2020 Books for Missouri Students
Owl has a red balloon and Monkey has a sock with a red star. While Monkey is holding the balloon, he pops it. When Owl returns, Monkey offers other red things before confessing. Owl is sad but forgives him until he is holding the sock.
Hedgehog, Bunny and Squirrel, each in turn, find a love letter. It changes their day and attitude in a positive way until they each claim the letter. A little mouse, the author of the letter makes them see their friendship is the real prize.
Describes how Anna Mertz saved a baby rhino abandoned at a sanctuary and cared for it until it could live on its own.
The House Kittens Construction Company has to learn to accept the help of the Demo Doggos in order to complete their new bridge project. Warning: Contains puns. (Kitten Construction Company series)
Provides a look at Curiosity, the rover on Mars. Describes what it does and what information it looks for and provides. Includes additional information on Mars, other spacecraft and Curiosity as well as a bibliography.
Compares the life of Eliza Hamilton to a tree with strong roots and planting seeds for the future. She helped her husband, Alexander, raised her children, endured misfortune and helped others. Includes additional information.
Introduces fifty people associated with the arts, mathematics and science, some well known and others obscure. Contains additional information.
This poetic look at cats takes its title from the fact that cats seem to fill and take the shape of any container like a liquid. Contains additional information including the recipe for oobleck.
Ellie, a skin cell on a dog, provides a humorous introduction to cells. Contains additional information.
Gyo Fujikawa was a trailblazing illustrator of children’s books. She broke barriers when she showed babies of all races in her first book for children and continued to work for inclusion and equality her whole life. Includes a time line of her life.
Introduces nineteen Muslim girls that have contributed in many areas of the world including sports, science, fashion and activism. Includes a bibliography.
Potato is worried and soon Flamingo is too. A young girl guides them through past problems and to “enjoying now is WAY better than worrying about the future!”
Bilal and his dad cook one of their favorite foods and Bilal friends are going to join them for dinner. Daal takes a long time to cook and Bilal begins to worry that his friends will not like it. Include recipe for daal.
A lyrical love song to our National Parks and the animals who live there. Features 27 of the parks and encourages all to explore and call them home. Includes additional information.
William and his animal friends wake up after a long winter nap to prepare a celebration for spring. Some of the animals are more willing to help than others.
A family moves to a new house and discovers that the things they bring with them and memories will make it home again.
Describes how things in the world are able to show us many things if we just look and listen. For instance, cats show us how to be curious and soil shows us how to support others.
A verrry good egg has the misfortune being in a carton of not so good eggs and the stress is causing cracks. The good egg leaves the carton and eventually becomes whole again but lonely. He returns to the carton and is more forgiving to the other eggs and himself.
Shaking a tree in the hope of getting a yummy nut, Mouse is surprised by Fox, who forces her to escape up into the tree when he declares that she would be a tasty meal for him, before other animals arrive with similar ideas.
Poetic verse encourages children to be the best they can be and to use and share talents. Illustrations show a parade of children of different races and sizes as they explore what makes each one special as they achieve their dreams.
The Big Idea Gang must convince the principal and students of Clay Elementary to change their mascot from Arnold the Armadillo to Drake the Dragon. The third graders must use all their talents and the advice of their teacher “to bring the dragon”. (Big Idea Gang series)
The PTO has discovered extra money and there’s lots of ideas on how to spend it. New books for the library, playground equipment, rocket ship and a buddy bench are the top contenders. The gang needs to present their idea so the library and the bench win. (Big Idea Gang series)
Describes the events in the life of Wilma Mankiller that lead to her being the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. Provides an insight into her life as she worked to improve the lives of her people.
Starting at day 17, follow along as a family prepares for the birth of a child. See what happens inside the womb as well as outside the body. Contains additional information about babies. Not graphic.
Follow Rube Goldberg on his journey to becoming a famous cartoonist and inventor of impossible machines to challenge the imagination.
Bea, Einstein, and her classmates wage a campaign to save the old oak tree on their playground after the PTO parents insist it must be cut down. (Bea Garcia series)
Every day is the same–the bell rings, daddy gathers, wood, mama cooks, Ben and the other slaves go to the fields to work. Until one day, Ben doesn’t answer the bell. Did he make it to freedom? Who will be the next to not answer the bell?
Sheep loved dancing with her eyes closed and bumped into things like Sheep Dog. The new Sheep Sheep helps Sheep Dog watch out for sheep while Sheep Dog watches out for Sheep and a beautiful friendship begins.
Farm Otis and his family loved their chicken and even named them and labeled their eggs. The children read their books while the chickens pecked around them and then one day a message was scratched into the dirt. Then many mores messages followed, the chickens were opinionated!
Presents an introduction to astrophysicist, Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Describes how a visit to a planetarium changed his life forever and allowed his curiosity to soar. Includes glossary and bibliographies.
A bluebird describes her life from hatching to having her first hatching. An informative look at a bird’s life cycle told through journal entries. Includes glossary and additional information.
Describes how Puerto Rican, Pura Belpre’ became an librarian in New York. After finding no books with the stories she knew, she wrote her own. Includes an author’s note and additional information.
A polar bear follows the ice as she raises her young and forages for food. Often she spends days swimming until she reaches land until there is more ice.
Follow the journey of proper English lady on becoming an improper artist. Leonora Carrington joined the surrealist art movement and helped to shape the 20th century.
Kiwi invites the reader to help him reach a rope. He tries jumping, launching and blowing to no avail. Finally by bouncing and shaking he reaches the rope and turns off the light!
