Washington State Reading Lists

Abdul's Story

A 2022 New York Public Library Best Book for Kids! A little boy who loves storytelling but struggles with writing learns that it’s okay to make mis...

Growing an Artist

The Story of a Landscaper and His Son

Four starred reviews! A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of the Year From award-winning artist John Parra comes a “heartwarming family story that u...

Room for Everyone

A young boy on a crowded bus discovers that, after some wiggles and giggles, there’s room for everyone in this lighthearted rhyming picture book se...

Love, Z

From the creator of Not Quite Narwhal comes the story of a young robot trying to find the meaning of “love.”When a small robot named Z discovers a ...

Cyril and Pat

From author-illustrator Emily Gravett comes a warm and funny picture book about friendship and loving someone different from yourself.Cyril is a sq...

A Royal Ride

Catherine the Great's Great Invention

Join Catherine the Great on a fun-filled ride as she schemes to invent the roller coaster in this inventive, STEM-based nonfiction picture book!Emp...

Tiny Feet Between the Mountains

A young Korean girl comes up with a clever plan to help her village and a spirit tiger in this “gorgeous and moving debut” (Booklist, starred revie...

Skulls!

Debut picture book author Blair Thornburgh and award-winning illustrator Scott Campbell put their heads together to celebrate one of the most impor...

Fourteen Monkeys

A Rain Forest Rhyme

Travel to a tropical rainforest where fourteen species of monkeys live in harmony in this playful, fact-filled book from award-winning author Melis...

The Only Woman in the Photo

Frances Perkins & Her New Deal for America

Discover the incredible life of Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet and the mastermind behind Franklin D. Roosevelt...

What Do They Do with All That Poo?

Find out what happens to all of the poo at the zoo in this funny and factual picture book!There are so many different kinds of animals at the zoo, ...

A Complicated Love Story Set in Space

“A riveting ride through the stars.” —Kirkus Reviews Black Mirror meets What If It’s Us in this gripping, romantic, and wildly surprising novel abo...

Rock by Rock

The Fantastical Garden of Nek Chand

This luminous picture book tells the fascinating true story of artist Nek Chand and how his secret art project—hidden away in a jungle—became one o...

The Barking Ballad

A Bark-Along Meow-Along Book

With a woof and meow and a bow-wow-wow, kids can bark along to this lively, luminously illustrated interactive picture book about a dog and the cat...

Today Tonight Tomorrow

“A dizzying, intimate romance.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Funny, tender, and romantic.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) The Hating Game...

Whispering Pines

Stranger Things meets The X-Files in this eerie, heart-pounding middle grade adventure about a young boy and girl who must protect their small town...

A Field Guide to Getting Lost

“A cozy and enjoyable read.” —Kirkus Reviews “The likable cast and relatable premise will resonate with readers grappling with the uncertainty of c...

Girl, Unframed

A teen girl’s summer with her mother turns sinister in this gripping thriller about the insidious dangers of unwanted attention, from Printz Honor ...

Missed Meal Mayhem

A group of silly superheroes—a bean, a chip, a tomato, and a wedge of cheddar cheese—come to the rescue of a hungry kid stuck at school in this fir...

Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business

Fresh Off the Boat meets Junie B. Jones in this first novel in an adorable new chapter book series about Mindy Kim, a young Asian American girl who...

City Spies

A New York Times bestseller! A GMA3 Summer Reading Squad Selection! “Ingeniously plotted, and a grin-inducing delight.” —People “Will keep young re...

How We Became Wicked

When an insect-borne plague begins to envelop the world, three sixteen-year-olds struggle to survive amongst the healthy “trues” and the infected “...

Maybe He Just Likes You

A 2020 ALA Notable Children’s Book A Washington Post Best Children’s Book of 2019 Barbara Dee explores the subject of #MeToo for the middle grade a...

Code Name Badass

The True Story of Virginia Hall

“Bringing together rigorous research and a vibrant writing style” (School Library Journal), Code Name Verity meets Inglourious Basterds in this rio...

SLAY

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2019! “Gripping and timely.” —People “The YA debut we’re most excited for this year.” —Entertainment Weekly “A boo...