​Jordan loves her basketball teammates and playing with them at practice, but after she became paralyzed from the waist down she hasn't been allowed to play in official games. Jordan is having difficulty adjusting to life in a wheelchair, but things change when she comes across a wounded baby elephant on her way home from school. She takes the elephant home to her mother, a veterinarian, and quickly forms a strong bond with the animal. Soon Jordan is back to competing, this time in water polo, and what starts as a hard year turns out to be the most magical of her life.

I love Marshmallow! This sweet, intelligent creature is sure to win over animal lovers. Jordan's profound sense of loss when she can't play basketball with her team and her commitment to learning a new sport will resonate with sports fans as well. The drawings have a beautiful, dreamlike quality while remaining rooted in real-life, which is perfect for the magical realism of the story. I love that the author includes the occasional word in Indonesian and all the details of the setting. A great comic book with wide appeal.

Marshmallow & Jordan by Alina Chau

Erica's Picks
3rd - 6th
​tags: animals, character driven, comics, magical realism, disability, friendship, global perspectives, People of Color, school stories, sports

Del and Alma are cousins and best friends and soon they will live in the same building, above the Curious Cousins Secondhand Shoppe. Alma is excited to live closer to her family, but at first it feels like she doesn't belong. Del can't wait for Alma to move in, but she wishes Alma believed in magic like she does. When the best friends get in their first big fight and Del's magical earrings go missing will they be able to work it out or will the move turn out to be a disaster?

I love the family relationships in this book between the cousins but also the grandmother and great-aunt who run the shop and all the other relatives that live in the building. The story switches between Alma and Del's perspectives so you can see both sides of the story and understand where their disagreement is coming from. I love the way it depicts life in a big city and the hints of magic throughout. A warm, wise, wonderful book for the early chapter book crowd

Hand-Me-Down Magic #1: Stoop Sale Treasure by Corey Ann Haydu, illustrated by Luisa Uribe

Erica's Picks
2nd - 4th
​tags: character driven, family life, People of Color

Tola is the youngest of three, but don't underestimate her! Even though she is smaller than her siblings her kindness, bravery, and determination help her to do great things. From standing up to mean older kids to helping neighbors in need with her amazing number skills, Tola saves the day again and again. Get to know Tola and her neighbors in Lagos, Nigeria in this sweet, realistic story.

I love a character who is small but mighty so I naturally love Tola! This early chapter book has ample illustrations and three short stories that are quick to read and entertaining. With great lessons and a wonderful setting this is a perfect read-aloud book.

Too Small Tola by Atinuke, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu 

Erica's Picks
1st - 3rd
tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, global perspectives, People of Color

At first when Sona hears that she's going to have a baby brother or sister, she is not excited. Everyone in her family is talking about the new baby and hardly paying any attention to her. She doesn't want to share her favorite baby clothes and toys and make space for another person in her family. But when she learns about the special naming ceremony she is determined to find the perfect one. Can Sona go from reluctant older sister to being the very best?

This story follows a large and loving family in India as they prepare for a new baby. Learning about the cultural traditions around this event is fun and everything is clearly explained and celebrated with adorable illustrations, sweet characters, and a relatable plot for anyone who has experienced changes in their family. A great story for new chapter book readers.

Sona Sharma, Very Best Big Sister by Chitra Soundar illustrated by Jen Khatun 

Erica's Picks
1st - 3rd
​tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, global perspectives, People of Color

When Christine first meets Moon, she's heard the rumors of her fighting and is afraid she's bad news. But when Moon and her mother move in to the small in-law unit on her family's property she quickly gains an appreciation for Moon's creative spirit and rebellious ways. When tragedy strikes and Moon needs a friend more than ever, will Christine be able to rise to the occasion?

This is a sweet comic about friendship perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier (it even has an endorsement from her on the cover!) Inspired by events from the author's childhood, the story is authentic and heart-felt

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Stargazing by Jen Wang 

Erica's Picks
3rd - 6th
​tags: character driven, comics, contemporary fiction, family life, friendship, People of Color

From hijabs and heels to cosplay and cultural garments this book covers aspects of style that have often been overlooked by mainstream culture. An immersive look at various aspects of fashion, the book has gorgeous photographs throughout and highlights a wide and diverse range of artists. This is a quick and engrossing read. I only wish it was longer.

The Power of Style: How Fashion and Beauty Are Being Used to Reclaim Cultures by Christian Allaire


Erica's Picks
5+
​tags: art, nonfiction, People of Color

When Amari's genius older brother goes missing, she never gives up hope of seeing him again. But she never expected that he'd send her a magical message along with an invitation to join the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. Amari has her eyes opened to the magical world that's been hiding in plain sight her whole life. She joins the summer program to train future agents, but she's warned that if she fails she'll have all her memories of the supernatural world erased before she's returned to her normal life. Amari is determined to stay in the program and learn the truth about her brother's disappearance, but it isn't easy to be the new scholarship kid competing with legacy candidates whose parents work for the bureau and have been studying their whole lives. Amari finds unusual and mysterious allies, but will it be enough when the same threat that her brother fought comes back to endanger them all?

This has a similar vibe to Harry Potter with a normal kid attending a magical school so that it's sure to appeal to Potterheads. But the story stands fully on its own with a unique setting and characters that in many ways surpasses Harry Potter's world. For starters this world is much richer for the diversity of its characters and its acknowledgement of real-world problems and how they filter into even magical worlds. The characters are fully developed, even the unsympathetic ones. The similarities between Amari's world and ours resonate on a powerful level as Amari fights stereotypes and discrimination in both. Highly recommended for young fantasy fans.

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston 

Erica's Picks
3rd - 7th
​tags: adventure, fantasy, fast-paced, friendship, People of Color, social justice, supernatural

Fanciful Wendy and practical Lily are best friends as well as step sisters. At least they used to be. Now their parents are fighting and Wendy is going to spend the summer in New York with her father while Lily stays behind with her mother and baby brother Michael. The night before Wendy leaves, adventure flies through the window. Lily warns Wendy not to follow him, but soon she's flown off with Peter and Michael. Lily teams up with Peter's shadow to follow them. Wendy and Michael soon discover the lost boys aren't what they were expecting while Lily teams up with other native children who have been stolen by Peter over the years so that he can play "Indian" with them. Will the sisters be able to unite and save their baby brother, or will they be stuck in Never Never Land forever?

This thoughtful retelling of the Peter Pan story by an author who is a citizen of the Muscogee nation takes the familiar story and reframes it through a modern lens. The beats and feeling of adventure remain, but the new protagonists provide a different perspective. Both Lily and Wendy turn out to be capable heroines and even characters who make mistakes have the possibility of redemption. A wonderful adventure for a new generation of readers.

Sisters of the Neversea by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Erica's Picks
3rd - 5th
​tags: adventure, family life, fantasy, People of Color, retellings

Elfie has never fit in at Cottonwood Elementary and never made any friends, despite her cousin being in the same grade. The students there are too chaotic, break the rules, and don't care enough about their grades in group projects. Which is why she's so excited to start at the local private school where everyone wears tidy uniforms and the curriculum is challenging and everything will be perfect. Then Elfie gets kicked out on her very first day. While she's waiting for the school's honor code review board to sort out the misunderstanding, she has to go back to Cottonwood. Slowly Elfie's perfect life unravels until she's left with a bigger mess than ever. But if she can learn to accept the imperfections, she might just be able to turn the year around.

This book had me laughing from the first page as I recognized my own younger self. Luckily for Elfie she progresses far faster than I did and reading about her emotional journey is at turns heartwarming and hilarious. A warm and wise novel for children especially recommended for over achievers and perfectionists who will empathize with Elfie and learn some important lessons as they read and laugh their way through her story.

Elfie Unperfect by Kristin Mahoney

Erica's Picks
3rd - 5th
​tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, People of Color, school stories, SEL

Valora Luck worked as a servant for the crotchety Mrs. Sloane. Mrs. Sloane purchased tickets for them both on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, but died before it could leave port. When Valora attempts to take their first class room alone, she is turned away for being Chinese. But Valora needs to get on that ship. Her last living relative, her twin brother, is a passenger in third class on his way to a job in Cuba. Valora knows that if she can get on board and find him, they can convince the circus magnate on board to hire them as acrobats and start a new life in America together. But fate has other plans, and there's more danger aboard the Titanic than Valora could have ever dreamed.

I should perhaps confess that I never saw the famous movie, but even if I had I'm sure this would still be my favorite fictionalized account of the Titanic. With a large cast of characters, constant schemes, layers of deception, and stunning fashions this is a story I can get behind. Inspired by the eight Chinese passengers of the Titanic who really existed and about whom so little is known due to the racism of the era. A not-to-be-missed historical drama.

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee 

Erica's Picks 
6th - 8th
​tags:  family life, fast-paced, historical fiction, People of Color, survival, tear-jerker