Book Finder

A child is embarrassed when parents stop the car to harvest wild watercress. Illustrations in sepia, however, show why this is such an emotional moment for the Chinese American family as it recalls an earlier time. Inspired text and stunningly detailed watercolors provide insight into one family’s history and a glimpse of their life before coming to the United States.

Little Arvaaq (a bowhead calf) asks Grandfather Bowhead to tell him stories about his long life. The elder whale reveals how he has seen northern lights, broken through ice to give his family air and more. Evocative illustrations in shades of blue to present the whales’ habitat. A brief bit of information about bowhead whales and an Inuktitut pronunciation guide conclude this handsome book.

Kenny is a whirlwind of everyday activities. Children will recognize what Kenny does in four vignettes — from getting up to getting dressed to getting ready for bed with lots in-between.  Swirling black lines and touches of color on open pages present an active boy in a warm family.

While Milo and his sister travel on a subway, Milo observes other passengers drawing them in his sketchbook. But appearances don’t always reveal the whole story Milo learns. When he and his sister arrive at the prison to visit their mom, so does a boy from the subway. The illustrator’s signature illustrations are the perfect complement to the moving, understated text.

The Watson family travels to Birmingham and gets caught up in the devastating events of 1963. For its 25th anniversary, this edition has a cover that resembles a Green Book, the guide for African Americans traveling in the South. The award-winning novel is as fresh today as when it was first published.

Though identical twins, Francine and Maureen Carter couldn’t be more different. And their close relationship is changing drastically as they start 6th grade. Siblings will see themselves in this realistic, engaging, and colorfully illustrated graphic novel as the twins compete for student council president.

A curse prevents the Widdershin sisters from leaving their home in a dreary town on an island called Crowstone. The curse kicks in when one sister inevitably leaves, and the girls must rely on each other — and magic — to reverse it. This is a fast-paced and fun fantasy.

ZJ (short for Zachariah) turns to music and the support of friends and family when he begins to lose the father he knows and loves. A successful football career has resulted in his dad’s diagnosis of a chronic brain injury (CTE). Told in verse, this moving story remains realistic but hopeful.

A dog remembers earlier days when things were slower, before a baby arrived. But as the child grows, the dog discovers that an old dog and a toddler share a great deal in common, including rolling down a hill and playing in leaves. The warm relationship between an old canine and a young child is warmly presented in illustration and straightforward text.

A family of mechanical parts greets its newest member, baby Flange. Intricate illustrations and a lot of humor (especially for savvy readers) reminds us that a new child is always a happy event.

In the young narrator’s home, “two worlds become one.” Her family is “a mix of dos cultures…”, one Spanish speaking, the other English. Together the family joyfully prepares to celebrate a birthday. Colorful, child-like illustrations and a straightforward narration present a bicultural family.

A tadpole, a snail, a squirrel and other creatures each ask, “who is my daddy?” The reader then must decide which of 4 choices, but another page turn pictures the adult critter with its offspring. Colorful, child-like, and slightly abstract illustrations are presented on sturdy pages.

Opening in the summer of 1847, this story follows an Ojibwe family through four seasons; it focuses on young Omakayas, who turns “eight winters old” during the course of the novel. In nearly step-by-step details, the story describes how they build a summer home out of birchbark, gather with extended family to harvest rice in the autumn, treat an attack of smallpox during the winter, and make maple syrup in the spring to stock their own larder and to sell to others.

The story of a girl who uncovers her family’s secrets — and finds her own Native American identity. The author, a member of the Upper Skagit tribe, handles issues surrounding identity, loss of culture, adoption, and family separation with insight. The novel looks at historical truths about how Native Americans have been treated throughout U.S. history.

One night, a beautiful show of lights fills the sky. Niigaanii explains to his younger brother, Bineshiinh that the northern lights are the spirits of the relatives who have passed on, including their beloved grandmother Nooko. The boys imagine different relatives dancing, lighting up the sky with their graceful movements. There are so many stars and so many stories that the boys spend night after night making sense of patterns and wisdom in “the forever sky.”

A family, separated by duty and distance, waits for a loved one to return home in this lyrical picture book celebrating the bonds of a Cherokee family and the bravery of history-making women pilots. At the mountain’s base sits a cabin under an old hickory tree. And in that cabin lives a family — loving, weaving, cooking, and singing. The strength in their song sustains them as they wait for their loved one, a pilot, to return from war. The author’s note pays homage to the true history of Native American U.S. service members like WWII pilot Ola Mildred “Millie” Rexroat.

A girl and her grandfather contemplate circles, both physical and metaphorical, in this thought-provoking tale of family, community, and interconnection. Grandpa says circles are all around us. He points to the rainbow that rises high in the sky after a thundercloud has come. “Can you see? That’s only half of the circle. That rest of it is down below, in the earth.” They share and create family traditions in this exploration of the cycles of life and nature.

A powerful story about the extraordinary mind of a young nonverbal girl with autism, her passion for space exploration, and the bond between sisters.

Ryan Hart finds ways to make sunshine even when she’s not happy about moving to a smaller house, selling the family car, and the other changes life brings. But her name means “king” and so she must lead. Lead she does in this contemporary, realistic and engaging novel just right for fans of Beverly Cleary’s Ramona Quimby.

Donte and his brother are biracial; their mother is Black, their father is white. They attend the same wealthy suburban school but have very different experiences there. Donte is dark-skinned but his brother appears white. How Donte gains a sense of sense of self and beats the bully at his own game is compelling and timely.

A mother and daughter look forward to their special Saturday routine together every single week. But this Saturday, one thing after another goes wrong. The up-and-down journey that reminds them of what’s best about Saturdays: precious time together.

Can rescue dog, McTavish, help his Peachy family with vacation plans? His human family needs his guidance and patience — again. Whether revisiting the Peachys (Good Dog, McTavish (opens in a new window)) or meeting them for the first time, this charming, recognizable family is sure to charm readers of all ages.

A girl and her family visit their little blue cottage by the bay every summer as she grows. Lyrical language and gentle illustrations expressively depict time passing until the girl, now grown, returns with her own family, implicitly diverse and intergenerational.

A father gently awakens his child to begin their day outdoors. As they leave home, the scenery changes, becoming more tranquil and natural where they begin their hike. At the end of the day, they head home. The joy of an outdoor afternoon and the pleasure of an outing with dad are elegantly conveyed with few words.