Books in the Big Apple

York: The Shadow Cipher

“Partake on a positively puzzling adventure with twins Tess and Theo and friend Jaime as they try to solve the Old York Cipher, hoping to save their home, the mysterious Morningstarr apartment house along the way. Set in Manhattan, York by Laura Ruby is an alternate history epic sure to please curious middle readers with its quizzical cast of characters. Can this clever trio traverse the thrilling twists and turns thrown at them thereby solving the cipher or is this centuries-old quest a wild goose chase for all participants?”

Kristin, McLean & Eakin Booksellers

Pride

“Elizabeth Acevedo was the perfect choice for the reader of this sensational retelling of Pride & Prejudice. Zuri Benitez absolutely comes to life through her performance. Zoboi's Pride is a fresh yet faithful adaptation of the timeless classic, sure to speak to fans of Austen's original book and introduce a whole new generation to the wit and wisdom of her works. ”

Michael Leali, Anderson's Bookshop

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school . . . again. No matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to stay out of trouble. But can he really be expected to stand by and watch while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself against his pre-algebra teacher when she turns into a monster and... Read more »

The importance of small things in a world dominated by great size is illustrated in this real-life story of a lighthouse on the shores of the Hudson River. The role of the little lighthouse is revealed when a violent storm threatens the safety of the boats on the river.

Stuart Little is a shy, philosophical mouse witha big heart and a taste for adventure. He also happens to be the second son born to the Littles, a human family living in New York City. In spite of his dimunuitive statue-barely two inches tall--Stuart enjoys life in the big city. He rides a Fifth Avenue bus and even wins a sailboat race in... Read more »

A New York Times bestseller and National Book Award winner

Jacqueline Woodson, the acclaimed author of Another Brooklyn, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. 
 
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African... Read more »

"Like A Wrinkle in Time (Miranda's favorite book), When You Reach Me far surpasses the usual whodunit or sci-fi adventure to become an incandescent exploration of 'life, death, and the beauty of it all.'" —The Washington Post
 
This Newbery Medal winner that has been called "smart and mesmerizing," (The New York Times) and "superb" (The Wall...

A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)

Run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with E. L. Konigsburg’s beloved classic and Newbery Medal­–winning novel From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

When Claudia decided to run away, she planned very carefully. She would be gone just long enough to teach her parents a lesson in Claudia... Read more »

It's no secret that Harriet the Spy is a timeless classic that kids will love! Every day can be an adventure if you just look carefully enough!

Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. In her notebook, she writes down everything she knows about everyone, even her classmates and her best friends. Then Harriet loses track of her notebook, and it ends... Read more »

BONUS FEATURE: Afterword read by the author

Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I’ll call it what the lady who is the prosecutor called me. Monster.

FADE IN: INTERIOR COURT. A guard sits at a desk behind... Read more »

Tucker is a streetwise city mouse. He thought he'd seen it all. But he's never met a cricket before, which really isn't surprising, because, along with his friend Harry Cat, Tucker lives in the very heart of New York City—the Times Square subway station. Chester Cricket never intended to leave his Connecticut meadow. He'd be there still if he...

Marvin lives with his family under the kitchen sink in the Pompadays' apartment. He is very much a beetle. James Pompaday lives with his family in New York City. He is very much an eleven-year-old boy.After James gets a pen-and-ink set for his birthday, Marvin surprises him by creating an elaborate miniature drawing. James gets all the credit...

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and...

“The Nate series by Tim Federle is a wonderful evocation of what it’s like to be a theater kid. Highly recommended.” —Lin-Manuel Miranda, star and creator of the musical, Hamilton

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Slate Favorite Book of the Year

A small-town boy hops a bus to New York City to... Read more »

A Caldecott Honor Medal recipient and the illustrator of nearly 100 children's books, Melissa Sweet delivers the charming story of Tony Sarg, the man known as ''America's Puppet Master.'' With delightful, rhyming prose, Sweet takes listeners back to the 1920s to meet the designer who created the first helium-filled balloons for Macy's... Read more »

From award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a powerful novel set fifteen years after the 9/11 attacks in a classroom of students who cannot remember the event but live through the aftermath of its cultural shift.
When her fifth-grade teacher hints that a series of lessons about home and community will culminate with one big answer about... Read more »

This irresistibly funny tale of the conflict between New York City's pushcart peddlers and truck drivers is the best satire of war ever written for children. With captivating warmth and humor, The Pushcart War teaches young listeners invaluable lessons about the strategies, politics, and consequences of war. Read more »

The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It's practically another member of the family. So when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they... Read more »

"A friendly reminder of how America can be at its best." - Entertainment Weekly If you had to name a statue, any statue, odds are good you'd mention the Statue of Liberty. Have you seen her? She's in New York. She's holding a torch. And she's in mid-stride, moving forward. But why? In this fascinating and fun take on nonfiction, Dave Eggers and... Read more »

Meet the Melendys!

Mona, the eldest, is thirteen. She has decided to become an actress and can recite poetry at the drop of a hat. Rush is twelve and a bit mischievous. Miranda is ten and a half. She loves dancing and painting pictures. Oliver is the youngest. At six, he is a calm and thoughtful person. They all live with their father, who is a...