Sponsored by Nevertell by Katharine Orton.
All that twelve-year-old Lina knows of the world is the Stalinist labor camp where she was born, a place of hunger, cruelty, and deprivation. After a daring escape into the frigid Siberian wilds with her best friend, Bogdan, Lina vows to reach Moscow and find her long-lost grandmother, whom she hopes will help her return to the camp to rescue her mother. Lina and Bogdan catch the eye of a vengeful witch, a refugee of oppressive new laws about magic, who commands an army of shadow wolves. Pursued by the witch and in fear of recapture, Lina will need courage to survive the journey and bring hope to a dark place.
Hello readers!
Welcome to your weekly pick of the best new releases in the world of children’s literature. Book release dates are still a bit up in the air at the moment, with a lot of books being pushed back, so that means I get to share with you some more backlist bumps. Hurrah! I’ll include them at the end of the newsletter, and I hope you enjoy (re)discovering some new/old friends.
Antiracist Baby by Ibram X Kendi, illustrations by Ashley Lukashevsky
(I am so ready for this book I cannot tell you). Antiracist Baby provides an easy and accessible route into critical conversations, and does with a lot of care and eloquence. The artwork is bold and bluntly brilliant, and the text is deeply accessible. It’s amazing, I love it.
American Immigration: Our History, Our Stories by Kathleen Krull
The history of American immigration is a history of stories, and this nonfiction text pays tribute to those immigrants by telling their stories. These stories show the progress that has been made, and the progress that is still yet to be made – a potent thing to do in our present day clime. This is a richly detailed volume, full of careful sourcing and detailed timelines, perfect for beginning and supporting conversations in this area.
Bloom by Anne Booth, illustrated by Robyn Wilson-Owen
Anne is one of those authors who writes with such a lot of kindness, so I’m excited to see what she does with Bloom – the story of a beautiful flower and the girl who loves it. She talks to it every morning on the way to school, but when the owner of the flower yells at her, the flower does not open. Frustrated, he asks the girl to talk to it and tell it how much she loves it…
Look Up! by Nathan Bryon, illustrated by Dapo Adeola
(Backlist bump!). Rocket is going to be the greatest astronaut / space traveller / star-catcher that there’s ever been. And when there’s a meteor shower due, she’s determined to watch it. The only problem is that her elder brother Jamal would rather be gaming than taking her to the park. Will Rocket make it in time?
Featuring some lovely family dynamics, a vivid and hilarious protagonist, plus a nice shout to Mae Jemison, this is adorable. Plus you’ve just got enough time to read it before picking up the sequel – Clean Up! – which is out in July.
Another by Christian Robinson
(Backlist bump!) Where to begin with this rather beautiful wordless classic? A girl sets off on an adventure to a strange new world where she meets her doppelgänger and so much more…
This is such a wonderful, brilliant thing. The artwork is fearless and contemporary, paying tribute to the world of modern art whilst carving a space all of its own.
Okay, that’s everything for this week! I will return in seven days with more lovely new picks for you from the world of children’s books. Between then and now, you can stay in touch with me via social media (let’s talk about Eloise and Nanny….), on my website, or over on the biweekly literary fiction podcast Novel Gazing.
Happy reading!
Louise.