Elementary School Books
New and Coming Soon: July 2025
 
 
Chapter Books
Maddie and Mabel Make a Friend
by Kari Allen

Maddie and Mabel are sisters and best friends. Will their 'best' be
put to the test when a moving truck pulls up next door? A new friend
is exciting at first. But soon it starts to feel like there is not enough
room in the playing and laughing and secret-telling for more than
two friends.
Return to Sender
by Vera Brosgol

Ten-year-old Oliver discovers that the wish-granting mailbox in his
new apartment may make his dreams come true... but they come
with a cost.
All Ears
by Stuart Gibbs

Resident sleuth Teddy Fitzroy is on the case to find a missing
African elephant and clear his friend Xavier of vandalizing a
bulldozer in protest of a builder ruining a beloved piece of land
they call TurtleTown.
The Boo Hag Flex
by Justina Ireland

Moving to the Shady Pines trailer park, Tasha hears rumors of a
terrifying creature sucking the life from its victims after an elderly neighbor dies suddenly. As more people become unwell, Tasha
fears the stories are true-- and that danger is much closer than
she thinks.
Sleuths on the Loose
by G. T. Karber

When their teacher mysteriously goes missing in the library and
foul play is suspected, a junior detective named Jake, her sidekick Sterling, and school bully Brick team up to solve the mystery of what happened to her.
Have a Good Trip, Mousse!
by Claire Lebourg

In the follow-up to A Day with Mousse, Mousse and Barnacle go
on a trip to the beach, where the addition of a new friend makes
Mousse jealous.
The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon
by Grace Lin

Stone spirit Ji is stuck in the People's world, but with the help of
his new friends Lulu and Worm, he hopes to find a way back home through the Old City Gate before it disappears forever.
The Hat of Great Importance
by Patrick Ness

In the second book in this wry series, award-winning author
Patrick Ness explores school anxiety and the highs and lows of friendship with sidesplitting honesty - and pits our heroes against a slippery new supervillain. 
The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls
by Judith Rossell

Maggie, an orphan, is sent to the dreary Midwatch Institute, which is actually a secret training ground for young girls learning skills to fight crime. She and her new friends learn useful lessons, uncover a city mystery, and work together to solve it.
Rosey Stink Badger
by Suzanne Selfors

When bees invade the chicken coop, Willow seeks help from
a friendly stink badger, but the other critters are afraid of her
smelly spray.
Murray the Viking
by Adam Stower

Escape through the magic cat flap and join your new favorite cat and bunny duo as they face off against Vikings, trolls, and one hairy, scary, and very stinky thing!
Revenge of the Raccoons
by Susan Tan

Ember comes face-to-face with two evil raccoon sisters who are
out to sabotage the neighborhood.
Chef's Secret
by Kelly Yang

Jason Yao's a regular kid who's also a professional chef helping to
run a motel. Now that he has a girlfriend, Mia Tang, he's determined
to be the best boyfriend, but that means he can't let Mia know the
real him.
Sea Dragons
by Jane Yolen

In 1900, Fife Cat Douglas is one of a team of children training to be monster hunters in hopes of ridding Scotland of the land monsters
that plague it--the most dangerous of which are the dragons.
Graphic Novels
The Case of the Bloody Statue
by Chi-hyeon Ahn

While everyone at school is terrified by streamers' footage of statues crying tears of blood in an abandoned mansion, the Mystery Science Detectives work to uncover the truth.
Disney Lilo & Stitch
by RH Disney

Lilo has never fit in with kids her own age, and when she adopts
Stitch, an extraterrestrial creature engineered to cause chaos and mischief, the two learn that it's not always bad to be different and that family is worth fighting for.
Max Meow:
When Pancakes Go Bad (Really Bad!)

by John Gallagher

Kittyopolis is in chaos and pancakes are turning monstrous, Mindy's inventing in her sleep, and Max's old foes are organizing into a
Legion of Nasty, but luckily Max's pal Rex Rocket, Cosmic Weiner
Dog, is here to help.
Mia Hamm and the Soccer Sisterhood
That Changed History

by Karlin Gray

Based on the true story of soccer legend Mia Hamm, Mia and Friends follows a group of young women who made history at
the 1999 Women’s World Cup!​
Willa and Wade and the Way-Up-There
by Judith Henderson

Ostrich Willa and Penguin Wade, best friends who really want to fly,
put their heads together to come up with ideas to reach their lofty
goal, in this early reader graphic novel that provides child-friendly explorations of science concepts about forces and motion.
Nonfiction
National Geographic Kids Almanac 2025
by National Geographic Kids

Updated to include the latest information, this ultimate almanac for
kids who want to know everything about everything is jam-packed
with fast facts, crafts and activities, and includes fascinating features about animals, science, nature, technology, conservation and more.
Museum Heists
by Kenny Abdo

This title focuses on museum heists and details the most daring
ones through history, the crews that pulled them off, and the impact
they had on the victims and world.
Greetings and Phrases = Saludos y frases
by Kathleen Petelinsek

Provides illustrations of American Sign Language signs and
Spanish and English text for various greetings and phrases.
An Animal a Day: 365 Amazing Animals to
Take You Through the Year

by Miranda Smith

Discover a fascinating new animal for every day of the year! You'll
travel through the incredible ecosystems and habitats of our wild
planet and meet 365 of the amazing animals that call it home.
Your Brilliant Brain
by Philip Bunting

Your Brilliant Brain – the book, not your actual brain – takes a playful poke around the most marvellous, mysterious thing in the known universe. Find out what your brain and nervous system are made
from. Explore your senses; how you learn; think; remember; feel
… and how your brain creates the thing you experience as reality.
Nail Art
by Elizabeth Neuenfeldt

Information accompanies step-by-step instructions on how to create various nail art designs. The text level and subject matter are intended for students in grades 3 through 8.
Pickle Words:
Crunchy, Punchy Pickles and Poetry

by April Pulley Sayre

Rhyming poetry celebrates the pickling process and all things pickled, including cucumbers, cabbage, peppers, and more. The art tells the
story of a diverse neighborhood that comes together to share family recipes and pickle poetry.
Eyewitness Presidents
by Dorling Kindersley, Inc.

Become an eyewitness to America’s history with a look at the leaders who have held its highest office in this visual and informative guide. 
The iconic eyewitness is back in a new and improved format to be passed down through the generations.
Biographies
A Banquet for Cecilia: How Cecilia Chiang Revolutionized Chinese Food in America
by Julie Leung

A picture book biography of pioneering Chinese American chef
and restaurateur Cecilia Chiang.
Smash, Crash, Topple, Roll!
The Inventive Rube Goldberg

by Catherine Thimmesh

A joyfully illustrated picture book biography of Rube Goldberg for
STEM-loving children and the many people who enjoy doing simple
tasks the hard way.
Jim! Six True Stories About One Great Artist: James Marshall
by Jerrold Connors

A picture book biography about the late children's book illustrator
and author, James Marshall, told in six stories with Jim portrayed
as a fox.
No One Told Sandra Day O'Connor
What to Do

by Molly Golden

The life of Sandra Day O'Connor is chronicled, from her early
Arizona childhood, up through the many obstacles she faced in her professional career, before becoming the first woman to serve as a United States Supreme Court Justice.
Magic in a Drop of Water: How Ruth Patrick Taught the World about Water Pollution
by Julie Winterbottom

An engaging picture book biography about scientist and environ-
mental hero Ruth Patrick, one of the first to warn about the dangers
of pollution, will inspire readers who love the environment to follow
their passion and curiosity.
River Forest Public Library
735 Lathrop Ave, River Forest, Illinois 60305
(708) 366-5205

https://www.riverforestlibrary.org/