On Shelves Now: JULIAN, DREAM DOCTOR by Ann Cameron,

64 p.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Ages: 6 to 9

It's Dad's birthday, and Julian wants to get a special present. Something Dad has always dreamed about. But Dad's dream is pretty unusual, not to mention scary. Now that Julian has figured out what his dad wants, will he, Huey, and Gloria be brave enough to get it?

On Shelves Now: THE CRUISERS (The News Crew, Book 1) by Walter Dean Myers

144 p.
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Ages: 10 to 14

Zander and his crew are underdogs at DaVinci Academy, one of the best Gifted and Talented schools in Harlem. But even these kids who are known as losers can win by speaking up. When they start their own school newspaper, stuff happens. Big stuff. Loud stuff. Stuff nobody expects. Mr. Culpepper, the Assistant Principal and Chief Executioner, is ready to get rid of Zander, Kambui, LaShonda, and Bobbi--until they prove that their writing packs enough power to keep the peace and show what it means to stand up for a cause.

On Shelves Now: ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS by Scott Odell

192 p.
Publisher: Mc-Graw Hill Education
Ages: 9 to 12

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell tells the story of a young girl stranded for years on an island off the California coast. It is based on the true story of Juana Maria, who was left alone for 18 years on San Nicolas Island in the 19th century.

On Shelves Now: THE GIRL WHO BURIED HER DREAMS IN A CAN by Tererai Trent, illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist

40 p.
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Ages: 6 to 8

All Tererai ever wanted was an education. But in Zimbabwe, education for girls was hatigone—impossible. So Tererai taught herself to read and write with her brother’s schoolbooks and solved math problems while watching cattle graze. When Tererai became a wife and mother at a very young age, she wrote her goals on a scrap of paper and buried them in a can—an ancient ritual that reminded Tererai that she couldn’t give up on her dreams.

Today, Dr. Tererai Trent holds four advanced degrees and is the founder of Tererai Trent International, a charitable organization that creates educational opportunities for girls and women in sub-Saharan Africa. Tererai’s remarkable story and award-winning illustrator Jan Spivey Gilchrist’s graceful watercolors will inspire young readers everywhere.

On Shelves Now: TICKET TO INDIA by N. H. Senzai

256 p.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Ages: 8 to 12

A map, two train tickets, and a mission. These are things twelve-year-old Maya and her big sister Zara have when they set off on their own from Delhi to their grandmother’s childhood home of Aminpur, a small town in Northern India. Their goal is to find a chest of family treasures that their grandmother’s family left behind when they fled from India to Pakistan during the Great Partition. But soon the sisters become separated, and Maya is alone. Determined to find her grandmother’s lost chest, she continues her trip, on the way enlisting help from an orphan by named Jai.

Maya’s grand adventure through India is as thrilling as it is warm: a journey through her family’s history becomes a real coming-of-age quest.

On Shelves Now: THE RED PENCIL by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Shane W. Evans

192 p.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Ages: 9 and up

Life in Amira's peaceful Sudanese village is shattered when Janjaweed attackers arrive, unleashing unspeakable horrors. After losing nearly everything, Amira needs to find the strength to make the long journey on foot to safety at a refugee camp. She begins to lose hope, until the gift of a simple red pencil opens her mind -- and all kinds of possibilities.

On Shelves Now: BUD, NOT BUDDY by Christopher Paul Curtis

288 p.
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Ages: 8 to 12

It’s 1936, in Flint, Michigan, and when 10-year-old Bud decides to hit the road to find his father, nothing can stop him.

On Shelves Now: TERRELL & KEKE'S ADVENTURES THROUGH TIME by Kesha Rushing

134 p.
Publisher: KEA Publishing
Ages: 9 to 12

Eleven-year-old Terrell and his 8 year-old sister, Keke, are time-travelers. Only they don't know it yet. All they know is it's the end of school year, their parents are having financial troubles and they must leave their friends in Chicago to spend the summer with their grandparents in small-town Tennessee. An entire summer with a sassy, annoying little sister following his every step?! This may be Terrell's most boring summer ever. Or, will it?

The woods behind his grandparents' house are deep, dark and forbidden - the perfect place for an adventure. The pair discover a hidden cabin and a trunk full of books that will lead them on a whirlwind adventure through time. Their first stop? The Underground Railroad led by the famous abolitionist, Harriet Tubman.

On their journey they will travel as runaways and experience the danger, fear and courage that many slaves experienced on their journey to freedom. Terrell & Keke's Adventures Through Time is a spell-binding series that transports readers to world events from the past and future. Travel with this brother and sister as they learn more about history, and themselves, on their journeys around the globe.

On Shelves Now: DIWALI! (Amma, Tell Me About) by Bhakti Mathur, illustrated by Maulshree Somani

32 p.
Publisher: Anjana Publishing
Ages: 4 to 8

Brilliant firecrackers lighting up the night, Diyas twinkling like stars - what a sight! This is Diwali, in all its glory as told to little Klaka, by his Amma - a magical story. First the celebration of Prince Rama and his homecoming, his victory over Ravana, the evil demon King. Next a story of Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth who rewards her true devotees with fortune and good health.

On Shelves Now: PRESIDENT OF THE WHOLE SIXTH GRADE by Sherri Winston

320 p.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Ages 8 to 12

Brianna Justice is determined to raise enough money for the big class trip to Washington, D.C., but she's up against a lot: classmates who all pretend to be something they're not, a new nemesis determined to run her out of office, and the sinking feeling she's about to lose her two best friends. But just when she begins to lose hope, she comes to realize that sometimes surprises can turn out even better than the best-laid plans.

On Shelves Now: PRESIDENT OF THE WHOLE FIFTH GRADE by Sherri Winston

288 p.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Ages: 8 to 12

When Brianna Justice's hero, the famous celebrity chef Miss Delicious, speaks at her school and traces her own success back to being president of her fifth grade class, Brianna determines she must do the same. She just knows that becoming president of her class is the first step toward her own cupcake-baking empire!

But when new student Jasmine Moon announces she is also running for president, Brianna learns that she may have more competition than she expected. Will Brianna be able to stick to her plan of working with her friends to win the election fairly? Or will she jump at the opportunity to steal votes from Jasmine by revealing an embarrassing secret?

On Shelves Now: HER STORIES: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales by Virginia Hamilton

128 p.
Publisher: Blue Sky Press
Ages: 4 to 8

A collection of twenty-five African-American folktales focusing on strong female characters -- including "Little Girl and Bruh Rabby," "Catskinella," and "Annie Christmas."

On Shelves Now: FREDERICK'S JOURNEY: THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by London Ladd

48 p.
Publisher: Jump at the Sun
Ages: 6 to 8

Frederick Douglass was born a slave. He was taken from his mother as a baby, and separated from his grandparents when he was six. He suffered hunger and abuse, but miraculously, he learned how to read. Frederick read newspapers left in the street, and secretly collected spellings from neighborhood children. Words, he knew, would set him free.

When Frederick was twenty, he escaped to the North, where he spread his abolitionist beliefs through newspaper articles, autobiographies, and speeches. He believed that all people—regardless of color or gender—were entitled to equal rights. It is Douglass’s words, as well as his life, that still provide hope and inspiration across generations.

On Shelves Now: HOLLOWGIRL by Sean Williams

512 p.
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Ages: 13 and up

Clair’s world has been destroyed—again. The only remaining hope of saving her friends is for her and Q to enter the Yard, a digital world of Ant Wallace’s creation, where Lawmaker Kingdon reigns supreme. The rules there are the same as those of the real world: water is real; fire is real; death is real. It all looks exactly the same as the world she used to know. But in the Yard there are two Clair Hills, and their very existence causes cracks that steadily widen.

Getting inside is the easy part. Once there, she has to earn the trust of her friends, including the girl who started it all—her best friend, Libby. But they don’t know what’s happened to the real world, and the other Clair is headstrong, impulsive, suspicious—just like Clair herself used to be. And that makes her dangerous.

As Clair struggles to find Jesse and make peace with herself, a surprising new ally emerges from the ashes of the world. Together they fight their way through the digital and political minefield in the hope of saving the world once and for all. This time Clair has to get it right...or lose everything.

On Shelves Now: ANTHONY BURNS: The Defeat and Triumph of a Fugitive Slave by Virginia Hamilton

208 p.
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Ages: 8 to 12

The year is 1854, and Anthony Burns, a 20-year-old Virginia slave, has escaped to Boston. But according to the Fugitive Slave Act, a runaway can be captured in any free state, and Anthony is soon imprisoned. The antislavery forces in Massachusetts are outraged, but the federal government backs the Fugitive Slave Act, sparking riots in Boston and fueling the Abolitionist movement.

Written with all the novelistic skill that has won her every major award in children's literature, Virginia Hamilton's important work of nonfiction puts young readers into the mind of Burns himself.

On Shelves Now: THE BOOK ITCH: Freedom, Truth & Harlem's Greatest Bookstore by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

32 p.
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Ages: 7 to 10

As far as Lewis Michaux Jr. could tell, his father's shop--the National Memorial African Bookstore--was one of a kind. People from all over came to Harlem to visit, even famous people--Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, to name a few. In his father's bookstore people bought and read books, and they also learned from each other. People swapped and traded ideas and talked about how things could change. They came together here all because of his father's book itch. Read the story of how Lewis Michaux Sr. and his bookstore fostered new ideas and helped people stand up for what they believed in.

On Shelves Now: SEE NO COLOR by Shannon Gibney

192 p.
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Ages: 12 and up

Despite some teasing, being a biracial girl adopted by a white family didn't used to bother Alex much. She was a stellar baseball player, just like her father--her baseball coach and a former pro athlete. All Alex wanted was to play ball forever. But after she meets Reggie, the first black guy who's wanted to get to know her, and discovers some hidden letters from her biological father, Alex starts questioning who she really is. Does she truly fit in with her white family? What does it mean to be black? To find the answers, Alex needs to come to terms with her adoption, her race, and the dreams she thought would always guide her.