Each year since 2015 the 100Grannies have been donating books to the Iowa City Consolidated School District. The teachers and librarians at the schools make the book selection and 100Grannies funds their choices. The books selected for 2026 are shown below. The Grannies presented the books to the teachers on Tuesday, May 19 at 3:30 pm at Longfellow School.
High schools:
How to Survive the End of the World: A Graphic Exploration of How to (Maybe) Avoid Extinction, by Katy Doughty (4)
In a full-color debut, a graphic novelist takes an engrossing, gleefully existential deep dive into the many ways that humanity could—and almost did—meet its end.
Since 99.9 percent of all species that have lived are extinct, it’s bound to be our turn eventually, right? So, what’s most likely to kill us? A well-timed asteroid? Some new robot overlords? With wit and dry humor, debut graphic novelist Katy Doughty blends science and history to explore our chances of surviving disasters such as plagues, global warming, and alien invasion. Drawing on interviews with experts in fields like infectious diseases, AI, and interplanetary exploration, she combines cutting-edge research with compelling visuals: mugshots of the deadliest microbes, graphs of the winners and losers of mass extinction events, and a whole lot of dinosaur drawings. For apocalypse aficionados, the morbidly curious, and the just plain curious, this is your antidote to existential dread—a timely, imaginative, and ultimately hopeful take on humankind’s ability to survive the odds.
Middle Schools:
A Better World Is Possible: Global Youth Confront the Climate Crisis, by Meera Subramanian (3)
A Better World Is Possible is a comprehensive and graphic novel guide on climate change and what you can do about it.
As climate change quickens―bringing with it extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and humanitarian crises―four teens help organize the world’s largest climate protest. Hundreds of thousands join them, taking to the streets of New York City and demanding answers. How did climate change get this bad? Who’s to blame? And most importantly: What can we do about it?
In their stunning graphic novel, New York Times best-selling illustrator Danica Novgorodoff and award-winning environmental journalist Meera Subramanian share experiences from their lives and those of the four youth activists. Through their stories, we learn the science behind our changing planet and explore solutions at hand. They show us that anyone can make meaningful change, because a better world is possible―and together, we can create it!
Elementary Schools:
I’m a Cloud, by Tjitske Kamphuis (7)
Follow along as this friendly cloud shows you all the different ways they change throughout the days and seasons. From a fluffy cumulus to a wispy cirrus, pouring rain or pink under the light of the sunset―mesmerizing art perfectly captures the ways clouds are constantly transforming all around us, and helps readers learn the names of these distinct cloud types.
Spare, yet informative, text makes I’m a Cloud the perfect primer for introducing little ones to the beauty of the natural world. Be prepared to want to go cloud gazing after this gorgeous read!
The Colors of Nature, by Catherine Barr (9)
Boldly illustrated and filled with fun nature facts, this nonfiction picture book invites readers to explore the dazzling colors of our world.
Uncover the wonders of nature with this spectacular exploration of the colors of our world by expert conservation author Catherine Barr and incredible illustrator Chaaya Prabhat.
Did you know that some lizards have poisonous lime green blood and bones? Or that octopuses flush red when angry? Or that tigers actually look green to deer?
With a different color from the rainbow revealed on every page, this gorgeous book is a feast for the eyes! Whether they love brilliant blue, fiery orange, or earthy brown, young readers will delight in this vivid celebration of color.
Leave the Trees, Please, by Benjamin Zephaniah (1)
A gorgeously illustrated picture book that celebrates our connections to nature and to each other while empowering young readers to help protect the earth, from a beloved British poet, musician, actor, and activist.
In this powerful love letter to nature, a child who befriends a tree grows up and fights to protect it. With its spare, lyrical text; sumptuous illustrations; and back matter about trees, oxygen, and the carbon cycle, this inviting, inspiring call to save our planet is perfect for Earth Day, and every day.
Prunella, by Beth Ferry (1)
From New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry comes a fantastical and unforgettable picture book about an unusual girl whose purple thumb helps her cultivate a truly macabre garden.
When Prunella is born with a purple thumb instead of a green one like her parents, everyone’s stumped. What could it mean? Before long, they find out. Prunella prefers corpse flowers to carnations, fungi to ferns, and poison ivy to petunias. The stickier and scarier the plant, the more Prunella loves it.
And if her poisonous and noxious garden keeps the other neighborhood kids away, it’s probably for the best. But then one day, a curious weed of a different sort pops up…
Should prickly Prunella uproot this tentative new friendship or allow it to flower?
When You Find the Right Rock, by Mary Lyn Ray (3)
A marvelous exploration of the special relationship children find with the natural world and the fascination and friendship they find in special rocks, from poet Mary Lyn Ray and artist Felicita Sala.
Somewhere, a rock is waiting for you. One just the right color for your windowsill, or just the right shape for drawing a face.
Maybe it is a rock from the heart of a mountain that will remind you of how big YOU are inside, too. Maybe it is a rock washed by the sea that knows all about the backs and forths and ups and downs of things. Maybe it is a small rock, just the right size to close your hand around and know that the rock is with you and it is just right.
Through vibrant illustration and evocative text, When You Find the Right Rock carries readers along on a journey of discovery, from the mountains to the sea, that’s all about learning the beauty of being in the moment, connecting with nature, and the thrill of finding a precious keepsake to call your own.