​​Dogs have been by our side since ancient times, and their history is entwined with our own. From Assyrian war dogs to pampered lap-warmers learn about all the purposes dogs have served and how we treat dogs has changed over time. If you're looking for inspiration you can even find common dog names from different times and places to call your own best friend. Perfect for fans of dogs and history.

Dog Days of History: The Incredible Story of Our Best Friends by Sarah Albee


Erica's Picks
4th - 6th
​tags: animals, history, nonfiction

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

Cookie wants to be a nun. She’s been raised as a Catholic, but there’s just one problem: her family is actually Jewish. Straddling multiple worlds as she transitions from her beloved Catholic school to public school, Cookie learns that her immigrant family has been keeping secrets — her grandmother and aunts survived the Holocaust?! Her own mother received a medal for bravery during WWII AND converted to Catholicism during her time in Italy?! In this coming-of-age graphic memoir, the author details her struggle to make sense of her complicated family history, her relationship to the religion she loves vs. the one her family holds dear, and the many expectations placed on her to follow in her half-brothers’ footsteps. As Cookie and her family come to terms with the aftermath of WWII and its myriad effects, you will find humor, grace, and grit in the author’s telling of her life experiences set in New York, 1957 to 1967.

I loved reminiscing about my own life along with Cookie, growing up in the suburbs of New York surrounded by a large, Italian, Catholic, opinionated family. I remember struggling similarly to find my own place while still making room for my family history and all the joys and burdens that accompany it. 

Why is Everybody Yelling?: Growing Up in My Immigrant Family by Marisabina Russo
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Jennie’s Picks
7th-8th Grade
Tags: Comics, Family Life, Mental Illness, Humor

Eliana Elisabeth Montgomery-Hofstein — Ellie, has many names. Her least favorite of all is Splash; it was given to her at the age of five and has shaped her life ever since. See, Ellie is beautiful, but she doesn’t see herself that way because the people around her can’t get past her being fat. She is bullied daily by her peers, her siblings, and worst of all, her own mother. To cope, Ellie spends her free time floating in her pool where she can be weightless, free to take up as much as space as she wants. When her best friend moves away unexpectedly, Ellie feels lonely in a way she’s never felt before. With the help from a therapist and making a new friend in her neighbor Catalina, Ellie slowly learns to view life through a new lens and to live life on her own terms — Fat Girl Rules be damned. This poignant story about beauty in all forms, loving yourself, and challenging societal norms spoke deeply to my heart. It will speak to yours, too. A debut novel-in-verse from author Lisa Fipps will leave readers wanting to hear more from Ellie.

Starfish by Lisa Fipps

Jennie's Picks
5th-8th Grade
Tags: Character-Driven, Novels In Verse, Contemporary Fiction

Our Goldendoodle, Roux, gave this 5 stars!
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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

Sy Montgomery is a master of nonfiction and research for her books has taken her all over the world from the Australian outback to the cloud forests of Papua New Guinea. Along the way she has learned transformative lessons from the animals she has encountered. Some close to home, like her beloved dogs and pig, and some far away like tree kangaroos and tarantulas. Through these animals, Montgomery tells us the story of her life and how all lives are connected. She shares these poignant stories with the reader so that they can become better creatures and take care of each other and all animals on this planet we share. Highly readable and strongly recommended for animal lovers, but keep the tissues handy.

How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery

Erica's Picks
7th & 8th
tags: animals, biography, nonfiction, tear-jerker

As the youngest of four sisters, Primrose is used to being forgotten. She isn't expecting a huge celebration for her sixteenth birthday, but even she is surprised when her family doesn't acknowledge it at all. When her mother informs her that she will not be allowed to come out into society until her older sister is married, she contemplates a plan she would never have dared before. Prim and her best friend decide to sneak out in disguise and go to the infamous Vauxhall Gardens for their own birthday celebration. But when the night turns dangerous and Prim becomes entangled with a snooty gentleman she isn't sure whether it will turn out to be the best or worst night of her life.

This book is light, fluffy fun for those looking for a historical romance in the style of Jane Austen but with a more modern sensibility. Great to read over a cup of tea and a tray of biscuits.

Sixteen Scandals by Sophie Jordan

Erica's Picks
7th & 8th
​tags: historical fiction, romance

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

Hark grew up an orphan in a cruel world. His only friend is Jelt, and even he is willing to put Hark's life on the line for a good enough pay day. Which is how Hark ended up exiled on an island, caring for the old priests who went crazy after the death of their gods fifty years ago. The stories of the gods are terrifying, but with the passage of time some have started to forget or dismiss them as fairy tale. Still, those brave and stupid enough to go diving for their remains can make a fortune selling god parts and harvesting their powers. When Hark makes a life-changing discovery he isn't sure who to trust: his best friend, the old priests, the new zealots, or the genius scientist. His decision will affect not just him, but the whole world as a new reign terror from the gods threatens to begin.

I am in awe of Hardinge's imagination and world-building. The gods have a whiff of Cthulhu about them, but the details of the world are unique. I was completely transported to this strange and terrifying setting as I read. The book has plenty of action, but it does not skimp on character development or haunting questions of morality. Highly recommended for fans of YA speculative fiction.

Deeplight by Frances Hardinge

​Erica's Picks
7th & 8th
tags: adventure, dystopian, fantasy, fast-paced, horror, mythology

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