Lists and Suggestions for Kids
List: If You Like Wonder
Absolutely Almost
Graff, Lisa (Lisa Colleen), 1981-
Ten-year-old Albie has never been the smartest, tallest, best at gym, greatest artist, or most music... More
Ten-year-old Albie has never been the smartest, tallest, best at gym, greatest artist, or most musical in his class, as his parents keep reminding him, but new nanny Calista helps him uncover his strengths and take pride in himself. Less
Anything But Typical
Baskin, Nora Raleigh.
Jason, a twelve-year-old autistic boy who wants to become a writer, relates what his life is like as... More
Jason, a twelve-year-old autistic boy who wants to become a writer, relates what his life is like as he tries to make sense of his world. Less
Blackbird Fly
Kelly, Erin Entrada, author.
Bullied at school, eighth-grader Apple, a Filipino American who loves the music of the Beatles, deci... More
Bullied at school, eighth-grader Apple, a Filipino American who loves the music of the Beatles, decides to change her life by learning how to play the guitar. Less
A Blind Guide to Stinkville
Vrabel, Beth, author.
Leaving her best friend and the familiarity of Seattle for the paper milltown of "Stinkville,&q... More
Leaving her best friend and the familiarity of Seattle for the paper milltown of "Stinkville," South Carolina, twelve-year-old Alice, who lives with albinism and blindness, takes on the additional challenge of entering the Stinkville Success Stories essay contest. Less
The Categorical Universe of Candice Phee
Jonsberg, Barry, 1951- author.
Candice is a twelve-year-old optimist, with a literal mind, the very best of intentions, and an unwa... More
Candice is a twelve-year-old optimist, with a literal mind, the very best of intentions, and an unwavering determination to fix all the problems of her family, friends, pets, and everyone in her life. Less
Counting by 7s
Sloan, Holly Goldberg, 1958-
Twelve-year-old genius and outsider Willow Chance must figure out how to connect with other people a... More
Twelve-year-old genius and outsider Willow Chance must figure out how to connect with other people and find a surrogate family for herself after her parents are killed in a car accident. Less
El Deafo
Bell, Cece, author, artist.
Also available on Overdrive and Hoopla. "Going to school and making new friends can be tough... More
Also available on Overdrive and Hoopla. "Going to school and making new friends can be tough. But going to school and making new friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid strapped to your chest? That requires superpowers! In this funny, poignant graphic novel memoir, author/illustrator Cece Bell chronicles her hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic Ear, a very powerful--and very awkward--hearing aid. The Phonic Ear gives Cece the ability to hear--sometimes things she shouldn't--but also isolates her from her classmates. She really just wants to fit in and find a true friend, someone who appreciates her as she is. After some trouble, she is finally able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and become "El Deafo, Listener for All." And more importantly, declare a place for herself in the world and find the friend she's longed for"-- Less
Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree
Tarshis, Lauren.
A quirky and utterly logical seventh-grade girl named Emma-Jean Lazarus discovers some interesting r... More
A quirky and utterly logical seventh-grade girl named Emma-Jean Lazarus discovers some interesting results when she gets involved in the messy everyday problems of her peers. Less
Fish in a Tree
Hunt, Lynda Mullaly, author.
"Ally's greatest fear is that everyone will find out she is as dumb as they think she is b... More
"Ally's greatest fear is that everyone will find out she is as dumb as they think she is because she still doesn't know how to read"-- Less
The Goldfish Boy
Thompson, Lisa (Lisa Anne), 1973- author.
Emotionally crippled by his obsessive-compulsive disorder, teenager Matthew Corbin rarely leaves his... More
Emotionally crippled by his obsessive-compulsive disorder, teenager Matthew Corbin rarely leaves his room on a cul-de-sac in London, and he passes the day observing and writing down his neighbors doings from his window--but when a toddler staying next door disappears, Matt is the key to solving a mystery and possibly saving a child's life...if he can manage to expose himself, and his secret guilt to the outside world. Less
The Honest Truth
Gemeinhart, Dan, author.
A boy named Mark, tired of being sick with cancer, conceives a plan to climb Mount Rainier, and runs... More
A boy named Mark, tired of being sick with cancer, conceives a plan to climb Mount Rainier, and runs away from home with his dog, Beau--but with over two hundred miles between him and his goal, and only anger at his situation to drive him on nothing will be easy, and only his best friend, Jessie, suspects where he is heading. Less
Hello, Universe
Kelly, Erin Entrada, author.
Virgil feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia is deaf, smart, and loves every... More
Virgil feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family. Valencia is deaf, smart, and loves everything about nature. Kaori is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister, Gen, is always following her around. And Chet wishes the weird kids would just stop being so different so that he can concentrate on basketball. They aren't friends. But when Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well, Kaori, Gen, and Valencia begin a quest to find the missing Virgil. Less
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus
Bowling, Dusti, author.
New friends and a mystery help Aven, thirteen, adjust to middle school and life at a dying western t... More
New friends and a mystery help Aven, thirteen, adjust to middle school and life at a dying western theme park in a new state, where her being born armless presents many challenges. Less
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
Gantos, Jack.
To the constant disappointment of his mother and his teachers, Joey has trouble paying attention or ... More
To the constant disappointment of his mother and his teachers, Joey has trouble paying attention or controlling his mood swings when his prescription medications wear off and he starts getting worked up and acting wired. Less
The Meaning of Maggie
Sovern, Megan Jean, author.
Eleven-year-old Maggie Mayfield is an A-plus student with big plans for herself, but at this moment ... More
Eleven-year-old Maggie Mayfield is an A-plus student with big plans for herself, but at this moment she is also facing a lot of problems--like starting middle school and figuring out how to help her father who is out of work and in a wheelchair. Less
Mockingbird : mok'ing-bûrd
Erskine, Kathryn.
Ten-year-old Caitlin, who has Asperger's Syndrome, struggles to understand emotions, show empat... More
Ten-year-old Caitlin, who has Asperger's Syndrome, struggles to understand emotions, show empathy, and make friends at school, while at home she seeks closure by working on a project with her father. Less
Out of my Mind
Draper, Sharon M. (Sharon Mills)
Considered by many to be mentally retarded, a brilliant, impatient fifth-grader with cerebral palsy ... More
Considered by many to be mentally retarded, a brilliant, impatient fifth-grader with cerebral palsy discovers a technological device that will allow her to speak for the first time. Less
Paper Things
Jacobson, Jennifer, 1958- author.
When Ari's mother died four years ago, she had two final wishes: that Ari and her older brother... More
When Ari's mother died four years ago, she had two final wishes: that Ari and her older brother, Gage, would stay together always, and that Ari would go to Carter, the middle school for gifted students. So when nineteen-year-old Gage decides he can no longer live with their bossy guardian, Janna, Ari knows she has to go with him. But it's been two months, and Gage still hasn't found them an apartment. He and Ari have been "couch surfing," staying with Gage's friend in a tiny apartment, crashing with Gage's girlfriend and two roommates, and if necessary, sneaking into a juvenile shelter to escape the cold Maine nights. But all of this jumping around makes it hard for Ari to keep up with her schoolwork, never mind her friendships, and getting into Carter starts to seem impossible. Will Ari be forced to break one of her promises to Mama? Told in an open, authentic voice, this nuanced story of hiding in plain sight may have readers thinking about homelessness in a whole new way. Less
Rain Reign
Martin, Ann M., 1955- author.
Struggling with Asperger's, Rose shares a bond with her beloved dog, but when the dog goes miss... More
Struggling with Asperger's, Rose shares a bond with her beloved dog, but when the dog goes missing during a storm, Rose is forced to confront the limits of her comfort levels, even if it means leaving her routines in order to search for her pet. Less
Rules
Lord, Cynthia.
Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence ... More
Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence but her world is further complicated by a friendship with an young paraplegic. Less
Small as an Elephant
Jacobson, Jennifer, 1958-
Abandoned by his mother in an Acadia National Park campground, Jack tries to make his way back to Bo... More
Abandoned by his mother in an Acadia National Park campground, Jack tries to make his way back to Boston before anyone figures out what is going on, with only a small toy elephant for company. Less
The Thing About Jellyfish
Benjamin, Ali, author.
Also available on Overdrive, Twelve-year-old Suzy Swanson wades through her intense grief over the... More
Also available on Overdrive, Twelve-year-old Suzy Swanson wades through her intense grief over the loss of her best friend by investigating the rare jellyfish she is convinced was responsible for her friend's death. Less
Ugly : a Memoir
Hoge, Robert, 1972- author.
"Robert Hoge was born with a tumor the size of a tennis ball in the middle of his face and shor... More
"Robert Hoge was born with a tumor the size of a tennis ball in the middle of his face and short, twisted legs, but he refused to let what made him different stand in the way of leading a happy, successful life. This is the true story of how he embraced his circumstances and never let his "ugly" stop him from focusing on what truly mattered."-- Less
Unstoppable
Green, Tim, 1963-
"If anyone understands the phrase 'tough luck,' it's Harrison. As a foster kid i... More
"If anyone understands the phrase 'tough luck,' it's Harrison. As a foster kid in a cruel home, he knows his dream of one day playing for the NFL is a long shot. Then Harrison's luck seems to change. He is brought into a new home with kind, loving parents--his new dad is even a football coach. Harrison's big build and his incredible determination quickly make him a star running back on the junior high school team. In no time, he's practically unstoppable. But Harrison's good luck can't last forever"-- Less
The War that Saved my Life
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker, author.
Also available on Overdrive. A young disabled girl and her brother are evacuated from London to th... More
Also available on 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