Book Finder

How Bruce Wayne became Batman is told in a picture book (not comic book). Muth’s well-crafted watercolor illustrations are dramatic accompanied by a brief telling of how young Bruce overcomes his fears of the dark by falling into a bat cave.

In this funny, poignant graphic novel memoir, Bell chronicles her hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic Ear, a very powerful — and very awkward — hearing aid. The Phonic Ear gives Cece the ability to hear — sometimes things she shouldn’t — but also isolates her from her classmates. After some trouble, she is finally able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and become “El Deafo, Listener for All.” And more importantly, declare a place for herself in the world and find the friend she’s longed for.

Will Timmy and Total no longer be detecting partners? Readers will find out the fate of the dynamic duo in this fourth, funny, highly illustrated and certainly not final installment in the Timmy Failure series.

Young readers share short, humorous escapades with Piggy Pie Po, a large-eared porcine hero. Lively illustrations and vivacious, rhyming illustration make this an adventure to share more than once.

In this peek into the secret lives of toys, three beloved playthings participate in a series of small adventures. StingRay is a plush stuffed animal who enjoys acting the know-it-all. Lumphy is a tough little buffalo who doesnt mind the occasional cuddle. And Plastic (whose physical appearance is kept mysterious for quite some time) is a sensible bouncy ball. The first book in the Toys trilogy.

Young Mac introduces readers to Miss Emily — better known as Emily Dickenson, poet extraordinaire — as an adventurous, lively woman who wants to share wonders of a circus with a group of children. Animated black/white illustrations accompany the action told in free verse for an open, inviting, and highly readable novel about a famous poet.

The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby. I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I’d seen only in Gideon’s stories: Manifest—A Town with a rich past and a bright future. Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was. (2011 Newbery Medal Winner)

Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place—he’s the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians’ time as well as their ghostly teachings—such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him. (2009 Newbery Medal Winner)

Two plush toys, Stingray and a buffalo named Lumphy, and Plastic, a red ball, want to play in the snow. And so they do! Lush illustrations and rich language come together in the toys’ first picture book adventure. (The characters were first introduced in longer novels; all are ideal as read-alouds for younger children.)

A little girl activates a robot and finds a friend but now must save her friend from fierce, nasty robots. This nearly wordless adventure is presented in comic book form and is sure to delight young readers.

Rudger, Amanda’s imaginary friend, and Amanda, a human girl share adventure (and alternate telling the story) of their everyday adventures – and how they thwart an evil plot to rid the world of all imaginaries. Tension builds in this well-paced, inventive novel enhanced by evocative black/white illustrations.

Since his grandparents disappeared on an iceberg, Archer’s mother won’t let the well-mannered boy out of the museum-like house. Still, he finds unique adventures and companionship in this fast-paced, charming, witty and well written novel presented in a handsomely illustrated format.

Emily doesn’t mind her family’s annual move because San Francisco is home to Garrison Griswold, book publisher. But there’s a nefarious plot against Griswold, creator of Book Scavenger. How will Emily and her new friend, James, solve the mystery? Find out in this fast-paced, often funny, sometimes tense mystery-adventure.

Strange and humorous adventures begin when Rory and his nemesis, Tommy-Lee, are placed in a secret isolation ward when they turn bright green from a strange ailment. Rory’s understated narration reveals likeable, quirky characters in unlikely but engaging circumstances.

When a skunk first appears in the tuxedoed man’s doorway, it’s a strange but possibly harmless occurrence. But then the man finds the skunk following him, and the unlikely pair embark on an increasingly frantic chase through the city, from the streets to the opera house to the fairground. What does the skunk want? It’s not clear ― but soon the man has bought a new house in a new neighborhood to escape the little creature’s attention, only to find himself missing something …

Sam and Dave are on a mission. A mission to find something spectacular. So they dig a hole. And they keep digging. And they find … nothing. Yet the day turns out to be pretty spectacular after all. Attentive readers will be rewarded with a rare treasure in this witty story of looking for the extraordinary — and finding it in a manner you’d never expect.

When a new family moves into his home and Leo the Ghost’s efforts to welcome them are misunderstood, Leo decides it is time to leave and see the world. That is how he meets Jane, a kid with a tremendous imagination and an open position for a worthy knight. That is how Leo and Jane become friends. And that is when their adventures begin. (Goodreads)

In his old school, everyone knew Miles Murphy as the town’s best prankster, but Miles quickly discovers that Yawnee Valley already has a prankster, and a great one. If Miles is going to take the title from this mystery kid, he is going to have to raise his game. It’s prankster against prankster in an epic war of trickery, until the two finally decide to join forces and pull off the biggest prank ever seen. (Goodreads)

It all starts here: The thrilling story of Steve Brixton’s first case. Our hero has a national treasure to recover, a criminal mastermind to unmask, and a social studies report due Monday – all while on the run from cops, thugs, and secret-agent librarians. (Goodreads)

Meet Daniel Funk, a regular guy who’s stuck living in a house full of girls. Why couldn’t he have a brother instead of all those sisters? That would be so cool. When Daniel shrinks to the size of the fourth toe on his left foot, he discovers that he actually does have a brother. A little brother. A very little brother. He’s Pablo Funk, Daniel’s tiny twin, who is a toeful of trouble. When Daniel and Pablo decide to have some fun at their sisters’ party and let loose a giant hissing cockroach just to watch the girls scream, they find out that it’s dangerous to be so small. This is the first book in the Daniel Funk series.

School’s out! Everyone’s favorite amoeba is headed to summer camp! Squish’s summer is turning out to be terrifying! For one thing, Squish can’t swim. And to make matters worse, his new camp friend is a Hydra (scientific fact: A hydra’s tentacles can paralyze you!). Will Squish sink or will he swim this summer?

It’s a brand new school year for everyone’s favorite amoeba! Will Squish finally get to sit with the cool kids at lunch? Will Pod stop the giant asteroid from destroying the world? Will the leeches be the end of Super Amoeba? And what makes cafeteria nachos so delicious anyway?

In this Magic Tree House story, Jack and Annie’s vacation in the glorious waters off Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula doesn’t turn out quite like they expect. An encounter with sharks and with a Mayan girl plus a bit of magic create another satisfying, fantastical adventure in the series. A companion book, Sharks and other Predators (opens in a new window) helps readers separate fact from fiction.

No one is more surprised than 11-year old Martin when the Tyrannosaurus Rex hatches from what Martin thought was a fossilized egg. Feeding the growing dino and keeping him hidden becomes a major challenge. How Martin saves Rufus from a life in the circus with the help of an astute science teacher and his best friend, Audrey, make for a fast-paced, often humorous, and very satisfying adventure. For a gentler dino-come-alive novel, try Oliver Butterworth’s Enormous Egg (opens in a new window).