Award Winning Picture Books

Did you know that Missouri has two readers' choice awards for picture books?  
The Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award (sponsored by the Missouri Library Association) is voted on annually by children ages 0-5 years.
The Show Me Readers Book Award (sponsored by the Missouri Association of School Librarians) is voted on annually by students in grades K-3rd.
Check out one of these past Building Block Award or Show Me Award winning books.  Here's a few of our favorites . . . .

Bunnies!!! by Kevan Atteberry

A monster searches everywhere to find the things he loves: bunnies!!!

Magnus at the Fire by Jennifer Armstrong

When the Broadway Fire House acquires a motorized fire engine, Magnus the fire horse is not ready to retire.

Press Here by Herve Tullet

Using no special effects other than the reader's imagination, a series of dots multiplies, grows, or changes color by pressing, tilting, or blowing on the previous page.

Two Bobbies by Kirby Larson

Tells the true story of Bobbie the dog and Bob Cat, two pets who bonded together and were able to survive the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

More Award Winning Books --

Bad Dog by Mike Boldt

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

The Blue House Dog by Deborah Blumenthal 

Bubble Bath Pirates by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings

Dandy by Ame Dyckman

Epossumondas by Coleen Salley

Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates by Cheryl B. Klein

Hero Cat by Eileen Spinelli

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont

I'm Terrified of Bath Time by Simon Rich

Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed by Leslea Newman

The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt

The Magic Word by Mac Barnett

Move Over, Rover by Karen Beaumont

Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos

Naked! by Michael Ian Black

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

Pug Meets Pig by Sue Gallion

Snack Attack! by Terry Border

Some Dog! by Mary Casanova

Strongheart! The World's First Movie Star Dog by Emily Arnold McCully

Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar? by Bonnie Lass

Wolfboy by Andy Harkness

Take a Break to Read -- It's Summer!

Summer is the perfect time to grab a book and read for fun!  So take a break, grab one of these teen books, and spend some time reading this summer . . . .

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki

Rose and her parents have been going to Awago Beach since she was a little girl. It's her summer getaway, her refuge. Her friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had, completing her summer family. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and Rose and Windy have gotten tangled up in a tragedy-in-the-making. It's a summer of secrets and heartache, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.

The Summer of Lost Letters by Hannah Reynolds

The discovery of a packet of old letters sends seventeen-year-old Abby Schoenberg to Nantucket to unravel a family mystery about her grandmother's past, but things get complicated when Abby meets the cute grandson of a prominent family who wants to stop her from investigating.

The Many Lives of John Stone by Linda Buckley-Archer

When seventeen-year-old Spark takes a summer job working at a secluded house in England, organizing journals that span centuries and all written in the same hand, she discovers her true connection to the people who live there and the trait that makes them unique.

More Books --

99 Days by Katie Cotugno

Getting Over Max Cooper by Marcelle Karp

Golden Boys by Phil Stamper
It Started With Goodbye by Christina June

Just Kill Me by Adam Selzer

The Lightning Circle by Vikki VansSickle

One or Two Things I Learned About Love by Dyan Sheldon
Say Yes Summer by Lindsey Roth Culli

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Summer Constellations by Alisha Sevigny

This Place Is Still Beautiful by Xixi Tian

Under a Dancing Star by Laura Wood

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

If You Lemony Snicket . . .

 Lemony Snicket has written two great series -- The Series of Unfortunate Events and All the Wrong Questions -- as well as several standalone books.  But what should you read after reading all of her books?  Try one of these great read-alikes for Lemony Snicket . . . .

The Problim Children by Natalie Lloyd

Seven siblings are forced by the destruction of their swamp home to move into their grandpa's mansion, but greedy neighbors plot to steal their secrets and place them in homes far away from each other.

Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson

Deciding that he must sire a child to carry on his tradition of Loathing Light and Blighting the Beautiful, the Great Wizard Arriman announces a competition among the witches of Todcaster, one of whom will marry him.

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

Shouldn't we be orphans?" one of the Willoughby children suggests one day. The four are, after all, part of an old-fashioned kind of family, and their parents--well, their parents are not all that one would hope for. So they concoct a diabolical plot to turn themselves into worthy and winsome orphans. Little do they know that Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby have already begun to formulate their own thoroughly despicable plan inspired by another favorite bedtime story: the tale of Hansel and Gretel. 

Horton Halfpott by Tom Angleberger

Horton, an upstanding kitchen boy in a castle in nineteenth-century England, becomes embroiled in a mystery surrounding a series of thefts, which is also connected to the pursuit of a very eligible and wealthy young lady's affections.

More Books --

Bad Magic by Pseudonymous Bosch

The Crims by Kate Davies

The House With a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs

The Magnificent Monsters of Cedar Street by Lauren Oliver

The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette For Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus

The Swifts by Beth Lincoln

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

The Templeton Twins Have an Idea by Ellis Weiner

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken

Super Stories

 Superhero Stories aren't just for little kids!  Superheroes are a popular fandom for all ages.  This week, we're sharing some superhero stories for teens.

Runaways: The Complete Collection, v.1 by Brian K. Vaughan

They were six normal teenagers linked only by their wealthy parents' annual business meeting ... until a chance discovery revealed the shocking truth: their parents are the secret criminal society known as the Pride. For years, the Pride controlled all criminal activity in Los Angeles, ruling the city with an iron fist ... and now, with their true natures exposed, the Pride will take any measures necessary to protect their organization--even if it means taking out their own children. Now on the run from their villainous parents, Nico, Chase, Karolina, Gertrude, Molly and Alex have only each other to rely on.

The Supervillain and Me by Danielle Banas

Living in a world where superheroes are obnoxious bullies, Abby is rescued from a mugging by a vigilante newcomer, a fledgling supervillain who tries to convince her that he is not as evil as reputed and that the city is under a dire threat.

Umbrella Academy: Young Blood by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

The Umbrella Academy has always been extraordinary--ready to leap to superpowered action at a moment’s notice. But now that Five has disappeared and their fame has crested, sometimes the only thing Luther, Diego, Allison, Klaus, Ben, and Viktor want is to be normal... which is much easier said than done, when you’re raised by someone like Hargreeves. For their exacting and tyrannical father figure, nothing is ever enough; which is why, during a dinnertime debriefing on their latest mission, Ben snaps, prompting Klaus to suggest that they all need a change of scenery--just one night of partying like a bunch of average teens. In fact, Klaus knows just the place; there’s a frat house in a neighboring college town that throws weekend blowouts. What could go wrong? 

More Books --

Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu

Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas

How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) by Cristina Fernandez
Micheal Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, v.1 by Hideyuki Furuhashi

Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Storm: Dawn of a Goddess by Tiffany D. Jackson

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend by Alys Arden

Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld

Let's Play!

 This week, we're sharing picture book stories about playing.  Here's a few of our favorites . . . .

Corduroy by Don Freeman

Corduroy has been on the department store shelf for a long time. Yet as soon as Lisa sees him, she knows that he's the bear she's always wanted. Her mother, though, thinks he's a little shopworn -- he's even missing a button! Still, Corduroy knows that with a bit of work he can tidy himself up and be just the bear for Lisa. And where better to start than with a quick search through the department store for a new button!

My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann

Something always seems to go wrong when Rabbit is around, but Mouse lets him play with his toy plane anyway because he is his good friend.

Invasion of the Unicorns by David Biedrzycki

Secret agent Bubble07 has an undercover mission: to infiltrate the home of an Earthling Family and decide whether an army of alien unicorns should invade planet Earth. Danger follows in the form of dog slobber, tea parties, and show-and-tell. Will Bubble07 be forced to give up and call for backup? Or will this fluffy alien's heart be won over by story time and snuggles.

Where Is Bear? by Jonathan Bentley

A little boy and his best friend, an actual bear, go on a search for a teddy bear before bedtime.

Found by Salina Yoon

Upon finding a toy rabbit in the forest, Bear tries his very best to return it to its home but by the time its owner appears, Bear has become attached to Bunny.

More Books --

The Boy Who Wouldn't Share by Mike Reiss

Crybaby by Karen Beaumont

Dino-Grow by Matt Myers

Doll-E 1.0 by Shanda McCloskey

Don't Lose Mr. Cuddles! by Dav Petty

Eat Pete! by Michael Rex

The Epic Adventures of Huggie and Stick by Drew Daywalt

A Fire Engine for Ruthie by Leslea Newman

I Love You, Blue Kangaroo by Emma Chichester Clark

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

Little Whistle's Dinner Party by Cynthia Rylant

Louis by Tom Lichtenheld

Miss Mouse's Day by Jan Ormerod

Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett

Puppy Truck by Brian Pinkney

Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner

Ten Rules of Being a Superhero by Deb Pilutti

Toys Galore by Peter Stein

Toys Meet Snow by Emily Jenkins

Traction Man by Mini Grey

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco

What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night by Refe & Amy Tuma

Ocean -- 4/14/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Secret Seahorse by Stella Blackstone
I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
I Need Pants! by Susan Sweet

Books:
How to Put an Octopus to Bead by Sherri Duskey Rinker
I'm the Best Artist in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
Milo Is Missing Something by Vern Kousky
Ocean Animals from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick
Sharky McShark by Alison Murray

Craft: Squid

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out squid's head

- Cut four 5" pieces of crepe paper and one 4" piece of crepe paper

- Cut all five strips of crepe paper in half longways

- Glue strips to bottom of squid's head as tentacles

Extension Activities:

- Secret Seahorse includes a hidden seahorse in each spread to try to find.  Hold an ocean scavenger hunt by hiding ocean animal stuffies or printing our pictures of ocean animals to tape up.  Then have your child(ren) find the ocean animals.

- I Need Pants! imagines a fish and octopus in clothes.  Discuss which clothes would best fit the different ocean animals.  Draw pictures of what that would look like.

Template --

National Poetry Month

Every April we celebrate National Poetry Month by sharing poetry books.  This April, read one of these great novels in verse for teens . . . .

Keesha's House by Helen Frost

Seven teens facing such problems as pregnancy, closeted homosexuality, and abuse each describe in poetic forms what caused them to leave home and where they found home again.

Spin by Rebecca Caprara

Arachne is ostracized by all but her family and closest friend, Celandine. Turning to her loom for solace, Arachne learns to weave, finding her voice and her strength through the craft. After the tragic loss of her family, Arachne challenges Athena, and a fateful weaving contest ensues, resulting in an exposé of divine misdeeds, a shocking transformation, and unexpected redemption.

Miles Morales: Suspended by Jason Reynolds
Miles Morales is still just your average teenager. He has unexpectedly become totally obsessed with poetry and can never seem to do much more than babble around his crush. Nothing too weird. Oh! Except, just yesterday, he used his spidey superpowers to save the world (no biggie) from an evil mastermind called The Warden.


More Novels in Verse for Teens --

19 Love Songs by David Levithan

Ariel Crashes a Train by Olivia Cole

Facing the Enemy by Barbara Krasner

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

Jazz Owls by Margarita Engle

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Kip Wilson

Nothing Burns As Bright As You by Ashley Woodfolk

Ode to My First Car by Robin Gow

One Step Forward by Marcie Flinchum Atkins

Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams by Shari Green

Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott

Wave by Diana Farid

We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride