In Narda Lacey Fargotstein’s middle-grade book, a young girl fights for her life when, on a voyage, her ship runs aground on an island and is destroyed. The story is based on the December 1853 journey of the Winfield Scott, which originated in San Francisco carrying 300 passengers, mail, and bags of gold bullion.

Annie’s […]

Michael Wong’s picture book Grandma’s Timeless Wisdom offers sage advice while highlighting the special bond between a grandmother and her grandson.

Visiting his grandmother, a boy named Charlie gets ice cream, earning praise from her for saying “please” and ”thank you.” When his ice cream falls, Grandma offers to share hers: “Sharing is caring,” she […]

A story about lost items that are loved and cared for before finding new homes, Tuesday’s Bear will remind readers not to treat things as disposable.

The story opens with a family purchasing in bulk items that have been relegated to the Lost & Found (later clarified as being lost at a bus station). The […]

In this picture book with a lovely message, a shy and introspective coyote listens to nature and learns to ground himself and appreciate his own quiet way of bringing happiness to the world.

Cody is a coyote who goes to school with many other animals, like opossums and foxes. Because Cody is shy and avoids […]

Kristin Hoyt Siyahian’s picture book Lola and the Herd profiles a dog and her everyday life with her human family.

Lola is a Kelpie, a herding dog whose “herd” is the human family she lives with. In addition to requiring basic food, water, shelter, and love, she needs a massage every morning and enjoys people […]

Bellyrina is a charming picture book with dainty illustrations of animals who find themselves happily freed from a hungry wolf’s belly. In a unique twist, the book encourages youngsters to act out the story with various movements.

Peter, a young boy, is friends with several small animals, including a cat and duck. One day, they […]

Diane Arkenstone’s tender picture book teaches about optimism, happiness and how to say goodbye when it’s time.

A girl lives in a modest house and tends a magnificent garden. She shares its bounty with birds and animals, who become her family. She loves watching the birds, with their many-colored feathers.

Going into town one day, […]

This picture book introduces young readers to seeds and how they grow, with an overarching theme relating their purpose to God’s will.

God’s Amazing Creation: The Story of Seeds opens with references to the Bible story about God creating the world in six days, focusing on the creation of plants on the third day. It […]

In Karen Carmack Clinton’s middle grade book, a bossy, misbehaving young mouse changes her ways after being mouse-napped by a human.

Deli lives in an underground community of mice. She’s smart and curious, but her behavior is atrocious. She sasses her mother, orders her brothers around, and has angry fits. When her friend becomes tearful […]

Jeanne Brownlee Becijos’s fascinating tale of a distant forebear enchantingly recreates the sights, sounds, and events of Colonial America in the late 1770s. While it’s pitched for middle school and young adult readers, anyone who appreciates immersive historical tales won’t want to put this book down.

In the bustling port city of Providence in May […]