And now the conclusion:

Steffanie’s Picks:

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan J RIO

Percy Jackson’s algebra teacher just turned into a monster and tried to kill him! When his mom finds out, she knows its time that he goes to the one place he’ll be safe at, Camp Half Blood, where Percy learns that his father is Poseidon, the God of the Sea.

A Day With No Crayons by Elizabeth Rusch E RUS

Liza’s mother takes away her crayons and suddenly her world goes gray. Through acts of anger, like squirting her toothpaste into the sink, Liza inadvertently creates art and discovers color in the world around her.

Poppy Pickle by Emma Yarlett E YAR

Anything Poppy imagines literally comes alive. Suddenly, a mammoth puts his foot through her bedroom floor and a hungry crocodile thinks Poppy would make a tasty snack. How can poppy get rid of all of these creatures before her parents find out?

Peanut Butter and Brains by Joe McGee J MCG

Reginald isn’t like the other zombies who scare townspeople and moan for brains! The only thing Reginald wants to eat is sticky peanut butter and sweet jelly. Can Reginald bring peace to Quirkville and convince the other zombies that peanut butter and jelly is tastier than brains?

Disenchanted: The Trials of Cinderella by Megan Morrison J MOR

In this addition to the series of Tyme: Ella Coach, Prince Dash Charming, and Serge the wish granting fairy all feel stuck in their everyday lives. These three unlikely friends work together to find the faith to change their individual worlds whilst changing the lives of the people around them. Its “Cinderella,” reimagined with the characteristics of the wonderful world of Tyme.

Cloud and Wallfish by Anne Nesbet J NES

Noah Keller’s parents tell him that his name isn’t really Noah and he didn’t really just turn eleven in March. As Noah – now “Jonah Brown” – and his parents head to the Iron Curtain into East Berlin, the rules and secrets pile up so quickly that he can’t keep track. When did his mother become fluent in several languages and why do his parents keep telling him that someone is listening to their conversations.

Leslie’s Picks:

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein

E READALONG GER

Take a trip on the high-wire between the two tallest buildings of New York City, the World Trade Center towers. A young french high-wire walker dared to scale the almost complete structures in 1974 to challenge himself on a high-wire adventure. Phillippe snuck to the top, with his friends, and strung a cable only 7/8 inches thick between the buildings. How will he survive the crossing without a safety net?

Lego: The Adventures of Clutch Powers     J DVD LEG

Clutch Powers heads off on a mission to take control of the three most wanted criminals in the galaxy. What will Clutch and his team do in a crisis? Will they defeat evil or will Clutch find himself trapped in the castle of doom?

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester by Barbara O’Connor J OCO

Owen is a shy boy who just moved to a small town in the middle of nowhere. One night a mysterious package smashes into the woods near the railroad tracks. Owen is determined to find out the package’s secrets and makes some new friends in the process.

Ninja Bunny by Jennifer Gray Olson E OLS

Ninja Bunny has 10 rules to follow to be a  Super Ninja Bunny. The most important rule is to ALWAYS WORK _ _ _ _ E. Can you guess the word? Read Ninja Bunny to find the ultimate rule.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Princess Island by Shannon Gilligan J CHO

Royal Princess Peregrine Yvette is off to summer camp for 6 weeks. Actually… you are off to camp for 6 weeks! In this high stakes adventure book, you will choose your own fate. Do you go to the Trillium cabin where the ear piercing scream of terror is coming? Do You look for the fabled Princess Island ghost? There are so many adventure choices to choose! What will you, Princess Peregrine Yvette do?

The Mazes of Bones by Rick Riordan J M THI

Who is Grace Cahill and why would she change her will just seconds before she passed? In this adventure series, two young siblings accept a challenge that is beyond their imagination. Being part of the Cahill family means danger, deceit, and foul cousins from another country. Where will the quest lead them?

Sandy’s Picks:

Mustaches for Maddie by Chad Morris J MOR

Maddie is your average 12-year-old with a quirky sense of humor. She likes to make people laugh by wearing a variety of fake mustaches. Her world is turned upside down when she is diagnosed with a brain tumor. This inspirational book is based on a true story.

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein E STE

Papa is trying to get the Little Red Chicken to go to bed. Every time Papa reads a story, the Little Red Chicken interrupts to give a safer, less scary version of the story. The more they read, the more excited the Little Red Chicken gets. Will the Little Red Chicken ever go to sleep?

Meditate With Me: A Step-by-Step Mindfulness Journey by Mariam Gates E 158.1 GAT

This is a beginner’s book to meditation. It is written like a picture book with step-by-step instructions on how to meditate. This book is a great resource to help kids who are struggling with not being able to calm themselves down.

Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein  J GRA

This is the sequel to Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. Kyle and his friends are invited to compete in Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics. Their team will compete in 12 different library games and will compete against other teams of kids from all over the country. The winners will receive their college education paid for. Kyle’s team not only feels the pressure to win but they are also trying to figure out who is sabotaging the game and trying to ruin Mr. Lemoncello’s Library.

The One and Only Ivan  by Katherine Applegate  JP APP

Ivan is a gorilla who lives in a glass enclosure located in a shopping mall. He spends his days watching television and spending time with his friends. He doesn’t think about the jungle until one day when Ruby, a baby elephant who was captured in the jungle is brought to the enclosure. The story is told by Ivan and is based on a true story.

The Fab Five: Jordyn Wieber, Gabby Douglas and the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team by Christine Dzidrums  J 796.44 DZI

 

This book is about the “Fab Five” Women’s gymnastic team from the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. Each gymnast has a chapter dedicated to themselves and tells about the journey as they began as young gymnasts with big dreams to becoming Olympic champions.

 

Jen’s Picks:

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier  J GN TEL

Catrina’s family moved to northern California because the air will help her sister breathe easier and make her strong. She is trying to be happy with the change, but their neighbor is obsessed with ghosts and Catrina fears the supernatural. Can she overcome the fear for her sister?

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes   J EST

Wanda wears the same faded dress to school every day and is teased by the other girls. She tells the girls that she has 100 dresses, but this makes the other girls even meaner. When the girls realize the truth about the 100 dresses, they learn a lesson about the importance of being kind.

The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone J MAL

This magical tale takes place inside the sixty-eight miniature Thorne Rooms that exist deep within the Art Institute of Chicago. What if you discovered a key that allowed you to shrink so that you were small enough to explore those rooms? What if you discovered that you weren’t the first one to have visited them?

Cowboy Playground by Putumayo World Music  J CD WORLD COW

Giddy up and journey back to the Wild West with fun songs for little buckaroos. Yee Haw!

Yoga for Kids by Lorena V. Pajalunga  J E 613.7046 PAJ

A little boy begins taking yoga lessons at the zoo, where he learns that he can imitate the animals there with simple yoga poses.

Anne Frank: Her Life in Words and Pictures by Menno Metselaar and Ruud van der Rol  J B FRA

Anne Frank’s diary was one of the most moving books I ever read as a young girl and solidified my love of books at age 10. Discover more about Anne’s life in this scrapbook style book through photographs and a timeline that shows what life was like in her world.

Alissa’s Picks:

Pokemon Cookbook by Maki Kudo  J 641.5 KID

This book is full of so many awesome Pokemon inspired recipes, you’re going to want to catch ’em all! Some require adult help so this book is great for getting the family working together in the kitchen.

The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids by Whitney Cohen and John Fisher  J 635 COH

It’s the time of year to start thinking green, and this awesome collection gives great ideas for garden enthusiasts of all ages.

The Daring Miss Quimby by Suzanne George Whitaker  E B QUI

Harriet Quimby, the first american woman to get her pilot’s license, still serves as an awesome inspiration for girls and women to stay bold and stay daring!

Girl’s Best Friend by Leslie Margolis  J M MAR

Dogs all over the neighborhood are starting to go missing, so it’s up to Maggie Brooklyn to solve the case and find the lost pups

The Friendship Code by Stacia Deutsch  AUDIO CD J F DEU

A new coding club at school offers Lucy to learn something she’s always wanted to, and to make friends while doing it. Can she balance working with new friends to create a brand-new app?

Louise Loves Art by Kelly Light  E LIG

Louise loves making art… and her little brother, Art. But when her projects and her brother combine, Louise has to figure out how to keep them BOTH happy!

Sheena’s Picks:

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau  J DUP

The City of Ember is falling apart, so friends Lina and Doon race around the city collecting clues left by their founders and solving mysteries that bring shocking truths to the surface of both the past and present. You don’t have to be a sci-fi fan to appreciate this exciting and thrilling novel.

Rocket and Groot: Stranded on Planet Strip Mall: by Tom Angelberger

J ANG

Rocket and Groot crash-land on a stranded strip mall. They quickly find out that this isn’t your average strip mall. With Crazy robotic store attendants and hungry killer toilets, Rocket and Groot find themselves having to save the planet.

Prince Ribbit by Jonathan Emmett  E EMM

When Princess Martha overhears her sisters talk about a fairy tale they just read about, a frog turning into a handsome prince, she doesn’t believe them. Weirdly, Lucinda and Arabella come across a frog and start treating him like royalty, and Martha is determined to prove her sisters wrong.

Bloom by Doreen Cronin  E CRO

Bloom is the name of a mud fairy, whose magic can turn weeds into flowers and spin sand into glass, but she was just too messy and muddy for the people in the kingdom and they forced her to move far away. However, when the glass castle starts to crack and crumble, the king and queen ash for the fairy’s help. With a little bit of mud and magic, together they can do extraordinary things!

 

Planting the Trees of Kenya by Claire A. Nivola J B MAA

Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, grew up in Kenya. She noticed her home that was once “dressed in green” was now bare and suffering. She urged the women of Kenya to take matters into their own hands and restore the land to the way it used to be.

Feathers: Not Just for Flying by Melissa Stewart E 598.147 STE

Springtime is here and that means more bird spotting! Did you know that the feathers on a bird serve a purpose other than for flying? With simple text and beautiful illustrations, this book explains why birds have the feathers they do and how it helps them thrive in their habitat.

 

Dana’s Picks:

Cork & Fuzz: Spring Cleaning by Dori Chaconas  ER CHA

Cork loves to clean, and his friend, Fuzz, would rather play. When Cork tries to boss Fuzz into helping with the Spring Cleaning, it creates some problems they must work out.

When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes  E HEN

Henkes describes how the dark world of winter develops into the bright and blooming world of spring.

How Do You Know It’s Spring? by Ruth Owen  J 508.2 OWE

In this non-fiction title, the author describes the various ways spring makes itself known to us, from budding flowers, to longer days, and to the birth of baby animals.

Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur  E SCH

Schnur uses acrostic poetry, a poetry form in which the first letter of each line spells out a word, to describe spring.

The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins  E B SES

In this picture book biography, we learn about Katherine Olivia Sessions, who brought trees to San Diego, California and is credited with developing what eventually became Balboa Park.

The Gardener by Sarah Stewart  E STE

Told through letters, Lydia Grace goes to live with her uncle after her father loses his job. Lydia Grace is a gardener and brings that with her, always hoping to bring a smile to her uncle’s face.

Liz’s Picks:

The Night Gardener by Eric Fan and Terry Fan  E FAN

Awesome illustrations! This is an excellent book about a man who works at night to transform trees into beautiful topiaries. One night, young William follows the Night Gardener to the park and is invited to help him.

 

My Wiggle Makes Me Giggle by Scott Simons  J CD MYWI

Fun Songs that encourage healthy habits.

The Littlest Bigfoot by Jennifer Weiner  AUDIO CD J F WEI

Alice struggles with being comfortable in her own skin and does not fit in anywhere. Shipped off to a new school each year. Alice saves Millie, who is a Bigfoot, from drowning in a lake. A friendship blossoms. Elsewhere, Jeremy, a lonely boy, believes there are Bigfoot in the forest and tries to expose them. This is a wonderful story about friendship, acceptance, and standing up for others.

If you Plant a Seed  by Kadir Nelson  E NEL

A story about kindness and reaping what you sow. The illustrations are wonderful!

Stormstruck by John MacFarlane  J MAC

A fast paced read about a boy who tries to protect his dog from being euthanized. They embark on a sailing trip, only to find themselves caught up in some very dangerous situations.

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale by Carmen Agra Deedy

J 398.2 DEE

Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha was a beautiful cockroach. When she was old enough to marry, her Abuela (grandmother) gave her some shocking advice. She should spill coffee on her suitor’s shoes to see how they react. Read this humorous story to find out if the coffee test works.

Carolyn’s Picks:

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck J P PEC

Joey and Mary-Alice go to visit their grandmother every summer in rural Illinois. The kids think it will be boring, but things don’t always turn out the way you expect. Each summer has its own chapter and is a fun and touching read.

The Night World by Mordecai Gerstein  E GER

A little boy and his cat discover the world of shadows at night. It is dark, but soon “something” is coming!

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen  JP PAU

Brian’s plane crashed, and he has to learn to survive in the wilderness by himself. He has a hatchet and not much else. What dangers will he have to face? Will he be rescued or is this his new life?

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin  J MAR

Rose has a dog named Rain. Rain is a homonym for Reign, and Rose loves both Rain and homonyms. Her love of homonyms makes her different. The other kids don’t understand her and even her father has a hard time accepting her. One stormy night, Rain goes missing and Rose has to overcome her own challenges to find her.

Hidden by Helen Frost  J FRO

This novel in verse tells the story of two girls who share a secret from their past. One summer they meet at camp and must learn to deal with the secret that they have kept for so long.

Ah Ha by Jeff Mack  E MAC

How many ways can our frog friend combine the letters A and H? What do the words mean? This is a fun, colorful book with a lot of action.