October 2017 Books

Toddler

One Leaf, Two Leaves, Count with Me! By John Micklos, Jr.
Count your way through the seasons! In spring, the tree’s leaves appear. By summer, there’s a glorious canopy. And when autumn winds blow, leaves fly from the tree, leading us into winter. Your little ones can count leaves, look for animals, and enjoy the seasonal landscapes, bouncy rhymes, and bold illustrations.

Youth

Jada Jones: Class Act By Kelly Starling Lyons
Join Jada on her exciting campaign for student council. She is running against her friend, Miles, and before long, rumors spread about her fear of public speaking. Jada is torn between trusting her friends and preparing for her big speech. Find out how to be a class act from Jada in this uplifting, age-appropriate chapter book, full of lively illustrations.

What Would Happen? Serious Answers to Silly Questions By Crispin Boyer
Asking “What if?” is a child’s favorite pastime. Now, this National Geographic book will supply all the answers. Get ready to explore all kinds of scenarios that would or could happen if the world was just a slightly different place. Each scenario is examined with real scientific, historical, and cultural facts in mind.

Tween

The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole By Michelle Cuevas
A girl’s friendship with a lonely black hole leads her to face her own sadness in this original, funny, and touching middle grade novel. Stella Rodriguez, an 11-year-old budding scientist, tries to manage her new pet black hole as he swallows everything he touches, including all the stuff Stella doesn’t want anymore and even her puppy, her brother, and herself. Stella realizes that the black hole has consumed her just like her grief. She has to get back home and confront her sadness on the way.

Lone Stars By Mike Lupica
Wide receiver Clay’s speed, focus, and great hands make him a quarterback’s dream. Football is his true love, and he spends most of his time on the field. And his coach, a former star player for the Dallas Cowboys, is just like a second father. But as the football season kicks off, Clay notices some odd behavior from his coach–lapses in his memory, and strange mood swings. Clay becomes a support as his coach faces his biggest challenge yet. This touching story proves life is bigger than a game.

Teen

An Ember in the Ashes By Sabaa Tahir
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. It is in this brutal world that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family survives day to day in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. When Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia makes the ultimate choice. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. This novel will have you holding your breath in suspense.

Three Dark Crowns By Kendare Blake
“Three dark queens are born in a glen; sweet little triplets will never be friends. Three dark sisters all fair to be seen, two to devour and one to be Queen.” A set of triplets is born every generation on the island of Fennbirn. The girls are three queens, all equal heirs to the throne and each endowed with a dangerous magic. Each sister has to fight for the crown on the night the sisters turn 16. Which will prevail and win the crown?

All Grown Up

Braving the Wilderness By Brené Brown
Brené Brown has drastically changed the global conversation on shame, vulnerability, and empathy, and now she is adding belonging. This timely new book will challenge everything we think we know about cultivating true belonging. With her trademark mix of research, storytelling, and transparent honesty, Brown redefines what it means to truly belong.

Little Fires Everywhere By Celeste Ng
How do we relate to each other as mothers? What would we do if an injustice occurred down the street? In Shaker Heights, a planned, posh, and seemingly perfect suburb, two mothers, Elena and Mia, square off over an adoption custody battle. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia’s past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs. Escape into this psychological mystery that explores the power of motherhood and the danger of perfection.