Treasury · Merit

ALSC Notables

The Association for Library Service to Children's notable children's books, chosen and annotated by librarians every year since 1940.

1,422 books in the catalog stand on this list. The list itself (opens the list's own website) ↗

A reader aged

676 of these books cover age 8.

• 7 X 9 = Trouble! by Claudia Mills, 2002 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 670L · AR 4.3 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• A Black Hole Is Not a Hole by Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano, 2012 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 900L · AR 6.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Book of Coupons by Susie Morgenstern, 2001 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 790L · AR 5.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff, 2014 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 750L · AR 4.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Chicken Followed Me Home: Questions and Answers about a Familiar Fowl by Robin Page, 2015 · ages 4–9 · Lexile 710L · AR 3.5 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Adventures in Cartooning by James Sturm, 2009 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 460L · AR 2.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Adventures with Waffles by Maria Parr, 2015 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 720L · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children by Caroline Kennedy-Schlossberg, 2005 · ages 6–13
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• A Hero's Guide to Summer Vacation by Pablo Cartaya, 2025 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 750L · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms by Paul B. Janeczko, 2005 · ages 8–17 · AR 6.0
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• Aliens Are Coming!: The True Account of the 1938 War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast by Meghan McCarthy, 2006 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 690L · AR 4.0 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• All Alone in the Universe by Lynne Rae Perkins, 2000 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 720L · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• All in a Drop: How Antony Van Leeuwenhoek Discovered an Invisible World by Lori Alexander, 2019 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 890L · AR 5.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• All's Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson, 2017 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 460L · AR 3.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• All Stations! Distress!: April 15, 1912: The Day the Titanic Sank by Don Brown, 2008 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 880L · AR 5.4 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• All That Trash: The Story of the 1987 Garbage Barge and Our Problem with Stuff by Meghan McCarthy, 2018 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 800L · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson, 2025 · ages 8–13 · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
  also on Newbery Award
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• All the Greys on Greene Street by Laura Tucker, 2019 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 910L · AR 5.9 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck, 1998 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 750L · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed, 2018 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 600L · AR 4.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Amanda Pig and the Really Hot Day by Jean Van Leeuwen, 2005 · ages 4–11 · Lexile 480L · AR 2.2 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart by Vera B. Williams, 2001 · ages 6–11 · AR 4.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming, 2011 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 930L · AR 6.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• America Is Under Attack: September 11, 2001: The Day the Towers Fell by Don Brown, 2011 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 840L · AR 5.8 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Amina Banana and the Formula for Friendship by Shifa Saltagi Safadi, 2025 · ages 6–9 · Lexile 680L
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• Amina's Voice by Hena Khan, 2017 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 800L · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Ana María Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle by Hilda Eunice Burgos, 2018 · ages 8–11 · Lexile 640L · AR 4.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids by Cynthia Leitich Smith, 2021 · ages 8–17 · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• An Extraordinary Life by Laurence Pringle, 1997 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 1140L · AR 7.2
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• Animals by the Numbers: A Book of Infographics by Steve Jenkins, 2016 · ages 4–13 · Lexile 940L
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• A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata, 2019 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 690L · AR 4.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus, 2021 · ages 8–13 · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of the Snowy Day by Andrea Davis Pinkney, 2016 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 620L · AR 3.8
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• Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson, 2004 · ages 4–9 · Lexile 840L · AR 4.1 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Arcady's Goal by Eugene Yelchin, 2014 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 630L · AR 4.0 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A River of Dust: The Life-Giving Link Between North Africa and the Amazon by Jilanne Hoffmann, 2023 · ages 4–11 · Lexile 1180L · AR 4.7
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• A River's Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn by Patricia Newman, 2022 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 950L · AR 5.5 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga, 2022 · ages 8–13 · AR 4.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi, 2018 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 630L · AR 4.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds, 2016 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 750L · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez by María Dolores Águila, 2025 · ages 8–11 · Lexile 800L · AR 5.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd, 2014 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 680L · AR 4.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Stone Sat Still by Brendan Wenzel, 2019 · ages 4–9
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• A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz, 2010 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 690L · AR 4.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom by Erin Entrada Kelly, 2025 · ages 8–13 · AR 7.3 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Aviva vs. the Dybbuk by Mari Lowe, 2022 · ages 8–13 · AR 5.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A Walk Through the Rainforest by Martin Jenkins, 2022 · ages 6–11
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• A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems by Deborah Ruddell, 2009 · ages 4–9 · AR 5.4
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• A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat, 2020 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 720L · AR 5.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, a Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes Out by Nicholas Day, 2025 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 780L · AR 6.3 · AR Interest: MG+ (6–8)
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• Baba Yaga's Assistant by Marika McCoola, 2015 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 340L · AR 2.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Bad Badger: A Love Story by Maryrose Wood, 2025 · ages 6–9 · Lexile 660L · AR 4.9
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• Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, 2009 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 860L · AR 5.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Bad Sister by Charise Mericle Harper, 2021 · ages 8–13 · AR 2.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Bandit's Moon by Sid Fleischman, 1998 · ages 6–13 · Lexile 690L · AR 4.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna by Alda P. Dobbs, 2021 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 730L · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Beavers by Rachel Poliquin, 2018 · ages 6–13 · Lexile 890L · AR 5.4 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord, 2019 · ages 8–11 · Lexile 660L · AR 4.3 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Becoming Ben Franklin: How a Candle-Maker's Son Helped Light the Flame of Liberty by Russell Freedman, 2013 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 1170L · AR 8.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson, 2020 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 1010L · AR 5.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Becoming Naomi León by Pam Muñoz Ryan, 2004 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 830L · AR 5.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane by Carole Boston Weatherford, 2008 · ages 4–11 · Lexile 1090L · AR 3.8 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson, 2020 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 780L · AR 4.5 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Benny on the Case by Wesley King, 2025 · ages 8–11 · AR 4.6
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• Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol, 2018 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 360L · AR 2.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Beti and the Little Round House by Atinuke, 2024 · ages 6–9 · AR 3.6 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle, 2013 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 930L · AR 5.9 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Beware of the Frog by William Bee, 2008 · ages 4–11 · Lexile 630L · AR 2.9 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk, 2017 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 770L · AR 4.8 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Billions of Years, Amazing Changes: The Story of Evolution by Laurence Pringle, 2011 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 1000L · AR 7.5 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo, 2010 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 510L · AR 2.5 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack, 2022 · ages 8–13 · AR 4.5 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes, 2020 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 400L · AR 3.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Blister by Susan Shreve, 2003 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 820L · AR 5.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, 2022 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 1060L · AR 5.6 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Blues Journey by Walter Dean Myers, 2003 · ages 8–17 · AR 5.0 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Blue Sky White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus, 2017 · ages 6–11
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• Bluffton: My Summers with Buster Keaton by Matt Phelan, 2013 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 370L · AR 2.5 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Bo at Ballard Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill, 2013 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 840L · AR 5.2 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Bodies from the Bog by James M. Deem, 1998 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 1100L · AR 7.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Bones: Skeletons and How They Work by Steve Jenkins, 2010 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 980L · AR 5.6 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs That Squeak, Soar, and Roar! by J. Patrick Lewis, 2012 · ages 4–11
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• Borders by Thomas King, 2021 · ages 8–17 · AR 4.1 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Boss of the Plains by Laurie Winn Carlson, 1998 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 830L · AR 4.9 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Botticelli's Apprentice: A Graphic Novel by Ursula Murray Husted, 2025 · ages 6–11
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• Bounce!: A Scientific History of Rubber by Sarah Albee, 2024 · ages 6–9 · Lexile 780L · AR 4.6 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Boy, Everywhere by A.M. Dassu, 2021 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 700L
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• Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin, 2011 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 670L · AR 4.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Bridges by Marc Majewski, 2023 · ages 4–13
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• Bronze and Sunflower by Cao Wenxuan, 2017 · ages 6–11 · Lexile 790L · AR 5.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Brother's Keeper by Julie Lee, 2020 · ages 8–13 · AR 4.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, 2014 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 990L · AR 5.3 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Busted by Dan Gemeinhart, 2025 · ages 8–13 · AR 3.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow by Joyce Sidman, 2006 · ages 4–11 · Lexile 1020L · AR 5.3 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Cabin Head and Tree Head by Scott Campbell, 2025 · ages 6–9 · Lexile 510L · AR 2.3 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Caminar by Skila Brown, 2014 · ages 8–13 · AR 4.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild by Catherine Thimmesh, 2018 · ages 8–13 · Lexile 1260L · AR 8.4 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship by Irene Latham, 2018 · ages 8–13 · AR 4.6 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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• Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins, 2011 · ages 8–17 · Lexile 970L · AR 5.9 · AR Interest: LG (K–3)
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• Catherine's War by Julia Billet, 2020 · ages 8–13 · AR 3.7 · AR Interest: MG (4–8)
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Only the first 100 of 676 are listed here.