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Click below to see the other books in each age band.
BIRTH TO 4
GRADES K TO 2
GRADES 3 TO 5
GRADES 6 TO 8
GRADES 9 TO 12
ADULT
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Discover how the people of Austin, Texas, stopped being afraid of the more than one million bats nesting under the Congress Avenue Bridge and, instead, welcomed them. This true story includes a foreword by bat biologist Dr. Merlin Tuttle, who came to Austin to advocate for the colony by educating residents about the ways in which bats are good for the environment, and for humans too. Now, tourists from all over the world come to Austin to watch the Brazilian free-tail bats fill the sky every evening in early spring.
Love Grows
by Ruth Spiro
A delightful celebration of family, plants, and the boundlessness of love told in lively, poetic letters from aunt to niece with bright, irresistible illustrations! Every month, an aunt mails a letter and a houseplant to her niece and . . . LOVE GROWS! I'm sending this pothos, so while we're apart, you'll look at its leaves and know you're in my heart. In the vein of We Are the Gardeners and Dear Girl, this beautiful story is the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, graduation, and more! Young readers and gardeners will also love the sidebars on each spread with fun and informative facts about the plants.
Somebody Needs to Do Something About That Monster!
by Doug Cenko
A silly and ironic twist on “The Little Dutch Boy,” featuring a charmingly unaware monster who just wants to be kind and make a difference. Merv is a nice monster. He sits outside the village, snacking on plants and blissfully minding his own business. Until…the villagers start complaining about “that monster.” Merv assumes they must be talking about somebody else and decides to go take care of that nuisance himself! He asks for help from the witches, the troll under the bridge, and even the unicorns. But their assistance comes with strings attached, and poor Merv isn’t ready to meet their demands. Will Merv return to the village a failure, or might he have been helping everyone all along?
The Ghost Who Was Afraid of Everything
by Nadia Ahmed
If you're a fraidy-ghost, enjoying Halloween is hard! When Finn is afraid, his stomach swoops, his hands sweat, and he can't move. Finn, a spooky little ghostie, is too afraid to leave the comfort of his attic to enjoy trick-or-treating with his family. He's afraid of everything--the color orange, trees, people, even flying! But then he realizes that if he wants his favorite Halloween candy, he'll need to overcome his fears. Through incremental exposures to the things he's afraid of, Finn finds courage to do things he enjoys with the people he loves. Perfect for spooky season, this debut picture book from artist Nadia Ahmed is sure to inspire readers to find the courage to overcome their own fears.
The Heartbeat Drum: The Story of Carol Powder, Cree Drummer and Activist
by Deidre Havrelock and illustrated by Aphelandra
The Heartbeat Drum is an uplifting picture book biography of a Cree activist and musician who founded an Indigenous hand drumming group, led by women and children, that spreads joy, healing, and unity. Whenever young Carol Powder sang along to her family’s music, her heart felt light and full of joy. Learning from her grandfather, Moshum, Carol listened closely to the drums’ heartbeat until one day Moshum made her a drum of her very own. As Carol grew up, she passed down her songs to her children, grandchildren, and many women in her community, just as Moshum taught her—even as women and children became increasingly excluded from sitting at the drum. Despite those who disapproved, she formed her own drumming group called Chubby Cree.
Umami
by Jacob Grant
Umami, sick of cold fish, travels the world trying different and delicious food to bring back home for the other penguins to try. Umami is tired of eating cold fish. But fish is what the penguins eat. Fish for every meal and birthdays too. To find new exciting foods, Umami adventures across the sea and discovers flavors and spices that are inspiring! She has to share them. But will the other penguins share her love for these different foods?