If your family\u2019s 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 \u2014 and any parent wanting to read alongside.<\/p>\n
Elementary<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Scarecrow,\u201d by Beth Ferry<\/p>\n
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\u2019s wider body of work, which includes engaging animal friends like Stick and Stone and Fox and Rabbit.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Bethlehem Area library team<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Invention of Hugo Cabret,\u201d written and illustrated by Brian Selznick<\/p>\n
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\u2019s automaton to reveal a hidden message. The reader\u2019s 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\u2019 confidence in completing larger books.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Bethlehem Area library team<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Book With No Pictures,\u201d by B. J. Novak<\/p>\n
This book engages the reader through words only. It\u2019s 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\u2019t keep this book on my shelves!!<\/p>\n
\u2014 Bethlehem Area library team<\/p>\n
\u201cA Snow Day for Amos McGee,\u201d by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead<\/p>\n
Our elementary librarians recommend this charming winter tale from the award-winning Amos McGee series. (Another book in the set, \u201cA Sick Day for Amos McGee,\u201d 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\u2019s gentle, beautiful illustrations make this a cozy, joyful read for young students.<\/p>\n
\u2014 East Penn library team<\/p>\n
Middle school<\/p>\n
\u201cRestart,\u201d by Gordon Korman<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for a book that grabs your attention from the very first page, \u201cRestart\u201d 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 \u2014 and who he wants to become. As Chase discovers his past, he\u2019s forced to confront mistakes, repair relationships and redefine himself. I recommend \u201cRestart\u201d because it sparks important conversations about kindness, second chances and the power of choosing to be better today than you were yesterday. It\u2019s fast-paced, relatable, and filled with lots of humor and heart!<\/p>\n
\u2014 Kelly Flynn, library media specialist at Orefield Middle School<\/p>\n
\u201cFront Desk,\u201d by Kelly Yang<\/p>\n
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 \u2014 themes that resonate deeply with middle schoolers looking for a hero to root for.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Bethlehem Area library team<\/p>\n
\u201cCandace, The Universe, and Everything,\u201d by Sherri L. Smith<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u2014 East Penn library team<\/p>\n
High school<\/p>\n
\u201cSecrets in the Snow,\u201d by Michaela MacColl<\/p>\n
My top pick is \u201cSecrets in the Snow\u201d 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\u2019s real life with a suspenseful fictional tale.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Carol Dickerson, library media specialist, Parkland High School<\/p>\n
![\"Carol](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/TMC-L-parklandlibrarians-010206-1.jpg\")
Carol Dickerson, librarian at Parkland High School, poses with a copy of \u201cSecrets in the Snow\u201d by Michaela MacColl on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, at the school in South Whitehall Township. MacColl\u2019s book is one of Dickerson\u2019s recommendations for high-school readers. (Jane Therese\/Special to The Morning Call)<\/p>\n
\u201cSisters in the Wind,\u201d by Angeline Boulley<\/p>\n
Lucy, a Native teen who has been in the foster care system since her father\u2019s death, receives a mysterious note after a near-fatal explosion at work: \u201cLucy, come home where you are loved.\u201d 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\u2019s third mystery about Indigenous youth stepping into their power is as thrilling and unputdownable as her first two novels.<\/p>\n
\u2014 East Penn library team<\/p>\n
\u201cAngelica and the Bear Prince,\u201d by Trung Le Nguyen<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u2014 East Penn library team<\/p>\n
\u201cTwenty-four Seconds from Now,\u201d by Jason Reynolds<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u2014 East Penn library team<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If your family\u2019s New Year resolutions include less screen time, Lehigh Valley school librarians have you covered with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":76115,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[119,121,120,227,182,139,432],"class_list":{"0":"post-76114","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-allentown","8":"tag-allentown","9":"tag-allentown-headlines","10":"tag-allentown-news","11":"tag-education","12":"tag-local-news","13":"tag-news","14":"tag-top-stories-tmc"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76114"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76114\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}