LOVE THAT MONSTER

Leo is terrified of the monster under his bed--and Under-The-Bed Fred really is under the bed. One night, when Leo can't hold it (you know what "it" is of course) in any longer and just has to go! He asks the monster to give him safe passage to the bathroom and when he's safely back in bed, seeing how easy it all was, he strikes up a friendly conversation with the monster, who now calls himself Fred.  

Desperate to bring something to class for show and tell, Leo decides to bring Fred to school. It all starts out well enough until his entire class runs out of the room terrified of Fred's many scary monster impressions. 

Pick up this fun beginning chapter book by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Colin Jack, to meet the not-so-scary Fred.   

For readers in 2nd- 3rd grades. 

IT'S A PARK DAY

Monsters frolic and play in this rhyming picture book about a sunny park day. An eager young blue monster and his dad are off to the playground, where they discover swings, rings, and spinny things. As with any typical toddler day there are ups and downs: triumphant climbs and brave slides, as well as scraped knees and reluctant departures. But daddy monster’s big soothing hugs (and promises to return another day) take the sting away.

Join the colorful array of young monsters from author illustrator Annie Bach’s Monster Party!, as they return to play, share, and snack together in Monster Park. A lovely, lively read for ages 0 to preschool.

HelloooOOOHHH! BUNNIES!!!

Tromping through the forest like a gleeful toddler, an endearing blue monster greets all the local sights: “Hello, tree. Hello, Clouds. Hello, Butterfly.” Suddenly, the monster chances upon a group of colorful “BUNNIES!!!” Understandably spooked, the bunnies speedily flee, leaving behind the despondent little monster, who soldiers on in hopes of catching the elusive “BUNNIES!! BUNNIES!! BUNNIES!!!”
Kevan Atteberry’s Bunnies!!! perfectly captures the emotional highs and lows of young children’s days, appealingly illustrating their unexpected fixations (and limited attention spans). It’s a lovely story to share with your own toddler friend.
For another simple story about toddlers’ emotional experiences, try Ed Vere’s Banana!
Ages 2+

MONSTERS BEWARE!

Winifred isn’t afraid of the monsters in her room but she wants them gone because they’re keeping her awake at night. She makes different attempts to get rid of them but none of them seem to work. She even reads a book about it but that doesn’t seem to do the trick, either. Sleepless nights affect her daily routine since she is tired all the time. Will poor Winifred finally find a solution to her monster problem and eventually get some rest?

Monster Trouble! by Lane Fredrickson and illustrations by Michael Robertson is a cute story about a girl trying to find different solutions for a problem. The rhyming text and colorful, bold illustrations make this a great read-aloud. This book is a good read for toddlers to first graders

REVENGE IS A DISH BEST SERVED COLD... WITH SPRINKLES!

Chomp of the Meat-Eating Vegetables, the fourth Notebook of Doom book by Troy Cummings, takes the series' trademark wacky monster-hunting shenanigans to new heights. At first it feels like a dream come true when the school cafeteria starts serving delicious desserts for lunch instead of gross healthy meals--after all, what could possibly be wrong with replacing re-re-re-fried beans with an ice cream sundae bar? But Alexander Bopp, and his friends Nikki and Rip, who together make up the S.S.M.P. (Super Secret Monster Patrol), are always on the hunt for new monsters lurking in the shadows of their town, and though they hate to admit it, the S.S.M.P. begins to find something fishy about the new chef and his aversion to cooking vegetables. But the mysteries don't end there: what is that weird onion-y smell, why is the school so freezing cold all the time, and what's the deal with the new school nurse, Nurse Brock? 

Though the cover itself hints at the reveal of some of these mysteries within, the fast-paced adventure will keep readers turning the pages to find out how our heroes can stop the titular villains from bringing their evil plans to fruition, while the zany humor will leave them in stitches. 

This installment in the series can work as a fun stand-alone read, but the exciting text, madcap humor, and dynamic illustrations make the whole series an especially good pick for reluctant readers in the 3rd and 4th grades. 

PULSE-POUNDING STORIES

Have you ever wished for a wishing machine?  Something to grant you your heart's desire?  Benny's friend Ray draws him a wish machine on a piece of paper and encourages him to start making wishes and they'll all come true.  Benny looks at Ray like he's bonkers and throws the drawing to the side.  That is, until Benny's wishes start coming true - sort of.  Like when he wishes for ear plugs at night and ends up with head phones.  Is Ray playing a trick on Benny or is there a bigger surprise in store?

Ghosts, Cryptids, Kidnappings, and more can be found in this thrilling collection of short stories called Thriller, edited by Jon Scieszka, the man who brought you The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and Time Warp Trio.  Don't let the series title "Guys Read" fool you, these stories are great for all kids, guy or gal, in grades 5 and up.

IT'S BEDTIME CUCUY! ¡A LA CAMA, CUCUY!

Cucuy is a little monster that doesn't like to go to bed. He does everything he can think of to avoid bedtime. All he just wants to do is jump around and play. Every night he kicks and screams, jiggles and wiggles, complains that he's hungry, he's thirsty, he need to go to the bathroom..... He refuses to give in but Mom also refuses to give up.... until finally Cucuy was overcome by sleep.

Bilingual picture book that touches on a subject familiar to all children and their parents. For readers K-2. Written by Claudia Galindo, illustratred by Jonathan Coombs.

SLEEP TO DREAM

Newbery Medalist Sid Fleischman has written a haunting tale called THE DREAM STEALER about a sneaky bandit coming to steal your dreams while you are trying to sleep. One night, Susanna is dreaming a happy dream about her long lost friend, only to have it rudely snatched away from her before she can find the friend! But Susana is not going to put up with that! You'll have to read the book to find out how she gets her dream back. For grades 3-6.

MONSTERS MONSTERS AND MORE MONSTERS

Get lost in this really cool book that will tell you all that you need and want to know about the many different monsters. The book is full of pictures and information which will be helpful to you when you are in need of recognizing or characterizing the many different monsters that you will encounter in you life:) Of course the book is shelved in the fiction section of the library and I promise you will get a big kick out of it. You will find out things such as their Latin name, habitat, diet, life cycle and many more. It will be like doing an animal report except this time it will be one thousand times better and more fun. A Field Guide to Monsters: Googly-Eyed Wart Floppers, Shadow-Casters, Toe Eaters, and Other Creatures by JOHAN OLANDER will be a monstrous hit for you.

For grades 4 and older.