LibraryAware April 2025

Recent Releases

Octopus moon
by Bobbie Pyron

Recently diagnosed with depression, fifth-grader Pearl struggles with self-care and self-love amidst a sea of changes. In this tender novel-in-verse, critically acclaimed author Bobbie Pyron draws from her own experiences to tell the story of a brave girl learning to take care of and love herself.

The boy who lived in a shell : snippets for wandering minds
by John Himmelman

A boy named Ivo lives in a giant moon snail shell on a beach, and one day, a wave carries him out to sea and while waiting to be rescued, he writes story poems on the shell's inside walls.

Available on Cloud Library

Bird of a thousand stories
by Kiyash Monsef

Marjan Dastani travels the world taking care of mythical beasts, but as she tracks down the fabled Bird of a Thousand Stories, the more closely she connects with mystical creatures and the more danger she's in of losing her friendships—and all that tethers her to the life she's known.

Available on Cloud Library

A wolf called Fire
by Rosanne Parry

Warm is the smallest pup of the wolf pack, and when enemy wolves come, Warm leads the others away and must become the heart and head of a new pack, in a story inspired by a real Yellowstone wolf.

Available on Cloud Library

Infinity's secret
by Katie Tsang

A 12-year-old Lance and younger sister Zoe attend a summer camp aimed at future dragon riders where Lance finds himself falling behind in the lessons and activities, and when the camp is attacked, he and the recruits must save the day.

Available on Cloud Library

Brilliant Biographies

The fastest drummer : clap your hands for Viola Smith!
by Dean Robbins

This affectionate portrait of Viola Smith, one of the few female professional drummers of the early 20th century, shows how she played so fast she left no room for doubt: women could not only keep the beat—they could beat the odds.

What I must tell the world : how Lorraine Hansberry found her voice
by Jay Leslie

This lyrical celebration of Lorraine Hansberry's life and legacy, and love letter to the power of theater and storytelling, recounts the story of the award-winning playwright and author of A Raisin in the Sun.

Available on Cloud Library

Jerry changed the game! : how engineer Jerry Lawson revolutionized video games forever
by Don Tate

Introduces readers to Jerry Lawson, a Black engineer who changed the videogaming world forever by building a videogame console that allowed players to switch out cartridges and who founded the first African American-owned videogame company in the country.

Jella Lepman and her library of dreams : the woman who rescued a generation of children and founded the world's largest children's library
by Katherine Paterson

In 1945, Jella Lepman was tasked with creating a haven of joy for children of a Germany scarred by war, so the Jewish woman who had fled from Nazis turned to books, amassing the world's largest collection of children's materials.

Available on Cloud Library

Puzzled : a memoir of growing up with OCD
by Pan Cooke

In this honest and humorous graphic-novel memoir, the author shares his experiences growing up with undiagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder and shows readers the importance of empathy for oneself and those going through something they don't yet understand.

Available on Cloud Library

Jason Reynolds : groundbreaking storyteller
by Ty Chapman

Jason Reynolds's interest in hip-hop and poetry turned into a successful writing career. Learn about the New York Times best-selling author who has received a Newbery Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and many other accolades.

Contact your librarian for more great books!