October Kid’s Picks

October Kids Picks

October 1st

 
 

why

Why by Adam Rex

 

When supervillain Doctor X-Ray swoops in threatening to vanquish an innocent crowd, the only one brave enough not to run away is a little girl, who asks him simply, “Why?” He is taken aback—but he answers. She keeps asking. And he keeps answering—until a surprising truth is uncovered, and the villain is thwarted.

 
 

amy wu and the perfect bao

 

Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao by Kat Zhang

 

Amy loves to make bao with her family. But it takes skill to make the bao taste and look delicious. And her bao keep coming out all wrong. Then she has an idea that may give her a second chance…Will Amy ever make the perfect bao?

 
 

fly guy presents monster trucks

 

Fly Guy Presents Monster Trucks by Tedd Arnold

 

Buzz and Fly Guy learn all about monster truck technology, tricks, events, and safety. These “monsterzzzz” are nothing to be scared of!

 
 

who is the mystery reader

 

Who is the Mystery Reader by Mo Willems

 

Zoom Squirrel tries out a new superpower with help from a mysterious Mystery Reader. But will the Squirrel pals ever find out who the real Mystery Reader is? Do you know more about reading than the Squirrels do? You will by the end of this book!

 
 

October 8th

 
 

dinos in de-nile

 

Dinosaurs in De-Nile by Jared Chapman

 

Two T. Rexes are whisked away by their time machine to ancient Egypt, where King Tut mistakes them for Sobek, god of the Nile. They are treated to glorious feasts and magnificent tours. But when the aliens land—they’re in the middle of constructing the pyramids—and expose the supposed gods as mere dinosaurs, everyone’s mad. Will the dinosaurs escape? This laugh-out-loud romp through time and space is perfect for storytime, bedtime, read-alouds, and guaranteed giggles!

 
 

just in case you wanted to fly

 

Just In Case You Want To Fly by Julie Fogliano

 

Funny and sweet, told with lyrical text and bright, unexpected illustrations, Just in Case You Want to Fly is a celebration of heading off on new adventures–and of knowing your loved ones will always have your back when you need them. A joyful, inclusive cast of children fly, sing, and wish their way across the pages, with everything they could ever need–a cherry if you need a snack, and if you get itchy here’s a scratch on the back–to explore the world around them.

 
 

frank and bean

 

Frank and Bean by Jamie Michalak

 

Frank likes peace and quiet. He likes his tent, his pencil, and writing in his secret notebook. Bean likes noise. He likes his bus, his trumpet — toot, toot! — and making music. Loud music. But Bean is missing something: he does not have words. What will happen if Frank shares his words with Bean?

 
 

amelia bedelia gets the picture

 

Amelia Bedelia Gets the Picture by Herman Parish

 

This Level 1 I Can Read series featuring Amelia Bedelia as a child proves that a picture is worth a thousand words and will inspire newly independent readers to read, laugh, and expand their vocabularies.

 
 

October 15th

 
 

otter what pet is best

 

Otter: What Pet Is Best? by Sam Garton

 

On her next adventure, Otter—the irrepressible character sure to be adored by fans of Llama Llama—tries to choose the perfect pet for her and Teddy. Otter: What Pet Is Best? is a My First I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for shared reading with a child.

 
 

grumpy monkey party tim

 

Grumpy Monkey Party Time by Suzanne Lang

 

Porcupine is having a big party, and according to Jim’s best friend Norman, there will be–gulp–dancing. Jim can DEFINITELY not dance. When he tells his friends, they all try to teach him cool moves. Now, their job complete, the other animals sweep Jim along, all the way to the dance floor. Jim is dipped, swayed, and twirled until he can’t take it anymore–he just doesn’t like to dance! When he lets everyone know, Water Buffalo reveals that he doesn’t much care to dance, either. More animals have the courage speak their truths, but does this mean there’s no place for them at this party? In this hilarious sequel to GRUMPY MONKEY, kids will learn that it’s okay not to go with the flow if they’re uncomfortable, and that speaking up about what they need can help others speak up, too.

 
 

pete the cat science fair

 

Pete the Cat and the Supercool Science Fair by James Dean

 

Pete the Cat and his friends are excited to build the coolest volcano ever for their school’s science fair. After a few unexpected mishaps, the team is finally ready. Yet after seeing their other classmates’creations, they can’t help but wonder: is their volcano good enough to win first place? Thankfully, Pete has a sparkly surprise up his sleeve!

 
 

this is not that kind of book

 

This is Not That Kind of Book by Christopher Healy

 

This clever alphabet book… Wait, that’s not right. This original fairy tale… Nope. Mystery? Joke book? Superhero story? Pirate adventure? This delightful mash-up features every kind of character found in the picture-book universe–all in one book. Just when the reader is convinced the story is going in one direction, it spins off in another. Ever-changing illustrations keep pace with the rapid reversals, and the setting shifts with nearly every turn of the page. Truly inventive, here’s a picture book that can be anything you want it to be!

 
 

October 22nd

 
 

it's not all rainbows

 

It’s Not All Rainbows

by Jessika von Innerebner

 

Everyone knows that unicorns are perfect. They are glamorous and glittery, and their smiles make rainbows appear! But Kevin is having a less-than-perfect day. First, he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed …on the floor. Then he discovers that his mane is so wild that even his Super-Perfect-Hair-Day-Spray can’t tame it. And the day just gets worse from there. Kevin does his best to keep his outlook sunny, but it’s hard to keep smiling when everything goes horribly wrong!

 
 

sunday

 

Saturday by Oge Mora

 

Everyone knows that unicorns are perfect. They are glamorous and glittery, and their smiles make rainbows appear! But Kevin is having a less-than-perfect day. First, he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed …on the floor. Then he discovers that his mane is so wild that even his Super-Perfect-Hair-Day-Spray can’t tame it. And the day just gets worse from there. Kevin does his best to keep his outlook sunny, but it’s hard to keep smiling when everything goes horribly wrong!

 
 

fry bread

 

Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard

 

Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal.

 
 

October 29th

 
 

a fox found a box

 

A Fox Found a Box by Ged Adamson

 

A little fox is digging for food when–OUCH! What is that?–the fox finds a box! When the fox brings the box home to his animal friends–and turns a funny-looking knob–the box starts to sing, and music fills the forest. Everyone agrees that it feels nice. Day and night, they listen to the box’s songs, until, one day, it goes quiet. No matter what they try, they just can’t get the box to sing again. The animals stop swishing their tails and flapping their wings…. But, in the silence, the fox hears the drip-drop rhythm of melting icicles and the thump thump of a beaver’s tail and comes to realize music is everywhere. The noises of the forest and the animals build into a symphony, until, eventually, everyone joins together in a joyous dance party.

 
 

chapter two is missing

 

Chapter Two is Missing! by Josh Lieb

 

Do not be alarmed, but the second chapter of this book appears to be missing! It was here a minute ago, but now it seems to have simply walked off. Not only that, but some of the punctuation has gone topsy-turvy, a bunch of letter Ms are hiding in Chapter 5, and Chapter 45 appears to be from another book entirely! The narrator is going to need some assistance getting things in order, especially with the unhelpful detective who keeps butting in and that shifty janitor lurking about. Luckily he has you–the reader–to help!

 
 

penny and her sled

 

Penny and her Sled by Kevin Henkes

 

When Penny, a sweet and curious mouse, gets a new sled, she can’t wait to use it. But there’s one big problem—there’s no snow! Patiently, Penny waits and watches for the snow to appear. She puts on her scarf and hat. She sleeps with her mittens. Maybe if she’s ready, the snow will finally come. But day after day, the snow does not arrive. Finally, Penny decides she will use her sled for other things—it’s too wonderful not to! With a little imagination, the sled becomes a bridge for her glass animals to cross. It becomes a bed for her doll, Rose. It becomes a magic carpet that takes Penny and Rose on adventures all around the world.