All Booked Up | Future Planning (May 2026)

A few of our favorite books about planning for the future for this month's All Booked Up reading challenge. Not seeing anything you like? Browse more books about jobs, careers, and the future in the library catalog in English or español, or request a personalized recommendation from library staff.

BONUS! Let us know what book you read for a chance to win free ice cream from Mike's Drive In and a book to keep.

All Booked Up is a partnership between the Oregon City Public Library and OCSD connecting literacy, family engagement, and school attendance for student success.

Updated March 29, 2026
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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What can I do when I grow up? : a young person's guide to careers, money - and the future
Paper Book
A practical and inspiring children's guide to money, careers, and the future. Children frequently ask what they should be when they grow up. Surrounded by adults whose jobs seem to define them, they learn to expect simple answers, like "a doctor," or "a teacher, '' or "a lawyer."<...

More than an exploration of different careers, this guide helps kids to explore ideas about the world of work, including purpose, economy, monetary satisfaction, and new industries that may arise. (Children's Nonfiction)

The Future Book
Barnett, Mac
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Every other book was written in the past. But this book? This book was written in the future. Do you want to know what the future is like? Turn the pages to get a glimpse at the world of tomorrow and its unexpected words, strange social customs, and mind...

Take a peek into the future and its amazing sights, sounds, words, and customs with author extraordinaire Mac Barnett. (Picture Book)

Stella Díaz leaps to the future
Dominguez, Angela
Paper Book
From award-winning author Angela Dominguez, the fifth and final novel about Stella Díaz, a Mexican-American girl who is now ready to be at the top of her school--fifth grade! Stella is getting ready for her next big step. This year, she's a fifth grader, which...

Book 5 in the series, Stella is excited to finally be a 5th grader, until she realizes that growing up isn't so easy after all. As she prepares for middle school an other big changes, she must get over her fear of the future and look for all of its exciting possibilities. (Children's Fiction)

Splat the cat gets a job!
Driscoll, Laura
Paper Book
You know Splat the Cat from his bestselling picture books and phonics fun in Level One readers. Now get ready to graduate with Splat into Level Two readers! This all-new I Can Read features splat-tastic inventions as Splat tries his paw at a new job--newspaper cat. Splat is so...

While the era of paper boys and girls is long behind us, Splat the Cat shows readers the ins and outs of a first job--with humorous results. (Early Reader)

I want to be an artist
Driscoll, Laura
Paper Book
A Level 1 I Can Read story for the child who says, "I want to be an artist when I grow up!" And for any child interested in the many ways people can have a career making art. Visit art shows and workspaces with Papa and his grandchild, soaking in all the art along the way, in...

The I Want to Be series of early readers shows kids exploring a variety of popular careers. (Early Reader)

Your future is bright
Finkle, Corey
Paper Book
Celebrate the boundless possibilities of the future with this uplifting picture book about the potential in every child, perfect for fans of Oh, the Places You'll Go! and The Wonderful Things You Will Be. Today is a triumph! It's awesome! You're great!

Lyrical, rhyming text encourages kids to dream big and consider all the exciting pathways that lead to an exciting future. (Picture Book)

Crystal ball fortunes
Haydu, Corey Ann
Paper Book
The best-friend-cousins at 86½ Twenty-Third Avenue are back for a party! With adorable illustrations and short, easy-to-read chapters, this second installment in the Hand-Me-Down Magic series is perfect for fans of Ivy and Bean and Dory Fantasmagory. Alma's birthday gift for...

Wouldn't it be nice to have a crystal ball that could tell you exactly what the future holds? When Alma sees something frightening in her crystal ball, her cousin Del becomes convinced disaster is right around the corner. (Bridging Fiction)

Old enough to make a difference
Hui, Rebecca
Paper Book
In social entrepreneur Rebecca Hui's Old Enough to Make a Difference, meet 12 enterprising and inspiring kids from around the world who have started businesses to help people and the planet, featuring full-color illustrations by Anneli Bray. Calling all...

Be inspired by the stories of 12 kids who used their passions and skills to start businesses that make the world a better place. (Children's Nonfiction)

What we'll build : plans for our together future
Jeffers, Oliver
Paper Book
An instant New York Times bestseller! From Oliver Jeffers, world-renowned picture book creator and illustrator of The Crayons' Christmas, comes a gorgeously told father-daughter story and companion to the #1 New York Times bestseller Here We Are!<...

A father and daughter use their imaginations--and some tools--to build a kinder future together. (Picture Book)

Restart
Korman, Gordon.
Paper Book
The amazing New York Times bestseller about what you can do when life gives you a second chance. Chase's memory just went out the window. Chase doesn't remember falling off the roof. He doesn't remember hitting his head. He doesn't, in fact, remember anything. He wakes...

A middle schooler with amnesia charts a new future after learning that he used to be a bully. (Young Teen Fiction)

Also available as an e-book in the Libby app.

The next scientist : the unexpected beginnings and unwritten future of the world's greatest scientists
Messner, Kate
Paper Book
How does a kid grow up to become a scientist? This enthralling nonfiction picture book from New York Times bestselling author Kate Messner explores the unexpected beginnings behind some of the most fascinating discoveries in scientific history. ...

This nonfiction books reads like a story as you explore the lives of world-changing scientists and discover what they did as kids: the same things as you! That means you also have the potential to change the world! (Children's Nonfiction)

Also available as an audiobook in the Libby app.

Be the change : the future is in your hands
Moyle, Eunice
Paper Book
"an inspirational coach...Kids will close this book energized and empowered..." --Kirkus Reviews "...a crafty addition to collections about advocacy for the tween set."--School Library Journal "...overflows with ideas for budding activists and...

A guide with practical tips and strategies for young people to take social action and bring about the changes they want to see for a better future. (Children's Nonfiction)

A batch made in heaven
Nelson, Suzanne
Paper Book
Scrumptious recipes... a family secret... and one smart cookie ready for a challenge! Mina is excited to start her mentorship at A Batch Made in Heaven, the bakery in her hometown that's famous for their inventive cookies. Mina dreams of becoming a baker herself someday. But there's a problem....

An ambitious baker encounters secrets and a first crush as she prepares for a cookie competition in Seattle. (Young Teen Fiction)

Future vision : stories of our brilliant tomorrow
Rogers, Cathy (Cathy Jane)
Paper Book
Children are taken on a journey into the year 2070 to a world transformed by technology, sustainability, and global initiatives. From traffic-free cities and carbon-free energy to eco-friendly homes and developments in space exploration, readers are invited to imagine the...

Step into the year 2070 and be inspired by what the future may hold from technology to housing to ecological impact. (Children's Nonfiction)

Jobs of the future : imaginative careers for forward-thinking kids
Rossi, Sofia E.
Paper Book
A fun and imaginative guide to futurist STEAM careers that will inspire middle-grade readers to dream big and envision a better world. From chemistry and climatology to robotics and the arts, Jobs of the Future imagines professions that may one day be essential to...

A guidebook that explores possible future professions in a changing world that inspires kids to consider jobs that may benefit our future world. (Children's Nonfiction)

Awesome orange birthday
Ruths, Mitali Banerjee
Paper Book
In this full-color early chapter book series, Priya starts a party-planning business to help save the planet -- one party at a time! Pick a book. Grow a Reader! This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to...

Priya starts a party-planning business to raise money for endangered animals in the Party Diaries series opener. A great choice for young entrepreneurs who love The Baby-Sitters Club and PAWS.

The children's book of the future
Tidhar, Lavie
Paper Book
An illustrated, imaginative exploration of future technology and science for children that carries a message of hope and optimism. This narrative non-fiction book offers an inclusive and hopeful vision of the future for children aged 7-9, taking inspiration from the latest...

A hopeful and inspiring look at the possibilities that the future holds in the fields of science and technology. (Children's Nonfiction)

Front desk
Yang, Kelly
Paper Book
Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao,...

In 1990s Anaheim, an elementary school girl helps her immigrant parents work in a hotel while pursuing her dream of being a writer. The first book in a popular series inspired by the author's childhood experiences. (Children's Fiction)

Also available in large print, as a CD audiobook, and as an e-book & digital audiobook in the Libbyapp.


There must be more than that!
Yoshitake, Shinsuke
Paper Book
What does the future hold? This question can be daunting - or delightfully promising! It's all about perspective, and wading past the bad to embrace the possibility of good. The Boring Book's Shinsuke Yoshitake is back with a thought-provoking picture book for our times. With 'bad news'...

Told by her brother that the future is bleak, a young girl is encouraged by her grandmother to imagine the endless possibilities available to future generations--and her opportunity to help make them a reality! (Picture Book)


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