If your family’s New Year resolutions include less screen time, Lehigh Valley school librarians have you covered with book recommendations perfect for elementary, middle and high school students — and any parent wanting to read alongside.
Elementary
“The Scarecrow,” by Beth Ferry
This meditative story of friendship, with a target audience of K-5, provides a beautiful read-aloud to be shared across generations. The illustrations tell a story that transcends seasons and can be enjoyed any time of the year. It is a perfect starting point for young readers: If they enjoy this, they can explore the author’s wider body of work, which includes engaging animal friends like Stick and Stone and Fox and Rabbit.
— Bethlehem Area library team
“The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” written and illustrated by Brian Selznick
This book received the Caldecott Award for outstanding illustrations. There are 284 pages of lined pencil illustrations to help to tell the story and require students to use visual inferencing skills. The story is exciting and takes the reader back in time to the turn of the 20th century to Paris, where the boy, Hugo, is trying to find the pieces to his father’s automaton to reveal a hidden message. The reader’s heart will pound as they run, hide and try to navigate through hidden passageways along with Hugo in the Paris train station! Students will want to finish the book to learn the secret message! Inspired by the French pioneer filmmaker, George Melies, this 526-page book is a fast read among students grades 3-5!! This book will bolster the students’ confidence in completing larger books.
— Bethlehem Area library team
“The Book With No Pictures,” by B. J. Novak
This book engages the reader through words only. It’s really a picture book with no pictures! The reader has to say funny words and read funny passages. The text is varied in size and color and creates visual appeal and interest. This book makes the reader laugh and feel really happy after completing it. It demonstrates the sheer joy and reward of reading, inspiring kids to want to read even more! Recommended for grades K-5. (Really all ages.) I can’t keep this book on my shelves!!
— Bethlehem Area library team
“A Snow Day for Amos McGee,” by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead
Our elementary librarians recommend this charming winter tale from the award-winning Amos McGee series. (Another book in the set, “A Sick Day for Amos McGee,” won the Caldecott Medal.) This story follows a kindhearted zookeeper who gets all the zoo animals excited for the first snowfall of winter. Erin E. Stead’s gentle, beautiful illustrations make this a cozy, joyful read for young students.
— East Penn library team
Middle school
“Restart,” by Gordon Korman
If you’re looking for a book that grabs your attention from the very first page, “Restart” is a perfect choice. The story follows Chase Ambrose, a middle school student who loses his memory after a fall and must piece together who he used to be — and who he wants to become. As Chase discovers his past, he’s forced to confront mistakes, repair relationships and redefine himself. I recommend “Restart” because it sparks important conversations about kindness, second chances and the power of choosing to be better today than you were yesterday. It’s fast-paced, relatable, and filled with lots of humor and heart!
— Kelly Flynn, library media specialist at Orefield Middle School
“Front Desk,” by Kelly Yang
This is a modern classic, with a target audience of sixth through eighth grade, tackles big issues with a lot of heart. It follows Mia Tang, a 10-year-old immigrant girl who manages the front desk of a motel while her parents clean the rooms. Mia navigates poverty, prejudice and the challenge of finding her voice in a new language. It is an empowering story about resilience and the power of writing to change the world — themes that resonate deeply with middle schoolers looking for a hero to root for.
— Bethlehem Area library team
“Candace, The Universe, and Everything,” by Sherri L. Smith
I always love a good time travel book, and this one is quite unique! It involves an eighth grade girl finding out that her locker is a sort of portal to the past. She connects with two other women who once shared the same locker, and the three of them begin a quest to discover the origin of the portal.
— East Penn library team
High school
“Secrets in the Snow,” by Michaela MacColl
My top pick is “Secrets in the Snow” by Michaela MacColl because it takes the classic literature of Jane Austen and puts a modern twist on it. The author intertwines facts of Jane Austen’s real life with a suspenseful fictional tale.
— Carol Dickerson, library media specialist, Parkland High School
Carol Dickerson, librarian at Parkland High School, poses with a copy of “Secrets in the Snow” by Michaela MacColl on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, at the school in South Whitehall Township. MacColl’s book is one of Dickerson’s recommendations for high-school readers. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
“Sisters in the Wind,” by Angeline Boulley
Lucy, a Native teen who has been in the foster care system since her father’s death, receives a mysterious note after a near-fatal explosion at work: “Lucy, come home where you are loved.” What follows is an unforgettable journey as Lucy works to uncover who is targeting her, where she truly comes from, and what she wants for her future. Boulley’s third mystery about Indigenous youth stepping into their power is as thrilling and unputdownable as her first two novels.
— East Penn library team
“Angelica and the Bear Prince,” by Trung Le Nguyen
A beautiful graphic novel that examines issues of anxiety and grief while celebrating the importance of community and the arts to transform lives. Angelica has coped with her grief over losing her grandmother by overscheduling herself and not allowing herself time to process her feelings. With the help of community theater (and a mysterious bear mascot!), she reconnects with her inner child and is able to find hope and feel secure once again.
— East Penn library team
“Twenty-four Seconds from Now,” by Jason Reynolds
Everything Reynolds writes is worth reading, and in this slice-of-life romance told by alternating narrators Aria and Neon, who are facing a milestone in their relationship, family and friends also takes center stage as both teens grow into adulthood surrounded by those who know them best. Funny, sweet and relatable.
— East Penn library team