By Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Leo Espinosa

This spectacular story brilliantly captures the boundless joy of carefree summer days. Opening on the final day of school, a lively group of students spills out into their Brooklyn neighborhood, eager to kick off the weeks ahead where they reign supreme over their block. The upbeat text begs to be read aloud, while the bright illustrations clearly display the delight found in summer.

By Deborah Freedman

The idea of cloud gazing on a lazy afternoon is comically captured in this delightful tale of two friends with very different points of view. While one sees fanciful objects in the sky, the other shares scientific facts about each cloud. I adore books that can cleverly educate readers while entertaining them, and this one is a real standout.

By Carter Higgins

Time never passed so happily! From sledding and snowman-crafting in January to the New Year’s countdown in December, childlike drawings and jolly text describe each month of the year with all the fun that each one promises. This book works like a song: each month is a new verse, and readers transition into each new season by a chorus with a recurring refrain, which is riffed on throughout the year.

by Tony Hillery, illustrated by Jessie Hartland 

Mr. Tony and Nevaeh, a student, planted a farm. And then the word got out. Every Saturday people came to help: moms, dads, neighbors, shopkeepers. Everyone pitched in and raked, tiled, dug, and planted. It was beautiful in spring and summer, and when the weather turned to fall, it was time to harvest so everyone could experience the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. Together they composted, recycled, and enjoyed. They built a garden. They built a community, too.

By Sandra Fay 

Gavin, Colin, and Doug live on a cozy little drop of H2O until one day, their mother tells them it’s time for them to grow up and leave home. In search of the perfect place to settle down, the three little tardigrades (also known as "moss piglets") journey to an underwater ice cave, an erupting volcano, and even the moon! They can survive under extreme conditions, but can they avoid the Big Hairy Wolf Spider. . .?

By Philip Bunting

There are ten quadrillion ants in the world, and yet I bet you never thought they could teach you anything. But these tiny creatures can do big things when they work together--just like people!

By Lyla Lee, illustrated by Dung Ho

Mindy Kim just wants three things:

1. A puppy!

2. To fit in at her new school

3. For her dad to be happy again

But, getting all three of the things on her list is a lot trickier than she thought it would be. On her first day of school, Mindy’s school snack of dried seaweed isn’t exactly popular at the lunch table. Luckily, her new friend, Sally, makes the snacks seem totally delicious to Mindy’s new classmates, so they decide to start the Yummy Seaweed Business to try and raise money for that puppy!

When another student decides to try and sabotage their business, Mindy loses more than she bargained for—and wonders if she’ll ever fit in. Will Mindy be able to overcome her uncertainty and find the courage to be herself?

By Sarai Gonzalez, illustrated by Monica Brown

The first book in a brand-new illustrated chapter book series inspired by the life of 11-year-old viral video star and social activist Sarai Gonzalez.

Sarai Gonzalez is AWESOME. Fourth grader Sarai Gonzalez can do anything. She can bake, dance, and run her own cupcake business. But when Sarai's grandparents are forced to move, even Sarai's not sure what to do. So she hatches a super-awesome plan with her younger sisters and cousin to buy back the house. But houses are more expensive than she ever thought, her sisters won't listen, and she's running out of time. Will Sarai find a way to save the day?Inspired by the life of viral video sensation and social activist Sarai Gonzalez with the help of award-winning children's book author Monica Brown.

by Raj Haldar, illustrated by Neha Rawat 

It's a Super Saturday sleepover! That means best friends Eddie and Molly-Jean (who prefers to be called MJ) are going to play outside, create obstacle courses for MJ's newts, and watch their favorite movies―and then they'll travel to India to solve a mystery and help save a school―all before bedtime!

by Zetta Elliott , illustrated by Geneva B 

When Jaxon is sent to spend the day with a mean old lady his mother calls Ma, he finds out she's not his grandmoather--but she is a witch! She needs his help delivering baby dragons to a magical world where they'll be safe. There are two rules when it comes to the dragons: don't let them out of the bag, and don't feed them anything sweet. Before he knows it, Jax and his friends Vikram and Kavita have broken both rules! Will Jax get the baby dragons delivered safe and sound? Or will they be lost in Brooklyn forever?

By Sophy Henn 

Most people think superhero work is awesome and fulfilling. Pizazz knows better. Whenever she’s in the middle of a movie or having fun with her friends, she has to dash off the save the world. And she’s always in the same outfit, including an embarrassing glittery cape, and the wedgies are unreal. Plus, being the good guy all the time is so not easy. Superheroes have bad days like everybody else, but Pizazz always has to be cheerful and noble and brave. More than anything, she just wants to be normal.

By Wendy Mass, Rebecca Stead, illustrated by Nicholas Gannon

It’s been five years since Livy and her family have visited Livy’s grandmother in Australia. Now that she’s back, Livy has the feeling she’s forgotten something really, really important about Gran’s house.

It turns out she’s right.

Bob, a short, greenish creature dressed in a chicken suit, didn’t forget Livy, or her promise. He’s been waiting five years for her to come back, hiding in a closet like she told him to. He can’t remember who―or what―he is, where he came from, or if he even has a family. But five years ago Livy promised she would help him find his way back home. Now it’s time to keep that promise.

Clue by clue, Livy and Bob will unravel the mystery of where Bob comes from, and discover the kind of magic that lasts forever.