Author: Chelsea Henley

This sweet, tearjerker of a picture book follows a Chinese-American family that pulls over on the side of the road to gather watercress. Though the parents are delighted at their discovery, their daughter is embarrassed. But when her parents share a story of their lives in China, she understands the wonder and appreciation for the fresh watercress they’ve discovered.

A French bulldog named Hugo decides it’s time someone took on the Impossible Thing that stands at the edge of the forest. No other animal has made the attempt, and a determined Hugo gets some help from his friends to conquer the Impossible Thing.

In this magical, mystical novel neighboring families clash and come together. Though the shy Alder and outgoing Oak don’t get along well at first, they’re drawn together repeatedly by a series of coincidences that hint at magic, including the occasional disappearance of another house on their street.

When Stella and Luna ask their mom, Elsie, to tell them the story of how she came from the Philippines, Elsie tells two stories. One about her childhood with her sisters and another about the daughter of a god.

In this delightful novel, Barclay is banished from his village when he accidentally bonds with a magical, wolf-like Beast in the wilderness and discovers he is a Lore Keeper, which are despised in his hometown of Dullshire. To make his way back home, Barclay will have to find a way to remove his Beast Mark, but the more time Barclay spends with his own Beast and the other Lore Keepers, the more he begins to feel like he belongs.

When Alba’s sent to Barcelona to live with the grandma she’s never met, she’s instantly suspicious of her grandma’s kindness. But it’s not long before Alba begins to like her new life in Spain, learning how to bake, and becoming more confident in herself. That is, until the bakery comes under threat.

In this inspiring picture book from poet Cleo Wade, young readers are encouraged to follow their roads wherever they may lead, so long as they make sure to continue their journey.

This picture book is an empowering, encouraging text for little girls encouraged to remain brave in all ways as they make their way through life.

In this funny picture book, a bear leaves the house after forgetting to take off his underwear. As Jeff traverses the forest, he can’t figure out why the other animals are looking at him so strangely.

In this cute picture book, a kitty is inspired to fashion a horn like unicorns do. But even though kitty feels like a unicorn, and does the same things unicorns do, her friends continue to tell her that she’s too much of a kitty to be one. Until a unicorn shows up, and kitty sees all the things they have in common.

This collection of brief biographies of woman scientists is compiled by an aerospace engineer and a novelist. This isn’t just biographical information, however, but this book is also full of facts about each woman’s field of study.

In this picture book, Fallon finally gets to carry a panye, a woven basket, on her head. With her Manman, Fallon explores their colorful, lively Haitian community.

In this narrative poetry collection, a class of students is asked to consider what they would save if their home was on fire. The poetry is inspired by sijo, a 14th-century syllabic verse form.

Originally published in Japanese, this middle grade novel is set 25 years after the bombing of Hiroshima. To honor the dead, Nozomi and her family light lanterns. As Nozomi learns more about the people lost in Hiroshima, like her aunts and her father’s first wife, she and her friends decide to share their stories through art.

In this moving story, Callie and her family move from California to the Scottish countryside when they inherit a castle. Recovering from a painful falling out with her friends back home, Callie’s able to move forward when she discovers a long-lost journal belonging to another girl, Pippa, who once lived in the castle.

In this fun fantasy novel, Kit discovers a magical library and her own magical powers. Alongside her friends, a magical librarian, and a half-dog/half-dragon creature, Kit takes on an evil developer who wants to tear down the library.

In this picture book, parents convey their neverending love for their children. Even as their relationships evolve, and the children become independent, love remains.

When he watches his grandpa, Eto, write a haiku, Kiyoshi asks him where poems come from. To answer his question, Kiyoshi’s grandpa takes him on a walk through the city where Eto introduces him to all the inspiration awaiting them.

In this sweet picture book about empathy and friendship, a girl and a dog meet and form an unbreakable bond that remains strong and true even as they both enjoy time away from each other and building relationships with others.

In this sweet novel-in-verse, Ellie’s been living by Fat Girl Rules ever since her white swimsuit at her fifth birthday party kicked off endless torment about her weight. Her one safe space is the pool, where she can spread out like a starfish and take up as much space as she wants, but as Ellie finds support among her family and friends, she begins to wonder if she can be a starfish outside of the pool too.

In this inspiring follow up to Amina’s Voice, Amina is enchanted after her family’s trip to Pakistan. When she gets home, Amina’s excited to share Pakistan’s beauty with her friends, but no one’s interested in anything more than the worst parts.

In this book about panic disorders, a little boy is followed around by his monster. Though the monster has always been there, he hasn’t told anyone about them or the worries that come along with their appearance even though it keeps him from playing with his friends. But when he finally opens up to his grandmother about it, the monster starts to get smaller.

This South African picture book follows Wanda, a girl struggling to find pride in her big hair. Though her mom combs her hair into a big afro every morning, Wanda puts it into a new style when she gets to school so that other kids won’t tease her and her teacher won’t declare her out of uniform. But when Wanda turns to her grandma, she learns about all the amazing women with hair just like hers.

This sweet and funny picture book follows Laxmi, who’s distressed when her friends point out her mooch (the Indian word for mustache). When she tells her parents, they explain lots of women in Laxmi’s family have had a mooch, and Laxmi is able to find pride in herself and her appearance.

In this series-starter of a new chapter book series, Dominguita takes on a school bully who says girls can’t be knights. To prove said bully wrong, Dominguita and her friends go out into their community to help people in need.

This charming graphic novel follows Maggie, who just wants something of her own. Her parents are busy preparing for the arrival of a new baby, and her younger brothers are off in their own world. So when Maggie is given the chance to choose a puppy on her birthday, it’s a dream come true. Until she breaks out in hives and learns she’s allergic. Now the search is on to find Maggie the perfect pet.

This historical fiction novel is set in the 1970s in Wellington, New Zealand where Sofia, a biracial girl, is drawn into political activism. As police carry out 4 AM raids, Sofia’s family is introduced to the work of the Polynesian Panthers, a group that fights for the rights of Indigenous people and Pacific Islanders. This is written in Sofia’s diary entries and includes charming illustrations of her journey to standing up for what’s right.

For alphabet lovers out there, this fun picture book takes readers on a journey across the globe and introduces them to a different girl from every country.

This is a sweet picture book about finding oneself across two cultures. Shanti misses India, and is trying to adjust to life in America. At home, it feels just like being back in India, even if everything outside is different, and Shanti begins to wonder what her home really is.

For chapter book readers, this is a fun new series following third grader J.D. When his mom gives him a home haircut, J.D is the target of all kinds of teasing from his classmates. So J.D decides to cut his own hair and finds he’s pretty good at it, even good enough to start his own barbershop. But J.D’s drawing away clients from the only other barbershop in town, and the owner intends to shut J.D down so they compete in a great barber battle to determine who’s the best.

This is a colorful collection of biographies of inspiring Latina women. This includes handpainted artwork and biographies of famous women such as singer Selena Quintanilla, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and author Isabel Allende to educate and inspire.

This guide for young readers introduces kids to ways to get involved in the preservation and protection of our planet. This both shows where we are in the fight for climate justice and also how other kids are leading the charge in the climate movement.

Do you remember that duck that had New York City in a tizzy back in 2018? Well, if you forgot there’s a book about it now, written by Bette Midler. This is a modern fable about recognizing the remarkable things right in front of them.

This whimsical picture book follows a shy cat whose favorite place to be is inside a mail box where she’s nice and safe. But when a letter is delivered, addressed to the moon and asking it to shine brightly the next day, Willow ventures out beyond her mail box to deliver it.

This sweet picture book follows sibilings Maisie and Jonah, along with their dog Tinker, on a walk through their neighborhood that intertwines reality and imagination.

This beautiful picture book follows An, a young Vietnamese boy on a journey across the Mekong Delta. With a backpack and a single oar, An sets out for his first day of school.

This novel-in-verse follows Stevie, an 11-year-old who has found that knowing as many facts as possible helps her anxiety feel more in control. But for all the things Stevie understands, what she’s struggling to make sense of are new feelings for her friend Chloe.

Dovey Mae and her grandmother traverse the woods in the early hours of the morning to find the sweetest blackberries. This picture book takes a beautiful snapshot of a Roundtree’s life with her grandmother and how they managed to find moments of happiness even in the Jim Crow south.

This fun picture book takes an animal spin on artist Banksy. A mysterious mouse dots a city with art, inspiring the other animals to create art of their own.

Adapted for kids from the original, this is a smart, witty guide to writing and all that goes along with it: grammar, punctuation, spelling, all presented in a way as entertaining as it is instructive.

For kids looking for more anthologies is this one of stories and poems celebrating the voices of Indigenous writers from the U.S and Canada. The stories balance personal struggles with joy and humor and feature stories from varied nations.

In this fun graphic novel, ghost Simon and human child Chester decide to become detectives. Though they have trouble finding clients, they do discover a dog in their house and get to work unraveling the mystery of where it came from.

If you’re a fan of Narwhal & Jelly, this new board book might be perfect for you. In this new book, friends Narwhal and Jelly think up all the fun they can have with Narwhal’s favorite blankie.

This cute picture book follows a young bird as she takes her first flight, under the watch of other cute creatures. This is adorably illustrated and includes some fun knowledge of kingfishers, the type of bird Mel is.

This historical picture book recalls the story of the massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma where white supremacists descended on a town of African-Americans, murdering residents and destroying the neighborhood. As we approach 100 years since the massacre, this is a good way to begin conversations about it with kids.

When Gabrielle emigrates from Haiti to the United States by herself, she feels like her whole family’s future rests on her shoulders. And it’s much worse when she arrives and is bullied for being different. But then Gabrielle meets Lady Lydia, a witch who offers to make it so Gabrielle fits in perfectly in America. But once it’s done, Gabrielle realizes how much she’s given up in her quest to fit in and must find a way to reverse the spell.

This novel-in-verse is an emotional exploration of the immigrant experience. Reha feels out of place in her school where she stands out because she’s Indian. And she’s frustrated at home, where her parents insist on raising her with Indian values and traditions. Reha’s struggle to figure out how to be American and Indian is made even more complicated when her mother is diagnosed with cancer.

In this cute picture book about consent, Doug likes many things but not hugs. This is a nice twist on the golden rule of treating everyone as they’d like to be treated, instead asking that everyone simply ask everyone how they’d like to be treated and following accordingly.

This sweet picture book about friendship and empathy follows two friends, Coco and Marlo. The two spend most of their time together, alongside Marlo’s dog. But one day Marlo doesn’t want to play and appears to be especially unhappy, but won’t tell Coco what’s wrong.

This witty picture book features an adorable avocado having an identity crisis. Is an avocado a fruit or a vegetable or something else altogether? To find the answer, Avocado heads to the grocery store to see where they fit in best.

This fun graphic novel follows Yasmina, a vegetarian chef working to take care of her family. When a big potato company starts producing an addictive potato that makes the people who eat them aggressively into potatoes, it’s up to Yasmina to save the day.

In this creepy supernatural mystery, siblings Cooper and Jess tackle a mystery involving an old English railroad and their neighbor Elena. Meanwhile, Cooper must make sense of his own feelings after their parents’ divorce and his father leaves the family to start a new one.

This memoir from author Waka T. Brown revisits her childhood. When she was twelve years old, her parents, worried she was losing touch with her Japanese heritage, sent her to Japan to live with the grandmother she doesn’t know very well. This is an emotional and inspiring journey of a girl learning more about herself and her culture.