Looking for some good reads for the elementary-school-aged kid in your life? Check out these staff recommendations from Katie, our Outreach Services Librarian.
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Mia Tang works long hours at the front desk of her parents motel, doing all she can to help them make it in America against seemingly unsurmountable odds. Based on the author’s childhood as the daughter of Chinese immigrants in southern California, Front Desk is an empathetic look at the realities faced by many immigrant children.
The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
Inspired by the award-winning novel of the same name, this graphic novel relays the desperate circumstances surrounding Parvana, an eleven year old who must disguise herself as a boy in order to help support her family under Taliban rule.
The 78-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton
The illustrations make the story in this fiction series for kids (not to be confused with the Magic Tree House!) featuring friends Andy and Terry. Silly and absurd, this series is hard to put down. A great read-alike for Wimpy Kid or Big Nate fans.
Just Like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard
5th grader Robbie must figure out a way to keep herself and her grandpa, the only family she has, together when his memory begins to fail. Robbie makes a strong protagonist in this tale of acceptance and what truly makes a family.