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!
RACHEL RECOMMENDS RIALTO BY KATE MILDORD (AGES 10 – 14).
Rialto follows the Vicar family on a vacation to Rialto, Missouri, where Mrs. Vicar is researching a theme park that mysteriously closed forty years ago. While Ivy is drawn into uncovering the truth behind the park’s disappearance, her younger sister, Dahlia, is navigating life after an anxiety diagnosis and trying to understand the strange creatures only she can see. As the sisters become entangled in the town’s long-buried secrets alongside their friends Remy and the Forwanders, they begin to wonder if secrets should stay secrets. Rialto explores themes of family, community, tradition, adaptation, and learning to respect others’ choices while living with the consequences of your own.
BETH RECOMMENDS FARM SHARK BY BILL CANTERBURY (AGES 3 -7).
Wait sharks aren’t supposed to live on farms! This book is an adventure through the farm when Shark keeps eating all the other animals. Will they ever get out of him? Will he become a good friend to them all? Are you willing to help farmer out of this mess? All these questions can and will be answered as you read this funny book. Kids ages 3-5 will have a great time making animal noises, laughing at the silliness of the animals, and maybe they will be able to help farmer in the end.
MADISON RECOMMENDS NATHAN HALES HAZARDOUS TALES 3: THE DONNER DINNER PARTY BY NATHAN HALE (AGES 8 -12).
In a fun nod to Summerween, check out Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales 3: The Donner Dinner Party. I was blown away by this graphic novel’s humor, grace, and historical accuracy. The novel handles sensitive topics thoughtfully and gives the readers advanced notice before the more difficult moments, allowing them the option to skip those sections if they chose. Hale does an excellent job of researching and visually presenting the important historical information, making the story more accessible to younger readers. I would suggest this series to any child or tween who enjoys action, or history (or a little bit of horror) as the panel layout and script are perfect for middle-grade readers!
MIRISSA RECOMMENDS THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN BY GENNIFER CHOLDENKO (AGES 8 – 12).
This award-winning book asks a hard question for middle-grade fiction: what can an 11-year-old boy do when his mom leaves him home alone with his toddler sister, Boo, and just…doesn’t come back? Eventually, Hank Hooperman realizes it’s time to ask for help. But as social workers debate separating him and Boo, he begins to wonder if he’s made a huge mistake. Over the next few months, readers will follow along as he figures out who to trust and learns to trust himself. The characters are well written, and in particular I find the range of adults that Hank interacts with—both helpful and not-so-helpful—to be well done. With a nice mixture of typical middle school drama and deep questions about what it means to be responsible for someone else, this book tackles difficult content without going too over the top
LAUREN RECOMMENDS I USED TO BE A DINOSAUR BY CASEY LYALL (AGES 4 – 8).
In this adorable rhyming book, a chicken explains how they descended from a Dinosaur and that now that they have to live on a farm, it’s downright fowl! With fun illustrations and a lesson in evolution, this book is great for teaching your young one how things change over time. You can also have a lot of fun practicing different types of roars and sounds to make.
GENEVIEVRE RECOMMENDS DEEPLY DAVE BY MICHAEL GROVER (AGES 8 – 11).
This is one of the most original/boundary-pushing graphic novels I’ve read in a while, and I love its unique vertical format that encourages you to turn the page to do the thing. The comic follows a boy named Dave as he descends deeper, and deeper into the ocean’s depths on a rescue mission to save his mom from certain doom. Along the way, he meets a cast of colorful anthropomorphic characters, including a skeleton, a toilet obsessed crustacean with a pet shark, a creepy octopus, and more. All the characters warn him about a large threatening monster in the deep, but Dave will do anything to reach his mom before it’s too late. Can he get past the monster to find his mom? Or is it really a momster? The simple blue, red, and white contrast nicely against the black deep-sea background, adding to the sense of desperation as Dave sinks deeper into the mission. Filled with both humor and tension, this book explores deeper age-appropriate themes like having courage when faced with the unknown, unconditional love between parents and their children, adventure, exploration, and resilience.
KATIE RECOMMENDS THE FUTURE BOOK BY MAC BARNETT (AGES 4 – 8).
Did you know that in the future, bananas are not called bananas, they are called apples. What are apples called? Well, they don’t exist. The future book paints an absurd picture of what could happen in the future; there are new phrases for “thank you” and “goodbye” and even a new color! The new names will have your preschooler laughing throughout the whole book, but you’ll have to check it out if you want to learn what they are. Happy reading (in the future)!
SUMMER RECOMMENDS DICTIONARY OF DINOSAURS: AN ILLUSTRATED A TO Z OF EVERY DINOSAUR EVER DISCOVERED BY DIETER BRAUN (AGES 4 – 12).
The Summer Reading theme this year is Unearth a Story – inviting all of us to embrace our inner archeologists and paleontologists to discover the history of our people and our planet. For everyone who can’t get enough dinosaur facts, Dictionary of Dinosaurs is the next book to check out. Every single dinosaur discovered to date is included – along with basic information such as size, location, and details about their discovery. The full color within also keeps this volume engaging for anyone leafing through to find their favorite dinosaur. (Mine’s the Spinosaurus!) From Archeopteryx to Zhejiangosaurus, every dinosaur kid can enjoy this encyclopedia.
ADRIANE RECOMMENDS AUNTIE Q’S GOLDEN NAIL SALON BY VAN HOANG (AGES 4 – 12).
Domi’s summer is not going as she had planned. She was planning to attend art camp with her friends. Instead, she has been shipped to stay with her aunt in New Mexico and work at her aunt’s nail salon. While working at her aunt’s nail salon, Domi meets an interesting crew and learns that the salon might be in financial trouble, and she works to help save the salon. This book was a great look into Vietnamese American culture and family dynamics within the culture. It is also a fun look at life in a nail salon.
ANNA RECOMMENDS BILL PEET: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY BILL PEET (AGES 9 – 12).
Bill Peet: An Autobiography by Bill Peet is nothing short of a readerly treat! This book boasts of a captivating 190 pages, all of which are jampacked with charming, classic-Disney style illustrations. Peet, having worked as a Walt Disney Studios animator for nearly three decades, parades his visual storytelling expertise in this autobiography-packaged-as-a-picture-book. Readers embark, escorted by Bill Peet, on a cross-country journey from Grandview, Indiana to the artistic promised land of Los Angeles. This autobiography feels like one big backstage peak at the creation of beloved Disney films such as Fantasia, The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Dumbo (to name just a few!). Peet challenges the traditional autobiography format in a way that is certain to delight, surprise, and inspire young and mature readers alike!
RICHARD RECOMMENDS I AM NOT BORING: THE TRUE-LIFE STORY OF A LOG BY LENA PODESTA (AGES 3 – 5).
Hello readers! What’s so special about a log? It just sits there and does nothing. How boring! However, you may be surprised to learn that logs are anything but boring—they are an essential part of life in the forest. Logs provide shelter, become food, and even turn into a safe place for a new tree to grow. This fun and informational book will entertain and inform both adults and children, so grab a copy today and enjoy! As always, happy reading!
JOANN RECOMMENDS NIGHTY NIGHT, DINOS BY DEBORAH HOLT WILLIAMS (AGES 3 – 5).
After a busy day full of racing, romping, splashing, and stomping, dinosaurs need their sleep, just like our kids do. In Nighty Night, Dinos! eleven different dinosaurs transition from the excitement of playtime to the calm of bedtime. From Ankylosaurus to Velociraptor, each dino is distinctly and adorably illustrated. Each dino is also called by name as their bedtime activities are described, leading up to the gentle message that “Dinos sleep the whole night long/ Staying healthy, big, and strong.” In addition to the cuddly, soft illustrations, I love the simple, predictable rhymes and steady, rhythmic lines that make it easy to set a soothing tone, just right for a bedtime read-aloud.
That is a wrap for this month’s Book Chat with the YS Team. Want more book suggestions from the YS Team at RPL? Then check out these past blogs!
July Book Chat with Youth Services Team – 2025
July Book Chat with the Youth Services Team – 2024
