Brave by Weshoyot Alvitre - OPTIONAL

Brave by Weshoyot Alvitre. PICTURE BOOK Kokila (Penguin), 2025. $19. 9780593531600 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

A young indigenous boy admires his father's braid and hopes someday his hair will grow like it. He sees the beautiful hair on the dancers at powwows and wants to be like them, too. But at school, the kids tease him and pull his braid. He's brave and stands up for himself. His dad went to residential schools, where he was forced to lose his cultural traditions. He's made an effort to retrieve them as an adult and wants his son to be brave in displaying his culture. 

A sweet story about holding onto your heritage and defending your culture. I liked the illustrations, with their ancestral memories and native regalia. The right Native American or indigenous child will relate. 

Lisa Librarian 

Flowers For Mama by Deborah Freedman - ADVISABLE

Flowers For Mama by Deborah Freedman. PICTURE BOOK. Viking (Penguin), 2026. $19. 9780593695494

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Four young kittens try to think up something special to give to Mama on her special day.  They realize that Mama loves flowers.  They couldn't find any flowers, so they decided to be creative and make flowers.  Oleander planted a seed in dirt and a can.  Tulip drew flowers with orange chalk.  Others found bits and scraps to make yellow sunflowers and pink tulips.  Blossom made up a song.  Will Mama like their gift?

Flowers for Mama encourages creativity, and is a heartwarming story of patience and love.

Freedman's illustrations are very charming.

PGPowers

The Great Escape by Deborah Marcero - ADVISABLE

The Great Escape by Deborah Marcero. PICTURE BOOK. Putnam (Penguin), 2026. $20. 9780593857953

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Evie believed in magic words and magic tricks,  but they had no effect on her three younger siblings who she wished would be quiet and leave her alone. Evie found a magic wand, said some magic words, and disappeared down through the ground, but her siblings followed.  They found themselves in a fantastical world blending the deep sea and outer space.  When her siblings are in peril, she helps them.  After they help a baby whale tangled in a net of constellations, they wonder how they will ever get home.

The Great Escape is an imaginative adventure touching on coping skills in a noisy family, and how peace can be found in chaos.  Marcero's illustrations are beautiful featuring digital illustrations with real photographs from the James Webb Space Telescope.  I liked how the book's orientation changed as the story progressed.

PGPowers

 

Goal! Awesome Soccer Stories and Fun Facts for Kids by Carlos Mojica - ADVISABLE

Goal! Awesome Soccer Stories and Fun Facts for Kids written by Carlos Mojica, 160 pages. NON-FICTION. becker&mayer!kids (The Quarto Group), 2026. $20.

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY

With over 100 player profiles, Goal! is a nonfiction young readers guide to soccer that has all you ever wanted to know about the global obsession with the “beautiful game.”

This is obviously going to be a popular book in your library, just because of the nature of the topic material. I liked the general overview of the game, the different positions, player profiles and the sports trivia. However, I could have been just as happy with a book that was half as long. As someone who isn’t a sports fan, I got bored reading about player stats, especially when not every profile had a photograph. For being one of the most popular sports in the world, you would think there would be at least one photo of each player featured! Regardless, I would recommend this for your school’s library, especially with the World Cup this year, this book will see some traction.

Kiera Beddes, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes

 

Even Steven: A Book About Sharing by Carrie Finison and Daniel Wiseman - ADVISABLE

Even Steven:  A Book About Sharing by Carrie Finison, illustrated by Daniel Wiseman. PICTURE BOOK. G.P. Putnam's Sons (Penguin), 2026. $19. 9780593859001

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: MANY

Steven loves to make everything even. Steven likes to share by splitting something like noodles in half. But sometimes that doesn't work, so he learned that on a slide kids need to take turns.  He's happy as long as it's fun, and fair, and still even.  But what happens when some things are fair but not even?

Finison has a humorous story about always trying to share and make things fair, and the life experiences that make fair impossible.  I enjoyed the semi graphic novel format and cute illustrations.

PGPowers

Hold by Randy Ribay and Zeke Pena - ADVISABLE

Hold by Randy Ribay, illustrated by Zeke Pena. PICTURE BOOK. Kokila  (Penguin), 2026. $19. 9780593856987

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

It's time to leave the house.  Daddy rushes around trying to get all the things for his toddler.  He asks the toddler to hold the water bottle. "Hold, please, "he says.  The toddler begins to say, "hold" to everything he wants.  Soon he can't hold everything and it all falls out of the toddler's arms.  But then the toddler realizes what the most important thing is to hold.

Ribay gives us  a humorous, relatable story with a heartwarming message about what is truly important to hold.  I liked the bold art style.

PGPowers

Rose by the Sea by Rebecca Rose Mooradian and Myo Yim - ADVISABLE

Rose by the Sea by Rebecca Rose Mooradian, illustrated by Myo Yim. PICTURE BOOK. Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon), 2026. $20. 9781665944137

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Dzovinar lives with her family in Armenia.  One day she and her sister are out doing chores picking herbs along the shore.  On the way home, they hide when they see soldiers destroying their village.  When the soldiers leave they come back to an empty house.  With their parents gone, they are forced to flee across the desert.  Will they find a new place where they can live safely?

Mooradian’s words and Yim’s pictures combine for a  beautifully illustrated story about one girls' heartache during the Armenian Genocide, and her hope and heart even amid unspeakable tragedy.

PGPowers

Marie's Magic Eggs by Sandra Neil Wallace and Evan Turk - ESSENTIAL

Marie's Magic Eggs - How Marie Procai Kept the Ukrainian Art of Pysanky Alive written by Sandra Neil Wallace, illustrated by Evan Turk. PICTURE BOOK. Astra Publishing House, 2026. $20. 9781662680694

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

The title may be slightly misleading as there is no literal magic involved, just lots of talent and heart, but Marie’s Magic Eggs details the true story of how one Ukrainian immigrant woman preserved the art of pysanky, intricately decorated eggs using beeswax and dye, for the whole world to appreciate.

I loved this informative, well-researched biography of Marie Procai’s life and artistry. I vaguely remember seeing a PBS feature on pysanky as a child, so it was a real treat to read the story of the history behind this art form. I also loved the illustrations because they felt like pysanky art on each page telling the story. I could see this being used in a history class unit on immigration, or in an art class as an example of folk art.

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes 

Writing Toward Justice by Peggy Thomas and Tonya Engel - ADVISABLE

Writing Toward Justice:  The Life and Reporting of Alice A. Dunnigan by Peggy Thomas, illustrated by Tonya Engel. NON-FICTION, BIOGRAPHY PICTURE BOOK. Calkins Creek (Astra Books for Young Readers), 2026. $20. 9781662680892

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Alice Dunnigan knew all about injustice, but she wanted to tell stories of spirit.  When she was 13 years old, she wrote to a Black newspaper asking for a job -- and got it.  It was only the beginning.  She worked hard as a teacher, a cleaner, a typist, and a journalist.  She became the first Black woman in the Capitol Press Corp.  But what she really wanted was the ear of President Truman.  What did Alice do to meet the President?

Writing Toward Justice is an inspiring story about how one woman's truth, power, and grit earned the respect of President Harry S. Truman.  I liked learning about another black hero in the civil rights movement. 

PGPowers

Ghost Army by Sarah Glenn Marsh and Becca Stadtlander - ADVISABLE

Ghost Army: The Troop of Artists Who Helped Win WWII by Sarah Glenn Marsh and Becca Stadtlander. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Viking (Penguin), JUNE 2026. $19. 9780593691717

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

During WWII a small group of artists and musicians played a critical role throughout the war - convincing the enemy that they were real troops of hundreds or thousands of men backed by tanks and artillery. In truth their tanks were rubber and the thousands of troops were rumors and sound recordings!

It wasn’t until 1996 when the efforts and successes of The Ghost army, a troop of artists and sound technicians during WWII, were finally recognized and acknowledged. My grades don’t cover WWII, but any school that does should have this on the shelf.  You could also show this to a theater teacher or art teacher. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Cranky versus the Cat (I can Read Level 2) by Phuc Trana and Pete Oswald - ADVISABLE

Cranky versus the Cat (I can Read Level 2) by Phuc Trana and Pete Oswald. EARLY READER. Harper, 2026. $6(pb), $16 (hc). 9780063469082

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Someone has left a big mess at the playground and Cranky and his friends need to clean it up before they can finish their important job. Turns out a stray cat has taken over the area and each step of the job the cat does something to aggravate Cranky - including eating his lunch.  But every bad cat also has a sweet side ready to be encouraged. 

While the reading level seems a bit above a 2, the story is still a fun one for adult and child to read together - especially if you have a cat.  Or dog people can talk about what a stray dog might do differently from a  cat.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Kiki and the Can written by John Leguizamo, Liz Casal, and John Crash Matos - ADVISABLE

Kiki and the Can written by John Leguizamo, illustrated by Liz Casal, featuring graffiti artist John Crash Matos. PICTURE BOOK. Scholastic Inc., 2026. $20. 9781338785692

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS, HS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL

Kiki felt bad that he didn’t have any contributions when his diverse group of friends were sharing about their cultural heroes, so he asked his family about their Latin heritage. Kiki then participates in the citywide mural project, honoring all sorts of Latin heroes with his graffiti portraits.

I picked it up initially because the art was eye-catching, but there is a whole lot more to the text. I felt like this was more informative than the casual reader might enjoy. Still, I think it’s important for Latino representation to have this picture book as a starting place. Kids can then do research on any one of the names mentioned in the book to see what Latin/Latino/Latinx peoples have contributed to art, science, food, & technology over the centuries. I do question why Kiki was allowed to leave his graffiti art everywhere, when not everyone recognizes it as a legitimate art form, but that may be just one of those things you have to suspend your disbelief in order to enjoy this story. 

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes