Biblio File

PokeBooks for Pokémon GO

All aboard the PokeBandwagon!

As we collectively obsess over Pokémon Go—wandering around, staring into our phones, trying to catch Zubats and Charmanders without breaking our ankles—many players are winding up at local libraries. And as freely available public spaces, libraries hold a special position in the game.

(Pokémon are running rampant at the New York Public Library, by the way. Some of our librarians and their giant bull-things are already the kings of their branches' virtual gyms.)

pokegym

NYPL has dozens of Pokémon books on the shelves, but we also wanted to connect the spirit of the game with the spirit of discovery in books! This list features books for readers of all ages that capture the experience of finding new things in your familiar surroundings.

ocean

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The world of fantasy transforms a familiar setting in this slim novel about the pond near the narrator’s childhood home, which may be a gateway to an entirely new world.

 

 

 

 

 

reach

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Time-travelling notes from the past and the future make the narrator of this trippy book feel like a stranger in her own surroundings.

 

 

 

 

 

looking

On Looking by Alexandra Horowitz
A psychology professor leads readers on 11 urban walks with "expert eyes" and finds different interpretations of the world.

 

 

 

 

 

curious

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
Liam's city looks colorless and bleak, until he begins to water a seed by the train tracks and starts to spread color (and a new perspective).

 

 

 

 

crazy

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Delphine and her sisters were transported from Brooklyn to Oakland in 1968 and thrust into an entirely new situation: a summer camp run by the Black Panthers.

 

 

 

 

 

gelato

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
After Lina’s mother dies, she moves in with her father and discovers Florence while she’s also discovering herself.

 

 

 

 

 

rosie

Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins
In this book for the youngest children, a fox trails Rosie around her neighborhood and sees a completely different scene than she does.

 

 

wonderstruck

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
After Ben loses his hearing, he leaves Minnesota to live with his father in New York City, and he learns to look at the world in a whole new way.

 

 

 

 

 

henry's map

Henry's Map by David Elliott
A highly organized pig decides to make a map of his farm, which leads to the discovery of a big secret.

 

 

 

 

ants

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
Henry’s keeps getting abducted by aliens who drop him in unexpected places—in various states of undress—and force him to find his way home.
 

 

 

 

 

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Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!