Last month, we took a look at some of the young adult fantasy in our collection at the Butler Center, so this week we’re turning our eye to their middle grade counterparts. From dragon mentors to magical quests, these books take young readers away to worlds full of magic, heroism, and fearsome trials. Our feature pick is Forbidden Mountain by Bardon Mull, the first book of the Guardians series. In Anora, bonding with a guardian is a sacred spiritual practice — a guardian can bring greatness or ruin, depending on who an Anoran bonds with. For Mako and Arden, the meaning of guardianship is tested when they undertake their own journeys and discover secrets running deeper than they could’ve imagined.

Check out more middle grade fantasy below!

Forbidden Mountain
Brandon Mull
Random House Children’s Books/Labyrinth Road
Available now!

Clementine H. Hopeful is Not a Hero
Noah Corey
Random House Children’s Books/Labyrinth Road
Available now!

The Dragon’s Apprentice: Revenant’s Return
James Riley
Random House Children’s Books/Labyrinth Road
Available now!

Ice Apprentices: The Frozen Curse
Jacob North
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available now!

A Kingdom of Shadows
Emily Bain Murphy
Penguin Random House Christian Publishing Group/WaterBrook
Available now!

For this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we’re looking at picture books about feelings. These stories in our collection tackle the realities of emotions, and give young readers a blueprint for how to deal with their own feelings. Our feature pick is The Boy and the Flame by Beatrice Blue. Lucien loves staying in his room, where nothing ever changes. But when he meets a glowing ember that grows into a flame, it travels with him through the seasons, and shows him that change is a natural part of life, and is something to be celebrated, not feared.

Check out more picture books about feelings and emotions below!

The Boy and the Flame
Beatrice Blue
The Quarto Group/Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Available now!

Bear Worries
Natalia Shaloshvili
The Quarto Group/Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Available now!

Because of a Shoe
Julie Fogliano
Illustrated by Marla Frazee
Random House Children’s Books/Alfred A. Knopf
Available now!

Men Cry
Joan Turu
Charlesbridge
Available now!

The Cloud that Stuck
Karen Krossing
Illustrated by Dorothy Leung
Charlesbridge
Available now!

Our nonfiction collection in the Butler Center runs the gamut from biographies to cookbooks, but one thing we can never get enough of us encyclopedias and fact books! This week for our Butler Bookshelf we’re travelling from under the sea, all over planet Earth, and then to outer space in this collection of collections of facts. Our feature pick is America is Wild!: A State-By-State Encyclopedia of American Wildlife by Brad Timm, illustrated by Jill De Haan and Margaux Samson-Abadie. This encyclopedia offers a glimpse into the variety of animals and plants that can be found in all 50 states, with full-color illustrations of each entry.

Check out more encyclopedias and fact books below!

America is Wild!: A State-By-State Encyclopedia of American Wildlife
Brad Timm
Illustrated by Jill De Haan and Margaux Samson-Abadie
The Quarto Group/Wide Eyed Editions
Available now!

America Celebrates: The Most Incredible and Influential People, Places & Events of the Last 250 Years
Aubre Andrus
The Quarto Group/becker&mayer! kids
Available now!

Sportopedia: An Illustrated Introduction to The World of Sport
Adam Skinner
Illustrated by Mark Long
The Quarto Group/Wide Eyed Editions
Available now!

Unfathomable: 20 Wild (But True) Stories About the Ocean
Mary Boone
Illustrated by Max Temescu
Random House Children’s Books/Bright Matter Books
Available now!

Why Space Will Freak You Out: The Scariest, Strangest Parts of the Universe
Dr. Kimberly K. Arcand and Megan Watzke
Illustrated by Robert Ball
With Images Taken by NASA
Sourcebooks Kids/Sourcebooks eXplore
Available now!

Picture books are some of our favorites here at the Butler Center. Through their unique blend of words and images, the picture books in our collection tell all kinds of insightful, impactful, and sometimes downright hilarious stories. This week, we’re looking at some of the picture books that we’ve added to our collection recently, with our feature pick being Bing’s Cherries by Livia Blackburne and illustrated by Julia Kuo. Ah Bing was a Chinese immigrant who bred Bing cherries. But what was he like? One little girl imagines his life as she shares his cherries with her father.

Check out more picture books below!

Bing’s Cherries
Livia Blackburne
Illustrated by Julia Kuo
Random House Children’s Books/Alfred A. Knopf
Available now!

Judgy Bunny and the Terrible Beach
Scott Rothman
Illustrated by Linzie Hunter
Sourcebooks Kids/Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Available now!

Sheep & Goat Climb the World
A.C. Paolini
Illustrated by Monica Arnaldo
Random House Children’s Books/Alfred A. Knopf
Available now!

Van Gogh’s Dog
Georgia Larson
Illustrated by Grace Helmer
Random House Children’s Books/Random House Studio
Available now!

When the Sun Goes Down
Greg Pizzoli
Random House Children’s Books/Alfred A. Knopf
Available now!

For this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we’re looking at some of the many YA fantasy novels in our collection. Our feature pick is Call of the Dragon by Natasha Bowen. When the dragon gods that protect the Kingdom of Kwa begin calling to her, Moremi must take on a quest to restore their power.

Check out more young adult fantasy below!

Call of the Dragon
Natasha Bowen
Random House Children’s Books/Random House Books for Young Readers
Available now!

The Dragon and the Sun Lotus
Amelie Wen Zhao
Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Press
Available now!

The Faraway Inn
Sarah Beth Durst
Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Press
Available now!

Tidespeaker
Sadie Turner
Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Press
Available now!

Ungodly Chaos
Selma Soren
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Margaret K. McElderberry Books
Available now!

Picture books can serve as a wonderful window for young readers into the worlds and cultures of other people (and themselves!), which is why for this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we’re focusing on picture books about culture and traditions. Our feature pick is With You in Spirit: A Qing Ming Story by Jenny Liao and illustrated by Lenny Wen. The young protagonist in this story celebrates Qing Ming, or Tomb Sweeping Day, as she remembers and honors her late grandfather.

Check out more picture books on culture and traditions below!

With You in Spirit: A Qing Ming Story
Jenny Liao
Illustrated by Lenny Wen
Random House Children’s Books/Alfred A. Knopf
Available now!

A Ramadan Night
Nadine Presley
Illustrated by Asma Enayeh
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Salaam Reads
Available now!

Jeong is Jeong
Jessica Yoon
Illustrated by Michelle Lee
Random House Children’s Books/Make Me A World
Available now!

Something Sweet: A Sitting Shiva Story
Leslea Newman
Illustrated by Sarita Rich
Charlesbridge
Available now!

Sometimes We Pray
Mary Wagley Copp
Illustrated by Felishia Henditirto
Charlesbridge
Available now!

For this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we’re looking at some of the board books in our collection. Our feature pick is Like So by Ruth Forman and illustrated by Raissa Figeroa. A board book adaptation of the 2024 picture book, this story focuses on family and nature, accompanied by colorful images of a grandmother and her granddaughter.

Check out more board books below!

Like So
Ruth Forman
Illustrated by Raissa Figeroa
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Little Simon
Available now!

Hello, Sleep!
Illustrated by Ania Simeone
The Quarto Group/Happy Yak
Available now!

Mi Cielo, My Sky
Dori Elys
Illustrated by Erika Rodriguez Medina
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Little Simon
Available now!

My Heart Knows Love
Yuli Yav
Illustrated by Sydney Hanson
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Little Simon
Available now!

Baby Loves Robotics!
Ruth Spiro
Illustrated by Kat Uno
Charlesbridge
Available now!