Jo Jo Makoons: the Used-to-be Best Friend by Dawn Quigley/ Tara Audibert. One result of the We Need Diverse Books movement is seeing traditional classic books being expanded with ethnically diverse characters. Jo Jo is a welcome addition for fans of Megan McDonald’s Judy Moody, Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones, Renee Watson’s Ryan Hart, and Lenore Look’s Alvin Ho. Jo Jo is a member of the Ojibwe nation and lives on a fictional reservation in North Dakota. Like her literary predecessors, she is spunky, prone to accidents and misunderstandings, getting in trouble, and endearing herself to her readers. For ages 6-10.
You Choose: Rumpelstiltskin by Eric Braun/Alan Brown. This is one of many fairy tale interactive adventures in the You Choose Fractured Fairy Tales Adventure series. These titles have taken fairy tales as a starting point and created several variations on the tale, usually one being contemporary. For grades 3+.
Bug Boys and Bug Boys Outside and Beyond by Laura Knetzger. Graphic Novel A comic series for younger readers following the adventures of 2 anthropomorphic, simply drawn beetles as they come in contact with the world, including big, bad humans. For grades 2-4.
Last Kids on Earth:Thirteen Tales from the Tree House by Max Brallier/Doug Holgate: A full color graphic novel rendition of new tales. For grades 4+.
OLDER FICTION
The Children’s Library contains stories to appeal to readers up to grade 8, including realistic fiction with themes of interest to upper middle school (7th -8th gr) students, and high fantasy with sophisticated world building and complicated plot lines. Here are some examples:
Twelve Nights by Andrew Zurcher. A magical tale of imagination, adventure, and the power of storytelling for strong readers. Kay's father has gone missing on Christmas Eve! And when the rest of his family go to his office, everyone he works with claims never to have heard of him. So later that evening, when Kay wakes up to find two mysterious strangers outside her bedroom window, talking about her father and looking for the last remnants of his existence, she demands to know what's happened to her dad. The two strangers, Flip and Will, are wraiths, on a mission to bring Kay's father to their world--the world of woven stories and grand imagination that their father has spent his career studying. An excellent story for those on the cusp of bridging to the Young Adult collection. For gr. 5+.
Flood City by Dan Jose Older. Another book appealing to both juvenile and young adult readers. Welcome to Flood City, the last inhabitable place left above the waters that cover Earth. It's also the last battleground between the Chemical Barons, who once ruled the planet and now circle overhead in spaceships, desperate to return, and the Star Guard, who have controlled the city for decades. Great choice for readers who enjoy eco dystopians with a lot of character inter-dynamics, such as Dry by Neal Schusterman and Nancy Farmer's Lord of Opium. For grade 6+.
Treasure of the World by Tara Sullivan: A young girl must find a way to help her family survive in a desolate and impoverished Bolivian silver mining community in this eye-opening tale of resilience. Only 12, Ana is already planning her escape from a bleak future. But when her frail brother is about to be forced to enter the mines, she volunteers to take his place. Author Sullivan has written other books exposing global child labor and enslavement. For grades 5+.
SUMMER READING PROGRAM: READING COLORS YOUR WORLD
The following books were chosen with our summer Bingo Card reading program in mind:
Read an Award Winner: When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller. Newbery Medal.
Read Historical Fiction: Da Vinci’s Cat by Catherine Gilbert Murdoch (older readers), No Ordinary Boy by Tracey Mayhew for younger readers.
Read a Funny Book: Middle School: Field Trip Fiasco by James Patterson.
First in a Series: The Treasure Troop by Dori Hillestad Butler. Also works for Read a Mystery.
Read a Fantasy or Sci Fi Book: The Last Fallen Star by Gracie Kim.