Our annual librarian-curated roundup of books, TV shows, movies, and music is here! Explore staff favorites across every age and interest. Discover our staff’s favorite kids and picture books on this page, or browse more using the links below.
Adult fiction: General | Adult fiction: Romance, lives & relationships |
Adult fiction: Thriller, graphic novel, sci-fi & fantasy | Adult nonfiction |
Teen fiction & nonfiction | Kids books | Picture books | Movies & TV shows | Music
Kids books
Bad Bunny by Claudia Romo Edelman
Why you should try it: “Part of the Hispanic Star series, this was such a fun read. I learned quite a few interesting facts, and it made me want to watch the Superbowl halftime show.” —Janet, Patron Services Library Assistant
Description: Meet Grammy Award Winner Bad Bunny—once just a kid called Benito from the Almirante Sur barrio of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. The oldest of three brothers, Benito grew up in a family that valued music, charity, and being true to oneself-beliefs he carries with him to this day.
Dory Fantasmagory: Center of the Universe by Abby Hanlon
Why you should try it: “I’m always thrilled when we get a new Dory Fantasmagory book. She’s my favorite character in all of kid lit, and every book is so funny and weird and perfect.” —Jenna, Collection Management Librarian
Description: Dory is on her first soccer team with her best friends, Rosabelle and George. She’s ready to score a billion goals, but Rosabelle is having a meltdown over wearing cleats, and George is mysteriously acting like a baby. So, Dory attempts to befriend a new teammate, Valentina. But making a new friend isn’t so easy, especially when Valentina kicks the ball perfectly every time, steals all the attention, and has a way of making a billion sound kinda small. Determined to outshine Valentina as the star of the team, Dory seeks help from her reliable imagination to flip the score.
Lost Evangeline by Kate DiCamillo
Why you should try it: “I find DiCamillo’s fairytale style very cozy and poetic. Read this in one enthralled sweet sitting. (Oh yeah—I bet kids would love it too).” —Christine, Adult Services Environmental & Sustainability Specialist
Description: When a shoemaker discovers a tiny girl (as small as a mouse!) in his shop, he takes her in, names her Evangeline, and raises her as his own. The shoemaker’s wife, however, fears that Evangeline has bewitched her husband, so when an opportunity arises to rid herself of the girl, she takes it. Evangeline finds herself far from her adopted father and her home, a tiny girl lost in the wide world. But she is brave and resourceful, and with the help of those she meets on her journey—including a disdainful and self-satisfied cat—she may just find her way again.
Mixed-Up by Kami Garcia
Why you should try it: “Cute art and relatable characters; the kind of book I wish I had read when I was a kid.” —Andrea, Collection Services Library Clerk
Description: Stella knows fifth grade will be the best year ever. Her closest friends, Emiko and Latasha, are in her class, and they got the teacher they wanted. Then their favorite television show, Witchlins, announces a new guidebook and an online game! But when the classwork starts piling up, Stella struggles to stay on top of it. And when she can’t deal with the text-heavy Witchlins guidebook, she can’t keep up with her friends in the game. Her loving teachers and her family recognize that Stella has a learning difference, and after a dyslexia diagnosis, she gets the support and tools she needs to succeed.
The Queen Bees of Tybee County by Kyle Casey Chu
Why you should try it: “This book is a heartwarming story about a boy daring to be himself and the community around him that supports and inspires him.” —Maddie, Patron Services Library Assistant
Description: Chinese American Derrick explores his queer identity by competing in a small-town beauty pageant where he shares his new love of drag with his family and friends.
Sea Legs by Jules Bakes
Why you should try it: “This graphic novel is based on the real life of the author living on a sailboat in her childhood. It’s so adventurous and fun while also realistically depicting the typical growing pains an upper-elementary/middle school student faces.” —Maddie, Patron Services Library Assistant
Description: Janey’s family is sailing to the Caribbean in their boat, but it means Janey has to leave all her friends behind for a life at sea, and she discovers that when you are constantly on the move it can be difficult to connect to people.
Vanya & the Wild Hunt by Sangu Mandanna
Why you should try it: “I love how folk tales from around the world are woven in, along with archwitches from around the world. Plus, libraries and archivists are as key as the archwitches who do the fighting! What’s not to love? Especially adding in the affirming support Vanya receives for her ADHD.” —Shelley, Children’s Services Librarian
Description: Eleven-year-old Vanya Vallen has always felt like she doesn’t fit in. She’s British Indian in a mostly white English town, her parents won’t talk about their pasts, and she has ADHD. Oh, and she talks to books. More importantly, the books talk back. When her family is attacked by a monster she believed existed only in fairy tales, Vanya discovers that her parents have secrets—and that there are a lot more monsters out there. Overnight, she’s whisked off to the enchanted library and school of Auramere, but there’s no escaping monsters. The mysterious, powerful Wild Hunt is on the prowl, and Vanya will need all her creativity and courage to unmask its leader and stop them before they destroy the only place she’s ever truly belonged.
A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, A Creature Awakens & the Sun Goes Out by Nicholas Day
Why you should try it: “Nicholas Day could write a kids nonfiction book about paint drying, and I would read it in one sitting. This book made me laugh and taught me some forgotten history about a terrible volcanic eruption that disrupted the entire planet for years. It’s great for readers of all ages!” —Maddie, Patron Services Library Assistant
Description: A couple of hundred years ago, on a quiet Indonesian island, a volcano called Tambora erupted with a force and violence that changed history. It tore apart the island, and in the months and years that followed, its fallout tore apart the world. The sun refused to shine; the rain refused to stop. From this riot of thunder and lightning, a young woman named Mary Shelley conceived of a scientist and his cursed creature. From the nightmare of Tambora, she wrote a nightmare of a book: Frankenstein—a terrifying reminder of how much damage we humans might do, without even realizing it. This is the story of a volcano that changed the world and a creature that changed us.
Picture books
Cat Nap by Brian Lies
Why you should try it: “Imagine if Alice’s cat, Dinah, fell into Wonderland instead.” —Andrea, Collection Management Librarian
“The art in this is beyond incredible!” Jenna, Collection Management Librarian
Description: In the warm, late afternoon sunlight, a girl sits on the couch reading a book. Her kitten dozes nearby. But when Kitten notices a mouse and dives after it, an epic chase through time, art, and history ensues. Is it a dream? That’s up to the reader to decide, but for the kitten, every leap and bound is full of suspense and makes for a masterpiece.
Cranky, Crabby Crow (Saves the World) by Corey R. Tabor
Why you should try it: “Read Aloud gold—this is a hit at storytimes and a big joy-enducer. Just make sure you are okay with kids ‘CAWing’ at you for at least 15 minutes afterwards.” —Jenny, Children’s Services Youth & Family Outreach Specialist
Description: Cranky, crabby Crow does not want to play with Squirrel or do loop-de-loops with Hummingbird. He doesn’t have time for Rat or Bat. From high atop a telephone pole, Cat warns Crow that he will soon be all alone if he turns his friends away with his very cranky “kaw!” one more time. But, unbeknownst to all, Crow has bigger, world-saving fish to fry—he must protect planet Earth from an asteroid headed our way!
The Day the Books Disappeared by Joanna Ho
Why you should try it: “I really loved this book! It brought about so many feelings—all of them welcomed and lovely.” —Jenny, Children’s Services Youth & Family Outreach Specialist
Description: Arnold didn’t mean for the books to disappear—not exactly. It all started because he liked his book about airplanes best and wanted everyone else to read it, too. He couldn’t understand why anyone would want to read about tomatoes or ostriches or submarines. And suddenly. . . POOF! The books are gone. It’s up to Arnold to figure out how it all happened—and what it will take to bring them back.
Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson
Why you should try it: “This book is simply hilarious! Sure to be a winner for the kids…and their grown-ups!” —Jenny, Children’s Services Youth & Family Outreach Specialist
Description: Why, dear reader, must you NEVER EVER trust fish? 1) They spend all their time in the water where we can’t see them. 2) Some are as big as a bus—that is not okay. 3) We don’t know what they’re teaching in their “schools.” 4) They are likely plotting our doom.
A Forest Song by Kirsten Hall
Why you should try it: “This is a beautiful picture book that uses a cento poem to encourage mindfulness and an appreciation of forests and nature.” —Maddie, Patron Services Library Assistant
Description: This poem reimagines classic lines of poetry from Robert Frost, Mary Oliver, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allen Poe, and others. Readers will journey into a forest, listen carefully to its sounds, and observe the creatures that call it home.
A Gift of Dust: How Saharan Plumes Feed the Planet by Martha Brockenbrough
Why you should try it: “This picture book is so informative about the fascinating ways Saharan sand and dust contribute to the planet’s health. I loved how it shows how nature is connected across the globe in ways you’d never expect.” —Maddie, Patron Services Library Assistant
Description: This dust… of what lived once sustains what lives today and what will be born… tomorrow. An ancient catfish becomes a fossil, and as the lake where it lived dries up, the fossil turns to dust—but this isn’t ordinary dust. This dust begins in Chad, West Africa, but winds carry it across the continent, over the Atlantic Ocean, to nourish and replenish the Amazon rainforest and beyond.
Lighthouse Ladies: Shining a Spotlight on Hardy Heroines by Kris Coronado
Why you should try it: “As a confirmed nerd, I love learning new things. I really enjoyed adding new knowledge about a few of the women who were integral to lighthouse keeping to my endless database of fun facts, and the art was nice too!” —Dontaná, Collection Management Librarian
Description: To man a lighthouse over a century ago in America required guts, courage, and bravery. It was a job tackled by hundreds every day, many of whom… were not men! This true tale chronicles the amazing feats of four fascinating women. Each real lighthouse lady featured in this book—whether she’s on a wind-walloped Hawaiian cliff or an icy channel off the Virginia coast—shows that girl power was around long before it became a popular phrase.
Not Perfect by Maya Myers
Why you should try it: “I adored this heartwarming story of friendship and determination! And if you enjoy Dot- this is the second book in a series.” —Jenny, Children’s Services Youth & Family Outreach Specialist
Description: Dot is good at a lot of things, but good isn’t perfect. Perfect is her sister’s blue-ribbon painting, or her brothers’ first-place tie in the spelling bee, or her mom’s black belt in taekwondo. When Dot and her classmates get an assignment to make a poster about a person they admire, Dot has someone in mind right away: her best friend, Sam. But draft after draft comes out looking all wrong! How will she ever make the perfect poster for her perfect friend?
Sundust by Zeke Peña
Why you should try it: “This book is a beautifully illustrated journey through two siblings’ adventures and the history of thriving in the desert. It makes even the most unsuspecting places magical and cosmically alive with color and mystery.” —Maya, Collections Services Supervising Librarian & Andrea, Collection Management Librarian
Description: Following a blazing trail of sundust, two curious siblings hop the wall into a place that’s endless and free. Here, prickly old nopal trees beg to be climbed, empty turtle shells invite a closer look, enormous rocks model how to sit still and listen, and a colibrí offers an unexpected ride. In the desert, where life revolves around the sun, brother and sister explore, imagine, and wonder.
You Are My Rainbow by Michael Joosten
Why you should try it: “I fell in love with this book at first read! It’s a super sweet book to share or give, with cozy art.” —Shelley, Children’s Services Librarian
Description: With a rainbow of colors, this board book celebrates the love between parents and their children. Showcasing all different family makeups—one parent, two dads, two moms, and more—the story encourages children to share their colors with the world.
Zombie & Brain Are Friends by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic
Why you should try it: “This story is full of so much heart and sweetness that will leave you feeling all warm inside! Also, who knew zombies and brains could get along? Very morbidly cute.” —Camila, Patron Services Library Assistant
Description: Zeb comes from a family of farmers—zombie farmers. Each week they pickle, bake, fry, and sell their grain-fed, free-range brains to be enjoyed by the masses… until one day the tiniest, pinkest, squishiest brain Zeb ever did see hops right into his arms! Can he convince his parents that his brainy bestie is better off as the family pet and not family dinner?