THE GIRL WHO LOST A LEOPARD BY Nizrana Farook.  For wildlife lovers, this story of a girl defending a leopard against poachers is set in exotic Sri Lanka, as are Farook’s other books.  Gr 2-5. 

LEILA AND NUGGET series by Deserae & Dustin Brady.  Early chapter books about a mystery loving girl and her dog.  Black and white illustrations, easy to read font size. Gr 2-4. 

THE REMARKABLE RESCUE AT MILKWEED MEADOW by Elaine Dimopoulos.  Butternut is a young, anxious rabbit and master storyteller who makes friends outside her burrow--even though she was cautioned not to.  Cozy family read-aloud with black and white illustrations. Independent readers Gr 3-6. 

A BREATH OF MISCHIEF by MarcyKate Connolly.  Girls wave the wand in this gentle fantasy with manga style illustration. Gr 3-6. 

EPIC ELLISONS: COSMOS CAMP by Lamar Giles.  More memorable characters from Logan County, this time twin sisters who are ready for some solo time during summer vacation.  Doesn’t quite work out that way when they both end up trying to figure out the secret of Cosmos Camp and its mysterious founder Pete Thunkle.  Gr 3-7. 

MONSTERIOUS: THE SNATCHER OF RAVEN HOLLOW by Matt MacMann.  Creepy mystery-adventure about babies being kidnapped by monsters. (Spoiler alert – 2 intrepid youngsters save the babies and destroy the monsters. Whew!) Quick read will appeal to reluctant readers who like monsters and/or mysteries.  Gr 3-7. 

GHOSTS, TOAST AND OTHER HAZARDS by Susan Tan.  When her stepfather leaves and her family loses their home to fire, twelve-year-old Chinese-American Monica, or Mo, struggles with anxiety, but the chance to hunt an elephant ghost -- and the promise of a new friend -- help convince her to live a little more daringly. Gr 3-7. 

MIRACLE by Karen Chow.  For musicians, especially violin players.  Amie’s grief over her father’s death causes her to lose any interest or ability in playing.  With the help of loving friends and family (and using Harry Potter learned life lessons), she navigates the healing process. Gr 3-7. 

SUPER YOU! POWER OF INVISIBILITY by Hena Khan.  A choose your own adventure. Gr 3-7. 

CATCH ME IF I FALL by Barry Jonsberg.  Twins Ashleigh and Aiden live in a dystopian Australia.  When Aiden returns home after an injury during a school trip, something is different.  Good creepy read alike for fans of Margaret Peterson Haddix. Gr 4-7. 

THE LION OF LARK-HAYES MANOR by Aubrey Hartman.  A quiet young girl, full of imagination and looking for magic, finds it at an old mansion estate her parents are fixing up. Gr 4-7. 

THE STORYTELLER by Brandon Hobson.  Ziggy's mother disappeared ten years ago, one of the many Native women who have mysteriously gone missing, and Ziggy believes a secret cave may hold the key--so with his sister, Moon, and friends Alice and Corso, he sets out to find the cave and solve the mystery of his family's origins. Gr 4-7. 

THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL by Gary D. Schmidt. Familiar tropes by Schmidt: a young man trying to be the best he can be despite familial hardship and a difficult relationship with a brother. Gr 4-8. 

SELECT by Christie Matheson.  Girls in sports.  Soccer players being pushed too hard by coach push back. Gr 4-8. 

THE BOOK OF STOLEN DREAMS by David Farr.  British fantasy about a brother and sister who are given a magical book to protect.  Gr 4-8. 

MINERVA KEEN’S DETECTIVE CLUB by James Patterson/Keir Graff.  Minerva Keen forms a detective club to uncover who is poisoning residents of her storied Chicago apartment building, knowing that any one of her neighbors could be the poisoner--or the next victim. Graff has written some other mysteries set in Chicago. Gr 4-8. 

A BIT OF EARTH by Karuna Riazi.  Another retelling of The Secret Garden , this time set in America with Pakistani characters. Gr 4-8. 

INDIGO AND IDA by Heather Capps.  Indigo, an eighth-grade investigative reporter, is torn between fighting a racist school policy and keeping her friends--until she discovers a series of letters written by Black journalist and activist Ida B. Wells, who called Chicago home for many years. Gr 5-8. 

WILD POPPIES by Haya Saleh/ translated by Marcia Lynx Qualey.  Tough read about the life of a Syrian refugee family who live with extended family. Winner of The Etisalat Award for Arabic Children’s Literature in 2020. Gr 5-9. 

MILES MORALES: SUSPENDED by Jason Reynolds.  Further misadventures of black teenage Miles aka Spidey.  Reynolds elevates the superhero adventure story with his varied writing styles, interspersing poetry and prose. Gr 7+ 

GRAPHIC NOVELS 

GUARDIANS OF HORSA VOL 1 & 2 by Roan Black.  Easier graphic novel series similar to Warriors about herds of magical horses in Horsa who must strive to maintain a fragile alliance. Gr 1-4. 

JURASSIC JEFF SPACE INVADER by Royden Lepp.  Graphic comic full of laughs about an alien who lands on earth in order to conquer and rule it.  However, his time calculations are off and he ends up in the land of (talking) dinosaurs who want nothing more than to befriend him.  Clean simple panels with brief dialog balloons.  Gr 2-5. 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE GHOST ARMY by Alan Gratz/Brent Schooner.  Classic old-school superhero adventure comic set during WWII, written by popular historical fiction writer Gratz. Gr 3-7. 

TEGAN AND SARA: JUNIOR HIGH by Tegan Quinn.  Fictionalized graphic novel version of the pop duo’s middle grade years. Gr 4-8.