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This Year's Recommended Reading List is Here!

And just in time for those end-of-summer days when you're having trouble finding something to do. Now you can spend it reading some of the great recommendations on this list.

Some books focus on the NIRMV Ongoing Theme: “Celebrate Who Inspires You” and NIRMV 2023 Theme: “Gaining Inspiration from Legacies and Legends.” Remember, you can find and download this years and past reading lists under Remarkable Links.

NIRMV Recommended Reading List Kids Edition nominations can be made anytime via nirmvdetroit@gmail.com.

2023 NIRMV Recommended Reading List Kids Edition

Picture Books (Ages 3-7)

- After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again by Dan Santat
- Children Who Dance in the Rain by Susan Justice
- Going Places by Tonya Bolden
- In Every Life by Marla Frazee
- It Fell from the Sky by Terry Fan
- The Kindest Red: A Story of Hijab and Friendship by Ibtihaj Muhammed and S.K. Ali
- Knight Owl by Christopher Denise
- Lies and Other Tall Tales ~ Collected by Zora Neale Hurston, Adapted by Christopher Myers
- Lily Leads the Way by Margi Preus
- Magnolia Flower by Zora Neale Hurston, Adapted by Ibram X. Kendi
- The Making of Butterflies by Zora Neale Hurston, Adapted by Ibram X. Kendi
- Me and the Family Tree by Carole Weatherford
- Nothing Special by Desiree Cooper
- Parker Shines On: Another Extraordinary Moment by Parker Curry and Jessica Curry
- The Smallest Spot of a Dot: The Little Ways We're Different, the Big Ways We're the Same by Linsey Davis and Michael Tyler
- Sometimes It's Nice to Be Alone by Amy Hest
- The Talk by Alicia D. Williams
- What Does Brown Mean to You? by Ron Grady
- Why a Son Needs a Dad by Gregory E. Lang
- Woo Hoo! You're Doing Great by Sandra Boynton
- Yellow Dog Blues by Alice Faye Duncan
- You Matter to Me by Doyin Richards

Children's Literature/Chapter Books (Ages 8-12)

- Becoming Muhammed Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander
- As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds
- Holler of the Fireflies by David Barclay Moore
- Larger Than Life: The Adventures of American Legendary Heroes by Robert D. San Souci
- Marya Khan and the Fabulous Jasmine Garden by Saadia Faruqi
- Moonwalking by Zetta Elliott
- Not An Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles
- Ode to Nobody by Caroline Brooks DuBois
- The Superteacher Project by Gordon Korman
- Swim Team: Small Waves, Big Changes by Johnnie Christmas
- That Flag by Tameka Fryer Brown
- Virtually Me by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

Middle-Grades (Ages 13-16)

- The 9:09 Project by Mark H. Parsons
- All American Boys by Jason Reynolds
- Briarcliff Prep by Brianna Peppins
- The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
- Miles Morales Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds
- Miles Morales Suspended: A Spider-Man Novel by Jason Reynolds
- Nubia: The Awakening by Omar Epps and Clarence A. Haynes
- This Side of Home by Renée Watson
- You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen

Young Adult (Ages 16-20)

- The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
- They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman
- We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride
- We Weren't Looking to Be Found by Stephanie Kuehn
- When It All Syncs Up by Maya Ameyaw
- What's Coming to Me by Francesca Padilla

Nonfiction (Multiple Ages)

- An American Story by Kwame Alexander (Ages 4-8)
- Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Adapted by Monique Gray Smith (Middle Grade +)
- Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement by Angela Joy (Ages 8-12)
- A Computer Called Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Helped Put Americans on the Moon by Suzanne Slade (Ages 4-8)
- Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask: Young Reader's Edition by Anton Treuer (Ages 13-18)
- How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee by Carole Weatherford (Ages 8-12)
- How to Write a Poem by Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido (Ages Preschool-10)
- Michaels Desserts: Sweets for a Cause Baking Cookbook by Michael C. Platt (Ages 13-17)
- Teen Girl's Survival Guide: How to Make Friends, Build Confidence, Avoid Peer Pressure, Overcome Challenges, Prepare for Your Future, and Just About Everything in Between by Jenn Higgins (Middle Grade +)
- What the Fact?: Finding the Truth in All the Noise by Dr. Seema Yasmin (Ages 13-17)
- Zora!: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston by Dennis Brindell Fradin (Ages 8-12)

Reading Rewards IV

Stay At Home Party Activity Links

Theme: Gaining Inspiration from Legacies and Legends

Date: Saturday, August 5, 2023

Time: Your choice!

Ages: 3 - 17

Please note: NIRMV will not post unsolicited links on this site or respond to inquiries about them.

Legacy and Legendary Escapades

Read on for exciting news about unforgettable experiences of some talented brothers and loyal NIRMV supporters. Feel free to share your summer adventure highlights and photos with “Escapades” on the subject line via nirmvdetroit@gmail.com. They may be selected for posting on nirmvkids.org.

Cooperstown Homerun Adventures Featuring NIRMV Kids Supporters Adonis and Elijah Hines*


Cooperstown, New York

Cooperstown, New York is a popular area for baseball fans and players to visit.

Adonis Hines and Elijah Hines enjoyed visiting National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum with NIRMV Treasurer Director Cynthia Hines, their mother.

Cynthia and Adonis Hines

Cynthia and Elijah Hines

Adonis Hines and the Baseball Utility headed into tournament play right after the high school season was over and did not have a great showing losing 10 to 2. They continued through the tournament winning their next two games making it to bracket play on Sunday. They started off Sunday with another win and were in the championship game where they would play the team they lost to at the beginning of the tournament. The team battled hard and pulled off the upset win to win the championship in walk off fashion 7 to 6. Adonis played well throughout the tournament to help his team win the ship.

Elijah Hines and the South Oakland A’s 12u went down to Cooperstown All Star Village and competed against 64 other teams and came in 15th place. The A’s battled all week turning double plays, hitting home runs and making clutch plays to beat the number one seed in convincing fashion before losing to the Golden Spikes in the round of 16. The A’s had tons of fun and traded a bunch of pins. They were led by their energetic shortstop Elijah Hines.

*Special thanks to NIRMV Treasurer Director Cynthia Hines and enthusiastic NIRMV Supporter Robert Hines for sharing the trip insights, sports stats and photos.

Reading Rewards Stay At Home Party IV

Theme: Gaining Inspiration from Legacies and Legends

Date: Saturday, August 5, 2023

Time: Your choice!

Ages: 3 - 17

To receive an age-appropriate activities kit for the Reading Rewards Stay At Home Party, send the following to nirmvdetroit@gmail.com by Friday, July 14:

Participant(s) name and age(s)
Name and postal address of the adult authorizing participation

Reading Rewards Stay At Home Party flyer (PDF)

Story Walk Debut

NIRMV President Darlene House enjoyed supporting the launch of this fun stroll at Dearborn, Michigan Henry Ford Centennial Library. Visit this area to have fun and get some energetic exercise while participating in activities on the signs.