The Librarian Who Measured the Earth


Kathryn Lasky - 1994
    A perfect introduction to mathematical concepts for young readers, written by a Newbery honor-winning author!This colorfully illustrated biography of the Greek philosopher and scientist Eratosthenes, who compiled the first geography book and accurately measured the globe's circumference, is just right for budding mathematicians, scientists, historians, and librarians! Filled with fascinating details about Eratosthenes's world (and in print since 1994), kids are sure to flip through the pages time and again.

Freedom Summer


Deborah Wiles - 2001
    He crawls like a catfish, blows bubbles like a swamp monster, but he doesn’t swim in the town pool with me. He’s not allowed. Joe and John Henry are a lot alike. They both like shooting marbles, they both want to be firemen, and they both love to swim. But there’s one important way they're different: Joe is white and John Henry is black, and in the South in 1964, that means John Henry isn’t allowed to do everything his best friend is. Then a law is passed that forbids segregation and opens the town pool to everyone. Joe and John Henry are so excited they race each other there...only to discover that it takes more than a new law to change people’s hearts.

Charley Harper ABCs: Chunky Edition


Charley Harper - 2008
    Full color.

Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles


Philippe Cousteau - 2016
    Meet Viv, who has a new home and a new school by the sea and follow her as she finds her way in a new place and helps bring together a whole community to save the sea turtles of the South Carolina coast.• Explores various important themes like activism, philanthropy, volunteerism, and more• Features gorgeous watercolor illustrations that are colorful and engaging• Includes a "Letter to Young Activists" from the author as well as resources to learn more about sea turtles.• Meilo So is the esteemed illustrator of many books, including Water Sings Blue. Philippe Cousteau is an award-winning television host, producer, author, speaker, philanthropist, and social entrepreneur. Deborah Hopkinson is the author of many award-winning nonfiction books for young readersFans of Manfish and Water Sings Blue will also enjoy the inspiring storyline and stunning illustrations in Follow the Moon Home.• Great family and classroom read-aloud book• Books for kids ages 4-6 • Children's picture books for kindergarten through third grade

Ben's Dream


Chris Van Allsburg - 1982
    On a terrifically rainy day, Ben has a dream in which he and his house float by the monuments of the world, half submerged in flood-water.

Baseball Saved Us


Ken Mochizuki - 1993
    Fighting the heat and dust of the desert, Shorty and his father decide to build a baseball diamond and form a league in order to boost the spirits of the internees. Shorty quickly learns that he is playing not only to win, but to gain dignity and self-respect as well.Baseball Saved Us is the ultimate rite of passage story. It will appeal again and again to readers who enjoy cheering for the underdog.

Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story


Lisa Westberg Peters - 2003
    The roots of our family tree reach back millions of years to the beginning of life on earth. Open this family album and embark on an amazing journey. You'll meet some of our oldest relatives--from both the land and the sea--and discover what we inherited from each of them along the many steps of our wondrous past. Complete with an illustrated timeline and glossary, here is the story of human evolution as it's never been told before.

The Memory String


Eve Bunting - 2000
    The buttons Laura cherishes the most belonged to her mother—a button from her prom dress, a white one off her wedding dress, and a single small button from the nightgown she was wearing on the day she died. When the string breaks, Laura’s new stepmother, Jane, is there to comfort Laura and search for a missing button, just as Laura’s mother would have done. But it’s not the same—Jane isn’t Mom. In Eve Bunting’s moving story, beautifully illustrated by Ted Rand, Laura discovers that a memory string is not just for remembering the past: it’s also for recording new memories.

The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge


Hildegarde Hoyt Swift - 1942
    One day a great expanse of gray steel, which also shines a bright light into the fog and darkness, is built over it. The little red lighthouse feels insignificant and useless in comparison but soon learns that . . . small can be mighty!

Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa


Veronica Chambers - 2005
    Now accomplished children's book author Veronica Chambers gives young readers a lyrical glimpse into Celia's childhood and her inspiring rise to worldwide fame and recognition. First-time illustrator Julie Maren truly captures the movement and the vibrancy of the Latina legend and the sizzling sights and sounds of her legacy.

Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh


Sally M. Walker - 2015
    Harry was a veterinarian. But he was also a soldier in training for World War I. Harry named the bear Winnie, short for Winnipeg, his company’s home town, and he brought her along to the training camp in England. Winnie followed Harry everywhere and slept under his cot every night. Before long, she became the regiment’s much-loved mascot. But who could care for the bear when Harry had to go to the battleground in France? Harry found just the right place for Winnie while he was away — the London Zoo. There a little boy named Christopher Robin came along and played with Winnie — he could care for this bear too! Sally Walker’s heartwarming story, paired with Jonathan Voss’s evocative illustrations, brings to life the story of the real bear who inspired Winnie the Pooh.

The Day of the Dead / El día de los muertos


Bob Barner - 2010
    They offer marigolds, sugar skulls, and special bread, and make delicious foods. By spreading marigold petals, they guide the dead home to join the festivities. Finally, after singing and dancing, it's time for bed. Bob Barner's luscious collages incorporate the traditional symbols of Day of the Dead. His poetic text is both English and Spanish. An author's note provides additional information on the holiday.

Maybelle the Cable Car


Virginia Lee Burton - 1952
    By recounting actual events in San Francisco's effort to keep the city's cable cars running, this classic story illustrates how the voice of the people can be heard in the true spirit of democracy.

The Buffalo Are Back


Jean Craighead George - 2010
    This stirring picture book tells the dramatic story, following bison from the Plains Indians to the cowboys, Teddy Roosevelt to the Dust Bowl, and from the brink of extinction to the majestic herds that now roam our national parks. Paired with gorgeous paintings by landscape artist Wendell Minor, Jean Craighead George’s engaging text will inspire a new generation to understand and protect nature’s delicate balance.

Alma and How She Got Her Name


Juana Martinez-Neal - 2018
    As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. In her author-illustrator debut, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children who may be curious about their own origin stories or names.