If I Was Your Girl

By Meredith Russo If I Was Your Girl follows a plot that I would've been a huge fan of in my junior high years. High schooler, Amanda Hardy moves to a new town and enrolls in a new school where she is introduced to new boys and new friends, specifically a special boy named Grant. …

Firebird

By Misty Copeland This beautifully written and almost poetic story by dancer Misty Copeland gives hope to any young child, dancer and non-dancer alike who is struggling with finding themselves and their place in the world. Copeland has an influential and inspiring story that many will listen to and take to heart because of her …

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of the Macy’s Parade

By Melissa Sweet Sweet's bright and colorful picture book, Balloons Over Broadway, combines many different mediums and soft colors to create and eye-catching and beautiful illustrations that draw the reader and audience into this awe-inspiring and true story. Before reading this book, I never thought much about how the beloved puppets in the Macy's Parade …

That is NOT a Good Idea

By Mo Willems I have always loved Mo Willem's books, and the children I read them to always seem to as well. Whenever I have read one of his stories aloud to a child, there is no shortage of laughter and entertainment. This story is just as lovable as Willem's others, such as Don't Let …

Wolfie the Bunny

By Ame Dyckman Wolfie the Bunny is the perfect story to bring home to a young child expecting a new sibling in the family. While Dyckman's interpretation of this concept is unlike many children's books that address this same issue, her text still drives the same idea forward. A family of rabbits adopts a wolf …

I Used to be Afraid

By Laura Seeger Every child deals with fears in their life. Whether they be rational or irrational, they all have the ability to be very frightening and make a large impact on their childhood. I Used to be Afraid is a colorful, lively children's book that discusses many common fears that children of all ages …

Red: A Crayon’s Story

By Michael Hall From a very young age, children are taught that they have to act and look a certain way based on their race, gender, and even interests. Michael Hall uses the innocent character of a mislabeled blue crayon to drive this message home. The young blue crayon is mistakenly dressed in a red …

Diego Rivera: His World and Ours

By Duncan Tonatiuh When I was in elementary school, my mom would come to our classrooms and share information that she knew about various artists and their histories for a special event called "Artist in the Classroom." My mom's love of art and art history rubbed of on me at a very young age and …

Rhymes With Witches

By Lauren Myracle When I was in junior high, it was pretty much guaranteed that if I was handed a book written by Lauren Myracle, I would be quick to read it. I loved teenage drama stories about problems between friend groups, boy troubles and conflict--Myracle's forte. What I did not expect from Myracle was …

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

By Jesse Andrews One of my favorite books when I was growing up was Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick. When I was in fifth grade, I remember picking out this book in the library after reading the back cover and becoming intrigued. The main character receives news that his five year old …