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Giraffe image copyright 2005 by Lois EhlertMore Books Please!

Gift-giving suggestions from your Milwaukee Public Library
Books for Babies

Peekaboo Blueberry! by Barney SaltzbergPeekaboo, Blueberry!: A Fun Lift-the-Flap Book With Sound! by Barney Saltzberg.

 

No No Yes Yes by Leslie PatricelliNo No Yes Yes by Leslie Patricelli.

 

 

Circulo Cuadro by Jill HartleyCirculo+Cuadro/ Circle+Square by Jill Hartley.

Uh-oh! by Rachel IsadoraUh-oh! by Rachel Isadora.

 

 

Toot Toot Beep Beep by Emma GarciaToot Toot Beep Beep by Emma Garcia.    

 

Books to Tickle Your Funny Bone

I Love My New Toy by Mo WillemsI Love My New Toy! and
I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo WillemsI Will Surprise My Friend!
by Mo Willems. (ages 5-8)
Mo Willems tickles your funny bone in two great tales about Elephant & Piggie’s friendship.

The New Girl by Meg CabotThe New Girl by Meg Cabot. (ages 8-12)
“Rule #1: When you are starting your first day ever at a brand new school, you have to wear something good, so people will think you’re nice." Allie has a rule for everything, but sometimes, Allie’s rules don’t work.

Medusa Jones by Ross CollinsMedusa Jones by Ross Collins. (ages 7-10)
Medusa’s grandmother used to change people to stone with her stare—she was a little crazy, but Medusa’s family is more civilized and they handle their anger in a more socially acceptable manner. So when the ‘golden ones’ at school bully Medusa, she finds a new way to fight back.

Bats at the Library by Brian LiesBats at the Library by Brian Lies. (ages 4-8)
A colony of bats pays a nighttime visit to a small-town library. First they photocopy their bodies, then they turn the water fountain into a splash pool, until finally they settle down, or rather upside-down, and listen to some stories.

Thump, Quack, Moo: A Whacky Adventure by Doreen CroninThump, Quack, Moo: A Whacky Adventure by Doreen Cronin.
(ages 3-6)
Farmer Brown and company are building a Statue of Liberty maze for the Corn Maze Festival, but that sneaky duck has his own ideas.

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank-You Notes by Peggy GiffordMoxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank-You Notes
by Peggy Gifford.
(ages 7-10)
Moxy, while trying to find an easier way to complete the boring task of thank-you note writing, remembers the new copy machine in her stepfather’s off-limit office.

Sports

Football Genius by Tim GreenFootball Genius by Tim Green. (ages 10-14)
Troy has a gift-- he can predict football plays in any game with uncanny accuracy. When his mother is hired for a PR job with the Atlanta Falcons, Troy sees an opportunity. He demonstrates his ability to the Falcons' middle linebacker and becomes the team's secret weapon.

Hooray for Fly Guy! by Tedd ArnoldHooray for Fly Guy! by Tedd Arnold. (ages 5-8)
Fly Guy and his kid Buzz try out for the football team, but the coach says “Flies can’t play football.” So Fly Guy cheers in the stands until the star player is hurt and the team needs Fly Guy’s secret play. Hilarious!

Winning Words by Charles Smith Jr.Winning Words: Sports Stories and Photographs by Charles Smith, Jr.
(ages 10-14)
Teamwork, pride, taking chances and fearing failure, winning, and losing are all part of playing any sport.  Smith puts readers directly into the minds and bodies of athletes—you can almost feel the sweat.

Race Cars Up Close by Andra AbramsonRace Cars Up Close by Andra Abramson. (ages 6-10)
Feel like you’re actually driving a race car, as
life-sized photographs draw the reader right into the action.

Swimming With Sharks by Betty HicksSwimming With Sharks by Betty Hicks. (ages 7-10)
Rita wants to swim with the Sharks, the top girls swim team, but she’s been placed with the Dolphins. If she can just get a flip turn like Michael Phelps’, she’ll move up.

Mesmerizing Books

Swing! by Rufus Butler SederSwing! by Rufus Butler Seder. (all ages)
Now Swing! does for kids what Gallop! did for animals - a boy rides a bike, a girl kicks her soccer ball, a swimmer cuts through the water, and a skater pirouettes on ice using  Scanimation - a persistence of vision technique.

Alphabet Animals by Suse MacDonaldAlphabet Animals by Suse MacDonald.
(ages 4-6)
It's a guessing-game/puzzle book of animals-- each animal assuming the shape of the first letter of its name. Every clean, colorful, crisply graphic page is actually a pocket in which is concealed a sliding card revealing the letter hinted at by the animal.

Round Like a Ball! by Lisa Campbell ErnstRound Like a Ball! by Lisa Campbell Ernst. (ages 5-8)
It’s round like a ball. It’s made up of many colors. What is it? The Earth. A very simple non-fiction guessing game with die-cut pages.

Monsterology by Ernest DrakeMonsterology by Ernest Drake.
(ages 7-12)
Following in the footsteps of all the other ‘ology’ books, this illustrated guide depicts mythical beasts, from unicorns to griffins with textured "samples," and information about how and where to find the creatures.

Coraline by Neil GaimanCoraline by Neil Gaiman. (ages 9-14) Newly released as a graphic novel. Young Coraline Jones discovers a strange door in her otherwise boring flat. Once over the door's mysterious threshold, she meets her ghastly "Other Mother," a horrid-looking beldam with sinister, button eyes. The graphic format is suitably creepy. 

Rhyme Time

Smelly Locker by Alan KatzSmelly Locker by Alan Katz. (ages 8-12)
The fourth collection of "silly dilly" songs parodies school--"The teacher knows the answer / so why's she asking me?"  to the tune of well-known Itsy-Bitsy Spider, and more.

Wet Pet by Yukiko KidoWet Pet by Yukiko Kido. (ages 4-6)
Learning to read is fun when you flip a page and presto-change-o a new word appears.

 

Mary Had a Little Lamp by Jack LechnerMary Had a Little Lamp by Jack Lechner. (ages 3-5)
“Mary had a little lamp. The bendy, gooseneck kind. And
everywhere that Mary went, she dragged the lamp behind.”

Bebe Goes to the Beach by Susan ElyaBebé Goes to the Beach by Susan Elya. (ages 4-6)
Elya rhymes through a day at the beach with bilingual Bebé and his “muy bonita Mama." Bright
, energetic illustrations are the perfect accompaniment for this sunny beach outing.

Hip Hop Speaks to Children by Nikki GiovanniHip Hop Speaks To Children: A Celebration Of Poetry With a Beat edited by Nikki Giovanni. (ages 8-14)
For families to share as they get their groove on, from classic poems, to modern hip-hop and rap. Includes a CD with selections read by the authors.

Fun Science

The Way We Work by David MacaulayThe Way We Work by David Macaulay.

 

 

Car Science by Richard HammonCar Science by Richard Hammond.

 

 


Janice VanCleave's Super Science ChallengesJanice VanCleave’s Super Science Challenges by Janice VanCleave

Yikes! Wow! Yuck! by Elizabeth Snoke HarrisYikes! Wow! Yuck! by Elizabeth Snoke Harris.

 


Amazing Rubber Band Cars by Mike RigsbyAmazing Rubber Band Cars by Mike Rigsby.

Fantasmagorical

H.I.V.E.: Higher Institute of Villainous Education by Mark WaldonH.I.V.E.: The Higher Institute Of Villainous Education by Mark Walden. (ages 10-14)
The slickest of young tricksters, thieves, and hackers have been brought against their will to be trained as the next generation of criminal masterminds.

Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin ColferArtemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer. (ages 10-14)
When Artemis Fowl goes back in time, he faces his deadliest foe ever…himself.


Playing With Fire by Derek LandyPlaying With Fire by Derek Landy. (ages 10-14)
A very cool monster called the Grotesquery (a monster assembled from pieces of the most fearsome beasts of legend), really sarcastic dialogue, and non-stop action make this sequel even better than Skulduggery Pleasant.

Neptune's Children by Bonnie DobkinNeptune’s Children by Bonnie Dobkin.
(ages 9-12)
A day at the amusement park Isles of Wonder turns deadly when a world-wide biological attack leaves behind only children.

Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go by Dale BasyeHeck: Where the Bad Kids Go by Dale Basye. (ages 10-14)
When a 20-foot-tall marshmallow bear explodes at the Mall of Generica, young Marlo and Milton end up in Heck, “where the souls of the darned toil for all eternity—or until they turn 18, whichever comes first.”

Best Books for Boys

Seer of Shadows by AviSeer of Shadows by Avi. (ages 10-14)
In 1870’s New York, Horace has been apprenticed to a photographer who involves him in a scheme to dupe a wealthy, superstitious client by selling her a fake photo of the ghostly image of her dead daughter. But is it a fake?

Trash Crisis on Earth! by Alexander StadlerTrash Crisis On Earth! by Alexander Stadler.
(ages 10-14)
When “Maternal Unit” insists Julian (undercover alien) take out the trash or be grounded, the Mother Ship offers to annihilate Earth.

Swords: An Artist's Devotion by Ben BoosSwords: An Artist’s Devotion by Ben Boos. (ages 9 and up)
A visual history of sharp weaponry, containing digitally painted images of knives and swords, with every decorative motif and gleaming highlight rendered in lovingly realistic detail.

Lost and Found by Andrew ClementsLost and Found by Andrew Clements. (ages 10-14)
Twins Ray and Jay are nearly indistinguishable. So when their new school unexpectedly combines their records, Ray and Jay decide to try out being just one person, taking turns going to school but keeping their experiment secret.

Smash! Crash! by Jon ScieszkaSmash! Crash by Jon Scieszka.
(ages 3-6).
This big, wild, noisy, rambunctious picture book is packed with action as two friends, Jack Truck and Dump Truck Dan, hit the road.

Robots by Clive GiffordRobots by Clive Gifford. (ages 8-12)
Explore the history of robots, both in science fiction and real life. See how robot construction is being used in
the human body, and other scientific uses of robotic technology.

I'm Bad by Kate and Jim McMullanI’m Bad! by Kate & Jim McMullan. (ages 3-6)
T. Rex has a “BIG empty belly growling for GRUB.” Despite T.Rex’s bravado its attempts at catching prey are repeatedly and hilariously foiled.

Solve the Clues

The Maze of Bones by Rick RiordanThe Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan. (ages 8-12)
What if you were given a choice, take a million dollars and walk away, or get the first of 39 Clues that would eventually lead to fame and fortune? If you’re Amy and Dan Cahill, you take the Clue, and begin a very dangerous race.

Found by Margaret Peterson HaddixFound by Margaret Peterson Haddix. (ages 10-14)
A plane arrives at an airline gate with only 36 passengers--each seat contains an infant. Thirteen years later, teenage adoptees Jonah and Chip begin receiving ominous messages declaring they are among ‘the missing’ and that someone is coming to find them.

The Gollywhopper Games by Jody FeldmanThe Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman. (ages 8-12)
Brainteasers and tricky puzzles are all part of the Gollywhopper Games, a promotional sweepstakes leading to untold wealth and fame for the lucky contestants.

Horrible Harry Cracks the Code by Suzy KlineHorrible Harry Cracks the Code by Suzy Kline. (ages 7-10)
Harry is determined to uncover the special numbers the school cook uses to award the daily prizes in the cafeteria’s “February fun” program and prove to his class that he is a great detective.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee StewartThe Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart. (ages 8-12)
When Mr. Benedict is kidnapped by his power-hungry twin, the four gifted members of the Mysterious Benedict Society discover that a playful puzzle-quest Mr. Benedict designed for them may hold the key to his rescue.

Books for Teens

The Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsHunger Games by Suzanne Collins. (ages 14-18)
The United States has been destroyed and the new government requires each district to sacrifice two teenagers, a boy and a girl. These teens participate in the annual Hunger Games, a dangerous reality show from which only one of the 24 participants will emerge victorious -- and alive.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie MeyerBreaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. (ages 15 and up)
The fourth installment in Meyer’s Twilight series brings the epic love story to a close.

 

Brisingr by Christopher PaoliniBrisingr by Christopher Paolini. (ages 12-18)
Eragon tries to uphold the oath he made to save Katrina from King Galbatorix while being pulled in different directions by the needs of the Varden, elves, and dwarves--all of whom need his help and strength to overcome the tyranny of the king.

The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb CalettiThe Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti. (ages 15-18)
Indigo is looking forward to becoming a full-time waitress after high school graduation, but her life is turned upside down by a check for $2.5 million given to her by a customer who appreciates that she cares enough to scold him about smoking.

Naruto V. 28, Homecoming by Masashi KishimotoNaruto v. 28, Homecoming by Masashi Kishimoto. (ages 13-18)
After two years of training, Naruto returns just in time to use his new strength to help save his kidnapped friend.

 
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