En route to a new boarding school in Dublin after she was caught trying to pawn her father’s old watch, Margo (white) finds herself traveling to a world she didn’t know existed. On the train with her is Moon, a boy Margo’s age with a crescent moon tattoo on his face.
Sea Legs
Life aboard Janey’s parents’ sailboat, the Merimaid, has its ups and downs—sometimes literally. Janey (white) enjoys life at sea, especially the opportunity to travel, but seasickness, storms, and isolation make it challenging.
Blue Sky Morning
“Wake up, Eunny! It’s a beautiful, blue sky morning.” A quiet, second-person narrative gently encourages small moments of mindfulness during a Korean girl’s weekday morning routine.
I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive
“[W]hen winter comes / and hunger thrums / and danger hovers overhead—” it’s roosting time for the murder of American crows that narrates this poetic informational picture book.
If I Could Go Back
When she turns 18, high-school track star Aaliyah contacts her parents, Lena and Quincy, despite knowing that her stubborn but steadfast Grandpa Joe will be furious.
The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls
Expelled from her latest orphanage, Maggie (white) is dropped off at the Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls, where she joins fellow newcomers Nell (white) and Sofie (brown-skinned) in learning that the Institute’s dreary exterior is a front for a school that trains girls in the art of fighting crime.
This Year, a Witch!
Eager to put the “utterly adorable” costumes of Halloweens past behind her, the young narrator of this picture book has her sights set on a scary getup. “This year, a witch!” Yes, gone are the days of pink bunny onesies and oversized mouse ears. This year, she’s been growing out her “witchy locks,” “whipping up spells,” and teaching herself to speak to animals.
New CCBC Booklist Complements Go Big Read Selection
The James: Retellings & Reimaginings and 19th-Century Black Experiences booklist was developed by the CCBC librarians to complement the 2025-2026 Go Big Read selection, James by Percival Everett, a novel that retells the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from …
American Spirits: The Famous Fox Sisters and the Mysterious Fad that Haunted a Nation
A prank blossoms into a nationwide phenomenon in this meticulously researched account of two acclaimed spiritualists. In Hydesville, New York, in 1848, unexplained rapping noises in the Fox family home, interpreted as messages from a murdered peddler buried in the cellar, draw widespread attention. Maggie (14) and Kate (11) are the only ones able to communicate with the spirit.
Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa
“Up and down the crooked spine of the / Andes goes Alberto, playing an epic / game of paka paka con la papa, / potato hide-and-seek.” A delightful picture book about Peruvian scientist Alberto Salas describes his travels around the Andes collecting potatoes.