Sponsored by Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker with Macmillan Children's.
2020 Newbery Honor Recipient. The haunted season has arrived and no fox kit is safe. This thrilling portrait of survival and friendship that The Wall Street Journal calls “clever and harrowing” contains the kinds of adventures and thrills you love to listen to beside a campfire in the dark of night. Fans of Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Auxier, and R. L. Stine have found their next favorite book.
Hello readers!
This is the email when you get five minutes to dreamily stare at new releases from the world of children’s literature (is it your favorite email? it’s my favorite email to write). From stunning covers through to beautiful stories, my picks this week are lovely, lovely things. I hope you enjoy them!
Selena : Queen of Tejano Music by Silvia Lopez, illustrations Paola Escobar
Selena Quintanilla was told that she’d never make it in the male-dominated world of Tejano Music. She was determined to prove them wrong…
Selena pairs an eloquent text with beautiful artwork. It’s a stunning reminder to follow your dreams and believe in yourself.
Vote For Our Future! by Margaret McNamara and Micah Player
Politics can often seem removed from the playground, when in today’s climate they’re often closer than ever. And for the children of Stanton Elementary School, it’s very close – every two years, their school becomes a polling station. This quietly sensitive text explores just what that means and the importance of voting.
Born Curious : 20 Girls Who Grew Up To Be AWESOME SCIENTISTS by Martha Freeman, illustrated by Katy Wu
I think this one sells itself, right? Featuring a diverse and representative cast of real-life individuals, these are stories of girls who were born with questions – and then went out to find the answers. Women featured include Shirley Anne Jackson, Adriana Ocampo and more…
Birdie and Me by J. M. M. Nuanez
The debut title from Nuanez, this is the story of a girl called Jack and her gender creative little brother Birdie. Following the death of their mum, Jack and Birdie must find somewhere to call home – first with one of their Uncles and then the other…
A story of family, love, and understanding, this will break your heart and make it all over again.
Building a Home by Polly Faber
illustrated by Klas Fahlén
I am sneaking a UK release in here for you because a) it looks stunning and b) it’s about construction! How cool is that? I love what Polly Faber does, and this is a charming addition to her canon. It’s perfect for tiny builders (and bigger ones), and features some beautiful artwork alongside a gentle and restrained story. Here’s a link to the publisher for more info.
That’s it for this week, I think! Don’t forget that you can find me on social media @chaletfan. I’m really keen to spotlight smaller publishers of children’s literature – and in particular, people who are doing cool, innovative things – so please do say hello. You can also find me elsewhere on Book Riot co-hosting the biweekly litfic podcast Novel Gazing. And of course, you can always find me in the nearest library.
See you next time!
Louise.