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Recommended for Kids

Perfect Plan

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The Perfect Plan, Written and illustrated by Leah Gilbert
Format: Book
Who It’s For: Kids

Maya has a Perfect Plan, a plan to build her dream tree fort, the coziest, comfiest, most incredible tree fort in the absolute whole world!! She has designed it herself of course, and even found the right sort of trees in the wood to hold this special place for reading and dreaming. However, when Maya starts to build she just cant seem make it work, no matter how hard she tries. Maya has two choices- give up, or find someone who can help. Plucky Maya turns to her friends the animals, who provide the just-right help needed for each part of the project. Then a huge storm comes up, which chases her home and threatens to undo all their hard work! What will Maya find when she returns to her amazing tree fort? This book is a sweet fantasy about creating something of your own, asking for help and, of course, the magic of talking to animal friends! I loved the beautiful illustrations in this book as well.

Find The Perfect Plan in the catalog

Kaleidoscope

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Kaleidoscope by Brian Selznick
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids, Teens

“We stood side by side, holding hands. I thought about an hourglass, where the sand is pouring down from above until the top half is empty. My head felt like the top half of the hourglass, and I could feel everything pouring out – my thoughts, my memories, my past, all the books of I’d read, all the diagrams of telephones I’d memorized, my family, my dreams, my fears. I was dissolving and becoming something new.”

This collection of short stories is a magical and mysterious exploration of loss, loneliness, and longing. Each story is linked by reoccurring themes and motifs, but most notably by the connection between the narrator and his friend, James. With settings that shift over time, space, memory, and dreams, these vignettes interspersed with Selznick’s illustrations form a tapestry examining love, friendship, and the grief that follows loss.

While Kaleidoscope is suggested for young readers ages 9-12, the overarching themes and speculative writing style will also appeal to teens and adults.

Find Kaleidoscope in the catalog here!

Boardwalk Babies

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Boardwalk Babies, Written by Marissa Moss, illustrated by April Chu
Format: Book
Who its For: Kids

In years past, fairs had unusual sideshows to see. Bearded ladies, fire eaters, 3 legged men were common. But tiny BABIES??

Long ago hospitals thought premature babies, born early and too small, weren’t worth caring for. Then Dr. Budin in Paris invented an incubator to keep babies warm and help them grow. The hospitals were still not interested; how could he show them that “miracle machines” could save babies’ lives? He sent a young doctor, Martin Couney, to show the incubators at a large fair, but no one cared about empty boxes. Martin needed actual babies to show what the incubators could do. He begged a local hospital to let him care for some of their babies. The idea of putting infants in a display sounded wrong, but since the hospital couldn’t help them anyway, they agreed to let Martin and his nurses care for six tiny babies. He took them to the fair, placed them in the incubators, and opened his “exhibit”. It was a huge success! Crowds lined up to see the babies, watching them grow week after week. Best of all, every single one survived! Martin took his incubators to fairs all around the world, and in 1903 finally stopped at Coney Island Amusement Park in New York where he continued his “mini-hospital” exhibition. Preemies of every race, nationality and religion had excellent care around the clock from skilled nurses and doctors. Ticket sales covered every cost- families didn’t pay a penny!  For 40 years the “Baby Incubator” exhibit continued to save babies (even Martin’s own daughter Hildegard) until 1943, when hospitals finally began using incubators regularly.

Martin Couney’s dedication and love saved approximately 6500 children and encouraged hospitals to use incubators to save millions more! Your history and biography-minded littles (and their grownups!) will enjoy this unusual, true story of an innovative man who did everything he could to save premature babies.

Find Boardwalk Babies in the catalog

 

 

Girl Versus Squirrel

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Girl Versus Squirrel by Hayley Barrett, illustrated by Renée Andriani
Format: Book
Who it’s for: kids, everyone

Pearl likes putting up bird feeders and watching the birds snack on the seeds and peanuts in her yard, but when a pesky squirrel comes and dines instead, she is determined to do what it takes to keep the squirrel away from her bird feeders! Will Pearl be able to outsmart the squirrel, or are her plans no match for such a speedy opponent?

This was such a cute book, and the factual information in the back of the book about squirrels is a wonderful addition to the story. This book can serve as a young readers’ introduction to bird (and squirrel!) watching, and maybe it’ll even inspire some readers to set up bird feeders in their own backyard – maybe even some squirrel feeders, too!

Find Girl Versus Squirrel in our catalog!

 

Garlic and the Vampire

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Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

Garlic, an enchanted garlic bulb, lives in a quiet garden with other enchanted vegetables under the care of their friend and mentor, Witch Agnes. Garlic chronically oversleeps and over-worries, but she loves tending the garden and finds her bliss safely in her comfort zone.

Interrupting their idyllic existence, smoke rises from a nearby (and supposedly long abandoned) castle. A vampire has moved in! Garlic, obviously having natural resistance to vampires, is volunteered to investigate and deal with their terrifying new neighbor. She doesn’t know how she could possibly do that – she’s just a little garlic! – but with encouragement from her best friend, Carrot, Garlic overcomes her self-doubt and confronts the vampire. Even with her newfound courage, it doesn’t go exactly the way she expects.

A wholesome and absolutely adorable story, Garlic and the Vampire is a middle-grade graphic novel about anxiety and bravery, believing in yourself, and perhaps most importantly, not judging a vampire just by his teeth.

Find Garlic and the Vampire in the catalog here!

Mindful Mr. Sloth

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Title: Mindful Mr. Sloth by Katy Hudson
Format: Picture Book
Who it’s for: Kids

Do you know someone who just won’t slow down? Well, you might just need a friend to help you see the world at a different pace!
Sasha Patience Pruitt is a little girl with little patience and little time for stillness until a newly made friend enters her life with a new perspective. Mr. Sloth is slow at talking, playing, and everything else Sasha loves to do. Maybe a bike race will bring her new friend up to speed, or maybe Sasha will learn that enjoying the moment is worth the “waaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiittttttt.”

This adorable picture book is a great read aloud for young movers and shakers as a gentle introduction to self regulation (the ability to pause between thought and action to respond appropriately to a situation) and practicing mindfulness (the ability to be aware and present with thoughts and feelings in the moment). Slowing down can be difficult and that’s why we have friends to show us that taking time to enjoy life can be exactly what we need. If you have a little one in your life who only knows one speed, this picture book is for you! Find Mindful Mr. Sloth in the catalog!