Recommendations based on One Crazy Summerby Rita Williams-Garcia

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. When You Reach Me

    by Rebecca Stead
    A young girl in 1970s New York City receives mysterious notes that seem to predict the future. She must unravel the mystery before it's too late.

    Miranda is an ordinary sixth grader, until she starts receiving mysterious messages from somebody who knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her ... (Goodreads)

  2. A Sick Day for Amos McGee

    by Philip C. Stead
    A zookeeper and his animal friends learn the value of friendship and compassion.

    Amos McGee is a punctual man who goes about his day the same way every day. He swings his legs out of bed, puts on a fresh uniform and hops on the #5 bus at 6:00 AM to go to the zoo . While at the ... (Wikipedia)

  3. Bud, Not Buddy

    by Christopher Paul Curtis
    A young boy searches for his father during the Great Depression, encountering adventure and unexpected kindness along the way.

    The story opens with Bud being placed with a new foster family, the Amoses'. Bud soon meets Todd Amos, their 12-year-old son, who teases him mercilessly and calls him Buddy. After a fight with Todd, ... (Wikipedia)

  4. Kitten's First Full Moon

    by Kevin Henkes
    A young kitten's misadventure when she mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk.

    The nationally bestselling picture book about a kitten, the moon, and a bowl of milk, written by the celebrated author and illustrator Kevin Henkes, was awarded a Caldecott Medal. From one of the ... (Goodreads)

  5. The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963

    by Christopher Paul Curtis
    The Watson family travels from Michigan to Alabama during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, experiencing racism and tragedy.

    The Newbery Honor-winning American classic, The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963 , celebrates 20 years with this anniversary edition featuring a special letter from Christopher Paul Curtis and an ... (Goodreads)

  6. Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad

    by Ellen Levine
    A slave's courageous escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad.

    A stirring, dramatic story of a slave who mails himself to freedom by a Jane Addams Peace Award-winning author and a Coretta Scott King Award-winning artist. Henry Brown doesn't know how old he is. ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. Because of Winn-Dixie

    by Kate DiCamillo
    A girl's journey of self-discovery and healing, as she finds friendship in an unlikely companion.

    Kate DiCamillo's beloved, best-selling debut novel is now available in a paperback digest edition. Kate DiCamillo's first published novel, like Winn-Dixie himself, immediately proved to be a keeper—a ... (Goodreads)

  8. Out of My Mind

    by Sharon M. Draper
    A young girl with cerebral palsy struggles to overcome obstacles and prove her ability.

    Melody Brooks is a girl who was born with cerebral palsy . Also, who is ten years old. Her parents have done everything they can to help her live a normal life, but life is often frustrating for ... (Wikipedia)

  9. The Crossover

    by Kwame Alexander
    Two brothers explore the joys and struggles of adolescence through the power of basketball.

    New York Times, bestseller ∙ Newbery Medal Winner ∙, Coretta Scott King Honor Award ∙,2015 YALSA 2015 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults,∙, 2015 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers ... (Barnes & Noble)

  10. The Very Hungry Caterpillar

    by Eric Carle
    A caterpillar's journey of growth and transformation to becoming a butterfly.

    THE all-time classic story, from generation to generation, sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! Have you shared it with a child or grandchild in your life? One sunny Sunday, the caterpillar ... (Goodreads)

  11. How to Steal a Dog

    by Barbara O'Connor
    A young girl and her brother hatch a plan to steal a dog in order to get the reward money to help their homeless family.

    Don't miss Barbara O'Connor's other middle-grade work—like, Wish; Wonderland; Greetings from Nowhere; Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia; The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester;, and more! Half of me ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. Wonderstruck

    by Brian Selznick
    Two stories from different eras intertwine, revealing hidden connections between a deaf girl and a runaway boy.

    Ben’s story starts in Gunflint Lake, Minnesota in June 1977. He was born deaf in his left ear. Ben’s mom, Elaine, was the town librarian, but died in a car crash. He now lives with his aunt and uncle ... (Wikipedia)

  13. Last Stop on Market Street

    by Matt de la Peña
    A young boy's journey through the city, learning to appreciate the beauty of everyday life.

    A young African-American boy named CJ exits a church, accompanied by his grandmother (nicknamed Nana), during a rainstorm . As they walk to a bus stop, CJ asks Nana why they have to walk in the rain, ... (Wikipedia)

  14. Copper Sun

    by Sharon M. Draper
    A young African girl is captured and sold into slavery in America, where she struggles to survive and find freedom.

    Stolen from her village, sold to the highest bidder, fifteen-year-old Amari has only one thing left of her own: hope., Amari's life was once perfect. Engaged to the handsomest man in her tribe, ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Lion and the Mouse

    by Jerry Pinkney
    A fable of unlikely friendship that teaches the importance of kindness and helping others.

    In a book where the only words are the sounds made by the animals, the story begins at dawn. A mouse escapes several predators before coming upon a lion. The lion lets the mouse go. Later, some ... (Wikipedia)

  16. Officer Buckle and Gloria

    by Peggy Rathmann
    A safety-conscious police officer teams up with a mischievous police dog to teach children about safety.

    A rather boring police officer named Officer Buckle is assigned to take a police dog named Gloria to his safety speech at the local school. Until that time, whenever Officer Buckle tried to tell ... (Wikipedia)

  17. The Underneath

    by Kathi Appelt
    A calico cat and a hound dog form an unlikely friendship in the bayou, but danger lurks in the form of an angry alligator and a vengeful owner.

    The story takes place underneath a ramshackle house, in the bayou near the Texas-Louisiana border. The hound dog, Ranger, is chained under the porch. Ever since his leg was shot accidentally by his ... (Wikipedia)

  18. Mockingbird

    by Kathryn Erskine
    A young girl with Asperger's syndrome navigates the aftermath of her brother's death and seeks closure through a school play.

    The book centers around a school shooting. The main character is a 10-year-old girl with autism named Caitlin Smith who is preoccupied with drawing and dictionaries. Her older brother Devon has just ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Moon Over Manifest

    by Clare Vanderpool
    A young girl's adventure through 1920s America, uncovering family secrets and finding her identity.

    The main character in the book is Abilene Tucker, a nice, adventurous girl from 1936. Her father sent her to a small town called Manifest, Kansas while he worked a railroad job somewhere else. She ... (Wikipedia)

  20. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

    by William Joyce
    A magical journey of life lessons, through the power of books and imagination.

    Morris Lessmore loved words., He loved stories.,He loved books.,But every story has its upsets. Everything in Morris Lessmore’s life, including his own story, is scattered to the winds. But the power ... (Goodreads)

  21. Fever 1793

    by Laurie Halse Anderson
    A young girl's fight for survival in the midst of a deadly fever epidemic in Philadelphia.

    An epidemic of fever sweeps through the streets of 1793 Philadelphia in this novel from Laurie Halse Anderson where "the plot rages like the epidemic itself" ( The New York Times Book Review ). ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. Flotsam

    by David Wiesner
    A boy discovers a camera with mysterious photographs, inspiring a journey of exploration.

    The book has no words , but is told through pictures. A boy is at the beach and finds an old camera. He takes the film to get it developed, and sees photos of fantastical undersea cities and ... (Wikipedia)

  23. A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story

    by Linda Sue Park
    A boy's story of courage and perseverance, as he faces the civil war in Sudan.

    A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about a girl in Sudan in 2008 and a boy in Sudan in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Magician's Elephant

    by Kate DiCamillo
    A mysterious elephant brings together a group of characters in a magical journey of discovery.

    In a highly awaited new novel, Kate DiCamillo conjures a haunting fable about trusting the unexpected — and making the extraordinary come true. What if? Why not? Could it be? When a fortuneteller's ... (Goodreads)

  25. The One and Only Ivan

    by Katherine Applegate
    A gorilla named Ivan, who lives in a mall, finds hope and freedom through his art and the help of his friends.

    The story is placed at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall by the Video Arcade. Ivan, the gorilla, has lived in captivity at the Big Top Mall for 9,855 days by his own tally. , He lives in his domain, and is ... (Wikipedia)

  26. A Tale Dark & Grimm

    by Adam Gidwitz
    A humorous and thrilling retelling of classic Grimm fairy tales.

    In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest ... (Goodreads)

  27. This Is Not My Hat

    by Jon Klassen
    A small fish steals a hat from a big fish and tries to get away with it. But can he?

    A small fish has stolen a hat from a big sleeping fish, and boasts about how easy it will be for him to get away with the theft, because the big fish will not wake up any time soon and maybe not even ... (Wikipedia)

  28. Smile

    by Raina Telgemeier
    A young girl navigates the challenges of middle school and braces, overcoming obstacles with the help of her friends.

    For fans both new and old, Smile is now available with fifteen pages of never-before-seen content exclusively at B&N. Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she ... (Barnes & Noble)

  29. The Tale of Despereaux

    by Kate DiCamillo
    An epic adventure of an unlikely hero, on a quest to save his kingdom and restore justice.

    A noble mouse named Despereaux saves a princess named Princess Pea. Book one tells a story about a small, sickly mouse named Despereaux who was born in a castle with his eyes open. Despereaux, unlike ... (Wikipedia)

  30. The Rainbow Fish

    by Marcus Pfister
    A fish learns the importance of friendship and sharing after being gifted a pair of glittering scales.

    The story is about The Rainbow Fish , a fish with shiny, multi-coloured scales . He has blue, green, purple, and pink scales. Interspersed with these colorful scales are shiny, holographic scales ... (Wikipedia)