Author: Karina Glaser

Two squirrels need to get creative in order to get a slice of that gooey, delicious pizza. Will they accomplish their hearts’ desire, even if it means trickery and evading Tomato, the one-eyed cat?

This wonderfully informative book about everyone’s favorite food is both fun and funny. Did you know that in the USA, we eat 350 slices of pizza every second? Find out where Pizza Margherita got its name and how pizza differs by country.

This cosmically silly graphic novel combines so many things that kids love: cats, space, and pizza! When humans discover that rats are eating the moon, Earth’s last great hope is…a cat? Can this cat save the world?

Pipo knows that pizza is the best food in the world, but when she sets out to scientifically prove that fact, she meets so many people in the neighborhood who like different foods. Is pizza better than bibimbap? Better than Moroccan tagine? Maybe the best food is the one that reminds you of home…

I adore this picture book about two people who fall in love in the most unlikely of places: Minidoka, a War Relocation Center in the desert. There, Tama works in the camp’s tiny library, and each day George is waiting at the door when the library opens ready to return his book haul and select new stories to check out. Tama has never met such a bookworm! Or is George visiting the library so frequently for a different reason?

When his younger brother Jimmy stops eating once their family is moved to an internment camp, Taro spends his nights making the risky trip out of the camp to catch fish for Jimmy in hopes that he can tempt his brother to eat.

This thoroughly researched nonfiction book illuminates an underrepresented topic in American history. During the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, three photographers set out to document life in Manzanar, an internment camp in the California desert. Through their eyes, we see a variety of images that capture what life was like inside the camps.

In this heavily researched book, award-winning author Tanya Lee Stone tells the story of two groups of teenagers on opposite sides of the world connected by war who grow up into adults who pursue peace and forgiveness.

I loved Drago’s previous picture book Gustavo: The Shy Ghost, and this one is just as charming and sweet. Leila is a perfect witch — she excels at everything…except for cooking. Thankfully, she has three sisters who don’t mind sharing cooking tips, and Leila learns that she doesn’t have to be good at everything to be accepted.

Written from the perspective of a house who is looking for a family who doesn’t mind her creaky floors and squeaky hinges, this lovely picture book is about finding home with people who love you just the way you are.

I know so many fans of this book, and it’s no surprise because it has everything that a middle grade reader would want. Mystery? Check. The main character’s nomination to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs? Check. An evil magician threatening the supernatural world? Check!

If you’re into extremely creepy, bone chillingly scary books, Lindsay Currie is the author for you! When Mallory moves to Eastport, a town known as the most cursed in all of America, she begins having persistent nightmares of being watched. Then, in a terrifying encounter, she meets the woman from her dreams, and Mallory knows she must face her fears before it’s too late.

This lovely collection follows a family that decides to celebrate all the Jewish holidays within one year — the holidays they know and the ones they aren’t so familiar with. Join them as they explore new traditions and the history behind them.

This wonderful collection, edited by the great Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by a number of incredible artists, is sure to get kids excited by rhythm and rhyme. The included CD is a wonderful way to enjoy the poems and is a reminder that poetry is meant to be shared and spoken.

I love this book and have given it to many people. It is a story of inspiration and aspiration, written by the now famous Amanda Gorman who delivered this poem at the presidential inauguration of President Joseph Biden.

I adore this collection of Langston Hughes’ poetry combined with the gorgeous illustrations by Benny Andrews. There is also a wonderful forward by acclaimed author Renée Watson.

In 1929, when she was 19 years old, Bessie got on her motorcycle and traveled the country. She would flip a penny on a map to decide where she was going. She learned how to service her own motorcycle and faced discrimination and danger on the road. But despite the setbacks, she continued to ride and founded the Iron Horse Motorcycle Club to connect with other riders.

In this picture book biography, Thai creators Christina Soontornvat and Dow Phumiruk tell the inspiring story of Tammy Duckworth. Born in Thailand, Tammy grew up moving from place to place because of her dad’s job at the United Nations. But when her dad loses his job, they use the last of their savings to move to Hawaii. Through hard work and perseverance, she finished college and graduate school and enlisted in the army to serve her country. In Baghdad, her helicopter was hit, and her injuries were nearly fatal. After a long and painful recovery, Tammy wanted to continue serving her country and she eventually became the first Thai American woman elected to Congress.

I loved this story of Edith Head. As a young girl, she grew up in the small mining town of Searchlight, Nevada. She spent her days in the desert dressing up her toys, pets, wild animals, and even a cactus! When she grew up and moved to California for high school, Edith continued to make costumes, eventually landing jobs in Hollywood and dressing the most famous stars of her time.

In her own words, Ruby Bridges tells her story of what it was like to be the first African American student to integrate the school system in the south at the age of 6. I loved Nikkolas Smith’s stunning and moving illustrations in this new picture book that shares an incredible and important part of American history.

This vividly illustrated picture book tells the story of Jeanne Villepreux-Power, a dressmaker in Paris who found a deep connection with the ocean. When observing sea creatures, she realized that it would be so much better to bring a piece of the ocean back with her so she could study it more. She ended up building the world’s first aquarium, paving the way for scientists to study the ocean in a new way.

This adventure stars a British Nigerian girl who learns that her hair has psychokinetic powers. When her mom discovers Onyeka’s powers, she is shipped to the Academy of the Sun in Nigeria. But as often happens when attending a school for people with magical powers, nothing is what it seems, and it’s up to Onyeka to find out the truth.

Kohei Fujiwara knows all about the big ryū, dragons that disappeared from Japan after World War II. But Kohei has never seen one before, and when his grandfather is sick, Kohei knows he needs to find a big ryū before it’s too late.

When Kyana discovers she’s a witch, she begins to attend Park Row Magick Academy on Saturdays, which is hidden in the back of a local beauty shop. But trouble brews when the school might lose their funding, and Kyana needs to figure out how to make money, and fast. If the school disbands, they could all lose their magic forever.

In the second book of the Kingdom Beyond series, Pinki is back, only this time she is called to be the leader of the resistance. Pinki, however, definitely does not want to be a leader. Can she summon the courage to step up and fight evil? This is another thrilling series from bestselling author Sayantani DasGupta!

In the city of Lagos in the country of Nigeria, Too Small Tola and her two siblings and Grandmummy live together and have lots of adventures. In this set of three stories, Tola is given a great gift from her grandmother and finds joy in helping her family every day.

In a follow up to Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship, these stories based on Indian folklore follow Prince Veera and his best friend Suku as they encounter secrets, tricksters and riddles. This is a fun book to read aloud or for newly independent readers! (The illustrations are so fun!)

This book is right up my alley because it’s about kids who want PETS! Rica really wants a pet— anything will do, she’s not picky!— but her parents are strongly opposed. Can Rica convince her parents that she has everything it takes to care for an animal?

This is the third book in the Ryan Hart series, and I just love Ryan Hart and her imaginative mind and her positive attitude! In this book, Ryan finds herself in the middle with her family and her friends. She tries to make everyone happy, which strangely enough makes no one happy! Can Ryan find ways to share joy even when nothing seems to be going right?

No one does novels-in-verse like Nikki Grimes! In this beautiful book set in middle school, 12-year-old Joylin Johnson finds her world in disarray. Her friends are suddenly flirting with each other, basketball isn’t the same, and a new kid arrives that gives Joy all sorts of feelings. Will Joy survive middle school?

In the third book in The Kids Under the Stairs series, Jordan J *might* have made enemies of the entire school dance team due to his honest reviews of their dances in the school paper. But with his goal of making it onto his favorite dance show, he needs help and appeals to the only dance team member who is still talking to him. Can Jordan make his dream come true?

Newbery Honoree Rajani LaRocca pens a beautiful novel-in-verse about Reha, the only Indian American student at her school. Reha is torn between her family, with their traditions and high expectations of her, and school, where she feels different and unable to share who she really is. But when her mom gets really sick, she knows she needs to do everything in her power to help her mom get better.

Anna leaves her home in Taiwan for the “beautiful country,” the Chinese word for America. But moving to a new place is so much harder than she ever dreamed, especially when her parents struggle with making enough money and Anna struggles with the language and encounters bullies at school. This is an honest book about the challenges of being an immigrant in America.

In this compelling story by Aida Salazar, a young girl named Lula Viramontes is a farm worker alongside her family in California in 1965. Her dreams include joining a Mexican traveling circus, but such dreams seem far away when she spends her days in dangerous working conditions. When she meets labor rights activists, she realizes that she might have bigger dreams than she ever realized.

In the third book in her Merci Suarez series, Newbery award-winning author Meg Medina continues the Suarez family story as Merci heads into eighth grade. There are changes at school and at home — can Merci handle the shifting tides?

As you know, I love a good animal story. Here, Clementine is a certified mouse genius. She lives in a lab where scientists perform tests on her. Clementine’s only social interaction are with a chimpanzee named Rosie. But when Clementine is freed, she discovers a whole new world outside her cage.

Renee Watson’s Ryan Hart series is so lovely, and I’m excited that the third book is coming out on September 27! In this book, Ryan is being pulled in different directions — by her family and by her friends. Can Ryan continue to find joy and share it with those she meets?

First of all, isn’t this cover fabulous? This is the story about wonderful Lotus Bloom, a seventh grader, a violinist, and a new student at a school for the arts where she has the opportunity to play the violin under a famous maestro. But the new school isn’t all she’s dreamed it to be, especially when boys throw paper planes and spit balls into her hair, and Lotus gets in trouble for a dress code violation. Can Lotus find the words to speak up for herself without endangering all that she’s worked for?

One last note! The next book in the Vanderbeeker series, The Vanderbeekers on the Road, is on sale this Tuesday! In this installment, the Vanderbeekers squeeze into a van and head across the country to California. What could go wrong?

This graphic novel is filled with gorgeous artwork depicting two border towns: one on the Mexico border and one on the United States border (like with My Town/Mi Pueblo!). Twins Luis Fernando and Luisa Teresa find themselves going to different schools for the first time in the lives. Their schools aren’t even in the same country! Luisa Teresa crosses the border everyday to go to a new private school while Luis Fernando stays in Mexicali and ends up befriending a boy he’s not so sure about. Can these twins make it through the school year even as they grow apart?

Five kids are grouped together for their school’s community service project, and the only thing they have in common is that they speak Spanish. When a new kid arrives and needs their help, will they work together to do the right thing?

Victoria has loved horses her whole life, but the competitive spirit in the stables she trains with has gotten to be too much for her. After a massive fight with her best friend, Victoria decides it’s time for a new start… and a new stable.

Sue wants a normal summer. She wants to go to camp and make comics with her friends. But when she has to go to Honduras instead — to a place with no internet! — and her mom says they are throwing her a quinceañera, Sue is certain that this is the worst summer ever.

As Cory enters his final year of middle school, his group of friends are ready to do whatever it takes to win the biggest dance competition. But then Cory’s grades fall and he needs a tutor, he’s upset to learn it’ll be Sunna, one of his classmates. They don’t like each other one bit!