Welcome to the Spotlight

Here you’ll find some of our favorite new books. Be sure to check back often for new recommendations!

Tell us what you think! Use our Paw Scale to rate the books from 1 – 5 paws and enter your beary own review!

Zoey and the Magical Bear, by zoeyrocks/Illustrated by Build-A-Bear Workshop, Tikatok

Zoey creates a bear named Gabriella at her Build-A-Bear Workshop store, and discovers that it is a magical bear. Not only does the bear give her a lifetime of hugs and fun, but when Zoey falls asleep each night she dreams of Gabriella coming to life and talking to her! They have many adventures in Build-A-Bearville with their friends. Zoey and the Magical Bear was created by an imaginative young writer on Tikatok.com, a website where kids can write, share, and publish their own books using Build-A-Bear Workshop artwork. Find out how you can create your own book.
Paw Rating:
Reader's Reviews
I love it when kids use their imaginations to write books about their Build-A-Bear Workshop furry friends.
Bearemy, age 9
I agree with Bearemy. Writing is lots of fun, and so is reading!
T-Man, age 11
Zoey is one of my friends online, as well as on a forum, and she is a very kind person with a vibrant personality! It wasn´t at all a surprise to see that she could write beautiful weaves of adventure and tales of excitement with words!
AnnaSassy124, age 12
kids should write what they imagine and this book is an amazing book.
nancy, age 9
this is a very nice book. i will want to read it.
monica, age 11
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Fiona’s Luck, by Teresa Bateman/Illustrated by Kelly Murphy, Charlesbridge

The greedy Leprechaun King has locked away all the luck in Ireland and the whole country has fallen in to despair. Through clever charades, Fiona outwits the Leprechaun King and restores luck to the land. Publishers Weekly calls it “plucky,” and Kirkus Reviews says it “exudes Irish flare.”
Paw Rating:
Reader's Reviews
I love that Fiona is clever enough to outsmart the Leprechaun King, even though she’s just a kid! The pictures in this book are really pretty.
Bearemy, age 9
this book was sooooooooo cool when i red it my fave bit was at the end
nadya, age 9
I HAVE NOT READ IT BUT I CAN LOOK AT THE COVER AND TELL IT IS AWLSOME
spiderman roller coaster, age 10
I thought this book was so cool.
Jade, age 11
i thought it was cool
samantha, age 9
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The Rain Stomper, by Addie Boswell/Illustrated by Eric Velasquez, Marshall Cavendish

Today is the day of the big neighborhood parade. Baton twirler Jazmin is ready to lead the way for the dogs and kids, music and fun. But then the clouds crowd in. The sky darkens. Thunder roars. And the rain begins. SLAP clatter clatter SLAP SLAP! Is Jazmin’s parade ruined? Or can she use her spirit, her fearless energy, and her mighty baton to save the day? Award-winning illustrator Eric Velasquez’s artwork in oil paint on watercolor paper is a perfect complement to debut author Addie Boswell’s lyrical, rhythmic words.
Paw Rating:
Reader's Reviews
I thought it was really awesome to see how Jazmin made the sun come out just in time for the big parade! This book has lots of words that were fun to read out loud. Rat-a-tap-tap!
Bearemy, age 9
This is in an aswome story made.MY whole family loves it very much. YOU ROCK YOU GET A A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A+A+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love the story.... GOOD ASWOME COOL LOVEIT SO VERY ASWOME VERYGOOD VERY COOLI LIKE TO STOMPIN RAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
STACY, age 7
it looks fun when you jump in the puddles!
Cynthia, age 9
i think ti´s a really good book
Faisaun P, age 11
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Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life, by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm/Illustrated by Molly Bang, The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic

A simply told, beautifully-illustrated introduction to photosynthesis, showing how energy on Earth comes from the sun.
Paw Rating:
Reader's Reviews
The pictures are so cool! I learned about how sunlight is used by plants. I didn’t know that people, plants and the sun are all so connected, but they really are! I like that there is a story and real science, too.
Bearemy, age 9
when i first looked at it it seemed really boring and now that i have read it is PAWSOME!And i like the pictures too!
manahill, age 10
Julianna, age 6
Julianna, age 6
it isss amazinggg!
yadi, age 17
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Clovis Crawfish and Simeon Suce-Fleur, by Mary Alice Fontenot/Illustrated by Scott R. Blazek, Pelican Publishing Company, Inc.

It's springtime in south Louisiana, or is it? Clovis Crawfish isn't about to wait around in his mudhouse to find out! He sticks his head and whiskers outside the opening to his mudhouse and finds Rosalie Redbird and Christophe Cricket singing about the arrival of le printemps (spring). But if spring has arrived, where are Rene' Rainfrog, Gaston Grasshopper, and Josette June Bug? Clovis decides to head for the swamp to find out. There he meets Simeon Suce-Fleur, a tiny hummingbird who is looking for threads to build her nest, and wise old Henri Hibou (Henry Owl), who warns Clovis that it is not yet spring. When tiny flakes of snow begin to fall, Clovis discovers that Henri Hibou was right, and dashes back to the warmth of his mudhole.
Paw Rating:
Reader's Reviews
I love all the different animals in this book. It’s such a good story, and I learned some French words, too!
Bearemy, age 9
i love this book it is great better then great.
paige, age 8
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Freshman for President, by Ally Condie, Shadow Mountain Publishing

Freshman for President tells a surprisingly plausible story of a teenager who runs for president to gather attention to youth issues. As the media starts to report on his write-in campaign, it gives him a boost of support that results in the political education of a lifetime. Not only does he have to redefine who Milo J. Wright really is, but he also must decide what winning and losing really mean.
Paw Rating:
Reader's Reviews
A kid for president? Now that’s my kind of book. Anything is possible.
Bearemy, age 9
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Our Abe Lincoln, by Jim Aylesworth/Illustrated by Barbara McClintock, Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic

The story of Lincoln and his presidential campaign, told through a school play, using the words of a popular song of the period. Music and recipe included.
Paw Rating:
Reader's Reviews
I like that the story started off with Abe Lincoln as a kid, like me - maybe I will be president one day! It is a song, so reading it is really fun. I learned a lot about Abe Lincoln’s life that I didn’t know before.
Bearemy, age 9
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You Can Be President (Or Anything Else), by Bob Moore, Pelican Publishing Company, Inc.

Written to motivate young people unsure of their future, You Can Be President (Or Anything Else) is a challenging and highly readable guide for anyone seeking to take charge of their life. Thousands have benefited from reading this book, now in its fourth printing with more than ten thousand copies in print. Drawing examples from the lives of famous people, motivation expert Bob Moore shows how any individual can take charge of his or her destiny. He demonstrates how basic elements-enthusiasm, patience, self-confidence-can be used to improve anyone's life. With the clear, step-by-step program outlined in this book, Moore shows the importance of attitude and expectations.
Paw Rating:
Reader's Reviews
This book is so motivational! It really makes me feel excited about my future because if I believe in myself, I can be whatever I want.
Bearemy, age 9
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Hail to the Chief, by Don Robb/Illustrated by Alan Witschonke, Charlesbridge

Although we know the president of the United States as the person who runs the government of our nation, do we know what the responsibilities of the president actually are? And, do we understand what effect his actions have? Hail to the Chief: The American Presidency investigates the office of the presidency and its power. It details how this job was inaugurated, how it has changed over time, and why the person in this position is considered one of the most important and powerful leaders in the world.
Paw Rating:
Reader's Reviews
I love learning about the government, so this book is a real treat! I learned so much from reading it!
Bearemy, age 9
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First Dog Fala, by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk/Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery, Peachtree Publishers

Author Elizabeth Van Steenwyk offers young readers a glimpse into American history and the life of President Franklin D. Roosevelt through the story of a loyal dog, Fala. Michael G. Montgomery’s full-color illustrations capture the indomitable spirit of Fala and the nation and president who loved him.
Paw Rating:
Reader's Reviews
Scottish terriers are one of my favorite types of dog! Fala gives us a look into the world of an American president.
Bearemy, age 9
it was a cool book
annabell, age 2
It is a pretty good book and I love the way the author explains it through the eyes of a dog.
sammy, age 12
I LOVE SCOTTISH TERRIERS!!!!! Good book, good book.
Michael, age 12
this is a good book! no manches!
liz, age 9
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March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World, by Christine King Farris/Illustrated by London Ladd, Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic

Martin Luther King's sister gives her personal account of the exciting day when Martin Luther King marched on Washington and delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
Paw Rating:
Reader's Reviews
This book is about history but it makes me feel like I was there, marching for freedom and listening to Martin Luther King Jr. talk! His sister wrote it, so the story was way more personal than in other books about him.
Bearemy, age 9
love ths book and words
markel, age 11
HISTORY!
Darnett, age 10
wow i was awsome
hannah, age 8
i love this so much
Jessica, age 12
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Sweet Land of Liberty, by Deborah Hopkinson/Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins, Peachtree Publishers

On Easter Sunday 1939, Marian Anderson performed at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial in front of a crowd of over 75,000 people. The person largely responsible for putting her there was a white man, Oscar Chapman, assistant secretary of the interior under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. When Chapman learned that Marian Anderson was not allowed to sing at Constitution Hall because of the color of her skin, he took it upon himself to do the impossible: find Marian Anderson an appropriate venue for a concert and make an important statement about equality and the rights of all Americans.
Paw Rating:
Reader's Reviews
This story is really inspiring and shows how one person can make a big difference!
Bearemy, age 9
this is a good book and a nice story
elizabeth, age 10
good book
Reesa, age 10
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After Gandhi: One Hundred Years of Nonviolent Resistance, by Anne Sibley O’Brien and Perry Edmond O’Brien, Charlesbridge Publishing

In 1908 Mohandas Gandhi spoke to a crowd of 3,000. Together they protested against an unjust law without guns or rioting. Peacefully they made a difference. Gandhi’s words and deeds influenced countless others to work toward the goals of freedom and justice through peaceful methods. Mother and son team, Anne Sibley O’Brien and Perry Edmond O’Brien, highlight some of the people and events that Gandhi’s actions inspired. From Rosa Parks to the students at Tiananmen Square to Wangari Maathai, these people have made the world sit up and take notice.
Paw Rating:
Reader's Reviews
It’s so cool that Gandhi inspired so many people and never used violence! This book is great for anyone who wants to know more about history!
Bearemy, age 9
I love this book and I want it
Megan, age 9
IT IS SO COOL
ABBIE, age 9
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Build-A-Bear Workshop extends a special thank you to First Book and The Children's Book Council, Inc. for their partnership and support of Bearemy's Book Club.

The Children's Book Council, Inc. is the nonprofit trade association of United States publishers and packagers of trade books for children and young adults and is the official sponsor of Children's Book Week.