In this guide you will find information about accessing all of the resources available to you, whether on the Hickory campus or visiting in Boone.
Navigate the tabs to the left based on your needs. Mobile users will see tabs at the top of the screen.
The Instructional Materials Center (IMC) is a model Pre-K – 12 school media center. We serve Appalachian students, faculty, and staff, as well as area educators and community members.
The IMC is located on the lower level of Belk Library in Boone. Most of our resources are available for check out, both in person and from the Hickory campus.
The IMC is open when Belk Library is open. Please call us at 828-262-2790 if you have questions.
Visit the IMC website for more information!
Picture Book
By Jyoti R. Gopal
Recommended: Ages 4 to 8
Pages: 32
Summary: "An American child of Southeast Asian descent revels in dances, clothing, games, foods and other characteristics of both cultures, while blending them into what makes her unique." --From Publisher's Description
Picture Book
By Loren Long
Recommended: Ages 3 to 6
Pages: 32
Summary: "A forgotten school bus finds joy and purpose in the most unexpected places." --From Publisher's Description
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Nonfiction
By Seiji Yoshida
Recommended: Ages 12 to 17
Pages: 123
Summary: "Over thirty imaginative houses and the people who make them home offer unexpected worlds to wander through and explore; readers discover the contents in each." --From Publisher's Description
Nonfiction
By Ashley Renee Jefferson
Recommended: Ages 2 to 7
Pages: 30
Summary: "Kids of all colors, genders, and ability levels explore nature with their fingers, toes, noses, ears, and taste buds." --From Publisher's Description
Nonfiction
By Erin Silver
Recommended: Grades 4 to 7
Pages: 89
Summary: "This illustrated book examines how sports are affecting the planet, what climate change means for athletes and sporting events, and what young people can do to make sports sustainable for the future." --From Publisher's Description
Nonfiction
By Rachel Ignotofsky
Recommended: Ages 4 to 7
Pages: 32
Summary: "Butterflies soar in the sunlight. Moths flutter under the moon and stars. Find out more about these mysterious and majestic insects and their similarities and differences." --From Publisher's Description
Nonfiction
By Claudia Guadalupe Martínez
Recommended: Ages 3 to 7
Pages: 32
Summary: "An axolotl egg hatches and matures in the Xochimilco canals in Mexico City, the only natural habitat of these unique salamanders that spend their lives in water." --From Publisher's Description
Nonfiction
By Ferin Davis Anderson
Recommended: Ages 13 to 18
Pages: 144
Summary: "Examines how Indigenous people, farmers, and forestry departments have used fire to manage resources, and how climate change is impacting the future of fire." --From Publisher's Description
Nonfiction
By Jessica Kulekjian
Recommended: Grades K to 3
Pages: 32
Summary: "A step-by-step story of a volcanic eruption - told from the volcano's point of view!" --From Publisher's Description
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
Nonfiction
By Robin Mitchell Cranfield
Recommended: Grades PK to 2
Pages: 30
Summary: "From the dots on a ladybug to the spiral on a snail, patterns in nature can be found anywhere." --From Publisher's Description
Poetry
By Marion Dane Bauer
Recommended: Grades 1 to 4
Pages: 32
Summary: "Since the beginning, humans have created stories about the universe. From early mythology to modern-day science is a long journey... What will we believe tomorrow?" --From Publisher's Description
Biography
By Belen Medina
Recommended: Grades 2-3
Pages: 32
Summary: "Experience a 60-mile run with indigenous athlete Lorena Ramirez, who captured the world's attention when she won an ultramarathon in Mexico wearing a skirt and rubber sandals--the traditional clothes of the Rarámuri." --From Publisher's Description
Nonfiction
By Emma Reynolds
Recommended: Grades 3 to 7
Pages: 170
Summary: "We need everyone to help with the biggest challenge the human race has ever faced. This book shines a spotlight on sixteen incredible youth activists and artists from around the world who are fighting to protect the planet and all life on Earth." --From Publisher's Description
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
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
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
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
Graphic Novel Hybrid
By Joana Estrela
Recommended: Grades 9 to 12
Pages: 100
Summary: "16-year-old Raquel lives in a small town in Portugal, the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else's business. Her parents are divorced and she's just been suspended. She has two best friends, but wants something more. Then she meets Pardalita." --From Publisher's Description
Graphic Novel
By Nancy Deas
Recommended: Grades 2 to 5
Pages: 187
Summary: "With nowhere left to live after losing his parents, Ollie unhappily finds himself at his grandpa's house in Sueño Bay. His getaway plans are altered abruptly when he and three classmates discover something they shouldn't have in a trailer in the woods." --From Publisher's Description
Graphic Novel
By Natalie Linn
Recommended: Ages 8 to 12
Pages: 188
Summary: "In Princess Aster's world, Bunnybirds live in contented isolation, keeping themselves detached from the world in order to practice magic and receive prophetic visions. But when her father disappears, her goal is definite: she's going to rescue him, no matter what." --From Publisher's Description
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Fiction
By Jandy Nelson
Recommended: Ages 14 and Up
Pages: 519
Summary: "Told in alternating voices, the Fall siblings each encounter the mysterious Cassidy at integral points in their lives, helping them untangle their relationships and uncover the truth about their father's disappearance." --From Publisher's Description
Fiction
By Jade Adia
Recommended: Grades 7 and Up
Pages: 404
Summary: "16-year-old Niarah's perspective on life changes when she joins a hiking/camping club and befriends Mac Torres and his wanderlust-driven friends, but as summer draws to a close and her new friends leave, existential dread challenges her new outlook." --From Publisher's Description
Fiction
By Cynthia Hand; Brodi Ashton; Jodi Meadows
Recommended: Ages 13 and Up
Pages: 422
Summary: "Mary, a heartbroken mermaid turned pirate, dreams of becoming captain after being pulled from the sea. Determined to prove herself, she'll fight against anyone, including Blackbeard’s son and her best friend, to claim her place in the pirate world." --From Publisher's Description
Fiction
By Adam Gidwitz
Recommended: Grades 4 to 8
Pages: 320
Summary: "To find his way back home to his family in Germany during World War II, 11-year-old Max Bretzfeld, with a kobold named Berg on one shoulder and a dybbuk named Stein on the other, sets out to do the impossible--become a British spy." --From Publisher's Description
Fiction
By Lindsay Currie
Recommended: Grades 3 to 7
Pages: 247
Summary: "When a foreclosure notice shows up on Sarah's front door, she feels helpless until the day her friend Hannah mentions a treasure rumored to be hidden in the walls of an abandoned funhouse. The riddles and mazes seem impossible, but Sarah has no other choice." --From Publisher's Description
Fiction
By Amalie Howard
Recommended: Grades 3 to 7
Pages: 295
Summary: "Sent to her grandmother's estate in Trinidad, Rika meets a group of kids with elemental powers called Minders, who reveal that her long-lost mom is in danger, sending Rika on a magical adventure where she must learn to believe in herself to destroy evil." --From Publisher's Description
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
Fiction
By Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin
Recommended: Grades 5 and Up
Pages: 392
Summary: "Summer, 1940. 19-year-old Jakob and his sister Lizzie share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they're living inside of one: Britain's codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park. As Jakob works to crack the Nazi's Enigma cipher, 14-year-old Lizzie attempts to solve the mysterious disappearance of their mother." --From Publisher's Description
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
