Grades 3-5

Roeder,Vanessa. The Box Turtle

Terrance the turtle was born without a shell, so he uses a cardboard box instead. Terrance loves his box. It keeps him dry on soggy days, safe from snooping strangers, and is big enough to cozy up with a friend. But when another turtle points out that Terrance's shell is, well, weird, he begins to wonder whether there might be a better shell out there...

John,Jory. The Big Cheese

The Big Cheese is the best at everything, and brags about it, too. When the annual Cheese-cathlon comes around, the Big Cheese is prepared to win, as always. But what happens when the quiet new kid, Wedge Wedgeman, comes out on top?

Colandro, Lucille. There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Dragon

The Old Lady is back and this time she's swallowed a princess, a dragon, and a knight...to create a classic fairytale!

Applegate, Katherine. Doggo and Pupper Save the World

Life is good for Pupper, too, even though he worries a lot, about things like giant squirrels. If he were braver, he might even be a hero. Maybe even a hero who can fly! But heroes aren't afraid of giant squirrels 

Beaty, Andrea. Aaron Slater and the Sneaky Snake

Zookeeper Fred loves snakes, but his favorite is a tiny green snake named Vern. Vern is sneaky and constantly tries to hide in Fredâs lunch. When Vern gets loose in the zoo and lands atop a boyâs head, itâs trouble! 

Scott, Tanya Wizkit: An Adventure Overdue

Hilda and the Troll meets The Okay Witch in this delightfully whimsical middle grade graphic novel about a magical cyclops cat on her first trip away from home who learns even the most ordinary journeys can be magical with the right company! 

Brockenbrough, Martha. To Catch a Thief

Urchin Beach isn't the sort of place where bad things happen. The little seaside town is too lucky for that. But then one day, a thief steals something precious—the town's dragonfly staff, which is the source of all its good fortune and the most important part of the upcoming Dragonfly Day Festival. 

Warner, Gertrude. The Raptor Rescue

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are excited to learn more about raptors when they volunteer at a rehab center for wild birds. But not long after they arrive, a series of strange events makes it seem like someone might be trying to sabotage the center. Who could the culprit be, and why would they want to cause trouble for injured birds? 

Hunter, Erin. The Shattered Horn

A thrilling new arc in Erin Hunter's bestselling Bravelands series! Set in the African highlands and told from three different animals' points of view, this is a perfect adventure for dedicated fans and readers new to the Bravelands world. 

Black, Holly, The Bronze Key

From Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes the third installment in the New York Times bestselling series that defies what you think you know about the worlds of good and evil. 

Giff, Patricia. Pictures of Hollis Woods

When Hollis is sent to Josie, an elderly artist who is quirky and affectionate, she wants to stay. But Josie is growing more forgetful every day. If Social Services finds out, they’ll take Hollis away and move Josie into a home. Well, Hollis Woods won’t let anyone separate them. She’s escaped the system before; this time, she’s taking Josie with her. Still, even as she plans her future with Josie, Hollis dreams of the past summer with the Regans, fixing each special moment of her days with them in pictures she’ll never forget. 

L’Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time

Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government. Newbery Winner

Benediktsson,Aevar. A Snicker of Magic

Based on a true story, the author humorously recounts the time his grandfather got stranded with a friend on Surtsey, a brand new volcanic island in Iceland. The adventurers face epic challenges like molten lava, melted eyeglasses and scant supplies before finally getting rescued. Graphic novel-like layouts and spirited text invite readers to search for the one thing that's not actually true in this thrilling yet light-hearted tale of adventure. Endnotes include information about volcanoes, Icelandic culture and Norse mythology.

Weze, Clare The Storm Swimmer

The author of THE LIGHTNING CATCHER is back with an exciting, imaginative and heartfelt middle grade novel perfect for fans of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant and The Shark Caller. 

Anderson, John. Finding Orion

The acclaimed author of Ms. Bixby's Last Day and Posted returns with an unforgettable tale of love and laughter, of fathers and sons, of what family truly means, and of the ways in which we sometimes need to lose something in order to find ourselves. 

Harrington, CC. Wildoak

Maggie Stephens's stutter makes school especially hard. She will do almost anything to avoid speaking in class or calling attention to herself. She reluctantly agrees to her mother's intervention plan: a few weeks in the fresh air of Wildoak Forest, visiting a grandfather she hardly knows. It is there, in an extraordinary twist of fate, that she encounters an abandoned snow leopard cub, an exotic gift to a wealthy Londoner that proved too wild to domesticate. But once the cub's presence is discovered by others, danger follows, and Maggie soon realizes that time is running out, not only for the leopard, but for herself and the forest as well. 

Tarshis, Lauren. I Survived The Eruption of Mount St. Helens 1980

Eleven-year-old Jessie Marlowe has grown up with the beautiful Mount St. Helens always in the background. She's hiked its winding trails, dived into its cold lakes, and fished for trout in its streams. Just looking at Mount St. Helens out her window made Jess feel calm, like it was watching over her somehow. Of course, she knew the mountain was a volcano...but not the active kind, not a volcano that could destroy and kill!Then Mount St. Helens explodes with unimaginable fury. Jess suddenly finds herself in the middle of the deadliest and most destructive volcanic event in U.S. history. Ash and rock are spewing everywhere. Can Jess escape in time? 

Tyson, Neil. Astrophysics for Young People In A Hurry 

Neil deGrasse Tyson's #1 New York Times best-selling guide to the cosmos, adapted for young readers.

Giff, Patricia. Island War

When Japanese soldiers land on the island, Izzy and Matt are the only ones who escape being shipped off to a prison camp. The two kids must put their differences aside and work together if they're going to survive. With a long, harsh winter ahead of them, they'll need to dodge Axis soldiers and withstand Allied bombing raids—and keep the village dog from giving them away to the enemy, too. 

Paulsen, Gary. Northwind

This stunning New York Times Bestseller from the survival story master, set along a rugged coastline centuries ago, does for the ocean what Hatchet does for the woods, as it relates the story of a young person's battle to stay alive against the odds, where the high seas meet a coastal wilderness. 

Bruchac, Joseph.  Other Words for Home

A boy discovers his Native American heritage in this Depression-era tale of identity and friendship by the author of Code Talker 

Nielsen, Jennifer. Iceberg

As disaster looms on the horizon, a young stowaway onboard the Titanic will need all her courage and wits to stay alive. A thrilling tale from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen!