Early Childhood

Elementary

Everyone's Reading

Vooks A to Z

Be Creative

Storytime Favorites

Build Confidence

Family 

Women Who Changed the World

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and Zoe is excited. She’s about to have a fun-filled day with her mom. But when they go to the library, Miss Foster says Zoe isn’t allowed to talk loud. And when they go to the park, Mr. Jones says she’s not allowed to walk on the grass. Then at Grandma’s house, Grandma says she can’t wear wet shoes in the house. And at the store, a sign says kids aren’t allowed to play inside.

Is Zoe ever allowed to do fun things? Or is climbing, playing, yelling, and splashing in puddles always off-limits? According to Zoe’s mom, it’s all about knowing when and where to have fun. Then, you can be as wild as you want.

Written by Mandy Archer and illustrated by Shane Crampton, Stay Wild My Child demonstrates an important lesson for both kids and adults: Though some rules must be followed, everyone needs a space to be messy, expressive, and unrestrained. Published by Rainstorm Publishing, an imprint of Kidsbooks.

There are a lot of rules for Zoe to follow. But according to her mom, there are also times when the rules don’t apply.

Stay Wild My Child

Nature

Mindfulness

Kid at Heart

New Books

Once, we were part of Outside, and Outside was part of us. Now, so many of us have forgotten that Outside is there. But Outside doesn’t mind. It reminds us that it’s here, waiting, just beyond the window, reaching in with shadows, sunsets, and slow magic tricks. Outside sings to us with chirps, rustles, and tap-taps on the roof. It beckons us with smells: sunbaked, fresh, and mysterious.

From the food we eat to the clothes we wear to the animals that snuggle in our spaces, Outside continues to cherish and sustain us. I’m here, Outside whispers. I miss you. And what will you answer in return? 

Outside In is a touching love letter to the world beyond our windows: the oceans, fields, and forests that amaze and sustain us. The story tenderly—and poignantly—shows readers how our indoor spaces rely on the outside world, even if the two feel disconnected. Written by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Cindy Derby, and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Once, we were part of Outside, and Outside was part of us. Now, Outside is kept out—so it reaches in.

Outside In

Ken is playing a game. He’s baking a mud cake—and his sister Jen is going to help. They start off with crumbled dirt for the base. Jen adds water, but she adds a little too much. So Ken uses sand to fix the batter. Next, he adds nuts and berries. Jen puts in the garnish of leaves. Next it’s time to mix and stir, stir and mix. Then they bake the cake in the hot sun!

What happens when the mud cake is all done baking? Will they have a slice, or will there be an even tastier treat for them to share? Come along for an afternoon of make-believe cooking with siblings in the sun.

Following the game so many children play, Chocolate Mud Cake explores themes of working together, solving problems, and using our imaginations. Written by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Maxine Lee, and published by Brain Food Kids.

Ken and his sister Jen are baking a mud cake. What’s their recipe? Dirt, water, sand, nuts, berries, and leaves!

Chocolate Mud Cake

5 Minutes or Less

Leo is a busy lad. No matter how hard he works, there’s always more to do. Until one day, another Leo shows up to lend a hand. Together, they tackle the list of To-Dos—but it’s still too much! So, they wrangle another Leo, then another. They wash, scrub, sweep, and shop. They make calls, and plans, and agendas. Before long, there are ten Leos on the job.

But when the first Leo—Leo himself—decides to take a nap, the others are furious. There’s no time for sleeping. There’s no time for dreaming! Dreaming isn’t on the list. And there’s no time for anything not on the list… is there?

A touching ode to the importance of slowing down, taking a break, and remembering to dream, So Few of Me reminds us that working too much can’t be solved by simply working harder. The story also highlights the importance of quality over quantity. Written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds and published by Candlewick Press.

No matter how hard Leo works, there’s always more to do. Until one day, another Leo shows up to help out.

So Few of Me

Storybook Genius Publishing

S.T.E.A.M.

Just like one of her towers, everything around Olivia is built with blocks called cells. Or at least, that’s what Olivia’s mom says. But where are the blocks hiding? Olivia doesn’t see them in her yard. The house is made of bricks, but Olivia can’t find cells. The playground isn’t built out of cell-blocks either! Maybe if Olivia thought like her mom—like a scientist—she’d get what her mom was trying to tell her.

What happens when Olivia steps into the lab and looks at the world through a microscope? Come journey into the world of beakers, scales, flasks, and Bunsen burners. You might be surprised by what you see.

Using the simple metaphor of building blocks, Olivia’s Tower introduces readers to the concept of cells as the building blocks of the physical world. The story also explains the scientific method, along with various tools a scientist uses inside a lab. Written and illustrated by Gretchen Day. Published by Storybook Genius, LLC.

Olivia’s mom says everything is built with blocks called cells. But where are the blocks hiding?

Olivia's Tower

Poetry

Seasonal - Fall

Bedtime

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage

One of us is a wind bird, a sky skipper, a diamond dipper, dancing on your string. Another is red, delicious—with a quick twist of your wrist, you free it from the tree. You gasp when one of us roars, mane exploding, sizzling—a lion of the sky. Two of us are knitted twins, soft as kittens, warm as hugs, waiting to hold your hands.

Who are we? Do you think you might already know? Come along for a colorful guessing game that features all four seasons. The answers hide in haikus, masked in riddles. Some are easy, some are hard to guess—but each one loves to be discovered just as much as the rest.

Beautiful and creative, Lion of the Sky manages to make poetry, haikus, and riddles accessible to young readers. The book explores all four seasons with striking visuals, adding an extra hint for each riddle’s answer. Written by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Mercè López, and published by Millbrook Press.

ANSWER KEY: 
SPRING: kite, umbrella, nest, flower bud, earthworm, puddle
SUMMER: dandelion, mosquito, sandcastle, baseball, fireflies, fireworks
FALL: school, pencil, apple, leaf pile, jack-o'-lantern, squirrel
WINTER: mittens, snow, ice skates, snow angel, star, snoozing bear

Sky skippers, tasty treasures, cold confetti, meadows of stars, and more—can you guess who we all are?

Lion of the Sky

Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage

What can you do with your hands? Well, you could plant a tree—or an idea. You could touch a book, or someone’s heart. You could lift a bucket—and by doing that, you might lift someone’s spirit. You could stretch your arms out wide, or stretch someone’s imagination. And, of course, you could always reach out—for love, peace, truth, faith, hope, and dreams—or even just to take someone else’s hand in yours.

Every day, we make decisions about how we’ll use our hands. But what makes them beautiful isn’t how they look, it’s how we choose to use them. Now, the question is up to you. What will you do with your beautiful hands today?

An ode to the beauty of what our hands can create, Beautiful Hands pairs gentle language with illustrations made of hand and thumbprints. Written by Kathryn Otoshi and Bret Baumgarten, illustrated by Kathryn Otoshi, and published by Blue Dot Press.

There are so many things your hands can do—such as plant ideas, touch hearts, and stretch imaginations.

Beautiful Hands

All Seasons

Camp Vooks

Celebrate Black History

Biographies

From a young age Laura Wheeler Waring loved art. Growing up, she didn’t see any artists who looked like her, or even any paintings of people who looked like her. Using her family members as models, Laura painted and painted, filling the walls of her room like the walls of a gallery. Using her paints, she was fascinated by all the rich colors that combined to create the beautiful shades of brown she saw in her family members. While studying art in Paris, she was inspired by famous painters who captured the people around them. She decided she too wanted to paint who she knew best, people with beautiful brown skin that she never saw in paintings as a child. Today, Laura’s artwork hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. Now everyone can admire the beautiful shades of brown she captured.

A wonderful true story of creativity and being true to one’s self, Beautiful Shades of Brown is both inspirational and educational. Beautiful Shades of Brown is written by Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Felicia Marshall, and published by Creston Books.


Laura Wheeler Waring discovered an entire rainbow within the beautiful shades of brown she painted.

Beautiful Shades of Brown

Food and Cooking

When Filbert P. Horsefeathers walks into George Crum's restaurant, he tells the waitress, “I have a hankering for a heaping helping of potatoes.” Talented cook that he is, George prepares a serving of his most scrumptious, succulent, and sublime potato wedges—only to have Filbert send them back. “Too thick,” he says. “Too bland.” So, George makes thinner, saltier wedges. 

But this picky customer isn’t satisfied with the new dish. He sends them back again. Feeling a bit mischievous, George decides to make the thinnest, most overcooked, most salty potatoes of his entire cooking career. What happens next surprises everyone—and leaves the whole world clamoring for more.

Though a work of fiction, Mr. Crum’s Potato Predicament is based on a real George Crum (of mixed Native American and African American descent), who is said to have created the first potato chip in response to a demanding customer. The playful writing is filled with vocabulary words, along with themes of persistence, creativity, and using cleverness to handle challenging social situations. Written by Anne Renaud, illustrated by Felicita Sala, and published by Kids Can Press.

The pickiest customer of Crum’s career might lead him to a breakthrough: The invention of the potato chip!

Mr. Crum's Potato Predicament

Sing-alongs and Music

Dream Big

Be Brave

In the City

Be Resilient

When Irving’s home is burned, his family is forced to flee to America. The trip across the ocean isn’t easy—but when Irving glimpses the Statue of Liberty, the whole boat sings her a grateful song. In New York City, Irving begins a new life. More songs begin to fill his head. Songs that sound like the clank of a railcar, shouts of laughter, the hum of a city full of life.

Come along with Irving as his creative spirit grows into something much bigger than himself. Melodies might be enough to lift his family out of poverty. One might even go on to inspire an entire country—an anthem of gratitude and hope for the land that became his new home.

Following songwriter Irving Berlin’s remarkable life, this story underscores the power of hope, hard work, and limitless creativity. Though his songs were celebrated and performed by countless talented musicians, Irving is best known for his ode to his new home, “God Bless America.” Written by Nancy Churnin and illustrated by James Rey Sanchez, Irving Berlin is published by Creston Books, LLC.


When Irving must flee his home in Russia, he starts a new life in America. What comes next begins with a song.

Irving Berlin: The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing

Animals

Louie is a dog. His young owner is an artist. To improve his skills, Louie’s owner paints each day—and Louie is there as his audience. But then it’s time for Louie’s owner to go to school. Louie watches him go, feeling upset. He doesn’t like to be alone.

One day, after Louie’s owner leaves for school, Louie feels inspired. After watching so many pictures come to life, maybe he could try his own paw at the canvas. Maybe Louie is an artist himself. Will Louie make a big mess of his owner’s studio? Or will he prove that anyone can capture a spark of genius—even an enthusiastic pup like Louie?

A charming tale about a child and his pet, My Dog Thinks I’m a Genius celebrates the idea that to become an artist, one must simply choose to be one. The story touches on concepts of self-confidence, self-expression, and supporting one another’s art. Written by Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by renowned artist Barroux, My Dog Thinks I’m a Genius is published by Blue Apple Books.

Every day before school, Louie’s owner paints a picture. Today, Louie might like to try his own paw at the canvas.

My Dog Thinks I'm A Genius

Aneel loves when his grandparents visit. Most of all, he loves their stories. Today, Dada-ji tells Aneel the story of a lad from a village far, far away. The lad could wrestle water buffalo, tie two hissing cobras in a knot, spin trumpeting elephants by their tails, and touch the sky with his feet. The source of the lad’s tiger power? Hot, hot roti, prepared by Aneel’s Badi-ma herself!

Aneel asks his mother, father, Dadi-ma, and sister for help making roti for Dada-ji. But when no one can help, Aneel is left to make the recipe on his own. Will the roti turn out alright? And if it does, can it still give Dada-ji the power of the tiger? There’s only one way to find out!

Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-Ji tells the story of a bond between grandson and grandfather. The narrative features themes of cultural heritage, traditions, belief in one’s self, and the expression of love through cooking. Written by F. Zia, illustrated by Ken Min, and published by Lee & Low Books.

There once was a lad who could tie two cobras in a knot and touch the sky with his feet. His secret? Hot, hot roti.

Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-Ji

These storybooks feature creativity in all of it's forms: from artistic thought, to thinking outside the box, to critical thinking and problem solving.