Check out this list from the top librarians in America! Your librarian makes finding great books for your upper elementary students easy. Talking and listening to children about their favorites, the American Library Association has released their list of the top kids books for 2016. These must reads are great choices at your library and a fun way to discover new worlds of excitement sure to please even the most reluctant readers!
Enjoy this excerpt from the official ALA Summer Reading List…
Audacity Jones to the Rescue
by Kirby Larson
Audie Jones finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime when she is whisked away to Washington, D.C., where sinister goings-on are afoot.
The Blackthorn Key
by Kevin Sands
This adventure, filled with rich suspense, mystery, and unforgettable characters, follows Christopher Rowe as he learns a mysterious cult is preying on London’s apothecaries, and the trail of murders is growing closer and closer to Blackthorn’s shop.
Crimebiters! My Dog Is Better than Your Dog
by Tommy Greenwald Illustrated by Adam Stower
Jimmy suspects his dog is a crime-fighting vampire; can the canine’s superskills help track down who stole his mother’s diamond necklace? First in a series.
The Door by the Staircase
by Katherine Marsh Illustrated by Kelly
Orphan Mary Hayes hopes to escape the Buffalo Asylum for Young Ladies, only to
find herself in peril when a mysterious woman named Madame Z adopts her.
A Dragon’s Guide to the Care and Feeding of Humans
by Laurence Yep and Joanne Ryder; Illustrated by Mary GrandPré
A story about dragons with a twist: Miss Drake (the dragon) has a new human pet!
Eddie Red, Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile
by Marcia Wells
Illustrated by Marcos Calo
Sixth-grader Eddie is called on by the NYPD to help bust a gang of art thieves by using his photographic memory and talent for drawing. First in a series.
Fable Comics
Edited by Chris Duffy
Various graphic novelists retell twenty-eight fables from different cultures and traditions in this vibrant collection of comics
Honey
by Sarah Weeks
When she realizes her dad may have a secret girlfriend, Melody sets out to find out who it is.
Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph
by Roxane Orgill; Illustrated by Francis Vallejo
This collection of poetry focuses on the process art designer Art Kane
went through in order to photograph what was to become the iconic 1958 photo of American jazz greats on a stoop in Harlem.
The Jumbies
by Tracey Baptiste
Eleven-year-old Corinne must call on her courage and an ancient magic to stop an
evil spirit and save her island home.
The Key to Extraordinary
by Natalie Lloyd
Emma must fulfill her Destiny Dream: to locate a legendary treasure. If she fails, she lets down not only the legacy of her ancestors but also the family business—the Boneyard Cafe.
The Last Kids on
Earth
by Max Brallier; Illustrated by Douglas Holgate
Described as Diary of
a Wimpy Kid meets The Walking Dead, this post-apocalyptic graphic novel is sure to delight summer readers as Jack Sullivan holes up in his tree house for as long as he can.
Lola Levine Is Not Mean!
by Monica Brown; Illustrated by Angela Dominquez
Sports-loving Lola accidentally injures a classmate during a recess soccer game and resolves to win back her spot on the field—and her friends—by demonstrating what good sportsmanship is all about. First in a series.
My Diary from the Edge of the World
by Jody Lynn Anderson
Dragon season and homework about Sasquatches’ involvement
in American history aside, Gracie Lockwood lives in a normal, uneventful world until a Dark Cloud comes for her little brother. Can her family outrun this harbinger?
My Pet Human
by Yasmine Surovec
An independent cat resists being tied down by a human pet in this fun tale.
Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands
by Katherine Roy
This book investigates the mystery surrounding the great white shark.
Oona Finds an Egg
by Adele Griffin
Illustrated by Mike Wu Scholastic, 2016, ISBN: 9780545732796
Follow Oona Oodlethunk on her adventures in prehistoric times as she tries to find the perfect pet. First in a series.
Project Blastoff
by Mark Kelly and Martha Freeman
Twins Mark and Scott Kelly are about to embark on an adventure of epic proportions as they build and engineer their own rocket ship. First in a series.
School for Sidekicks
by Kelly McCullough
Feiwel & Friends, 2015, ISBN: 9781250039262
At the Academy for Metahuman Operatives, superhero wannabe Evan’s wisecracks land him in double trouble: he angers
the school’s director and is partnered with has-been hero Foxman. First in a series.
The Story of Diva and Flea
by Mo Willems
Illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi Disney-Hyperion, 2015, ISBN: 9781484722848
Pampered lapdog Diva
and streetwise alley cat
Flea strike up an unlikely friendship, finding adventure while exploring the stunning landmarks of Paris, France.
The Tapper Twins Go to War (with Each Other)
by Geoff Rodkey
Fraternal twins Reese and Claudia take sibling rivalry to a new level with their prank war. First in a series.
The Terrible Two
by Mac Barnett and
Jory John
Illustrated by Kevin Cornell Abrams/Amulet Books, 2015, ISBN: 9781419714917
Two pranksters team up for the greatest prank ever. First in a series.
Upside-Down Magic
by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins
After some mishaps with unpredictable magic, Nory is sent to the Dunwiddle Magic School’s Upside-Down Magic class in this funny and magical novel. First in a series.
Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems
by Bob Raczka
Raczka offers a collection of twenty-one concrete poems that are a surefire way to draw the attention of young readers and inspire older ones.
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
Robot Roz wakes up to find herself alone on a remote island.
