chapter books

Two orphans, seemingly resigned to death by boredom on the island of Caveat, are rescued (in a sense) by a mysterious sea captain seeking a mysterious book in their possession. Once they leave, they find themselves plunged into a world of uncertainty, danger and undeniable excitement. Viola and Wilmur have only ever had one another, but after they throw in their lot with the captain and her crew, they begin to untangle the mystery of their decomposing world and whether it’s possible to set it right again.

In 1975, a book of extraordinary imagination was released in Japan. The story featured a young girl, dropped off unceremoniously at a train station, who discovers a small magical village where all the denizens are descended from wizards. Spoiled princes, magical sweets, cowardly tigers, malevolent toys, this book has it all– and now it is finally published in the U.S. for the first time! Experience the originality and creativity that helped inspire Miyazaki to make Spirited Away.

Diva, a small yet brave dog, and Flea, a curious streetwise cat, develop an unexpected friendship in this unforgettable tale of discovery. For as long as she could remember, Diva lived at 11 avenue Le Play in Paris, France. For as long as he could remember, Flea also lived in Paris, France-but at no fixed address. When Flea passed Diva's courtyard one day, their lives were forever changed. Together, Diva and Flea explore and share their very different worlds, as only true friends can do.

In 731 Chang'An, China, Han Yu rises every day with the first beat of the city drums to sell steamed buns in a bustling market full of whispers about his ability to summon tigers. In 1931 Chinatown, New York, Luli Lee spends her evenings gazing out at the city from the roof of her parents' restaurant, dreaming of dim sum and Chinese art. There is a comfortable rhythm to the small but content lives of Han Yu and Luli. But when plague strikes Chang'An and financial crisis threatens Luli's family, each must venture out into the larger world--and into perilous adventure--to save what they love most. 

Spare, sharp and profoundly moving, the novel follows Babak and his sister, newly orphaned in World War II-era Iran, as they navigate a world closing in on all sides. When they meet Ben, a Jewish boy in hiding, their fragile hope collides with the brutal weight of history. Nayeri distills war, childhood, grief, loyalty and faith into something achingly intimate. The emotional terrain he covers in so few words is astonishing. This isn’t just a book – it’s a prayer, a lament, a master class in storytelling. Nayeri writes like someone who knows what stories are for: to carry us, to crush us and then to redeem us.

Magnolia Wu is determined to show her new friend, Iris, the great things about living in NYC, and she has the perfect way to do it: an investigation into finding the owners of every missing sock she has collected at her parents’ laundromat. Along the way, Magnolia herself gets an eye-opening peek into her parents’ lives outside their workplace. A thoroughly original take on seeing your immigrant parents anew through the lens of others. 

Born and raised in a small town, Leo K. Doyle has never seen the ocean or stepped foot on a plane. But Leo is a star soccer player with big dreams in life. While Leo longs to make the pros one day, he has no idea how to achieve this goal--until a professional scout pays a chance visit to one of Leo's games and extends an invitation to try out for the London Dragons youth squad, known as The Academy. It's a world-famous English Premier League team. Soon Leo is off to a whole new country, embarking on the greatest adventure of his life. The downside? Only eleven out of two hundred of the very best youth players on the planet will make the team. Along with the grueling competition, Leo must also face a bully intent on torpedoing his summer, a roomie who doesn't know how to have fun, a terrifying camp director, and, most of all, Leo's own lack of formal training and the fear he will never succeed. 

Lotus Bloom has many reasons to be excited about starting her new school; at the top of that list is that she gets to do what she really loves: play the violin. Lotus is ecstatic to learn that she not only gets to play under the tutelage of one of her favorite musicians but has also been named concert master. Her dream school starts to become a bit nightmarish, however, when several boys decide it would be funny to throw paper airplanes into her afro, and instead of reprimanding the boys, the school decides that Lotus should change her hair to a style that is less distracting. Although Lotus isn’t the type of girl to start a revolution, she knows that it would be wrong to not fight back against injustice.