Picturebooks for Preschoolers
The Fairview Public Library staff recommends these wonderful picture books that are on our shelves. A picture book is written for the youngest of readers and is usually read to children, not by children. Because they are meant for those that cannot read, there are usually illustrations on every page that work with the text to tell the story. Picture books help children understand storytelling, plot and word recognition. These books tell stories, teach lessons, and, in some bases, are true works of art!
The Story Book Knight
By Helen Docherty
When Leo’s mom and dad pack him off to fight a dragon, he takes a shield, a sword―and a pile of his favorite books. But can a story be as mighty as a sword? This delightful rhyming story about books and the joy of reading is also perfect for kids who love dragon books, adventures, brave knights, and books about castles! A charming book about the power of story and how strength and power comes in many forms.
Ada and the Galaxies
By Alan Lightman and Olga Pastuchiv
Ada knows that the best place for star-gazing is on the island in Maine where she vacations with her grandparents. By day, she tracks osprey in the trees, paddles a kayak, and hunts for shells. But she’s most in her element when the sun goes down and the stars blink to life. Will the fog this year foil her plans, or will her grandfather find a way to shine a spotlight on the vast puzzle of the universe . . . until the weather turns?
Cinderella – with Dogs!
From Linda Bailey
When Cinderella wishes for a fairy godmother, she’s not expecting one that barks! And this fairy dogmother has a different agenda. Yes, Cinderella will have a new dress, but made of a cozy dog blanket. Yes, they will go to the ball, but they will run there and chase squirrels along the way. There’s nothing like a canine companion to get a girl out of the house and her mind off her troubles! Yes, indeed, dogs do make everything better!
Bob and Joss Take a Hike!
By Peter McCleery
Bob and Joss return for another hilarious adventure as they hike in circles through the woods (without a clue about where they are going)! Share the escapade off an unmatched pair of best buds who climb trees, get itchy bites from bugs, and hike a never-ending trail to find their way back to their camp site.
Where are all the Minnesotans?
By Karlyn Coleman
Where are all the Minnesotans? Outside, of course! First, bundle up: a warm coat and a hat and gloves, and you’re all set. Now, squeeze into an ice-fishing shack to try your luck, or skate on a lake and swipe at a puck. Grab a sled and all your friends and tackle a snow-covered hill. Or how about a candlelit ski, with the moon shining brightly overhead?
Amara and the Bats
By Emma Reynolds
Amara loves bats! Her favorite thing to do is to collect bat facts and watch the amazing mammals fly at night by her house. But when Amara moves to a new town, she learns that her beloved bats no longer roost nearby because so many trees are being cut down. an inspiring story about community action, perseverance, and what to do in the face of climate anxiety. At its heart, this is a story about hope and finding a place to call home.
I Am A Dragon!
By Sabina Hahn
A squad of frogs is excited when they spot a Very Big Frog in their pond. But when the creature says that he isn’t a frog, the frogs insist that he’s the one who is wrong. What happens when the creature has had enough of the frogs’ quibbling? Find out in this pitch-perfect, hilarious read-aloud about misunderstandings, imagination, forgiveness, and friendship!
Mr. Pusskins and Little Whiskers
By Sam Lloyd
Life for Pusskins is dreamy, until the day his owner Emily comes home with a Very Special Present . . . a kitten! Even though Little Whiskers is small and looks awfully angelic, she is not. She is a tiny package of peskiness. And the worst thing? It’s always Mr Pusskins who gets the blame! So how will Mr Pusskins deal with this naughty nuisance? A book about learning how to deal with tricksy, pesty little sidekicks (otherwise known as siblings).
Best Day Ever!
By Marilyn Singer
This playful puppy thinks she’s having the best day ever! She’s so happy to be out with her friend, she doesn’t even realize that she’s being a little naughty. But then he scolds her, and suddenly—Worst. Day. Ever. Will puppy be able to make amends and turn their day back around? A lovely story about unconditional love and the challenges of trying to always be on your best behavior.
Witch & Wombat
By Ashley Belote
Wilma, a young witch, cannot wait to get her very first cat! But when the pet store is fresh out of kittens, Wilma brings home. . . a wombat?! What a CAT-astrophe! A wombat is nothing like a cat, but maybe if Wilma puts cat ears on the little critter, no one will notice – but they do! This bright and fun picture book shows us all that our differences can be our strengths when we have an open mind!
New Readers
The Fairview Public Library staff recommends these titles, which are on our shelf, to our chapter book readers. A chapter book is a story book intended for intermediate readers, generally age 7–12. Unlike picture books or books for new readers, a chapter book tells the story primarily through prose rather than pictures and each page has multiple paragraphs. We hope you find a story that brings you joy or captures your imagination.
Bath and Sloth Hang Around
By Leslie Kimmelman
One night, when Bat wakes up at his usual time, he discovers a two-toed sloth hanging next to him―on his branch! Can Bat and Sloth be friends? Sloth thinks so. Bat’s not so sure
Jane Goodall: A Champion of Chimpanzees
By Sarah Albee
Jane Goodall was the first person to study wild chimpanzees up close in a rain forest. She befriended the chimps and discovered amazing facts about their behaviors.This biography includes a timeline and photos all about the life of this inspiring scientist.
Clark the Shark gets a pet
By Bruce Hale
In this funny rhyming story, Clark the Shark is excited about his new pet, Lulu the dogfish. He can’t wait to teach Lulu tricks and feed her lots of treats. But Clark discovers there’s more to having a pet than he thought! Young animal owners and ones hoping for a pet will enjoy this funny book about pets and caring for them.
Cece Loves Science: Push and Pull
By Kimberly Derting
Cece’s teacher, Miss Curie, explains the opposite forces of push and pull. To demonstrate this concept, she divides the class into two teams. Each team must make a treat dispenser for Cece’s dog, Einstein, that uses both forces. Cece and her classmates rely on science, creativity, and teamwork.
Angelina Ballerina Loves the Library
By Katharine Holabird
Angelina is excited to get a library card from the Chipping Cheddar Library. There are so many books she wants to read. Then she finds out she can only check out five books at a time! What will Angelina do? She will find a way…and learn all kinds of things from the books she reads!
Little Penguin and the Mysterious Object
By Tadgh Bentley
Little Penguin has found something. But he’s not sure what it could possibly be. Luckily, penguins are great detectives—and he and his friends are on the case! Will they be able to solve the mystery?
Sydney And Taylor Explore The Whole Wide World
By Jacqueline Davies
Sydney is a skunk and Taylor is a hedgehog, but no matter how odd the pairing may seem, their friendship comes naturally. They live happily in their cozy burrow . . . until the day Taylor gets his Big Idea to go see the Whole Wide World. From mountains taller than a hundred hedgehogs, valleys wider than a thousand skunks, to the dangers that lie in the human world, Sydney and Taylor wanted to see it all.
Dottie and the Dog Show
By Teddy Slater
Dottie, a loveable dalmatian, and her person, Samantha, want to win a ribbon at the Peppermint Park Dog Show. They work hard to learn a new trick. But will it be enough to win a prize? Will Dottie be ready for the show?
The Lighthouse Mystery: the Boxcar Children
By Gertrude Chandler Warner
The Aldens take a trip to the New England coast and get to stay in a lighthouse! But strange things happen after it gets dark―an unknown woman is seen walking around, and Watch wakes up growling late at night. Can the Boxcar Children shed light on a seaside mystery?
Leaf it to Dot
By Randi Zuckerberg
Dot and her dad are on a Rangeroo Scavenger Hunt with her best friend, Hal, and her dog, Scratch. . When Dad sees an owl flying by or spots moose tracks, Dot has her eyes on her screen and misses them. But she’s a wiz at using photo recognition to ID them and check them off on her scavenger hunt list! Maybe old-school hunting plus tech-savvy skills make a winning team?
Graphic Novels
The Fairview Public Library staff recommends these titles, which are on our shelf, to our graphic novel fans. Not only are graphic novels highly entertaining, they can help struggling readers because having images alongside words provides a bridge for understanding the text. Just like traditional novels, graphic novels have exciting and complex plots, characters, and conflicts.
Silverwing
By Kenneth Oppel
Shade the young silverwing bat may be the runt of his colony, but he’s determined to prove himself on the long, dangerous winter migration to Hibernaculum.Too soon, his hopes are dashed when a fierce storm catches Shade in its grasp. Driven far from the others by the unforgiving winds, Shade is left alone. On his journey back to his family, Shade meets other winged loners.
Speak Up!
By Rebecca Burgess
Twelve-year-old Mia is just trying to navigate a world that doesn’t understand her true autistic self. While she wishes she could stand up to her bullies, she’s always been able to express her feelings through singing and songwriting, even more so with her best friend, Charlie, who is nonbinary, putting together the best beats for her.
Out of Darkness
By Jordan Quinn
War is close, and the entire realm must choose a side. The Legion of Lava has stirred worry and fear among the regions of Wrenly—some even believe the Legion was created by the Dragons of Crestwood! Such are the evil ways of Valos, the villain who has wickedly turned neighbor against neighbor. Now Ruskin and his dragon friends must wage a war on two fronts: one on the battlefield and one for the very soul of Wrenly.
Lo & Behold
By Wendy Mass
When you’re named after a 250-year-old tortoise, you grow up believing life is full of possibilities and wonder. But ever since Addie’s family got turned upside down, those things have been harder for her to see.
The last thing Addie wants to do is make a new friend, but when her dad’s summer job takes them across the country, she meets Mateo and finds herself caught up in an exciting project.
Amulet: The Stonekeeper
By Kazu Kibuishi
A bestselling series that features a beautiful but dangerous world of new friends, giant robots, and shadowy enemies! After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather. The strange house proves to be dangerous. A door in the basement leads into a fantastical world inhabited by robots, mysterious plants, and talking animals.
Smile
By Raina Telgemeier
Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And there’s still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.
The Babysitters Club: Jessi’s Secret Language
By Chan Chau
Jessi recently moved to Stoneybrook and is one of the newest members of The Baby-sitters Club. She’s getting ready to start regularly sitting for the BSC’s newest charge, Matt Braddock. Matt has been Deaf since birth and uses sign language to communicate, so Jessi has to use it, too. It’s a secret language!
Anne of West Philly
By Ivy Noelle Weir
Anne of Green Gables with a twist! When the Cuthberts decide to foster a teenage girl for the first time, their lives are changed forever. Their redheaded foster daughter, Anne Shirley, is in search of an exciting life and has decided that West Philly is where she’s going to find it. Armed with unstoppable creativity, Anne takes her new home by storm as she joins the robotics club, makes new friends in Diana and Gilbert, experiences first love, and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Spy School: the graphic novel
By Stuart Gibbs
Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he’s already pegged his dream job: CIA or bust. Unfortunately for him, his personality doesn’t exactly scream “secret agent.” Because of his innate nerdiness, Ben is not surprised when he is recruited for a magnet school with a focus on science—but he’s entirely shocked to discover that the school is actually a front for a junior CIA academy.
Oddly Normal
By Otis Frampton
Meet Oddly Normal, a ten-year-old girl with pointed ears and green hair – a half-witch who will be the first to tell you that having a mother from a magical land called Fignation, also known as the Wicked Witch of the West and a father from Earth doesn’t make it easy to make friends at school! On her tenth birthday, she blows out the candles on her birthday cake and makes a disastrous wish. Now, Oddly must travel to Fignation to uncover the mystery of her parents’ disappearance.
Chapter Books
The Fairview Public Library staff recommends these titles, which are on our shelf, to our chapter book readers. A chapter book is a story book intended for intermediate readers, generally age 7–12. Unlike picture books or books for new readers, a chapter book tells the story primarily through prose rather than pictures and each page has multiple paragraphs. We hope you find a story that brings you joy or captures your imagination.
Spy School
By Stuart Gibbs
Age: 9-12
Age: 9-12
Like many kids, Ben Ripley imagines life as a secret agent would be pretty awesome — so when he learns he’s been recruited to the C.I.A.’s top secret Academy of Espionage, it sounds too good to be true. And it is. From the moment he arrives — and ends up in the middle of an enemy attack — Ben finds Spy School is going to be far more difficult, dastardly and dangerous than he expected.
The Hidden Kingdom
By Tui T. Sutherland
Age: 8-11
Age: 8-11
When the dragonets seek shelter in the rain forest, Glory is devastated to find that the treetops are full of RainWings that no dragon could ever call dangerous. They nap all day and know nothing of the rest of Pyrrhia. Worst of all, they don’t realize — or care — that RainWings are going missing from their beautiful forest. But Glory and the dragonets are determined to find the missing dragons.
Emmy in the Key of Code
By Aimee Lucido
Age 9-12
When Emmy’s pianist dad got a dream job at the symphony, the family moved from Wisconsin to San Francisco but Emmy’s miserable. Devastated she doesn’t have the musical talent to follow in her parents’ footsteps, she ends up in computer club instead of choir. And it’s there, learning Java, that Emmy makes friends with Abigail—and discovers that coding gives her a joy she’d believed came only from music. The book is written in free verse.
The Pet Store Sprite
By Tracey West
Age: 6-8
Age: 6-8
Violet and her fairy friend Sprite have to send more pixies back to the Otherworld! This time, they team up with Violet’s cousin, Leon, to stop a water sprite named Aquamarina who loves the drip, drip, drip of leaky faucets. But there’s something terribly fishy about Aquamarina’s fun and games. Can Violet stop this tricky fairy-and stay out of the deep end?
Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse
By Chris Riddell
Age: 8-12
Age: 8-12
Ada lives in Ghastly-Gorm Hall with her reclusive father, Lord Goth. Since her mother passed away, her father can barely stand to spend time with Ada, so she spends her days hanging about, keeping to herself and staying out of the servants’ ways. One night, the ghost of a mouse named Ishmael comes to visit Ada, and together they work to discover the truth behind strange happenings at Ghastly-Gorm Hall. Quirky characters, literary wit, and beautiful illustrations create a wonderful, weird world.
Wonder
By R. J. Palacio
Age 9-11
Age 9-11
August Pullman was born with a facial difference that prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid, but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. Beginning from Auggie’s point of view and then including his classmates, his family and others, the viewpoints come together to show empathy and acceptance.
Isadora Moon Gets in Trouble
By Harriet Muncaster
Age 6-9
Age 6-9
Isadora moon is half fairy and half vampire, totally unique and in BIG trouble. Isadora wants to take Pink Rabbit to class for “Bring Your Pet to School Day.” But her older cousin Mirabelle has a much better plan–why not take a dragon? What could possibly go wrong?
Camp Shady Crook
By Lee Gjertsen Malone
Age: 8-12
Age: 8-12
Archie Drake, a juvenile con artist, starts his fourth season at Camp Shady Crook. Vivian Chen is a new arrival who is there because she participated in a scam. But after the pair challenge each other to con two undeserving campers, the situation quickly spirals out of control, and both begin to experience the hurtful consequences of their acts. A summer-camp story that’s just right for summer reading.
The Year of Shadows
By Claire Legrand
Age 8-12
Age 8-12
A ‘not-too-scary’ ghost story!
Olivia Stellatella is having a rough year. Her mother’s left, her neglectful father, the maestro of a failing orchestra,has moved her and her grandmother into the city’s dark, broken-down concert hall to save money, and her only friend is Igor, an ornery stray cat. Just when she thinks life couldn’t get any weirder, she meets four ghosts who haunt the hall.
Into the Wild: Yet Another Misadventure
By Doreen Cronin
Age: 7-10
Age: 7-10
The Chicken Squad is back for their third (mis)adventure, this time facing off with whatever’s hiding in a mystery box in the backyard. There’s a new cage in the yard, and the Chicken Squad is determined to figure out just who this is in it. Because whatever it is, it’s definitely up to no good! Hilarious!
Nonfiction
The Fairview Public Library staff recommends these titles, which are on our shelf, to those interested in nonfiction. Nonfiction books are informational and factual. They are designed to help readers learn more about real things. Our newest nonfiction books reveal an emphasis on the visual, an emphasis on accuracy, and an engaging writing style.
The Book of Brilliant Bugs
By Jess French
Take a magical journey through the forest floor, down into the deepest caves and even across the open ocean. The Book of Brilliant Bugs, written by insect expert Jess French, takes children on an expedition into the bug kingdom. The insect book is filled with fascinating facts about these little animals, how bugs pass on messages, compete for food, seek true love and fill the air with buzzing wings. It also shows how bugs help look after our planet and how we can help them.
Knowledge Encyclopedia Planet Earth!: Our Exciting World As You've Never Seen It Before
SI Knowledge Encyclopedia: Planet Earth! covers everything you need to know about Earth in color images alongside easy explanations and fun facts to spark young minds to find out about our planet and how it works. Ideal for inquisitive minds, young learners can discover an array of fascinating facts, such as what’s inside Earth, and why is it so hot under the surface? How did our planet come about, and what did it look like in the beginning? And so much more!
Kid Oceanographer
From Applesauce Press
Introduce young readers to the wonders of the sea and answer kids’ big questions about these incredible marine environments. How deep is the ocean? Did you know there are underwater volcanoes? How many species live in the sea? Why do tsunamis start? From the depths of the Mariana Trench to vibrant coral reefs, let this book be your guide to the mysteries of the seven seas. An astounding 80 percent of the ocean has never been explored, mapped, or even seen by humans.
A Children’s Introduction to Art
By Heather Alexander
This gorgeously illustrated reader highlights 40 painters and sculptors, including Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, Diego Velasquez, Vincent van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Mary Cassatt, and Andy Warhol, providing information on their life, inspirations, influences, technique, and a full-color photo of one of their signature works of art. It also includes an overview of various styles and periods and information on the color wheel and other tools artists employ.
The Secret World of Plants
By Ben Hoare
This fascinating book for kids explores the vast plant kingdom and explains how plants work, as well as the weird and wonderful relationships they have with animals. Children can discover the secrets of more than 100 amazing plants in this treasury of fascinating flora, as well as the essentials of plant science, including photosynthesis, pollination, and germination. Each species is shown with remarkable photography and beautiful illustrations.
The Big Book of Mysteries
By Tom Adams and Yas Imamura
A captivating new book featuring over 100 real-life mysteries that might just give you goosebumps! Get ready to be amazed as you uncover the world’s greatest mysteries, from Bigfoot to the Bermuda Triangle. Including alien abductions, haunted houses, mind-blowing natural phenomena, and much more, this book will explain the extraordinary —unless the extraordinary can’t be explained, of course.
The Brain Book
By Liam Drew
The brain – a wrinkly, spongy mass the size of a cauliflower that sits in our heads and controls everything we do! Filled with colorful illustrations and bite-sized chunks of information, this book covers all your questions on everything from the anatomy of the brain and nervous system, to how information is collected and sent around the body. It also explores questions about the brain that we don’t know the answers to yet!
Glow: The Wild Wonders of Bioluminescence
By Jennifer N R Smith
The natural world is an infinite source of wonder, and the phenomenon of bioluminescence is no exception. Glow explores the remarkable way creatures light up of their own accord, and what we can learn from their incredible glow-in-the-dark abilities. Glow takes readers on a magical journey to the deepest ocean trenches, through winding networks of caves, and into the dark of the forest to experience the marvel of bioluminescence.
Thirty Trillion Cells
By Isabel Thomas
Do you know what you’re made of? The answer is cells―thirty trillion of them―all working together to form one human being. 30 Trillion Cells provides a detailed look at the topic of the human body, covering of the body’s major systems and organs, as well as looking at the cellular level and at the genetics that play a part in making us who we are. Explore the human body as a microbiome, discovering the trillions of ‘good’ microbes that live on and within us, doing their bit to keep us healthy.
World History Atlas: An epic journey through human history from ancient times to the present day
By Simon Adams
Journey around the globe and explore 12,000 years of human history from ancient times to the present day. From the hunter-gatherers and pyramid-builders of ancient times, to the space travelers and tech experts of today, The Kingfisher World History Atlas shows the who, what, when, where, and why of the major events of human history through maps, timelines, photographs, and illustrations.