April 2026 Selections
April Is Arab-American Heritage, Autism Awareness, and Poetry Month
To access the books on our monthly MPS Reads book lists, visit your school library or local library. You can also go online to Sora* (formerly OverDrive) and log in with your MPS student ID number.
*Not all titles are available through Sora.
To request a designed version of these book selections for print purposes, please contact webmaster@milwaukee.k12.wi.us.
Primary (Preschool–Grade 2)
Whoo-Ku Haiku: A Great Horned Owl Story
by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Jonathan D. Voss
As a pair of great horned owlets peep and squeak in their nest, Mama and Papa hunt for food and fend off predators. The chicks grow strong enough to hop and flap between the branches, then leap and fly away, ready to explore the wild world around them.
This Is How We Talk: A Celebration of Disability and Connection
by Jessica Slice & Caroline Cupp, illustrated by Kayla Harren
We sign, write, and clap! So many ways to talk and joke, play and learn and dream. This joyful book shares and respects how disabled people and their families use communication to connect and show love. This book affirms the disabled children and adults who are finding strength in community.
Intermediate (Grades 3–5)
Born Naughty: My Childhood in China
by Jin Wang & Tony Johnson, illustrated by Anisi Baigude
Growing up in Inner Mongolia, Jin Wang was rambunctious and did not always listen to her Ma. Jin and her family were poor, but she still found a way to have fun and get into mischief, climb trees, dig for mushrooms, and look for wolves. This book reminds us that we are more alike than not, and that mischief lives in all of us.
The Girl Who Thought in Pictures
by Julia Finley Mosca, illustrated by Daniel Rieley
Meet Dr. Temple Grandin, one of the world's quirkiest science heroes! When young Temple was diagnosed with autism, no one expected her to become one of the most powerful voices in science. Her unique mind allowed her to invent groundbreaking improvements for farms around the globe.
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
Proud: Living My American Dream
by Ibtihaj Muhammad
At the 2016 Olympic Games, Ibtihaj Muhammad smashed barriers as the first American to compete wearing a hijab and the first Muslim American woman to win a medal. Growing up, she fell in love with fencing, but rivals and teammates told her she would never succeed. Yet she powered on, rising above obstacles.
A Year Without Home
by V. T. Bidania
For Gao Sheng, home is Laos. But home becomes impossible when the communist government takes over. On foot, by taxi, and in a canoe, Gao Sheng and her family make haste from the mountains to the capital and across the river to a refugee camp. Gao Sheng discovers how to rebuild her home no matter where she is.
High School (Grades 9–12)
Black Girl You Are Atlas
by Renée Watson, illustrated by Ekua Holmes
Renée Watson writes about her experience growing up as a young Black girl at the intersections of race, class, and gender. Using a variety of poetic forms, Watson shares recollections of her childhood in Portland, tender odes to the Black women in her life, and urgent calls for Black girls to step into their power.
Don’t Let the Forest In
by CG Drews
Andrew writes twisted fairytales for his friend Thomas at Wickwood Academy. But Thomas has lost interest in sketching the monsters. Andrew follows Thomas into the forest and catches him fighting a monster—one of his drawings. The boys battle the monsters every night as they try to learn the truth.
Manga
Chi’s Sweet Home
by Konami Kanata
Chi is a mischievous newborn kitten who, while on a leisurely stroll with her family, finds herself lost. Overcome with loneliness, she bursts into tears, but is rescued by a young boy named Yohei and his mother. The little kitty is whisked away into a warm apartment where pets are strictly not permitted.
Books in Spanish
La princesa del agua
by Susan Verde, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
En el hermoso reino africano de la princesa Gie Gie, el agua limpia es un tesoro escaso. Pese a su espíritu real, debe madrugar diariamente, cambiando su corona por una pesada vasija. Tras una agotadora caminata hasta el lejano pozo, hierve incansablemente el agua para su familia. Entre el agotamiento, Gie Gie sueña con un futuro donde su aldea finalmente tenga su propio manantial.
MPS Reads Archive
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