National Network for Equitable Library Service

Travel through time with National Book Award finalist Kekla Magoon in a page-turning fantasy adventure about family secrets and finding the courage to plot your own life story. Since Grandpa died, Dally’s days are dull and restricted. She’s eleven and a half years old, and her exacting single mother is already preparing her to take over the family business. Starved for adventure and release, Dally rescues a mysterious envelope from her mother’s clutches—an envelope Grandpa had earmarked for her.

This acclaimed, award-winning novel by Mitali Perkins will soon be a movie! Naima is a talented painter of traditional alpana patterns, which Bangladeshi women and girls paint on their houses for special celebrations. But Naima is not satisfied just painting alpana. She wants to help earn money for her family, like her best friend, Saleem, does for his family. When Naima's rash effort to help puts her family deeper in debt, she draws on her resourceful nature and her talents to bravely save the day.

When plans for a ball run afoul, Princess Magnolia accepts the help of a valiant new hero to save her secret decorations—and the entire evening! Princess Magnolia is at the Flower Festival prepping for the evening ball when suddenly she hears a commotion. Oh no! She isn’t prepared to fight a monster or... a grumpy emu! To her surprise, a knight in shining armor comes to the rescue, but not before the princess’s prized decorations are stomped on and destroyed.

The Princess in Black may know how to handle all kinds of monsters, but a kitten set on destruction? Me-OW! Duchess Wigtower had heard that pets are fun, but all her kitten has gotten her is nine lives' worth of problems. Eeeeek! It’s time for someone else to deal with this catastrophe. Princess Magnolia is thrilled when a kitten lands on her doorstep, but just as she’s about to play with Plumpkins (or should it be Hugmaster Floof?) the monster alarm goes off. When Princess Magnolia returns to her castle, her furry companion has carved up the wallpaper!

Everyone knows the most stressful day of middle school is picture day! And that's exactly where this yearbook-worthy series opener begins: with reinventing yourself, drama, popularity, and the friends who see you through. Seventh-grader Viv never looks forward to picture day. It’s just another day where she wears a boring braid and no one notices her. Her two best friends, Milo and Al, don’t count, of course. But enough is enough. This year, she’s taking matters into her own hands. Literally. Viv grabs a pair of scissors, her phone for live-streaming, and says goodbye to her braid.

From the two-time Newbery Honor-winning author of The War That Saved My Life and Fighting Words comes a middle grade novel set at the border between freedom and fear in World War II France, at the Chateau de Chenonceau, where a Jewish girl who has lost everything but her life must decide whether to risk even that to bring others to freedom. "We don’t choose how we feel, but we choose how we act." It’s 1942. German Nazis occupy much of France. And twelve-year-old Miriam, who is Jewish, is not safe.

Ms. Rachel—the fastest-growing phenomenon in children’s educational entertainment—brings her signature teaching style to her debut picture book, adapted for audio! With favorite songs and language development techniques from her videos, Ms. Rachel asks young listeners to help her find a very special surprise just for them. Ms. Rachel is looking for something very special, and she needs your help finding it! With more than 20 important milestones featured—including gestures and speech—Ms. Rachel brings educational expertise to her debut picture book.

Every favorite character from Kate DiCamillo’s New York Times bestselling Mercy Watson books makes an appearance in this extended, riotously funny series crescendo. When Mercy Watson the pig goes missing, all of Deckawoo Drive is in an uproar. The Watsons are inconsolable, and the local police, fire, and animal control departments are no help whatsoever. Bossy neighbor Eugenia Lincoln is not quite as sad as she might be, but thankfully her sister, Baby Lincoln, has the idea to hire a private investigator.

A new all-ages adventure tale from Printz Medal Winner Daniel Nayeri. This is the tale of an exciting journey along the Silk Road with a young monk and his newfound guardian, Samir, a larger-than-life character and the so-called "Seller of Dreams." The man is a scammer; his biggest skill being the ability to talk his way into getting what he wants. While that talking did save Monkey's life, it has left a lot of people furious with Samir—furious enough to hire assassins. Monkey decides to try and save Samir from the attempts on his life—as a way to pay off his debt!

"Every so often a book comes along that is so brave and necessary, it extends a lifeline when it’s needed most. This is one of those books." —Katherine Applegate, author of the Newbery Medal–winning The One and Only Ivan. Revered teacher, librarian, and story ambassador John Schu explores anorexia—and self-expression as an act of survival—in a wrenching and transformative novel-in-verse. But another voice inside me says, We need help. We’re going to die. Jake volunteers at a nursing home because he likes helping people.