M.M. Hart’s The Empty Lot centers on Marco Rivera, a young boy living in an old East Los Angeles apartment. Marco doesn’t have a club, a coach, or any proper soccer gear. Instead, he spends his evenings practicing footwork behind his building, kicking a plastic...

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...

Growing Up with Brandon by Claire Nance is a collection of three short stories featuring young Brandon through three incidents in which he must choose between doing what is right and being cool. In Brandon’s Promise, Brandon’s friend persuades him to ride to the supermarket...

If you were to create the best-tasting ice cream in the world, how would you do it? Did you know that there’s a real science behind creating new ice cream flavors? In Linda Soules’ So You Want To Be An Ice Cream Flavor Inventor, there’s...

Kids, parents, and teachers seeking a fresh source of children’s literature would do well to add Bubbles in Summer to their reading list. This book is the second in a four-season series by Wanda Carter Roush and is illustrated by Andrew and Alicia Pezzente. A...

What happens when a small problem leads to very big feelings? Pinky & Plum: Big Feelings, Little Bodies by Destiny Nakita Arnold follows twin sisters Pinky and Plum as they learn that difficult moments can become opportunities for kindness, empathy, and understanding. It opens as...

Inside My Lady Witch and Other Wondrous Tales by R. Max Gibson, readers will not find the usual beloved fairy tales they are used to seeing. Instead, it’s an original collection of stories filled with magic, quests, and memorable characters. Each one stands on its...

Wiggle, Snooze & Snuggle is a delightful rhythmic picture book that gently guides toddlers through the winding-down magic of a bedtime routine. As the sun dips and the sky goes dark, the world around a child begins to snooze too—the trees drooping in the park,...