Best Fiction for Younger Readers of 2021Like this list

28 items

• Baloney and Friends. 2, Going Up!

  Pizzoli, Greg,

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  The gang is back! Baloney and his friends are at it again, in a bunch of short, comic book-style stories that play out like a hilarious sketch show (Baloney even attempts to write their own theme song). The stories range from a sneeze gone…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite

  Spires, Ashley, 1978-

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  Insects have some amazing superpowers, right? They have super strength, or can spray venom. Then there’s Burt, who’s a ten-lined june beetle. He really wishes he had some awesome claim to fame, but he keeps drawing a blank. Don’t worry, in…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Doll in the Hall and Other Scary Stories

  Brallier, Max,

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  Where did that doll in the hallway come from? What’s going on in the pumpkin patch? Read the newest scary stories from Mister Shivers to find out….if you dare!

• Egg Marks the Spot

  Timberlake, Amy,

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  Meticulous and organized, Badger is busy as usual doing “Important Rock Work” when his lively housemate Skunk notices a missing specimen, taken years ago by Badger’s ne’er-do-well cousin. The memory of this betrayal is the catalyst for the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Fish and Sun

  Ruzzier, Sergio, 1966-

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  Sun is fun, bright, and warm. Fish can do tricks. But what will happen when it’s time for Sun to set? Beginning readers will enjoy getting to spend time this odd pair of friends from one day to the next.

• Fox at Night

  Tabor, Corey R.,

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  Fox is camping. It’s time for bed but creepy shadows and sounds are keeping him awake. The night is full of monsters! Or is it? Follow Fox as he investigates and make some cute nocturnal friends.

• Harry Versus the First 100 Days of School

  Jenkins, Emily, 1967-

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  Harry Bergen-Murphy is not excited to start first grade. He worries about strict teachers, rules, learning to read, mean kids and even scary classroom guinea pigs. As the days add up, Harry makes friends—and mistakes—along the way to the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• J.D. and the Family Business

  Dillard, J.,

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  In this sequel to J.D. and the Great Barber Battle, J.D. now has a paid job at the town barbershop, but he wants to do something bigger. Luckily his sister Vanessa has a great idea—they are going to start a YouTube channel! Can they get…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• J.D. and the Great Barber Battle

  Dillard, J.,

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  Eight-year-old J.D. uses clippers to fix a “jagged pile of mess” haircut his mom gave him. It turns out he’s a barbering genius! Now every boy in school wants him to do their hair too, but the local barber isn’t going down without a fight.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Let's Go Swimming!

  Feuti, Norman,

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  On a hot day, Hedgehog decides to stay cool by going swimming with his friend Harry. Hedgehog is excited to play “dive for treasure,” but Harry makes up excuse after excuse when he realizes he will have to put his face in the water. With…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Little Witch Hazel

  a Year in the Forest

  Wahl, Phoebe,

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  The four stories in this book span a year in the life of Little Witch Hazel. Lavishly written and illustrated, Hazel’s simple and gentle adventures are never dull, but don’t get too scary either. And throughout the book, the theme of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey

  Kelly, Erin Entrada,

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  Marisol Rainey’s summer is full of adventures, big and small. The biggest one of all? Finding the courage to climb Peppina, the towering magnolia tree in Marisol’s backyard.

• Mel Fell

  Tabor, Corey R.,

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  One day when Mama is out of the nest, Mel, a colorful little bird, decides it is time to fly. Her siblings are scared, as is she, but she is even more determined. Readers fall through the pages along with Mel due to the creative book…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Middle Kid

  Weinberg, Steven, 1984-

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  Being a middle kid can make it feel like you don’t have a thing that makes you special. You’re not the youngest or the oldest, the smallest or the biggest. This book gives us a glimpse into a typical day in the life of one middle child.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Nothing Fits a Dinosaur

  Fenske, Jonathan,

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  Momma asks for “no dino-drama“ after bath time but one little boy with a big imagination can’t help himself when he realizes no pajamas fit a dinosaur! He tries to problem solve using sleeping bags for pants and buckets for shoes until he…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Pawcasso

  Lai, Remy,

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  In this colorful and expressive graphic novel, lonely 11-year-old Jo sees a dog carrying a basket in its mouth and follows it, amazed as it goes shopping all on its own. When the dog stops into the bookstore and kids in a summer art class…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Rez Dogs

  Bruchac, Joseph, 1942-

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  Malian, a Penacook girl, was visiting her grandparents on the Penacook reservation when the COVID-19 lockdown began. Now she must stay until it is safe to return home. Separated from her parents, friends, and school, Malian is finding it…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Sato the Rabbit

  Ainoya, Yuki,

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  One day, Sato became a rabbit. In spare and playful prose, translated from the original Japanese, Sato explores his magical world—walnut shells might contain all kinds of treasures, and you might be able to open a puddle and discover a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• See the Dog

  Three Stories About a Cat

  LaRochelle, David,

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  Digging? Swimming? Protecting sheep from wolves? Chaos ensues when a cat is asked to do the things dogs do in this hilarious follow-up to, See the Cat, that’s just right for beginning readers.

• Sona Sharma, Very Best Big Sister

  Soundar, Chitra,

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  Sona Sharma has a large, loud, and loving family--that’s about to get even larger with the addition of a new baby. Everyone is excited for the new baby but Sona isn’t sure if she’s ready to share everyone and everything in her life. Will…Read moreRead more of this annotation