Keep moving … do what moves you … move forward … you get the idea. In these stories you will find girls and women of color in motion: on the sports field, on the stage, and over, under, and through whatever speedbumps came their way. With a few exceptions, each of the books in this collection are suitable for audiences …
SWISH! Books for Basketball Fans #CYBILS2024
No matter what level you play, basketball season is underway. And these books? Well, they’re a slam dunk for fans of the game and those who are fascinated by the history of the sport. *There are superstars kids know … and stats they don’t. * Meet trailblazers in the women’s and men’s games, whose stories are told vividly in picture …
Wish Books: Judges’ Recommendations for Book Gifting
Does anyone remember the days when we couldn’t wait for the <insert merchant name> Wish Book (aka Christmas catalog) to arrive in our mailbox so that we could start our personal wish list of gifts we wanted? The days of snail mail mega-catalogs are long gone, but that doesn’t mean we don’t hope for things … like great books kids will …
You Crack Me Up: Fractured Fairy Tales
Sorry, we couldn’t resist. So what’s on this list? Stories and characters you – and the kiddos in your life – know well. Humpty Dumpty Three Little Pigs Big Bad Wolf Beauty and the Beast And a good old-fashioned princess mashup!Beastly Beauty by Jennifer Donnelly {Beauty and the Beast} Young Adult Speculative Fiction nominee Reading Age: 12 and Up The …
Play Ball! 3 Books @ Women in Baseball
“There’s no crying in baseball!” Did you say that in your head (or outloud voice) when you saw the post title? That line from A League of Their Own has to be one of the most quoted sports movie references around. [If we’re off base, let us know!] So what does that famous line have to do with this trio …
Once Upon a Time: #CYBILS2024 Fairy Tales Book List
Fractured, remixed, and retold. Familiar and new. Contemporary. These books tell lots of different stories – some familiar, some new. Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood. Whether it’s a picture book or a YA fantasy, what they all have in common is that “once upon a time” feel. For more stories that feature family, food, community, and …
Yuck Yuck Yuck: Books with Rot and Humor
… and we mean “yuck” in all it’s glorious forms. Sure, these books have an “oh, gross” factor, but they also have some humorous, LOL moments, too. Nonfiction and STEM? Check. Career ideas? Check. Slime-a-geddon? Yes indeed. [With recipe!] Any body farms? Uh huh. What about zombies? Them, too. Poetry? What?! Yep. Poems, too. Sadly we didn’t find any books …
These Books Breathe Fire: 6 Books for Dragon Fans
This list breathes fire. Ha! Friendly monsters, fearsome beasts, dragon quests, and of course some fire-breathing creatures! Sure, there are fantasy stories, but were you expecting a re-imagining of the evacuation of Dunkirk? planning a visit to the post office of the dragon tamer? Finding dragons hiding in a group home? Dragoncraft by Dorothy A Winsor Young Adult Speculative Fiction …
Comfort Food: The Book List #CYBILS2024
Today we’re whipping up some book deliciousness. Shall we keep going with our metaphors? Okay! Read on to taste stories where characters stir the pots; wanna-be chefs mix it up in cooking competitions; where ingredient “mishaps” create new family recipes; secret ingredients are shared; and food feeds our souls! From passing down family recipes to saving the family business to …
Secrets & Lies, Codes & Spies: a Book Pairing Set
Espionage. Spy craft. Secret messages. Spies real and imagined. Readers have it all in this quad of books that offer true stories, fictional tales, and even a bit of magic. Read aloud or independently, these books offer timeless stories of inspiration and courage, even as they immerse young readers in a world before their time.