Words Matter 
2022 

Ages 2-6
What If Everybody Said That?
by Ellen Javernick

A child learns that there are consequences for saying thoughtless things, from making fun of someone with glasses to refusing to invite a new kid in the neighborhood to play.
What Are Your Words? A Book About Pronouns
by Katherine Locke

An accessible and heartwarming introduction to gender-diverse pronouns follows the experiences of a gender-fluid child who learns how their neighbors identify themselves during a community party where everyone is included.
What Are Words, Really?
by Alexi Lubomirski

Perfectly pitched to the youngest child, Alexi Lubomirski’s whimsical text is a gentle reminder that words have power—the power to hurt or to heal, to make someone feel small or feel tall.
The Kindness Book
by Todd Parr

The beloved New York Times best-selling author uses his signature blend of playfulness and sensitivity to explore the value and joy in being kind to others. 
What James Said
by Liz Rosenberg

A little girl ignores her best friend James after hearing rumors that he has been talking about her behind her back, but soon she realizes that she misses his friendship, in a funny, heartfelt story about misunderstandings and the importance of true friendship.
Ages 7-10
Stacey's Extraordinary Words
by Stacey Abrams

When she is chosen to compete in the local spelling bee, Stacey learns that, win or lose, her words are powerful, and sometimes perseverance is the most important word of all, in this debut picture book from the iconic voting rights advocate.
Art with Heart
by Rachele Alpine

Complemented by profiles of real-life anti-bullying activists, a sequel to Home Sweet Forever Home finds Emelyn and her best friends using the power of positivity to fight back against an unknown bully who is leaving unkind messages all over their school.
Finding Langston
by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Discovering a book of Langston Hughes' poetry in the library helps Langston cope with the loss of his mother, relocating from Alabama to Chicago as part of the Great Migration, and being bullied
Tyaja Uses the THINK Test: A Story About the Power of Words
by Linda Ryden

Mrs. Snowden tells the kids that if what you’re about to say isn’t T = True, H = Helpful, N = Necessary, and K = Kind, then they shouldn't say it. Later that day, Tyaja gets a chance to practice, and learns that she is the "I" in THiNK!
Sister Corita's Words and Shapes
by Jeanette Winter

A picture book biography of the woman known by some as the Pop Art Nun: Sister Corita Kent, who gained acclaim for her bold, graphic pop art that calls for peace, equality, and justice.
Ages 11-14
Caprice
by Coe Booth

Offered a place at the school of her dreams, Caprice, plagued by internal doubt and family drama, is pulled back towards the past and to an abuse she's never told anyone about.
Raise Your Voice: 12 Protests that Shaped America
by Jeffrey Kluger

The best-selling author of Apollo 13 shares the stories of 12 protests and marches that shaped history, detailing the activists, movements and events that enabled change on behalf of civil rights, climate change, gun control and more.
Unfriended
by Rachel Vail

Invited to sit at the popular table with a group of new friends she has dreamed of joining, Truly is caught in a web of lies, misunderstandings, agendas, accusations and worse, in a story told from the perspectives of six narrators.
The Newspaper Club
by Beth Vrabel

Named after the legendary Nellie Bly and raised by reporter parents, an aspiring journalist navigates rumors and false news to investigate a mysterious outbreak of vandalism before teaming up with new friends to organize an independent community newspaper.
Worser
by Jennifer Ziegler

William Wyatt Orser's life is turned upside down after his mother has a stroke, but the socially awkward, word-loving twelve-year-old finds glimmers of hope when he discovers friends who share his love of wordplay and books.
Ages 15+
Don't Read the Comments
by Eric Smith

Two teen gamers find their virtual worlds—and blossoming romance—invaded by the real-world issues of trolling and doxing in the gaming community.
Running
by Natalia Sylvester

Seeing her father with new eyes when he launches a presidential campaign, a sheltered Cuban-American teen is exposed to unwanted media attention, scandals and devastating truths before finding the courage to speak out.
Chlorine Sky
by Mahogany L. Browne

Sky is used to standing in the shadow of her best friend. Lay Li is the sun everyone orbits around. But since high school started, Lay Li has begun attracting the attention of boys, and Sky is left out in the cold. The only place Sky can find her footing is on the basketball court. With each dribble of the ball, Sky begins to find her own rhythm. Lay Li may always be the sun, but that doesn’t mean Sky can’t shine on her own.
Don't Ask Me Where I'm From
by Jennifer De Leon

Reinventing herself at a privileged white suburban high school to get by in the face of escalating racial tensions, a first-generation American-LatinX teen is forced to take a stand when she discovers that her absent father cannot legally return home.
This Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous World
by Yancey Strickler

Challenging popular assumptions that today’s adversarial world is natural and inevitable, the co-founder of Kickstarter and regular guest speaker outlines a blueprint for a society that looks beyond money to maximize the values that make life worth living.
Parents
The Orchid and the Dandelion: Why Some Children Struggle and How All Can Thrive
by W. Thomas Boyce

A leading researcher and pioneer of pediatric health shares strategic recommendations for teachers, developmental helpers and caregivers on how to work in more nurturing, environmentally supportive and customized ways for children with developmental challenges ranging from anxiety to ADHD.
21st Century Parenting: A Guide to Raising Emotionally Resilient Children in an Unstable World
by Rick Capaldi

A family therapist offers modern parents a school-tested method to help their children develop emotional stability and attain success by his version of “the 3 Rs”: reading their child’s environment, regulating their emotional temperature and redirecting their behavior. 
The Power of Showing Up: How Parental Presence Shapes Who Our Kids Become and How Their Brains Get Wired
by Daniel J. Siegel

The best-selling authors of The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline draw on the latest understandings in attachment research to explain the importance of a parent’s involved presence in helping children feel safe, secure and loved. Illustrations.
Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen : The Essential Conversations You Need to Have With Your Kids Before They Start High School
by Michelle Icard

The fourteen essential conversations to have with your tween and early teenager to prepare them for the emotional, physical, and social challenges ahead, including scripts and advice to keep the communication going and stay connected during this critical developmental window.
Ready or Not: Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Uncertain and Rapidly Changing World
by Madeline Levine

The best-selling author of The Price of Privilege explores how today’s parenting and educational systems are failing to prepare children for adult responsibilities, sharing insight on how to raise kids without high pressure and anxiety. 100,000 first printing.
Raising Good Humans: A Mindful Guide to Breaking the Cycle of Reactive Parenting and Raising Kind, Confident Kids
by Hunter Clarke-Fields

A kinder, more compassionate world starts with kind and compassionate kids. In Raising Good Humans, you'll find powerful and practical strategies to break free from "reactive parenting" habits and raise kind, cooperative, and confident kids.