Elections - Non-Fiction

 
Vote! - by Eileen Christelow (2003)
Using a campaign for mayor as an example, shows the steps involved in an election, from the candidate's speeches and rallies, to the voting booth where every vote counts, to the announcement of the winner.

 

Running for Public Office - by Sarah De Capua (2002)

Describes the process of running for a public office, including the planning and organizing of a campaign, the campaign trail, and election day. 

The Voice of the People - by Betsy Maestro (1996)
A basic guide to voting and the election process in the United States.

 

The Congress of the United States - by Christine Taylor-Butler (2008)

Describes the purpose and structure of the U.S Congress, explaining what representatives and senators do, discussing Congress's history, and touring the Capitol.

Elections - Fiction

 

Grace for President - by Kelly DiPucchio (2008)

After finding out there has never been a female U.S. president, Grace decides to run in her school's mock election, where she learns about the American electoral system and sets out to be the best person for the job even though her opponent, Thomas, seems to be winning all the boys' votes.

 

Madame President - by Lane Smith (2008)
A little girl imagines what her day would be like if she were President of the United States.
 

LaRue for Mayor - by Mark Teague (2008)

Mrs. LaRue's dog, Ike, decides to run for mayor of Snort City after realizing the front-runner, Chief Bugwort, wants to enforce leash, curfew, and other laws for dogs. 

 
Otto Runs for President - by Rosemary Wells (2008)
While the popular Tiffany and athletic Charles make increasingly outrageous promises in their campaigns for President of Canine Country Day School, Otto quietly enters the race, vowing only to try to do what students really want.

Famous Places Series

 
The Gateway Arch - by Lisa Bullard (2010)
Provides facts about the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, discusses its history and construction, and looks at how people get to the top of the arch and what they can see from the observation area.

The Hoover Dam - by Jeffrey Zuehlke (2010)  

Provides photographs and information about Hoover Dam, explaining the many purposes of the dam, and looking at how it was built.

The Rocky Mountains - by Jeffrey Zuehlke (2010)
An introduction to the Rocky Mountains that provides information on the region's geological features, the natural forces that created them, the flora and fauna that can be found there, and the history of the area.

The Capitol Building - by Janet Piehl (2010) 

Provides information on the Capital Building, the location in Washington, D. C., where the United States Congress meets, describing its construction, what the building looks like inside, and related topics.

The Empire State Building - by Lisa Bullard (2010)
Provides information about the Empire State Building, the tallest building in the world at the time of its completion in 1931, discussing its construction, and looking at the structure's innovative features. 

Lunch Lady Graphic Novel Series

 
Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta - by Jarrett Krosoczka (2009)  
The school lunch lady, a secret crime fighter, investigates a suspicious author after he visits the school and the gym teacher goes missing.

Lunch lady and the Cyborg Substitute - by Jarrett Krosoczka (2009) 

The school lunch lady, a secret crime fighter, uncovers an evil plot to replace all the popular teachers with robots.

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians - by Jarrett Krosoczka (2009)
The school lunch lady, a secret crime fighter, sets out to stop a group of librarians bent on destroying a shipment of video game systems, while a group of students known as the Breakfast Bunch provides backup.

Magic Pickle Series

 
Magic Pickle - by Scott Morse (2008)
The Magic Pickle, a secret weapon created in a special lab under the floor of Jo Jo Wigman's bedroom, and Jo Jo set out to stop the Brotherhood of the Evil Produce. Presented in graphic novel form.

Magic Pickle and the Creature from the Black Legume - by Scott Morse (2009)

When Jo Jo and Magic Pickle face off against a bad legume during a class field trip to a peanut factory, it is not the fearless, dill superhero nor his video game that save the day but Jo Jo's ingenuity.

Magic Pickle and the Garden of Evil - by Scott Morse (2009)
Magic Pickle, a fearless, dill superhero, comes to the rescue when Jo Jo's class garden yields a monstrous lettuce plant bent on world domination. 

Magic Pickle and the Planet of the Grapes - by Scott Morse (2008)    

A secret weapon known as Magic Pickle and eight-year-old Jo Jo Wigman work together to defeat Razin', an evil raisin who is trying to turn humans into grapes. 

Magic Pickle Vs. the Egg Poacher - by Scott Morse (2008)
The Magic Pickle, a secret weapon created in a special lab under the floor of Jo Jo Wigman's bedroom, and Jo Jo set out to stop a rotten egg from creating havoc at the zoo. 

Fashion Kitty Graphic Novel Series

 

Fashion Kitty - by Charise Mericle Harper (2005)  

After a stack of fashion magazines falls on Kiki Kitty's head while she is blowing out the candles on her birthday cake, Kiki turns into Fashion Kitty, a feline superhero who saves other kitties from fashion disaster.

Fashion Kitty and the Unlikely Hero - by Charise Mericle Harper (2008)  
When the school principal requires that everybody wear boring school uniforms, Fashion Kitty looks forward to using her talents, but some bad kitties teach her important lessons about clothing styles.

Fashion Kitty Versus the Fashion Queen - by Charise Mericle Harper (2007)  

When Fashion Kitty's sense of style is threatened by a jealous cat named Cassandra, she fights back and saves her right to dress however she wishes. 

New Series Chapter Book

Prequel to The Baby-sitters Club series:
The Baby-sitters Club: The Summer Before - by Ann M. Martin (2010)
Stacey McGill moves from New York City to Stoneybrook, Connecticut, in the summer before seventh grade where she meets and becomes friends with Kristy, Mary Anne, and Claudia, all of whom are going through big changes in their lives too.

New Math Books

 

Fractions, Decimals, and Percents - by David A. Adler (2010)

Introduces fractions, decimals, and percents through descriptions of things found at a county fair; and includes instructions for a game. 

 
Fun with Roman Numerals - by David A. Adler (2008)
An illustrated introduction to Roman numerals for young readers, and describes each symbol; and explains how to add, subtract, and read groups of Roman numeral symbols.

Scary Stories - Grades 3-5

The Ghost Behind the Wall - by Melvin Burgess (2000)
Twelve-year-old David sneaks through the ventilation shafts in his London apartment building pulling pranks on his neighbors, which awakens the ghost of a boy with a grudge against the lonely, senile old man who lives upstairs.

The Ghost of Cutler Creek - by Cynthia C. DeFelice (2004)

When Allie is contacted by the ghost of a dog, she and Dub investigate the surly new boy at school and his father, who may be running a puppy mill, to see if they are involved.

The Doll in the Garden - by Mary Downing Hahn (1989)
After Ashley and Kristi find an antique doll buried in old Miss Cooper's garden, they discover that they can enter a ghostly turn-of-the-century world by going through a hole in the hedge.

 

Ghosts of the Civil War - by Cheryl Harness (2002)

The ghost of Willie, President Abraham Lincoln's older son, transports Lindsey back to his own time, where she sees and hears many things from both sides of the Civil War. Includes passages from contemporary documents, a glossary, biographical sketches, and a bibliography. 

The Great Ghost Rescue - by Eva Ibbotson (1975)
A young English boy decides to establish a sanctuary for an assortment of ghosts when the homes they have haunted are replaced by highways and other modern "improvements."

 

The Boys Return - by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (2001)

The Benson boys return to Buckman for spring vacation and concoct a prank involving a non-existent ghost, continuing the practical joke war between the Hatford boys and the Malloy girls.

Olivia Kidney - by Ellen Potter (2003)
Twelve-year-old Olivia explores her new apartment building and finds a psychic, talking lizards, a shrunken ex-pirate, an exiled princess, ghosts, and other unusual characters. 


 

Dare to be Scared - by Robert D. San Souci (2003)

Presents thirteen spookily illustrated stories for children, including ghost stories and other tales of the supernatural, science fiction stories, and fantasy.

Our American Story series

The Boston Tea Party - by Lori Mortensen (2010)

An introduction to the Boston Tea Party that describes what provoked the Colonists to act out against British rule and the aftermath of their actions. 

 
The First American Flag - by Kathy Allen (2010)
Easy-to-follow text and colorful illustrations describe the origin of the American flag, Francis Hopkins' role in creating the first flag, early alternate versions, and other related topics; and includes a time line, glossary, and suggestions for further reading. 
 
 

Paul Revere's Ride - by Lori Mortensen (2010)

Easy-to-follow text and colorful illustrations describe the life and significance of Paul Revere, who's legendary ride ensured a victory for the minutemen in a battle against the British soldiers; and includes a time line, glossary, and suggestions for further reading.

 

Writing the U.S. Constitution - by Lori Mortensen (2010)
Easy-to-follow text and colorful illustrations describe the birth of the U. S. Constitution, and covers the meeting of the Founding Fathers at the Constitutional Convention, the political arguments, and more; and includes a time line, glossary, and suggestions for further reading.

 

New Picture Book - Based on a True Story

             Based on a True Story:

Cromwell Dixon's Sky-Cycle - by John Abbott Nez (2009)

In 1907 Columbus, Ohio, fourteen-year-old Cromwell Dixon, aided by his mother, begins building the flying bicycle he has invented to enter in the St. Louis Airship Carnival. Includes facts about Dixon's life as an aviation pioneer.

Poetry

My People - Langston Hughes (2009)
Sepia toned photographs by Charles R. Smith, Jr. accompany Langston Hughes' classic poem "My People" and celebrate the glory, beauty, and soul of the African-American community.

Button Up!: Wrinkled Rhymes - by Alice Schertle (2009)

A collection of poems about clothes and animals wearing them.

That's Gross!

That's Gross: A Look at Science - by Julie Murray (2009)

Backyard

Photographs and simple text introduce young readers to some of the gross things found in the backyard such as worms and snakes, fertilizers and manure, and bugs.

 

The Body

Photographs and simple text introduce young readers to gross things about the human body such as scabs and sores, sweat, and normal bodily functions.

Home

Photographs and simple text introduce young readers to gross things found around the home such as bacteria found on kitchen or bathroom surfaces, dust mites in carpeting or bedding, and germs that live on toothbrushes.

 

 Hospital

Photographs and simple text introduce young readers to gross things found in the hospital such as patients who have bed sores, bedpans, disposable tools and needles, and surgery stitches.

 

School

Photographs and simple text introduce young readers to some of the gross things found in school such as head lice, bacteria on desks and other surfaces, and germs from coughing or sneezing.

 

 Underwater

Photographs and simple text introduce young readers to unusual things found underwater including starfish and sea sponges, anglerfish, algae and pollution, and ocean parasites.

New Picture Books

 

Would I Trade My Parents? - by Laura Numeroff (2009)
A young boy considers what is special about all of his friends' parents, and realizes that his own are the most wonderful of all.

Let's Do Nothing - by Tony Fucile (2009)

Young friends Frankie and Sal, believing they have "done it all," decide to do nothing for a while, but Frankie has a little trouble with the concept and it is not long before the boys realize there is no way to do nothing.

 

Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don't!) - by Barbara Bottner (2010)

A first-grade girl--who does not like to read--stubbornly resists her school librarian's efforts to convince her to love books until she finds one that might change her mind.