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Central Avenue Elementary School

Every Child, Every Chance, Every Day!

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  3. 2022-2023 SSYRA Junior Books, Read Alouds and Author Websites

2022-2023 SSYRA Junior Books, Read Alouds and Author Websites

  • A worker in a hardhat looks at a bridge over a river, with hills in the background, on a book cover.

    All across this great big world, jobs are getting done
    by many hands in many lands. It takes much more than ONE.

    Gorgeously written and illustrated, this is an eye-opening exploration of the many types of work that go into building our world--from the making of a bridge to a wind farm, an amusement park, and even the very picture book that you are reading. An architect may dream up the plans for a house, but someone has to actually work the saws and pound the nails. This book is a thank-you to the skilled women and men who work tirelessly to see our dreams brought to life. creatures all being real.
     
    Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense scrutiny and doubt – especially once her own supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed ‘illegal’. 
     
    With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she’s an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton ...

  • Cover of a children's book titled "Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme," with a perplexed boy and playful animals.

    There once was a youngster named Chester van Chime Who woke up one day and forgot how to rhyme. Chester loved rhyming, in poem or song.It always felt right, but today it felt...not right. VERY not right.
    Chester van Chime is usually the BEST at rhyming. He can normally tell you all about cats wearing hats and snails delivering mail, but today, something has changed. Today there's no dog on a log. No duck in a truck. Just a Pomeranian on a sideways tree and a waterfowl in a full-size pickup. What's a kid to do?!

    Filled with irresistible wordplay and whimsically silly illustrations, bestselling creators Avery Monsen and Abby Hanlon's read aloud tells the story of a boy who learns not to be stressed if he's not at his...tippy-top peak performance.

  • Book cover for "The Electric Slide and Kai" with colorful title and illustrated dancing feet.

    In the Donovan family, everyone has a dance nickname bestowed by Granddad except for Kai. After embarrassing himself during the electric slide at a family reunion, Kai decides he can’t dance. When Kai’s aunt Nina invites the family to her wedding, Kai becomes determined to learn the moves and earn approval (and the coveted nickname) from his grandfather. He approaches each family member, even his little sister Ava, known as “Baby Bounce,” for advice and practices for the whole month before the wedding. Despite his preparations, Kai gets nervous at the reception and sneaks off the dance floor. With some encouragement from Mr. Troy, now his new uncle who’s also eager for a nickname, Kai finally shows off his moves and becomes “Lil’ Slide.”

  • Illustration of an alligator in chef attire holding condiments on its back with the title "CHEZ BOB" by Bob Shea.

    Welcome to Chez Bob, which seems like a real restaurant...until you realize...it's on an alligator's NOSE! Bob's got a hidden plan for his customers: "Birds will come to eat, but I will eat the birds!" As they fly in from all over the world to dine on Bob's face, something starts to happen that takes the lazy, hungry reptile by surprise -- the birds stay. "More yummy birds!" he rejoices -- he'll want for nothing! But when the time is right, will Bob make the right choice?

  • Illustrated book cover with a title "Mel Fell" and a blue bird falling upside-down, surrounded by playful insects.

    Readers will delight in turning their book sideways and upside down to follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking a leap of faith. 

    Sometimes, you might fall

                   down,

                                   down,

                                                   down,

    before you learn to fly

                   up,

                                   up,

                                                   up…

  • Cover of "Strange Planet" book by Nathan W. Pyle featuring a cat and two blue aliens.

    Based on his popular Instagram comics, Nathan W. Pyle presents a delightful, heartfelt, and clever picture book that young and old beings alike will enjoy reading together.

    When the nearest star rises, Lifegiver has an exciting quest planned for Offspring! Follow along as they observe a strange creature that sneaks, hides, and vibrates around their house. Hilarity ensues as the blue beings try to mimic this talented creature. 

  • Illustration of a pink pig with glasses and a small blue mouse on top, with the title "What if, Pig?" by Linzie Hunter.

    Mouse has never had a friend quite like Pig. Pig is so incredibly kind, fabulously fun, but he also has a big secret—he’s a tremendous worrier!

    When Pig gets the brilliant idea to throw a party for Mouse and their friends, he can’t help but think of everything that could possibly go wrong. After all, what if a lion eats all the invitations? What if nobody comes? Or worse, what if everyone comes and has an awful time?

  • Illustration of a car driving towards a sunset, with the title "Ten Beautiful Things."

    Lily and her grandmother search for ten beautiful things as they take a long car ride to Iowa and Lily's new home with Gran. At first, Lily sees nothing beautiful in the April slush and cloudy sky. Soon though, Lily can see beauty in unexpected places, from the smell of spring mud to a cloud shaped like a swan to a dilapidated barn. A furious rainstorm mirrors Lily's anxiety, but as it clears Lily discovers the tenth beautiful thing: Lily and Gran and their love for each other.

  • Cover of a book titled "Invasion of the Unicorns" by David Biedrzycki, featuring a unicorn plush toy.

    Special Agent Bubble07 is undercover on planet Earth. His mission: to decide whether his team of alien unicorns should invade Earth. Posing as a stuffed animal, he infiltrates the home of Earthling Daughter, where he puts up with dog slobber, tea parties, and show and tell. Will the unicorn blow his cover and call for backup? Or will his alien heart be won over by storytime, snow days, and snuggles?

  • Illustration of three kids with pizza, one reading a book titled "The Middle Kid" by Steven Weinberg.

    When you're the middle kid, you're never the first nor the last to do anything. You're not the tallest or the smallest; you're babysitting one sibling but teased by the other. Stuck between a bossy older brother and a naive younger sister, Middle Kid feels left out of two worlds. But even if—and maybe especially because—it's always overlooked, this kid's own world is just as big and important as his siblings'.

  • Illustration of seven yaks with a small one in the front, titled "The Littlest Yak" by Lu Fraser & Kate Hindley.

    On the tip of the top of a mountain all snowy, where the ice-swirling, toe-curling blizzards were blowy, in a herd full of huddling yaks, big and small, lived Gertie . . . the littlest yak of them all.

    Gertie is the littlest yak in her whole herd, and she's feeling stuck in her smallness - she wants to grow UP and have bigness and tallness!

    But when it turns out that there are some things that only Gertie can do, might she come to see that she's perfect, just the way she is?

  • Cover of "The Hunger Heroes" book showing anthropomorphic food characters and the title in bold letters.

    Meet the Hunger Heroes: Toots the Bean, Chip Ninja, Tammy the Tomato, and Leonard, a wedge of cheddar cheese, ready to save kids—even cranky, annoying ones—all over the world while flying around in their taco hovercraft!

    It’s a typical Monday when the Hunger Heroes get the call: a kid in Ms. Sternbladder’s class missed breakfast and isn’t allowed to have snacks! How will he pass his math test, study for spelling, or play soccer at recess if his stomach is growling out of control? Hunger Heroes to the rescue!

  • Book cover of "Ivy Lost and Found" with illustrated children and animals, like a unicorn and a hen.

    Ivy was Anne the librarian’s doll when she was a young girl. But now she has moved to Anne’s library to be its newest Book Buddy—a toy that can be checked out just like a book. Ivy isn’t sure she wants to be borrowed, though. She’d rather go back to just being Anne’s favorite toy. Fern, a child who visits the library with her stepfamily, also wishes things could go back to the way they were, when Fern had her dad all to herself. When Fern takes Ivy home, an unexpected outdoor adventure helps both of them find confidence and belonging in their changing worlds. This heartwarming story by Cynthia Lord, with a classic feel and gentle illustrations by Stephanie Graegin, is the first in a chapter-book series that pairs friendly toys with child characters who need them

  • Cover of "Weenie featuring Frank & Beans: Mad About Meatloaf" book with cartoon dogs and a cat.

    Weenie loves his human, Bob. He loves his guinea pig friend, Beans, and his cat friend, Frank. He loves naps, adventures and sharing. In fact, Weenie loves pretty much everything (except the mail carrier).

    But the thing Weenie loves and desires more than anything else in the world is meatloaf. And he'll do anything to get it.

  • Book cover of "Cranky Chicken" with a cartoon chicken and a smiling worm under rain.

    Everything about Chicken is cranky. Cranky eyes, cranky eyebrows, super-sharp cranky beak, even cranky scratchy feet. And everything makes Chicken cranky. The sun is too bright, the dirt is too dirty. What Cranky Chicken is not is lonely. Nope, nope, definitely not. But then along comes a very cheerful worm named Speedy, who just wants to be friends.