Kelly DiPucchio

LeUyen Pham

“Who’s in charge here?” When Grace learns about the three branches of the United States government, she and the rest of the student council put the lesson into practice as they debate how to spend the money from a school fund-raiser. Should they buy new sports equipment? Books for the library? Instruments for the music room? The arguments continue as they travel to Washington, DC, for a field trip. Exploring government buildings and national monuments, Grace feels closer than ever to her dream of becoming president someday. But she and her classmates have a lot to learn about what it means to serve the needs of the people, especially when the people want such different things! In this follow-up to New York Times best seller Grace for President, Kelly DiPucchio not only introduces how our government makes decisions, but also shares what it takes to be a true public servant.

Grace Goes to Washington

David Roberts

 Andrea Beaty

activism

community helpers

female role models

The newest picture book from the creators of Iggy Peck, Architect; Rosie Revere, Engineer; and Ada Twist, Scientist stars Sofia Valdez, an activist and community leader who stands up for what she believes in! 

Every morning, Abuelo walks Sofia to school . . . until one day, when Abuelo hurts his ankle at a local landfill and he can no longer do so. Sofia misses her Abuelo and wonders what she can do about the dangerous Mount Trashmore. Then she gets an idea—the town can turn the slimy mess into a park! She brainstorms and plans and finally works up the courage to go to City Hall—only to be told by a clerk that she can’t build a park because she’s just a kid! Sofia is down but not out, and she sets out to prove what one kid can do.

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez

June Smalls

Yumi Shimokawara

She is the Queen. The matriarch.

She leads her daughters and their daughters.

Inspiring text and striking illustrations follow the empowering journey of an elephant matriarch as she leads her family through the wilds of Africa. With facts about African elephants on every spread and a message that will encourage young girls to be the trailblazers of their generation, She Leads offers an incredible story and an unforgettable tribute to the strength of a true leader.

Open your eyes, princess. One day you will lead.

She Leads: The Elephant Matriarch

Gary D. Schmidt

Daniel Minter

From celebrated author Gary D. Schmidt comes a picture book biography of a giant in the struggle for civil rights, perfectly pitched for readers today. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery but possessed a mind and a vision that knew no bounds. So Tall Within traces her life from her painful childhood through her remarkable emancipation to her incredible leadership in the movement for rights for both women and African Americans. Her story is told with lyricism and pathos by Gary D. Schmidt, one of the most celebrated writers for children in the twenty-first century, and brought to life by award winning and fine artist Daniel Minter. This combination of talent is just right for introducing this legendary figure to a new generation of children.

So Tall Within

Gaku Nakafawa

Yoshimi Kusaba

“A poor person is not someone who has little, but one who needs infinitely more, and more, and more.” Thus spoke José Mujica, then the President of Uruguay, before the United Nations in 2012. Paraphrasing the wisdom of the great thinker Seneca, he asked the world to question the dogma of consumption that has driven us into environmental and economic crisis. Often referred to as the worlds “poorest” president, in part because of his practice of donating 90% of his $12,000 monthly salary to charity, José Mujica lived his words and proved that one need not have money to be rich. In The World’s Poorest President Speaks Out, José Mujica’s famous speech comes to life as he asks us to remember our neighbors, our children, and the Earth.

The World's Poorest President Speaks Out

Alice McLerran

Barbara Cooney

Marian called it Roxaboxen. (She always knew the name of everything.) There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill – nothing but sand and rocks, some old wooden boxes, cactus and greasewood and thorny ocotillo – but it was a special place: a sparkling world of jeweled homes, streets edged with the whitest stones, and two ice cream shops. Come with us there, where all you need to gallop fast and free is a long stick and a soaring imagination. In glowing desert hues, artist Barbara Cooney has caught the magic of Alice McLerran’s treasured land of Roxaboxen – a place that really was, and, once you’ve been there, always is.

Roxaboxen

Gareth P. Jones

Garry Parsons

First Mate Hugh has the whole crew and the pirate ship ready, but they can’t set sail until they find a captain! Come on this swashbuckling adventure as Hugh and his scurvy seadogs try to find the perfect pirate for the job. Rather than a peg leg or a hook, it turns out that what their captain needs is the brains to lead!

Endpages adorned with lively pirate songs make this book a seaworthy tale from beginning to end!

Are You the Pirate Captain?

Cheryl Sturm

Kyle Kershner

business

Is macroeconomics the dinner table talk in your house? Do you discuss stocks and bonds instead of the weather? Are you the boss at work? It’s only rational that your baby will be a leader too! But how to get their leadership started?

Introducing 100 First Words for Little CEOs, a dashingly sharp primer for kids learning their first words! Forget apple and dog. Little CEOs are ready for revenue, philanthropy, and innovation. With terms from every aspect of business, these little CEOs will be ready to manage their own company, even at the age of 2. (Or maybe just their families). Packed with fun illustrations and 100 words every boss baby should know, 100 First Words for Little CEOs is the perfect board book for executive families everywhere.

100 First Words for Little CEOs

Hena Khan

From the critically acclaimed author of Amina’s Voice comes the third book in an exciting chapter book series about a scrawny fourth-grader with big dreams of basketball stardom. Zayd has a plan. He’s ready to take the reins as team captain of the Gold Team. But when an injury leaves him on the sidelines, his plans get derailed. Can Zayd learn what it means to be a leader if he’s not the one calling the shots?

Bounce Back

JD Rinehart

“Toronia, a kingdom composed of three realms, is wracked with civil war. King Brutan rules with an iron fist. The kingdom’s only hope comes in the form of Brutan’s illegitimate triplets, prophesied to kill the king and rule together in peace. Separated at birth and scattered throughout the realms, the triplets face a desperate fight to secure their destiny”

Crown of Three

Family secrets combine with fantasy in this epic tale of battle, magic, strange creatures, power, and fate, in a sweeping new middle grade series that Publishers Weekly called “Game of Thrones on a mellow day.”

The Lost Realm

Erin Hunter

Laszlo Kubinyi

Julia Green

The first book in an epic new series about the Survivors dogs! From Erin Hunter, #1 nationally bestselling author of Warriors, Survivors is full of “wild and wonderful adventure” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) that will thrill fans of Spirit Animals and Wings of Fire.For the first time Storm can remember, she has a place in a Pack, and the world that was devastated by the Big Growl is finally at peace. But tensions are rising among the dogs of the Wild Pack–and the greatest danger they face may come from within.

A Pack Divided

Ray O’Ryan

Jason Kraft

“Picked to represent their planet Nebulon in the Interstellar Space Race, Zack and his friends navigate their specially designed car through an underwater maze, around planetary rings, and through the stars! But when trouble stirs within the team, Zack must take charge. Can he lead them to victory?”–

Ready, Set, Blast Off!

Sally Wern Comport

From the critically acclaimed author of Amina’s Voice comes the second book in an exciting new chapter book series about a scrawny fourth-grader with big dreams of basketball stardom. Now that Zayd has made the Gold Team, he’s hustling hard and loving every minute of the season. But when team starts to struggle, Zayd can’t help wondering if it has something to do with him. Even worse, his best friend Adam suddenly starts acting like he doesn’t care about basketball anymore, even though they are finally teammates. He stops playing basketball with Zayd at recess and starts hanging out with other kids. Then, Adam up and quits the Gold Team to play football instead. While his uncle’s wedding preparations turn life into a circus at home, Zayd is left on his own to figure things out. He has to decide how to still be friends with Adam and step up to fill the empty shoes he left on the court. Does Zayd have what it takes to be on point and lead his team back to victory?

On Point

Joanne LeBlanc-Haley

Sue Todd

Although he was a great solo flyer, Jake could not fly with the other swifts. Every time he tried, he bumped into one bird, knocked another into a spin, and soon destroyed the perfect formation.
“Oh, no!” Jake heard behind him. “Jake’s here! We’ll never get it right if he’s with us.” Jake felt his confidence slipping away.

Swift Wings

Alice B. McGinty

Thomas Gonzales

Mohandas Gandhi’s 24-day March to the Sea, from March 12 to April 5, 1930, was a pivotal moment in India’s quest to become an independent country no longer ruled by Great Britain. With over 70 marchers, Gandhi walked from his hometown near Ahmedabab to the sea coast by the village of Dandi. The march was a non-violent means to protest the taxes that Great Britain had imposed on salt – not the salt that the Indians could get from the sea, but the salt that Great Britain forced them to buy. Gandhi believed that peaceful protests were an effective way to challenge British law, and his peaceful but ultimately successful movement became known as Satyagraha.

Gandhi

Sara Cassidy

Thirteen-year old Liza hates her mother’s boyfriend. While researching the oil company he works for, she discovers a lawsuit against it for compensation long overdue to Guatemalan farmers. She starts a group at school called GRRR! (Girls for Renewable Resources, Really!) and launches an attack on Argenta Oil.

Slick

Mike Lupica

Cassie must learn that you can’t “fix” someone else after a girl with Aspergers joins her softball team in the fourth and final book of the Home Team series from New York Times bestselling author and sports-writing legend Mike Lupica.

 Cassie Bennett is great at being in charge. She always knows what to do to lead her teams to victory, keep her many groups of friends together, or fix any problem that comes her way. So when Sarah Milligan, an autistic girl with unreal softball skills, joins Cassie’s team, Cassie’s sure she can help her fit in with the team.

 But before long it’s obvious that being around so many people is really hard for Sarah, and the more Cassie tries to reach out and involve her, the more Sarah pushes her away, sometimes literally. It doesn’t help that Cassie’s teammates aren’t as interested in helping Sarah as they are in making sure they make it to the new softball All-Star Tournament that’ll be televised just like the Little League World Series.

 Soon no one besides Cassie seems to even want Sarah on the team anymore, and the harder Cassie tries to bring everyone together, the worse things seem to get. Cassie Bennett never backs down from a challenge, but can she realize that maybe the challenge isn’t fixing a problem in someone else, but in herself? Or will her stubbornness lead her to lose more than just softball games?

Team Players

Family secrets combine with fantasy in this epic tale of battle, magic, strange creatures, power, and fate, in this final novel in a sweeping middle grade series that Publishers Weekly called “Game of Thrones on a mellow day.”An ancient prophecy says that when three stars appear in the sky, triplets will take the throne and peace will come to the land. The stars have appeared, and the triplets are Gulph, Tarlan, and Elodie. But the prophecy appears to have failed.Tarlan saw Gulph fall from a burning tower during a final confrontation with their undead father. There’s no way Gulph could have survived…even with his special abilities.As for his sister, Elodie, Tarlan’s convinced that she’s a traitor who betrayed the rebellion and her family just so she could have the throne to herself.With nothing left to believe in, Tarlan’s prepared to abandon both the cause and his pack of wild animals, and head north.But appearances can be deceiving. And in a world of magic and deceit, mistaking lies for truth can be deadly.

A  Kingdom  Rises

Discover the origins of the warrior Clans in this thrilling prequel to Erin Hunter’s #1 nationally bestselling Warriors series–now beautifully repackaged with striking new cover art!The sixth book in the Dawn of the Clans series takes readers back to the earliest days of the Clans, when the cats first settled in the forest and began to forge the warrior code.After moons of strife, the forest cats have settled into five camps. But now the dangerous rogue Slash has kidnapped Clear Sky’s mate, Star Flower, and made demands for prey that the cats cannot afford to meet. Desperate to save Star Flower, Clear Sky must convince the other groups–led by Tall Shadow, Wind Runner, Thunder, and River Ripple–to join forces, or their new way of life may not survive.Also includes a sneak peek at the next Warriors series, A Vision of Shadows!

Path of Stars

Andrew Clements

Winterhope.  It didn’t sound like much, but it was a big idea. A very big idea.  It all started when Hart Evans zinged a rubber band that hit Mr. Meinert, the chorus director. Actually, it started before that, when Mr. Meinert learned he was out of a job because the town budget couldn’t afford music and art teachers. Mr. Meinert got so mad at Hart that he told the sixth graders he’d had it – they could produce the big holiday concert on their own. Or not. It was all up to them.  What happens when a teacher steps aside and lets the kids run the show? Not what Mr. Meinert would have predicted. And not what Hart Evans would have guessed, not at all.  Out of chaos, infighting, compromise, idealism, and finally, a fragile peace, the sixth grade choral concert was born. And they called it Winterhope.  But would it be the last holiday concert of them all?

The Last Holiday Concert

Alex Morgan

From star soccer player and Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan comes the New York Times bestselling first book in an empowering, fun-filled middle grade series about believing in yourself and working as a team. Twelve-year-old Devin loves to play soccer. If she hadn’t just left Connecticut to move across the country, she would have been named seventh-grade captain on her school soccer team. But now that Devin is starting seventh grade in Kentville, California, all bets are off. After all, some of the best players on the US national team come from California. She’s sure to have stiff competition. Or so she thinks. When Devin shows up for tryouts, she discovers that the Kentville Kangaroos–otherwise known as the Kicks–are an absolute mess. Their coach couldn’t care less whether the girls win or lose. And Devin is easily one of the most talented players. The good news is, Devin quickly makes friends with funny, outgoing Jessi; shy but sweet Zoe; and klutzy Emma. Can Devin and her newfound friends pull together and save the team from itself?

Saving the Team

Lyla Lee

Dung Ho

Fresh Off the Boat meets Junie B. Jones in the adorable chapter book series following Mindy Kim, a young Asian American Girl–in this fourth novel, Mindy runs for class president! It’s time to pick a class president, and Mindy really wants to win–and she’s basing her entire campaign on snacks and being kind, so how could she NOT be chosen? But there is one big thing that Mindy is not sure she can do–make a speech to her class about why she would be the best pick for president. Can Mindy face her fears and show the class–and herself–that she can be the best class president ever?

Mindy Kim, Class President

Stacy Davidowitz

It’s the end of the summer, which means one thing: Color War time! Color War is the event of the summer, a massive camp-wide competition. The camp is divided into two teams, Blue and White, with upper campers vying for the envied spot of lieutenant, a team leader position. Jenny assumes she’s got lieutenant in the bag, being a “popular girl” and all. And Play Dough sure hopes he does too—members of his family have been White team lieutenants for generations! But when assignments are announced, both are in for a surprise. Play Dough’s a lieutenant all right—for the enemy Blue team—and Jenny isn’t lieutenant at all. So who is? Jamie, Jenny’s sidekick. With the entire camp amping up for an all-out war, can Jenny and Play Dough overcome expectations and lead their teams to victory?

Breakout!

Jeff Anderson

Tad Carpenter

Zack Delacruz is unnoticed at his middle school–and that’s just the way he likes it. But a school assembly, a typhoon of spit, and an uncharacteristic moment of bravery are all it takes to change everything. Suddenly Zack is in charge of the class fundraiser. Worse, his partner is the school’s biggest bully! If they don’t sell all the chocolate bars, there will be no dance for the sixth grade. Zack never wanted to be a hero, but with his classmates’ hopes on the line, can he save the day?

Zack Delacruz

Zack Delacruz is unnoticed at his middle school—and that’s just the way he likes it. But a school assembly, a typhoon of spit, and an uncharacteristic moment of bravery are all it takes to change everything. Suddenly Zack is in charge of the class fundraiser. Worse, his partner is the school’s biggest bully! If they don’t sell all the chocolate bars, there will be no dance for the sixth grade. Zack never wanted to be a hero, but with his classmates’ hopes on the line, can he save the day?

Top 10 Leadership Books

Leadership