Toddler
Found Dogs By Erica Sirotich
Cuddle with your little buddy to count up each scraggly rescue pup at the shelter and then count back down as each doggie is adopted. The bouncy rhyme, colorful illustrations, and sweet dogs will have your little ones giggling as they learn. This bright book will teach your children numbers and the value of pet adoption while they are entertained.
Youth
Hannah Sparkles: A Friend Through Rain or Shine By Robin Mellom
Hannah Sparkles was born happy! She spends her days as a beacon of shining positivity. When her mom tells her she has a new neighbor her age named Sunny Everbright, she is thrilled. But Sunny prefers mud and lizards to glitter and sunshine. Hannah isn’t sure that she and Sunny can be friends until Hannah learns that everyone is different, and friendship can be found in unexpected ways.
What Do You Do With a Problem? By Kobi Yamada
Follow this whimsical journey of a child who is burdened by a persistent problem. The longer the child avoids the problem, the bigger it seems to get. But when the child finally faces the plaguing problem, it transforms into something different than he expected. This simple yet powerful story is for anyone who has ever had a problem that they wished would go away.
Tween
Wonder By R.J. Palacio
Fifth grade can be a tough adjustment for any child, but for August Pullman it may be his biggest challenge yet. Born with a facial difference that has kept him out of mainstream school, Auggie just wants to be ordinary. In this tale of acceptance, Auggie and others take turns narrating. These perspectives combine to weave a story of empathy and compassion. Be sure to read it before the movie comes out in November.
Counting by 7s By Holly Goldberg Sloan
Willow Chance, a 12-year-old genius, is fascinated by nature, medical conditions, and counting by sevens. She has gone through life as an outcast, connecting only with her adopted parents, but her world drastically changes when they die in a car crash. Surprisingly, Willow’s story is not the typical tragedy. This odd and endearing girl pushes through her grief and discovers a unique and loving surrogate family.
Teen
The Girl In Between By Sarah Carroll
In an old, abandoned mill in Ireland, a girl and her mother take shelter from their former lives on the streets. The girl calls it the Castle because it’s the biggest place they’ve ever stayed, even if the windows are boarded up and the floorboards are falling in. But when developers show up, their hidden lives may change. The girl begins to discover the history of the mill and the ghosts who may be haunting her and her mother.
Belzhar By Meg Wolitzer
Jam Gallahue is recovering from a broken heart after losing her true love, Reeve, unexpectedly. Mired in grief, she is sent to a therapeutic boarding school in Vermont. A journal-writing assignment in a strange class called Special Topics in English leads Jam to Belzhar, where the untainted past is restored, and Jam can feel Reeve’s arms around her once again. Along the journey of mourning, Jam will learn more about herself and life than she ever knew.
All Grown Up
At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe By Tsh Oxenreider
If you have a lust for travel but are knee-deep in making school lunches and carpool, then this is the book for you. Join the Oxenreider family of five as they traverse across the world on a nine-month adventure. You’ll be whisked away to exotic destinations and surprising corners of the world while Tsh wrestles with what it means to be home.
Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life By Jen Hatmaker
Jen Hatmaker’s hilarious and brutal honesty will have you laughing and crying as you move through her bold pages. In the early pages, she proclaims that this book is for women of any age, for everyone who has gone through the fire and are still finding joy in life. The mess in life is unavoidable, but we can all have the moxie to make it through with some crazy laughter.
