Brick by Brick by Heidi Woodward Sheffield ( Author ) Heidi Woodward Sheffield ( Illustrator ) Reading Level : K − 1st Grade
Papi is a bricklayer , and he works hard every day to help build the city , brick by brick . His son , Luis , works hard too--in school , book by book . Papi climbs scaffolds , makes mortar , and shovels sand . Luis climbs on the playground and molds clay into tiny bricks to make buildings , just like Papi . Together , they dream big about their future as they work to make those dreams come true . And then one Saturday , Papi surprises Luis with something special he ’ s built for their family , brick by brick .
The Night Before Father ’ s Day by Natasha Wing ( Author ) Amy Wummer ( Illustrator ) Reading Level : 2nd − 3rd Grade Series : Night Before
It ’ s Father ’ s Day ! Celebrate dads everywhere with bike rides , car washes and more in this installment of Natasha Wing ’ s bestselling series . It ’ s the night before Father ’ s Day , and Mom and the kids have a plan to surprise Dad with a special gift . When Dad goes for a bike ride , everyone gets to work . Dad wakes up the next day to find his garage newly organized and his car sparkly clean . So , of course , he celebrates by taking everyone for a spin !
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall ( Author ) Gaia Cornwall ( Illustrator ) Reading Level : 2nd − 3rd Grade
Working up the courage to take a big , important leap is hard , but Jabari is almost absolutely ready to make a giant splash .
Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board . He ’ s finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test , and he ’ s a great jumper , so he ’ s not scared at all . “ Looks easy ,” says Jabari , watching the other kids take their turns . But when his dad squeezes his hand , Jabari squeezes back . He needs to figure out what kind of special jump to do anyway , and he should probably do some stretches before climbing up onto the diving board .
Dad Bakes by Katie Yamasaki ( Author ) Reading Level : 2nd − 3rd Grade
Katie Yamasaki ’ s newest picture book is an intimate and tender story of the love between a father and a daughter .
Dad wakes early every morning before the sun , heading off to work at the bakery . He kneads , rolls and bakes , and as the sun rises and the world starts its day , Dad heads home to his young daughter . Together they play , read , garden , and--most importantly--they bake .
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander ( Author ) Dawud Anyabwile ( Illustrator ) Reading Level : 4th – 5th Grade Series : Crossover
The Crossover is now a graphic novel ! “ With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . . The court is SIZZLING . My sweat is DRIZZLING . Stop all that quivering . ‘ Cuz tonight I ’ m delivering ,” raps twelve-year-old Josh Bell . Thanks to their dad , he and his twin brother , Jordan , are kings on the court . But Josh has more than basketball in his blood--he ’ s got mad beats , too , which help him find his rhythm when it ’ s all on the line . See the Bell family in a whole new light through Dawud Anyabwile ’ s dynamic illustrations as the brothers ’ winning season unfolds , and the world as they know it begins to change .
Ahmed Aziz ’ s Epic Year by Nina Hamza ( Author ) Reading Level : 4th – 5th Grade
Ahmed Aziz is having an epic year-- epically bad . After his dad gets sick , the family moves from Hawaii to Minnesota for his dad ’ s treatment . Even though his dad grew up there , Ahmed can ’ t imagine a worse place to live . He ’ s one of the only brown kids in his school . And as a proud slacker , Ahmed doesn ’ t want to deal with expectations from his new teachers .
Ahmed surprises himself by actually reading the assigned books for his English class : Holes , Bridge to Terabithia and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs . Basil E . Frankweiler . Shockingly , he doesn ’ t hate them . Ahmed also starts learning about his uncle , who died before Ahmed was born . Getting bits and pieces of his family ’ s history might be the one upside of the move , as his dad ’ s health hangs in the balance and the school bully refuses to leave him alone . Will Ahmed ever warm to Minnesota ?
JUNE 2022 | 27