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Women win the vote! : 19 for the 19th amendment
by Nancy B. Kennedy
What it's about: A collection of short biographies introduces 19 famous and lesser-known suffrage trailblazers who fought for women’s rights, including Alice Paul, Sojourner Truth and Mary Ann Shadd Cary.
Read it for: the easy-to-understand yet richly detailed writing style.
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| Serena Says by Tanita S. DavisWhat it's about: Smart, sensitive, awkward Serena is totally fine with being the sidekick to her bubbly, outgoing best friend, JC. But when JC finds a new best friend during her recovery from a kidney transplant, Serena turns to vlogging to help her sort out her feelings.
Why you might like it: If you've ever been confused by changing friendships or uncertain about how to act, you'll relate to Serena and root for her as she figures things out.
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| Last Mirror on the Left by Lamar Giles; illustrated by Dapo AdeolaWhat it's about: The Legendary Alston Boys have a new case! Missus Nedraw, a Warden of the Multiverse Justice System, tasks them with finding a fugitive. Yet as the detective cousins investigate, they start to wonder if they’re really serving justice after all.
Series alert: To understand the offbeat humor and sci-fi adventures in this fast-paced sequel, you'll want to start with The Last Last-Day-of-Summer. |
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| The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris GrabensteinWhat it's about: After seventh-grade slacker Jake accidentally downs a bowl of experimental "Ingestible Knowledge" pills (they looked like jellybeans!), he suddenly becomes a full-on brainiac, devoting his newfound smarts to saving his middle school from a greedy principal.
Read it for: a funny celebration of geekiness starring a realistically diverse crew of kids. |
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| Mellybean and the Giant Monster by Mike WhiteIntroducing: scruffy, hyperactive Mellybean the dog, who falls into an alternate world where she befriends a mopey monster and takes on a competitive king who's known for being a very sore loser.
Why you might like it: Super-cute, Pokémon-style cartoon art makes this graphic novel fantasy adorable as well as exciting. |
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| Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters by Andrea Beaty; illustrated by David RobertsWhat it's about: Young engineer Rosie is ready to invent when a friend of her great-great-aunt needs a device to help her paint with two broken wrists. Rosie's first attempts are flops, however, so she turns to her friends, Ada Twist the scientist and Iggy Peck the architect.
Who it's for: fans of the picture books about Rosie and the Questioneers (remember those?), as well as eager engineers and anyone who needs a reminder to stop, think, and try again. |
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| The Infamous Ratsos by Kara LaReau; illustrated by Matt MyersStarring: rat brothers Louie and Ralphie Ratso, who aim to be just as tough as their dad, Big Lou, even though every mean prank they play accidentally turns into a good deed.
Series alert: If you like the black-and-white art, goofy humor (the Ratsos have an "unwelcome mat"), and lovable characters in this easy-to-read book, be sure to pick up the rest of the Ratso Brothers series. |
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| Juana & Lucas: Big Problemas by Juana MedinaWhat it's about: Juana Rosas loves her life in Bogotá: she has a wonderful familia, an awesome school (though English is hard), and a perfect perro, Lucas. But big changes are coming: Juana's mami is getting remarried and moving them to a new casa.
Read it for: bright cartoon art and an easy-to-understand blend of Spanish and English. |
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| Sadiq and the Desert Star by Siman Nuurali; illustrated by Anjan SarkarWhat it's about: Third-grader Sadiq shares a love of the stars with his Baba, and with his school's space club. The club really wants a telescope, but since buying one is too expensive, Sadiq and his friends decide to build one themselves.
Further reading: Just like Sadiq's upbeat story (the 1st in a series) is about his family, hobbies, and Somali background, Saadia Faruqi's Yasmin series is about one kid's life and Pakistani heritage. |
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Mummies, myths, and mysteries
by Dan Gutman
What it's about: A. J. and Andrea from Dan Gutman's best-selling My Weird School series present an illustrated collection of weird-but-true facts about the ancient world, from how ancient Egyptians treated infections with moldy bread to how ancient Roman workers used urine to do laundry.
Series alert: My Weird School Fast Facts is the nonfiction spinoff of the popular chapter book series.
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