Early Reader Pick: Super Gross: What's That Smell?

Super Gross: What's That Smell?

Ready-To-Read Level Two

by Ximena Hastings

Illustrated by Alison Hawkins

Simon Spotlight

2022

32 pages

9781665920766

Complete with a glossary, What's That Smell is a colorful, entertaining and fact-filled book easily accessible for early and reluctant readers. Kids who love gross stuff and kids who love stinky stuff will be especially excited to read this book. 

Short chapters cover the difference between a human's sense of smell and a dog's, super stinky animals and plants, stinky odors caused by bacteria on/in the human body, and of course farts (gas). There's even a Stinky Sock Experiment for young scientists to try. 

Illlustrations, color pictures, speech and thought bubbles are well-thought out and help deliver the content for struggling readers. Super Gross: What's That Smell is a solid non-fiction read. The Super Gross series consists of three books thus far. 

Recommended grade 1 and up. This book would be a solid and fun book in beginning science and health classes. 

Picture Book Pick: King Kong's Cousin

 King Kong's Cousin

by Mark Teague

Illustrations by the author 

Beach Lane Books

Simon & Schuster

2022

40 pages

ISBN: 9781665912303

Kong is the most gigantic gorilla in the world: when he takes a bath, it's in the NY harbor. He wrestles dinosaurs. He's as big as a huge apartment building. Junior looks up (literally) to his cousin Kong. Junior does exercises and eats his bamboo, but he doesn't get any bigger. 

Junior's mother tells him not to worry; someday he'll be big and strong too, Junior sees his cousin Kong become famous: he's on broadway, in movies and even the marshal of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

One day Bernice the cat cries out from the top of a tree. Junior must save his friend! He goes into action and pulls Bernice to safety. Back on the ground, Junior realizes he rescued Bernice and he feels a little bit bigger. 

Classic Teague humor and fantastic illustrations of each character capture the heart of this picture book. It would be hard to compare Mark Teague to any other author/illustrator. Teague is simply the BEST. 

Highly, highly recommended for all young readers. A heartfelt book! 

Early Reader Graphic Novel Pick: Figgy & Boone: Best Brother Ever!

 

Figgy & Boone: Best Brother Ever

by Janee Trasler 

Illustrations by the author

Ready-To-Read Graphics

Simon Spotlight

2022

64 pages

ISBN: 9781665914499

On sale date September 27, 2022 

The opening page uses Figgy the mouse to teach parents and young readers how to read a graphic novel including what speech bubbles and panels are with instructions to read top to bottom. 

Figgy and Boone are lovable characters; Figgy has convinced himself that Boone is his brother. Boone points out Figgy is a mouse and Boone is a rat, so they cannot be brothers. Figgy argues that they both have big ears and pointy noses, but Boone says they are more like cousins. Soon, Figgy goes in search of his new brother finding a hamster, a turtle, a stink bug and even a doll. 

Next, things get wild when Figgy brings home a kitten. He's convinced the little cat is his brother until Boone tells him that cats are not their friends. Boone saves the day when he outsmarts the adult cat who grabs Figgy, and Boone accepts Figgy as his brother. 

A cute story about found family and fitting in, Figgy & Boone will be a childhood favorite for many young readers. 

Highly recommended for beginning readers. 

Picture Book Pick: Bessie the Motorcycle Queen (Non-fiction biography)

 

Bessie the Motorcycle Queen

by Charles R. Smith Jr.

Illustrated by Charlot Kristenson 

Orchard Books

An Imprint of Scholastic

2022 

40 pages

ISBN: 9781338752472

On sale date: September 20, 2022

Bessie the Motorcycle Queen is a non-fiction biography of one of the most amazing women in American history, yet little is written about her and most people have never heard of Bessie Stringfield,  Her childhood years aren't well documented. Some sources say she was born in Jamaica, others sources say the American South. Her birth year is also in question. But once she got her first motorcycle, she left her mark. 

Bessie crisscrossed America in the 1920s and 1930s alone on a motorcycle. Traveling as a black woman in the segregated South with Jim Crow laws was an even bigger feat. She toured the countryside, often sleeping on her bike as she could not stay in hotels or inns. 

Bessie loved her bike and entered races across the country. People always wanted to know her story: how she got started, where'd she learn to ride like that, where she was going next. Bessie loved performing and traveling. In WWII, Bessie rode her motorcycle for the Army as a dispatch rider carrying documents to military bases. 

Later, Bessie moved to Florida and founded the Iron Horse Motorcycle Club. Bessie died in 1993 leaving her mark in history as a spirited, independent woman way ahead of her own time. 

Highly, highly recommended for any picture book collection and biography section. Bessie's story should be shared and well documented. 

Book includes a bibliography, a list of sources and a page of "Bessie's Story." 

Grades 1-5 and reluctant readers of any age. 

Board Book Pick: The Thank You Book

 

The Thank You Book 

by Dana Smith

Illustrated by Juliana Perdomo 

Little Simon

an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

2022 

24 pages

ISBN: 9781665902922

The Thank You Book is the perfect board book for little hands and hearts. There are so many ways to say "thank you" that go beyond the words. 

The author includes people we see every day that we may not think to say thank you to: police officers, crossing guards, mail carriers, teachers and even the people who pick up our refuse (intentionally using a term more polite than garbage collector here). 

Colorful illustrations by Juliana Perdomo show caring and happy children sharing toys, freshly baked cookies, a flower and their own artwork. It's nice to wave at workers who help keep our cities clean and roads safe. This sweet book shows little ones that there are many ways to say thank you besides the words alone. 

The Thank You Book is perfect to instill gratitude and teach the lesson of giving back to others. 

Highly recommended as a first reader. 

Graphic Novel Pick: Creepover: Truth or Dare...

 

Creepover: The Graphic Novel

Truth or Dare...

by P.J. Night

Illustrations by Ornofio Orlando

At Glass House Graphics

Simon Spotlight 

Simon & Schuster Children's Pubishing Division 

2022 

160 pages

ISBN: 9781665915649

Available September 27, 2022

Fans of Goosebumps, Stranger Things and Are You Afraid of the Dark? will love this new series of graphic novels. Truth or Dare is the first in the series and delivers brilliant cover design, spooky themed  end papers and decorated book spine complete with the number '1" in a splotch of what could be blood tell young readers this is the first book.

Full color vibrant illustrations  by Ornofio Orlando are brilliant! If the publisher uses this artist for the entire series, it's a guaranteed win for everyone, including lucky readers. 

Truth or Dare is a game played by a group of four friends at a sleepover.When it's her turn, Abby chooses Truth and confesses she likes Jake. Leah sends Jake a text on behalf of Abby. When that text causes an anonymous threat text, Abby is terrified. She can't believe it's a text sent by a ghost, but who else would be mad if Jake has a new girlfriend?

When Jake asks Abby to the school dance, the threat level ramps up. Abby enlists BFF Leah to help her contact the ghost of Sara, Jake's old girlfriend who died the previous year. If it is Sara, there must be some way of allowing her closure to complete whatever is holding her spirit in Riverdale. 

Age appropriate spookiness with twists and turns will keep younger readers guessing. Creepover may be the next BIG graphic book series for upper elementary and middle school. 

Recommended grade 4 and up. 

Graphic Pick: Bunnicula: The Graphic Novel

 

Bunnicula: The Graphic Novel

by James Howe and Andrew Donkin

based on the novel by Deborah and James Howe

Illustated by Stephen Gilpin

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Simon & Schuster

2022

128 pages

ISBN: 9781534421615

Graphic novel readers will love Bunnicula! 

The Monroe family finds a little bunny on a seat in a darkened movie theater when they go see "Dracula."  Toby and Pete beg their parents to let them take the bunny home. The parents agree and introduce Harold the dog and Chester the cat to their new roommate. 

Harold is less than thrilled to see the new bunny. Told from Harold's point of view, Bunnicula is that rare graphic novel that will resonate with dog lovers and any kid with a funny bone. Chester the cat is quite the literary reader. Once the family goes to bed for the night Chester reads their books. His favorites are mystery and horror which help fuel his imagination. 

Chester is convinced the new bunny is indeed a vampire! He has all the traits that vampires do: he sleeps all day, he hates garlic and he avoids sunlight. Chester stays up all night to catch Bunnicula in the act of doing something vampire-y, but all it does is make him sleep deprived. Harold continues to tell the story of Chester's attempt to unmask the true identity of the new bunny. 

Cute premise, silly banter, an educated cat and a dog who writes stories add to the whimsical tale. 

A must read for any comic buff and graphic novel lover. Grade 4 and up. Bunnicula should be in every library collection: elementary, middle school and high school. Excellent for reluctant readers! 

Highly, highly recommended. 

YA Pick: Our Shadows Have Claws

 Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American Monster Stories 

Edited by Yamile Saled Mendez and Amparo Ortiz

Illustrations by Ricardo Lopez Ortiz 

Algonquin 

2022 

448 pages

ISBN: 9781643751832

On sale September 6, 2022 

Kirkus Review called Our Shadows Have Claws "bloodcurdling." 

Stunning, lush in detail, and filled with things that go bump in the night, Our Shadows Have Claws will scare the heck out of you! 

Our Shadows Have Claws is a fantastic collection of stories from Latin America. From zombies to shape shifters, YA authors Julia Alvarez, Caribel A. Ortega, Lilliam Rivera and others explore the myths, folk tales and stories that YA readers will devour (pun intended). Stories are fast-paced and creepy keeping readers on the edge of their seats. 

Cover art make this book pop on the shelf. This is the best YA anthology I've read this year. Sure to have wide appeal with the horror fans and excellent for reluctant readers, Our Shadows Have Claws will likely be one of the most loved books in any YA library collection. If you're a librarian, be warned. Our Shadows Have Claws will be checked out constantly. Place one copy in your story collection, but make sure you feature the book on the circulation desk, in book talks and have multiple copies on hand. 

Algonquin has done it again: published the best of the absolute best! Our Shadows Have Claws is a real winner. This anthology is a heavy favorite for all book prizes this year. You MUST HAVE, MUST READ Our Shadows Have Claws. 

Highly, highly recommended and my favorite for Book of the Year!