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Hi Kid Lit Friends!
Welcome to December! New releases tend to slow down this month, but here are some titles that crossed my desk that release today. Take a look and let me know what you think. I’ve thrown in some backlist titles in there to round this list out. 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.
Happy reading!
Picture Book New Releases
Odd Dog Out by Rob Biddulph
It’s a dog’s life in the big, busy city, but there’s one lonely pup who doesn’t quite fit in. She behaves differently from the rest, sports rainbow in a sea of gray, and marches to the beat of her own drum. She’s one Odd Dog. Join Odd Dog as she journeys to the other side of the world to find her place in it, only for her to discover that maybe she’s meant to be right where she started.
Backlist bump: Business Pig by Andrea Zuill
Middle Grade New Releases
Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson
McKenna Barney is trying to hide her worsening eyesight and has been isolating herself for the last year. But at the request of her little sister, she signs up for a commemorative mail run race in the Canadian wilderness—a race she doesn’t know if she can even see to run. Winning would mean getting her disease—and her sister’s—national media coverage, but it would also pit McKenna and her team of eight sled dogs against racers from across the globe for three days of shifting lake ice, sudden owl attacks, snow squalls, and bitterly cold nights.
Backlist bump: A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: Major Impossible by Nathan Hale
John Wesley Powell (1834–1902) always had the spirit of adventure in him. As a young man, he traveled all over the United States exploring. When the Civil War began, Powell went to fight for the Union, and even after he lost most of his right arm, he continued to fight until the war was over. In 1869 he embarked with the Colorado River Exploring Expedition, ten men in four boats, to float through Grand Canyon. Over the course of three months, the explorers lost their boats and supplies, nearly drowned, and were in peril on multiple occasions. Ten explorers went in, only six came out. Powell would come to be known as one of the most epic explorers in history!
Backlist bump: The People Shall Continue by Simon J. Ortiz, illustrated by Sharol Graves
All The Colors of Magic by Valija Zinck
Penelope has always been different from other children. Her hair has been gray since she was born. It rains every year on her birthday. And she knows what her mother is going to say before the words even come out of her mouth. But one day, Penelope wakes up with sparkling red hair and her mother confesses the truth: Her father is not only still alive, he’s a wizard! Penelope has inherited his powers, and must embark on a journey to find him.
Backlist bump: Love, Sugar, Magic series by Anna Meriano, illustrated by Mirelle Ortega
What are you reading these days? I want to know! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at KarinaBookRiot@gmail.com.
Have you checked out Book Riot’s Kidlit These Days podcast yet? I co-host it with my friend, school librarian Matthew Winner. We chat about the intersection of children’s books and what’s going on in the world today. Give it a listen and let us know what you think!
Until next time!
Karina
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