Browse Our Collections for Children

Simply click on a cover image and you will be taken directly to the listing in our online catalog, where you can read a brief description of the book and also place a hold on the book, if you would like to.

Diverse Reads from the “Shake Up Your Shelves” Reading List

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson
Heart & Soul by Kadir Nelson
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
I am Enough by Grace Byers
Let
Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
Where are you From? by Yamile Saied Mendez
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Our 2020 Favorites- Picture Books

Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away by Meg Medina
Red Shoes by Karen English
Digging for Words: Jose Alberto Gutierrez by Angela Burke Kunkel
The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard
Julian at the Wedding by Jessica Love
Nerp! by Sarah Lynne Reul
Bess the Barn Stands Strong by Elizabeth Gilbert Bedia
Don
Chowder Rules!: The True Story of an Epic Food Fight by Anna Crowley Redding
Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry
Let

Our 2020 Favorites- Middle Grade

Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce
History Smashers: The Mayflower by Kate Messner
The Canyon
The Barren Grounds by David A Robertson
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Shirley & Jamila Save Their Summer by Gillian Goerz
Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
The Elephant
Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson
The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead
Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley
Real Pigeons Fight Crime by Andrew McDonald

Winter Reads

Winter Sleep: A Hibernation Story by Sean Taylor and Alex Morss
Winter of the Ice Wizard by Mary Pope Osbourne
Winter is Here by Kevin Henkes
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Winter According to Humphrey by Betty Birney
Hello Winter! by Shelley Rotner
Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer
William
The Barren Grounds by David A Robertson
Blizzard: The Storm that Changed America by Jim Murphy
Wild Winter Creatures! by Martin Kratt and Chris Kratt
Winter is for Snow by Robert Neubecker
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter
Greenglass House by Kate Milford
Ice Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson

Celebrate World Kindness Day!

The kindness book by Todd Parr
Finding kindness by Deborah Underwood
Each kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
Bee heartful : spread loving-kindness by Frank J. Sileo
I walk with Vanessa : a story about a simple act of kindness by Kerascoët
Step right up : how Doc and Jim Key taught the world about kindness by Donna Janell Bowman
The starkeeper by Faith Pray
Dictionary for a better world : poems, quotes, and anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham & Charles Waters
Be kind by Pat Zietlow Miller
I am peace : a book of mindfulness by Susan Verde
Shelter by Céline Claire
If you plant a seed by Kadir Nelson
Hank finds an egg / by Rebecca Dudley
Paulie Pastrami achieves world peace by James Proimo

Waiting to see what happens next? New books in a series!

I’m with the Banned – Read a Banned Book

George / Alex Gino.
The Lorax / by Dr. Seuss.
Prince & knight / words by Daniel Haack ; pictures by Stevie Lewis.
Drama / Raina Telgemeier ; with color by Gurihiru.
Harry Potter and the sorcerer
And Tango makes three / by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell ; illustrated by Henry Cole.
The adventures of Captain Underpants : an epic novel / by Dav Pilkey.
James and the giant peach : a children
In our mothers
The golden compass / Philip Pullman.
King & King / Linda de Haan & Stern Nijland.
Are you there God? It
Bridge to Terabithia / Katherine Paterson ; illustrated by Donna Diamond.
Julie of the wolves / Jean Craighead George ; pictures by John Schoenherr.

Picture Books about Social/Emotional Learning

There might be lobsters / Carolyn Crimi ; illustrated by Laurel Molk.
After the fall : how Humpty Dumpty got back up again / a story by Dan Santat.
I will be fierce! / written by Bea Birdsong ; illustrated by Nidhi Chanani.
The day you begin / Jacqueline Woodson ; illustrated by Rafael López.
Ruby finds a Worry / Tom Percival.
I
I
Anxious Charlie to the rescue / Terry Milne.
Maybe tomorrow? / by Charlotte Agell ; illustrated by Ana Ramírez González .
Ida, always / Caron Levis and Charles Santoso.
The rabbit listened / by Cori Doerrfeld.
What do you do with a problem? / written by Kobi Yamada ; illustrated by Mae Besom.
The junkyard wonders / Patricia Polacco.
Come with me / Holly M. McGhee ; illustrated by Pascal Lemaître.
How full is your bucket? for kids / written by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer ; illustrated by Maurie J. Manning.
If you plant a seed / words and paintings by Kadir Nelson.
I am human : a book of empathy / by Susan Verde ; art by Peter H. Reynolds.
You are your strong / by Danielle Dufayet ; illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin.
I am love : a book of compassion / by Susan Verde ; art by Peter H. Reynolds.
Last stop on Market Street / words by Matt de la Peña ; pictures by Christian Robinson.

Middle Grade Books for Social/Emotional Learning

Stanley will probably be fine / by Sally J. Pla.
Ghost / Jason Reynolds.
Fish in a tree / Lynda Mullaly Hunt.
Zenobia July / Lisa Bunker.
Front desk / Kelly Yang.
Finding perfect / Elly Swartz.
Guts / Raina Telgemeier ; with color by Braden Lamb.
Harbor me / Jacqueline Woodson.
Step up to the plate, Maria Singh / by Uma Krishnaswami.
Merci Suárez changes gears / Meg Medina.
The goldfish boy / Lisa Thompson.
The science of breakable things / Tae Keller.
The stars beneath our feet / David Barclay Moore.
The seventh most important thing / Shelley Pearsall.
The battle of Junk Mountain / Lauren Abbey Greenberg.
A long walk to water : a novel / by Linda Sue Park.
Up for air / Laurie Morrison.
Rick / Alex Gino.

Laugh Out Loud Reads

Bugs!

Butterflies

For Fans of Raina Telgemeier

For Harry Potter Fans

Engaging Nonfiction

Miss Jess’s Graphic Novel Recommendations

Exploring Space

Miss Jess’s Chapter Book Recommendations

Maine Student Book Awards 2020

The line tender / by Kate Allen.
This was our pact / Ryan Andrews.
Orange for the sunsets / Tina Athaide.
The last human / Lee Bacon.
The important thing about Margaret Wise Brown / written by Mac Barnett ; illustrated by Sarah Jacoby.
Monstrous : the lore, gore, and science behind your favorite monsters / Carlyn Beccia.
Caught! : nabbing history
The forgotten girl / India Hill Brown.
Zenobia July / Lisa Bunker.
New kid / Jerry Craft ; with colors by Jim Callahan.
Maybe he just likes you / Barbara Dee.
The remarkable journey of Coyote Sunrise / Dan Gemeinhart.
Charlie Thorne and the last equation / Stuart Gibbs.
Scary stories for young foxes / Christian McKay Heidicker ; with illustrations by Junyi Wu.
The Dark Lord Clementine / Sarah Jean Horwitz.
Ghost : thirteen haunting tales to tell / a collection by illustratus ; writers: Blaise Hemingway, Jesse Reffsin ; illustrators: Chris Sasaki, Jeff Turley.
Dog driven / by Terry Lynn Johnson.
Lily the thief / Janne Kukkonen ; color by Kévin Bazot ; English translation by Lola Rogers.
Killer style : how fashion has injured, maimed, & murdered through history / by Serah-Marie McMahon & Alison Matthews David ; illustrations by Gillian Wilson.
The world ends in April / Stacy McAnulty.
Fireborne / Rosaria Munda.
Under the broken sky / Mariko Nagai.
The mystery of Black Hollow Lane / Julia Nobel.
Homerooms & hall passes / by Tom O
The best at it / Maulik Pancholy.
Good enough / Jen Petro-Roy.
Wildfire / Rodman Philbrick.
Beastly puzzles : a brain-boggling animal guessing game / written by Rachel Poliquin ; illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler.
Blood Mountain / James Preller.
Changeling / written and illustrated by William Ritter.
Nikki on the line / Barbara Carroll Roberts.
We
To Night Owl from Dogfish / Holly Goldberg Sloan & Meg Wolitzer.
I, Cosmo / Carlie Sorosiak.
Roll with it / Jamie Sumner.
The bridge home / Padma Venkatraman.
Other words for home / Jasmine Warga.
The Guinevere deception / Kiersten White.
Genesis begins again / Alicia D. Williams.
Captain Rosalie / Timothée de Fombelle ; illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault ; translated by Sam Gordon.

Celebrating the Words and Art of Maine’s Own Ashley Bryan

Kim’s Newest Picture Book Recommends

Black Lives Matter

Pride

Creepy Reads

Don
The Atlas of Monsters and Ghosts -Frederica Magrin
Small Space -Katherine Arden
The Night Gardener -Jonathan Auxier
Doll Bones -Holly Black
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark -Alvin Schwartz
Frightlopedia -Julie Winterbottom
That
Spirit Hunters -Ellen Oh
Scream and Scream Again -R.L. Stine
The Graveyard Book (graphic novel) -Craig Russell
The House with a Clock in its Walls -John Bellairs
The Nest -Kenneth Oppel
The Jumbies -Tracey Baptiste
Creepy Creatures (Goosebump Graphix #1) -R.L. Stine