April & May 2026

Efrén Divided (Ernesto Cisneros)

Efrén lives a happy life with his Apa, his Ama, and his younger twin siblings Mia and Max. Their apartment is small and cramped but full of love. They hear about ICE raids in their neighborhood, and one day the nightmare happens to them: their mother is taken. Efrén’s parents are undocumented, but he and his siblings were born in the United States. What follows is a story of a kid forced to grow up before his time. He assumes primary care for his younger siblings so his father can work extra hours so they can attempt to bring his mother back. His schoolwork starts to suffer because he doesn’t know who he can trust and he’s trying to do everything on his own. This book is a powerful look at what ICE raids do to families and communities. For those of us lucky enough to be born in this country, it’s also a chilling reminder that the ICE raids we have seen on the news lately are not new, they are just more noticeable. This book was a 2021 Pura Belpré winner and a 2021-2022 Maine Student Book Award Nominee. (J Fic Cisneros, J Playaway Fic Cisneros) 

Pug Blasts Off: Diary of a Pug volume 1 (Kyla May)

Baron von Bubbles (also known as Bub) is a pug living a mostly happy life with his human, Bella. Sure, Duchess the cat isn’t the friendliest and Nutz the Squirrel steals all his stuff, but he gets to make crafts with Bella and that is the best. Bella announces she wants to make a rocket for the talent show and although Bub has some misgivings, he helps her out. Unfortunately, an incident with Nutz leads to the rocket being ruined. Can Bub find a way to make it up to Bella? This book combines text with color illustrations, almost like an early comic book for kids. This series is perfect for kids looking for their first chapter book series.   (J ABC May)

Earl and Worm: The Bad Idea and Other Stories (Greg Pizzoli)

This is a cute story that reminded me a bit of Frog and Toad stories. Like Frog and Toad, Earl and Worm are quirky best friends with opposite personalities who sometimes agree and sometimes don’t but manage to become best friends. In the first story, we meet Earl and Worm. Worm is quite content to stay home and read her book until Earl, the bird, disturbs her peace. Maybe Worm doesn’t really want to be alone. The second story follows Worm who wants to paint her shutters and Earl copies her. This leads to some crazy copying and a plan that goes awry. In the final story, we find Worm struggling to finish a poem. Readers will recognize the rhyme and hopefully find the solution sweet and funny.  (J ABC Pizzoli)

Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean Floor Ecosystem by Melissa Stewart; illustrated by Rob Dunlavey (J 577.7 Stewart)

It was a good book, I would read it again, I learned lots about the ocean floor.

~Savannah, age 9

5 Books About Pride

Happy Pride Month! To celebrate, here are some great titles that highlight some aspects of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

1. Better Nate than Ever by Tim Federle. Nate wants to escape Jankburg, Pennsylvania for the Great White Way (aka Broadway in New York City.) When his parents go away for the weekend, he gets his chance to audition for E.T.: The Musical, an upcoming Broadway show. Though this book has an adorable cover, this book deals with tough topics like bullying and alcoholism. This book won an Odyssey Honor Award for audio in 2014. J CD Fic Federle
2. Call Me Gray by Andrew Larsen and Bells Larsen, illustrated by Tallulah Fontaine. Every year, a child and their father build an ice rink together. One year, the child uses this tradition to have an important conversation with their dad: they look like a boy but sometimes feel more like a girl. Dad fumbles a bit when the child asks to be called Gray, but it is ultimately a story of parental support. STORIES Larsen
3. Calvin by JR and Vanessa Ford, illustrated by Kayla Harren. A child tells their parents that they feel like a boy inside and his parents tell them they love him no matter what. His grandparents are equally supportive, but Calvin still worries about what school will be like. This book is an idealized world, with Calvin being supported at every turn, but we all need happy stories. STORIES Ford
4. Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky. Grayson has had a bit of a hard time: their parents died when they were small and now they live with their aunt and uncle. Grayson auditions for the lead role in a play, which is Persephone, which slowly leads to them admitting that they feel more like a girl than a boy. J Fic Polonsky 
5. Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman by Sharice Davids with Nancy K. Mays, illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawls-Steckley. Sharice Davids is a bit of an unlikely Congresswoman: the daughter of a single mother in the military who is Native American (from the Ho-Chunk nation) and a lesbian. That didn’t stop her from realizing her dreams, from being a lawyer to a mixed-martial arts fighter. Read this biography to find out more about her and admire the wonderful illustrations. J Biography Davids

From Megan:

5 Novels in Verse

Lately, I have been drawn to books in verse and decided to explore some found in the children’s section. Books in verse are stories written using poetry instead of the traditional sentence and paragraph form. This allows the author to tell a story in an unexpected way.   

1. Dear Treefrog by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Diana Sudyka is an artful and poetic picture book that blends mindfulness, science, and connecting with nature. This story follows a lonely girl adjusting to a new home. She finds companionship and comfort by observing a hidden treefrog in her garden. I love how this story has facts about treefrogs scattered throughout the story. STORIES Sidman
2. The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander is a beautifully written heart-wrenching novel-in-verse that takes readers to the Asante Kingdom in 1860. The story follows an 11-year-old boy named Kofi who loses his freedom after a tribal conflict, embarking on a harrowing journey toward the transatlantic slave trade. This story is geared for middle readers and touches on some hard concepts. J Fic Alexander
3. Moo by Sharon Creech tells the story of Reena and her family who leave the big city and move to a small town in Maine. At first Reena and her brother enjoy a new sense of freedom but then her parents volunteered them to work for their mean, eccentric, old neighbor, Mrs. Falala, and it seems like their adventuring days are done. This story is about change, moving past first impressions, and embracing new experiences. J Fic Creech
4. One Today by Richard Blanco, illustrations by Dav Pilkey. This beautiful picture book is a children’s book version of the inaugural poem for President Obama’s second term. This poem stretches across the country and speaks to the diversity of our country. Blanco uses imagery that all ages will love. J 811 Blanco
5. Remember by Joy Harjo, illustrations by Michaela Goade is a simple and straightforward story about family, nature, and themselves. This is an adaptation of Joy Harjo’s poem with rich, vivid imagery. Remember is a thoughtful and powerful poem that reminds us to remember how we are connected to the earth and to the sky and to each other. It is hard to decide if it is the beautiful words or the awe-inspiring pictures that makes me love this book so much.  STORIES Harjo