Keep up with literacy skills this summer by checking out a read-along book! We have a collection of VOX Books and Wonderbooks in our children’s library to read along with. These are print books with an attached audio device which allows readers to listen to the story being read, as they read along with the text. Our collection has a variety of books of different genres and reading levels. We have picture books, early beginning readers, chapter books, graphic novels, and non-fiction titles. Each book includes instructions on how to use the audio device. Readers have the option to listen to the story through the attached speaker, or by plugging in their headphones. The picture books also play a sound to signal to readers of when it’s time to turn the page. Reading the story while listening helps with literacy development, so these books are a great option for new and struggling readers. And the audio in many of these books include sound effects and music to create an enjoyable reading experience for all readers. I’ve included some recent additions to our read-along book collection below, along with publishers’ summaries.

Gaga Mistake Day by Emma Straub

When Grandma comes for a visit, silliness and creativity are guaranteed, in this funny and endearing book by bestselling novelist Emma Straub; her kids’ gaga, Susan Straub; and award-winning illustrator Jessica Love. Gaga days are the best! That’s when this eccentric, mischievous grandma babysits her delighted granddaughter. These Gaga days are always full of the silliest “mistakes,” like swapping eyeglasses and walking backwards to the park. Like making the house safe by eating all the marshmallow goblins, filling the tub to bursting with bubbles, and then reading a bedtime story all the way through upside down. With touches of Amelia Bedelia and Eloise, this irrepressible granny might just inspire deliciously goofy, endlessly creative, and bursting-with-love grandma-grandchild playdates!

Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten by Michelle Knudsen

On a street of old houses, a big hairy spider is searching for a home with dark corners to hide in. But when he wakes up, he finds a hand reaching for him and a lady proclaiming that she has always wanted a kitten—and will name him Luigi! At first, a somewhat puzzled Luigi, used to being left alone to creep and dangle and spin webs, resists her kind advances. But soon, tasty breakfasts and getting tucked into bed (no one’s ever wished him good night before) have him thinking that kittens surely live magical lives. I will be a kitten! he decides. But how long can he keep up his facade, and what might be at stake in pretending to be someone you’re not? The award-winning duo behind Library Lion delivers another classic in the making, marked by humor and depth, endearing characters, and the assurance that the right people will accept and adore us, unconditionally, just as we are.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar 5-Minute Stories by Eric Carle

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is the star of this collection of stories that can each be read aloud in five minutes or less! This treasury of titles from the World of Eric Carle features eight engaging stories in one book. And since each one can be read in five minutes or less, it’s the perfect pick for bedtime or whenever time is tight. The collection includes stories from The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s First Seasons series and A Day with The Very Hungry Caterpillar series.

Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver

From New York Times bestselling creators—Emmy Award–winning actor Henry Winkler, children’s book author Lin Oliver, and Caldecott Medal–winning author-illustrator Dan Santat—comes Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash, a hilarious, full-color chapter book adventure. Willow Feathers McBeaver, aka Detective Duck, is a crime-solving (and very precocious) little duck. She and her animal pals live on beautiful Dogwood Pond, which is adjacent to Lazy Days, a human campground in New England. A pristine spot with clear water, abundant wildlife, and shady willow trees, Dogwood Pond is encountering puzzling problems—mysteries that arise from human-caused disruptions in nature such as water pollution, garbage, warming climate, and human encroachment. Fortunately, Detective Duck is on the job, solving these puzzling mysteries before they get out of hand and destroy their habitat! Armed with her ever-present satchel for collecting clues, her logical mind, and endless curiosity, she boldly goes where no pond creature has before, determined to unravel the mysteries and solve any environmental problem that besets her beloved Dogwood Pond!

Timekeepers: The First Flight by SJ King

Tag along with the Timekeepers as they travel through time to fix problems in the past. These history-themed adventure stories for 7 to 9 years olds will help readers discover the amazing people and events that shaped our world. The Timekeepers are a secret organization of kids who keep the course of history on track. And history needs them—a villain named DeLay is set on causing chaos! When the hands on their special watches start to spin backward, the Timekeepers know that DeLay has been up to no good, and it’s up to them to make things right… In this installment, the Timekeepers are whirled back in time to 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. An exhausted Orville and Wilbur Wright are desperately trying to fix their airplane. Their initial tests had been so promising, but suddenly, the Wright Flyer’s propeller has disappeared! The Timekeepers realize it’s been stolen by villainous DeLay, and only they can help save the day and put history back on track. With a range of adventures that span all of history, The Timekeepers series is perfect for any adventure lover.

Secrets of the Forest: 15 Bedtime Stories Inspired by Nature by Alicia Klepeis

A beautifully illustrated collection of five-minute bedtime stories about forest wildlife by Alicia Klepeis. Every forest contains a thousand secrets . . . In this charming anthology of stories readers will be guided into forests to meet the amazing animals that live there. In one story a squirrel hunts for an elusive acorn it buried earlier in the year, while another looks at an Alaskan wood frog as it freezes itself alive to survive a harsh winter. Children will be thrilled by the tale of a reindeer that gets separated from its herd and marvel at a chameleon changing colour. Other stories feature elephants, wild cats, pangolins, badgers, foxes, monarch butterflies, otters, walking fish, a tree that can live for thousands of years, and even forest-dwelling penguins! At the end of each tale readers will find out more about the science that inspired the story.

Who is Simone Biles? by Stephanie Loh

In 2021, Simone Biles shocked the world when she pulled out of the Tokyo Olympic Games after experiencing the “twisties” — a scary feeling during which gymnasts lose control of their bodies while mid-air. Audiences had expected Simone to dominate these games. With seven Olympic medals, twenty-five World Championships medals, and four gymnastic skills named after her, she is considered to be the G.O.A.T. of women’s gymnastics. That summer, however, Simone became more than just a legendary athlete. She became an advocate for mental health and protecting yourself even when the world is watching.

Twins by Varian Johnson

Coretta Scott King Honor author Varian Johnson teams up with rising cartoonist Shannon Wright for a delightful middle-grade graphic novel! Maureen and Francine Carter are twins and best friends. They participate in the same clubs, enjoy the same foods, and are partners on all their school projects. But just before the girls start sixth grade, Francine becomes Fran — a girl who wants to join the chorus, run for class president, and dress in fashionable outfits that set her apart from Maureen. A girl who seems happy to share only two classes with her sister!Maureen and Francine are growing apart and there’s nothing Maureen can do to stop it. Are sisters really forever? Or will middle school change things for good?

Odder by Katherine Applegate

Meet Odder, the Queen of Play: Nobody has her moves. She doesn’t just swim to the bottom, she dive-bombs. She doesn’t just somersault, she triple-doughnuts. She doesn’t just ride the waves, she makes them. Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practicing her underwater acrobatics and spinning the quirky stories for which she’s known. She’s a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself?and about the humans who hope to save her. Inspired by the true story of a Monterey Bay Aquarium program that pairs orphaned otter pups with surrogate mothers, this poignant and humorous tale told in free verse examines bravery and healing through the eyes of one of nature’s most beloved and charming animals.

Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz

Max Bretzfeld doesn’t want to move to London. Leaving home is hard and Max is alone for the first time in his life. But not for long. Max is surprised to discover that he’s been joined by two unexpected traveling companions, one on each shoulder, a kobold and a dybbuk named Berg and Stein. Germany is becoming more and more dangerous for Jewish families, but Max is determined to find a way back home, and back to his parents. He has a plan to return to Berlin. It merely involves accomplishing the impossible: becoming a British spy. The first book in a duology, Max in the House of Spies is a thought-provoking World War II story as only acclaimed storyteller Adam Gidwitz can tell it—fast-paced and hilarious, with a dash of magic and a lot of heart.

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

A breathtaking new fantasy world: In the Archipelago, all the creatures of myth are real—and in danger. A daring adventure: Two kids embark on an urgent quest to save the last magical place on earth. Christopher hadn’t quite believed his grandfather’s story about the Archipelago—a hidden world where magical creatures of every kind have thrived for thousands of years. But the baby griffin currently biting his ear is undoubtedly real. And the fierce girl demanding his help is not someone he can say no to. And so Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure. They race from island to island, searching for someone who can explain why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. They consult sphinxes, and battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the closer they get to the dark truth of what’s happening, the clearer it becomes: no one else can fix this. If the Archipelago is to be saved, Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves. Katherine Rundell begins a landmark new series that will be devoured by readers young and old.

A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall by Jasmine Warga

A painting has been stolen…! When Rami sees a floating girl in the museum, he knows he has seen her somewhere before. Then he realizes: she looks just like the girl in the painting that has gone missing. But how does her appearance connect to the theft? Agatha the turtle knows—she has been watching from the garden. But she can’t exactly tell anyone…can she? Will Rami, with the help of his classmate, Veda, be able to solve the mystery? The clues are all around them, but they’ll have to be brave enough to really look.