Eileen Spinelli

Paul Yalowitz

One wintry day, a postman delivers a mysterious package with a big pink bow to a lonely man named Mr. Hatch. “Somebody loves you,” the note says. “Somebody loves me!” Mr. Hatch sings as he dusts his living room. “Somebody loves me!” Mr. Hatch whistles as he does his errands in town. “But who,” Mr. Hatch wonders, “could that somebody be?” After some time, Mr. Hatch discovers just who his secret admirer is and, in doing so, enjoys the biggest surprise of his life!

Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch

Tricia Springstubb

multi-generational friendships

A sweet friendship spanning age and culture blooms in a shared backyard. Khalil lives in the upstairs apartment with his family, which is big and busy and noisy. Downstairs lives Mr. Hagerty, who is quiet. Khalil and Mr. Hagerty don’t appear to have a lot in common, but hot summer days have a way of bringing people together. As Khalil looks for buried treasure in the yard, Mr. Hagerty tends to his garden. Both help each other navigate language – whether it be learning new words or remembering those seemingly forgotten. Before long, an unlikely friendship is born, full of treasure, thoughtfulness, and chocolate cake. Through well-cultivated details and vibrant cut-paper collage, author Tricia Springstubb and illustrator Elaheh Taherian nurture a heart-tugging tribute to the love of good neighbors and to the strength of intergenerational and intercultural bonds.

Khalil and Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures

Natasha Yim

Grace Zong

In this Chinese American retelling of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” a careless Goldy Luck wreaks havoc on the home of a family of panda bears. She eats up the littlest panda’s rice porridge, breaks his rocking chair, and rumples all the blankets on his futon. When Goldy takes responsibility for her actions, she makes a new friend (and a whole plate of turnip cakes!) just in time for Chinese New Year.

Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas

Adriana Brad Schanen

Greg Swearingen

Quinny has a lot to say. Hopper gets to the point.

Quinny has one speed: very, very, extra-very fast. Hopper proceeds with caution.

Quinny has big ideas. Hopper has smart solutions.

Quinny and Hopper couldn’t be more different. They are an unstoppable team.

But when summer ends, things suddenly aren’t the same. Can Quinny and Hopper stick together in the face of stylish bullies, a killer chicken, and the brand-new Third Grade Rules-especially the one that says they aren’t allowed to be friends anymore?

Quinny & Hopper

Michael Slack

sharing

generosity and giving

building things

A construction bunny learns a creative lesson in sharing and friendship when he meets the biggest carrot of his life. LaRue was very handy. His toolbox had everything and industrious bunny could ever need. Everything, that is, except carrots. But then LaRue stumbles onto a special seed. With proper tending, this seed quickly grows into an ENORMOUS CARROT! What’s a bunny to do with so much carrot? In a stroke of construction genius (and generosity), LaRue has the answer. This clever story celebrates just what it means to be a friend. A Christy Ottaviano Book

Bunny Built

Dr. Seuss

A city of Whos on a speck of dust are threatened with destruction until the smallest Who of all helps convince Horton’s friends that Whos really exist. Reissue.

Horton Hears a Who!

Janet S. Wong

David Roberts

Once a month–every week in the summer–Steve the electrician dons special gear and, with the help of youngsters who live in his building, dives into a dumpster seeking useful objects that they can transform into imaginative new ones.

The Dumpster Diver

Michelle Edwards

G. Brian Karas

“[A] celebration of winter mitzvahs, or kind deeds. Karas’s adorable, radiant art adds to the heartwarming mood.” -The New York Times

Here’s a heartwarming winter picture book that’s sure to appeal to families who love knitting. 

Mrs. Goldman always knits hats for everyone in the neighborhood, and Sophia, who thinks knitting is too hard, helps by making the pom-poms. But now winter is here, and Mrs. Goldman herself doesn’t have a hat—she’s too busy making hats for everyone else! It’s up to Sophia to buckle down and knit a hat for Mrs. Goldman. But try as Sophia might, the hat turns out lumpy, the stitches aren’t even, and there are holes where there shouldn’t be holes. Sophia is devastated until she gets an idea that will make Mrs. Goldman’s hat the most wonderful of all. Readers both young and old will relate to Sophia’s frustrations, as well as her delight in making something special for someone she loves.

A knitting pattern is included in the back of the book.

A Hat for Mrs. Goldman

Eve Bunting

David Diaz

Eve Bunting’s heartfelt story and David Diaz’s dramatic illustrations create a compelling child’s-eye view of urban violence. A young boy and his mother are forced to flee their apartment during a night of rioting in Los Angeles. Fires and looting force neighbors—who have always avoided one another—to come together in the face of danger and concern for their missing pets. David Diaz was awarded the Caldecott Medal for his bold acrylic paint and photo-collage illustrations.

Smoky Night

Linda Ashman

Christian Robinson

Good attitudecanchase away the blues at any age!Now in aboard book format for more rainy day reading. “

Rain!

Kate DiCamillo

Chris Van Dusen

From the one and only Kate DiCamillo comes an irresistible new hero for early chapter book readers, brightly captured with comic nostalgic flair by Chris Van Dusen.

To Mr. and Mrs. Watson, Mercy is not just a pig – she’s a porcine wonder. And to the portly and good-natured Mercy, the Watsons are an excellent source of buttered toast, not to mention that buttery-toasty feeling she gets when she snuggles into bed with them. This is not, however, so good for the Watsons’ bed. BOOM! CRACK! As the bed and its occupants slowly sink through the floor, Mercy escapes in a flash – “to alert the fire department,” her owners assure themselves. But could Mercy possibly have another emergency in mind – like a sudden craving for their neighbors’ sugar cookies? Welcome to the wry and endearing world of Mercy Watson – an ebullient new character for early chapter-book readers in a series that’s destined to be a classic.

Mercy Watson to the Rescue

Marianne Dubuc

neighbors

There’s no neighborhood like a Marianne Dubuc neighborhood — this time in an apartment building!It’s a special day at 3 Maple Street. It’s Little Rabbit’s birthday! His mother makes him his favorite breakfast. His sister has drawn him a picture. And, best of all, he’s having a birthday party! His friends are invited, his father is decorating, and his mother is baking a cake. But that’s not the only thing going on at 3 Maple Street today. The Cat family is moving in upstairs . . . the Fox family is having a new baby . . . Mr. Owl is trying to sleep . . . there’s so much happening inside (and outside) this lively building, it’s hard to keep track!This multilayered picture book from international award-winning Marianne Dubuc allows readers to peer into the homes of all the charming animal families in the building on every spread. Though there is one main story, captured in the text, there are multitudes of other stories-within-the-story, told in visual narratives. Dubuc’s winsome one-of-a-kind illustrations include heaps of clever details for children to pore over, promising something new to discover with every look and encouraging visual literacy in readers and prereaders. There are terrific social studies connections here on the concepts of community, inclusiveness and belonging.

Your House, My House

Ariane Hofmann-Maniyar

friendship

saying sorry

Max and Xam are the very best of friends - until they fall out over who is more popular! Determined to prove the other wrong, their exploits bring new meaning to the phrase ‘making friends’. A hilarious and delightfully far-fetched story about the meaning and value of real friendship.

Max and Xam

Nancy Viau

Talitha Shipman

Snowflakes falling! What a treat! Friends gather outside to celebrate the first snowfall of the season with snowball fights, sledding, building igloos, drinking hot chocolate, and making the most of a windy, wintry day. With rhyming text and cheerful illustrations, this is a charming celebration of the winter season.

First Snow

Fran Manushkin

Tammy Lyon

When a snowstorm causes the power to go out, Katie and her parents think their Thanksgiving dinner with JoJo and Pedro is ruined, but by being a good neighbor, Katie manages to save the day. Simultaneous.

Katie Saves Thanksgiving

Amy Gibson

Steve Bjorkman

When a little girl ventures out into a spring rain with her dog, singing a simple, plain, pitter-patter rain song, her neighbors soon join her for some muddy-day fun.

Split! Splat!

Ted Kooser

Daniel Duncan

In a charming tale of an elderly man and his obliging young friend, former poet laureate Ted Kooser and newcomer Daniel Duncan invite us to look at the world with fresh eyes. Mr. Posey is feeling gloomy. Everything seems dull. Maybe he needs new glasses? Perhaps a trip to the Cheer Up Thrift Shop with his energetic young neighbor, Andy, will help. But when the duo try on the glasses in the shop’s barrel, they’re in for a big surprise. One pair with stars for frames shows only constellations in a night sky. Round frames reveal a world all aswirl, while a heart-shaped pair makes everything pink. And as soon as Mr. Posey puts on the cat-eye framed glasses, fierce dogs start chasing him. No, thank you! But when Andy makes a simple observation, Mr. Posey’s view opens to a whole new world – and finally everything is brighter, different, and exciting.

Mr. Posey's New Glasses

Kasya Denisevich

Neighbors is a contemplative picture book about the lives of our neighbors–who are all around us and ever-present, yet somehow surprisingly elusive.  They’re everywhere: next door, above, and even below. More often than not, they are a mystery, a presence suggested by low hums, footfalls, or perhaps a slammed door. This book explores the ways that we think about those we exist among, but who remain strangers until we make the brave–and affirming–decision to connect. - From debut author-illustrator Kasya Denisevich- An exploration of neighbors coexisting together in one very special apartment building- Dynamic black-and-white illustrations blur the line between imagination, dreams, and reality. As Neighbors illustrates so beautifully, that moment of connection is a portal to a world of possibility. This unique book uses both visual storytelling and compelling text to consider how we map the landscape of the vast world around us, starting with the person just on the other side of the apartment wall.  - Explores what it means to exist in a world of strangers, friends, and neighbors who are both alike and completely different from each other- Resonates year-round as a charming and unique gift for birthdays, holidays, and more- Perfect for children ages 3 to 5 years old- Makes a great pick for parents and grandparents, as well as librarians, teachers, and educators- Add it to the shelf with books like Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller, The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers by Stan and Jan Berenstain, and The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates.

Neighbors

Elana K. Arnold

Elizabet Vukovic

An ordinary day in an ordinary neighborhood turns out to be quite extraordinary in this moving story about the circle of life.

It’s an average day in the neighborhood—children play, roses are watered, and a crow watches over it all. But then two visitors arrive at two houses, one to help a family say hello to a new baby and one to help a family say goodbye to a beloved pet. This sensitive picture book takes a gentle look at life, death, the bonds of family, and the extraordinary moments that make ordinary days so special.

An Ordinary Day

Einat Tsarfati

Annette Appel

As a young girl climbs the seven stories to her own (very boring!) apartment, she imagines what’s behind each of the doors she passes. Does the door with all the locks belong to a family of thieves? Might the doorway with muddy footprints conceal a pet tiger? Each spread reveals—in lush detail—the wilds of the girl’s imagination, from a high-flying circus to an underwater world and everything in between. When the girl finally reaches her own apartment, she is greeted by her parents, who might have a secret even wilder than anything she could have imagined!

The Neighbors

Ryan T. Higgins

helping others

Bruce’s home is already a full house.
But when a big storm brings all his woodland neighbors knocking, he’ll have to open his door to a crowd of animals in need of shelter-whether he likes it or not.
Readers will love this next installment of the uproarious, award-winning Mother Bruce series.

Bruce's Big Storm

Ludwig Bemelmans

“In an old house in Paris
that was covered with vines
lived twelve little girls
in two straight lines
the smallest one was Madeline.” 

Nothing frightens Madeline—not tigers, not even mice. With its endearing, courageous heroine, cheerful humor, and wonderful, whimsical drawings of Paris, the Madeline stories are true classics that continue to charm readers even after 75 years. In this next adventure, Madeline has a new neighbor who she does not like so much. Can she and Pepito ever get along? 

When the Spanish ambassador moves in next door, Madeline and the rest of the twelve little girls discover that his son is not the best neighbor.

Madeline and the Bad Hat

Jory John

Benji Davies

Meet Bear. He’s exhausted. All he wants is to go to sleep. Meet Duck, Bear’s persistent next-door neighbor. All he wants is to hang out . . . with Bear. Jory John, author of Penguin Problems and The Bad Seed, and Benji Davies, creator of The Storm Whale, join together to create this standout hilarious picture book that will make bedtime memorable.

Goodnight Already!

Laurie Keller

Mr. Rabbit wonders if he will be able to get along with his new neighbors, who are otters, until he is reminded of the golden rule.

Do Unto Otters

Rebecca Grabill

Dasha Tolstikova

If you love stories of imagination, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Where the Wild Things Are, and Charlie and Lola—you’ll adore spending time with these two courageous siblings.

“Once upon a time, a brave little girl and her brother set out on a long, long journey,” Violet tells Peter. “A journey fraught with danger and peril.”

Riding their building’s elevator and traveling the hallways past apartment doors to bring soup to a sick neighbor, Violet and Peter encounter both real and imagined adventure—getting lost in the laundry room, running into a troll, and escaping scary noises in the nick of time, only to find that their poor sick neighbor looks . . . like a wolf!

Clever, thought-provoking, and with an unforgettable ending, Violet and the Woof is a book that explores the power of imaginative storytelling and will have kids asking: “What’s real?”

Violet and the Woof

Laurel Snyder

Samantha Cotterill

Perfect for fans of the Caldecott Honor Book The Gardener by Sarah Stewart and David Small, here’s a heartwarming spring picture book about gardening and friendship.

Every day, Honey tends her garden, thinning the lettuces, pulling up beets, and even singing to the kale. (Honey says if you listen carefully, you can hear the kale singing back!) Laurel, the little girl who lives next door, likes to help, weeding the rows, washing vegetables under the pump, and gathering speckled eggs from the chicken coop. But one day there is a FOR SALE sign in Honey’s front yard. Honey’s mother is sick, and she is moving away! What will happen to Honey’s garden? And what will Laurel do without her friend? Here is a touching story that beautifully illustrates how friendship—just like a garden—grows.

The Forever Garden

Chad Sell

imagination and play

Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier, Awkward,  and All’s Faire in Middle School, this graphic novel follows a neighborhood of kids who transform ordinary cardboard into fantastical homemade costumes as they explore conflicts with friends, family, and their own identity. “A breath of fresh air, this tender and dynamic collection is a must-have.” –Kirkus, Starred Welcome to a neighborhood of kids who transform ordinary boxes into colorful costumes, and their ordinary block into cardboard kingdom. This is the summer when sixteen kids encounter knights and rogues, robots and monsters–and their own inner demons–on one last quest before school starts again. In the Cardboard Kingdom, you can be anything you want to be–imagine that! The Cardboard Kingdom was created, organized, and drawn by Chad Sell with writing from ten other authors: Jay Fuller, David DeMeo, Katie Schenkel, Kris Moore, Molly Muldoon, Vid Alliger, Manuel Betancourt, Michael Cole, Cloud Jacobs, and Barbara Perez Marquez. The Cardboard Kingdom affirms the power of imagination and play during the most important years of adolescent identity-searching and emotional growth. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY KIRKUS REVIEWS  THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY  SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL * A TEXAS BLUEBONNET 2019-20 MASTER LIST SELECTION “There’s room for everyone inside The Cardboard Kingdom, where friendship and imagination reign supreme.” –Ingrid Law, New York Times bestselling author of Savvy “A timely and colorful graphic novel debut that, like its many offbeat but on-point characters, marches to the beat of its own cardboard drum.” –Tim Federle, award-winning author of Better Nate Than Ever

Cardboard Kingdom

Beth Ferry

Juana Martinez-Neal

family

the ocean

summer

From New York Times best-selling author Beth Ferry and Caldecott Honor winner Juana Martinez-Neal comes a sweet-and-salty friendship story perfect for pirate-lovers and fans of The Night Gardener.  

Captain Swashby loves the sea, his oldest friend. And he loves his life by the sea just as it is: salty and sandy and serene.  

One day, much to Swashby’s chagrin, a young girl and her granny commandeer the empty house next door. All Swashby wants is for his new neighbors to GO AWAY and take their ruckus with them.  

When Swashby begins to leave notes in the sand for his noisy neighbors, however, the beach interferes with the messages that are getting across. Could it be that the captain’s oldest friend, the sea, knows what Swashby needs even better than he knows himself?

Swashby and the Sea

James Howe

Laura Ellen Anderson

It’s not easy to become friends with someone who is nothing like you–but surprising things can happen when you give it a try. Despite the fact that they share a name, Big Bob and Little Bob are different. Big Bob likes trucks and throwing balls and being loud. Little Bob likes dolls and jingling bracelets and being quiet. No matter what they do, they do not do it the same. Could they possibly be friends despite these differences? With humor and tenderness, James Howe and Laura Ellen Anderson beautifully depict the struggles and rewards that come when friendships are forged between different kinds of people.

Big Bob, Little Bob

Randall de Seve

Pamela Zagarenski

Illustrated by two-time Caldecott-honor winning artist Pamela Zagarenski, this tender, witty friendship story of imagination gone wild, by New York Times bestselling author Randall de Sève, shows how assumptions often cause us to misjudge–and miss out. But with a little courage, new opportunities and new friendships can be made.  When Zola moves into the neighborhood, her new next-door neighbor is too shy to go over and introduce herself. Plus, Zola already has a friend to play with–an elephant!  What we imagine is not always true, as the little girl discovers. Luckily, she also discovers that being brave can lead to new friendships–and even richer imaginary worlds–in this heartwarming book about friendship, moving, and the power of imagination by New York Times best-selling author Randall de Sève and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Pamela Zagarenski.

Zola's Elephant

Annie Barrows

Sophie Blackall

The moment they saw each other, Bean and Ivy knew they wouldn’t be friends. But when Bean plays a joke on her sister, Nancy, and has to quickly hide and Ivy comes to the rescue, proving that sometimes the best of friends are people never meant to like each other. Vibrant characters and lots of humor make this a charming and addictive introduction to the Ivy and Bean Book Series. From beloved children’s book author Annie Barrows, The Ivy &amp;amp;amp; Bean collection has been delighting preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and kids of all ages for nearly two decades. Centered upon messages promoting friendship, empathy, and understanding, each book follows Ivy and Bean on their various adventures through adolescent life.

Ivy & Bean

Lynda Mullaly Hunt

family life

weather

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Fish in a Tree comes a compelling story about perspective and learning to love the family you have. Delsie loves tracking the weather–lately, though, it seems the squalls are in her own life. She’s always lived with her kindhearted Grammy, but now she’s looking at their life with new eyes and wishing she could have a “regular family.” Delsie observes other changes in the air, too–the most painful being a friend who’s outgrown her. Luckily, she has neighbors with strong shoulders to support her, and Ronan, a new friend who is caring and courageous but also troubled by the losses he’s endured. As Ronan and Delsie traipse around Cape Cod on their adventures, they both learn what it means to be angry versus sad, broken versus whole, and abandoned versus loved. And that, together, they can weather any storm.

Shouting at the Rain

“The chills come guaranteed.” –Stephen King The start of a spine-tingling new horror series perfect for fans of Stranger Things and Goosebumps.  Something strange is happening on Goodie Lane . . .  Thirteen-year-old Quinn Parker knows that there’s something off about her neighbors. She calls them “the Oldies” because they’ve lived on Goodie Lane for as long as anyone can remember, but they never seem to age. Are they vampires? Or aliens? Or getting secret experimental surgeries? Or is Quinn’s imagination just running wild again?  If her dad were still around, he’d believe her. When he was alive, they’d come up with all sorts of theories about the Oldies. Now, Quinn’s determined to keep the investigation going with the help of Mike, her neighbor and maybe-crush. They’ll have to search for clues and follow the mystery wherever it leads–even if it’s to the eerie pond at the end of the street that’s said to have its own sinister secrets. But the Oldies are on to them. And the closer Quinn and Mike get to uncovering the answers, the more they realize just how terrifying the truth may be.

Stitchers

What would you do if your neighbor was a dinosaur? Going extinct isn’t for everyone.  Sybil knows that there is something off about her next door neighbor, but she can’t seem to get anyone to believe her. Everyone is so busy going about their days in the busy streets of New York City that they don’t notice Bolivar. They don’t notice his odd height, his tiny arms, or his long tail. No one but Sybil sees that Bolivar is a dinosaur.  When an unlikely parking ticket pulls Bolivar into an adventure from City Hall to New York’s Natural History Museum, he must finally make a choice: continue to live unnoticed, or let the city see who he really is. School Library Journal says… “Bolivar the dinosaur speaks to the introvert in all of us. That part deep down inside that encourages us to hide away from the world, keep to ourselves, and avoid any and all connections for fear of getting hurt. Dinosaurs may not be around anymore but Bolivars abound. Even little Bolivars who will pick up this book and instantly connect with someone just like them. So for the Bolivars and the Manhattan-lovers, the graphic novel enthusiasts and the parents just looking for a good bedtime story, Bolivar the book is the place to go. Dino-mite stuff.”

Bolivar

Deborah Zemke

Sophie is also Bea Garcia’s best friend ever. They both love peanut butter cookies and hanging out in the crabapple tree in the backyard. They also like to snuggle together and dream of all sorts of adventures. Bea and Sophie also share a strong dislike for Bert, the monster next door. When Bea’s teacher makes her visit Bert for a school assignment, Bea brings Sophie along for extra security and comfort. But even monsters have pets, and Bert has a terrible one: Big Kitty. When Big Kitty attacks, Sophie jumps out a window and sprints away—far from Bea! Bea goes on a frantic search for her best friend but Sophie is nowhere to be found. Will Bea’s best friend ever come home again?

Tale of a Scaredy-Dog

Maureen Fergus

Carey Sookocheff

When Wonder Buddy and Super Earl learn that the Evil Doctor Stinker is planning to shut down the only hamburger factory in town, they know they have to find the supervillain’s secret lair — fast! Hopping into the Earl-mobile, they race into the yard next door where they come face-to-face with the new neighbors.

Buddy and Earl Meet the Neighbors

Cynthia Rylant

Arthur Howard

Mr. Putter’s neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry, decides that they should join a band, but finding the right one isn’t as easy as it sounds–for them or their pets.

Mr. Putter & Tabby Toot the Horn

Cori Doerrfeld

Someone new to celebrate! Welcome to Cubby Hill!

Meet Cooper Cub, a curious young bear who notices a new family moving to town. Cooper jumps on his scooter and sets off on a journey through town, assembling his best friends to welcome the newcomers. Along the way, they consider what the new family might be like and the changes they might bring to Cubby Hill. In The Welcome Wagon, Cori Doerrfeld brings the world of Cubby Hill to life with humor, charm, and a whole lot of warmth.

The Welcome Wagon

Syd Hoff

Readers first fell in love with Danny and his prehistoric pal in the I Can Read classic Danny and the Dinosaur, created by Syd Hoff in 1958. Now the popular pair are together again in a hilarious I Can Read adventure sure to win over a new generation of beginning readers.Betty is Danny’s new neighbor, and Danny has a big, big surprise for her: He wants her to meet his best buddy–the dinosaur! Will Betty like the dinosaur as much as Danny does? This is a Level One I Can Read book that is perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences.

Danny and the Dinosaur and the Girl Next Door

Margaret Mincks

Twelve-year-old Peter Gronkowski prides himself on being a professional businessman. Tired of the cliched lemonade stands that line his block, he decides to start a better business with the help of an intern. But his intern of choice, the quiet and writerly Rachel Chambers, turns out to be more than he bargained for. Rachel is innovative, resourceful, driven–and when she’s had enough of Peter’s overbearing management style, she decides to start a competing empire next door. As their rivalry and sabotage tactics become more outrageous–Slander! Espionage! Lemonade threats!–Peter and Rachel ultimately learn the hard way that “nothing gold can stay” and that friendship is more important than money. Alternating perspectives reveal what really motivates each character to win. And Peter’s memos and “business tips” as well as excerpts from Rachel’s melodramatic novel-in-progress generate fresh hilarity and tension at every page turn. Payback on Poplar Lane is a pitch-perfect comedy with heart, reminiscent of your favorite classic middle-grade series.

Payback on Poplar Lane

David Blaze

My name is Jonah Johnson, and I’m in the 6th grade - but please call me Joe. My whole world just got turned upside down. It’s my first day at a new school and I’ve already got to deal with the bully. If that wasn’t bad enough, there’s a talking fox that keeps getting me into trouble at my new house in the country. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true! To top it all off, I’ve got to help save my mom’s house!

My Fox Ate My Homework

Audrey Vernick

Left reeling after her thoughtless mistake causes a terrible accident, 12-year-old Army Morand channels her grief to help someone in need.

Army Morand feels like her life has been blown to bits when the worst thing imaginable happens–her beloved dog dies. It was an accident, but it was also Army’s fault. She can’t seem to stop hiding from everything and everybody including her best friend JennaLouise.

But then Army sees Madison, the little girl who moved in across the way, climbing a tree and walking down the street unsupervised. Her family is not neglectful, just overwhelmed. Army finds herself overcome with the need to help Madison’s family to make sure another worst thing doesn’t happen–which becomes even more challenging when a big storm threatens her town.

After the Worst Thing Happens is a bittersweet story about a girl surprised by the force of a growing need inside her to reach out and lend a hand while trying to escape the swirling sadness of her own sudden loss. In the end, it is about finding love and hope and friendship in very surprising places.

After the Worst Thing Happens

Janet Taylor Lisle

For nine-year-old Hillary Lenox, being friends with Sara-Kate Connolly is a complicated business. Sara-Kate’s clothes don’t match, her hair’s a mess, and she’s known to spit at people when they make her mad. But when Sara-Kate shows Hillary the tiny elf village in her overgrown backyard, Hillary decides she can’t be as awful as all that.Hillary is amazed by the delicate houses, the miniature well, even an intricate Ferris wheel made of bicycle wheels and popsicle sticks. But the more time she spends in Sara-Kate’s yard, the more questions she has. How come they never go inside Sara-Kate’s house? Why is Sara-Kate sometimes missing from school? And why hasn’t Hillary ever seen Sara-Kate’s mom? If Hillary can just look deep enough, she hopes, she will uncover the secrets of the elves—and of her new friend.

Afternoon  of  the  Elves

Eliza Wheeler

Not everything turns out to be as it first appears when Cody and her best friend, Spencer, navigate a neighborhood mystery and the start of a new school year. Cody’s best friend, Spencer, and his parents are moving in with his grandmother right around the corner, and Cody can’t wait. For one thing, Cody needs Spencer to help solve the mystery of the never-seen Mr. Meen, who lives on the other side of the porch with a skull-and-crossbones sign in the window and an extermination truck out front. How’s Cody to know that a yellow jacket would sting her, making her scream “Ow! Ow!” just as they start spying? Or that the ominous window sign would change overnight to “Welcome home,” only deepening the mystery? In this second adventure, Spencer’s new-school jitters, an unexpected bonding with a teacher over Mozart, and turf-claiming kids next door with a reason for acting out are all part of Cody’s experiences as summer shifts into a new year at school.

Cody and the Mysteries of the Universe

Michele Weber Hurwitz

One summer. One girl. One plan. Inspired by her late grandmother, Nina Ross sets out to do 65 anonymous good things for her family and neighbors, one for each day of summer vacation, to find out if doing good actually does any good. But things don’t turn out exactly as she envisioned.

The Summer I Saved the World...in 65 Days

Linda Davick

Mimi and her cat Marvin must adjust to life with an unexpected new neighbor in this hilarious, quirky, and heartwarming start to a brand-new illustrated chapter book series.
Meet Mimi! She’s a cat-loving, convertible-driving, bucket-cake-baking girl who loves living in the Periwinkle Tower with her best pals, Yoshi and Tonya. When the friends learn that someone new is moving into the building just before Thanksgiving, Mimi hopes it will be a girl just like her to share all of her hobbies and adventures. But the new neighbor is not what Mimi envisioned at all. And by Christmas, things have gone from iffy…to bad…to worse! Will life in the Periwinkle Tower ever be as fabulous as it was before?

It's Not Easy Being Mimi

J. H. Diehl

When Alice’s dad moves out, leaving her with her troubled mother, she does the only thing that feels right: she retreats to her family’s old Renaissance tent in the backyard, determined to live there until her dad comes home. In an attempt to keep at least one part of her summer from changing, Alice focuses on her quest to swim freestyle fast enough to get on her swim team’s record board. But summers contain multitudes, and soon Alice meets an odd new friend, Harriet, whose obsession with the school’s science fair is equal only to her conviction that Alice’s best stroke is backstroke, not freestyle. Most unexpected of all is an unusual babysitting charge, Piper, who is mute—until Alice hears her speak. A funny and honest middle-grade novel, this sharply observed depiction of family, friendship, and Alice’s determination to prove herself—as a babysitter, as a friend, as a daughter, as a person—rings loud and true.

Tiny Infinities

Hilary McKay

Tony Ross

When Binny finds some money left behind at an ATM—and then loses it—she unleashes an adventure full of “funny, poignant chaos” (The Wall Street Journal).Binny Cornwallis is not a thief. Or is she? In one greedy moment, she snatches some bills left behind at an ATM. After all it’s her mother’s birthday, and just think of what she could do with some cash in her never-quite-enough-money household. But of course she has to hide the money—she can’t explain it. And in her tiny house, every hiding place is in danger of discovery. After a few tries, Binny hides it so well she can’t find it again, even after she decides to give it back!Now, Binny must team up with her best enemy Gareth, who sets out to play detective and figure out who might have taken the money. Meanwhile the next-door neighbor is doing odd things like presenting Binny with a little doll that looks just like her—with her hand in her pocket, just as Binny’s was when she pocketed the cash. Is the witchy neighbor woman putting a spell on Binny?There’s plenty more going on, as Binny’s older sister Clem has a secret of her own, and her little brother James is having a kung fu clash with his best friend. Mayhem,love, and laughter run wild in this new hilarious Binny adventure.

Binny Bewitched

Barbara Park

Howard Jeeter has moved across the country and his only friend is an annoying six-year-old girl. Of course, when you’re really lonely, you’ll be friends with anyone—almost.

The Kid in the Red Jacket

Heather Smith

Rachel Wada

When the tsunami destroyed Makio’s village, Makio lost his father…and his voice. The entire village is silenced by grief, and the young child’s anger at the ocean grows. Then one day his neighbor, Mr. Hirota, begins a mysterious project—building a phone booth in his garden. At first Makio is puzzled; the phone isn’t connected to anything. It just sits there, unable to ring. But as more and more villagers are drawn to the phone booth, its purpose becomes clear to Makio: the disconnected phone is connecting people to their lost loved ones. Makio calls to the sea to return what it has taken from him and ultimately finds his voice and solace in a phone that carries words on the wind.

Inspired by the true story of the wind phone in Otsuchi, Japan, following the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

Top 10 Neighbors Books