Blog - MrsReaderPants

Witness is a poetry anthology that focuses on police violence in US history. It's edited by Ari Tison and Ty Chapman. Recommended for Grades 8-12.

Witness | YA Spotlight

This is a curated list of 16 middle grade books about mental health.

16 Middle Grade Books About Mental Health

Shaun Tan's Hometown is a graphic novel featuring an alien-raised girl who must decide where she truly belongs. Recommended for Grades 3-9.

Hometown | Middle Grade Spotlight

Who Knows the Way to Mr. Grimly's Classroom? is a picture book recommended for PreS-Grade 4.

Who Knows the Way to Mr. Grimly’s Classroom? | Picture Book Spotlight

Evamar by Margarita Engle is a YA novel in verse set in Cuba. Recommended for Grades 7-12.

Evamar | YA Spotlight

Need books for Constitution Day? This is a list of 13 books for K-12 to read and display in the library for Constitution Day.

13 Books for Constitution Day

Autumn in Bosk Olivette by Rebecca Green is a cozy autumn picture book for PreS-Grade 3.

Autumn in Bosk Olivette | Picture Book Spotlight

Absent by Rex Ogle is a middle grade book about school absenteeism, told from the perspectives of three middle school boys. The mixed-media format is excellent for reluctant readers. Recommended for Grades 5-8.

Absent | Middle Grade Spotlight

The Heart Trials by J. Elle is a YA dystopian romantasy. Recommended for Grades 8-12.

The Heart Trials | YA Spotlight

That You Are Here Is No Small Thing by Traci N. Todd and Vashti Harrison is a bedtime story for PreS-Grade 4. It connects three young Black children with ancestral history in dreamlike sequences.

That You Are Here Is No Small Thing | Picture Book Spotlight

Mexikid Dreams by Pedro Martin is the stand-alone companion to Mexikid (2023). Recommended for Grades 5-8.

Mexikid: Dreams | Middle Grade Spotlight

Whenever You Are by Martine Leavitt is a speculative fiction novel about two teen boys who may have found a portal out of juvenile detention. Recommended for Grades 8+.

Whenever You Are | YA Spotlight

This post features 16 recommended Halloween picture books.

16 Halloween Picture Books to Read Aloud

Have You Ever Seen a Ghost is a picture book by Daniel Kwan and Julia Potts. It features a shy ghost who needs encouragement to attend a party. Recommended for PreS-Grade 3.

Have You Ever Seen a Ghost? | Picture Book Spotlight

In this Picture Book Spotlight, author Leslie Helakowski writes about a young reporter who investigates escaped gnus while learning to spot misinformation. Fake Gnus is recommended for Grades K-4.

Fake Gnus | Picture Book Spotlight

Reading the Bones: Homo Naledi and the Mysteries of Human Evolution is a middle grade narrative nonfiction book by Marc Aronson and John S. Mead. Scientists uncover ancient human relatives deep in a South African cave. Recommended for Grades 5-9.

Reading the Bones | Middle Grade Spotlight

No Place on Earth by Andrea Beatriz Arango is recommended for Grades 4-8. This realistic fiction novel is about Puerto Rican boy who navigates anxiety, friendship, and dreams in Yellowstone National Park.

No Place on Earth | Middle Grade Spotlight

Raise the Bar by Fernanda Frick H is a middle grade graphic novel about a tween female powerlifter chasing Olympic Gold. Recommended for Grades 3-8.

Raise the Bar | Middle Grade Spotlight

Survival Show is a YA dystopia by Juno Dawson. Recommended for Grades 8-12.

Survival Show | YA Spotlight

In this Picture Book Spotlight, author Lesa Cline-Ransome celebrates Mary Peake, a teacher who started a secret school for young Black students in the pre-Civil War American South. Recommended for PreS-Grade 4.

Freedom to Read | Picture Book Spotlight

Invisible by Eloy Moreno is a middle grade novel about bullying, being invisible, and abuse. It earned starred professional reviews from SLJ, BCCB, and Kirkus. Recommended for Grades 4-8.

Invisible by Eloy Moreno | Middle Grade Spotlight

Homesick by Audrey Verney and Liz Garton Scanlon is a 2026 picture book that celebrates the joy of leaving for a trip and returning home.

Homesick | Picture Book Spotlight

If the Moon is a picture book by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe. It's on my 2027 longlist of Caldecott contenders!

If the Moon | Picture Book Spotlight

Exposures by Lily Williams is a realistic fiction book for Grades 3-7. OCD, resilience, and building empathy are major themes.

Exposures | Middle Grade Spotlight