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Gigi’s full name is Geraldine Hanako. Her grandfather, Ojiji, can say Gigi’s middle name easily and it is shorter than her first name – at least when it’s written in Japanese. What will Gigi decide when she wants to be rid of her “baby” name?  Readers will appreciate the dilemma as they glimpse into one Japanese American family.

Doggo and Pupper try to help their housemate, cat, adjust to the new bed. But change isn’t easy and “finding cozy” can be tough, too. Each generously illustrated short chapter provides a glimpse into this trio’s friendship and relatable experiences — and a chuckle or so. Although this is the third book in the Doggo and Pupper series, it stands alone and is just as engaging as the first books.

Princess Lina isn’t like other girls. She is a Windtamer who controls the wind and lives in a palace in the clouds. But she isn’t like other Windtamers, either, since her dad is a Groundling (a human) and her wind powers have a knack for turning icy cold. When Lina convinces her parents to let her go to her best friend Claudia’s human school, her powers really get out of whack, creating icicles in the classroom and snowdrifts in the gym. Written as Lina’s diary, this book touches on issues of feeling different, making friends and coming into your own and embracing what makes you special.

Each book in this new series for younger readers contains spreads featuring fun, kid-friendly experiments with lift-the-flap conclusions. I’m a Scientist: Backyard introduces kids to the world of botany with a wealth of plant-based experiments.

As the Revolutionary War rages on, Isabel and Curzon have narrowly escaped Valley Forge—but their relief is short-lived. Before long they are reported as runaways, and the awful Bellingham is determined to track them down. With purpose and faith, Isabel and Curzon march on, fiercely determined to find Isabel’s little sister Ruth, who is enslaved in a Southern state — where bounty hunters are thick as flies. Return to the American Revolution in thisconclusion to the middle grade Seeds of America trilogy.

The Patriot Army was shaped and strengthened by the desperate circumstances of the Valley Forge winter. This is where Curzon the boy becomes Curzon the young man. He navigates the dangers of being a runaway slave in this second novel in the historical middle grade The Seeds of America trilogy.

Every year, George and the man with the yellow hat attend a pancake breakfast to benefit the children’s hospital. Always curious, George finds his way to the pancake table and helps out. Pouring batter and flipping the pancakes over looks like fun! George decides to make some pancakes of his own, and after making and serving some of the most delicious pancakes the crowd has ever seen, George gets into even more monkey mischief. 

If you give a pig a pancake, she’ll want some syrup to go with it. You’ll give her some of your favorite maple syrup, and she’ll probably get all sticky, so she’ll want to take a bath. She’ll ask you for some bubbles. When you give her the bubbles … Fans of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie will love this perfect addition to the series!

Dramatic photographs combine with facts to amaze and delight with their “acrobatic moves, their ability to dodge enemies deftly, [and] their skill at disappearing using camouflage.” Together with a similarly formatted companion book, Superpowers of Nature: Wild Wonders of the World (opens in a new window), readers will surely want to protect nature’s heroes.

When squirrels Norma and Belly grow tired of acorns, they decide to try pizza from the new shop in town. As with their other food adventures (Donut Feed the Squirrels (opens in a new window) and Apple of My Pie (opens in a new window)), success is always questionable. Jaunty illustrations in a lively, easy graphic format make each escapade a tasty treat.

Enzo, often with friends, uses different materials to create art and even visits a museum to see more. Simple language in both English and Spanish are enhanced by gentle, childlike illustrations. In another similarly formatted and sturdy book, Enzo es un enfermero / Enzo Is a Nurse (opens in a new window), Enzo performs the duties of a nurse.

Can an undercover nerd become a superstar secret agent? In this graphic novel adaptation of the popular prose books, Ben Ripley is recruited into the CIA’s Academy of Espionage due to his enthusiastic gaming abilities and his exceptional math skills. As Ben tries to adapt to life at his new top-secret school, he unwittingly becomes the target of a deadly assassin. (School Library Journal)

A cyber-enhanced cat is sent into space to stop rats from eating the moon. Absurd humor propels this outlandish tale through the galaxy with unending gags, sure to make readers laugh aloud. It’s the first in a series which was inspired by Instagram video shorts created during the pandemic.

When a young and very hungry chickadee wants to eat a caterpillar, Sir Ladybug must cook up a delicious alternative. This easier to read graphic book is humorously illustrated and broken into chapters by a Caldecott honor winning creator. 

Residents of the city of Petroville are suffering through the hottest and driest summer on record. Desperate for a way to cool off, Luz and her friends head out to Spring Pond to go swimming. But when they arrive, they’re shocked to discover the pond has virtually disappeared!  The first book in a series about the environment, the story encourage kids to find out how they can make a difference in their communities.

Black seventh grader Jordan Banks learns to navigate the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School while keeping his neighborhood friends and working to staying true to himself.

When Max starts school, the teacher hesitates to call out the name on the attendance sheet. Something doesn’t seem to fit. Max lets her know the name he wants to be called by ― a boy’s name. This begins Max’s journey as he makes new friends and reveals his feelings about his identity to his parents. Written with warmth and sensitivity by trans writer Kyle Lukoff, this book is a sweet and age-appropriate introduction to what it means to be transgender. This is the first book in the Max and Friends series.

Meet the Fletchers. Their year will be filled with new schools, old friends, a grouchy neighbor, hungry skunks, leaking ice rinks, school plays, wet cats, and scary tales told in the dark! This is a funny and compassionate middle-grade family story featuring gay parents and interracial families that is never about either issue. See the second book in the series, The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island (opens in a new window).

This is the story of 17-time Paralympic medalist Tatyana McFadden. Born with spina bifida in Russia, Tatyana was raised in an orphanage where she walked on her hands for the first six years of her life. In 1994, she was adopted and moved to the .S., where she started racing and breaking records; and is now considered the best female wheelchair racer of all time, and the fastest woman on Earth. This is the first book in the non-fiction Paralympians picture book series about 4 champions who do things their own way and are reinventing sport.

When 13-year-old Tai Pham inherits his grandmother’s jade ring, he soon finds out it’s more than it appears. Suddenly he’s being inducted into a group of space cops known as the Green Lanterns, his neighborhood is being overrun by some racist bullies, and every time he puts pen to paper, he’s forced to confront that he might not be creative enough or strong enough to uphold his ba’s legacy.

Fiction and fact combine as a young beaked whale shares information about his pod, whales, and other aspects of marine biology as he talks to other ocean inhabitants. Backmatter includes additional source notes, a whale glossary, and a human impact glossary. Altogether, this is an unusual approach to a key environmental issue. (Part of the Science Comics series)

Alcatraz prison was considered inescapable. So how did three men get out and what happened to them? The unsolved mystery is presented in illustration and text in an open format. Actual period photographs and other graphics are included. The author presents another unsolved mystery in Escape at 10000 Feet: B.D. Cooper and the Missing Money (opens in a new window).

Hedgehog Taylor wants to fly despite his skunk friend, Sydney’s trepidation about it. This funny, warm tale of friendship is generously illustrated with complementary illustrations that augment the tone. Young readers may have met the duo in their other adventure, Sydney and Taylor Explore the Whole Wide World (opens in a new window).

Starla Jean and her parents are preparing for Willa’s first birthday celebration. But will her pet chicken, Opal Egg, lay the needed egg in time? Though Starla Jean and Opal Egg were first introduced in Starla Jean (opens in a new window), this lighthearted adventure stands alone and is equally engaging.