Welcome to the Harrow HK Dahl Library Hub

Duel by Jessixa Bagley and Aaron Bagley

Description: When her popular sister Gigi humiliates her on the first day of school, Lucy snaps and challenges her to a duel with high sisterly stakes that divides the school into factions and fractures their family even further.

Genre: Graphic novels; Sports fiction; Realistic fiction

Themes: Dealing with bullies, Fencing, Family, Sisterhood, Grief

Mood/Style: Richly detailed; Intensifying; Character-driven

Suitable for: Years 5-8

Where is it? Junior Graphic Novels (LS Library)

Kid Christmas of the Claus Brothers Toy Shop by David Lichtenfield

Description: Discovering children living on the streets but unable to afford toys to give them, Nicky Claus vows that for one night only, every child will have the toy of their dreams and, with the help of his uncles and some flying reindeer, the legend of Father Christmas is born.

Genre: Picture books for children

Themes: Christmas, Gifts, Toy Stores, Giving, Gratefulness

Mood/Style: Sweet; Feel-good

Suitable for: Early Years - Year 3

Where is it? Picture book section, letter L

Magnolia Wu Unfolds it All by Chanel Miller

Description: A self-proclaimed sock detective inside her parents' New York City laundromat, 10-year-old Magnolia Wu and Iris, a new friend from California, set off across the city to solve the mystery of each missing sock, meeting people and uncovering the unimaginable along the way.

Genre: Mysteries

Themes: Family businesses, Friendship, Children of immigrants

Mood/Style: Evocative, Well-crafter dialogue

Suitable for: Year 3-5

Where is it? Junior Fiction, letter M

Magnolia Wu Unfolds it All by Chanel Miller

Genre: Mysteries

Themes: Family businesses, Friendship, Children of immigrants

Mood/Style: Evocative, Well-crafter dialogue

Suitable for: Year 3-5

Where is it? Junior Fiction, letter M

Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories by Dr. Seuss

Description: This follow-up to The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories features familiar Seuss faces and places, including Horton the Elephant, Marco, Mulberry Street, and a Grinch. Seuss fans will learn more about Horton’s integrity, Marco’s amazing imagination, a narrowly avoided disaster on Mullbery Street, and a devious Grinch.

Genre: Picture books; Fantasy; Humor; Classics; Poetry

Themes: Elephants; Making a deal; Cruelty; Fairness

Mood/Style: Amusing; Lots of funny and silly nonsense words

Suitable for: Reception-Year 3

Where is it? Picture book section, letter S

Shanghai Sukkah by Heidi Smith Hyde

Description: Fleeing the Holocaust in Europe, Marcus moves with his family from Berlin to Shanghai. With help from his new friend Liang, Marcus sets out to build a unique sukkah in time for the harvest festival of Sukkot.

Genre: Picture books; Historical Fiction

Themes: Jewish Holiday; Holocaust; World War II; China; Immigration

Mood/Style: a beautiful and touching story about cross-cultural friendship

Suitable for: Years 1-3

Where is it? Picture book section, letter H

Charlotte in Giverny by Joan MacPhail Knight

Description: It's 1892 and Charlotte is bound for Monet's famous artist colony in Giverny, France, where painters like her father are flocking to learn the new style of painting called Impressionism. She makes new friends, plants a garden, learns to speak French, and even attends the wedding of Monsieur Monet's daughter!

Genre: Historical Fiction; Picture books

Themes: Impressionism; Monet;19th-century France; Art

Mood/Style: a fun and informative adventure of art

Suitable for: Years 4-7

Where is it? Junior Fiction (LS Library)

Brundibar by Tony Kushner

Description: When Aninku and Pepicek go to town for milk to make their sick mother better, their attempts to earn money by singing are thwarted by a bullying hurdy-gurdy grinder, Brundibar. But with the help of three talking animals and three hundred schoolchildren, Aninku and Pepicek defeat the bully and return home triumphant. The story is based on a Czech opera performed numerous times by the children of the Nazi concentration camp Terezin.

Genre: Picture books; Historical Fiction

Themes: Bullying; Music; Opera; Art; Holocaust; World War II; Czechoslovakia

Mood/Style: a dark and sad fable that also lets you giggle

Suitable for: Years 3-6

Where is it? Picture book section, letter K

The Christmas Truce by Carol Ann Duffy

Description: Down at the front, on a cold winter’s night in 1914, amidst the worst war the world had ever seen, an inexplicable silence spread from man to man. Belief was in the air. Then the soldiers ceased fire and the magic of Christmas took hold.

Genre: Poetry; Historical fiction; Picture books for children

Themes: World War I; Christmas

Mood/Style: Moving

Suitable for: Years 3-5

Where is it? Junior Nonfiction (LS Library)

Morning sun in Wuhan by Ying Chang Compestine

Description: Grieving the death of her mother and an outcast at school, thirteen-year-old Mei finds solace in cooking and computer games. When her friend’s grandmother falls ill, Mei seeks out her father, a doctor, for help, and discovers the hospital is overcrowded. As the virus spreads, Mei finds herself alone in a locked-down city trying to find a way to help.

Genre: Realistic fiction

Themes: Covid-19; China; Friendship; Cooking

Mood/Style: Hopeful; Moving; Fast-paced; Character-driven; Thought-provoking

Suitable for: Years 3-7

Where is it? Junior Fiction (LS Library)

The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan

Description: A kid finds a lost 'thing' on the beach where he's scavenging for his bottle-top collection. The thing is a large, freakish creature but no-one else really notices it—it's simply not a part of their familiar day-to-day reality. So the kid takes it upon himself to try to find where the lost thing belongs...

Genre: Picture book; Fantasy fiction; Steampunk

Themes: Belonging; Imagination; Art; Australia

Mood/Style: Serious; Weird

Suitable for: Years 3-4

Where is it? Picture book section, letter T

Drama by Raina Telgemeier

Description: Callie loves theater and dreams of creating a Broadway-worthy set for her middle school’s production of Moon over Mississippi. However, she faces challenges: she’s not a skilled carpenter, ticket sales are low, and the crew struggles to collaborate. Add in onstage and offstage drama, plus the arrival of two cute brothers, and things get even wilder!

Genre: Graphic novels; Realistic fiction

Themes: Set the stage; Tween romance

Mood/Style: Angst-filled; Upbeat; Amusing

Suitable for: Years 4-8

Where is it? Junior Graphic Novels (LS Library)

When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhhà Lại

Description: This breathtaking novel in verse, inspired by the author’s experience, follows Hà and her family, refugees from the Vietnam War, as they move to Texas for a new job, and despite not wanting to start over again, Hà discovers unwanted change can bring a good opportunity.

Genre: Novels in verse; Historical fiction

Themes: Immigrant experiences

Mood/Style: Moving; Hopeful; Spare

Suitable for: Year 4-8

Where is it? Junior Fiction, letter L (LS Library)

Dogs Don't Do Ballet by Anna Kemp

Description: When the prima ballerina trips and falls during a performance of the Royal Ballet, Biff the dog finally gets his chance to prove that he is a ballet dancer.

Genre: Picture books; Fantasy; Humor

Themes: Dance; Ballet; Dogs; Ambition

Mood/Style: Sweet; Feel-good

Suitable for: Reception

Where is it? Picture book section, letter K

The Good Egg by Jory John

Description: When the other eggs in his carton behave badly, the good egg feels like he needs to be perfect.

Genre: Picture books; Fantasy; Humor

Themes: Eggs; Perfectionism; Self-care

Mood/Style: Amusing

Suitable for: Reception

Where is it? Picture book section, letter J

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

Description: The most beautiful fish in the entire ocean discovers the real value of personal beauty and friendship.

Genre: Picture books; Classics

Themes: Learning to share

Mood/Style: Sweet; Feel-good

Suitable for: Reception

Where is it? Picture book section, letter P

Flight School by Lita Judge

Description: Longing to soar like an eagle but possessing a body that was not designed to fly, little Penguin adamantly follows his dream to "flip, flap, fly" with a little technical assistance.

Genre: Picture books; Classics

Themes: Flight; Penguins; Persistence

Mood/Style: Sweet; Amusing

Suitable for: Reception

Where is it? Picture book section, letter J