Great 2023 Early-Grade Fiction | Calgary Public Library

Evergreen

by Cordell, Matthew

Book - 2023

This story of a young squirrel facing her fears to help others will inspire children to be brave themselves. With detailed illustrations and lots of text,...Show more This story of a young squirrel facing her fears to help others will inspire children to be brave themselves. With detailed illustrations and lots of text, it is perfect for children who are almost ready to transition from picture books to first readers. Ages 5 – 7. Show less

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How Dinosaurs Went Extinct

A Safety Guide

by Dyckman, Ame

Book - 2023

Dad jokes abound in this faced-paced, loosely rhyming, and riotous book, which reveals how various dinosaur species met their fate through activities such...Show more Dad jokes abound in this faced-paced, loosely rhyming, and riotous book, which reveals how various dinosaur species met their fate through activities such as running with scissors, playing with matches, and swallowing gum. The basic pronunciation guide is helpful, and the twist at the end is hilarious! Ages 4 – 8 Show less

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I Am Stuck

by Mills, Julia

Book - 2023

This story of a turtle who finds himself stuck on his back is perfect for children trying to navigate big feelings. After many different animals try, and ...Show more This story of a turtle who finds himself stuck on his back is perfect for children trying to navigate big feelings. After many different animals try, and fail, to help Turtle, someone special comes along who helps him by letting him help himself. Ages: 4 – 8 Show less

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Just Like Grandma

by Rogers, Kim

Book - 2023

Becca watches, learns, and joins in as Grandma beads moccasins, dances, paints, and wins the Fancy Shawl competition, supported by Grandpa’s nourishing me...Show more Becca watches, learns, and joins in as Grandma beads moccasins, dances, paints, and wins the Fancy Shawl competition, supported by Grandpa’s nourishing meals. “More than anything, Beca wants to be just like Grandma.” Kim Rogers’ (of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes) exuberant and lyrical celebration of family and culture is enhanced by the joyous illustrations by award winning Swampy Cree and Red River Metis author and illustrator Julie Flett. Ages 5 – 8 Show less

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Make Way for Butterfly

by Burach, Ross

Book - 2023

Butterfly tries hard to be just as sticky, stripy, fuzzy, and buzzy as that Very Important Pollinator, Bee. The advice to “just be a butterfly” is ignored...Show more Butterfly tries hard to be just as sticky, stripy, fuzzy, and buzzy as that Very Important Pollinator, Bee. The advice to “just be a butterfly” is ignored until a very important job needs to be done. With terrifically silly drawings and pollinator facts, it is part sneaky science lesson, part self-acceptance message, and will have everyone laughing and learning. Show less

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Nell Plants A Tree

by Wynter, Anne

Book - 2023

A whimsical book that chronicles the passage of time in nature and in family. Stunning illustrations and masterful verses emphasize the connection between the past and present. Ages: 4 – 8 A whimsical book that chronicles the passage of time in nature and in family. Stunning illustrations and masterful verses emphasize the connection between the past and present. Ages: 4 – 8 Show less

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Once Upon A Book

by Lin, Grace

Book - 2023

Alice is annoyed and bored because she is stuck inside on a cold winter's day with nothing to do. Then everything changes when she finds a magical book th...Show more Alice is annoyed and bored because she is stuck inside on a cold winter's day with nothing to do. Then everything changes when she finds a magical book that can take her anywhere she wants to go. With lyrical text with beautiful illustrations, this is a delightful celebration of the importance of reading in our lives. Ages 5 – 8 Show less

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Shizue's Path

by Sakamoto, Mark

Book - 2023

A grandmother recounts her life as a Canadian child of Japanese heritage when World War II broke out and her family is forced into an internment camp in t...Show more A grandmother recounts her life as a Canadian child of Japanese heritage when World War II broke out and her family is forced into an internment camp in the prairies. After the war, she dedicates herself to holding space for healing. A powerful ode to perseverance, the value of activism, and turning difficulties in to compassion for oneself and others. Ages 5 – 8 Show less

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Something, Someday

by Gorman, Amanda

Book - 2023

Written in a poetic form sure to engage young readers, this beautifully illustrated picture book delivers a powerful and hopeful message that a small change can make a big difference. Ages: 5 – 9 Written in a poetic form sure to engage young readers, this beautifully illustrated picture book delivers a powerful and hopeful message that a small change can make a big difference. Ages: 5 – 9 Show less

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Twenty Questions

by Barnett, Mac

Book - 2023

With minimal text accompanying each of the vibrant illustrations, (such as upset elephant, a cow on a windmill, and children dreaming of peaches) this boo...Show more With minimal text accompanying each of the vibrant illustrations, (such as upset elephant, a cow on a windmill, and children dreaming of peaches) this book is sure to provoke conversation, pique curiosity and inspire imagination. An infinitely re-readable book, that will create a different story every time. Ages 4 – 8 Show less

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Wintergarden

by Fox, Janet S.

Book - 2023

The delicate watercolor illustrations perfectly match the story of a mother and child who nurture an herb garden on their kitchen windowsill to pass the w...Show more The delicate watercolor illustrations perfectly match the story of a mother and child who nurture an herb garden on their kitchen windowsill to pass the winter. A metaphor for the care of both gardens and children, it includes instructions to make your own wintergarden. Ages 3 – 8 Show less

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When You Can Swim

by Wong, Jack

Book - 2023

An adult tells varied children of the wonders of swimming, floating, or diving down in natural bodies of water “to reach landscapes as foreign as the moon...Show more An adult tells varied children of the wonders of swimming, floating, or diving down in natural bodies of water “to reach landscapes as foreign as the moon / no spaceships required.” The language is rich and poetic, the imagery captures the magic of time in the water. Ages 4 – 8. Show less

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