Children's Staff Picks 4/2025 | Messenger Public Library of North Aurora

1) Lefty: a story that is not all right

Author

Willems, Mo

Description

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"A nonfiction narrative book about left-handedness"-- Provided by publisher.

2) Blast off!

Author

Loney, Andrea J

Series

Abby in orbit volume 1

Description

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It is Abby Baxter's first day of third grade on the OASIS International Space Station and she is determined not to make any mistakes, but getting used to microgravity, watching her little brother, Nico, and meeting her new classmates, causes her to almost mess up Mami' big experiment.

3) Safe harbor

Author

Venkatraman, Padma, 1969-

Description

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"Moving from India to the US is difficult for Geetha, but things start to get better when she and a new friend help rescue a stranded seal"-- Provided by publisher.

4) The gift of Eid

Author

Safadi, Shifa Saltagi

Description

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In the bustling Souk Al-Hamidiyah, Yasmine discovers that true joy comes from togetherness as she searches for a gift for her mother during their first Eid without her father.

5) Library girl

Author

Horvath, Polly

Description

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Eleven-year-old Essie, who was abandoned as a baby and lovingly raised by four librarians, meets a mysterious boy whom she believes is her twin brother, but as she gets to know him better, she discovers nothing is as simple as it seems.

6) Life is beautiful

Author

Bingham, Winsome

Description

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Granny Dee lives in Harlem, and every Saturday she takes three trains, and a bus to spend the day with her granddaughter--but when her health starts to fail, it is her granddaughter who comes to visit her, while life lasts.

7) The stars of Din

Author

Gómez, Jayri

Description

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"Din loves to collect stars. She has an abundance of them and is always delighted to share their magic with her community friends. Din's stars are known for creating smiles out of frowns and turning blue days into joyful plays. Yet she is quickly challenged by her preconceived notions when her stars cannot comfort one lonely bear. Din soon discovers that the simple art of asking questions to which you do not know the answer is the beginning of a trusting...

8) Mercedes Sosa: la voz del pueblo

Author

Perez-Prado, Aixa

Description

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Una conmovedora biografía ilustrada de una de las cantantes y activistas políticas más queridas de América Latina, Mercedes Sosa. "A picture book biography about Argentinean folksinger and musical icon Mercedes Sosa, who sang for social justice and became known as "La voz de Latinoamérica." Includes bibliographical references"-- Provided by publisher.

9) LOL 101: a kid's guide to writing jokes

Author

Roth, David (Comedian)

Description

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Packed with fun-filled illustrations, easy-to-follow exercises, and sample jokes, this humorous how-to joke book for kids proves that with a little elbow grease, anyone can write jokes that really make people LOL. Covering everything from surprise to wordplay to visual jokes--plus tips on how to perform a joke so it lands--LOL 101 is the approachable and (of course) funny guide for any kid ready to channel their inner comedian.

10) The dubious pranks of Shaindy Goodman

Author

Lowe, Mari

Series

Thorndike Press large print middle reader

Description

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Shaindy, a lonely twelve-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl, jumps at the opportunity to join in on a harmless prank with her classmate and neighbor Gayil, but as the pranks escalate, Shaindy realizes they are targeted at specific girls and fears she will be the next victim if she cannot find a way to stop them.

11) Parachute Kids

Author

Tang, Betty C

Description

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**National Book Award Longlist Title****Asian/Pacific American Award Honor Book**This funny, fast-paced, and heartrending story about three siblings living on their own as undocumented new immigrants is perfect for fans of New Kid and Front Desk.A DREAM TRIP TO AMERICA TURNS INTO A NIGHTMARE!Feng-Li can't wait to discover America with her family! But after an action-packed vacation, her parents deliver shocking news: They are returning to Taiwan and...

12) Looking for Peppermint, or, Life in the forest

Author

Eaton, Maxwell, III

Description

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"A young girl shares stories and facts about the woods near her home while catching up with her mischievous dog, Peppermint"-- Provided by publisher.

13) Jojo vs. middle school

Author

McCullough, Joy

Series

Team awkward volume 1

Description

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Despite her careful planning, eleven-year-old Jojo's first day of middle school unravels after an outfit mishap, caused by her cat-fluencer stepdad's new kitten, but as she tries hiding her embarrassment, she finds solace in new friends.

14) Con quest!

Author

Maggs, Sam

Description

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Cat and Alex are excited to be at the world's most popular comics convention--and they're even more excited to compete in the Quest, a huge scavenger hunt run by their favorite nerdy celebrity. The big prize: a chance to meet him! The twins ditch their older sister Fi and set off to find geeky clues, tackle nerdy challenges, and cross as many items as possible off their Quest list, which includes volunteering at an Artist Alley booth, gathering...

15) Many things at once

Author

Hiranandani, Veera

Description

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A young girl with a Jewish mother and a South Asian father learns more about her family's history and embraces her multifaceted identity.

16) A tree is a community

Author

Harrison, David L. (David Lee), 1937-

Description

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"In this science nonfiction picture book, one tree supports an ecosystem of life-insects, mammals, and even humans"-- Provided by publisher.