For Kids
Books for Great Kids
Chicago Public Library recommends the following books as some of the very best published for kids in 2010. For suggestions of more outstanding books available at your neighborhood library, please check out previous Best of the Best lists, the Best Stories section of the KidsCat and ask your librarian. And be sure to look here for additional books to inspire healthy living and healthy reading. Best of the Best is a part of the Kraft Great Kids Initiative. Read, Learn, Discover!
Quicklinks: Picture Books | Folk and Fairy Tales and Poetry | Fiction for Younger Readers or Older Readers | Informational Books for Younger Readers or Older Readers | NatureConnections | Healthy Living | 2011 Award Winners
Picture Books
Animal Crackers Fly the Coop
By Kevin O’Malley
Walker (Ages 6-9)
In this hilarious reimagining of The Bremen Town Musicians, a hen, a dog, a cat and a cow set off to save their lives, cause a commotion and open a comedy club.
A Bedtime for Bear
By Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
Candlewick (Ages 3-7)
Bear needs absolute quiet to sleep, but Mouse is anything but silent when he comes for a slumber party.
Big Chickens Go to Town
By Leslie Helaskoski, illustrated by Henry Cole
Dutton (Ages 4-8)
There’s much misadventure in store for this flock of featherheaded friends when they get lost in the Crescent City and attempt to follow the chicken feed trail back home to the farm.
Brown Rabbit in the City
By Natalie Russell
Viking (Ages 3-6)
There are a lot of places to go and things to do in the busy big city, yet Brown Rabbit really just came from the country to see his friend, Little Rabbit.
Children Make Terrible Pets
By Peter Brown
Little, Brown; Ages 4-7
After Lucy Bear begs her mother to let her keep a small boy she found in the forest, she soon realizes that he’d be happier in his natural habitat.
Audiobook
City Dog, Country Frog
By Mo Willems, illustrated by Jon J Muth
Hyperion (Ages 3-7)
Two different creatures from far-away places enjoy learning each others’ games.
The Cow Loves Cookies
By Karma Wilson, illustrated by Marcellus Hall
Simon & Schuster/McElderry (Ages 3-7)
Horses, chickens, geese and pigs may be content to eat the food they’re given, but here is at least one bovine with a taste for something much sweeter.
Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin
By Duncan Tonatiuh
Abrams (Ages 5-8)
As two cousins write letters to each other sharing their lives in America and Mexico, they realize that although one takes the subway and another rides his bicicleta they really do have a lot in common.
Goal!
By Mina Javaherbin, illustrated by A.G. Ford
Candlewick (Ages 6-9)
Six boys in a small South African township stand up to some local bullies for their right to play soccer in the streets that are not always safe.
Heads
By Matthew Van Fleet
Simon & Schuster, Ages 1-5
Explore all kinds of different noggins as your mind and hands delight in this interactive book filled with pull-tabs and touchable textures.
How Rocket Learned to Read
By Tad Hills
Schwartz & Wade (Ages 4-7)
Rocket doesn’t know how to read, and is one dog who doesn’t want to learn; that is, until one bird’s wonderful stories help him see there might be something special about all of those letters after all.
If You’re a Monster and You Know It
By Rebecca Emberley & Ed Emberley
Orchard (Ages 3-6)
Snort, growl, smack and roar if you’re happy to be who you are!
LMNO Peas
By Keith Baker
Beach Lane (Ages 3-6)
Not just little green seeds, these imaginative and alphabetic peas are also “acrobats, artists, and astronauts in space…builders, bathers, and bikers in a race.”
Lola Loves Stories
By Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
Charlesbridge (Ages 2-6)
Lola’s imagination runs wild after her loving nightly story times with Dad and Mom.
Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I Don’t)
By Barbara Bottner, illustrated Michael Emberley
Knopf (Ages 6-8)
Reluctant, ogre-ish readers should beware of this book-loving librarian.
My Brother Charlie
By Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete, illustrated by Shane W. Evans
Scholastic (Ages 5-9)
Based on the author’s own experiences this honest look at the joys and challenges of life on the autism spectrum is told from the point of view of a twin sister.
Potty Animals: What to Know When You’ve Gotta Go!
By Hope Vestergaard, illustrated by Valeria Petrone
Sterling (Ages 3-6)
Remembering the rules of washroom etiquette couldn’t be easier with this class of furry friends and their witty rhymes.
Say Hello!
By Rachel Isadora
Putnam (Ages 4-7)
On the walk to her Abuela’s, Carmelita greets the people in her neighborhood with a happy “Jambo,” high-spirited “Konichiwa” and heartfelt "Shalom.”
Shark vs. Train
By Chris Barton, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
Little, Brown (Ages 4-8)
With ever-escalating ridiculousness, Shark and Train compete to see who will triumph in the battle of the toys.
A Sick Day for Amos McGee
By Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead
Roaring Brook (Ages 4-8)
Amos has always been a very attentive zookeeper, until one day when—“Ah-choo!”—it’s his turn to receive some tender, loving care.
Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy
By Denise Fleming
Holt (Ages 2-5)
As many different animals drift away for the night, so does a beloved baby in this creative and calming creation.
Stand Straight, Ella Kate: The True Story of a Real Giant
By Kate Klise, illustrated by M. Sarah Klise
Dial (Ages 5-9)
This is no tall tale, but rather a terrific yarn of one of the world’s tallest women.
Folk and Fairy Tales and Poetry
All Things Bright and Beautiful
By Cecil F. Alexander, illustrated by Ashley Bryan
Atheneum (All ages)
This Laura Ingalls Wilder Award winning illustrator’s colored-paper collages bring a fresh and brilliant new glow to this famous hymn celebrating the creation and interconnectedness of all living things.
Dust Devil
By Anne Isaacs, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
Schwartz & Wade (Ages 4-8)
The tall tale star of the Caldecott Honor winning Swamp Angel returns to tame a Dust Devil and capture the Flying Desperadoes in a story that may “lean a little,” truth-wise.
Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys
By Bob Raczka, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Houghton Mifflin (Ages 6-9)
Throughout the seasons
Guys explore nature and play
Through haiku poems
Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse
By Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Josée Masse
Dutton (Ages 7-10)
This utterly unique assemblage of familiar tales told through “reversos” proves that there really are two sides to every story.
Audiobook
¡Muu, Moo!: Rimas de animales/Animal Nursery Rhymes
Selected by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, English versions by Rosalma Zubizarreta, illustrated by Viví Escrivá
Rayo (Ages 2-7)
This collection of beloved rhymes from many different lands, shared in English and Spanish and joyfully illustrated, is ready to delight.
Poetry Speaks Who I Am: Poems of Discovery, Inspiration, Independence, and Everything Else…
Edited by Elise Paschen
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (Ages 11 and up)
This eclectic anthology quite literally speaks to our shared experiences, as many pieces are read aloud by the poets themselves (such as Langston Hughes, X. J. Kennedy and Marilyn Chin) on the accompanying CD.
Some Kind of Love: A Family Reunion in Poems
By Traci Dant, illustrated by Eric Velasquez
Marshall Cavendish (Ages 5-10)
“Must be some kind of love” that brings family together for a special reunion full of food, fishing and fun.
Switching on the Moon: A Very First Book of Bedtime Poems
Compiled by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters, illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Candlewick (Ages birth-5)
Dozens of selections from old to new favorites are sure to make little eyes droop and dream.
The 3 Little Dassies
By Jan Brett
Putnam (Ages 3-7)
While setting up their new homes in the red rock mountains of Africa, a trio of dassie sisters (also known as rock rabbits) encounters a very hungry eagle in this tale inspired by the Three Little Pigs tradition.
Three Little Kittens
By Jerry Pinkney
Dial (Ages 3-6)
Caldecott winning illustrator Jerry Pinkney shares his own beautiful and bouncing version of the classic feline rhyme of pie and mittens.
Time You Let Me In: 25 Poets Under 25
Compiled by Naomi Shihab Nye
Greenwillow (Ages 14 and up)
Up-and-coming poets travel the road to adulthood in this relevant and relatable collection of verse.
eBook
The Wonder Book
By Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Paul Schmid
Harper (Ages 7-10)
Punchy poems, puns and palindromes abound in this celebration of childhood.
You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You: Very Short Fables to Read Together
By Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Michael Emberley
Little, Brown (Ages 5-8)
Rhythm, rhyme and reading practice make this book of many of the most classic Aesop’s fables perfect for sharing.
Young Zeus
By G. Brian Karas
Scholastic (Ages 7-10)
Growing up can be tough sometimes, even for gods of Greek mythology, as demonstrated in this irreverent and accessible interpretation of Zeus’s experiences with long-lost parents, loneliness and sibling rivalry.
Fiction for Younger Readers
Aggie the Brave
By Lori Ries, illustrated by Frank W. Dormer
Charlesbridge (Ages 6-8)
Aggie’s overnight stay at the veterinarian makes for both a lonely dog and owner, but then they’re even happier to be reunited in this sweet and reassuring story for beginning readers.
Almost Zero: A Dyamonde Daniel Book
By Nikki Grimes, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Putnam (Ages 8-10)
After Dyamonde’s mom refuses to buy her some fabulous red high-top sneakers she comes to realize how fortunate she and her family really are during some very difficult times.
Big Nate: In a Class by Himself
Big Nate Strikes Again
By Pierce Lincoln
Harper (Ages 8-12)
Greg Heffley fans will be eager to meet Big Nate, king of detention and trouble maker extraordinaire, and laugh along as he experiences the trials and tribulations of school.
eAudiobook
Bink and Gollie
By Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile
Candlewick (Ages 6-8)
Two friends find that it’s actually their differences that make them the “most marvelous companions of all.”
The Birthday Ball
By Lois Lowry, illustrated by Jules Feiffer
Houghton Mifflin (Ages 8-12)
In a delightful display of humor and resourcefulness, Pat, aka Princess Patricia Priscilla, implements her own unique action plan turning the kingdom upside down.
Audiobook | eBook
Daisy Dawson and the Big Freeze
By Steve Voake, illustrated by Jessica Meserve
Candlewick (Ages 6-9)
Daisy just may be the new Dr. Doolittle as her communication abilities prove to be an asset when her animal friends’ curious natures cause concern during the winter weather.
The Fabled Fifth Graders of Aesop Elementary School
By Candace Fleming
Schwartz & Wade (Ages 7-11)
Mr. Jupiter has his game on as he traverses new adventures with his notorious class, named after their personalities and attributes, who are open to his eccentric educational escapades.
How Tía Lola Learned to Teach
By Julia Alvarez
Knopf (Ages 8-12)
Miguel and Juanita are happy that Tía Lola is back, but Miguel becomes unsettled and embarrassed when she’s invited to teach Español at his school.
eBook
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling
By Maryrose Wood, illustrated Jon Klassen
Balzer & Bray (Ages 8-12)
Can the prim and proper new governess, Ms. Penelope Lumley, handle three wild children and introduce them into society?
eAudiobook | eBook
Keena Ford and the Secret Journal Mix-up
By Melissa Thomson, illustrated by Frank Morrison
Dial (Ages 6-8)
Take a peek into the life of Keena Ford and share her latest secrets and mishaps including meeting her nemesis who discovers her journal and threatens to tell all.
Ling & Ting Not Exactly the Same!
By Grace Lin
Little, Brown (Ages 5-7)
Delightful twins Ling and Ting prove that although they may look similar, they are each uniquely special.
Audiobook
Lulu and the Brontosaurus
By Judith Viorst, illustrated by Lane Smith
Atheneum (Ages 6-10)
When stubborn Lulu is told that her birthday wish, a pet Brontosaurus, is impossible to obtain, she darts into the forest only to come upon a terribly funny twist of events that just may turn her into a pet herself.
Audiobook
Mouse and Mole: A Winter Wonderland
By Wong Herbert Yee
Houghton Mifflin (Ages 5-8)
The forecast is for a flurry of laughter in this perfectly cozy story for new readers which revolves around friendship and good times.
Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade
By Stephanie Greene, illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson
Putnam (Ages 5-7)
Posey is anxious about starting first grade, that is, until she meets her new teacher who kicks off a First Day Parade.
School! Adventures at the Harvey N. Trouble Elementary School
By Kate McMullan, illustrated by George Booth
Feiwel & Friends (Ages 6-9)
Mix slapstick action, memorable characters and zany situations and you’ll have a taste of what a week of elementary school life is like for the athletic Ron Faster.
Spaceheadz #1
Spaceheadz #2
By Jon Scieszka & Francesco Sedita, illustrated by Shane Prigmore
Simon & Schuster (Ages 8-12)
Michael K.’s first day at a new school takes him out of this world with some very strange classmates.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
By Tom Angleberger
Amulet (Ages 8-12)
When Dwight’s classmates present their cases toYoda, his origami finger puppet, the wisdom it dispenses miraculously seems to have the power of “The Force.”
Audiobook
Watch Out, World—Rosy Cole is Going Green!
By Sheila Greenwald
FSG (Ages 7-10)
Leave it to Rosy Cole to give the annual fall fair’s “Nature’s Gift” booth a new twist with the addition of live critters and her own special green message.
What Happened on Fox Street
By Tricia Springstubb
Balzer & Bray (Ages 9-12)
Times are changing for the residents of this special neighborhood, yet Mo Wren isn’t sure she’s ready for what may happen to her friends and family.
Audiobook | eBook
Fiction for Older Readers
As Simple as It Seems
By Sarah Weeks
HarperCollins/Laura Geringer (Ages 9-12)
Verbena Ellen Colter has been in a bad mood since she learned a secret about her past and longs to be anyone else, which she can be with Pooch, the boy next door whose life she’s put at risk.
Audiobook | eAudiobook | eBook
Boys Without Names
By Kashmira Sheth
Balzer & Bray (Ages 9-12)
When Gopal moves to Mumbai seeking work and is drugged and sold into child labor, he and five others come together as their own special family.
eBook
Chasing Orion
By Kathryn Lasky
Candlewick (Ages 10-13)
During the hot Indiana summer of 1952, Georgia tracks the polio epidemic, watches the stars and befriends, with unforeseen consequences, her beautiful teenage neighbor encased in an iron lung.
Cosmic
By Frank Cottrell Boyce
Walden Pond (Ages 8-12)
Even though he may look like an adult, Liam is actually twelve, the perfect age for a lot of adventures, especially those 230,000 miles away.
eBook
Countdown
By Deborah Wiles
Scholastic (Ages 10-13)
Amid the confusion of the 1960’s eleven year-old Franny Chapman must deal with a difficult friendship, a suffering uncle, a troubling sibling and the cute boy across the street.
Audiobook
The Dreamer
By Pam Muñoz Ryan, illustrated by Peter Sís
Scholastic (Ages 10-13)
Despite his father’s ridicule, Neftalí, a timid and stuttering boy, is a daydreamer full of imagination who wants to see…everything, in this story based on the life of Noble winning poet Pablo Neruda.
Audiobook | eAudiobook
Forge
By Laurie Halse Anderson
Atheneum (Ages 9-13)
In this sequel to Chains, Isabel searches of her sister while Curzon enlists in the 16th Massachusetts regiment wintering at Valley Forge where his passion for freedom is threatened.
Audiobook
Is It Night or Day?
By Fern Schumer Chapman
FSG (Ages 10-14)
It’s 1938 and telve-year-old Edith is sent away from her Jewish family from Germany to the South Side of Chicago where she must adjust to a new family, language, culture and loss.
Keeper
By Kathi Appelt, illustrated by August Hall
Atheneum (Ages 9-12)
Under a blue moon on the Gulf of Mexico, thoughtful Keeper sets off to find her mermaid mother who, she hopes, can help right the wrongs that have befallen her small and loving community.
Audiobook
Moonshadow: Rise of the Ninja
By Simon Higgins
Little, Brown (Ages 9-12)
As Moonshadow assumes his duties as an agent for the Grey Light Order of shinobi in medieveal Japan, he must battle an evil warlord and preserve the peace, “for glory or destruction.”
Ninth Ward
By Jewell Parker Rhodes
Little, Brown (Ages 10-14)
Even though she can communicate with ghosts, it is Mama Ya-Ya’s visions that alert Lanesha to the coming storm and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Audiobook
One Crazy Summer
By Rita Williams-Garcia
Amistad (Ages 9-12)
Delphine must take care of her younger sisters when they attend Black Panther summer camp while visiting the mother who abandoned them years before.
Audiobook | eBook
Out of My Mind
By Sharon Draper
Atheneum (Ages 10-13)
Melody’s brave spirit shines through in all aspects of her life, although those around her don’t seem to be able to see past her cerebral palsy.
Audiobook
The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang
By Amy Ignatow
Amulet (Ages 9-12)
There’s a lot to figure out before leaving elementary school, so two friends set out to study the secrets of popularity in this hilarious and heartfelt journal.
Reckless
By Cornelia Funke
Little, Brown (Ages 10-14)
Jacob Reckless, a treasure seeker in Mirrorworld, must deal with faeries, dwarves, shape-shifters and the Goyl king when his brother follows him through a portal and risks becoming a murderous jade stone Goyl himself.
Audiobook | eAudiobook
Scumble
By Ingrid Law
Dial (Ages 9-14)
In this companion to Savvy, thirteen year-old Ledger Kale receives his gift with disappointment as all he seems to have is the ability to make everything around him fall apart.
Audiobook
The Sixty-Eight Rooms
By Marianne Malone
Random House (Ages 8-12)
On a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago, sixth graders Ruthie and Jack discover a key that allows them to shrink and enter a behind-the-scenes mystery throughout the Thorne Miniature Rooms.
Audiobook | eBook
Smile
By Raina Telgemeier
Graphix (Ages 9-13)
Through years of dental distress, this graphic-style memoir details Raina’s awkward experiences with puberty, fickle friends and first crushes.
The Toymaker
By Jeremy de Quidt
Random House/David Fickling (Ages 10-13)
Upon the death of his conjurer grandfather Matthias receives a secret that will have him pursued by evil men, a malevolent dwarf and smarmy smugglers, through a fast-paced nightmarish adventure leading him to his fate at the hands of the Toymaker.
Trash
By Andy Mulligan
Random House/David Fickling (Ages 11-13)
Rat, Raphael and Gardo, three boys with no education, money or home other than a garbage dump, unearth a package they see as their way out, but which leads into a desperate pursuit by the highest government officials.
Audiobook | eAudiobook
Turtle in Paradise
By Jennifer L. Holm
Random House (Ages 8-12)
Sent to live with an aunt in 1930’s Key West, eleven year-old Turtle begins to come out of her protective shell amid the boisterousness of her family, mysteriousness of some pirate treasure, and frightfulness of a hurricane.
Audiobook | eAudiobook
The Water Seeker
By Kimberly Willis Holt
Holt/Christy Ottaviano (Ages 10-13)
Follow Amos Kincaid, son of a trapper and possessor of the gift of finding underground water, as he also finds family, romance and tragedy on the Oregon Trail.
Audiobook | eAudiobook
Informational Books for Younger Readers
Black Jack: The Ballad of Jack Johnson
By Charles R. Smith Jr., illustrated by Shane Evans
Roaring Brook (Ages 7-9)
As the first African American to win a heavyweight crown, Jack Johnson considered himself “a pure-blooded AMERICAN” even when others didn’t agree, and his inspirational story is determinedly told in hopping verse.
Audiobook
Clemente!
By Willie Perdomo, illustrated by Bryan Collier
Holt (Ages 6-9)
Batter up for this inspirational introduction to the famous Puerto Rican baseball player and humanitarian, nuestro tesoro, whose determination and talent took him all the way to the Hall of Fame.
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave
By Laban Carrick Hill, illustrated by Bryan Collier
Little, Brown (Ages 6-10)
This is the artistically told little known story of the extraordinary talent of a slave known only as Dave.
Fireboy to the Rescue!: A Fire Safety Book
By Edward Miller
Holiday House (Ages 5-8)
From stop, drop and roll to calling 911, this graphically arresting book alerts readers to practical, important, life saving information.
For Good Measure: The Ways We Say How Much, How Far, How Heavy, How Big, How Old
By Ken Robbins
Flash Point (Ages 7-12)
You will “barrel” through this great book, which “pounds” out facts and photographs to help you “fathom” standards of measurements.
Fractions, Decimals, and Percents
By David A. Adler, illustrated by Edward Miller
Holiday House (Ages 8-12)
Set at a country fair, this appealing book introduces and reinforces these difficult mathematical concepts with games and real-life examples.
Henry Aaron’s Dream
By Matt Tavares
Candlewick (Ages 8-10)
This larger than life tribute exemplifies how Hammerin’ Hank dreamed big and became a major leaguer with talent and hard work.
Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog
By Adrienne Sylver, illustrated by Elwood H. Smith
Dutton (Ages 7-9)
Whether beef or veggie, mustard or ketchup, Frankfurt or Vienna, this special sausage has a delicious story begging to be devoured.
Run and Hike, Play and Bike: What is Physical Activity?
By Brian P. Cleary, illustrated by Martin Goneau
Millbrook (Ages 6-9)
With racing rhymes and peppy pictures, this is the perfect inspiration to get moving and live healthy lives.
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down
By Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
Little, Brown (Ages 8-11)
Fifty years ago four African American college students sat down at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, and ordered coffee, doughnuts, equality and justice.
Time Zones
By David A. Adler, illustrated by Edward Miller
Holiday House (Ages 8-10)
Talk about a confusing concept! This talented pair comes to the rescue with a trip around the world and the clock.
The Ultimate Dinopedia
By Don Lessem, illustrated by Franco Tempesta
National Geographic (Ages 5-10)
Featuring detailed information on more than 100 species, this book is sure to please young dinosaur enthusiasts everywhere.
Informational Books for Older Readers
Birmingham Sunday
By Larry Dane Brimner
Calkins Creek (Ages 10-13)
This stunning account details the events that led up to and followed the tragedy of September 15, 1963, when four young girls lost their lives in their “Bombingham” Alabama church.
FDR’s Alphabet Soup: New Deal America, 1932-1939
By Tonya Bolden
Knopf (Ages 10 and up)
During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt created many programs to help get the country back on its feet, and here are the ABC’s of how it happened and how they are still affecting our lives today.
Frederick Douglass: A Noble Life
By David A. Adler
Holiday House (Ages 10 and up)
With copious direct quotes, illustrations and extensive notes, this may be the most definitive biography yet of this great man, leader and abolitionist.
Lafayette and the American Revolution
By Russell Freedman
Holiday House (Ages 9-12)
Who could have imaged that a nineteen-year-old French royal would play such a pivotal role in the American Revolution?
Liberty or Death: The Surprising Story of Runaway Slaves Who Sided with the British During the American Revolution
By Margaret Whitman Blair
National Geographic (Ages 10 and up)
Even if you thought you knew everything about American history, this brilliant book will illuminate one aspect of which you were probably unaware.
Out of Iraq: Refugees’ Stories in Words, Paintings and Music
By Sybella Wikles
Evans Brothers (Ages 9-13)
Life in and out of Iraq, from the rule of Saddam Hussein to the U.S.-led invasion and beyond, is powerfully portrayed here through first person accounts and refugee artwork.
Peter Kent’s City Across Time: From the Stone Age to the Distant Future
By Peter Kent
Kingfisher (Ages 8-12)
A fascinating look at how all cities grow, change and develop over time thanks to the people who live there, by looking over, under and through an imaginary city.
Poop Happened!: A History of the World from the Bottom Up
By Sarah Albee, illustrated by Robert Leighton
Walker (Ages 10-13)
You’ll be surprised at how much there is to learn about one thing that we all have in common.
Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science
By Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos
Clarion (Ages 12 and up)
Take the sweet with the bitter in this intriguing account of a substance we couldn’t imagine living without.
They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group
By Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Houghton Mifflin (Ages 12 and up)
One of the most frightening aspects of U.S. history is brilliantly and thoroughly presented in this affecting account.
Audiobook | eAudiobook
The War to End All Wars: World War I
By Russell Freedman
Clarion (Ages 10 and up)
This well-researched, authoritative and readable account of the first global conflict to use modern weaponry details the causes, carnage and consequences of the “Great War.”
Audiobook
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty
By G. Neri, illustrated by Randy DuBurke
Lee & Low (Ages 10 and up)
The 1994 gang tragedy in Roseland brought national attention to a difficult situation in Chicago, and this visual interpretation makes a haunting and very moving historical statement.
NatureConnections
The Bat Scientists
By Mary Kay Carson, photographs by Tom Uhlman
Houghton Mifflin (Ages 8-12)
Meet those who are working hard to save bats and their habitats in this exciting exploration from the award-winning “Scientists in the Field” series.
Bears! Bears! Bears!
By Bob Barner
Chronicle (Ages 3-5)
Hibernate with this whimsical yet informative gambol through the world of bear cubs.
The Buzz on Bees: Why Are They Disappearing?
By Shelley Rotner and Anne Woodhull
Holiday House (Ages 6-10)
Follow the work of inquisitive scientists as they explore why honeybees are mysteriously and quickly disappearing, and learn more about the inter-connectedness of these insects with the greater world.
Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night
By Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen
Houghton Mifflin (Ages 9-12)
Expansive spreads of woodcut art frame each poetic, scientific and beautiful exploration of nocturnal animals.
Frozen Secrets: Antarctica Revealed
By Sally M. Walker
Carolrhoda (Ages 9-12)
Our long-held fascination with the final and frozen frontier of Antarctica is chronicled in this chilling and breathtaking look at the research and exploration done there by brave men and women.
Garbage Helps Our Garden Grow: A Compost Story
By Linda Glaser, photographs by Shelley Rotner
Millbrook (Ages 4-8)
Get down and dirty in this fun first look at how composting helps us to grow a garden.
How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships
By Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
Houghton Mifflin (Ages 4-8)
Combining a graphic novel format with Jenkins’ trademark cut-paper illustrations, he and Page explore and play with the symbiotic relationships between animals.
In the Wild
By David Elliot, illustrated by Holly Meade
Candlewick (Ages 4-8)
Striking woodcuts highlighted with watercolor show off this poetic tribute to majestic wild animals.
Journey Into the Deep: Discovering New Ocean Creatures
By Rebecca L. Johnson
Millbrook (Ages 4-8)
Dive deep into the “magnificent, living soup” of ocean life with vivid underwater photography and captivating facts from marine biologists.
Just One Bite
By Lola Schaefer, illustrated by Geoff Waring
Chronicle (Ages 3-6)
Get a very close-up view of how some animals—from Komodo dragons and whales to butterflies and microorganisms—eat their dinner.
The Life of Rice: From Seedling to Supper
By Richard Sobol
Candlewick (Ages 7-10)
This entry in the “Traveling Photographer” series provides a unique look at one of the most essential foodstuffs one earth.
Orangutans Are Ticklish
By Steve Grubman and Jill Davis
Schwartz & Wade (Ages 4-8)
Get an up-close and personal with the animal kingdom and learn some interesting particulars.
Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Survivors
By Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beckie Prange
Houghton Mifflin (Ages 7-11)
A gorgeous marriage of stunning art, fascinating science and lyric poetry celebrates the successes of the natural world.
We Planted a Tree
By Diane Muldrow, illustrated by Bob Staake
Golden (Ages 4-8)
An ode to the tree and the many gifts it gives to the earth and families around the globe.
Yucky Worms
By Vivian French, illustrated by Jessica Ahlberg
Candlewick (Ages 3-8)
Dig into the slippery and slimy world of worm wonders and be amazed at all that they do for the earth.
Fit to Read: Books to Inspire Healthy Living
500 Health & Fitness Tips: Eat Right, Work Out Smart, and Look Great
By Meghann Foye
Hearst (Ages 12 and up)
Be Healthy! It’s a Girl Thing: Food, Fitness, and Feeling Great
By Lilian Cheung and Mavis Jukes, illustrated by Debra Ziss
Knopf (Ages 11-13)
The Body Book for Boys
By Jonathan Mar
Scholastic (Ages 10-13)
Food is CATegorical series
By Brian P. Cleary, illustrated by Martin Goneau
Millbrook (Ages 6-9)
I Eat a Rainbow
By Bobbie Kalman
Crabtree (Ages 5-8)
Live . . . Happily Ever Active: Heartfelt, Healthy & Interactive Life Lessons for Families of All Ages
By Jillian Moriarty, photographs by Michael Haug
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (All ages)
2011 Award Winners
NEWBERY AWARD
Moon Over Manifest
By Clare Vanderpool
Delacorte (Ages 9-12)
Audiobook | eAudiobook | eBook
CALDECOTT AWARD
A Sick Day for Amos McGee
By Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead
Roaring Brook Press (Ages 4-8)
SIBERT MEDAL
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot
By Sy Montgomery, photographs by Nic Bishop
Houghton Mifflin (Ages 8-12)
THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL AWARD
Bink and Gollie
By Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by Grace Lin
Hyperion (Ages 6-8)
CORETTA SCOTT KING AWARD FOR TEXT
One Crazy Summer
By Rita Williams-Garcia
Amistad (Ages 9-12)
Audiobook | eAudiobook
CORETTA SCOTT KING AWARD FOR ILLUSTRATION
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave
By Laban Carrick Hill, illustrated by Bryan Collier
Little Brown (Ages 6-10)
Audiobook
PURA BELPRÉ AWARD FOR TEXT
The Dreamer
By Pam Muñoz Ryan, illustrated by Peter Sis
Scholastic (10-13)
Audiobook | eAudiobook
PURA BELPRÉ AWARD FOR ILLUSTRATION
Grandma’s Gift
By Eric Velasquez
Walker (Ages 5-8)
Great Kids Read, generously sponsored by The Kraft Foods Foundation, through the Chicago Public Library Foundation, is a collaboration created by the Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Park District to emphasize the importance of reading and family literacy at an early age.
Published in February 2011.