This list came from Bright Now, Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. (https://cty.jhu.edu)
Beginning Readers (Pre-K-Grade 1)
“Beautiful Oops!” by Barney Saltzberg
A life lesson all parents should teach their children is that it’s OK to make mistakes. In fact, mistakes can inspire a child’s creativity and teach them how to recover.
“Hike” by Pete Oswald
Travel along with a father and child as they experience nature’s wonders, continue a family tradition, and make memories of their day hiking together.
“I Want to Be a Doctor” by Laura Driscoll
When little brother Jack hurts his foot, his family gets to meet all kinds of doctors. This story introduces them, and us, to individuals who heal broken bones, help fix teeth, and work in laboratories.
“One Hundred Shoes: A Math Reader” by Charles Ghigna
Centipede has one hundred feet. One hundred feet means one hundred shoes. How in the world does Centipede choose shoes? This book demonstrates the concepts of pairs and multiple sets using simple, rhythmic text.
“The Alphabet’s Alphabet” by Chris Harris
This is not your usual A-B-C book! Rhyming text and amusing illustrations will have you seeing the letters of the alphabet in a totally new way.
Young Readers (Grades 2–3)
“Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer” by Traci Sorell
Author Traci Sorell’s biography of Mary Golda Ross is the story of a math-loving girl who grew up to be a mathematician, teacher, adviser, engineer, role model, and inspiration. Trailblazing Ross was the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation’s first woman engineer.
“No Reading Allowed: The WORST Read-Aloud Book Ever” by Raj Haldar and Chris Carpenter
You don’t have to be a logophile to appreciate this book’s wordplay of homonyms and sound-alike sentences. The illustration-sentence pairings will have you laughing out loud and may lead you to think that this just might be the BEST read-aloud book ever!
“Skunk and Badger” by Amy Timberlake
The path to friendship can be rocky at times, as it is for opposites Skunk and Badger. A supporting cast of chickens adds to the delight in this tale that almost begs to be read aloud.
“The Music of Life Bartolomeo Cristofori & The Invention of the Piano” by Elizabeth Rusch
Bartolomeo Cristofori longs to create an instrument that can be played both soft and loud — and he does with his invention of the piano.
“What Do You Do With An Idea?” by Kobi Yamada
How does a brilliant idea make its way into the world? This award-winning book tells us — and inspires young children to welcome ideas, give them some space to grow, and watch what happens next.
Advanced Readers (Grades 4–6)
“Ban This Book: A Novel” by Alan Gratz
When Anne’s favorite book is banned from her school’s library, she starts a secret banned books locker to take a stand against censorship.
“Naturalist, a graphic adaptation of EO Wilson’s memoir” by E. O. Wilson and Jim Ottaviani
Naturalist is an invitation and reminder from biologist Edward O. Wilson to stay curious and explore the scientific world around us.
“Restart” by Gordon Korman
Chase doesn’t remember falling off the roof, and when he wakes up in a hospital after the incident, he can’t remember his name. Restart is the story of a kid with a messy past who must figure out what it means to get a clean start.
“The Last Cuentista” by Donna Barba Higuera
Petra dreamed of becoming a cuentista, a storyteller, like her grandmother. What she never imagined was that she might be the only person who remembers Earth and its stories.
“You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P!” by Alex Gino
Jilly thinks she’s figured out how life work until her sister Emma is born deaf. She needs help but doesn’t know the best way to ask for it. This story highlights the ways she learned to be an ally, a sister, and a friend.
Young Adult Readers (Grades 7+)
“Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson
Through vivid poems, Jacqueline Woodson shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement.
“Brunelleschi’s Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture” by Ross King
How did a Renaissance genius build the architectural wonder we marvel at today? This book tells the story.
“Love That Dog” by Sharon Creech
Love That Dog is the story of a young boy named Jack, who finds his voice through poetry with the help of a teacher, a writer, a pencil, some yellow paper, and a dog.
“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” by William Kamkwamba
A 13-year-old boy who sneaks into a library and learns how to build a windmill to save his village from a famine.
“We Are Not from Here” by Jenny Torres Sanchez
We Are Not from Here depicts the harsh realities that drives three teens to leave their home country and make a dangerous journey to the United States, where they hope they will have a better life.