Hey hey… You know Parish from the Youth Services Department! He’s put together a list of some of his favorite books — picture books for little ones, fiction reads for kids and teens, and graphic novels!
- All of the books featured here are books that we have in our collection. To see if an item is available to check out or place on hold, click the cover image or button to the right of the description.
Parish's Picture Book Picks
by Ged Adamson
Meet Douglas, a dog with a big problem: he needs eyeglasses but doesn’t know it, and his bad eyesight tends to land him in some pretty hairy situations.
From Parish: This is one of my favorite picture books. It follows Douglas, a dog, who doesn’t know that he needs glasses! It takes his friend to convince him that he needs them when Douglas confused her for a fire hydrant. This story is full of laughs and beautiful illustration.
by Naseem Hrab
Ira and Malcolm are best friends: they always make each other laugh, always eat lunch together, and always play together. But one day, a disagreement about whether to play tag or hide-and-seek sees the suddenly über-popular Malcolm run off with a crowd of tag-loving kids―and Ira all alone.
From Parish: I LOVE THIS BOOK! It’s a great book for teaching kids that it’s normal to be in our feelings when we have a disagreement with our friends or family, but we shouldn’t let that bring us down. Expressing ourselves and sharing a good fart joke makes everything better!
by Oliver Jeffers
What is a boy to do when a lost penguin shows up at his door? Find out where it comes from, of course, and return it. But the journey to the South Pole is long and difficult in the boy’s rowboat. To pass the time, the boy tells the penguin stories. Finally, they arrive. Yet instead of being happy, both are sad. That’s when the boy realizes: The penguin hadn’t been lost, it had merely been lonely.
From Parish: Oliver Jeffers is one of my favorite picture book authors! The adventure that the boy embarks on to return the penguin is adorable, but also a challenging adventure. Once you read the book, check out the short movie which shares the same name.
Parish's Fiction Book Picks — Y and YA
by John August
When Arlo Finch moves to Pine Mountain, Colorado, he has no idea what’s in store for him in this tiny town full of mystery and magic. When he joins the Rangers, Pine Mountain’s version of the Boy Scouts, it leads him into adventures he never thought possible. Wilderness and magical pow ers collide throughout the beautiful, dense forest surrounding his new home, and as Arlo begins to learn the way of the Rangers, he also discovers courage, strength, and a destiny he never knew he possessed.
From Parish: This is a book I highly recommend. I love the fantasy genre, so I was instantly hooked on the Arlo Finch series. If you love Percy Jackson, you’ll love this! It is filled with magic, mystical creatures, and mystery.
by Michael Dante DiMartino
In twelve-year-old Giacomo’s Renaissance-inspired world, art is powerful, dangerous, and outlawed. Every artist possesses a Genius, a birdlike creature that is the living embodiment of an artist’s creative spirit. Those caught with one face severe punishment, so when Giacomo discovers he has a Genius, he knows he’s in big trouble.
by Adam Silvera
On September 5, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure — to live a lifetime in a single day.
From Parish: This is a must read if you, like me, are wondering if they really do die at the end! Honestly, this book is one of my favorites; it reminds us all that we don’t know how much of our lives are guaranteed — why not take chances!
Parish's Picks: Youth Graphic Novels
by Joe Todd-Stanton
Imagine a vault so cavernous that it could contain all the world’s greatest treasures and relics, from mummified remains of ancient monarchs to glistening swords brandished by legendary warriors. Who could be in charge of such a vault and how did he come into possession of such a unique collection? Who is Professor Brownstone?
From Parish: Joe Todd-Stanton is another one of my favorite authors! I love his storytelling, but also his beautiful illustrations. Arthur and the Golden Rope is the first book in its series that explores the life of Arthur and, the life of each Brownstone.
by Emily Tetri
Tiger has a monster living under her bed. Every night, Tiger and Monster play games until it’s time for lights out. Of course, Monster would never try to scare Tiger — that’s not what best friends do. But Monster needs to scare someone … it’s a monster, after all. So while Tiger sleeps, Monster scares all of her nightmares away. But waiting in the darkness is a nightmare so big and mean that Monster can’t fight it alone. Only teamwork and a lot of bravery can chase this nightmare away.
From Parish: This is a fast read, but an adorable graphic novel about a tiger and her monster friend who needs to fight the nightmare that’s scaring them both!
by Julie Kim
Searching for their missing grandmother, two Korean children follow tracks into a fantastic world filled with beings from folklore who speak in Korean. Includes translations and information about the folkloric characters.
From Parish: I like this book because at the end you can see the translations of the words that were said in Korean!
Parish's Picks: Young Adult Graphic Novels
by Ichigo Takano
Taiyou is a high-school musician with dreams of stardom, but when his bandmates quit in order to focus on school, it feels like Taiyou’s dreams are slipping away. In an act of desperation, Taiyou strong-arms his sullen classmate Hikari into forming a band with him. The two boys are total opposites, but together they might just be able to create something amazing.
From Parish: When I first read this book, I wanted something that wasn’t the normal fantasy that I normally read. After reading it, it became one of my favorite slice of life Graphic Novels with hint of drama. Now I’m not going to lie… I love drama!
by Kousuke Oono
He was the fiercest member of the yakuza, a man who left countless underworld legends in his wake. They called him ‘the Immortal Dragon’. But one day he walked away from it all to walk another path — the path of the househusband!
From Parish: I love this laugh-out-loud comedy! It follow the life of an ex-yakuza, mob member, who marries the love of his life and becomes a househusband! I definitely recommend its one of my favorites and full of laughs!
by Ryan Andrews
Ben and his friends are determined to find out where the paper lanterns of the annual Autumn Equinox Festival go, so they follow the river as far as they can until the only followers left are Ben and Nathaniel.
From Parish: MUST READ! This is one of my favorite graphic novels that I read last year! Beautiful visuals, great storytelling, and a talking bear! I highly recommend this book to anyone!
by Hideyuki Furuhashi
Koichi Haimawari couldn’t make the cut to be an official hero, so he uses his modest powers to do good deeds in his spare time. Teamed with two other unlikely and unofficial vigilantes, he’s about to find out that being a hero takes more than just courage…
From Parish: A spin off of the popular “My Hero Academia”. Full of action and tons of superheroes with awesome quirks! It’s one of my favorites to read when the main series is checked out!