Best New Books for Early Elementary Education

For as long as she could remember, Diva lived at 11 avenue Le Play in Paris, France.

For as long as he could remember, Flea also lived in Paris, France-but at no fixed address.

When Flea fl neurs past Diva’s courtyard one day, their lives are forever changed.

Together, Diva and Flea explore and share their very different worlds, as only true friends can do.

Step inside the pages of a little girl’s magical book as she discovers the profound and inspiring notion that we each bring something different to the same story.

Two-time Caldecott Honor artist Pamela Zagarenski debuts as an author in this tender picture book about the joy of reading.

In I Will Take a Nap! Gerald is tired and cranky.

Will Piggie be in his dreams?

Or will she keep Gerald from dreaming at all?

New York Times bestselling illustrator Peter H. Reynolds and author and certified yoga instructor Susan Verde team up again in this book about creativity and the power of self-expression.

I Am Yoga encourages children to explore the world of yoga and make room in their hearts for the world beyond it.

A kid-friendly guide to 16 yoga poses is included.

From the artist behind the comic phenomenon Hark! A Vagrant, The Princess and the Pony  is a laugh-out-loud story of brave warriors, big surprises, and falling in love with one unforgettable little pony.

Princess Pinecone knows exactly what she wants for her birthday this year.

A BIG horse. A STRONG horse. A horse fit for a WARRIOR PRINCESS!

But when the day arrives, she doesn’t quite get the horse of her dreams… 

Andy and Terry are once again inviting readers to come hang out with them in their astonishing 39-story treehouse (it used to be 13 stories, then 26 stories, but they keep expanding).

And this year they will have even more time to jump on the world’s highest trampoline, toast marshmallows in an active volcano, swim in the chocolate waterfall, pet baby dinosaurs, and go head-to-trunk with the Trunkinator, since Terry has created the greatest invention that he ― or anyone else ― has ever invented... a Once-upon-a-time machine that will write and illustrate their entire book for them!

Eva Wingdale gets in over her head when she offers to organize a spring festival at school.

Even with her best friend Lucy’s help, there is NO way she will get everything done in time.

Will Eva have to ask Sue (a.k.a. Meanie McMeanerson) for help? Or will the festival have to be cancelled?

This book is written as Eva’s diary — with Rebecca Elliott’s owl-dorable full-color illustrations throughout!

This series is part of Scholastic’s early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers.

With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina.

Nerdy Birdy likes reading, video games, and reading about video games, which immediately disqualifies him for membership in the cool crowd.

One thing is clear: being a nerdy birdy is a lonely lifestyle.

When he’s at his lowest point, Nerdy Birdy meets a flock just like him.

He has friends and discovers that there are far more nerdy birdies than cool birdies in the sky.

Welcome to Mad Scientist Academy! The first day of school is always exciting, and Dr. Cosmic’s new students can’t wait to get started.

After their teacher reveals that their school pet, Oscar, is a dinosaur, they quickly realize Dr. Cosmic has an unusual teaching style.

To find Oscar, the class has to follow the clues through the realistic dinosaur exhibit Dr. Cosmic designed and built over the summer.

But when a malfunction causes the robotic dinosaurs to come alive, this prehistoric exhibit feels a little too real!

Everyone’s favorite cat shares a collection of his favorite inspirational and feel-good quotes in Pete the Cat’s Groovy Guide to Life.

Pete’s glass-half-full outlook on life shines through as he adds his fun take on well-known classics attributed to luminaries from Albert Einstein to Confucius to Abraham Lincoln to Shakespeare and more!

Fans of Pete the Cat will delight in this amusing look at quotes that are accompanied by Pete’s witty responses and Pete illustrations by New York Times bestselling artist James Dean.

Nancy Clancy takes the field in New York Times bestselling team Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser’s sixth Nancy Clancy chapter book.

Normally Nancy doesn’t like dressing like everyone else. But wearing a soccer team uniform — well, that’s different.

Nancy adores being on the Green Goblins — she loves cheering for her teammates, sharing refreshments, and painting her fingernails bright green before every game. If only she wasn’t cursed with slow legs!

All Nancy wants is to be mediocre—or maybe even a little better than average. Will she reach her goal?

Here’s a brand-new chapter book with plenty of humor and sports action, written expressly for kids like Nancy who aren’t the star of their team.

Francine Poulet is the greatest animal control officer in Gizzford County.

She hails from a long line of animal control officers. She’s battled snakes, outwitted squirrels, and stared down a bear.

She is never scared – until, that is, she’s faced with a screaming raccoon that may or may not be a ghost.

Maybe Francine isn’t cut out to be an animal control officer after all!

But the raccoon is still on the loose, and the folks on Deckawoo Drive need Francine back.

Can she face her fears, round up the raccoon, and return to the ranks of animal control? 

Sophie does not want to do her homework, a research report on polar bears. Bor-ing.

They’re big. They eat things. They’re mean.

What else is there to say about them anyway? As it turns out, plenty.

And when a polar bear named Olafur swoops her away to the Arctic, she soon learns all about the playful bear’s habits and habitat — from glacier mice to the northern lights — and, despite her first reservations, she finds herself not just interested but excited about the Arctic.

When the two are swept out to sea on an iceberg, Sophie’s new knowledge and knack for creative thinking pay off in a big way: she calls a whale to their aid!

Inspired by her journey, she’s ready to return home and take another swing at her assignment, this time with gusto.

When Russell entered the race, he knew it was going to be a wild ride.

Especially the first race course! He’d been studying up on the Amazon’s animals and culture forever.

But nothing could prepare him or his teammates for what they’d find in the rain forest: raging rapids, poisonous venom, and sneaky competitors who’d do anything to win.

Can the red team work together to make it to the finish line in one piece?

Vivian French’s touching fairy tale is made all the more enchanting by the many subtle surprises included in Angela Barrett’s exquisite illustrations.

Once upon a time, a king and a queen promise to marry their daughter to the young man who can show them the most wonderful thing in the world.

Suitors arrive at the palace, one after the other, with elaborate gifts of jewels, inventions, and even mythical beasts, but nothing feels quite right to the overwhelmed majesties.

It is only when a shy young man, who isn’t a suitor at all, steps forward that the king and queen finally understand what the most wonderful thing in the world actually is. 

This warm, lively read-aloud story about teamwork and friendship has the timeless appeal of a much-loved quilt.

When Burdock the barn cat sneaks into the Baxters’ farmhouse kitchen to hide behind a warm stove, he overhears a sinister plot that endangers all the animals on the farm.

It’s up to him and his cacophonous cohorts to figure out how to bust out of the barn before it’s too late.

In this winning debut, readers will fall in love with the solitary cat, the self-effacing cow, the unstoppable pig, even a wayward she-owl — all brought to life with clever dialogue, poetic descriptions, and expressive black-and-white illustrations. 

The houses of all Three (not-so-) Little Pigs were broken into and ransacked, and the Pigs are squealing for justice.

Prince Tyrone, ruler of Fairylandia, drags in the obvious suspect: Wolfgang.

The lone wolf has big teeth, sharp claws, no alibi — and a single day to find the real culprit and clear his big bad name.

When Wolf (reluctantly) teams up with the fourth Little Pig to crack the case, the Big Bad Detective Agency — and an adventure way funnier than your average fairy tale — is off to a howling start!

At the edge of the forest a spider spins her web, while nearby, a hummingbird uses strands of spider silk to build her nest.

These are just two of the many animals who live side by side, sharing the resources they need to construct homes, traps, or places to store food.

From award-winning artist Shawn Sheehy comes an up-close look at the architectural masterpieces of the animal world, featuring an array of beautiful, lifelike pop-ups originally crafted with handmade paper.

Amelia Bedelia and her mother share a summer vacation home at the shore with her aunt Mary (her mother’s sister) and her cousin Jason, who has a wicked sense of adventure and a nose for trouble.

With a local girl named Pearl as guide, the cousins build sand castles, swim and body surf, and learn how to sail.

As much fun as their nautical adventures are, the lives of this trio get way more exciting when they stumble upon pirates!

Life on an island in Maine is always interesting. But when a new teacher starts at Piper’s school — and doesn’t appreciate the special, um, accessory that Piper has decided to wear — there may be trouble on the horizon.

Then Piper discovers the Fairy Tree in her front yard.

Is the Fairy Tree really magic? And can it fix Piper’s problems?