Safety in numbers

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The Big Book of Pi: The Famous Number You Can Never Know by Anita Lehmann and Jean-Baptiste Aubin, illustrated by Joonas Sildre (Helvetiq, 88 pages, grades 4 and up). Divide the circumference of a circle by its diameter, and the answer will always be the same: an irrational number beginning with the digits 3.14. Medieval mathematicians called this number “the quantity which when the diameter is multiplied by it, yields the circumference” (only in Latin), but thankfully, an 18th century Welsh mathematician named William Jones changed the name to pi or π, as we like to say in Greek. But enough history, how about some cool pi tricks? Did you know that you can find your six-digit birthdate somewhere in pi’s digits (mine starts at the 172,406th decimal place. Don’t worry, I googled it.). Oh, and there are jokes: what do you get when a bunch of sheep stand in a circle? Shepherd’s pi. The final pages explains how little we still know about pi, despite advances in computer calculations, and reminds readers to stay curious and open-minded about learning about pi and other phenomena. Includes a glossary and a QR code for an educator’s guide.

Well, this was fun! I never expected a book about pi to be even a fraction this entertaining, but the chatty text, comic-style illustrations, and cool activities drew me in from the first page. Some of the math activities required a little too much brain power for me to pursue, but this only proves the wide range of readers that will find something to love about this book. Math teachers from grades 4 through high school (and beyond, really) will want to get their hands on this to add some engaging history and activities to classes.

Twelve Daring Grays: A Whale Migration Adventure by Nora Nickum, illustrated by Elly McKay (Candlewick, 32 pages, grades 1-4). As a pod of 20,000 gray whales migrate from Baja California to the Arctic, a dozen of them make a detour to the Salish Sea off the coast of Washington. There they risk getting stranded in the shallow waters to feast on the ghost shrimp that live in the mud along the bottom of the sea. Since the whales eat almost nothing during their migration, this stop allows them to gain strength. A few weeks later, they rejoin the rest of their pod whose final destination is the Arctic. They spend the summer there before heading back south where their calves will be born. Includes an author’s note about these gray whales known as the Sounders that has grown from a pair that was first spotted in 1990 to larger group in this book.

The whales in this beautiful book look like they are about to pop off the page in the three-dimensional illustrations that portray them swimming and eating in gorgeous blue and gray waters. Readers will be filled with wonder about this small group of whales and the risky but rewarding side trip they take from their migration.

Fan fiction

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Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet (Sarah Barley Books/Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 400 pages, grades 7-12). Set in 21st-century Concord, Massachusetts, the story begins with the discovery of Beth March’s body on the morning after an eventful New Year’s Eve party at Sallie Gardiner’s house. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy take turns telling the story, which shifts between the past and present as one friend or family member after another is suspected of the murder. Was it their father whose recent tell-all book about his daughters (entitled Little Women) has caused such a social media storm that he’s been forced to flee to Vancouver? Amy, who had a violent quarrel with Beth at the party? John Brook, who’s voiced some doubts about Beth going to boarding school at Plumfield Academy to pursue her music dreams? One secret after another is uncovered until the final showdown reveals what really happened that fateful night.

Buckle up, Little Women fans, and prepare for a darkly fun roller coaster ride into the March family as you’ve never seen them before! Fans of the original will love all the allusions to various characters and the way Katie Bernet has updated them for a modern audience, while those not as familiar with the story will still enjoy this fast-paced whodunit with new twists in every chapter.

The Mysterious Magic of Lighthouse Lane by Erin Stewart (Aladdin, 336 pages, grades 4-7). After a meltdown on a class trip, Lucy is haunted by the memory of her best friend turning away from her and is sure she is destined to be friendless forever. Her mom, who tends to want to “fix” Lucy, decides that her daughter should spend the summer on Prince Edward Island, where Mom grew up and where Grandpa still lives. Lucy is reluctant, but she finds herself drawn to the island’s tranquility and curious about her late grandmother. When her grandfather gives her Grandma’s old camera, Lucy is thrilled to be able to hone her photography skills. As she learns to develop her own pictures, she starts to notice magical changes appearing that only she can see, changes that reveal the subject’s deepest wish. Her efforts to grant those wishes, with the help of her new friend Poppy, have mixed results, but as the summer goes on, Lucy discovers what her real gift is. Poppy helps her to see that she’s an empath, someone who feels others’ emotions as deeply as they do. It’s a gift her grandmother also possessed, and with the help of her mother, grandfather, friends, and even a message from her grandma, Lucy learns to use her empathy to help others around her as well as herself.

This charming story has a number of nods to Anne of Green Gables: the PEI setting, of course, as well as Lucy’s first name, Poppy’s last name (Montgomery), and Lucy’s highly sensitive nature, a trait she shares with author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Lucy’s journey from believing her emotions are a burden that needs fixing to embracing them as a gift she can use to help others, particularly Poppy and Grandpa, makes for an engaging story that will be especially appreciated by other empaths.

Lessons in self-reliance

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Mungo on His Own by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Julie Benbassat (Clarion Books, 48 pages, ages 4-8). When Mungo is still hungry after dinner, his mother gives him permission to go out and forage for berries. Alone in the night for the first time, Mungo is scared of cars and owls and other noises he hears. But he remembers his mother’s lessons and safely crosses the road and hides in a hollow tree from the owl. He also recalls how his mother told him that wonders sometimes happen when “we stand inside our fear on four feet, eyes sharp, breathing deep.” So Mungo bravely goes on and is rewarded, not only with a berry feast but with his first experience of snow. When he gets home, his mother is waiting for him, proud of his accomplishments and ready to snuggle up for bedtime.

Not only does this story feature an adorable fox and lush illustrations that portray all different times and seasons, but it’s a great lesson for kids venturing out into the world for the first time and for parents learning to let go. There are lots of good messages about facing your fears and remembering safety rules but having the courage to keep going.

Bored by Felicita Sala (Neal Porter Books, 48 pages, ages 4-8). Rita is so bored, she can’t think of a single thing to do. She can’t read, draw, think, or even look out the window. Heavy sighs and moaning, “I’m so b-o-o-o-red” get no response from her family except for her brother telling her she’s weird. Rita starts wondering how many other bored people there are in the world. She pictures them all boarding a bus, then traveling to Bored Island. A funny thing happens when they get there, though. Everyone is so bored that they start doing things like building with driftwood and starting a band. A high school student’s yawn turns into a yodel, and she accidentally discovers how to talk to whales. A pair of twins stare at their watches for so long that they actually warp space and time. By the time Rita’s mom calls her to dinner, she’s so busy with her imagination that she tells her mom she doesn’t have time to eat.

Although screens are usually the “solution” to boredom these days, this cute and entertaining story shows readers another way to combat it: imagination. The illustrations, including the color palette, do an excellent job of conveying the drabness of a boring afternoon contrasted with the brightness of Boredom Island and the imagination.

A couple of how-to guides

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How to Have a Thought: A Walk With Charles Darwin by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Hadley Hooper (Neal Porter Books, 32 pages, grades 2-5). Start with some rocks, a stick, and a loop to walk. That’s all Charles Darwin needed for his walks. He would walk the loop and pile up the rocks to keep track of how many times he had gone around. And the whole time he walked, he was thinking. Thinking about what he had seen during his years traveling around the world on the Beagle: the fossil of a giant sloth, a flightless bird called a rhea (which he actually ate by accident), and the finches with subtly different beaks. As he walked and thought, Darwin slowly developed his ideas about natural selection. There have been many great walkers–William Wordsworth, Albert Einstein, Virginia Woolf, to name a few–and you can be one of them too, with your stick, your rocks, and your ideas. Includes a four-page author’s note with additional information about Charles Darwin and walking, and a bibliography.

I’ve loved Nicholas Day’s longer works that combined science, art, and history using a tone that invites readers to share in his discoveries. He’s done it again, this time with a picture book that focuses on Charles Darwin’s walking, then weaves in all kinds of interesting information about his work on natural selection and evolution and ends by including readers with those who can walk and have great ideas.

How to Survive the End of the World: A Graphic Exploration of How to (Maybe) Avoid Extinction by Katy Doughty (MITeen Press, March 31, 2026, 256 pages, grades 9-12). How will humanity end? Pandemic, nuclear winter, climate change? Katy Doughty takes a look at the history and possibility of each catastrophe in a way that is serious, yet optimistic enough to conjure up the will to keep going. Each chapter includes an “Ask an Expert” section in which a scholar of that particular topic weighs in. The final chapter, “The End?” is a brief but inspiring meditation on the courage required to face the possibilities of humanity ending and to look for your own role in possibly changing some of those outcomes. Includes a list for further reading, source notes, and a bibliography.

When this book arrived in the mail for a preview, I felt some existential dread at opening the front cover, but I forced myself to read the first chapter (Plagues and Pandemics), and was pleasantly surprised by how interesting and thought-provoking it was, with the illustrations making it a pretty quick and engaging read. The end of humanity may lurk at the back (or front) of all our minds, and teenagers experiencing this angst for the first time will find some interesting and hopefully inspiring reading here.

Courageous Journeys

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Seven Million Steps: The True Story of Dick Gregory’s Run for the Hungry by Derrick Barnes and Christian Gregory, illustrated by Frank Morrison (Amistad Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, grades 1-5). “What would you do if you knew someone who goes to bed every night without having supper?” This opening question is answered by an account of Dick Gregory’s 1976 run from Los Angeles to New York City: you would travel thousands of miles with very little food, subsisting mostly on juice, vitamins, and water to bring attention to those who are hungry across the country. You would cover 50 miles a day across twelve states, talking to anyone who would listen about what you’re doing and why. You would overcome pain and hunger to cross the George Washington Bridge into NYC on the Fourth of July, the 200th anniversary of the United States. Includes additional information about Dick Gregory’s run and hunger vs. food insecurity, as well as notes from the authors (one of whom is Gregory’s son) and illustrator, and three photos from the run.

I finished this book with more questions than answers and ended up spending some time learning about Dick Gregory and this run. His story is inspiring and is told here in a way to get kids to think about actions they can take to make the world a better place. I loved Frank Morrison’s illustrations showing different vistas of America and capturing the highs and lows of the run. I did find the story a bit confusing, particularly the second-person narration, which draws the reader in, but doesn’t give a straightforward account of the events. If you’re reading this to kids, be prepared to answer some questions.

The Gift of Freedom: How Harriet Tubman Rescued Her Brothers by Glennette Tilley Turner, illustrated by Laura Freeman (Harry N. Abrams, 40 pages, grades 2-5). Starting with Harriet Tubman’s own escape in 1852, this book focuses on how Tubman helped others in her family find their way to freedom, specifically her three brothers. Her plan was to travel to Maryland at Christmas in 1854, when they were given permission to gather for a family Christmas dinner. The siblings met in secret at their parents’ home, where they were helped by their father, who averted his eyes or blindfolded himself so that he could honestly tell anyone who asked that he had not seen them. Following the familiar routes and safe houses that she had learned about, Harriet led her brothers to Philadelphia, where they were given new identities and put on a train to Canada. Includes a selected bibliography, a letter to readers, and an author’s note, which emphasizes how Harriet Tubman always learned as much as she could and befriended people with skills she lacked to allow her to be as successful as possible.

This compelling story with its striking illustrations offers plenty of drama and shows Harriet Tubman’s courage and skill that allowed her to help so many people escape slavery. The author’s note lists her other accomplishments helping to fight in the Civil War and working for women’s rights. The ending felt a bit abrupt, and there was no follow-up to the mention of Tubman’s attempts to rescue her husband, and I had to learn via other sources that he remarried and chose to stay in Maryland.

Poets old and new

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The Mighty Macy by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kitt Thomas (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 144 pages, grades 2-5). Macy’s busy with school, violin, friends, and family, but when she discovers her school library is going to a two-day-a-week schedule, she puts everything on hold to get that decision reversed. Following in her poet dad’s footsteps, she offers to read an original poem at the school board meeting to express what the library means to her and her classmates. She soon regrets the offer, as she can’t come up with a single idea, but the support she gets from those around her helps her to incorporate their voices into her work. Success breeds success, and after a big win at the meeting, Macy is ready to give a flawless performance at her violin recital. Includes an author’s note about his own daughter and how she inspired this story.

Kids will embrace this engaging illustrated novel in verse that would make a perfect quick independent read or group read-aloud. Readers will see a lot of themselves in Macy’s struggles, whether it’s dealing with a father who travels a lot, persisting in difficult endeavors, or enjoying the support of friends at school. And, of course, I’ll always give two thumbs up to a book that emphasizes the importance of school libraries and librarians.

Melodies of the Weary Blues: Classic Poems Illustrated for Young People by Langston Hughes, compiled by Shamar Knight-Justice, art by 23 remarkable artists, HarperCollins, 48 pages, grades 1-5). Shamar Knight-Justice writes in the opening “Letter from the Editor” how he discovered the poetry of Langston Hughes as a 14-year-old and how Hughes’s poem “Mother to Son” helped him to connect with his own mom. The 23 poems cover a wide range of topics: jazz, Harlem, Black history, the ocean. Each one is accompanied by an illustration created by a Black artist, all profiled with thumbnail portraits at the end of the book. There’s also a timeline and additional information about Hughes.

My first thought as I read this book was that I wanted to buy a copy or two and take it apart so that I could put the beautiful poems and illustrations up all over my school for National Poetry Month. Some of the poems, like “Winter Moon” and “Sea Charm” would fit in nicely by the kindergarten classes, while others such as “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “The Weary Blues” would be fine additions to the fifth-grade wing. Each distinctive illustration will grab kids’ attention and allow them to linger over the poetry.

Graphic novel mysteries for early readers

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The Pet Rock Mystery (Squirrel Lock Holmes and Watson book 1) by Ashley Belote (Random House Graphics, 80 pages, grades 1-4). Reggie the Rabbit has lost his beloved pet rock Dwayne, so he enlists the help of Squirrel Lock Holmes and his bumbling owl assistant Watson. Over the course of five chapters, the detectives ask questions, gather clues, interrogate suspects, and finally solve the mystery. Includes illustrated steps for solving a mystery, instructions on how to draw Holmes and Watson, a search and find spread with five objects to locate, and a preview of book 2 which is due out in September.

This is a fun mystery for beginning readers with lots of silly humor and goofy illustrations. I could have lived without the definitions of words like sedimentary and geologist inserted somewhat jarringly into the otherwise humorous story, but it’s a good introduction to the Dog Man/InvestiGators genre who aren’t quite ready for 200 pages.

Korobá: The Case of the Missing Kolo by Àlàbá Ònájìn (Holiday House, 144 pages, grades 2-5). Korobá uses a prologue to introduce readers to his family and two best friends, as well as their fishing village of Makoko in Nigeria. He also explains the upcoming Makoko Harvest Festival, when kids break open their Kolo boxes, where they’ve saved money all year, so that they can buy new clothes, shoes, and treats at the festival. Then the story begins, and soon Korobá has a mystery on his hands: his friend Saidat’s Kolo box has gone missing, and she’s pretty sure it’s been stolen. Korobá, Saidat, and their third friend Joba team up to do some sleuthing around Makoko. After eliminating some suspects, Korobá puts together all the clues and unmasks the thief on the morning of the festival. The kids are sympathetic when they learn why the theft occurred and work together to make sure everyone has enough to spend at the market. Includes an author’s note about how his childhood passion for detectives like Nancy Drew, The Famous Five, and Tintin influenced the creation of this story, as well as a glossary of some of the Nigerian terms.

Readers will get a window into a Nigerian village in this endearing graphic novel featuring a lively team of kid detectives. Korobá uses some very impressive deductive skills to solve the mystery in an ending I didn’t see coming, and his two assistants have their own engaging personalities. I’m hoping this will be the first in a series. It’s a longer book than Squirrel Lock Holmes, but still suitable for primary grade readers.

Two writers’ beginnings

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Otherwise Known as Judy the Great: A Poetic Ode to Judy Blume by Selina Alko (Christy Ottaviano Books, 48 pages, grades 2-6). This collection of poems traces Judy Blume’s life from her birth in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1938 to her earliest days as a writer, when she started creating books based on her own childhood and that of her two children. In between, readers will learn of some of the influences on Judy’s books: her fears growing up in a Jewish family during World War II and worries about her fathers after several of his siblings passed away; her questions about growing up and her changing body that she and her friends (the Pre-Teen Kittens) explored together; and her quest for freckles that drove her to mix up a crazy concoction to try to make them appear on her face. The author’s note tells more about Judy’s life and career, as well the influence Blume’s books had on her own adolescence.

Poems and evocative illustrations show how Judy’s early years influenced her writing. Fans will enjoy learning about scenes from her life that were later turned into books and be inspired how she took seemingly ordinary events from her childhood to tell stories that so many kids rcan elate to.

Small-Girl Zora and the Shower of Stories: A Tall Tale Based on the Life and Work of Zora Neale Hurston by Giselle Anatol, illustrated by Raissa Figueroa (Viking Books for Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Small-Girl Zora loves telling stories and is unfazed when people like her father tell her to be quiet and more ladylike. She travels around her small town, sharing her tales and trying to collect the tears of laughter they elicit to help her family during a drought. Even though reactions are mixed, there’s enough positive feedback for Zora to keep going, and as she heads for home, she can hear the influence of her stories as she feels the first drops of rain on her skin. Includes a two-page author’s note with additional information about Zora Neale Hurston and the stories she wrote that are woven into this tall tale.

This enchanting tale, told in a style that evokes Hurston’s works, is an engaging introduction to the writer and her stories that can be enjoyed by both younger readers and older ones who are more familiar her writing. Her hometown of Eatonville, Florida is lovingly portrayed in the gorgeous illustrations, as are some of the characters from her stories.

Two early awards contenders for 2027

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The Dream Builder’s Blueprint: Dr. King’s Message to Young People by Alice Faye Duncan, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (Calkins Creek, 32 pages, grades 2-8). In the foreword, Alice Faye Duncan explains that the text of this book is an erasure poem, a form of found poetry, in which she took a 1,765-word speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to a Philadelphia junior high school in 1967 and distilled it to 277 words. This brief text captures the essence of the speech, in which Dr. King encouraged his audience to build a blueprint for their lives: believing in themselves, choosing a life’s purpose, working for peace and justice, and practicing nonviolence. Words in the poem are capitalized and printed in large, colorful fonts for emphasis, while the illustrations show the hope and hard word needed to build such a blueprint. Includes additional history about this speech with a link to a YouTube video of it, a list of the historical figures mentioned in the speech with the dates of their lives and a sentence about their achievements, victories from the American Civil Rights Movement, directions for writing your own erasure poem, and a bibliography.

There’s so much more to this book than meets the eye, and readers will learn about this inspiring speech that Dr. King made to kids (something he seldom did), as well as receiving instruction and encouragement for creating their own erasure poetry. Although the announcement of 2027 awards is almost a year away, I hope this will be considered, especially for Coretta Scott King recognition.

Troubled Waters: A River’s Journey Toward Justice by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Bryan Collier (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 40 pages, grades 2-5). The Alabama River tells its story, briefly recounting the millions of years it has flowed from Montgomery to Mobile, witnessing the arrival of the Choctaw, who gave it its name that means “Thicket Clearers,” and later, the Europeans, who brought with them ships carrying enslaved Africans. It witnessed the Trail of Tears, the rise of the Black Belt and its cotton plantations, and battles of the Civil War. A bridge was built over it, and eventually, that bridge became the site of two marches in 1965 that brought the violence against civil rights protesters to the nation’s attention. Those marches led to an even bigger one, from Selma to Montgomery, and to the passage of the Voting Rights Act less than five months later. Includes a timeline of the Alabama River from circa 10,000 BCE to August, 1965 and a note from the illustrator.

This powerful book focuses on the Alabama civil rights marches in 1965 that led to the Voting Rights Act in August of that year, told in the unique perspective of the Alabama River. The text is poetic, with lines from spirituals woven in, and the illustrations are gorgeous, always keeping the river at the center of the story. Definitely another awards contender.

How to survive middle school

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Serendipity by Gabbie Benda (Holiday House, 224 pages, grades 4-7). Serendipity leads a charmed life, excelling in her classes, at basketball, onstage, and in student council, where she’s president. After winning free tickets to the carnival, she and her friend Basil encounter a fortune-telling rabbit robot, which Serendipity accidentally destroys. Certain that her luck has changed, she starts seeing signs that she’s cursed, getting a B instead of all A’s, missing baskets, and forgetting her lines in the play. Serendipity returns to the repaired robot, who prints out a fortune telling her “The future is in your hands.” She finally gets the message, realizing that she can make her own luck by sharing the spotlight and handing off some of her responsibilities to others. By the end, Serendipity is ready to try some new activities, but with the realization that it’s more important to enjoy herself than to try to please everyone.

This fast-paced story will appeal to fans of other middle school graphic novels, with its appealing artwork and a reassuring message about setting boundaries and appreciating friends.

The Moon Without Stars by Chanel Miller (Philomel Books, 256 pages, grades 5-8). Luna starts seventh grade with a single friend, Scott, who has been by her side all her life and understands her completely. When they start creating zines for other kids dealing with middle school issues like eczema, periods, and difficult parents, Luna’s writing grabs the attention of the popular group. At first she’s able to balance her social life between Scott and her new friends, but soon the new friends take over–and Luna finds herself compromising her values in the process, taking part in the mean girls’ bullying and shoplifting. Things come to a head when Luna’s mom discovers the shoplifting, and Luna is expelled from the popular crowd. A quirky but kind school counselor helps Luna to see that it’s okay to make mistakes and encourages her to try to forgive herself and see what she can do to fix things. The final pages contains a sweet surprise, not resolving everything but offering hope of a better eighth grade year.

The author of Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All clearly has a Judy Blume-like memory for her early adolescence, and Luna’s story will have you cringing (perhaps with recognition) at all her terrible choices. While there are no doubt fifth graders who would enjoy this book, it is truly the perfect middle school story. The author’s doodles on many of the pages feel very middle schoolish as well. I loved the ending, particularly this teacher’s wise advice: “The life you make will be part effort, part chance; the combination is what makes it stunning.”