Staff Picks

August 2024

Boardwalk Babies

by Marissa Moss

This vibrant nonfiction picture book tells the story of premature babies! In the late 19th century, babies that were born too early didn’t have too much hope of living. Dr. Martin Couney used his knowledge of incubators with baby chicks to convey that baby humans could grow underneath light too. He set up shop on Coney Island in New York and saved over 6,000 babies with his scientific discovery. This is a wonderful story of science and magic that brought a change to the way we see premature babies—there is hope for everyone. This book is nominated for the 2025 Bluestem Children’s Choice Book Award.

Recommended by: Abigail Hooks, Youth Services Assistant

Posted in: Youth Nonfiction

Seen and Unseen

by Elizabeth Partridge

This powerful nonfiction novel tells the story of Japanese and Japanese Americans during World War II who were ordered to American incarceration camps. Through the eyes of three photographers during the war, this novel conveys what they saw through their lenses and tells the true story of what happened at these camps and the emotions that it brought to the people. This story has a very powerful message of learning from our past and working towards a better future of fighting social injustice. I recommend this book for anyone interested in history and photography and who believes in the power of preserving history for the better of our society. This book is nominated for the 2025 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award.

This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook.

Recommended by: Abigail Hooks, Youth Services Assistant

Posted in: Youth Nonfiction

Alias Anna

by Susan Hood

Written in verse, this lyrical non-fiction novel is an amazing story of two Jewish sisters, Zhanna and Frina, trying to survive World War II. At a world-renowned conservatory, these Ukrainian sisters explore their incredible musical skills, but with the Nazis invading Ukraine, their whole world is turned upside down when they are forced to leave their home. Leaving their families behind, all the girls have with them is their musical talents. How will the sisters survive the war and outwit the Nazis? I recommend this novel to anyone interested in history and music who enjoys a story about perseverance and strength even in the hardest of days. This book is nominated for the 2025 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award.

This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook and e audiobook.

Recommended by: Abigail Hooks, Youth Services Assistant

Posted in: Youth Fiction

From Blood and Ash

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

In this gripping novel, the life of Poppy, a young woman chosen from birth for a fate she never asked for, is explored with intense emotion and depth. As the Maiden, Poppy is destined to usher in a new era, but her existence is anything but her own. Isolated and untouched, she waits for the day of her Ascension, all while yearning for a different life—one where she can fight alongside the guards against the evil that stole her family. But the weight of an entire kingdom’s future rests on her shoulders, and it’s a burden she’s not sure she wants.

Enter Hawke, an amber-eyed guard whose duty is to ensure her Ascension. His presence stirs a whirlwind of emotions in Poppy, challenging everything she’s ever believed in. As desire and duty clash, Poppy finds herself drawn into a web of forbidden longing, anger, and doubt. The rising threat of a fallen kingdom, cursed and vengeful, looms ever closer, blurring the lines between what is forbidden and what is right.

With every thread of her blood-soaked world unraveling, Poppy’s heart, her worthiness in the eyes of the gods, and her very life hang in the balance. This novel is a captivating exploration of destiny, desire, and the perilous journey of a young woman on the edge of losing everything.

This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook and Hoopla as an e audiobook.

Recommended by: Jackie Boyd, Communications Manager

Posted in: Adult Fiction

The Yellow Bus

by Loren Long

As we have rolled into the school year, I truly enjoyed this sweet story of the yellow bus. It takes us through the life journey of a school bus and the many passengers it has picked up. The illustrations are amazing as the brilliant yellow bus pops among the charcoal & graphite illustrations. The bus goes through the joys of a well-lived life and paves way for discussions about repurposing & change over time. The book also taps into your senses as we hear the sounds of her passengers and the repeated phrase “they fill her with joy”. Just as each phase of our lives change and we are filled with joy. This book will be enjoyed by both parents and children alike.

Recommended by: Lenore Garoufalis, Youth Services Assistant

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Eb & Flow

by Kelly J. Baptist

Black seventh graders Ebony “Eb” Wilson and De’Kari “Flow” Flood have both been suspended for a fight between them. In this novel in verse, Eb and Flow alternate comments on what happened. Hearing the two different points of view lets the reader inside Eb and Flow’s lives and gives perspective to both their thought processes.

Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Small Steps, Big Change

by Annemarie Cool

Fourteen cartoon character shapes, such as Nature Hero who is a leaf or Eat Well Hero who is an apple, each get a two-page spread to outline why it is important and how to achieve positive, sustainable change. The book is Inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals, formulated by the United Nations. It is written and illustrated in such way for young children to understand how they can take practical steps to be a part of making the world a better place. Even older people should read this book for learning how to do their part in making a difference in the world and with other people.

Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

by Gabrielle Zevin

As children, Sadie and Sam met randomly in a hospital all because of a shared love of video games. Neither could ever expect that this chance meeting would result in a lifelong, yet tumultuous, friendship and a globally successful video game company. Zevin’s storytelling follows the main characters as well as supplementary characters (known as NPCs in the video game world) in a compelling nonlinear manner. It’s hard to say if you truly root for any of these characters, but you can’t help but want to follow along on their journey.

This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook and an e audiobook book.

Recommended by: Brandi Smits, Youth Services Manager

Posted in: Adult Fiction

What If I’m Not a Cat?

by Kari-Lynn Winters

Looking for a funny book to read for your little kids, or your grandchildren and have a laughter time. What if I’m not a Cat? Will make everyone giggle by just looking at the cats’ faces expression. Very cute picture book about a donkey who lives with lots of cats in a barn trying to act like them. Was he able to? Read this book and find out.

This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook.

Recommended by: Ghada Rafati, Patron Services Clerk

Posted in: Youth Fiction

Garlic and the Vampire

by Bree Paulsen

Garlic is happy living in the village with her friends and tending to her garden where everything is predictable and she feels happy and safe. Everything is great, until one day Garlic and all of her vegetable friends notice that there is smoke coming out of the chimney from the vacant castle down in the valley. Who will go check it out and make sure that everyone in the village remains safe? Garlic tries to muster up the courage to go check out the perceived threat, because aren’t vampires repelled by garlic? Will garlic gain the confidence she needs and will she return to the village unharmed? This book has a lot of heart and you grow to root garlic on as she goes on her adventure. She might even make a new friend along the way and realize that she is braver than she thinks!

This graphic novel is recommended for ages 8-12. It is beautifully illustrated by Bree Paulsen and is her first published book.

Recommended by: Stacie Pendleton, Youth Services Assistant

Posted in: Youth Fiction

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