Welcome to another installment in our series of blog posts featuring children’s books we’re currently loving! “Book Chat with the Youth Services Team” features one book recommendation from each of our Youth Services team members. We cover a variety of books from fiction to non-fiction, picture books to chapter books, graphic novels and more! We hope that this month’s reading recommendations get you excited about some awesome new books we’ve added to our collection as well as some oldies but goodies. Enjoy!
Beth recommends: Stacey Speaks Up by Stacey Abrams (Ages 4-8)
Wow! This is one powerful book! Stacey and her friends are at lunch one day for the BEST lunch day of the week TacoPizza FryDay… but when she sees a little boy have to give back his lunch tray because he doesn’t have enough money, Stacey gets sad. She looks around and see that there are a lot of children not eating lunch. She talks to her friends, but they think they are small children, and no one will listen to them. Stacey talks to her parents and figures out a way to talk to the school board about this problem. She and her friends get lots of signatures on their petition, but soon learn that that isn’t enough. Finally, Stacey gets the courage to go on stage at the school board meeting and tells them about the problem. It takes time to follow procedures, but Stacey and her friends don’t give up and finally the rules are changed. Everyone can get lunch whether they have money or not. No child should have to go to school starving and making it that much more difficult to learn. What a great book to show children that they also have a voice and can make changes for the better.
Lisa recommends: Luigi, The Spider Who Wanted to be a Kitten by Michelle Knudsen. Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. (ages 4-8)
In this story of acceptance, belonging, and friendship, a hairy spider picks a house to make his home, but the lady that owns the house finds him and thinks he is a kitten not a spider. She names him Luigi. He plays along with the lady and pretends to be a kitten. He starts to enjoy his new life as the house pet. He discovers that pretending to be a kitten is not bad after all. Can he keep this charade up and does he really want to be a kitten? He is a spider after all! The illustrations by Kevin Hawkes of Luigi as a kitten are hilarious and sweet. It might make you want to adopt a spider yourself!
Sarah recommends: Dr. Color Monster and the Emotions ToolKit by Anna Llenas ages 4-8)
Everyone’s favorite monster is back to help us learn how to regulate emotions and calm our hearts and minds. Dr. Color Monster is an emotions doctor who helps us understand the big feelings we’re having and – with the help of his emotions toolkit – guides us in emotional regulation and mindfulness. This book is a great resource for parents and caregivers looking to help their little ones work through big feelings and teach them ways to support their mental wellness. Dr. Color Monster features a giant two page “emotions toolkit” foldout that shares strategies we can use when we’re feeling out of sorts. I love books that normalize having big feelings (it’s okay to feel!) and help us think through how we can wade through those sometimes uncomfortable waters. When a book that does this via a sweet, heartfelt story, kids might not even recognize it as an emotional regulation lesson! Children and adults alike will find helpful tips galore in this colorful story. Check it out today!
Lauren recommends: Maya Plays the Part by Calyssa Erb (ages 8-12)
Maya Plays the Part is a great middle grade read that tackles real life situations and how to handle changes as someone with autism. Maya, having her best friend move away, and starting a new theatre program that she has been excited about her whole life, has to deal with conflicting emotions and confusion when things don’t go their way. After having spent her whole life learning how to be “Maya in public”, Maya discovers that even if she has a script in her mind it is not always going to be followed by the people in your life. This book is great for people who love musical theatre, and the drama that can surround being neurodivergent.
Mirissa recommends: A Spoonful of Frogs by Casey Lyall (ages 4-7)
Written like a recipe, this book follows a witch as she attempts to make delicious and healthy Frog Soup. The instructions say it should be easy, but things go off the rails when the frogs decide they’d rather avoid the cauldron. As the instructions march on, chaos descends as frogs end up fleeing for their lives! What will our frustrated witch do? With just the right amount of spooky, this book is perfect for Halloween or any time of year. It’s also a fun read aloud with plenty of self-interruptions and natural changes in tone.
Summer recommends: Prunella by Beth Ferry (ages 4-8)
Prunella does not have a typical garden – instead of tulips and daisies, she grows corpse flowers and Venus fly traps. She is used to people not appreciating her unusual plants – some smell bad, and some have spiky thorns – so when a young boy starts asking questions, she doesn’t believe he’s truly interested. Eventually, she realizes he shares her admiration of the garden, and they bond over their passion for peculiar botany. This beautifully illustrated picture book comes from Beth Ferry, the author of the Stick and Stone series. While the freaky flora makes this volume great for Halloween time, it can be enjoyed all year round.
Rachel recommends: The Mine Wars: The Bloody Fight for Workers’ Rights in the West Virginia Coalfields by Steve Watkins (ages 10-14)
When you think of West Virginia, what first comes to mind? For many people, it’s coal. Coal mining is a brutal business today, and it was exponentially more so back in the 1920s. Miners would work in conditions that often proved deadly, were paid a tiny amount for one of the most lucrative businesses in America, forced to live in company ‘towns’ (with housing, school, and stores that accepted the script the miners were paid in), and beaten bloody by mine guards if they even considered joining a union. Watkins sheds light on an often (and quite deliberately) omitted chapter of West Virginian—and American—history: the Battle of Blair Mountain. Here, the events leading up to the violent uprising and the resulting fall-out are told in language that younger readers will find approachable.
Richard recommends: Gustavo, The Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago (ages 2-6)
This is a great book about overcoming shyness and opening oneself up to make new friends. In it, our friend Gustavo tries hard to be seen by his classmates, but he feels no one sees him. In the end, he does what he loves (plays the violin) and overcomes his shyness to let his light shine for all to see and finds he had friends all along. A really great read for October for kids!
Well, readers, that’s a wrap! Check back again next month for some more fabulous reading recommendations. Until then, happy reading!