Where There Is Love by Shauntay Grant is a warm picture book about family and learning from elders. The story follows a young girl spending the day with her nana, where she hears African proverbs that teach important life lessons.
The writing is simple but thoughtful, and the proverbs add meaning, though some may need explanation for younger readers. The illustrations are bright and full of warmth.
While the story will appeal most to students in grades K–3, the reading level and deeper meaning may be better suited for grades 2–5. This book would be a great addition to an elementary school library, especially for read-alouds and lessons about family and culture.
The Blue Velvet Chair by Rio Cortez is a meaningful picture book about family and memories. The story is about a girl whose mother tells her the story of a special blue chair that has been passed down in their family.
The writing is simple but also a little poetic, so some parts may take time to understand. The pictures are warm and detailed, and they help show the love and history in the story.
This book helps kids learn how objects can hold important family stories. It works well as a read-aloud for younger students, and older elementary students can read it on their own. It would be a great addition to an elementary school library, especially for learning about family and culture.
To the Top of the World tells the true story of Barbara Hillary, a brave woman who followed her dreams later in life. Even after facing hard challenges, including illness, she worked to become an explorer. At age 75, she became the first Black woman to reach the North Pole, and later she also reached the South Pole.
The writing is clear and easy to understand, making it a great choice for elementary students. The illustrations are bright and help show how cold and exciting the polar regions are.
While the story will likely appeal most to younger students in grades K–3, the reading level may be better suited for students in grades 2–5.
This book shares an important message: you are never too old to try something new. It would be a great addition to an elementary school library, especially for students who enjoy true stories and learning about inspiring people.
The Baffling Behavior in the Past series includes the titles Life in Ancient Rome, Life in Ancient Greece, Life in Ancient Egypt, and Life in the Viking Age. This is an incredibly engaging nonfiction collection for young readers. Each book is organized into double-page spreads that focus on specific topics, and this makes the content accessible and inviting. The table of contents allows students to easily locate information, while the layout also supports readers who prefer to flip to a random page and immediately find something interesting.
One of the strengths of the series is its balance of detailed information and kid-friendly appeal. Topics such as beauty routines, pets, gods, and battles are naturally engaging for elementary-aged readers but also provide detailed information about the time period. The authors clearly selected these topics both to provide important background knowledge and to hook kids with fun memorable details.
The visual presentation of this series is another strength. Each spread typically includes four short text sections, which helps prevent young readers from feeling overwhelmed by large blocks of text. Potential new vocabulary words are highlighted in bold and explained in a glossary. The books also feature a strong selection of visuals, with each spread containing at least two high-quality images, and many containing additional smaller images or added graphics. Additional resources at the back of each book, including an index, suggested further reading, and a QR code for extended learning, make this series especially useful for both independent exploration and research. Overall, the Baffling Behavior in the Past series is an excellent choice for mid- to upper-elementary students, combining approachable text, engaging topics, and strong visual support to bring ancient history to life.
Proper Badger is off to school. He would never trash a classroom, but of course that is what inadvertently happens. Proper Badger thinks he is doing things right, but of course he is just creating chaos. Did he burrow under the desks? Did he eat the class pet for lunch? Of course not! Proper Badger would never! The illustrations add to the tale showing all of the mischief Proper Badger gets into.
A story of two musical greats, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, told through rhythmic text and vibrant pictures. As a young girl growing up in Harlem, Ella loved to dance. She dreamed of dancing onstage at the Apollo Theater. Louis Armstrong grew up in the south singing along with jazz music. A teacher asked if he could make a brass instrument sing too. Ella and Louis knew of each other but they had not met until one night they took the stage together.
The illustrations are vibrant and fill the two page spread. There is an author’s note and illustrator note at the end as well as other recommended reading for kids. Jazz music and jazz musicians may not be familiar to most young readers, but this would give them an great introduction.
Good night, Himalayas! The sun begins to set over the mountain crest.
Explore the Himalayan mountains with this bedtime story. Travel by bike or by boat. Swim in a lake or have a picnic. Each page explores a different feature of the Himalayan mountains with a text box that includes a pronunciation guide and facts about the area that will introduce readers to an area they may not be familiar with. The illustrations are vibrant, inviting, and fill the 2 page spread.
This graphic novel series highlights memorable sports accomplishments from the past. From boxing to tennis, horse racing to rowing the series highlights the achievements of 20th century athletes.
Series includes:
The Miracle on Ice
Rumble in the Jungle: Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman
Billie Jean King and the Battle of the Sexes
Going for Gold: Wilma Rudolph and the 1960 Olympics
Off to the Races!: Secretariat and the Triple Crown
A Winning Crew: The 1936 U.S. Olympic Rowing Team
The stories are factually accurate and told through illustration, text boxes, and speech bubbles. The speech bubbles with red font are direct historical quotes. Speech bubbles with black font are recreated dialog for the sake of the narrative story.
Fox loves sharing a cup of cocoa around the fire with his friends. But as the sun sets, all his friends head off to bed. Feeling lonely, Fox sets out to find someone awake with whom to share a cup of cocoa. He helps turtle, bear, rabbit, and duckling, but as soon as they can, they head off to bed. Finally in frustration, fox yells, “Doesn’t anyone want to have cocoa with me?” All the animals grumpily rouse to “Shhh!” fox. Fox starts to cry. Owl, bat, frog, and raccoon gather around to comfort him and are thrilled with the idea of having a cup of cocoa with him. As dawn arrives, they all head to sleep…until fox is awakened by all of his daytime friends arrive to share a cup a cocoa.
A fun and engaging title to include when studying nocturnal and diurnal animals.
A young boy’s parents tell him at dinner that the family will be moving to a new city in a new country for a new job. His parents try to get him excited by explaining all the neat things about their new home. The whole idea is so scary, the young boy wakes at night with scary dreams. The long drive to their new city is both tiring and fun. Their new home in their new city feels so different to the boy. A good sleep, a stuffie hug, and the next morning looks brighter. Standing on the balcony, the boy is ready for new adventures and greets the world with, “Hello Houston”.
Many titles about immigration focus on movement due to economic, social, or political hardship. This is a lighter story that highlights the decision to move for a new job. Highly recommended for all libraries, especially those that serve immigrant communities.
