June 2026 Selections
June is Pride 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.
This page has been specially formatted for printing. To request a one-page, print-only version of these book selections for home or classroom printing, please contact webmaster@milwaukee.k12.wi.us.
Primary (Preschool–Grade 2)

Don't Trust Fish
by Neil Sharpson, illustrated by Dan Santat
Why, dear reader, must you NEVER EVER trust fish? This nature-guide-gone-wrong is a hilarious, off-the-rails exploration of the seemingly innocent animals that live in the water.

Dear Acorn (Love, Oak): Letter Poems to Friends
by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Whether it’s a small bubble writing to the enormous sky or a mighty oak reassuring its tiny acorn, these delightful poems examine how we’re all connected—in big and small ways. Readers will be dreaming up messages of their own to this big, beautiful world.
Intermediate (Grades 3–5)

The Legend of Gravity: A Tall Basketball Tale
by Charly Palmer
Gravity is the new kid on the Eagles. He once jumped so high that his teammates went for ice cream before he came back down. With Gravity, the Eagles feel unstoppable. They’re ready to win Milwaukee’s biggest pick-up basketball tournament. When they face the winningest team in the city, they realize they may need more than Gravity.

Busted
by Dan Gemeinhart
Oscar Aberdeen is an ace at playing bridge and loves Frank Sinatra. He's the youngest resident of Sunny Days retirement home. When his grandpa gets an eviction notice from Sunny Days, he needs fast cash. Enter Jimmy Deluca. He knows about some hidden riches, and he'll share the loot with Oscar if he busts him out of Sunny Days.
Middle School (Grades 6–8)

Rick
by Alex Gino
In middle school, new doors are opening for Rick. One leads to the school's Rainbow Spectrum club, where kids of many genders and identities congregate, including Melissa, the girl who seems to have her life together. Rick wants his own life to be that understood. Even if it means breaking some old friendships.

Grow Up, Luchy Zapata
by Alexandra Alessandri
Luchy Zapata and her two best friends, Cami and Mateo, will finally be at the same middle school. But Cami has been acting weird. She’s making new, “cool” friends who seem mean. Luchy is determined to help Cami remember how special their friendship is. But what if Cami doesn’t even want to be friends anymore?
High School (Grades 9–12)

Sisters in the Wind
by Angeline Boulley
Ever since Lucy Smith’s father died, “home” has been more of an idea than a place. Five years in the foster system have taught her to be cautious. She wants to believe Mr. Jameson, who tells Lucy the truth her father hid: She is Ojibwe; she had a sister and a grandmother who’d look after her. But Lucy is being followed. Will the secrets she's hiding take away any hope for the future?

Piper at the Gates of Dusk (From the world of Chaos Walking)
by Patrick Ness
Ben and Max have known only peace growing up on the family farm. They dream of the usual things, like school and adventure, until the nightmares begin. A sudden sickness infects the young people of the New World with Noise in the form of their worst thoughts about themselves. And then, one by one, the children begin to disappear.
Manga

Splatoon Vol. 1
by Sankichi Hinodeya
The Turf Wars have started in Inkopolis, and the team that inks the most ground will be crowned the winner! Goggles and Team Blue are ranked lower than their competitors. But with some teamwork and a touch of creativity, they might just leave their mark on this tournament!
Books in Spanish

Srta. Qunices
by Kat Fajardo
Sue solo quiere pasar el verano leyendo y haciendo cómics en el campamento con sus amigos, pero en lugar de eso se embarca con sus padres y sus dos hermanas en un viaje a Honduras a visitar a la familia, que vive en medio del campo, ¡así que no podrá mandar mensajes y no tendrá cable ni internet! Las cosas empeoran cuando la mamá de Sue anuncia que le harán una quinceañera sorpresa a la chica, aunque esto es lo último que ella desearía. ¡No se imagina vistiendo un vestido enorme, abultado y colorido! ¿Qué podrá hacer? ¿Cómo sobrevivirá todo este tiempo con sus revoltosos familiares?
MPS Reads Archive
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