Chalk the Walk is a fun and happy book about two kids who use chalk to make art on the sidewalk. As they draw, more people from the neighborhood join in. Everyone works together to make something beautiful. The words in the book rhyme, and the pictures get more colorful as the story goes on. The drawings show how art can bring people together. This book is great for young kids. It shows how a simple piece of chalk can help you use your imagination and have fun with others.
Girls on the Rise is a powerful picture book by Amanda Gorman, the famous poet from the presidential inauguration. Her poem celebrates girls for being brave, strong, and kind. It shows that girls are amazing on their own—but even stronger when they support each other.
The pictures by Loveis Wise are colorful and full of life. They show girls from all over the world being proud, bold, and hopeful.
This book is great for young readers. It’s easy to understand, fun to read out loud, and reminds all girls that they can do great things—together.
Wren’s Nest is a heartwarming picture book about a girl named Wren who loves watching birds with her grandpa. When she was a baby, wrens built a nest outside her window. Every spring, she and her grandpa watched baby birds grow. But when Wren moves to the city, she misses the meadow and the wrens—until she finds a new bird family nesting on their porch.
This story is about change, love, and the beauty of nature. The soft, colorful pictures help tell the story in a calm, peaceful way. The book also includes facts and tips about birdwatching and what to do if you find a nest. Great for lessons on nature, birds, and family connections.
Robots Don’t Make You Go to Bed by Laurel Gale, illustrated by Susanna Covelli, is a humorous and heartfelt story that encourages students to reflect on the value of family and the emotional support caregivers provide. When Owen builds a robot mom to escape rules and routines, he soon learns that while robots might skip bedtime and chores, they can’t offer the love, comfort, and connection that real parents do.
With its engaging illustrations and light science-fiction twist, this book is a great tool for discussions about family roles, emotions, and even early STEM topics. It’s especially effective when exploring themes of empathy and gratitude.
Lights Out by Jessica Stremer is a simple story with a big message. It tells the story of a young girl who finds a bird that got lost in the bright lights of the city. She learns that too much light at night can confuse birds that are trying to fly home. So, she asks her neighbors to turn off their lights—and they do!
This story shows how small actions, like turning off a light, can help animals and protect nature. With beautiful pictures and an easy-to-follow message, Lights Out is a great book to start conversations about helping the environment.
Megan Fullmer Perry’s The Overlook Book uses layered paper collage and shifting visual viewpoints to help students understand how perspective shapes understanding. By showing scenes from multiple angles, the book encourages critical thinking, empathy, and open-minded discussion around themes like friendship, inclusion, and kindness. A valuable resource for social-emotional learning and classroom conversations about seeing beyond first impressions. This book is a creative tool for teaching perspective and empathy.
Where to Hide a Star by Oliver Jeffers is a heartwarming tale perfect for sparking classroom conversations about friendship, imagination, and empathy. When a beloved star goes missing, the Boy embarks on a space-bound adventure that introduces a new character and a powerful message about sharing what brings us joy. With its rich illustrations and gentle humor, this book is an ideal read-aloud and a valuable addition to social-emotional learning lessons. Where to Hide a Star is a stellar story of friendship and wonder.
Bella Ballerina by Sharon M. Draper is a sweet and inspiring picture book about a shy little girl who loves to dance. Bella enjoys ballet class. She listens to the music and tries her best to point her toes, twirl, and jump. When her teacher says there will be a recital, Bella wants to do well. But when she practices a big jump, she almost falls—until a friend helps her. Bella starts to feel unsure. Maybe she’s not ready to perform. On recital day, when the curtain opens, Bella gets scared and doesn’t move. Can she be brave enough to dance? This story shows that it’s okay to be nervous—and that with friends and courage, we can do amazing things.
Patricia Polacco, a well-known author and illustrator, shares a powerful story based on her Ukrainian family history. In a small village called Cherinovska, a family grows sunflowers, or sunlasknuk, year after year. But when war comes, they must leave their home and move to America. They bring only what they can carry—including special seeds hidden in a little girl’s pocket. This picture book shows how families stay strong during hard times. It’s a story about love, hope, and keeping traditions alive—even when everything changes.
This second book in the graphic novel series by twin sister authors, Tegan and Sara Quin, will appeal to all middle grader readers who’ve ever taken on a new challenge, lost themselves in music, and found themselves in music, all while enduring middle school and establishing an identity. Songwriters will appreciate the challenge of capturing big teenage emotions in song lyrics and the risk it requires to share your truth with an audience. LGBTQIAP+ readers will see themselves and like that reflection, as these authors walk their talk and provide a candid opportunity for readers to feel represented and seen. Most of all, put this book in the hands of your music fans, the ones who may also want to start a garage band, or join a battle of the bands contest, who think best with earbuds in, who see themselves in lyrics, who find themselves in beats and rhythms. I LOVED the authors’ notes in both this 2nd book and the 1st book, as we hear not only what inspired this series, but we get a blast from their pasts, including pictures and a window into their real lives, which ultimately inspired this series. A must have for your graphic novel shelves.
