SJPL Staff Picks
Monthly Staff Picks
SJPL Picks: Voting and Elections
Election season is here. Find some fun books on voting and the history of the right to vote.
SJPL Picks: Indigenous Voices in YA Fiction
Amplify Indigenous voices through literature! These fiction titles are all written by Indigenous authors from North America and Australia.
SJPL Picks: Helpful Writing Resources for #NaNoWriMo Writers
Be inspired, find helpful tips, and receive guidance in these books and resources for the aspiring writer just in time for #NaNoWriMo
SJPL Picks: Picture Books for Native American Heritage Month
This collection of picture books from Indigenous authors and/or illustrators from North America are selected and curated by SJPL Librarians.
Personalized Staff Picks
Looking for your next good read? Fill out our 5forU form, and our experts will email you within 5-10 days with a list of five books, selected just for you!
Picture Books
SJPL Picks: Voting and Elections
Election season is here. Find some fun books on voting and the history of the right to vote.
SJPL Picks: Picture Books for Native American Heritage Month
This collection of picture books from Indigenous authors and/or illustrators from North America are selected and curated by SJPL Librarians.
SJPL Picks: Picture Books for Cat Lovers
From fluffy to hairless, housecats to strays, these feline picture books are sure to put you in the purr-fect mood for reading!
SJPL Picks: Picture Books for Dog Lovers
Big dogs, little dogs, noisy dogs, and quiet dogs. Dogs that can speak, and dogs that can sing! Read all about your favorite animal!
SJPL Picks: Scary Stories (~Grade 3-7)
Gather round, ghouls and boos, for here are tales for your kind. This list contains Horror chapter books for children grades 3-7.
SJPL Picks: Award Winning Graphic Novels (~Grades 3-7)
This list showcases the diverse, award-winning graphic novels for readers in approximately grades 3-7, selected by SJPL Librarians.
SJPL Picks: Realistic fiction (~Grades 3-7)
From humorous stories on aging to serious stories of real life tragedies, this list features realistic fiction for readers in grades 3-7.
SJPL Picks: Historical Fiction (~Grades 3-7)
While these novels are works of fiction, they draw heavily from what we do know about certain time periods to guess at some lost tales.
SJPL Picks: YA Activism & Social Justice Nonfiction
Looking to change the world? These YA nonfiction books and graphic novels will help you! Be the change you want to see in the world.
SJPL Picks: Romantic Comedies for Teens
Are you a fan of meet-cute, hating to dating, or fauxmances, with giggles and belly-laughs to boot? Then you'll adore these YA rom-coms.
SJPL Picks: YA Sports Fiction
Time out and huddle up! If you enjoy characters with their heads in the game while your nose is in their book, these reads won't call foul.
SJPL Picks: YA Sci-fi
Robots like humans, alien romances, apocalyptic events, Big Brother governments, intergalactic travel...what will the future hold?
SJPL Picks: Romantasy
Looking for fantasy with a heavy dose of spice? Selected and curated by SJPL Librarians.
SJPL Picks: Historical Fiction
What better way to spark a passion for history than through stories? Historical Fiction gives voices to those lost to the passage of time.
SJPL Picks: Athletes' Stories (Sports Nonfiction)
Sports history, life stories, memoirs, biographies, and autobiographies from or about notable athletes, selected by SJPL Librarians.
SJPL Picks: Memoir
Fascinating stories about fascinating people - told in their own words.
More Reading Recommendations
Want more ways to discover your next favorite read? Check out these recommendation tools.
Grade Level Lists
- SJPL Picks: Books for Toddlers
- SJPL Picks: Books for Preschoolers
- SJPL Picks: Nonfiction for Toddlers and Preschoolers, opens a new window
- SJPL Picks: Kindergarten
- SJPL Picks: First Grade
- SJPL Picks: Second Grade
- SJPL Picks: Third Grade
- SJPL Picks: Fourth Grade
- SJPL Picks: Fifth Grade
- SJPL Picks: Sixth Grade
- SJPL Picks: Seventh Grade
- SJPL Picks: Advanced Young Reader Selections
Graphic Novels
- SJPL Picks: Graphic Novels for Adults
- SJPL Picks: YA Multicultural Graphic Novels
- SJPL Picks: Multicultural Graphic Novels for Kids
- SJPL Picks: YA Graphic Novel Adaptations
- SJPL Picks: LGBTQIA+ YA Graphic Novels
- Find Yourself: Diverse Comics for Readers
- Find Yourself: Diverse Comics for Pre-Teens
- Find Yourself: Diverse Comics for Teens
- Find Yourself: Diverse Comics for Older Teens & Adults
- Exploring Gender Identity
- Magical Education in Graphic Novels
- Sweet Enough to Make You Swoon
- Moody Mysteries
- Epic Adventures!
- SJPL Picks: Manga for Teens
Español
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) Picture Books for Kids / Libros bilingües e ilustrados para niños
- Libros en español para niños: del kínder y primer grado
- Libros en español para niños: del segundo y tercer grados
- Libros en español para niños: del cuarto y quinto grados
- Libros en español para niños: del sexto y séptimo grados
- Libros ganadores del Premio Newbery traducidos al español
- Libros ganadores del Premio Caldecott traducidos al español
- Libros sobre la inclusión
- Libros ilustrados antirracistas para niños
- Libros antirracistas para personas de diferentes edades
- Literatura Española e Hispanoamericana
- Bilingual Books :Libros sobre la inmigración para niños . Immigration for kids
- Comidas sabrosas para los dias de fiesta
SJPL Recommends
- SJPL Recommends: Racial Equity & Social Justice
- SJPL Recommends: #BlackLivesMatter An Antiracist Reading List
- SJPL Recommends: Facing Racism Through Fiction
- SJPL Recommends: Antiracist Nonfiction for Grades 9-12
- SJPL Recommends: Antiracist Fiction for Grades 9-12
- SJPL Recommends: Antiracist Books for Grades 3-5
- SJPL Recommends: Antiracist Books for Grades 6-8
- SJPL Recommends: Antiracist Books for Grades K-2
- SJPL Recommends: Antiracist Books for Young Children
- SJPL Recommends: Resources for Helping Children in Grades 4-8 Process Community Violence or Personal Tragedy
- SJPL Recommends: Resources for Healing After Traumatic Events
- SJPL Recommends: Resources for Helping Children After Traumatic Events
- SJPL Recommends: Books and Resources for Gender Expansive Kids and their Parents
- SJPL Recommends: Stories to Help Teens Process Gun Violence in their Communities