Hi Kid Lit Friends!
Happy new release Tuesday! I hope you are having a great beginning to the new week filled with sunshine and kittens and tulips.
Below are the new releases for the day; check them out and let me know what you think. As always, if I’ve had the chance to read one of these books and loved it, I marked it with a 
. Please note that all descriptions come from the publisher.
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Picture Book New Releases
Ruby’s Sword by Jacqueline Veissid, illustrated by Paola Zakimi
Ruby is always racing after her big brothers. But no matter how hard she tries, she can never catch up. Then one day, she discovers some sticks in the grass. Not just any sticks—swords! And suddenly the world is her kingdom. Readers will cheer on Ruby’s perseverance and creativity as they delight in the antics of the adorable animals that join her along the way. Anyone who has ever imagined themselves the star of their own swashbuckling adventure will find this sweet book irresistible.
A Twin is to Hug by Boni Ashburn, illustrated by John Nez
Hand in hand, side by side, a twin is your friend. Every step of the way, from beginning to end. Having a twin can be great! With a twin, you have a lifelong bond, a partner in crime, and a food-I-don’t-want-to-eat eater. But with a twin, you also have to share, and take turns, and compare. It’s not always easy, but for better or worse, a twin is a friend who will always be by your side.
A Flip-Flap Book: Hide-and-Sleep by Lizi Boyd (board book)
Lizi Boyd brings her whimsical touch to a new series for the very youngest readers. In this first book, sturdy die-cut pages that children can flip back and forth reveal the fun details and actions of a menagerie of adorable animals that aren’t quite ready for bed. Can you see where they are hiding? Whether for storytime, laptime, or bedtime, the buoyant colors, silly story, and playful interactive format will keep toddlers captivated.
Chapter Book New Releases
A Squirelly Situation: Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet by Jacqueline Kelly
Featuring the charming characters from the Newbery Honor Book The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, this exciting chapter book series introduces young readers to Callie Vee and the rough-and-tumble world of turn-of-the-century Texas. When Travis finds an abandoned baby squirrel, he brings him home and names him Fluffy. But Mother isn’t so sure that Fluffy is such a great family pet―and neither is Thud, the cat. Will Fluffy be able to steer clear of these two and find a home in the Tate household?
Good Dog, McTavish by Meg Rosoff
When Ma Peachey takes up yoga, the rest of the family finds themselves abandoned to chaos: no one cooks dinner, no one picks up the dirty laundry, the children are always late for school, and there is a good deal of squabbling and squalor. Ma may be off finding inner peace, but irritable Pa Peachey, glum Ava, and wannabe girl-charmer Ollie are falling apart. Only Betty, the sensible youngest child, is wise enough to see that this family is in need of rescue. Enter McTavish, a rescue dog who, true to his mission, is ready to teach this family some new tricks. Getting the Peacheys to behave will take work, but if anyone can do it, McTavish can. After all, he’s a very good dog — maybe even a psychological mastermind!
Middle Grade New Releases
Riverland by Fran Wilde
When things go bad at home, sisters Eleanor and Mike hide in a secret place under Eleanor’s bed, telling monster stories. Often, it seems those stories and their mother’s house magic are all that keep them safe from both busybodies and their dad’s temper. But when their father breaks a family heirloom, a glass witch ball, a river suddenly appears beneath the bed, and Eleanor and Mike fall into a world where dreams are born, nightmares struggle to break into the real world, and secrets have big consequences.
The Multiplying Mysteries of Mount Ten by Krista Van Dolzer
Twelve-year-old painter Esther can’t wait to attend Camp Vermeer, the most prestigious art camp around. But when her stepdad accidentally drives up the wrong mountain, she lands at Camp Archimedes — a math camp! Determined to prove herself to the other campers, she tackles a brain-teaser that’s supposed to be impossible, and solves it in a single day. But not everyone is happy about it… someone wants her out of camp at any cost, and starts leaving cryptic, threatening notes all over the grounds. Esther doesn’t know who to trust. Will she solve this riddle before it’s too late?
The Door at the End of the World by Caroline Carlson
What begins as a rather unremarkable Tuesday quickly turns to disaster when Lucy, the Gatekeeper’s deputy, discovers that her boss has vanished and the door connecting Lucy’s world to the next world over is broken—and it all might be Lucy’s fault. To save the Gatekeeper and set things right, Lucy must break the rules for the first time ever and journey with an otherworldly boy, a suspiciously sneaky girl, and a crew of magical bees into the seven worlds beyond her own.
Nonfiction New Releases
Raccoon Rescue by Kama Einhorn
At WildCare in San Rafael, California, injured or orphaned wild animals are brought in every day. Staff and volunteers save skunks, birds, opossums, squirrels… and raccoons. In this true tale of rescue, four baby raccoons are put into the hands and home of WildCare volunteer Shelly Ross. The kits need feedings, medicine, burpings, and even help going to the bathroom! They’re not allowed to spend any time with any other humans – it’s not good for their chances of survival in the wild. A steady process involving enrichment, exercise, outdoor exposure- and more than you’d ever think you’d learn about raccoons and other city wildlife – fills the pages of Raccoon Rescue.
Trees: A Rooted History by Piotr Socha and Wojciech Grajkowski
Part botany, part history, part cultural anthropology—Trees goes beyond the basics to tell readers everything they might want to know about this particular branch of the plant kingdom. Trees explores the important roles trees play in our ecosystem, takes an up-close-and-personal look at the parts of trees (from roots to leaves), and unpacks the cultural impact of trees from classification systems (like family trees) to art forms (like bonsai trees). Looking forward, Trees also addresses the deforestation crisis.
Helen Oxenbury: A Life in Illustration by Leonard S. Marcus
Filled with insights that span Helen Oxenbury’s life — from her early childhood through a career in children’s books that started in the 1960s and is still going strong today — here is an exquisitely designed and thoroughly entertaining celebration of one of the finest illustrators of our time. Written by acclaimed author Leonard S. Marcus, Helen Oxenbury: A Life in Illustration is a keepsake that is sure to engage and delight everyone from scholars to art aficionados, as well as the many fans who have grown up with Helen Oxenbury’s enchanting books.
Guitar Genius by Kim Tomsic, illustrated by Brett Helquist
This is the story of how Les Paul created the world’s first solid- body electric guitar, countless other inventions that changed modern music, and one truly epic career in rock and roll. How to make a microphone? A broomstick, a cinderblock, a telephone, a radio. How to make an electric guitar? A record player’s arm, a speaker, some tape. How to make a legendary inventor? A few tools, a lot of curiosity, and an endless faith in what is possible.
Predator and Prey by Susannah Buhrman-Deever, illustrated by Bert Kitchen
Who wins, the assassin bug or the spider? The bat or the frog? The ant or the honey bee? The male firefly . . . or the female? The battle for survival between predator and prey is sometimes a fight, sometimes a dance, and often involves spying, lying, or even telling the truth to get ahead. Biologist and debut author Susannah Buhrman-Deever explores these clashes in poems and prose explanations that offer both sides of the story.
Graphic Novel New Releases
Middle School Misadventures by Jason Platt
Newell is always getting into trouble–whether it’s showing up tardy for most of the year, or mocking his teachers while authoritarian Mr. Todd is standing right behind him. When disaster strikes and Newell finds himself on track to summer school, he’s given one last minute option to get out of it–participating in the upcoming Talent Show. The only problem is that he doesn’t technically have a talent to show. Yikes.
The Mutts Summer Diaries by Patrick McDonnell
It’s summertime, and the living is easy, the ice cream is cold, and the temperature is so hot your brains will melt right out of your head. Mooch and Earl are eager to make the most of it, lounging in the backyard pool, building sandcastles on the beach, and exchanging knock-knock jokes with a dolphin. From whales and tsunamis to lemonade and Bermuda shorts, this Mutts collection is packed full of summer fun!
Peter and Ernesto: The Lost Sloths by Graham Annable
Peter and Ernesto loved their tree. Then a hurricane came and blew it away! Now, Peter, Ernesto, and the rest of their sloth friends must venture into the jungle to find a new―great―tree. But the jungle is full of dangers, including angry ants, slithering snakes, and a ravenous jaguar! Can cautious Peter and confident Ernesto work together to keep their tribe safe? They’ll have to, if they want to find the perfect tree to call home!
I would love to know what you are reading this week! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at karina@bookriot.com.
Until next time!
Karina
Ginger Pye 🙂
(Yes, she’s named after the book, Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes.)
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