2021 Featured Fall Books for Young Readers

Hungry for the Arts: Poems to Chomp On
by Kari-Lynn Winters
illustrated by Lori Sherritt Fleming & Peggy Collins
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
November 2021
Hardcover, $19.95

A collection of poems, highlighting concepts like pathways, dynamics, roles, and textures!  This third book in the Hungry for. . . (STEAM) series features dancing dinosaurs, jazzy cats, a dramatic ride, and a homemade robot that whizzes through chores.

Ages: 5–8
Themes: STEAM Education

Black Music Is
by Marcus Amaker
illustrated by Nathan Durfee
Free Verse Press
July 2021  
Hardcover, E-book & Audiobook, $21.99

Black Music Is is a poetic love letter to Black music through the ears of Bebop the cat. The book weaves poetry and pop-surrealist illustration, teaching readers about icons and modern-day musicians.

Ages: 8–12
Themes: Black History, Music, Poetry

Blue Daisy
by Helen Frost
illustrated by Rob Shepperson 
Holiday House
October 2021
Hardcover, $7.99


Sam and Katie find a stray dog and make a big mistake, but it's hard to make amends—how can you apologize to a dog? How they earn the dog's trust, help it find its place in their town and how it gets its name, makes for a heartwarming story told in two voices using prose and poetry.

Ages: 7–10

The Dirt Book: Poems About Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet
by David L. Harrison, illustrated by Kate Cosgrove
Holiday House
June 2021
Hardcover, $18.99

15 fun and fact-filled poems about soil—what makes it and who lives in it! This book unearths some of the glorious mysteries that lie beneath our feet!

Ages:  5–8
Themes: Ecology & Conservation, Science

Numbers Everywhere
by Linda Leopold Strauss, illustrated by Sara Infante 
Holiday House
June 2021 
Hardcover, $17.99


Look up! Look Down! Look here! Look there! Number shapes are everywhere! Rhymes invite children to look for numerals hidden in the pictures: A tall straight line Is number one./A rocket headed towards the sun!
A fun way to introduce math to preschoolers! This book focuses on numeral recognition as well as counting.

Ages: 3-6
Themes: Concepts, Counting, Math, Size & Shape

Kwame Nkrumah’s Midnight Speech for Independence
by Useni Eugene Perkins, illustrated by Laura Freeman
Just Us Books
September 2021
Hardcover, $17.99

On a humid March night in 1957, Kwame Nkrumah made history. After years of British rule, he declared his beloved Ghana, a free nation. Kwame Nkrumah’s Midnight Speech for Independence captures the magic of that historic night and life of one of Africa’s most celebrated leaders. 

Ages: 4–8 
Themes: History, Freedom, Leadership, Activism, Community 

Neverforgotten 
by Alejandra Algorta
translated by Aida Salazar 
Levine Querido
October 2021
Hardcover, $17.99

From Colombian debut author, Alejandra Algorta, a lyrical story of resilience set on the streets of Bogotá and translated by award-winning author Aida Salazar. Presented in English and Spanish.

Ages: 8–12
Themes: Memory, Coming-of-age, Multi-generational Stories, Figurative Language, Latinx Stories

Home is Not a Country
by Safia Elhillo
Make Me a World
March 2021
Hardcover, $17.99

A mesmerizing novel in verse about family, identity, and finding yourself in the most unexpected places—for fans of The Poet X, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, and Jason Reynolds.

Ages: 12–16

The Lost Language
by Claudia Mills 
Margaret Ferguson Books
October 2021
Hardcover, $16.99

The quest to save the words of a dying language, and to find the words to save what may be a dying friendship, lies at the heart of this exquisite verse novel.

Ages: 8–12
Themes: Friendship, Self Esteem, Social Themes

You are a Reader!/You Are a Writer!
by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Sija Hong
Margaret Ferguson Books
August 2021
Hardcover, $18.99

You are a Reader! / You are a Writer! is a book made to be read twice, once from the front and once from the back. Read one way, children will see all the joys that reading can bring—flip it over and they’ll be inspired by the imaginative possibilities of writing!

Ages: 6-8
Themes: Diversity & Inclusion, Self Discovery 

The Littlest Yak 
by Lu Fraser, illustrated by Kate Hindley
Peachtree Books 
October 2021
Hardcover, $16.99

A little yak yearns for BIG things in this rollicking, rhyming picture book that celebrates individuality, unique talents, and the importance of not growing up too fast.  

Ages: 4–8 
Themes: Animals