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Recommended for Kids

An Island Grows

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An Island Grows by Lola Schaefer, illustrated by Cathie Felstead
Format: Book
who Its For: Kids

In this beautifully illustrated story we are given a glimpse into the birth of an island!  Hot magma beneath the sea glows and flows and the baby island grows, lifting sharp rocks up into the air which are then battered and ground to sand by wind and waves. Time passes and the wind and sea bring seeds, birds and insects. More time passes and people and animals visit and then come to stay, bringing more life, trade and vibrant culture to the all-grown-up island.

This is an unusual and fascinating book, with illustrations done in bright, rich colors. It is perfect for those who love volcanoes, oceans and faraway places, or anyone who has asked “how did THAT happen?”

Find it in the catalog!

Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business

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Cover image of "Mindy Kim & the Yummy Seaweed Business"Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business by Lyla Lee, Illustrated by Dung Ho
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

Mindy is NOT excited to be the new kid at school. She and her Appa (Dad) have moved from California, where there were plenty of other Korean-American kids at her multicultural school, to a small town in Florida where she’s the only Asian student. Mindy doesn’t know anyone, and the other kids think her yummy Korean food is weird- at first. But then someone wants to try her spicy seaweed snacks, and suddenly everyone wants to trade snacks! Mindy and her new friend Sally get the great idea to sell the yummy seaweed snacks… but a jealous classmate tries to spoil everything. Soon Mindy’s fighting with her only friend, in trouble with the teacher, and afraid to tell Appa what’s going on. How can Mindy set things right? Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business is the 2021 Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award winner for Transitional Fiction.

Find it (and other Mindy Kim books) in the catalog!

Crossings: Extraordinary Structures for Extraordinary Animals

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Crossings: Extraordinary Structures for Extraordinary Animals
by Katy S. Duffield and illustrated by Mike Orodan
Format: Book

Animal lovers around the world are building wildlife crossings. Over, under, around and through construction by humans. We humans build ways for us to get through with roads and overpasses, tunnels and more. But what happens when our construction encroaches on animal habitat? All around the world people that love animals are finding ways of building crossings that help animals get safely back around, under, over and through the roads that we humans have built.

Woven rope bridges for Squirrel Gliders in Australia. A tiny tunnel under the pavement in New Zealand for Blue Penguins. Blue tight rope bridges above roads for Titi Monkeys in Costa Rica are just a few of the wildlife crossings that have been constructed, just for the protection, of animals around the world.

You will be intrigued by the beautiful illustrations in this non-fiction book!

Find it in the catalog!

The City of Ember

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The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Format:  Book
Who it’s for:  Kids and Teens

Ember is a city in everlasting darkness and is only lit by its progressively unpredictable electric system.  Other systems are falling apart as well, and stores of food and necessities that have lasted hundreds of years are dwindling.  The city was only meant to last 220 years, and now it has been 241.  But the messages the “Builders” left have been misplaced and forgotten.

Lina Mayfleet finds the messages, but not before her little sister chewed them to shreds. Now she and her pal Doon Harrow must decipher the few disjointed messages before the city falls to pieces.  Their determination leads them to discover long-overlooked mysteries about the creation and purpose of Ember, and what the “Builders” envisioned.  They want to spread their findings with the people of Ember — but only if the shady mayor and his guards don’t stop them first.

Find it in the catalog!

Backyard Fairies

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Backyard Fairies by Phoebe Wahl
Format: Book
Who’s it for: Kids

A young girl goes searching for fairies in the woods in her backyard. She sees evidence of them everywhere, but they always seem to manage to stay just out of her sight. Luckily for readers, magical creatures are on every page of Wahl’s multi-textured, whimsical illustrations, bringing the forest and magic to life.

Backyard Fairies by Phoebe Wahl is the perfect short and sweet bedtime read-aloud for children ages 3-7 (and – spoiler alert! – it even ends with our heroine’s bedtime). Little ones will love searching each page for fairies and sprites hidden in plain sight.

Find Backyard Fairies in the catalog here!

Paper Kingdom

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Paper Kingdom by Helena Ku Rhee, illustrated by Pascal Campion
Format: Book
Who Its For: Kids

When the babysitter cannot come, young Daniel must go to work with his parents, who clean a large office building at night. Exhausted, grumpy and unable to lie down to sleep in the big office building, he watches as mom and dad clean. “Why are all your cleaning things so dirty?” he asks .  “Because we use these things to keep the kingdom clean.” they reply.  “The kingdom? What kingdom?” “The Paper Kingdom. This is the land of the Paper King, didn’t you know!” And throughout the night as they clean, Daniel’s parents tell him stories of the Paper Kingdom, complete with a King in his throne room, a Queen who is the busiest of all and sends paper everywhere and friendly dragons who work for the King (who don’t mean to be naughty but are very messy indeed.) When Daniel complains about why his parents have to clean up such a big mess, they encourage him to become a good and understanding king himself one day so he can teach his own dragons how to clean up after themselves.

Based on experiences from the author’s own life, Paper Kingdom is a delightful and heart warming story full of love and imagination that turns a difficult night into wonder. Pascal Campion’s illustrations are magical as well.

Find it in the catalog