News & Posts

Bookmark: Share the Gift of Reading
Bookmark: Share the Gift of Reading

Greetings from the Library!

Here are some gift suggestions as we get close to the winter holidays. Some are Aidan student favorites from this fall, and all were very well reviewed in book journals. Hope you enjoy browsing and selecting!


Max Explains Everything: Grocery Store Expert by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Deborah Hocking

picture book ages 3-6 / published April 2018

Max gives the reader a tour and lots of fun tips while on a grocery store shopping trip with his mom, and though he doesn't get all the things he wants, the story ends with him and his mom back at home enjoying a little treat.

Gus's Garage written and illustrated by Leo Timmers

picture book ages 3-6 / published March 2017

This is an older book but it was not originally published in the U.S. and may not be well known. Gus has a garage of all sorts of odds and ends and he uses them to recreate his customers' vehicles into more (and hilariously) useful ones for their particular needs.

The Very Last Castle by Travis Jonker, illustrated by Mark Pett

picture book ages 3-8 / published October 2018

A story about a brave and kind girl and an old mysterious castle that sits in the middle of the town where she lives.

On the Other Side of the Garden by Jairo Buitrago, illustrated by Rafael Yockteng, translated by Elisa Amado

picture book ages 4-7 / published March 2018

Isabel goes on a night walk in her grandmother's countryside yard and meets some animals who help her feel more at home. The mostly blue and white drawings are warm and inviting.

Drawn Together by Minh Lê, illustrated by Dan Santat

picture book ages 4-8 / published June 2018

A boy and his grandfather can't communicate with words because they don't speak the same language, but they discover that they can "talk" by sharing each of their drawings. This is a beautifully illustrated book.

Auntie Luce's Talking Paintings by Francie Latour, illustrated by Ken Daley

picture book ages 4-8 / published October 2018

Auntie Luce paints images of colorful vibrant Haiti, including important historical figures, and her stories seem especially "alive" as she and her niece hold paintbrushes, seemingly painting the scenes they are in and talking about.

A Tiger called Tomás by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns

picture book ages 4-8 / published August 2018

Going out on Halloween (as a tiger) helps a very shy boy interact with others in this reinterpretation of a story published many years ago.

Chicken on Vacation by Adam Lehrhaupt, illustrated by Shahar Kober

early reader ages 4-8 / published June 2018

This is a wonderful story about using your imagination to enjoy your surroundings, which Chicken does with an enthusiasm and sense of play that is infectious!

Get On Your Bike by Joukje Akveld, illustrated by Philip Hopman, translated by Laura Watkinson

picture book ages 5-8 / published February 2018

Bobby has a little argument with his friend so he gets away on his bike, riding through town and countryside, including a ferry ride, and gradually his anger subsides and he comes to see what he might have contributed to the argument. This is an oversized book with nice busy and colorful illustration.

Meet Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqi

chapter book ages 5-9 / published August 2018

The first of a wonderful new chapter book series.

Big Nate Goes Bananas by Lincoln Peirce

graphic fiction ages 8-12 / published September 2018

A new volume of the popular Big Nate series, but this time in graphic fiction format.

Eleanor Roosevelt's in my Garage by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Mark Fearing

graphic/fantasy hybrid ages 9-11 / published September 2018

This is the second in a series that began with the popular Ben Franklin's in my Bathroom. Eleanor suddenly appears in a family's home in the 21st century, resulting in a silly and fun story that also includes interesting historical information.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

historical fiction ages 9-12 / published May 2018

A 10-year-old girl and her parents live in a motel that her parents are managing, and she ends up working at the reception desk! She encounters a number of challenging situations but meets them with amazing determination and ingenuity.

The Time Museum written and illustrated by Matthew Loux

graphic science fiction ages 10-13 / published February 2017

This is not a new book but it is a favorite of Upper Elementary students and volume 2 is coming out in spring 2019!