Staff Picks

Picture Books

Smitten by David Gordon
The hilarious, heartwarming tale of a lost sock and a lost mitten who find each other.

Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio
Grace is scandalized that there has never been a female president. She runs for class president and the readers will root for her all the way.

Middle Grades

As If Being 12 3/4 Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother is Running for President by Donna Gephart
Fabulous middle-grade novel about an awkward spelling-bee champ whose governor mother is running for the Democratic nomination. Timely, funny and written in a great voice.

Ringside 1925 by Jen Bryant
The Scopes Monkey Trial as seen through the eyes of the folks who lived through it. 1st person narration makes this historical fiction accessible and thought-provoking.

Young Adult

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Imagine if your mother let you believe that your childhood best friend had died. Imagine your whole life being colored by this event. Imagine how you would feel if he showed up, very much alive, while you were in high school. How would this change your life and who you were?

How (Not) to Be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler
Uprooted for the umpteenth time by her latter-day hippie parents, Maggie decides she needs to be grossly unpopular so that the next time she moves, she won’t leave friends behind. Hilarious and poignant YA.