Lists and Suggestions for Kids
6880085&oclc=)
00108577&isbn=9780374302788&issn=/MC.GIF)
00124956&isbn=9780399214578&issn=/MC.GIF)
List: Odyssey Award Winners & Honor Audiobooks
Fighting Words
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker, author.
Ten-tear-old Della has always had her older sister, Suki: When their mom went to prison, Della had S... More
Ten-tear-old Della has always had her older sister, Suki: When their mom went to prison, Della had Suki. When their mom's boyfriend took them in, Della had Suki. When that same boyfriend did something so awful they had to run fast, Della had Suki. Suki is Della's own wolf, her protector. But who has been protecting Suki? Della might get told off for swearing at school, but she has always known how to keep quiet where it counts. Then Suki tries to kill herself, and Della's world turns so far upside down, it feels like it's shaking her by the ankles. Maybe she's been quiet about the wrong things. Maybe it's time to be loud. In this powerful novel that explores the stigma around child sexual abuse and leavens an intense tale with compassion and humor, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley tells a story about two sisters, linked by love and trauma, who must find their own voices before they can find their way back to each other. Less
When Stars Are Scattered
Jamieson, Victoria, author, narrator.
Heartbreak and hope exist together in this remarkable novel about growing up in a refugee camp, as t... More
Heartbreak and hope exist together in this remarkable novel about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl. Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future ... but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day. Heartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel--now adapted for audio--about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. Less
Song for a Whale
Kelly, Lynne.
Also available in Overdrive and RB Digital. Twelve-year-old Iris and her grandmother, both deaf, dri... More
Also available in Overdrive and RB Digital. Twelve-year-old Iris and her grandmother, both deaf, drive from Texas to Alaska armed with Iris's plan to help Blue-55, a whale unable to communicate with other whales. Less
We're Not From Here
Rodkey, Geoff.
Also available in Overdrive, Hoopla, and RB Digital. Imagine being forced to move to a new planet w... More
Also available in Overdrive, Hoopla, and RB Digital. Imagine being forced to move to a new planet where YOU are the alien! The first time I heard about Planet Choom, we'd been on Mars for almost a year. But life on the Mars station was grim, and since Earth was no longer an option (we may have blown it up), it was time to find a new home. That's how we ended up on Choom with the Zhuri. They're very smart. They also look like giant mosquitos. But that's not why it's so hard to live here. There's a lot that the Zhuri don't like: singing (just ask my sister, Ila), comedy (one joke got me sent to the principal's office), or any kind of emotion. The biggest problem, though? The Zhuri don't like us. And if humankind is going to survive, it's up to my family to change their minds. No pressure. Less
Du Iz Tak?
Ellis, Carson.
Readers are invited to imagine the dramatic possibilities to be found in the natural world, even th... More
Readers are invited to imagine the dramatic possibilities to be found in the natural world, even the humblest back garden! With exquisitely-detailed illustration that will appeal to children and art-lovers alike, and a wonderfully playful invented language, we soon find ourselves speaking 'Bug' (Du iz tak? = What is that?). Less
Esquivel! Space-Age Sound Artist
Wood, Susan.
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. Juan Garcia Esquivel was born in Mexico and grew up to the s... More
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. Juan Garcia Esquivel was born in Mexico and grew up to the sounds of mariachi bands. He loved music and became a musical explorer. Defying convention, he created music that made people laugh and planted images in their minds. Juan's space-age lounge music popular in the fifties and sixties has found a new generation of listeners. Less
The Parker Inheritance
Johnson, Varian.
Also available in Overdrive, Hoopla, and RB Digital. "When Candice finds the letter, she isn�... More
Also available in Overdrive, Hoopla, and RB Digital. "When Candice finds the letter, she isn't sure she should read it. It's addressed to her grandmother, after all, who left Lambert in a cloud of shame. But the letter describes a young African American woman named Siobhan Washington. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding the letter writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle. Grandma tried and failed. But now Candice has another chance. So with the help of Brandon Jones, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues in the letter. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert's history -- full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love -- and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter's promise before the answers slip into the past yet again?"-- Less
A Boy Called Christmas
Haig, Matt.
Also available in Overdrive. "Nikolas, the boy who would one day be known as Santa Claus, goes... More
Also available in Overdrive. "Nikolas, the boy who would one day be known as Santa Claus, goes on a life-changing quest to the North Pole"-- Less
Trombone Shorty
Andrews, Troy.
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. "Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, ... More
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. "Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. A prodigy, he was leading his own band by age six, and today this Grammy-nominated artist headlines the legendary New Orleans Jazz Fest"-- Less
The Wizards of Once
Cowell, Cressida.
Also available in Overdrive, Hoopla, and RB Digital. Once there were Wizards, who were Magic, and Wa... More
Also available in Overdrive, Hoopla, and RB Digital. Once there were Wizards, who were Magic, and Warriors, who were not ... except for two. Xar, son of the King of Wizards, can't cast a single spell. And Wish, daughter of the Warrior Queen, stumbles across gifts of her own. When they collide in the wildwood, on the trail of a deadly witch, it's the start of a grand adventure that just might change the fabric of their worlds. Less
Ghost
Reynolds, Jason.
Also available in Overdrive and RB Digital. Ghost has a crazy natural talent, but no formal training... More
Also available in Overdrive and RB Digital. Ghost has a crazy natural talent, but no formal training. If he can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons, all starting with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the street, with a loaded gun, aiming to kill. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems, and running away from them, until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who blew his own shot at success by using drugs, and who is determined to keep other kids from blowing their shots at life. Less
The War that Saved My Life
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker.
Also available in Overdrive. A young disabled girl and her brother are evacuated from London to the ... More
Also available in Overdrive. A young disabled girl and her brother are evacuated from London to the English countryside during World War II, where they find life to be much sweeter away from their abusive mother. Less
Echo
Ryan, Pam Muñoz.
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. Lost in the Black Forest, Otto meets three mysterious sister... More
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. Lost in the Black Forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and finds himself entwined in a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica--and decades later three children, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California find themselves caught up in the same thread of destiny in the darkest days of the twentieth century, struggling to keep their families intact, and tied together by the music of the same harmonica. Less
H.O.R.S.E.: A Game of Basketball and Imagination
Myers, Christopher.
Also available in Hoopla. "Two friends try to outdo each other on the basketball court in an o... More
Also available in Hoopla. "Two friends try to outdo each other on the basketball court in an out-of-this-world game of H.O.R.S.E" -- Provided by publisher. Less
The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place
Berry, Julie.
"Seven very proper Victorian young ladies conspire to hide a murder from the authorities at th... More
"Seven very proper Victorian young ladies conspire to hide a murder from the authorities at their boarding school"-- Less
Better Nate Than Ever
Federle, Tim.
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. An eighth-grader who dreams of performing in a Broadway musi... More
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. An eighth-grader who dreams of performing in a Broadway musical concocts a plan to run away to New York and audition for the role of Elliot in the musical version of "E.T." Less
Creepy Carrots!
Reynolds, Aaron.
Also available in Hoopla. The carrots that grow in Crackenhopper Field are the fattest and crispiest... More
Also available in Hoopla. The carrots that grow in Crackenhopper Field are the fattest and crispiest around and Jasper Rabbit cannot resist pulling some to eat each time he passes by, until he begins hearing and seeing creepy carrots wherever he goes. Less
Matilda
Dahl, Roald.
Also available in Overdrive. Matilda is an exceptional five-year-old who's a whiz at reading an... More
Also available in Overdrive. Matilda is an exceptional five-year-old who's a whiz at reading and multiplication. However, her life is far from perfect. She has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived. Matilda uses her intelligence to get revenge on her father, but her skills are put to the test by her horrible nightmare of a principle, Mrs. Trunchbull. Less
Ghost Knight
Funke, Cornelia.
Also available on Overdrive. Eleven-year-old Jon Whitcroft and new friend Ella summon the ghost of S... More
Also available on Overdrive. Eleven-year-old Jon Whitcroft and new friend Ella summon the ghost of Sir William Longspee, who may be able to protect Jon from a group of ghosts that threatens him from the day he arrives at Salisbury Cathedral's boarding school. Less
Ghetto Cowboy
Neri, Greg.
Twelve-year-old Cole's behavior causes his mother to drive him from Detroit to Philadelphia to... More
Twelve-year-old Cole's behavior causes his mother to drive him from Detroit to Philadelphia to live with a father he has never known, but who soon has Cole involved with a group of African-American "cowboys" who rescue horses and use them to steer youths away from drugs and gangs. Less
Young Fredle
Voigt, Cynthia.
Fredle, a young and naive mouse, is cast out of his comfortable home and forced to endure the outdo... More
Fredle, a young and naive mouse, is cast out of his comfortable home and forced to endure the outdoors. At first he is thrilled by his new surroundings, but he soon longs for his old life back as he discovers just how dangerous the wild can be. Less
The True Meaning of Smekday
Rex, Adam.
Also available in Overdrive. In the chaotic turmoil that follows the Boov invasion of Earth, eleven-... More
Also available in Overdrive. In the chaotic turmoil that follows the Boov invasion of Earth, eleven-year-old Gratuity Tucci finds herself driving her mother's car to Florida, where all of the humans are being relocated, with her cat and a renegade extraterrestiral named J. Lo as her copilots. Less
Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken
DiCamillo, Kate.
Longing for adventure, intrepid Louise leaves her comfortable nest and goes to sea, the circus, and... More
Longing for adventure, intrepid Louise leaves her comfortable nest and goes to sea, the circus, and a bazaar. Less
Peace, Locomotion
Woodson, Jacqueline.
Through letters to his little sister, who is living in a different foster home, sixth-grader Lonnie... More
Through letters to his little sister, who is living in a different foster home, sixth-grader Lonnie, also known as "Locomotion," keeps a record of their lives while they are apart, describing his own foster family, including his foster brother who returns home after losing a leg in the Iraq War. A companion to Woodson's other book entitled: Locomotion. Less
Elijah of Buxton
Curtis, Christopher Paul.
Also available in Overdrive. In 1859, eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman, the first free-born child in ... More
Also available in Overdrive. In 1859, eleven-year-old Elijah Freeman, the first free-born child in Buxton, Canada, which is a haven for slaves fleeing the American south, uses his wits and skills to try to bring to justice the lying preacher who has stolen money that was to be used to buy a family's freedom. Less
I'm Dirty!
McMullan, Kate.
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. A busy backhoe loader describes all the items it hauls off ... More
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. A busy backhoe loader describes all the items it hauls off a lot and all the fun it has getting dirty while doing so. Less
Jazz
Myers, Walter Dean.
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. Illustrations and rhyming text celebrate the roots of jazz m... More
Also available in Overdrive and Hoopla. Illustrations and rhyming text celebrate the roots of jazz music. Less
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Rowling, J. K.
Also available in Overdrive. Burdened with the dark, dangerous, and seemingly impossible task of loc... More
Also available in Overdrive. Burdened with the dark, dangerous, and seemingly impossible task of locating and destroying Voldermort's remaining Horcruxes, Harry, feeling alone and uncertain about his future, struggles to find the inner strength he needs to follow the path set out before him. Less
Skulduggery Pleasant
Landy, Derek.
When twelve-year-old Stephanie inherits her weird uncle's estate, she must join forces with Sk... More
When twelve-year-old Stephanie inherits her weird uncle's estate, she must join forces with Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton mage, to save the world from the Faceless Ones. Less
Treasure Island
Stevenson, Robert Louis.
The narrator of this timeless adventure story is the lad, Jim Hawkins, whose mother keeps the Admir... More
The narrator of this timeless adventure story is the lad, Jim Hawkins, whose mother keeps the Admiral Benbow, an inn on the west coast of England in the 18th century. An old buccaneer takes up residence at the inn. He has in his sea chest a map to the hiding place of Captain Flint's treasure. A gang of cutthroats are determined to get his treasure map, and - led by the sinister, blind pirate, Pew - descend on the inn. But Jim Hawkins outwits them, grabs the map, and delivers it to Squire Trelawney. The Squire and his friend Dr. Livessy set off for Treasure Island in the schooner Hispaniola, taking Jim with them. Some of the crew are the squire's faithful servants, but the majority are buccaneers recruited by the one-legged pirate, Long John Silver. Jim discovers the pirates' plan to seize the ship and kill the squire's party, but warns them in time. After a series of thrilling fights and adventures, the pirates are finally defeated, and the treasure secured. Less
