Bell, Cece. El Deafo.
In this insightful and humorous graphic novel memoir, Bell portrays growing up with a giant hearing aid strapped to her chest. Themes of navigating a new school, sleepovers, finding a true friend, and a first crush make this book universal in appeal. (2015 Newbery Honor Book) J-GRAPHIC BELL

Cate, Annette LeBlanc. Look Up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard.
This spirited, accessible introduction to the art and science of birding features immersive, fact-filled cartoon art punctuated with tongue-in-beak bird commentary via word bubbles and humorous asides. (A 2014 Sibert Honor Book) J 598.197 CAT

DiCamillo, Kate. Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures.
In this homage to comic books, natural-born cynic Flora Belle Buckman and Ulysses, a flying, poetry-writing squirrel, join forces to overcome Ulysses’ arch-nemesis, encountering a cast of quirky characters. (The 2014 Newbery Medal Book) J-FAN DIC

Federle, Tim. Better Nate Than Ever.
Having run away from home, exuberant Nate experiences a variety of catastrophes and revelations on his way to becoming a Broadway star. Fresh, funny, and hopeful. J FED

Fern, Tracey. Dare the Wind: The Record-Breaking Voyage of Eleanor Prentiss and the Flying Cloud.
A thrilling, true story of a clipper ship race from New York to San Francisco navigated by Eleanor Prentiss, the first woman to make the journey. J-B PRENTISS

Grabenstein, Chris. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library.
After notorious gamemaker Luigi Lemoncello designs the town library, Kyle and 11 kids are locked inside overnight and won’t be free until they solve a series of puzzles based on famous books. Quirky and fun. J GRA

Graff, Lisa. Absolutely Almost.
In this relatable tale, fifth grader Albie is not very good at a lot of things, but with a little help from a new babysitter, he finds out that being himself is the most important thing. J GRA

Grove, Tim. First Flight Around the World: The Adventures of the American Fliers Who Won the Race.
In 1924, a group of brave men faced violent weather, unreliable navigation, crashes, and unfamiliar foreign cultures in their goal to win the race to be the first to circumnavigate the globe by plane. J 629.13 GRO

Herrera, Robin. Hope Is a Ferris Wheel.
Fifth grader Star tries to fit in but seems to be failing miserably. To connect with classmates that only seem to care about her trailer-park home, she starts a poetry club. J HER

Hill, Laban Carrick. When the Beat Was Born:  DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop.
Vibrant illustrations and brief text introduce DJ Clive Campbell, who took popular dance music, stretched the breaks in the songs, and turned basic rhythms into hip-hop. J-B KOOL

Hilton, Marilyn. Full Cicada Moon.
Set against the backdrop of the first lunar landing, this free verse novel features Mimi Oliver, a half Japanese, half African American girl who learns about fitting in and standing up for what’s right. J-HF HIL

Holm, Jennifer L. The Fourteenth Goldfish.
With humor and a light tone, eleven-year-old Ellie deals with serious issues related to family relationships, friendships, the cycle of life, and life's possibilities. J-SF HOL

Hunt, Lynda Mullaly. Fish in a Tree.
With the help of an insightful teacher and quirky friends, Ally discovers how smart she really is in spite of being identified as dyslexic. J HUN

Jamieson, Victoria. Roller Girl.
Astrid falls in love with roller derby and learns how to be tougher, stronger, and fearless. Jamieson perfectly captures the highs and lows of growing up in this dynamic graphic novel. (Newbery Honor) J-GRAPHIC JAM

Jenkins, Steve. Eye to Eye: How Animals See the World.
With a mixture of extraordinary artistry and jaw-dropping creativity, Jenkins has produced a colorful, large-format volume crafted with vivid, cut-paper collages that provide amazing details about the eyes of animals from bullfrogs to buzzards. J 591.44 JEN

Johnson, Varian. The Great Greene Heist.
Reformed schemer and middle schooler Jackson Greene comes out of retirement, assembling a top-notch team to pull off Maplewood Middle School's biggest con ever in a fast-paced caper. J JOH

Kelly, Erin Entrada. Blackbird Fly.
Eighth-grader Apple, a Filipino American, faces bullying, parental conflicts, fickle friends, and a lack of self-confidence with the help of a Beatles cassette, new friends, and the determination to play the guitar. J KEL

McDougall, Sophia. Mars Evacuees.
A war between Earth and aliens leads to the evacuation of children to Mars. When the grown-ups disappear, Alice, her friends, and a robot goldfish make a discovery that might just change everything. J-SF MCD

Markle, Sandra. The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats: A Scientific Mystery.
Follow the scientific method as a group of researchers notice something wrong with the little brown bat population and search for a way to save them. Stunning photographs are even more fascinating. J 599.472 MAR

Martin, Ann M. Rain Reign.
Rose’s obsession with homophones and rules distinguishes her from most other fifth graders, but also provides insights into the world of a child challenged by Asperger’s Syndrome. When Rain, Rose’s beloved dog, goes missing, readers will be moved by the decisions she makes to find and care for her pet. J MAR

Montgomery, Sy. Chasing Cheetahs: The Race to Save Africa's Fastest Cats.
Montgomery and Bishop join the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Africa, studying the cheetah's ecological, genetic, and behavioral patterns in order to chase down the fastest animal in the world. J 599.759 MON

Napoli, Donna Jo. Treasury of Egyptian Mythology.
In this exemplary book of folklore, Napoli introduces young readers to Egyptian mythology with vivid language and illustration and anchors the tales in intriguing and research-supported interpretation. J 299.31 NAP

Powell, Patricia Hruby. Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker.
A dynamic dance of beautifully written verse and lively illustrations describe the life of the effervescent entertainer Josephine Baker. (2015 Sibert Honor Book) J-B BAKER 

Rockliff, Mara. Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery That Baffled All of France.
Follow along as Ben Franklin applies the scientific method to a new mysterious phenomenon Dr. Mesmer has been spreading across France. A whimsical look at science and history. J 973.3 ROC

Roy, Katherine. Neighborhood Sharks: Hunting with the Great Whites of California’s Farallon Islands.
With vivid paintings and clear, accessible text, Roy creates a heart-stopping look at what great white sharks do best—hunt for their next meal. (2015 Sibert Honor Book) J 597.3 ROY

Sachar, Louis. Fuzzy Mud.
Taking a shortcut through the off-limits woods to avoid a bully, Tamaya and Marshall encounter fuzzy-looking mud that unleashes a medical and environmental disaster. J-SF SAC

Selznick, Brian. The Marvels.
Two seemingly unrelated plots—Billy Marvel’s wordless, illustrated story set in 1776; and Joseph Jervis’s prose story set in 1990—come together in a tale of mystery, adventure, friendship, and family. J-HF SEL

Telgemeier, Raina. Sisters.
A family car trip highlights the tensions between two sisters, the cause of which is explored through flashback sequences in this comedic graphic novel. J-GRAPHIC TEL

Tonatiuh, Duncan. Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation.
Tonatiuh draws upon traditional Mixtec codex art to tell the story of 11-year-old Sylvia Mendez, who helped end school segregation in California seven years before Brown v. Board of Education. (2015 Belpré Illustrator Honor Book & Sibert Honor Book) J 323.1 TON

Wiles, Deborah. The Sixties Trilogy.
The summer of 1964 was known as "Freedom Summer," as civil rights workers, students, and organizers went to Mississippi to help register African-American voters. Twelve-year-old Sunny of Mississippi is caught up in the events between black and white Americans. Photos and memorabilia enhance the books. J-HF WIL

Williams-Garcia, Rita. One Crazy Summer.
After travelling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, Delphine and her two sisters discover that their mother, a dedicated poet, wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp. J-HF WIL