Non-Fiction Pick: Eleanor Makes Her Mark: How Eleanor Roosevelt Reached Out, Spoke Up, and Changed

Eleanor Makes Her Mark: How Eleanor Roosevelt Reached Out, Spoke Up, and Changed the World

by Barbara Kerley

Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham

Scholastic Press

2020 

48 pages

ISBN: 9780545821629

October 6, 2020

A thorough look at the life and learning of Eleanor Roosevelt and how she refused to be delegated to the background of the White House. Eleanor was constantly learning, traveling and asking questions in order to understand the plight of working people across the country. 

An easy read and reluctant readers will love the picture book approach to biography. 

Recommended grade 2 and up. Middle school ELL students and reluctant readers will find this one a prize. 

Fun Halloween Pick: The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo!

The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo!

by Elaine Bickell

Illustrated by Raymond McGrath

Philomel

Penguin Random House

2020

32 pages

ISBN: 9780593202159

August 18, 2020

The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo! is a Halloween TREAT! 

Little Boo looks sad on the cover for good reason: she's lost her ability to Boo! and without her scary voice, what is a little ghost to do? She runs to Mama Ghost to tell her, but Mama says maybe your nights out scaring are over. Boo won't accept that, so she goes in search of her lost voice. 

She meets Owl, Pigeon, Rooster and Cow who all offer her their own voices of Whoo Whoo, Coo, Cock-A-Doodle-Doo and Moo, but Boo is forlorn until she looks up and sees YOU, the reader! Young kids will love to join in and shout BOO! to help Little Boo!

Fun rhyming text will delight children and funny, whimsical illustrations capture all of Little Boo's emotions as she looks for her lost power. This is one beautiful picture book! The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo! is destined to be the year's best Halloween read-aloud! Great fun! and BOO! 

Highly, highly recommended for ages 2 and up. Kids will beg, "Read it again! Again! Again!"

YA Pick: Dreamwalkers

"Mystical, magical and ethereal...a compelling tale of desert magic, dangerous government secrets, the all-in chemistry of first love and the power to control the world of dreams." --from the cover, Young Adult Books--What We're Reading Now 

Dreamwalkers

by Leslie Rush

Champagne 

2020

355 pages

ISBN: 9781946802606

Available October 20, 2020

 

Mystical, magical, powerful and ethereal, Dreamwalkers is a compelling tale of desert magic, dangerous government secrets, the all-in chemistry of first love and the power to control the world of dreams set in an enchanted land where rugged, often unforgivable, terrain hides danger and government secrets are safe.

Sixteen year old Vivan Night Hawk is working in her mother’s crystal and tarot shop in the tourist-friendly square of tiny Zia, New Mexico. After a worn leather jacket arrives in the shop, Vivi claims it as her own because it reminds her of her father. One lone feather in the pocket holds a special magic. Vivi begins dreaming more detailed and vivid lucid dreams. Vivi learns her power to dream is handed down from her Apache father. She practices controlling her dreams, stepping in and out of them, and seeing her (dead?) father who warns her that her genius little brother Brian is in danger. Dad tells her bad people are coming for Brian because they believe he is the dreamwalker, not VIvi. Vivi meets cute guy Lucas who also shares the power of lucid dreaming. He tells Vivi both of their fathers are MIA or presumed dead. Lucas convinces Vivi that their fathers are alive, and using their powers of lucid dreaming, they have to find out what happened to them. The closer the two get to answers, the more danger they are in. It is not only bad people trying to control them. A decades old secret government project surfaces, and the kids are in a fight for their lives.

Dreamwalkers is set in a color drenched, panoramic tourist town in the mountains of New Mexico, and brought to life with lush details: the scent of sage, mesquite, pinon, and cottonwoods.The author captures the beauty of mountain sunsets and the threatening power of a desert thunderstorm. Dreamwalkers captivates readers with enchanting imagery and the slippery magic of New Mexico as the author uses broad brushstrokes of prose and descriptive hues evocative of master painter (and New Mexico favorite) Georgia O’Keefe. 

Highly, highly recommended for fans of romance, YA fans, and any reader who loves an evil and corrupt government cover-up and a great story. For middle school and older. No sexual content. A few sweet kisses.

YA Pick: Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy

Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy

Kelly Jensen, editor

Algonquin Young Readers 

2020

256 pages 

ISBN: 9781616209674

Available August 18, 2020 

Sometimes painful, sometimes funny, Body Talk is about acceptance and love. 

An anthology of personal stories of struggle and strength, love and acceptance, power and and self-assurance, this collection will touch the lives of all readers whether they are going through their own struggles or if someone they love needs a helping hand and a healing heart. 

Each story is different and about different forms of body acceptance. Weight is only one topic considered. Others include birthmarks, scoliosis, body hair, "junk," menstruation, asexuality, self-love, self-acceptance, is it okay to use the word "fat?," being too skinny, and even the practice of marketing products to those who identify as female and charging them a "pink tax." 

Sometimes painful, sometimes funny, Body Talk is a must-have for any non-fiction collection in the high school and college library. Celebrity voices Aly Raisman and Tyra Banks, YA writers Kara Thomas and  Julie Murphy and Alex Gino, agent Eric Smith and podcasters, editors, activists and social media persons speak their truths in truly refreshing, remarkable ways. 

Highly recommended grade 8 and up (depending on your community). Middle school libraries in progressive, forward-minded communities may be fine with this purchase. Real health and real sex talk. 

 

YA Pick: The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling

by Wai Chim

Scholastic Press

2020

336 pages

ISBN: 9781338656121

Available November 10, 2020

Sixteen-year old Anna Chiu has all the responsibilities of and adult She's only in high school and should be worried about grades, clothes, learning to drive, figuring out her next move: college or career? and of course, first love. But Anna is in charge of her entire household. Due to her mother's mental illness, Anna must care for her younger siblings, take care of her mother, work in her family's restaurant and continue to be a competitive student in every class. Her father's expectations are exceedingly high, and it's easy to feel anxious and overwhelmed. 

Mental illness and the stigma attached to it is rarely addressed in the Chinese American community (author Wai Chim is first generation Chinese American), but this YA novel illustrates the need for more understanding and empathy within the affected family and the larger community. The sweet romance between Anna and Rory is a plus and keeps this heavy subject from being overly preachy or didactic. 

And there's little in the world more powerful than a good dumpling! 

Recommended for any romance fan. 

A solid choice for YA romance collections grades 9 and up. 

Picture Book Pick: Non-Fiction: Building Zaha: The Story of Architect Zaha Hadid

Building Zaha: The Story of Architect Zaha Hadid

by Victoria Tetntler-Krylov

Illustrations by the author 

Orchard Books

Scholastic

2020

48 pages

ISBN: 9781338282832

Available December 1, 2020 

Beautifully illustrated and lovingly designed, worthy of approval from Zaha herself, this biography/picture book celebrates the life and designs of architect Zaha Hadid. 

Zaha loved math and solving problems and had a mind for design. She saw beauty and art in nature and in building and couldn't pass a construction site without stopping to sketch it. 

Leaving her home in Baghdad, she studied architecture in London and made quite a splash with her unconventional building designs. She entered contests and her designs won. As she became more famous, she received phone calls from other countries to design buildings that imitated flight or moving water. Soon, Zaha designed an art gallery in the United States, and from there, she was jet-setting around the world designing projects for housing and public use. She won the Pritzker Prize, the most prestigious award for architecture, and she was the youngest person ever to win. 

The picture book is a MUST HAVE for any biography section and celebrates achievements by a woman in history in a field mostly populated by male counterparts. Hadid stood alone as a titan of design for her unique perspectives in building. 

Highly, highly recommended grade 3 and up. Younger kids will enjoy hearing the story. With author's note, timeline and bibliography. 

YA Romance: As much As I Ever Could

As Much As I Ever Could

by Brandy Woods Snow

Filles Vertes Publishing 

2020

300 pages

ISBN: 9781946802583

A satisfying summer romance set in picturesque Edisto--a small beach town--what could be better than that? 

CJ doesn't drive. After a horrific car accident that kills her mom and sister, CJ suffers survivor's guilt. Her father becomes a shell of a man--sad. silent, unreachable. He drops CJ off at a small grocery store in Edisto, South Carolina, where she'll be staying with her Memaw for the summer. 

While waiting for her ride,  CJ meets locals Jen and Bo and hot guy Jett. Although instantly attracted to Jett, CJ is less inclined when she finds out he's a hot shot driver destined for NASCAR. 

Jett has his own problems, but with CJ's friendship, he begins to open up and deal with problems. Both characters help each other which is a fresh look at YA romance. CJ is no princess waiting to be saved. She is much stronger than she is vulnerable. Even in moments she seems weak, there is an underlying strength. Teen readers and romance readers need more stories where women are portrayed as strong even if they appear broken, 

Edisto is a compelling setting in that it sets up for the perfect beach read. Throw this novel into your beach bag and hit the beach. It has all the summer vibes necessary for a smoldering romance that is hard to resist. 

Perfect for anyone who loves a small town romance or readers who love tales of the South and fast cars! 

Recommended grade 9 and up and for all romance fans. 

Best Picture Book of 2020: The Worrysaurus

The Worrysaurus

by Rachel Bright

Illustrated by Chris Chatterton

Scholastic

Orchard Books

2020

32 pages

ISBN: 9781338634082

Winsome rhyming lines which sound like music by Rachel Bright and cute, captivating illustrations by Chris Chatterton make this picture book perfect! If you can only buy one book as a gift for a child, this is the one! 

Poor little Worrysaurus! He has planned such a fantastic day: he's packed his snacks and art supplies and begins his adventure, but it isn't too long and he gets anxious and begins to worry. He questions whether has has enough snacks or enough water.

He meets a little lizard who claims there might be a storm coming, and Worrysaurus starts to think of all the bad things that could happen. He feels a worry butterfly in his belly but remembers his mother's wisdom: 

"If it's not a happy ending, then it hasn't ended yet." 

What a beautiful sentiment! With that memory, Worrysaurus holds all his special items and toys and his worry begins to fade away. He shares his lunch with the lizard and realizes he has the power to calm the butterfly feeling in his own belly. 

In an anxious world, children will need to learn coping skills. The Worrysaurus teaches them about being anxious and worried, but learning to calm down. Because Worrysaurus seems like a cartoon or stuffed animal, kids won't take the story as a sermon. Young readers will empathize with Worrysaurus and want him to be okay. What a postitive picture book! 

Highly, highly recommended! FIVE STARS! This one will win awards and be the runaway picture book of the year! 

Series Pick: Tyrannosaurus Wrecks (Book 6)

Tyrannosaurus Wrecks

by Stuart Gibbs 

A Funjungle novel (Book 6)

Simon & Schuster 

2020

321 pages

ISBN: 9781534443754

An exciting mystery for middle grade/young adult readers who crave solving a case(s) that is/are tangled and full of suspicion. Stuart Gibbs is the master of entertaining stories and a cast of characters that are engaging and smart. 

When Sage invites Teddy to his family's ranch, no one suspects trouble. Somehow someone stole a 500lb. dinosaur skull worth millions in the middle of a rainstorm without leaving any clues! Sage's family was hoping/counting on the dig to help them save their cattle ranch. Teddy reluctantly agrees to help solve the mystery.

Meanwhile his old frenemies, the Barksdale twins contact Teddy. Their cat was swallowed by an anaconda and they want to know how to get their cat back.  Teddy's famous girlfriend Summer wants to help solve the T-rex case, but also wants to stay out of the public eye. 

Readers learn about smuggling and illegal trafficking of exotic pets, but this does not hurt the story. In fact, the two cases will keep readers guessing and Teddy is in more danger than ever before.

This is books 6 in the Funjungle series, but readers do not have to read the books in order, but really, why wouldn't they want to read them all? 

Highly recommended grade 5 and up and anyone who loves mysteries. An author note about animal trafficking and reptile and exotic pet smuggling is included as well as a note that dogs and cats need homes and love also. A caution to do research before purchasing any animal is included and I thank the author for this. So many times, parents buy/get pets for their children without doing proper research and then give them up or worse, set them free in the wild where the animal may not be able to care for itself. 

Classic Retelling: Chicken Litttle: The Real and Totally True Tale

Chicken Little: The Real and Totally True Tale

by Sam Wedelich

Illustrations by the author

Scholastic

2020

40 pages

ISBN: 9781338359015

Witty, whimsical, FUNNY, and clever! Sam Wedelich delivers a cute cautionary tale in his humorous imagining of the classic tale about a farmyard gossip! 

This little Chicken Little isn't much afraid of anything. She knows science, and can figure things out doing some fact-checking and information gathering. When a BONK on her head sends her scurrying for answers, Chicken Little is quick to gather facts. 

Scientific and fun sounding words will leave little ones giggling: preposterous, gravity, horde, meteors, utter, clucky, chaos!

Fun word play on the word pandamonium becomes hen-damonium. The barnyard chickens aren't much help as they band together clucking and worrying, but Chicken Little finds the answers and calms the crowd. 

Truly a fun read-aloud! Make sure you bring your character voices for performing this quirky read. Kids will create their own dialog and likely memorize the funny lines of this little beauty! 

STEM for beginning readers and scientists. Any young (or old) reader will chuckle at this beloved rendering of Chicken Little. She's not a worried little chick any more, she a boss chicken! 

Highly, highly recommended ages 4-8 and older for some of the ideas like "free-range" chickens and grin and nod to Snopes (Snipes). 

Scary Picture Book Pick: Shadow in the Woods and Other Scary Stories

Shadow in the Woods and Other Scary Stories, Book #2 Mr. Shivers series.

by Max Brallier

Illustrated by Letizia Rubenchi

Scholastic

Acorn Books

2020

64 pages

ISBN: 9781338615432

A collection of five spooky short stories, Shadow in the Woods may become your little's favorite storybook. Marketed for ages 5-7, it's for those readers who aren't quit ready for Goosebumps series. Easy to read and beautifully illustrated, yet just creepy enough to leave readers with a few goosebumps and giggles of their own, this little book is a treasure! 

Max Brallier continues to entertain young readers with fun and spooky content! "Fingernails" is truly creepy, YIKES! 

If you have kids who love a little scare, Mr. Shivers books are for them. 

Recommended for beginning readers ages 5-7 and older! Fun stuff! 

Romance Pick: What I Like About You

What I Like About You

by Marisa Kanter

Simon & Schuster

2020

409 pages

ISBN: 9781534445772

A cute read about falling in love in the digital world. A twist on the old tale of Cyrano except instead of her best friend writing her love interest, Halle is a screen presence named Kels, a dynamic food blogger with big personality. 

When Halle moves to her Gramps' small town, she finds herself face-to-face with Nash, the cool graphic artist she's falling in love with online. Faced with the dilemma of what to tell Nash and when, Halle needs to figure it out because Nash is in love with her, but not her. He's in love with online her: Kels.

For readers who enjoy romance and cute meet-ups. 

Recommended grade 7 and up. 

Series Pick: The Unready Queen (The Oddmire, book 2)

The Unready Queen
The Oddmire, Book 2
by William Ritter
Illustrations by the author
Algonquin Young Readers
2020
320 pages
ISBN: 9781616208400

Available June 23, 2020 (from Publisher's website; other sites have June 2, 2020)

Compelling, endearing, magical and quintessential fantasy, The Unready Queen will be the best book of 2020! Do yourself a favor: pick up The Changeling (Book 1) and this book! William Ritter knows how to tell a story that will transport readers to a magical world. Remember reading Harry Potter for the first time? The Secret Garden? The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? That's the feeling The Oddmire books will leave you with.

The Unready Queen picks up where the story of The Changeling left off. Brothers Tinn and Cole are as close as ever. Tinn has learned he is not a human at all. The goblin who was supposed to swap babies, was frightened off before he could grab the human baby. Growing up, their mother Annie had a hard time telling them apart, but was adamant to treat each boy as her own. The boys are happy to be back from the Oddmire. They attend school which makes Tinn uncomfortable when he begins to change into his goblin self in front of others. Tinn tries to learn how to channel and control it. He spends more time in the goblin world.

In the Deep Dark, Fable, daughter of the Queen, is coming into her own magic. She befriends the twins and spends more time in the human world. When the kids discover that humans are seeking to destroy the wood for financial gain, Fable must fight for her home and its magical creatures.

Both mothers--the Queen of the Deep Dark, Rainn, and Annie, the human mother of the twins, are fierce, loving mothers. Their children, Fable, Tinn and Cole, are enveloped with love which is their saving grace. It is endearing to see such a kind family dynamic when so many middle grade and YA books show parents in a less than friendly light.

This coming of age story is about Fable as she learns of the woods and her own magic. While she loves playing in the human world with the boys, she learns that it is that world she must protect herself and her creatures against. This gem of a book is epic storytelling where Ritter deftly weaves an environmental message into its fabric. Not all human progress is good. It's better to leave the wild just that--WILD. In order for all creatures to survive, humans must respect their homes.

Finally, this is the second book in a series that lives up to book 1--in fact, book 2 is even better than book 1. William Ritter can do no wrong in the middle grade market. This is such a treat for middle grade readers. It is a magical book that takes its readers on a journey.

Middle Grade Pick: Premeditated Myrtle

Premeditated Myrtle
A Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery (Book 1)
by Elizabeth C. Bunce
AlgonquinYoung Readers
318 pages
2020
ISBN: 9781616209186

Available October 6, 2020. Book 2, How To Get Away With Myrtle, available on the same date!


Clever and captivating, Premeditated Myrtle is the best young detective story in years! Set in Victorian England in a small town, the story satisfies with historical details and quaint setting.

Twelve-year old Myrtle Hardcastle is smart and inquisitive, armed with her mother's microscope and her father's love of the law, Myrtle is incorrigible and fearless. She loves science and forensics--certainly not conventional subjects for young ladies of her era and frowned upon by society--but Myrtle throws caution to the wind and fearlessly ventures where no young lady of breeding should ever tread. Young Ladies of Quality are not supposed to go gallivanting off  OUTSIDE AFTER DARK or poke their noses into mysteries and murder, but that doesn't stop the irrepressible Myrtle! With her loving governess at her side, Myrtle sets out to solve the mystery of her elderly neighbor's death. Miss Wodehouse's death was deemed "natural causes," but Myrtle knows something is fishy.

She finds evidence that Miss Wodehouse was murdered, and her father, the town prosecutor, arrests Miss Wodehouse's grounds keeper. Myrtle suspects her father has arrested the wrong man and sets out to prove it. When Miss Wodehouse's cat goes MIA, Myrtle wonders where Peony could have gone. And why were all of the old lady's lilies  burned in the garden? Who is covering up something much more sinister? A long lost niece arrives from America, but Myrtle doesn't trust her. Soon, a nephew also arrives. Suddenly, the deceased Miss Wodehouse has all sorts of relatives coming out of the Victorian carved woodwork.

Myrtle searches for clues to free Mr. Hamm and finds that Miss Wodehouse was creating a new species of rare lily. Could she have been killed for her flowers? If so, where are these magnificent flowers? Mr. Hamm burned all of them in the garden. Was he instructed to get rid of evidence or cover up something more nefarious going on?

Thank goodness for Myrtle Hardcastle who finds all the answers and pieces together means, motive and opportunity. Think Sherlock Holmes x Agatha Christie x Harriott the Spy, and you have the most fun character in kidlit in forever! Myrtle Highcastle is a hit! Readers won't have to wait for the next book in the series, How To Get Away With Myrtle (Book 2) is available on the same date.

Definitely a book that will win awards, you MUST READ Premeditated Myrtle. A MUST HAVE for all middle grade readers. A rollicking great tale full of unexpected twists, evil criminals, double dealings, a get rich quick scheme, THE will and estate, and deceptive, quick talking cons.

Highly, highly recommended! You must not miss this book. Pre-order today!

PIcture Book Pick: Be You!

Be You!
by Peter H. Reynolds
Illustrations by the author
Orchard Books
(Scholastic imprint)
2020
32 pages
ISBN: 9781338572315

Be You! is a celebration of loving yourself, accepting yourself, motivating yourself, and pushing yourself! Each two-page spread begins with a positive message, for example: "Be adventurous," or "Be curious," or "Be persistent." The second part of the spread explains how to be adventurous or curious or persistent.

Cute, clever and quirky illustrations will bring smiles  to toddlers, parents and graduates for this little gem of a book would make an excellent life guide. If only we could all be persistent, curious, adventurous, different and brave! What changes humankind could bring to this world! Never preachy or stuffy or moralistic,  Be You! is a manual for young children and adults alike.

Highly recommended for ages four and up. Great graduation present or daily read for children. A child would be happy to tell an adult what each message means and how they practiced it that day or week. Likely to become a classic, Be You! will surely be up for awards this year.