What is the Panda Book Award?
The Panda Book Award, initiated in 2008 by librarian Nadine Dewit Rosevear, invites students and teachers from participating international schools in China and beyond to vote for their favorite book published in the previous two to three school years.
Titles chosen for the shortlists of the Panda Book Award meet selection criteria that focus on social justice, diversity and inclusion by up and coming authors and illustrators from across the world. There is an added spotlight on titles that feature Asian settings, characters or creators.
The Panda Book Steering Committee, which includes an international representation of school librarians, is responsible for collecting input from schools, advertising the initiative, and organizing the voting.
The panda was chosen as the program’s mascot as it holds a special place in the hearts of the Chinese people and is a symbol of peace and a token of forging friendly ties.
The Panda Book Award reading program promises to take our students on an exciting reading adventure. Classroom teachers, language arts teachers, and librarians are encouraged to distribute the reading lists to their students and to incorporate them into their daily teaching.
Read more about the Awards here: https://libguides.isb.cn/friendly.php?s=pandabookawards
Can YOU help Lemon find the party? Come on in to Lemon's world and meet a rainbow-tastical collection of friends- cats wearing boots, fruits dressed in suits, dogs made of bread, and pigeons named Fred.
The Big Jobs, Bold Women series introduces even the youngest readers to strong women in tough hands-on jobs. The first in the series, Firefighter Flo! makes this empowering message accessible with a showstopping art and story about a job every kid loves. Firefighter Flo is the perfect read for kids who love to watch the big red fire trucks rush by.
In the spirit of The Snowy Day, author Angela H. Dale and illustrator Lala Watkins's Bus Stop is a picture book story featuring a group of kids from A to Z who arrive at the bus stop only to discover that the bus is a no-show--snow day!
How will Frog escape the swoops, snips, and snaps of all sorts of animals in the forest and get to the party on time? This is a delightful, gripping, and funny adventure narrative aimed at very young readers, that will no doubt appeal to older children and adults alike.
Thank you rain! is a joyful read, and is full of the plants and animals that welcome rain: raindrops in the treetops; birds singing in the rain; raindrops wetting the dry earth and filling creek beds; birds, frogs and kangaroos all enjoying the rain and finishing with Johnny dancing with happiness!
How To Wake Up Piggy is about Piggy’s loud snores that wake up his little friends they try to CLANG, HOOT, and RIBBIT him awake but nothing works. Maybe little ladybug knows the secret. Do you?
This lyrical and heartwarming book takes you on a journey through 11 of Arabic expressions for love.
Nature's Toy Box is an uplifting book which shows an emotional journey from boredom to adventure and the ability of a young girl to lose herself in a world of nature and imagination.
Come Over To My House is a delightful picture book that explores the home lives of children and parents who are Deaf or disabled.
It's Dat's first day of school in a new country! Dat and his Mah made a long journey to get here, and Dat doesn't know the language. Luckily there's a friendly girl in Dat's class who knows that there are other ways to communicate, besides just talking. Could she help make sense of the gibberish?
Hello Every Body! is a picture book that joyfully explores and celebrates the human body in all its many shapes and sizes. With playful illustrations and a joyful tone, Hello Every Body! is fun, diverse and inclusive, showing that all bodies are fabulous just the way they are, and that our differences make us who we are.
A lovebird who doesn't like kisses?! Rissy's friends and family wonder if she's sick, confused, or rude. But kisses make Rissy uncomfortable. Can one little lovebird show everyone that there's no one right way to show you care? Rissy No Kissies carries the message that "your body and your heart are yours, and you choose how to share."
Art and family transcend differences in language and culture in this sensitively told, exquisitely illustrated story of a child starting a new school.
A debut picture book about loving your name, finding your voice, and standing up for yourself from the critically acclaimed illustrator of Bilal Cooks Daal and I Am Perfectly Designed.
Winslow and Rosie have been building an impressive collection of natural wonders, and now it's nearly complete. With just enough space left for one final piece, the girls set off into the forest to find something extraordinary.
This title is available on Epic!
A new nonfiction picture book series ready to grow young scientists by nurturing their curiosity about the natural world--starting with what's inside a flower. Budding backyard scientists can start exploring their world with this stunning introduction to these flowery show-stoppers--from seeds to roots to blooms. Learning how flowers grow gives kids beautiful building blocks of science and inquiry.
Ready Player One meets the action of battle royale video games in this middle-grade sci-fi perfect for fans of Fortnite. In twelve-year-old Reyna Cheng's world, gaming is everything. Professional esports teams are the mainstream celebrities. Kids begin training from a young age, aspiring for the big leagues.
An honest and stirring novel about the choices made by young environmental activists, and the balancing act between consequence and triumph Malia has had a privileged upbringing in Indonesia, but since her Indonesian father died, her Canadian mother wants to return to her own family on the other side of the world.
Perfect for fans of the Storm Runner and Aru Shah series, this "intriguing, fast-paced" middle grade fantasy follows a young girl who must venture to the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King in Korea to save her parents from an evil diviner spirit.
A stirringly beautiful, heartwarming story of brotherly love and growing up, from the award-winning author of The Elephant
The cutting-edge world of nanoscience leaps to life on boldly patterned pages in this STEM-ready gem. An acclaimed physicist and debut picture-book author introduces readers to the tiny building blocks that make up the world around us.
In this powerful collection of short stories, children around the world turn eleven and take a step into their futures. Each one is changed in ways both big and small.
"Engaging and empowering." A charming early chapter book series that explores Vietnamese culture and identity through the eyes of the Nguyen siblings, with elements of the supernatural, spirituality, and social justice woven in.
Meet Zadie Ma, a girl who writes magical stories that sometimes come true. Can Zadie bring to life her most important story of all . . . the one where she finds Jupiter, the dog of her dreams?
Starting middle school is hard enough when you don't know anyone; it's even harder when you're shy. A contemporary middle-grade graphic novel for fans of Guts and Real Friends about how dealing with anxiety and OCD can affect everyday life.
Alina Chau's Marshmallow & Jordan is a middle-grade graphic novel about a disabled, sports-loving Jordan, and the magical elephant named Marshmallow who she befriends.
* "Perfect for animal-loving fans of Katherine Applegate's The One and Only Ivan and Rosanne Parry's A Wolf Called Wander."--School Library Journal, starred review A middle grade graphic novel adventure based on a true story, about a young conservationist who overcomes the odds to save and return a sun bear to its natural habitat.
A stunning graphic novel filled with gorgeous, whimsical illustrations about an imaginative girl and a bright pink feather that leads to a journey with a baby flamingo. The Flamingo is a tale of imagination, reunions, and connection that readers are sure to reach for again and again.
Perfect for readers of Song for a Whale and Counting by 7s, a neurodivergent girl campaigns for a memorial when she learns that her small Scottish town used to burn witches simply because they were different. "A must-read for students and adults alike." -School Library Journal, Starred Review
Thirteen-year-old Daisy Woodward loves insects, running track, and hanging out with her older brother, Sorrel, who has Down syndrome and adores men's fashion. If Daisy has any hope of changing the world, she'll have to regain her family's trust and face her fears of public speaking to find her own unique and powerful voice.
From New York Times bestselling author Gale Galligan, a fun, high-energy graphic novel about friendship, family, and the last hurrahs of middle school.
When an extraordinary flying theme park arrives above Atlanta, one boy must stop a sinister force from stealing the park's tech and taking over the world. Perfect for fans of Spider-Man- Miles Morales. "Hold on tight, Futureland will be the ride of your life . . . and maybe the last!"
One fateful night a sinister human warrior raids the home of the young goblin Rikt and leaves him orphaned. Angry and alone, Rikt vows to avenge the death of his parents and seeks a way to destroy the man who did this.
"A refreshing, imaginative take on a cyberpunk future, filled with wickedly cool technology and unraveling intrigue!" ...this thrilling, cinematic sci-fi novel follows Hana Hsu's mission to save herself-and her friends-from a dangerous plot to control their minds.
An eighth grader starts a podcast on climate activism and rallies her friends to create lasting change in their local community and beyond, in this companion to Dress Coded. When Mary Kate Murphy joins a special science pilot program focused on climate change, the class opens her eyes to lots of things she never noticed before ...
From the wild and wonderful imagination of the author of Dragons Love Tacos comes this hilarious, irresistible debut collection of six totally different stories with the same exact name. So grab a cup or a cone, and watch out for brain freeze! You'll definitely want to save room for this treat.
A family feud before the start of seventh grade propels Meilan from Boston's Chinatown to rural Ohio, where she must tap into her inner strength and sense of justice to make a new place for herself in this resonant debut.
The riveting story of a heroic girl who fights for her belief that water should be for everyone.
A beautifully written and pacy teen fantasy adventure, set in a world of flying ships, sky cities and powerful paper spirits. Inspired by Asian cultures and exploring themes of empire, slavery and freedom.
A love letter to Syria and its people, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow is a speculative novel set amid the Syrian Revolution, burning with the fires of hope, love, and possibility. Perfect for fans of The Book Thief and Salt to the Sea.
What happens when you mix 1 (accidental) murder with 2 thousand wedding guests, and then toss in a possible curse on 3 generations of an immigrant Chinese-Indonesian family? You get 4 meddling Asian aunties coming to the rescue!
A dazzling debut novel set against the backdrop of the Chinese Exclusion Act, about a Chinese girl fighting to claim her place in the 1880s American West Daiyu never wanted to be like the tragic heroine for whom she was named, revered for her beauty and cursed with heartbreak. Steeped in untold history and Chinese folklore, this novel is a spellbinding feat.
In this "unforgettable" novel for fans of Ibi Zoboi and Erika L. Sánchez (SLJ, starred review), two sisters in Nigeria are separated--one in the lap of luxury, the other fighting for a chance to thrive--in this award-winning novel where the line between family and foe is blurred.
When five Dublin teenagers arrive at a rural coastal college to cram for their final exams, their most pressing concern is the prospect of a month with no partying. Little do they know that one of them will never make it back home . . .
A page-turning and gripping thriller with a shocking twist, Rock Paper Killers is perfect for fans of Riverdale, One of Us is Lying and We Were Liars.
This sparkling K-drama inspired debut novel introduces irrepressibly charming teen Chloe Chang, who is reunited with her deceased father's estranged family via a DNA test, and is soon whisked off to Seoul to join them... Could joining the Noh family be worse than having no family at all?
A groundbreaking short story collection that explores the expanse of Chinese science fiction and fantasy. In The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, you can dine at a restaurant at the end of the universe, cultivate to immortality in the high mountains, watch roses perform Shakespeare, or arrive at the island of the gods on the backs of giant fish to ensure that the world can bloom.