• American Born Chinese

    by Gene Yang Year Published: 2006

    A tour-de-force by New York Times bestselling graphic novelist Gene Yang, American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he's the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny's life with his yearly visits. Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable. American Born Chinese is an amazing ride, all the way up to the astonishing climax.

    American Born Chinese is the winner of the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award, a 2006 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature, the winner of the 2007 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New, an Eisner Award nominee for Best Coloring, a 2007 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, and a New York Times bestseller. Gene Luen Yang was the fifth the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and is a MacArthur Fellow, a recipient of what's popularly known as the MacArthur "Genius" Grant.

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  • The Bat Boy and His Violin (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Books)

    by Gavin Curtis Year Published: 1998 Lexile Measure: 700L
    "Is -- Reginald -- at -- it -- again?" Papa shouts between notes. 
    "Hush up," Mama says, "I just love this one." 
    Papa sometimes comes home in a bad mood because he's the manager of the Dukes -- the worst team in the Negro National League. 

    Reginald loves his violin. His constant practice pays off in floods of beautiful music. But Papa could care less about Reginald's "fiddling." He's more concerned about the Dukes's losing streak, and he needs his son for something other than playing music. When Papa makes Reginald the Dukes's bat boy, Reginald worries that his practice time will suffer, and that he won't be ready for his recital. He takes on every free moment he can find to play, and ends up filling the dugout with Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach. Soon the Dukes begin to shake their bad luck. But there's still that big game against the Monarchs, and there's still Papa's heart that needs winning over. 
    In this beautifully told story of family ties and team spirit, Gavin Curtis captures a very special period in history. Award-winning artist E.B. Lewis brings the warmth of this powerful story to life with his lush watercolor paintings.
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  • Earthling!

    by Mark Fearing Year Published: 2012
    When nine-year-old Bud accidentally catches the wrong bus and finds himself launched into a far-away galaxy, making friends is the least of his problems! At Cosmos Academy, Bud soon learns that Earthlings are the most feared creatures in the galaxy. But with the help of his new friend, Gort, Bud hides his true identity and even learns to play anti-gravity Zero-Ball (when he's only ever been good at watching sports). But with paranoid Principal Lepton threatening to expel any Earthlings, and nothing more than Gort's Blip-computer to determine Earth's coordinates, Bud may be lost in space forever! Both gripping and hilarious, this dynamic graphic novel is perfect for kids who crave adventure with a sense of humor.
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  • The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963

    by Christopher Paul Curtis Year Published: 2000

    The Newbery and Coretta Scott King Honoree about the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan—from Christopher Paul Curtis, author of Bud, Not Buddy, a Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott Award Winner.

    Enter the hilarious world of ten-year-old Kenny and his family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. There's Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron, who's thirteen and an "official juvenile delinquent."

    When Byron gets to be too much trouble, they head South to Birmingham to visit Grandma, the one person who can shape him up. And they happen to be in Birmingham when Grandma's church is blown up.

    AN ALA TOP TEN BEST BOOK
    AN ALA NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK
    AN IRA YOUNG ADULT'S CHOICE
    A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW BEST BOOK
    NAMED TO MULTIPLE STATE AWARD LISTS

    Author Interview

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  • James and the Giant Peach: A Children's Story James and the Giant Peach

    by Roald Dahl Year Published: 1996 Edition Lexile Measure: 0870
    After James Henry Trotter's parents are tragically eaten by a rhinoceros, he goes to live with his two horrible aunts, Spiker and Sponge. Life there is no fun, until James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree and strange things start to happen. The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and before long it's as big as a house. Inside, James meets a bunch of oversized friends—Grasshopper, Centipede, Ladybug, and more. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away, and the great adventure begins!
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  • Zita the Spacegirl (Zita the Spacegirl Series)

    by Ben Hatke Year Published: 2011 Graphic Novel

    A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

    Zita's life took a cosmic left turn in the blink of an eye.

    When her best friend is abducted by an alien doomsday cult, Zita leaps to the rescue and finds herself a stranger on a strange planet. Humanoid chickens and neurotic robots are shocking enough as new experiences go, but Zita is even more surprised to find herself taking on the role of intergalactic hero. Before long, aliens in all shapes and sizes don't even phase her. Neither do ancient prophecies, doomed planets, or even a friendly con man who takes a mysterious interest in Zita's quest.

    Zita the Spacegirl is a fun, captivating tale of friendship and redemption from Flight veteran Ben Hatke. It also has more whimsical, eye-catching, Miyazaki-esque monsters than you can shake a stick at

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