It is the first day after Christmas at Oakdale Middle School in Chicago, and pressure is already mounting on Grace, a seventh-grader. Her friend Andy is not happy about how his reunion with his absent biological mother, Angela, went. He wants Grace to help him...

Linda Soules introduces children to the reality of what it is like to be an animal rescue worker in So You Want to Be an Animal Rescue Worker. Being an animal rescue worker is about more than just liking animals; there are many different aspects...

If puffins could bake, what would they make? Poppy Puffin’s Pastries by Ruth Amanda is about a pastry shop in Scotland owned by a bird named Poppy Puffin. Through playful rhymes and a bunch of puffin characters, the story introduces a delicious-looking assortment of baked...

A farewell doesn’t mean the end. Bella's Light: A Story About Pet Loss and Love That Never Ends by Robert Kusserow is the story of two sister pups with a special bond, Bella and Lucy. They do absolutely everything together. One day, Bella feels something...

Not all superheroes wear capes—some have whiskers and paws. My Cat Hopper by Melissa Carrigee is a children’s picture book about an adventure-seeking, playful copper-colored cat named Hopper. With each page, he takes on a new role, like riding a toy chopper, wearing his favorite...

Have you ever been afraid of something that doesn’t bother anyone else? Shani and the Firefly by Shani T. Night is about a young girl who’s happy spending her days exploring the sunny meadows of Sunbeam Valley. That all changes when day turns to night....

With Frances Flamingo Soccer Star, Dottie Lee invites young readers onto the vibrant, high-energy pitch of youth sports. Far from just a story about winning a game, this picture book focuses on the real-world anxiety of stepping into a brand-new experience. We follow Frances and...

Have you ever gone down a path that led you somewhere completely unexpected? That’s exactly what happens to a group of young explorers in Capybaras: Guardians of the Jungle by Adam Koss. It begins as they set off on an ordinary field trip into the...

The Scent of Home by Marco Magiolo is a quietly moving novel told by the most unlikely narrator: a street dog named Dexter who once had everything and lost it all. The story opens in a busy city, where Dexter survives by his wits —...

Have you ever had fun changing your clothes over and over again? Well, in Leon the Chameleon by Sofia Elena Politano, the lizard at the heart of the story is basically doing just that. He's a chameleon named Leon who enjoys changing his colors far...