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What's in this guide?

Our latest acquisitions in Children's and Young Adult Literature, as well as Teacher Resources, are featured here. 

Click on any cover to see more information about that book in the library catalog, or stop by the IMC to check them out!

New Children's and Young Adult (YA) Books in the IMC

Bros

Picture Book
By Carole Boston Weatherford
Recommended: Grades PreK-1
Pages: 32
Summary: "From sunrise to sunset, a group of young Black boys joyously spend the day together as they live their best lives freely in their community." --From Publisher's Description

The Real Story

Picture Book
By Sergio Ruzzier
Recommended: Ages 3 to 6
Pages: 32
Summary: "When Cat asks Mouse how the cookie jar broke and where the cookies went, Mouse tells Cat implausible story after implausible story." --From Publisher's Description

The Blue Bowl

Picture Book
By Flo Leung
Recommended: Ages 4 to 7
Pages: 32
Summary: "A young boy and his family discover a way to merge their Chinese and North American backgrounds by combining traditional foods from both cultures." --From Publisher's Description

Ode to a Bad Day

Picture Book
By Chelsea Lin Wallace
Recommended: Ages 5 to 8
Pages: 32
Summary: "A little girl is having a day where absolutely nothing goes right, but even bad days end eventually." --From Publisher's Description

Like Lava in My Veins

Picture Book
By Derrick Barnes
Recommended: Ages 5 to 8
Pages: 32
Summary: "Bobby Beacon is psyched to attend a new school that'll help him get a better grip on his powers. But right off the bat, his hot temper lands him in the principal's office. Can an understanding teacher clue him in on ways to calm himself?" --From Publisher's Description

Party Hearty Kitty-Corn

Picture Book
By Shannon Hale
Recommended: Ages 4 to 8
Pages: 32
Summary: "Kitty is excited to throw a kitty-corn party but becomes frustrated when newcomer Puppy messes up the decorations, ruins the gift Kitty made, and worst of all, he takes up all of Unicorn's attention." --From Publisher's Description

Flat Cat

Picture Book
By Tara Lazar
Recommended: Grades K to 2
Pages: 32
Summary: "Flat Cat likes being flat, roaming anywhere and happy to be unseen. Until one day when he becomes fluffy, he learns to enjoy the attention it brings, and grows to love being seen." --From Publisher's Description

Two New Years

Picture Book
By Richard Ho
Recommended: Grades PreK to 2
Pages: 32
Summary: "A multicultural family celebrates the traditions of two New Years: the Jewish Rosh Hashanah in the autumn, and the Asian Lunar New Year several months later." --From Publisher's Description

Who Will U Be?

Picture Books
By Jessica Hische
Recommended: Ages 3 to 7
Pages: 32
Summary: "During the annual Find Yourself Field Trip at Ms. Bracket's School for Little Letters, U discovers all the different ways letters are used in the world and contemplates what she will be when she grows up." --From Publisher's Description

Cornbread and Poppy at the Carnival

Beginning Chapter
By Matthew Cordell
Recommended: Ages 4 to 8
Pages: 80
Summary: "Poppy can't WAIT to try a roller coaster. Cornbread...can. But Cornbread and Poppy are the best of friends, so when the Carnival rolls into town, Cornbread agrees to check it out." --From Publisher's Description

Makeda Makes a Birthday Treat

Early Reader
By Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Recommended: Ages 4 to 8
Pages: 31
Summary: "A young girl celebrates her birthday and the special treats she can make for her class." --From Publisher's Description

A Smart, Smart School

Picture Book
By Sharon Creech
Recommended: Ages 4 to 8
Pages: 32
Summary: "The new principal, Mr. Tatters, says that in order to be a smart, smart school, we will have lots and lots of tests." --From Publisher's Description

Hidden Gem

Picture Book
By Linda Liu
Recommended: Grades PreK to 2
Pages: 32
Summary: "When a small pebble sees a display of glittering gemstones, he wonders if he can be special, too." --From Publisher's Description

A Unicorn, a Dinosaur, and a Shark Walk into a Book

Picture Book
By Jonathan Fenske
Recommended: Ages 4 to 8
Pages: 32
Summary: "The book's narrator attempts to tell a tale about a unicorn, a dinosaur, and a shark, but the three characters are unimpressed and uncooperative." --From Publisher's Description

The Imposter

Picture Book
By Kelly Collier (Illustrator)
Recommended: Ages 4 to 8
Pages: 32
Summary: "Skunk wants to be a dog. Everyone loves dogs. When he sees a "lost" poster for Max the dog, Skunk wonders if he can pass for the missing pet." --From Publisher's Description

The Great Giraffe Rescue

Nonfiction
By Sandra Markle
Recommended: Grades 4 to 6
Pages: 40
Summary: "After oil was discovered in Nubian giraffes' habitat, conservationists needed to move some of them across a river to safer territory. But there was no bridge, and giraffes can't swim. Follow this unusual--and successful--rescue!" --From Publisher's Description

Shift Happens

Nonfiction
By J. Albert Mann
Recommended: Grades 8 and Up
Pages: 409
Summary: "This eye-opening and engaging history of the worker actions that brought us weekends, pay equality, desegregation, an end to child labor and more documents how the labor movement has shaped America and how it intersects with the major issues facing modern teens." --From Publisher's Description

Glitter Everywhere!

Nonfiction
By Chris Barton
Recommended: Ages 5 to 9
Pages: 48
Summary: "Everyone seems to have an opinion about glitter. But how much do you know about the tiny, shiny confetti? What makes glitter glitter? Why does it stick to everything? Who invented it? How is it made? If you love glitter, this book is for you." --From Publisher's Description

Nature Is a Sculptor

Nonfiction
By Heather Ferranti Kinser
Recommended: Grades K to 2
Pages: 32
Summary: "With wind and water, nature shapes our planet in amazing ways. Photos of geological marvels accompany lyrical verse in this exploration of the forces of weathering and erosion." --From Publisher's Description

The Forest in the Sea

Nonfiction
By Anita Sanchez
Recommended: Ages 8 to 12
Pages: 92
Summary: "An exploration of seaweed's role in marine ecosystems and climate change solutions, from reducing methane emissions to advances in biofuels, medicines, and more." --From Publisher's Description

Cicada Symphony

Nonfiction
By Sue Fliess
Recommended: Ages 4 to 8
Pages: 32
Summary: "Interesting facts and a rhythmic, rhyming verse combine with colorful illustrations to portray one of the most fascinating insects in the world." --From Publisher's Description

There's No Cream in Cream Soda

Nonfiction
By Kim Zachman
Recommended: Ages 8 to 12
Pages: 140
Summary: "People have been inventing drinks for thousands of years. From soda to water to milk and juice, this book is full of fun facts and stories of the origins of some of America's most popular drinks." --From Publisher's Description

Green Energy

Nonfiction
By Jasmine Ting
Recommended: Grades 3 to 5
Pages: 48
Summary: "We use a lot of energy to power our lives. The challenge facing us today is finding sustainable energy methods that will ensure a green future." --From Publisher's Description

How to Bird

Nonfiction
By Rasha Hamid
Recommended: Ages 3 to 8
Pages: 32
Summary: "Birding is a joyful, wonder-filled activity that anyone can do. Featuring the skyline and natural spaces of New York City, How to Bird invites children to explore birdwatching, with each page featuring a new birding strategy." --From Publisher's Description

Small Places, Close to Home

Nonfiction
By Deborah Hopkinson
Recommended: Ages 4 to 8
Pages: 32
Summary: "In the wake of two world wars, Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady and U.S. delegate to the newly formed United Nations, drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Signed on December 10, 1948, this is an adaptation for children." --From Publisher's Description

Dig Deep

Nonfiction
By Nicole F. Smith
Recommended: Ages 9 to 12
Pages: 47
Summary: " From harvesting herring eggs to hunting humpback whales, humans have had a relationship with the world's oceans for more than 100,000 years. What can archaeology tell us about how our marine environments have changed over time?" --From Publisher's Description

Yes! No! A First Conversation about Consent

Nonfiction Board Book
By Megan Madison
Recommended: Ages 2 to 5
Pages: 36
Summary: "This book serves to normalize and celebrate the experience of asking for and being asked for permission to do something involving one's body." --From Publisher's Description

Washed Ashore

Nonfiction
By Kelly Crull
Recommended: Ages 6 to 10
Pages: 32
Summary: "An artist makes animal sculptures from plastic garbage that washes up on beaches. Photos of these sculptures are paired with facts about featured sea creatures and the impacts of plastic on sea life." --From Publisher's Description

The Young Activist's Dictionary of Social Justice

Nonfiction
By Ryse Tottingham (Revised by); Andy Passchier (Illustrator)
Recommended: Ages 7 to 12
Pages: 61
Summary: "Each page represents a letter and provides concise, age-appropriate definitions for 10 or more terms, with subject matter spanning issues like racial justice, climate change, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, income disparity, voter engagement, and immigration." --From Publisher's Description

Black Girl You Are Atlas

Poetry
By Renée Watson; Ekua Holmes (Illustrator)
Recommended: Grades 7 to 9
Pages: 81
Summary: Using a variety of poetic forms, from haiku to free verse, Watson shares recollections of her childhood in Portland, tender odes to the Black women in her life, and urgent calls for Black girls to step into their power." --From Publisher's Description

An Outbreak of Witchcraft

Graphic Novel
By Deborah Noyes
Recommended: Ages 12 and Up
Pages: 225
Summary: "From 1692 to 1693, fear reigned in the small village of Salem, Massachusetts. Widespread panic led to one of the longest cases of hysteria in America, in which more than twenty innocent lives were lost. Here, the haunting details behind the Salem Witch Trials are visually imagined." --From Publisher's Description

SCRAM

Graphic Novel
By Rory Lucey
Recommended: Ages 8 to 12
Pages: 199
Summary: "Rockhurst is your average suburban town. It has everything you'd expect: happy families, fun shops...and magical creatures! In the hopes of learning more about the local cryptids, three friends, Jenny, Emiko, and Brian, start the Society of Creatures Real and Magical, or S.C.R.A.M." --From Publisher's Description

Timid

Graphic Novel
By Jonathan Todd
Recommended: Grades 4 to 7
Pages: 261
Summary: "Cecil and his family have just moved to a new state, and he is anxious about making friends. The few kids who are impressed by Cecil's comic-making art aren't always nice to him. Can Cecil stand up for himself and figure out who his real friends are?" --From Publisher's Description

Puzzled

Graphic Memoir
By Pan Cooke
Recommended: Ages 10 and Up
Pages: 224
Summary: "Pan Cooke is ten years old when anxious thoughts begin to take over his brain. He has no way of knowing that this anxiety puzzle and the stressful attempts to solve it are evidence of a condition called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This is his story of living with and eventually learning about OCD." --From Publisher's Description

Blood City Rollers

Graphic Novel
By V. P. Anderson
Recommended: Grades 4 to 6
Pages: 185
Summary: "After ice-skater and Olympic hopeful Mina wipes out at her biggest competition, she gets recruited by a squad of vampires who need a human player to complete their Paranormal Roller Derby team. Will she be enough to help her new friends survive the season?" --From Publisher's Description

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Graphic Novel
By: Deya Muniz
Recommended: Ages 12 and Up
Pages: 235
Summary: "Lady Camembert wants to live life on her own terms, without marriage. So when her father passes away, she does the only thing she can: She disguises herself as a man and moves to the capital city of the Kingdom of Fromage." --From Publisher's Description

King Cheer

Graphic Novel
By Molly Horton Booth
Recommended: Grades 7 to 9
Pages: 158
Summary: "Waitlisted by her dream college and questioning her identity, Leah steps down as cheer captain to focus on her future. But when the competition for captaincy goes awry, power-hungry twins take command of the squad and immediately pit the cheerleaders against the basketball team." --From Publisher's Description

Another Kind

Graphic Novel
By Trevor Bream; Cait May (Illustrator)
Recommended: Grades 5 to 8
Pages: 284
Summary: "Tucked away in a government facility, six not-quite-human kids learn to control their strange and unpredictable abilities. Life is good--or safe, at least--until a security breach forces them out of their home and into the path of a mysterious being called the Collector." --From Publisher's Description

The Sleepover

Graphic Novel
By Michael Regina
Recommended: Grades 4 to 8
Pages: 221
Summary: "Matt's friends plan a fun sleepover to try and cheer him up after the death of his beloved nanny, it quickly takes a turn when they realize the family's new nanny may be an actual monster." --From Publisher's Description

Running in Flip-Flops from the End of the World

Fiction
By Justin A. Reynolds
Recommended: Grades 4 to 8
Pages: 294
Summary: "12-year-old Eddie and his friends are forced to stay home while everyone else in town goes to the Beach Bash. Then, they all mysteriously disappear! Can Eddie get his gang to the beach and figure out what happened to their families?" --From Publisher's Description

Turn the Tide

Novel in Verse
By Elaine Dimopoulos
Recommended: Grades 3 to 7
Pages: 359
Summary: "12-year-old Mimi Laskarises sees a TED talk in science class about two young people who lobbied to ban single-use plastic bags on their home island of Bali. It makes her wonder, could a kid like her make such a big change in her community?" --From Publisher's Description

The Color of Sound

Fiction
By Emily Barth Isler
Recommended: Grades 4 to 6
Pages: 326
Summary: "12-year-old Rosie is a musical prodigy whose mom expects her to become a professional violinist. But this summer, Rosie refuses to play. She wants to have a break. And when she meets a girl who seems distinctly familiar, she knows this summer will be unlike any other." --From Publisher's Description

Breaking into Sunlight

Fiction
By John Cochran
Recommended: Ages 10 to 13
Pages: 300
Summary: "7th-grader Reese's ordinary life is upended the day he finds his father suffering from yet another drug overdose and his mom moves them away. Furious at first, he discovers beauty and joy in nature and in connecting with new friends." --From Publisher's Description

Not Quite a Ghost

Fiction
By Anne Ursu
Recommended: Ages 8 to 12
Pages: 277
Summary: "For Violet Hart, very little felt like it fit anymore--their old home, or her old group of friends. Then, soon after moving in to her new attic bedroom, Violet falls ill and does not get better. Others start to wonder if she's really sick at all. Violet suspects that she might not be alone in the room..." --From Publisher's Description

Okay, Cupid

Fiction
By Mason Deaver
Recommended: Grades 10 to 12
Pages: 311
Summary: "As a cupid, Jude's job is to bring couples together without getting involved. Their new assignment involves two teenagers who are meant to be more than just friends. If only Jude's attraction to a certain human boy would quit getting in the way and threatening their career." --From Publisher's Description

Ferris

Fiction
By Kate DiCamillo
Recommended: Grades 4 to 8
Pages: 226
Summary: "During the summer before fifth grade, Ferris Wilkey has her hands full with her little sister terrorizing the town, her Aunt Shirley moving into their basement and her grandmother seeing a ghost--one who has wild, impractical and illuminating plans." --From Publisher's Description

Blood at the Root

Fiction
By LaDarrion Williams
Recommended: Grades 9 and Up
Pages: 419
Summary: "Ten years ago, Malik's life changed forever the night his mother mysteriously vanished and he discovered he had uncontrollable powers. Now, at 17, he discovers an unexpected connection with his long-lost grandmother: a legendary conjurer in her own right." --From Publisher's Description

The Selkie's Daughter

Fiction
By Linda Crotta Brennan
Recommended: Grades 4 to 6
Pages: 204
Summary: "Brigit knows all the old fisherman songs and legends by heart. But she also knows the truth: she's the daughter of a selkie. So when her village is threatened with storms and sickness, Brigit must confront the Great Selkie and protect those she loves." --From Publisher's Description

Six Truths and a Lie

Fiction
By Ream Shukairy
Recommended: Ages 12 to 18
Pages: 392
Summary: "As fireworks pop off at a Fourth of July bonfire, an explosion off the California coast results in chaos and, worse, murder. At the center are six Muslim teens, falsely accused. Now they must choose: trust, or turn their backs on each other to prove their innocence." --From Publisher's Description

Summer at Squee

Fiction
By Andrea Wang
Recommended: Grades 7 to 9
Pages: 308
Summary: "Tween Phoenny Fang plans to have the best summer ever at Chinese cultural overnight camp, where she explores new friendships and first crushes and discovers a deeper understanding of her community." --From Publisher's Description

Just Shy of Ordinary

Fiction
By A. J. Sass
Recommended: Ages 8 to 12
Pages: 372
Summary: "Shai, a 13-year-old nonbinary homeschooler, is an expert problem-solver. To help deal with her anxiety, they attempt to find a 'new normal' post-pandemic as they start public school, meet new friends, and learn about their Jewish identity." --From Publisher's Description

Ultraviolet

Fiction
By Aida Salazar
Recommended: Grades 7 to 9
Pages: 294
Summary: "13-year-old Elio is struggling with "coming of age"--first love, first heartbreak, first real fight (which lands him in the hospital), and what it means to be a "man," a true friend, and an ally, as well as how to overcome a culture of toxic masculinity." --From Publisher's Description

The Reappearance of Rachel Price

Fiction
By Holly Jackson
Recommended: Grades 9 and Up
Pages: 433
Summary: "When her mother, who disappeared 16 years before, reappears while a true crime documentary about her case is being filmed, 18-year-old Bel must uncover the real reason Rachel Price is back from the dead." --From Publisher's Description

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White

Fiction
By Amélie Wen Zhao
Recommended: Ages 14 and Up
Pages: 348
Summary: "The Demon Gods have risen. Skies' End has fallen to the colonizers. And Lan and Zen have chosen sides. But they will not fight together...To win the war, Lan will have to decide: Can she face the boy she loves again? And when she does, can she kill him to free her people?" --From Publisher's Description

Where Sleeping Girls Lie

Fiction
By Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Recommended: Grades 10 to 12
Pages: 400
Summary: "When Sade Hussein begins her third year of boarding school at the prestigious Nobel Academy, she doesn't expect her roommate Elizabeth to disappear after her first night. Or for people to think she had something to do with it." --From Publisher's Description

Lion of the Sky

Fiction
By Ritu Hemnani
Recommended: Ages 8 to 12
Pages: 410
Summary: "Twelve-year-old Raj is happiest flying kites with his best friend, Iqbal. But with Partition declared, Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim families are torn apart--and Raj's and Iqbal's families are among them. Forced to flee and become refugees, Raj must start over in a new country." --From Publisher's Description

The Atlas of Us

Fiction
By Kristin Dwyer
Recommended: Grades 9 and Up
Pages: 328
Summary: "Atlas James has lost her way. In an effort to pull her life together, she's doing community service rehabbing trails in the Western Sierras. With her team, she heads into the wilderness, realizing that these four strangers might know her better than anyone has before." --From Publisher's Description

New Books for Educators and Future Educators

2024 Award Winning Books

The Eyes and the Impossible

Winner of the 2024 John Newbery Medal
By Dave Eggers
Recommended: Grades 4 to 8
Pages: 249
Summary: "Free dog Johannes' job is to observe everything that happens in his urban park and report back to the park's three bison elders, but changes are afoot." --From Publisher's Description

Big

Winner of the 2024 Caldecott Medal
Written and Illustrated by Vashti Harrison
Recommended: Grade K to 3
Pages: 32
Summary: "Praised for acting like a big girl when she is small, 'big' becomes a word of criticism as she grows." --From Publisher's Description

Nigeria Jones

Winner of the 2024 Coretta Scott King Author Award
By Ibi Zoboi
Recommended: Grades 8 and Up
Pages: 369
Summary: "Nigeria has been raised by her father as part of the Movement. But when her mother disappears, she finds herself stepping into a role she doesn't want." --From Publisher's Description

An American Story

Winner of the 2024 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
By Kwame Alexander; Dare Coulter (Illustrator)
Recommended: Grades K to 3
Pages: 32
Summary: "This is the story of American slavery, a story that needs to be told and understood by all of us." --From Publisher's Description

Henry, Like Always

Winner of the 2024 Schneider Family Book Award for Young Children
By Jenn Bailey; Mika Song (Illustrator)
Recommended: Ages 6 to 9
Pages: 40
Summary: "Henry, a first grader on the autism spectrum, attempts to navigate friendships and sudden changes in classroom routines." --From Publisher's Description

The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn

Winner of the 2024 Schneider Family Book Award for Middle Grades
By Sally J. Pla
Recommended: Grades 4 to 8
Pages: 324
Summary: "Follows 13-year-old neurodivergent Maudie during an eventful summer in California with her father, where she struggles with whether to share a terrible secret about life with her mom and stepdad." --From Publisher's Description

Forever Is Now

Winner of the 2024 Schneider Family Book Award for Teens
By Mariama J. Lockington
Recommended: Grades 10 to 12
Pages: 398
Summary: "When 16-year-old Sadie, a queer Black girl, develops agoraphobia the summer before her junior year, she relies on her best friend, family, and therapist to overcome her fears." --From Publisher's Description

Mexikid

Winner of the 2024 Pura Belpre Awards for Author and Illustrator
By Pedro Martín
Recommended: Ages 10-14
Pages: 309
Summary: "Pedro Martin's grown up in the U.S. hearing stories about his legendary abuelito. Then, during a family road trip to Mexico, he learns more about his own Mexican identity in this moving and hilarious graphic memoir." --From Publisher's Description

Saints of the Household

Winner of the 2024 Pura Belpré Award and the 2024 Walter Dean Myers Award for Young Adults
By Ari Tison
Recommended: Grades 10 to 12
Pages: 312
Summary: "When brothers Max and Jay help a classmate in trouble, they struggle with the consequences of their actions and turn to their Bribri roots to find their way forward." --From Publisher's Description

The Mona Lisa Vanishes

Winner of the 2024 Robert F. Sibert Award
By Nicholas Day
Recommended: Ages 8 to 12
Pages: 276
Summary: "On a hot August day in Paris in 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre museum. This book traces the secret at the heart of the most famous painting in the world." --From Publisher's Description

Fox Has a Problem

Winner of the 2024 Theodore "Seuss" Geisel Award
By Corey R. Tabor
Recommended: Grades K to 1
Pages: 32
Summary: "Fox has a not-so-new problem, and all the other animals must come together with the ultimate fix." --From Publisher's Description

Rez Ball

Winner of the 2024 William C. Morris Award and the 2024 American Indian Youth Literature Award for Young Adults
By Byron Graves
Recommended: Ages 13 and Up
Pages: 357
Summary: "Tre sees making the Red Lake Reservation high school basketball team as the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him." --From Publisher's Description

Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed

Winner of the 2024 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction
By Dashka Slater
Recommended: Ages 12 to 18
Pages: 480
Summary: "A high school student started a private Instagram account that used racist and sexist memes to make his friends laugh. In the end, no one was laughing." --From Publisher's Description

Ruby Lost and Found

Winner of the 2024 Asian/Pacific American Award for Children's Literature
By Christina Li
Recommended: Ages 8 to 12
Pages: 288
Summary: "13-year-old Ruby retraces her late Ye-Ye's scavenger hunt maps of San Francisco in an attempt to find a way out of her grief." --From Publisher's Description

The Blood Years

Winner of the 2024 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Young Adults
By Elana K. Arnold
Recommended: Ages 14 and Up
Pages: 390
Summary: "Being a Jew is dangerous for Astra. When war breaks out in her town in Romania, she must decide whether holding on to her life might mean letting go of everything else that has ever mattered." --From Publisher's Description

Remember Us

Winner of the 2024 Walter Dean Myers Award for Younger Readers
By Jacqueline Woodson
Recommended: Grades 5 and Up
Pages: 178
Summary: "While Sage prefers to spend her time shooting hoops with the guys, she's also still trying to figure out her place inside the circle of girls she's known since childhood." --From Publisher's Description

A Letter for Bob

Winner of the 2024 American Indian Youth Literature Award, Picture Book
By Kim Rogers
Recommended: Ages 4 to 8
Pages: 32
Summary: "Ever since the day Mom and Dad brought their car home from the dealership, Bob has been a part of Katie's family." --From Publisher's Description

We Still Belong

Winner of the 2024 American Indian Youth Literature Award, Middle Grade
By Christine Day
Recommended: Ages 8 to 12
Pages: 239
Summary: "Wesley's hopeful plans for Indigenous Peoples' Day (and asking her crush to the dance) go all wrong until she finds herself surrounded by the love of her Indigenous family and community." --From Publisher's Description

2023 Award Winning Books

Freewater

Winner of the 2023 John Newbery Medal
Winner of the 2023 Coretta Scott King Author Award
By Amina Luqman-Dawson
Recommended: Ages 8-12
Pages: 403
Summary: "After fleeing the plantation where they were enslaved, siblings Ada and Homer discover the secret community of Freewater, and work with freeborn Sanzi to protect their new home from the encroaching dangers of the outside world." --From Publisher's Description

Hot Dog

Winner of the 2023 Caldecott Medal
By Doug Salati
Recommended: Ages 4-8
Pages: 32
Summary: "This hot dog has had enough of summer in the city! When he plops down in the middle of a crosswalk, his owner endeavors to get him the breath of fresh air he needs." --From Publisher's Description

Standing in the Need of Prayer

Winner of the 2023 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
By Carole Boston Weatherford; Frank Morrison (Illustrator)
Recommended: Grades 1-4
Pages: 32
Summary: "The popular spiritual has been reworked to chronicle the milestones, struggles, tragedies, and triumphs of African American people and their history. The text and illustrations of this inspirational book are informative reminders of yesterday, hopeful images for today, and aspirational dreams of tomorrow." --From Publisher's Description

All My Rage

Winner of the 2023 Printz Award
By Sabaa Tahir
Recommended: Ages 14 and Up
Pages: 374
Summary: "Sal scrambles to run the family business as his mother's health fails. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope between working at her uncle's liquor store and the fact that she's applying to college so she can escape him. He and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth." --From Publisher's Description

Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion

Winner of the 2023 Schneider Family Book Award for Young Children
By Shannon Stocker; Devon Holzwarth (Illustrator), 2022
Recommended: Ages 4-8
Pages: 40
Summary: "A nonfiction picture book biography celebrating Evelyn Glennie, a deaf woman, who became the first full-time solo percussionist in the world." --From Publisher's Description

Wildoak

Winner of the 2023 Schneider Family Book Award for Middle Grades
By C. C. Harrington, 2022
Recommended: Ages 8-12
Pages: 324
Summary: "Twelve-year-old Maggie's stutter causes her much heartache and only her menagerie of pets, with whom she can speak with fluidly, provide her comfort. But when she finds Rumpus, an abandoned snow leopard, in a forest in Cornwall, their chance encounter will change their lives forever." -Provided by Publisher

The Words We Keep

Winner of the 2023 Schneider Family Book Award for Young Adults
By Erin Stewart
Recommended: Ages 12 and Up
Pages: 387
Summary: "When sixteen-year-old Lily Larkin's older sister, Alice, begins to struggle with her mental health, Lily attempts to keep everything together and perfect, despite her own growing anxiety." 12 and Up
--From Publisher's Description

Just a Girl

Winner of the 2023 Mildred L. Batchelder Award
By Lia Levi
Recommended: Ages 8-12
Pages: 135
Summary: "Six-year-old Lia loves to build sandcastles at the beach, and her biggest problem is her shyness and quiet, birdlike voice. Then prime minister Mussolini joins forces with Hitler in World War II, and everything changes.  Will she ever be 'just a girl' again?" --From Publisher's Description

Where Wonder Grows

Winner of the 2023 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award
By Xelena González; Adriana M. Garcia (Illustrator)
Recommended: Ages 5-10
Pages: 32
Summary: "Three girls follow their grandmother into her garden, where they examine her collection of rocks, crystals, shells, and meteorites and learn about the marvels they reveal. Gathered together, Grandma and the girls let their surroundings spark their imaginations." --From Publisher's Description

Frizzy

Winner of the 2023 Pura Belpré Author Award
By Claribel A. Ortega; Rose Bousamra (Illustrator)
Recommended: Grades 4-8
Pages: 212
Summary: "Marlene doesn't understand why her curls are not considered pretty by those around her. With a few hiccups, a dash of embarrassment, and the much-needed help of her best friend Camila and cool Tía Ruby, she slowly starts to appreciate and proudly wear her curly hair." --From Publisher's Description

Burn down, Rise Up

Winner of the 2023 Pura Belpre Award for Young Adults
By Vincent Tirado
Recommended: Grades 10-12
Pages: 338
Summary: "When an urban legend rumored to trap people inside subway tunnels seems to be behind mysterious disappearances in the Bronx, sixteen-year-old Raquel and her friends team up to save their city--and confront a dark episode from history in the process." --From Publisher's Description

Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration

Winner of the 2023 Sibert Award
By Elizabeth Partridge; Lauren Tamaki (Illustrator)
Recommended: Ages 8-12
Pages: 123
Summary: "Three legendary photographers document life at Manzanar, an incarceration camp in the California desert, through words and images." --From Publisher's Description

Love, Violet

Winner of the 2023 Stonewall Book Award for Children
By Charlotte Sullivan Wild; Charlene Chua (Illustrator)
Recommended: Ages 6-8
Pages: 32
Summary: "Of all the kids in Violet's class, only one leaves her speechless: Mira. 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." --From Publisher's Description

When the Angels Left the Old Country

Winner of the 2023 Stonewall Book Award for Young Adults
Winner of the 2023 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Young Adults
By Sacha Lamb
Recommended: Grades 7-12
Pages: 400
Summary: "Uriel the angel and Little Ash the demon are the only two supernatural creatures in their shtetl. When one of the young people from the village goes missing, Uriel and Little Ash set off to find her. But there are obstacles ahead of them as difficult as what they've left behind." --From Publisher's Description

I Did It!

Winner of the 2023 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
By Michael Emberley
Recommended: Ages 4-8
Pages: 32
Summary: "A little creature tries again and again to learn to ride a bicycle, and all their friends help with supportive words of encouragement." --From Publisher's Description

The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen

Winner of the 2023 William C. Morris Award
By Isaac Blum, 2022
Recommended: Grades 8 and Up
Pages: 218
Summary: "Hoodie Rosen's entire Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to a quiet, mostly non-Jewish town, but life isn't that bad. That is, until he meets and falls for the daughter of the obstinate mayor trying to keep Hoodie's community out of the town. Hoodie finds himself caught between his first love and the only world he's ever known." --Provided by Publisher

Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice

Winner of the 2023 YALSA Nonfiction Award
By Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes
Recommended: Grades 8 and Up
Pages: 200
Summary: "On the podium at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, gold medalist Tommie Smith raised a black-gloved fist to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory." --From Publisher's Description

From the Tops of the Trees

Winner of the 2023 Asian/Pacific American Picture Book Award
By Kao Kalia Yang; Rachel Wada (Illustrator)
Recommended: Ages 5-9
Pages: 32
Summary: "The true story of a young girl who has never known life outside a Hmong refugee camp and a father determined to help her dream beyond the fences that confine them." --From Publisher's Description

Maizy Chen's Last Chance

Winner of the 2023 Asian/Pacific American Award for Middle Grades
By Lisa Yee, 2022
Recommended: Ages 8-12
Pages: 276
Summary: "11-year-old Maizy Chen visits her estranged grandparents, who own and run a Chinese restaurant in Last Chance, Minnesota, for the first time. As her stay unexpectedly lengthens, she makes new discoveries about her family's history. And when a beloved family treasure goes missing, Maizy decides it's time to find the answers." --From Publisher's Description

Himawari House

Winner of the 2023 Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adults
By Harmony Becker
Recommended: Ages 14-18
Pages: 374
Summary: "Nao returns to Tokyo to reconnect with her Japanese heritage. At the Himawari sharehouse, she meets two other girls who came to Japan to freely forge their own paths. The trio become fast friends, but will they be able to hold one another up as life tests them with the challenges of being fish out of water?" --From Publisher's Description

The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs

Winner of the 2023 Sydney Taylor Picture Book Award
By Chana Stiefel; Susan Gal (Illustrator)
Recommended: Ages 6-8
Pages: 32
Summary: "Yaffa is a spirited young girl who grows up in a once vibrant town in Poland. She survives World War II, becomes America's foremost Holocaust expert, and creates an exhibit for the National Holocaust Museum using her grandmother's photos." --From Publisher's Description

Aviva vs the Dybbuk

Winner of the 2023 Sydney Taylor Award for Middle Grades
By Mari Lowe
Recommended: Grades 3-7
Pages: 171
Summary: "A long ago 'accident.' An isolated girl named Aviva. A community that wants to help, but doesn't know how. And a ghostly dybbuk, that no one but Aviva can see. That is the setting for this suspenseful novel of a girl who seems to have lost everything." --From Publisher's Description

Man Made Monsters

Winner of the 2023 Walter Dean Meyers Award for Teens
By Andrea Rogers, 2022
Recommended: Grades 8 and Up
Pages: 315
Summary: "Follows one extended Cherokee family across the centuries, from the tribe’s homelands in Georgia in the 1830s to World War I, the Vietnam War, our own present, and well into the future, as they encounter predators of all kinds in each time period." --From Publisher's Description

Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement

Winner of the 2023 Walter Dean Meyers Award for Young Children
By Angela Joy; Janelle Washington (Illustrator)
Recommended: Grades 2-5
Pages: 32
Summary: "The story of the mother of Emmett Till, and how she channeled grief over her son's death into a call to action for the civil rights movement." --From Publisher's Description

2022 Award Winning Books

The Last Cuentista

by Donna Barba Higuera

2022 Newbery Medal & 2022 Pura Belpré Award Winner

Red, White, and Whole

by Rajani LaRocca
2022 Newbery Honor & 2022 Walter Dean Meyers (Young Children) Award

Unspeakable

by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Floyd Cooper
2022 Coretta Scott King Author & Illustrator Awards, 2022 Caldecott Honor, 2022 Sibert Honor

Fire Keeper's Daughter

by Angeline Boulley

2022 Morris Winner, 2022 Printz Winner, & 2022 Walter Dean Meyers Award (Teen) Winner

Watercress

by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin

2022 Caldecott Award Winner & 2022 Asian/Pacific American Award Winner

Mel Fell

by Corey R. Tabor

2022 Caldecott Honor 

¡Vamos! Let's Cross the Bridge

by Raúl the Third
2022 Pura Belpré Youth Illustrator Award Winner

The People's Painter

by by Cynthia Levinson, illustrated by Evan Turk

2022 Sibert Medal Winner

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

by Malinda Lo

2022 Printz Honor, 2022 Stonewall Award (Young Adult) Winner, & 2022 Asian/Pacific American Award (Young Adult) Winner

Too Bright to See

2022 Newbery Honor & 2022 Stonewall Book Award (Children's) Winner

Fox at Night

by Corey R. Tabor

2022 Geisel Award Winner 

Concrete Rose

by Angie Thomas

2022 Printz Honor

My City Speaks

by Darren Lebeuf ; illustrated by Ashley Barron

2022 Schneider Family Book Award (Young Children) Winner

A Bird Will Soar

by Alison Green Myers

2022 Schneider Family Book Award (Middle Grade) Winner

The Words in My Hands

by Asphyxia
2022 Schneider Family Book Award (Teen) Winner

Temple Alley Summer

by Sachiko Kashiwaba
2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Award Winner

How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe

by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
2022 Pura Belpré Young Adult Award Winner

Starfish

by Lisa Fipps

2022 Printz Honor

Ace of Spades

by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

2022 Morris Finalist

Vampires, Hearts, & Other Dead Things

by Margie Fuston

2022 Morris Finalist

Me (Moth)

by Amber McBride

2022 Morris Finalist

What Beauty There Is

by Cory Anderson

2022 Morris Finalist

Amina's Song

by Hena Khan

2022 Asian/Pacific American Award (Picture Book) Winner

Finding Junie Kim

by Ellen Oh

2022 Asian/Pacific American (Middle Grades) Award 

The Passover Guest

by Susan Kusel

2022 Sydney Taylor Award (Picture Book) Winner

How to Find What You're Not Looking For

by Veera Hiranandani

2022 Sydney Taylor Award (Middle Grade) Winner

The City Beautiful

by Aden Polydoros

2022 Sydney Taylor Award (Teen) Winner

Librarian

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Leigh Barnes
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Contact:
Belk Library and Information Commons
(828) 262-7578