Sponsored by Caracal, the middle grade imprint of Lion Forge
Solve the mystery of the memory thief with technomancer Debian Perl and her social media-savvy friend, Digits! When Debian and Digits stumble across a 100-year-old lost robot named Ray-Bot with a suspiciously overclocked CPU, Debian must teach Digits everything she knows about computer coding and programming to bring Ray-Bot home. Learn computer concepts and build practical knowledge of coding, algorithms, algebra and more while adventuring through the futuristic world of Megalopolis! Debian Perl: Digital Detective Book One: The Memory Thief is in stores September 3rd from Caracal, the middle grade imprint of Lion Forge!
Hi, Kid Lit friends!
Happy Tuesday! Before I get to today’s new releases, let me chat about some of the releases from this month that I’ve been excited about.
I really enjoyed Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice and Sing Inspired Generations by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Keith Mallett, is a nonfiction picture book that tells the story of how the Black National Anthem came to be and how it influenced the lives of five generations of a family. It’s beautifully written and illustrated, and I learned a lot about the history of this song.
Senorita Mariposa by Ben Gundersheimer, illustrated by Marcos Almada Rivero is a vibrant, fun picture book about the migration patterns of monarch butteries that travel from Canada to Mexico every year. I love that this book is written in both Spanish and English!
How Do You Dance? by Thyra Heder is an ADORABLE picture book about dancing! Heder is one of my favorite illustrators (you’ve heard me gush about her book, Alfie, many times on this newsletter), and she depicts all the different ways people dance in such a fun way. I love this book!
Capstone Publishers has also released two new chapter book series this month: My Furry Foster Family by Debbie Michiko Florence, illustrated by Melanie Demmer, and Sadiq and the Desert Star by Simon Nuurali and illustrated by Anjan Sarkar. For those of you looking for chapter books for burgeoning young readers, these would be great additions to your home or school library.
Alright… today’s new releases! 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.
Picture Books
Hats Are Not for Cats! by Jacqueline K. Rayner
A big, severe, plaid-hat-wearing dog insists that the small black cat in the red fez shouldn’t be wearing a hat—any kind of hat—because hats are for dogs. His patronizing tirade doesn’t convince this cat, however. Defiantly, she wears an assortment of hats, described in the gleeful rhyming text, and brings in other cats to join the protest. The silliness of both text and pictures offers a cheerful take on bossiness and managing conflict, with a win-win resolution.
Frankie’s Favorite Food by Kelsey Garrity-Riley
Frankie has a problem: he has too many favorite foods. He can’t bring himself to choose just one to be for the school play, so on the day of the performance, he’s still without a costume. His teacher comes up with a delicious idea: what if Frankie becomes the Costume Manager? That way, he can parlay his love of all things culinary into the whole production. From adding some last-minute garnishes to helping the rice and beans into their costumes, Frankie shines backstage until he has a brilliant idea and decides to make his debut on the menu as something that combines his love for all his favorite foods . . .
Tractor Mac: Autumn is Here by Billy Steers
Fergus the calf doesn’t want autumn to come to Stony Meadow Farm. Not if it means the cornstalks are cut, the trees lose their leaves, and his bird friends migrate away. Why can’t things just stay the same? But with the help of Tractor Mac and the rest of his friends, Fergus realizes that there are plenty of fun things about autumn, too, as he learns to appreciate what makes each season special.
Bad Kitty: Searching for Santa by Nick Bruel
Kitty wants to write a letter.
Actually, she wants to write a letter to Santa.
But has Kitty been good this year?
Hmmm . . . Kitty’s not so sure.
She writes the letter anyway and is soon on her way to meet Santa in real life at the mall! Will she make it in time? Will Santa give Kitty what she’s asking for?
Saving the Tasmanian Devil by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent (nonfiction)
In 1995, a deadly disease began sweeping across the Australian island state of Tasmania, killing every infected Tasmanian devil. The disease moved so fast that some scientists feared the species would be wiped out in the wild within a few decades. Where did this disease, named Devil Facial Tumor Disease, come from? What caused it—a virus, bacteria, or something else? How did it pass from one devil to another? What could be done to fight it? When author Dorothy Hinshaw Patent learned of the race to save the devil from her friend, Australian geneticist Jenny Graves, she felt compelled to travel to Australia to learn firsthand from scientists what they were finding out about these iconic Tasmanian animals and what they were doing to help it from disappearing in the wild.
Middle Grade Books
The Cryptid Keeper by Lija Fisher
Life has gotten complicated for thirteen-year-old Clivo Wren. After taking up his deceased father’s mission to find the extraordinary creature whose blood grants everlasting life, Clivo is spending his summer not at camp or hanging out with his friends, but jetting all over the world tracking cryptids―while keeping his aunt Pearl in the dark about his dangerous adventures. At the same time, a shocking development unveils the truth about Clivo’s enemies, and the cryptids themselves are posing trouble at every turn. With the help of his crew of Myth Blasters, Clivo is going to need all of the tools, gadgets, and training he has to prevent the immortal cryptid from falling into the wrong hands―and to keep Aunt Pearl off the case.
Babysitting Nightmares: The Twilight Curse by Kat Shepherd
When the town’s old movie palace is converted into a theater, Maggie is thrilled to get a job helping with the first stage production. Even though she’s just babysitting an actor’s daughter, Maggie is determined to learn everything she can about acting. But a devilish ghoul seems to have other plans for the performance! It’s up to Maggie, Clio, Rebecca and Tanya to investigate. Can they vanquish the threat in time for opening night?
What are you reading these days? I want to know! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at karina@bookriot.com.
Until next time!
Karina
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