Staff Picks

How to Talk Like a Bear by Charlie Grandy

Easy Reader Fiction E G76 

"Want to learn how to speak Bear? Well, you came to the right place. It's far more than just growling and roaring (a common misconception). There's a lot more to it. It's very easy to accidentally say the wrong phrase when you're trying to get your point across. For example, saying "ROOOAARR" instead of "ROAAARRRR" is the difference between wanting a sandwich and wanting to get into beekeeping."

The Wolf Suit by Sid Sharp

Easy Reader Graphic Novel E Sh2 

"A lonely sheep thinks he can protect himself in the scary forest with the ultimate disguise: a Wolf Suit. A hilarious and touching debut about the pressures of conformity and conquering fear by finding community. Bellwether Riggwelter is, once again, out of blackberries. This time, rather than tiptoe through a forest full of predators, he comes up with a new plan. He will keep himself safe by blending in--he will sew a Wolf Suit! The disguise works perfectly . . . sort of. Bellwether realizes he can't enjoy the forest in a bulky suit, and he may not be the only creature in the forest who feels that way. Perhaps not everyone is as wolfish as they appear. With humor, darkness, and insight reminiscent of Jon Klassen and Edward Gorey, Sharp turns the idiom "wolf in sheep's clothing" on its head. The perfect contemporary folktale to press into the hands of anyone who has felt they need to pretend to be someone else."

Our Friend Hedgehog: A Place to Call Home by Lauren Castillo

Easy Reader Fiction E C27

"Autumn leaves are falling in Hedge Hollow, and the change in season brings with it a spiny surprise... anotherhedgehog! Is it friend or foe? Or is it . . . family? On the one paw, Hedgehog is excited to meet one of her own kind, but on the other paw, she has never felt so different—or distant—from her old friends. Where does Hedgehog belong, and who does she belong with? A journey upriver through an unfamiliar forest just might lead her home…"

Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend! by  Cori Doerrfeld

Easy Reader Fiction E D67 

"Change and transitions are hard, but Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend! demonstrates how, when one experience ends, it opens the door for another to begin. It follows two best friends as they say goodbye to snowmen, and hello to stomping in puddles. They say goodbye to long walks, butterflies, and the sun...and hello to long evening talks, fireflies, and the stars. But the hardest goodbye of all comes when one of the friends has to move away. Feeling alone isn't easy, and sometimes new beginnings take time. But even the hardest days come to an end, and you never know what tomorrow will bring."

When Aidan Became a Brother by  Kyle Lukoff

Easy Reader Fiction E L96

"When Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl. His parents gave him a pretty name, his room looked like a girl's room, and he wore clothes that other girls liked wearing. After he realized he was a trans boy, Aidan and his parents fixed the parts of his life that didn't fit anymore, and he settled happily into his new life. Then Mom and Dad announce that they're going to have another baby, and Aidan wants to do everything he can to make things right for his new sibling from the beginning--from choosing the perfect name to creating a beautiful room to picking out the cutest onesie. But what does "making things right" actually mean? And what happens if he messes up? With a little help, Aidan comes to understand that mistakes can be fixed with honesty and communication, and that he already knows the most important thing about being a big brother: how to love with his whole self."

 A Walk in the Words by Hudson Talbott

Easy Reader Fiction E T14

"When Hudson Talbott was a little boy, he loved drawing, and it came naturally to him. But reading? No way! One at a time, words weren't a problem, but long sentences were a struggle. As his friends moved on to thicker books, he kept his slow reading a secret. But that got harder every year. He felt alone, lost, and afraid in a world of too many words. Fortunately, his love of stories wouldn't let him give up. He started giving himself permission to read at his own pace, using the words he knew as stepping-stones to help draw him into a story. And he found he wasn't so alone--in fact, lots of brilliant people were slow readers, too. Learning to accept the fact that everyone does things in their own unique way, and that was okay, freed him up and ultimately helped Hudson thrive and become the fabulous storyteller he is today."

The Wondrous Wonders by Camille Jourdy

E M44

"Hurt by her parents’ divorce and struggling to accept her new stepfamily, she decides to run away and live alone in the woods. But she soon discovers that she’s far from alone. Jo stumbles into a fantastical world full of tiny elves, talking foxes, and mischievous, multicolored ponies known as the Wondrous Wonders. Her new friends are on a mission: rise up against Emperor Tomcat, the tyrannical leader who rules the enchanted forest they call home. Can Jo find the courage to vanquish an evil empire and get back to her family before dinnertime?"

The best Mouse Cookie by Laura Numeroff

E N91

"Join the mouse from If you give a mouse a cookie as he bakes his own cookies in his little mouse house" 

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems 

E W66 

"No matter how hard he pleads and begs, the pigeon is not supposed to drive the bus while the driver is away, but pigeon tries every persuasive trick a young child knows to get you to say, 'Yes.'"

The Capybaras by Alfredo Soderguit 

E So1 

"Hens and their chicks love their warm, snug home. Life is simple and comfortable in the chicken coop, where everyone knows their place and worries are far away. 

Until one day, when the capybaras appear. 

To the hens, the capybaras are too big, too wet, and too hairy. They don’t even follow the rules! But it’s hunting season, and the capybaras need somewhere safe to hide. Can the hens learn to get along with their unexpected guests? 

This delightful story shares the importance of opening our hearts to each other, no matter our differences, and the marvelous surprises that can happen along the way."

The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle

E C19 

"A very quiet cricket who wants to rub his wings together and make a sound as do so many other animals finally achieves his wish. The cricket's sound is reproduced at the end of the book."

Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton

BB B71 

"Sandra Boynton’s wildly popular, Moo, Baa, La La La!, features her lively and spirited text that introduces readers to animals and the noises they make. A quiet final spread begs the little ones and their caregivers to OINK!, SNORT!, QUACK!, and MEOW! in a noisy animal ending."

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by  Michael Rosen

 E R72

"Brave bear hunters go through grass, a river, mud, and other obstacles before the inevitable encounter with the bear forces a headlong retreat."

Goodnight iPad: A Parody for the Next Generation by Ann Droyd 

 E D83

"In the bright buzzing room, it is time to power down. Here is a modern bedtime story about bidding our gadgets goodnight. Don't worry, though. They'll be waiting for us, fully charged, in the morning."

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goble

Caldecott Award — E G53

"This story of a Plains Indian girl who runs away with a band of wild horses, and eventually becomes one of them, won the Caldecott in 1978, and for good reason." 

But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton

BB B71

"All the other animals are having fun! They cavort in the bog, they try on hats, they sip juice at a cute cafe ... but not the hippopotamus, who's always in the background looking on sadly. But luckily, by the end of Sandra Boynton's cheerful tale, the hippo gathers her courage and joins in the party."