Lower School Summer Reading

Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Berne
Before Jacques Cousteau became an internationally known oceanographer and champion of the seas, he was a curious little boy. In this biography, poetic text and paintings combine to create a portrait of Jacques Cousteau.

Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating
Biography of Eugenie Clark, who devoted her life to studying sharks and taught the world that sharks were to be admired rather than feared. Includes facts about sharks and a timeline of Eugenie Clark's life.

Swimming with Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark by Heather Lang
The true story about the girl who grew up to be the 'Shark Lady' and became one of the most inspiring scientists in the world.

A Life In the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer of Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola
A picture book biography tells the story of Sylvia Earle's growing passion for the wonders of the sea and how her ocean exploration and advocacy have made her known around the world.

Surprising Sharks by Nicola Davies
Introduces many different species of sharks, pointing out such characteristics as the small size of the dwarf lantern shark and the physical characteristics and behavior that makes sharks killing machines.

Giant Squid by Candace Fleming
A nonfiction picture book exploring the mysterious life of the elusive giant squid.

Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea by Steve Jenkins
Provides a top-to-bottom look at the ocean, from birds and waves to thermal vents and ooze.

National Geographic Readers: Weird Sea Creatures by Laura Marsh
An introduction to some of the weirdest creatures that live in the ocean including anglerfish, lionfish, and hagfish.

Tentacles! Tales of the Giant Squid by Shirley Raye Raymond 
Describes some of the exaggerated stories that have been told about giant squids and also what scientists have learned about their real phyiscal characteristics and behavior.

Seymour Simon’s Extreme Oceans by Seymour Simon
With mind-bending facts and stunning photographs join us for an exciting, and sometimes unbelievable, underwater expedition.

Sharks by Seymour Simon
When you get to know the truth about sharks, you'll begin to see them as the fascinating creatures they are, instead of the monsters of myth.

Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters by Andrea Beaty
Rosie Revere is no stranger to flops and fails, kerfuffles, and catastrophes. After all, engineering is all about perseverance! But this time, Rosie has a really important project to tackle--one that feels much bigger than herself. Rosie's beloved Aunt Rose and her friends, the Raucous Riveters--a group of fun-loving gals who built airplanes during World War II--need help inventing something new

Frankie Sparks and the Class Pet by Megan Blakemore
Frankie Sparks, the self-proclaimed "best inventor in the third grade," does research and creates a tool to try to persuade her classmates that a rat would make the best class pet.

Lola Levine is Not Mean! by Monica Brown
Second-grader Lola has a wonderful family, a great teacher, and the best friend ever, Josh, and they all help her feel better after she is teased and forbidden to play team sports at recess for having accidentally hurt classmate Juan during a soccer game.

Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro
A girl, Zoey, and her cat, Sassafras, use science experiments to help a dragon with a problem.

Clubhouse Mysteries (series) by Sharon Draper
A diverse group of four boys call themselves the “Black Dinosaurs”, build a clubhouse, decode secret messages, and solve mysteries. 

Sassy (series) by Sharon Draper
Fourth grader Sassy is annoyed that her family calls her “Little Sister”. In fact, she doesn’t like much that comes with being the youngest child. She is determined to change things and the contents of her sparkly handbag that her grandmother gave her come in handy on that quest.

Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliot
In Brooklyn, nine-year-old Jax joins Ma, a curmudgeonly witch who lives in his building, on a quest to deliver three baby dragons to a magical world, and along the way discovers his true calling.

Dog Days by Karen English
Gavin wants to make a good impression at Carver Elementary, where no one knows he excels at soccer and skateboarding, but an annoying big sister, a bully, and his great aunt's Pomeranian are not helping.

Meet Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqi
In this compilation of four separately published books, Pakistani American second grader Yasmin learns to cope with the small problems of school and home, while gaining confidence in her own skills and creative abilities.

Jasmine Toguchi: Mochi Queen by Debbie Michiko Florence
Eager to do something her big sister has not done first, Jasmine Toguchi, eight, decides to pound mochi with the men and boys when her family gets together for New Year's.

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman 
While picking up milk for his children's cereal, a father is abducted by aliens and finds himself on a wild adventure through time and space.

The Creature of the Pines by Adama Gidwitz
After encountering a Jersey Devil while on a field trip to the Pine Barrens, Elliot and his new friend Uchenna help their weird teacher Professor Fauna rescue the mythological creature from a pair of greedy billionaire brothers.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look
A young boy in Concord, Massachusetts, who loves superheroes and comes from a long line of brave Chinese farmer-warriors, wants to make friends, but first, he must overcome his fear of everything.

Accidental Trouble Magnet, Planet Omar Series, Book 1 by Zanib Mian
My parents decided it would be a good idea to move house AND move me to a new school at the same time. As if I didn't have a hard enough time staying out of trouble at home, now I've also got to try and make new friends. What's worse, the class bully seems to think I'm the perfect target. At least Eid's around the corner which means a feast (YAY) and presents (DOUBLE YAY). Well, as long as I can stay in Mum and Dad's good books long enough…

The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe’s Very First Case by Alexander McCall Smith
Before becoming the first female private investigator in Botswana, eight-year-old Precious Ramotswe tracks down a thief who has been stealing her classmates’ snacks.

Sam Wu is Not Afraid of Sharks by Katie Tsang
After encountering a scary shark at the aquarium, Sam is afraid to attend a birthday party at the beach.

Harriet the Invisible by Ursula Vernon
Never a conventional princess, Harriet becomes an adventurer after learning she is cursed to fall into a deep sleep on her twelfth birthday, but after two years of slaying ogres, cliff-diving, and more with her riding quail, Mumfrey, things go awry at home and she must seek a prince to set things right.

EllRay Jakes the Recess King! by Sally Warner
Eight-year-old EllRay Jakes of Oak Glen Primary School is looking for a new best friend, and he decides that the best way to find one is to come up with a bunch of amazing things to do at recess – and see who shares in the fun.

Annotations for the list are from the Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication information or from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s catalog.

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
A red oak tree and a crow help their human neighbors work out their differences.

Stella Diaz Has Something To Say by Angela Dominguez
Stella Díaz wants to be friends with the new boy in class, but sometimes she accidentally speaks Spanish instead of English and pronounces words wrong, which makes her turn roja. In addition, she has to get over her fear of speaking in front of the class.

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
In a series of poems, eleven-year-old Lonnie writes about his life after the death of his parents, being separated from his younger sister, living in a foster home, and finding his poetic voice at school.

Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman
Tells the story of Phineas Gage, a railroad construction foreman who survived eleven years years after an accident in which a thirteen-pound iron rod shot through his brain.

Clara & Davie by Patricia Polacco
Depicts the life of a young Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross.

The Circulatory System by Christine Taylor-Butler
Discusses the circulatory system and ways to keep your heart healthy, and shows a map of blood's route around the body.

Who Was Helen Keller? by Gare Thompson
A biography of the woman who, with the assistance of her devoted teacher Annie Sullivan, achieved success and fame despite being blind and deaf.

El Deafo by Cece Bell
Going to school and making new friends can be tough. But going to school and making new friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid strapped to your chest? That requires superpowers!

Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender
Born on Water Island in the Virgin Islands during a hurricane, which is considered bad luck, twelve-year-old Caroline falls in love with another girl--and together they set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother.

Aru Shah and the Song of Death by Roshani Chokshi
Accused of stealing the god of love's bow and arrow, Aru has ten days to find the real thief or risk being kicked out of the Otherworld.

One-Third Nerd by Gennifer Choldenko
Ten-year-old LIam and his two younger sisters, precocious third-grader Dakota and second-grader Izzy, who has Down syndrome, face the possibility of losing their beloved dog, Cupcake who keeps urinating on their apartment's carpet.

Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Discovering a book of Langston Hughes' poetry in the library helps Langston cope with the loss of his mother, relocating from Alabama to Chicago as part of the Great Migration, and being bullied.

The New Kid by Jerry Craft
Instead of sending Jordan to the arts school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics. Jordan turns out to be one of the few kids of color in his entire grade and struggles to find balance between his home life in Washington Heights and his new upscale academy. Presented in comic book format.

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
Hoping that if she wins a local beauty pageant her father will come home, Raymie practices twirling a baton and performing good deeds as she is drawn into an unlikely friendship with a drama queen and a saboteur.

Blended by Sharon Draper
Piano-prodigy Isabella, eleven, whose black father and white mother struggle to share custody, never feels whole, especially as racial tensions affect her school, her parents both become engaged, and she and her stepbrother are stopped by police.

Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliott
In Brooklyn, nine-year-old Jax joins Ma, a curmudgeonly witch who lives in his building, on a quest to deliver three baby dragons to a magical world, and along the way discovers his true calling.

The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles
When adventurous cousins Otto and Sheed Alston accidentally extend the last day of summer by freezing time, they find the secrets between the unmoving seconds are not as much fun as they expected.

All’s Faire In Middle School by Victoria Jamieson
Homeschooled by Renaissance Fair enthusiasts, eleven-year-old Imogene has a hard time fitting in when her wish to enroll in public school is granted

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
In 2007, Abigail Caldwell, the first female, and African American city manager for the town of Lambert, South Carolina, was forced to resign after covertly digging up the municipal tennis courts in search of buried treasure. Now, a decade later, the late Abigail's twelve-year-old granddaughter Candice is following the same arcane clues, hoping to uncover the Parker inheritance. But who was Parker?

You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly
Charlotte, twelve, and Ben, eleven, are highly-skilled competitors at online Scrabble and that connection helps both as they face family issues and the turmoil of middle school.

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, Lily traps a tiger and makes a deal with him to heal Halmoni. Newbery Medal, 2021.

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina
Thoughtful, strong-willed sixth-grader Merci Suarez navigates difficult changes with friends, family, and everyone in between.

Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble, Book 1 by Anna Meriano
Wanting to be a part of her family's Dia de Los Muertos preparations, Leonora sneaks out of school to discover her mother, aunt, and older sisters have been keeping a secret.

Dactyl Hill Squad by Daniel Jose Older
Older weaves historical facts with dinosaur-inspired fancy to fashion a Civil War-era New York City, rooted in real events and attitudes, in which dinosaurs still roam and a diverse band of orphans resists corrupt authorities during the Draft Riots of 1863.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker
After being forced to give up his pet fox Pax, a young boy named Peter decides to leave home and get his best friend back.

Knights Vs. Dinosaurs by Matt Phelen
With the realm at peace and few dragons about, the Knights of the Round Table are bored, so Merlin sends them to face the most terrible lizards of all dinosaurs.

The Plant Planet by Jon Scieskzka
Carbon dioxide is out of control on Earth, and the fate of humankind rests in the paws of four experimental, untested animal astronauts who are seeking another habitable planet; first destination is the plant planet which at first looks perfect, except that the abundant plant life can think for itself--and it thinks that it really does not like the AstroNuts.

Big Tree by Brian Selznick
Sycamore seed siblings Merwin and Louise must use their wits and imaginations to navigate a mysterious and often dangerous world, filled with talking plants, monsters, meteors, and the fear of never finding the right conditions to set down roots and become big trees.

The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell
Follows the adventures of a group of neighborhood children who create costumes from cardboard and use their imagination in adventures with knights, robots, and monsters.

Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake
The last thing Badger wants is a roommate, and certainly not Skunk, but since the house does not belong to him he does not have a choice; and soon everything in Badger's quiet and ordered life studying rocks is turned upside down (and where on earth did all the chickens come from)--but after he drives Skunk and his chickens away, Badger starts to miss his roommate and sets out to find him and make amends.

Front Desk (and others in the series) by Kelly Yang
Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language? It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?

Rocket to the Moon! by Don Brown
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong took "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" when the Apollo 11 landed on the moon. But it wasn’t just one man who got us to the moon. The Moon Landing explores the people and technology that made the moon landing possible. Instead of examining one person's life, it focuses on the moon landing itself, showing the events leading up to it and how it changed the world. The book takes readers through the history of rocket building: from ancient Chinese rockets, to "bombs bursting in air" during the War of 1812, to Russia's Sputnik program, to the moon landing all in comic book format.

Children of the First People: Fresh Voices of Alaska’s Native Kids by Tricia Brown
Alaska is a mythic land brought closer through these stories of Native kids doing things like playing basketball and seal hunting in the harsh environments of the icy north.  

Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne
A collection of poems by women that reflects the joy and passion in the fight for social justice, tackling topics from discrimination to empathy, and acceptance to speaking out.

Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 by Alice Faye Duncan
The story of nine-year-old Lorraine Jackson, who accompanied her sanitation worker father to the Memphis Sanitation Strike of 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s final stand for justice before his assassination.

HerStory: 50 Women And Girls Who Shook Up The World by Katherine Halligan
Celebrate fifty inspiring and powerful women who changed the world and left their mark in this lavishly illustrated biography compilation.

A History of Pictures for Children by David Hockney
From cave paintings to video games, this book shows how and why pictures have been made, linking art to the human experience. 

When Lunch Fights Back: Wickedly Clever Animal Defenses by Rebecca L. Johnson
Presents the various types of defense mechanisms used by animals, including the bone spikes of the African hairy frog, the deadly poison of the blue-spotted N. taracua termite, and the hammer-like punch of the peacock mantis shrimp.

Hidden Figures: Young Readers’ Edition by Margot Lee Shetterly
The untold true story of four African-American women who helped launch our nation into space.

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman
Explores the extraordinary life and scientific discoveries of Maria Merian, who discovered the truth about metamorphosis and documented the science behind the mystery in this visual biography that features many original paintings by Maria herself. 

Beastly Bionics: Rad Robots, Brilliant Biomimicry, and Incredible Inventions Inspired by Nature by Jennifer Swanson
From robots that protect people and gather information to everyday inventions, like reflectors on the roads and ice-proof coatings for airplanes, to new sources of renewable energy, this book dives into the ways that nature can give us ideas on how to improve our world. Discover more than 40 examples of technology influenced by animals, learn about some of the incredible creatures who have inspired multiple creations, and meet some of the scientists and the stories behind their inventions.

The Triumphant Tale of the House Sparrow by Jan Thornhill
Presents the history of the house sparrow, from its beginnings in the Middle East to its spread with the growth of agriculture around the world, and discusses its population decline in recent years.

Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford
Henry Brown wrote that long before he came to be known as "Box," he "entered the world a slave.” He was put to work as a child and passed down from one generation to the next - as property. When he was an adult, his wife and children were sold away from him out of spite. Henry Brown watched as his family left, bound in chains, headed to the deeper South. What more could be taken from him? But then hope - and help - came in the from of the Underground Railroad. Escape! The author, in poems, narrates Henry Brown's story of how he came to ship himself in a box from slavery to freedom.

Can You Hear the Trees Talking? by Peter Wholleben
A global advocate for forests and our relationship with trees shares the mysteries and magic of the forest in language kids can understand. Includes quizzes and hands-on activities.

The Brain: The Ultimate Thinking Machine by Tory Woollcott
Provides an inside look at the human brain, the most advanced operating system in the world, by exploring topics such as how our senses work in relation to the brain and how we remember things. Presented in comic book format.

Annotations for the list are from the Library Congress Cataloging in Publication information or from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s catalog.

Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac
Twelve-year-old Malian lives with her grandparents on a Wabanaki reservation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sky Wolf’s Call by Eldon Yellowhorn
The authors reveal how Indigenous knowledge comes from centuries of practices, experiences, and ideas gathered by people who have a long history with the natural world. Indigenous knowledge is explored through the use of fire and water, the acquisition of food, the study of astronomy, and healing practices.

Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: A Navajo Code Talker’s Story. by Joseph Bruchac
As a boy, Chester Nez was taught his native language and culture were useless, but he was later called on to use his Navajo language to help create an unbreakable military code during WWII.

Classified: the Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer by Traci Sorell
Mary Golda Ross designed classified projects for Lockheed Air Corporation as the company's first female engineer. Find out how her passion for math and the Cherokee values she was raised with shaped her life and work.

Sharice's Big Voice: a Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman By Charise Davids
This autobiography tells the remarkable story of Sharice Davids, one of the first Native American women elected to Congress and the first LGBTQ congressperson to represent Kansas.

Unstoppable: How Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team Defeated Army by Art Coulson
In the autumn of 1912, the football team from Carlisle Indian Industrial School took the field at the U.S. Military Academy, home to the bigger, stronger, and better-equipped West Points Cadets. Sportswriters billed the game as a sort of rematch, pitting against each other the descendants of U.S. soldiers and American Indians who fought on the battlefield only 20 years earlier. But for lightning-fast Jim Thorpe and the other Carlisle players, that day's game was about skill, strategy, and determination. Known for unusual formations and innovative plays, the Carlisle squad was out to prove just one thing--that it was the best football team in all the land.

Wilma's Way Home: the Life of Wilma Mankiller By Doreen Rappaport
A picture book biography of Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-̈Sa, Native American Author, Musician, and Activist By Gina Capaldi
Zitkala-Sa finds that she can sing through her music, but also by writing stories and giving speeches and being an activist for Native American rights.

Booked by Kwame Alexander
Twelve-year-old Nick loves soccer and hates books, but soon learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams.

Sweep: The Story Of A Girl And Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier
In nineteenth-century England, after her father's disappearance Nan Sparrow, ten, works as a "climbing boy," aiding chimney sweeps, but when her most treasured possessions end up in a fireplace, she unwittingly creates a golem.

Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake
Twelve-year-old Ivy Aberdeen's house is destroyed in a tornado, and in the aftermath of the storm, she begins to develop feelings for another girl at school.

Hurricane Child by Kacen Challender by Kacen Callender
Born on Water Island in the Virgin Islands during a hurricane, which is considered bad luck, twelve-year-old Caroline falls in love with another girl--and together they set out in a hurricane to find Caroline's missing mother.

Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya
After a fight at school leaves Marcus facing suspension, Marcus's mother takes him and his younger brother, who has Down syndrome, to Puerto Rico to visit relatives they do not remember or have never met, and while there Marcus starts searching for his father, who left their family ten years ago and is somewhere on the island.

Aru Shah and the Song of Death by Roshani Chokshi
Accused of stealing the god of love's bow and arrow, Aru has ten days to find the real thief or risk being kicked out of the Otherworld.

Class Act by Jerry Craft
Eighth grader Drew Ellis recognizes that he isn't afforded the same opportunities, no matter how hard he works, that his privileged classmates at the Riverdale Academy Day School take for granted. To make matters worse, Drew begins to feel as if his good friend Liam might be one of those privileged kids and is finding it hard not to withdraw, even as their mutual friend Jordan tries to keep their group of friends together. Presented in comic book format.

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a car trip retracing her mother's route. Along the way, Sal recounts the story of her friend Phoebe, whose mother also left.

Blended by Sharon Draper
Piano-prodigy Isabella, eleven, whose black father and white mother struggle to share custody, never feels whole, especially as racial tensions affect her school, her parents both become engaged, and she and her stepbrother are stopped by police.

Unstoppable Octobia May by Sharon Flake
In 1953 ten-year-old Octobia May lives in her Aunt's boarding house in the South, surrounded by an African American community which has its own secrets and internal racism, and spends her days wondering if Mr. Davenport in room 204 is really a vampire--or something else entirely.

The Lion of Mars by Jennifer L. Holm
Bell has spent his whole life on Mars. When a virus breaks out and all of the adults get sick, Bell and the other kids are oddly immune, leaving it up to them to face the unknown to save their families.

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, Lily traps a tiger and makes a deal with him to heal Halmoni. Newbery Medal, 2021.

We Dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly
The story of three siblings who struggle with their own personal anxieties following the explosion of the Challenger in 1986.

The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon
Caleb Franklin and his younger brother, Bobby Gene, spend an extraordinary summer with their new, older neighbor, Styx Malone, a foster boy from the city.

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by meg Medina
Thoughtful, strong-willed sixth-grader Merci Suarez navigates difficult changes with friends, family, and everyone in between.

Homerooms & Hall Passes by Tom O'Donnell
In the mystical realm of Bríandalör, every day the brave and the bold delve into hidden temples or forgotten dungeons, battling vile monsters and evil wizards to loot their treasure hoards. But in their free time, they meet up once a week to play Homerooms & Hall Passes--a role-playing game where they assume the characters of average American eighth graders. But when the five young adventurers are magically transported into their H&H game by an ancient curse, they must band together to survive their toughest challenge yet: middle school.

Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Twelve-year-old Max, who loves the legend Buelo tells him about a mythical gatekeeper who can guide brave travelers on a journey into tomorrow, sets out on a dangerous quest to discover if he is true of heart and what the future holds, armed with a treasured compass, a mysterious stone rubbing, and Buelo's legend as his only guides.

Roll With It by Jamie Sumner
Twelve-year-old Ellie, who has cerebral palsy, finds her life transformed when she moves with her mother to small-town Oklahoma to help care for her grandfather, who has Alzheimer's disease.

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
In Pakistan, Amal holds onto her dream of being a teacher even after becoming an indentured servant to pay off her family's debt to the wealthy and corrupt Khan family.

Property Of The Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes
Twelve-year-old June Harper, shocked when her parents go on a campaign to clear the Dogwood Middle School library of objectionable books, starts a secret banned books library in an empty locker.

Front Desk (and others from the series) by Kelly Yang
After emigrating from China, ten-year-old Mia Tang's parents take a job managing a rundown motel, despite the nasty owner, Mr. Yao, who exploits them, while she works the front desk and tries to cope with fitting in at her school.

Birth of the Cool : How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound by Kathleen Cornell Berman
Explores the childhood and early career of the noted jazz trumpeter who gained fame performing at the first Newport Jazz Festival in 1955.

Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne A collection of poems by women that reflects the joy and passion in the fight for social justice, tackling topics from discrimination to empathy, and acceptance to speaking out.

Eat This!: How Fast-Food Marketing Gets You To Buy Junk (and how to fight back) by Andrea Curtis A comprehensive compilation of fast-food marketing practices aimed at youth and ways kids can recognize and combat them.

I Am Not A Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis and Kathy Kacer Based on the life of co-author Jenny Kay Dupuis’ grandmother, I Am Not a Number is a hugely necessary book that brings a terrible part of Canada’s history to light in a way that children can learn from and relate to.

Calling All Minds by Temple Grandin Temple Grandin explores how to experiment and how to think about science for young readers.

HerStory: 50 Women And Girls Who Shook Up The World by Katherine Halligan Celebrate fifty inspiring and powerful women who changed the world and left their mark in this lavishly illustrated biography compilation.

We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices by Hudson Wade What do we tell our children when the world seems bleak, and prejudice and racism run rampant? With 96 lavishly designed pages of original art, poetry, and prose, fifty diverse creators lend voice and comfort to young activists.

Spooked!: How A Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America by Gail Jarrow Describes the panic induced when listeners believed Orson Welles' radio broadcast of "The War of the Worlds" to be news of an alien invasion, discussing the context in which the broadcast was aired and why it was so convincing.

42 Is Not Just a Number by Doreen Rappaport An eye-opening look at the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson, the man who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball and became an American hero.

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boy’s Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat Chronicles the 2018 seventeen-day rescue operation that saved twelve young players of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach after they became trapped in a cave in northern Thailand.

Get Coding! Learn HTML, CSS and JavaScript and Build a Website, App and Game by David Whitney All you need to get started is a computer and this programming guide, a book that's just right for beginners of any age to develop real coding skills. Follow the step-by-step instructions through six missions and you will learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

The Brain: The Ultimate Thinking Machine by Tory Woollcott Provides an inside look at the human brain, the most advanced operating system in the world, by exploring topics such as how our senses work in relation to the brain and how we remember things. Presented in comic book format.

Annotations for the list are from the Library Congress Cataloging in Publication information or from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s catalog