In this new year, your family might be looking for some new books to read. While you might have something specific in mind, you might also just be looking for a good book. That’s why, for this month’s Book Scouts, Jennifer Johnson, JCPL’s school age program coordinator, has compiled some of her very favorite books for your reading pleasure.
Miss Jennifer shares some of her favorites in the video below. You can find even more of her go-to’s in the following list—there’s even a file linked at the bottom with even more suggestions! While these books are mostly intended for kids ages 8-12, anyone can enjoy them.
Click the titles in the list to browse and put them on hold for curbside pickup. For more book recommendations, take a look at our book lists or order a Book Bundle. Call (423) 434-4458 for more information on any of these titles.
Picture Books
Pup and Bear by Kate Banks
The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings
Golden Threads by Suzanne Del Rizzo
Windows by Julia Denos
Snakes on a Train by Kathryn Dennis
Hank Finds an Egg by Rebecca Dudley
Nobody Likes a Goblin by Ben Hatke
On the Night of the Shooting Star by Amy Hest
Snow Sisters! By Kerri Kokias
Drawn Together by Minh Le
Goldfish On Vacation by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Super Happy Magic Forest by Matty Long
Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets: An Unusual Alphabet by Sara O’Leary
Bears and Blossoms by Shirley Parenteau
After the Fall by Dan Santat
Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima
Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop
Great Job, Mom! & Great Job, Dad! by Holman Wang
Penguin and Pinecone by Salina Yoon
Graphic Novels
Cardcaptor Sakura by CLAMP
Rutabaga the Adventure Chef by Eric Colossal
All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson
My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder by Nie Jun
Chi’s Sweet Home by Konami Kanata
The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill
Hilda (series) by Luke Pearson
Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson
Little Witch Academia by Yoh Yoshinari
Chapter Books
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
I Love You, Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Refugee by Alan Gratz
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Bunnicula by Deborah & James Howe
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan
Lockwood & Co. (series) by Jonathan Stroud
A Kind of Paradise by Amy Rebecca Tan
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place (series) by Maryrose Wood
Nonfiction
Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas by Lynne Cox
All Birds Have Anxiety by Kathy Hoopmann
The Village Blacksmith by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Ninita’s Big World: The True Story of a Deaf Pygmy Marmoset by Sarah Glenn Marsh
John Ronald’s Dragons: The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien by Caroline McAlister
Chasing Space: Young Readers’ Edition by Leland Melvin
Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motum
Thirty Minutes Over Oregon: A Japanese Pilot’s World War II Story by Marc Tyler Nobleman
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman
Claude: The True Story of a White Alligator by Emma Bland Smith
Skulls! by Blair Thornburgh
Champion: The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut Tree by Sally M. Walker
Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando by Andrea Wang
You can find Jennifer’s full list, including extra picks that didn’t make it into this week’s Book Scouts, here.
If you need something new to read, let us know and we’ll help find books and authors that are perfect for you. Visit our website or call (423) 434-4450 for book recommendations and to place items on hold for curbside pickup. Follow Johnson City Public Library on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for updates on your Library’s collections and services.
