Second and Third Grade
SHORT CHAPTER BOOKS
Amina Banana and the Formula for Friendship — Shifa Saltagi Safadi (JY Safadi S.) After moving from Syria to Indiana, third-grade science enthusiast Amina tries to find the perfect formula to make friends at her new school.
Eliza and the Hobgoblins — Megan McDonald (JY McDonald M.) Eliza must call on her wits when a band of impish hobgoblins follows her home. What's that faint music coming from behind the teeny-tiny fairy door she created low on the wall?
Growing up Beth — Beth York (JY York B.) Beth is the only girl in a family with five brothers. Money is tight, but her family finds joy in everyday life, giving her a childhood full of heart and humor.
Hedgehog Whodunit: The Carousel Caper — Heather Preusser (JY Preusser H.) Hitch the hedgehog detective and his food-loving sidekick Vinnie are back with a new mystery: someone's stolen the wooden cheetah from the City Zoo's carousel.
Henry Heckelbeck and the Not-so-dark Day — Wanda Coven (JY Coven W.) A city blackout cancels school, and Henry has a great time playing flashlight limbo, making shadow puppets, and eating all the ice cream before it melts.
Lost and Found — Kate DiCamillo (JY DiCamillo K.) Orris the rat and Timble the owl are unlikely friends — each night Timble visits and listens to Orris's stories. But Timble is growing up, and when the owl stops appearing, Orris wonders if he's been forgotten.
One of a Kind — Vicky Fang (JY Fang V.) First grader Ava Lin wants to earn tickets to get the narwhal eraser, but she learns that doing nice things for rewards may not be the same as being kind.
Salma Speaks Up — Ahmad Danny Ramadan (JY Ramadan A.) Salma joins the Speech Club with her friend Riya, but another member keeps criticizing the girls for not speaking English "correctly." Why does he get to decide which accents are good or bad?
Magic Treehouse: Sea Otter Sunrise — Mary Pope Osborne (JY Osborne M.) The magic tree house spins Jack and Annie to Monterey Bay, where their mission is to collect sea urchins in underwater kelp forests — with the reluctant help of a grouchy boat captain.
The Three Wolves — Eric Walters (JY Walters E.) Andrew and his parents rescue three orphaned wolf pups who can't survive on their own. Andrew befriends the pups and helps care for them at the family's wildlife rehabilitation center until they can be released back into the wild.
The Unsettling Salad (Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales! series) — Aaron Reynolds (JY Reynolds A.) Thadeus Badger and Oliver Possum love hamburgers, but their deal to eat a whole salad puts them in a showdown with something far more sinister than vegetables.
GRAPHIC NOVELS
A Fish Boy Named...Sashimi — Dan Santat (J GRAPHIC Sashimi v.1) In the town of Barnacle Bay, a creature from the ocean sneaks into an elementary school and pretends to be a student. He's clearly a fish out of water.
Agents of S.U.I.T.: Sew Much Trouble — John Patrick Green (J GRAPHIC InvestiGators) Before Bongo and Marsha can figure out who stole the Notorious P.I.G. food truck, they have to work out their differences and realize they make a great team.
Band Camp! 4: The Big Audition — Brian Smith (J GRAPHIC Band Camp V.4) Zook's big dream is to be the first kazoo featured in a symphony orchestra, and when world-renowned composer Maestro Talenti arrives at camp, he sees his chance.
Blurmp: A Blurmp in Time — Jim Benton (J GRAPHIC Catwad) Blurmp travels through space and time, "helping" with the creation of pizza in 18th century Italy, making friends with zombies, and venturing to a world full of other Blurmps.
Camp Monster — Kate Messner (J GRAPHIC Camp) Tasha's family rebrands as Camp Monster, a summer camp for monster-kind — but the goblins are causing a ruckus, the ogre is a total diva, and the werewolf keeps disappearing.
Escape from Nuggetville — Janine Pastores (J GRAPHIC Tubby) Rather than take part in the traditional Dunking ceremony to become a golden nugget, Tubby Nugget decides to stay true to himself and venture out in search of a new home.
Fantastic Frog and the Amazing Tad, Volume 1 — Brandon Reese (J GRAPHIC Fantastic) Years of neglect have turned the once-idyllic swamp into a junkyard. Enter Fantastic Frog and Amazing Tad Lad, a genetically enhanced crime-fighting duo ready to save it.
Gabby Torres Gets a Billion Followers — Angela Dominguez (J GRAPHIC Gabby) Ambitious Gabby Torres wants to prove she's grown up enough to manage her school environmental club's social media page. The internet is full of trolls and pitfalls, but Gabby can handle it... right?
Korobá #1: The Case of the Missing Kolo — Alaba Onajin (J GRAPHIC Korobá) Two days before the harvest festival, Saidat's Kolo — a wooden piggy bank holding a year's worth of savings — goes missing. Korobá leads her friends in an investigation to find out who took it.
Hilo Presents: The Mighty — Judd Winick (J GRAPHIC Mighty) Does a 12-year-old girl have what it takes to be the hero her city needs?
NONFICTION
The Buzz on Wild Bees — Kira Vermond (J595.799 V592b) Expands readers' knowledge of bees beyond honeybees and bumblebees into the much vaster world of wild bees, covering life cycles, habitats, and behavior.
Curious About Mermaids — Gina Kammer (J398.21 K129c) Legends and folklore about mermaids presented in a question-and-answer format.
Forests — Nell Cross Beckerman (J f577.3 B388f) An exploration of forest ecosystems around the world, from kelp forests on the ocean floor to the wonders of the Amazon, told in dramatic, poetic language with fascinating facts.
Henri Matisse: He Saw the World in Bold Color — Heather Alexander (J759.4 M427aL) A biography of Henri Matisse with artwork examples, a timeline, and art activities based on his work.
Let Liberty Rise! — Chana Stiefel (J974.71 St521L) The true story of how Joseph Pulitzer encouraged ordinary citizens — including surprising numbers of schoolchildren — to donate to the fund for the Statue of Liberty's pedestal.
Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, A Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion — Shannon Stocker (J786.8 G487s) An inspiring biography of Scottish-born Evelyn Glennie, who refused to give up her love of music after becoming deaf as a child.
My Dog: Everything You Need to Know About Owning a New Pet — Jess French (J636.7088 F888m) A complete guide to taking care of a new puppy, including how to keep your dog safe, healthy, and happy, plus training tips.
Oprah Winfrey — Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara (JB W726s) The story of the girl who grew up in poverty and became one of the most famous celebrities in the world — and the first Black female billionaire.
Simone Biles: Ten Tales About a Legendary Athlete — Ebony Wilkins (JB B492w) The life and achievements of gymnast and Olympic medalist Simone Biles, told through ten standalone stories.
This is Orange: A Field Trip Through Color — Rachel Poliquin (J f535.6 P759t) A fact-filled journey through literature, culture, history, and nature exploring the vibrant color orange.
Twelve Daring Grays: A Whale Migration Adventure — Nora Nickum (J599.522 N539t) When twelve gray whales detour from their migration to the Salish Sea for a dangerous feast, it becomes a race against the tide.
Usborne 101 Optical Illusions — Sam Taplin (J152.148 T164u) Visual perception phenomena with explanations for each illusion.
Who Would Win? Dinosaur Destruction — Jerry Pallotta (J567.9 P179d) Four action-packed prehistoric animal battle stories collected in one book.
Wild Moon: How the Lunar Phases Light Up Our World — Andie Powers (J523.32 P872w) Told from the Moon's perspective, this book uses gorgeous illustrations and lyrical prose to explain the eight lunar phases and how they affect wildlife on Earth.
Working Boats: An Inside Look at Ten Amazing Watercraft — Tom Crestodina (J f623.82 C865w) A fascinating look at how boats work and the lives of the people who use and maintain them.