presents brightly colored photograph illustrations that demonstrate the three primary colors and three secondary colors, as well as brown, pink, black, white, gray, silver, and gold.

 Spotty, Stripy, Swirly: What are Patterns? - Jane Brocket
A collection of colorful photographs demonstrating different repeating patterns, including simple and complicated patterns in a variety of different materials.

Island: A Story of the Galápagos - Jason Chin
An island is about to be born- one that in time will become the home of plants and animals that exist nowhere else on Earth. This book is the biography of a Galápagos island- from birth, through adolescence, to adulthood, and beyond.


Biographies

Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane's Musical Journey - Gary Golio
Tells the story of the legendary jazz musician, from his deeply religious childhood to his career as a boundary-breaking musician who found inspiration in his own unique approach to both spirituality and music.

Colorful Dreamer: The Story of Artist Henri Matisse - Marjorie Blain Parker
Presents the life and work of the turn-of-the-20th-century French artist, imagines his art-inspired childhood and growth into becoming one of the most admired artists in the world.
 

Monsieur Marceau - Leda Schubert

A visual profile of the iconic mime combines lyrical text with artwork to offer insight into the man behind his famous "Bip the Clown" character and the artistry that enabled him to communicate wordlessly and vibrantly.

New Picture Books

Jimmy the Greatest! - Jairo Buitrago

Inspired by Muhammad Ali, Jimmy starts training to become a boxer, and while his future looks bright, he decides leaving his small town for big matches might not be the best option for him.

 

Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad - Henry Cole

In this wordless picture book, a young Southern farm girl discovers a runaway slave hiding behind the corn crib in the barn and decides to help him.

 

Charley's First Night - Amy Hest

A book about friendship, new beginnings and that indescribable measure of love that we call a dog.


There Was a Tree - Rachel Isadora
A version of the song "The Green Grass Grew All Around," set in Africa gives children a fun, easy way to follow along with the cumulative lyrics by using rebus icons for the repeated words. Sheet music is also included.

Beach Feet - Kiyomi Konagaya
The story of a boy's visit to the beach, Beach Feet opens with a small boy feeling the heat of the sand and then running towards the ocean. Free and independent despite his young age and the tube around his waist, the boy gives himself over to the ocean and the pleasures to be had at water's edge. Throughout, the boy's connection to the beach through his feet-the feel of sand, shells, water-is never lost.


Trains Go - Steve Light Trains grumble, roar, and squeak their way through this board book.


The Barber Who Wanted to Pray - R.C. Sproul
One night after family devotions, Delaney asks her father to teach her to do better at prayer and he relates the story of Master Peter, a sixteenth-century barber who made the same request of Martin Luther.

The King Without a Shadow - R.C. SproulA young boy's questions about shadows lead a king to seek out a prophet who can help him find the only king without a shadow or God Himself.

The Priest with Dirty Clothes - R.C. Sproul
Grandfather tells Darby and Campbell the parable of the priest who is not allowed to preach until he changes the dirty clothes he is wearing for clean ones.

The Prince's Poison Cup - R.C. Sproul
In order to persuade a child to take her bitter-tasting medicine when she is sick, her grandfather tells her a story in which a prince saves the people from sin by drinking from a poisoned fountain.

P is for Pumpkin: God's Harvest Alphabet - Kathy-jo Wargin
Presents rhyming sentences for each letter of the alphabet that remind the reader of God's blessings in autumn.