Author: Chelsea Henley

Hi readers!

Happy Election Day! As we’ve said before at Book Riot, all books are political, and this week’s newsletter (this intro at least) is, too. We’ve endorsed Joe Biden for President. When writing up this newsletter each week it’s always my intention to draw your eye to a wide range of books that are not only great reads but also encourage inclusion, respect, and care, and we deserve those same intentions from our elected officials, including our president. Once you’ve cast your vote in today’s election (or even if you have already), treat yourself to some nice reading while you wait for results and consider adding some of this week’s children’s new releases to your shelves.

Until next week!

Chelsea (@ChelseaBigBang)

Hey readers!

We’re back with another crop of children’s new releases for the week!

---

Until next week!

Chelsea (@ChelseaBigBang on Twitter).

Hey readers! We’re back with another week of children’s new releases!

---

Until next week!

Chelsea (@ChelseaBigBang on Twitter)

Hi readers! I’m back with another crop of new releases for you!

Until next week!

Chelsea (@ChelseaBigBang on Twitter)

Hello readers!

Can you believe it’s October? I’m fighting not to turn the heat on and using this as an excuse to break out all my sweaters and sweatshirts. And, of course, cuddle up with some good books. Here’s a few of this week’s crop of new releases to help you do the same.

My Hair is Magic by M.L Marroquin; illustrated by Tonya Engel

This warm, uplifting story is empowering for little ones with textured hair, illustrating its beauty and versatility. This is written in verse and recalls how our heroine’s hair is constantly touched and misunderstood. But our heroine knows better, and her personality is as big as her hair.

Louis by Tom Litchtenheld, illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch

This cute picture book follows Louis, a teddy bear who has many problems with his owner’s treatment of him. He’s tired of being used as a tissue and tossed in the washing machine and so plans a half-hearted, and much delayed escape, until he’s reminded of how much his owner loves him.

Sugar In Milk by Thrity Umrigar; illustrated by Khoa Le

This is a gorgeous picture book with overlapping narratives about immigration. A young girl comes to America and, missing her friends and family, her aunt tells her a story about a group of immigrants who landed in India where the king initially refused to let them stay. Showing them a too-full glass of milk to illustrate his point, the king changed his mind when one of the immigrants easily added a spoonful of sugar to the glass.

The Boys in the Back Row by Mike Jung

Matthew and Eric, best friends for years, plan one last hurrah before one of them moves across the country. They’ll perform with their school band at a big music festival and successfully sneak off to a convention to meet their favorite author. Of course, nothing goes as it should in this funny, heartwarming tale of friendship.

Twins by Varian Johnson

Fans of Raina Telgemeier will enjoy this new graphic novel from the author of The Parker Inheritance, about the Carter twins. On the first day of sixth grade, Maureen is nervous about having no classes with her sister while the outgoing Francine can’t wait to see what the new school year has in store. When both twins decide to run for student council, the race threatens to tear them apart.

Girl Giant and the Monkey King by Van Hoang; illustrated by Nguyen Quang and Kim Lien

Thom Ngho is incredibly strong, and she doesn’t want to be. It’s hard enough to fit in at her new, mostly white school without being super strong. So Thom makes a deal with the monkey god: she’ll help him retrieve his magical staff if he’ll take away her strength. Soon Thom’s swept away into a land of Vietnamese folklore and myth.

The Way Past Winter by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Yes, I know, fall is just starting, but if you’re in the mood for something wintry and atmospheric, this Scandinavian-inspired fairy tale is just what you need. Siblings living in an endless winter, one parent lost to death and the other having abandoned them, must embark on a journey across the mythical, frozen land to find their missing brother.

The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan

Oh, and lastly, though I’m sure this comes as news to few of you diehard Riordan fans, The Tower of Nero is out. It wraps up the Trials of Apollo series, and the Percy-verse as a whole. It’s been a wild ride, and I’m eager to see how it all ends.

Until next week!

Chelsea (@ChelseaBigBang on Twitter)

Hey readers!

Welcome to another week of new releases!

Will You Be My Friend? by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Anita Jeram

Beloved children’s book author McBratney passed away last week. Out this week is his new book, a followup to Guess How Much I Love You in which Little Nutbrown Hare sets out to find a playmate and discovers a sweet white bunny named Tipps.

 

Becoming A Good Creature by Sy Montgomery, illustrated by Rebecca Green

If you loved Sy Montgomery’s adult memoir, How to Be A Good Creature, you will also enjoy this reprise for kids, written in picture book form. This imparts wisdom to young people in much the same way as Montgomery’s memoir, just adjusted to be accessible for a younger audience. It’s no less moving, however, to see what humans can learn from animals.

 

Animals Brag About Their Bottoms by Maki Saito

This cute picture book is exactly what is says: animals brag about their bottoms. With animal butts drawn against white backdrops, various animals take the opportunity to speak highly about how adorable they are. It’s fun and cute, and doesn’t include a single poop joke.

 

Loretta Little Looks Back by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney

This historical fiction picture book follows three members of the Little family (Loretta, her brother Roly, and Roly’s son Aggie) as they tell their stories, from Loretta’s life as a sharecropper to a young Aggie’s efforts to register voters in the Jim Crow south.

 

Everything Comes Next: Collected and New Poems by Naomi Shihab Nye, illustrated by Rafael Lopez

For poetry lovers, this new collection rounds up poetry from Naomi Shihab Nye, the current Young People’s Poet Laureate. The collection includes her best works over the past forty years as well as new, never-before-published poems. It also includes writing prompts, making it a great addition for kids who are aspiring poets themselves.

 

Pepper’s Rules for Secret Sleuthing by Briana McDonald

This fun mystery follows 11-year-old Pepper, who travels with her dad to her Great Aunt Florence’s mansion. While waiting for the will to be read, Pepper becomes suspicious of her Aunt Wendy, and with her mom’s Detective Rulebook in hand, she sets out to figure out what’s going on. This also makes a good pick for people looking to broaden their middle grade collections to include more queer characters. Joining Pepper on her adventure is Jacob, a trans boy who lives nearby, as Pepper works out her feelings for another girl at school.

 

Saucy by Cynthia Kadohata

In this heartwarming story, Becca decides she wants to have a “thing”. Like her brothers, who have hockey, music, and the belief they all live in a simulation. So when Becca discovers a sick piglet on a walk, she makes rescuing it her “thing”. Named Saucy, Becca’s pigley becomes a treasured part of the family, accompanying Becca on her journey of self-discovery as she takes on everyday challenges.

Until next week!

Chelsea (@ChelseaBigBang)

Hey readers!

It’s starting to feel like fall where I am, and I hope you’re enjoying the dip in temperature and are getting in the mood to cozy up with new books, perhaps a few of this week’s new releases.

She Persisted In Sports: American Olympians Who Changed the Game by Chelsea Clinton, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger

The new addition to the She Persisted series, that began with She Persisted, returns with this new one focusing on extraordinary American women in sports. There are lots of great athletes featured, including gymnast Simone Biles, tennis star Serena Williams, and volleyball pair Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings.

 

The Staring Contest by Nicholas Solis

For kids who like their reading to come with a fun game is this picture book that challenges readers to a staring contest. The “staring master eyes”, a cocky protagonist who loves to taunt, not only asks kids to maintain eye contact but to try lots of ocular gymnastics.

 

 

Boys Dance by John Robert Allman, illustrated by Luciano Lozano

This is a colorful and upbeat picture book about a group of boys who dance ballet. Its depiction of dancing, practiced alongside a multitude of other hobbies, makes for a spirited representation of the skill. In the end, there are also statements from real life male ballet dancers who talk about why they dance.

 

Our Little Kitchen by Jillian Tamaki

This delightful book is fun and colorful, telling the story of a group of people who prepare food for their neighbors using produce from their garden and contributions from other people in their community. This is a sweet look at what can happen when people come together to provide for one another.

 

Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron

From the author of YA fantasy novel Kingdom of Souls comes this new middle grade fantasy. Maya has always seen strange things, but she only discovers why after her father suddenly goes missing. Half-orisha and half-human, Maya is a godling, and her father has been defending the veil between the human world and the Dark. But the veil is falling and the frightening Lord of Shadows is coming to destroy the human world.

 

Spindlefish and Stars by Christiane M. Andrews

For kids who love mythology is this new fantasy inspired by Greek myth about Clothilde who, trying to cross the sea to reunite with her father, ends up stranded on an island with an old woman who weaves an endless gray tapestry. To get back to her father and leave the island, Clo must uncover the mysteries of the island, the tapestry, and herself.

 

Student Ambassador: The Missing Dragon by Ryan Estrada, illustrated by Axur Eneas

After Joseph Bazan helps the president resolve a tricky trade issue, he’s made a student ambassador. His first assignment is to talk diplomacy with a young king who’s stumbled into his father’s crown. But Joseph’s diplomatic mission is derailed when bad guys storm the castle, forcing Joseph and the king to flee and somehow solve the mystery of the Missing Dragon.

Until next week!

Chelsea (@Chelseabigbang)

Hey readers!

I’ve got a new crop of new releases for you this week! Some fun, some scary, and some returns to familiar places.

The Truth About Dragons by Jaime Zollars

This unexpected yet comforting picture book follows our fearful protagonist through a dragon-infested world. As the story continues, the dragons begin to appear a little smaller, their claws and scales becoming human and the castle setting transforming into a classroom as our protagonist gradually begins to feel more at home among them.

 

Red Shoes by Karen English, illustrated by Ebony Glenn

This colorful picture book follows a pair of red shoes, first to Malika, who wears them everywhere. Until she outgrows them and can’t wear them anymore. So they’re taken to a thrift shop and eventually find their way to Amina, a girl in Africa fasting for Ramadan for the first time.

 

Three Keys by Kelly Yang

If you haven’t read Kelly Yang’s perfect Front Desk, go do that right away, and then pick up this companion novel that returns to Mia and the Calivista Motel. Mia’s starting sixth grade and is disheartened to find her new teacher isn’t that impressed by her writing. Meanwhile the motel’s struggling as a potential new immigration law threatens all Mia holds dear.

 

Fly on the Wall by Remy Lai

From the author of Pie in the Sky is this hilarious illustrated novel about Henry Khoo, who embarks on a journey across the world to prove his independence to his overprotective family. And avoid the consequences of being revealed to be the secret writer of a gossip cartoon.

 

 

The Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar

This novel-in-verse explores immigration through the eyes of fourth grader Betita Quintero whose father is deported, leaving Betita and her pregnant mom alone. When they’re detained and forced into a detention camp, Betita and her mom must find a way to survive in the cruel and inhumane conditions.

 

Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon

The spooky books just keep on coming! This one is a chilling story of a group of kids playing a game of hide and seek at their friend’s welcome home party. Zee went missing and now the friends are celebrating his return, but Zee isn’t acting right. He’s mumbling about a Seeker coming to take them all, and after the party, one-by-one, more of his friends start to go missing, and it’s up to Justin, Nic, and Lyric set out to find them.

 

The Last Kids on Earth and the Skeleton Road by Max Brailler, Illustrated by Douglas Holgate

Here’s another spooky read just in time to get in the Halloween spirit! This is the sixth book in the Last Kids On Earth series, and this one returns to Jack, Quint, June, and Dirk as they embark on a roadtrip with the newly acquired Midnight Blade, looking for Thrull and his skeleton army.

 

Until next week!

Chelsea (@Chelseabigbang)

Dear readers,

I hope you all had a restful Labor Day and got some great reading time in! I’m back with a new crop of new children’s releases that hit shelves this week.

My Day With Gong Gong by Sennah Yee, illustrated by Elaine Chen

In this adorable picture book, May spends the day with her Gong Gong. She doesn’t think they can really have much of a nice day together when May doesn’t speak Chinese, and her Gong Gong doesn’t speak English. As the day continues, May is frustrated by her inability to understand her Gong Gong, and by what seems to be his obliviousness to her, but it soon becomes clear that her Gong Gong understands more of her than she realizes.

Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away by Meg Medina, illustrated by Sonia Sanchez

In this sweet picture book, Daniela’s best friend, Evelyn, is moving away. The two girls have always been mostly alike until this moment, when they are given just one day to play together for the last time before saying goodbye.

Digging For Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and The Library He Built by Angela Burke Kunkel and illustrated by Paola Escobar

This picture book retells the story of José Alberto Gutiérrez , a garbage collector in Bogotá who created a library for his neighborhood out of books discarded by the wealthy families on his route. Also along for the ride is a fictional boy named José, counting down the days before he and his friends can visit the library.

Amazing Women of the Middle East: 25 Stories from Ancient Times to Present Day by Wafa’ Tarnowska

This compilation of twenty-five short biographies is packed with inspiring and educational write-ups on Middle Eastern women, both past and present, whose contributions changed the world. Some names are probably widely recognized like Queen Nefertiti, Scheherazade, and Cleopatra. But it also includes plenty of opportunity to widen a reader’s knowledge of notable women, including Amal Clooney, a Lebanese British human rights lawyer and poet Rabiya al Adawiyya.

The Canyon’s Edge by Dusti Bowling

From the author of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus comes this thrilling novel in verse. On her last birthday, Nora’s mother was killed in a public shooting. Still recovering from the trauma, Nora and her dad spend this year’s birthday rock climbing. When a sudden flash flood washes away all their supplies and Nora’s father, Nora is forced to rely on her parent’s desert training to survive on her own.

 

Lupe Wong Won’t Dance by Donna Barba Higuera

This fun and cute read is about Lupe, a true jock, determined to get rid of the square dancing unit in her P.E class. She needs straight A’s across the board if she wants to meet her favorite pitcher, Fu Li Hernandez, who’s Chinacan/Mexicanese (Chinese and Mexican) just like Lupe, and square dancing will only mess it up. So Lupe becomes determined to get the unit canceled, but her efforts set off a chain reaction that creates even more trouble for her.

One Time by Sharon Creech

New from Newberry Medalist Sharon Creech (Walk Two Moons and my childhood favorite, Bloomability) is this sweet coming-of-age tale. Eleven year old Gina has a sprawling mind and a colorful wardrobe. When given writing prompts by her English teacher, Gina is challenged to consider who she is and who she could one day be, opening her mind to a greater understanding of herself and the people around her.

Until next week!

Chelsea (@ChelseaBigBang on Twitter)

Dear Readers,

We’re officially entering into fall also known as Peak New Book Season (in my house, at least). Even without COVID-19, it was going to get a lot harder to start narrowing down these choices for each week, but the pandemic’s start in the spring also meant a lot of books being pushed back, crowding an already crowded field. An abundance of riches, if you will. So I have a special pro-tip for you this week: if you see a new release you like on this list (or anywhere else), try to snatch it up as soon as you can or be prepared to prioritize which reads you must have right now. Printers, which were already struggling pre-pandemic, are experiencing a backlog, and reprints of some titles are going to be harder to find than others.

Your Place in the Universe by Justin Chin

This picture book is both an inspiring and educational glimpse at the massive scale of the universe. Looking through a telescope, a group of kids are introduced to the vast and expansive cosmos for the first time (as well as subjects such as astrophysics and astronomy) in this accessible read from the author of Grand Canyon. 

The Barnabus Project by Terry & Eric Fan with Devin Fan

Barnabus is half-mouse, half-elephant, who spends most of his days being poked and prodded by the men in Green Rubber Suits. As a Failed Project, he’s due to be recycled soon and so, realizing his elephant trunk gives him a special power, Barnabus frees himself and his friends, leading them through an exhilarating chase through a sinister lab and into freedom.

I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James

From the author/illustrator pair behind Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, is this new picture book that celebrates Black boys. The title really says it all: Black boys are every good thing. If you’re looking for more books that depict Black boys in warm, positive, and uplifting light, this is the book for you.

Babysitter’s Club Graphic Novel #8: Logan Likes Mary Anne by Ann M. Martin and illustrated by Gale Galligan

The babysitters are back! And just in time. This next graphic novel adaptation has Mary Anne at the start of eighth grade and meeting the dreamy Logan, who might be interested in joining the Baby-sitter’s Club. Right now we could all use more of the upbeat, colorful world of the BSC.

Pine Island Home by Polly Horvath

After their missionary parents die suddenly in a tsunami, the McCready sisters go off to live with the great aunt. But during their journey, their aunt unexpectedly dies, leaving the siblings alone. But they find their aunt was well-prepared for their arrival, enrolling them in school and having beds for them, so the McCreadys, led by fourteen year old Fiona, must be sure to keep social services off their tale so they can stay together.

Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse

I love this part of of the late summer/early fall when all the spooky, witchy books start coming out. For all those young readers out there who like their witches fun and enchanting, this new graphic novel is a lighthearted and funny tale about finding oneself through helping others. Effie goes to live with her stylish aunt and her partner after her mom dies. Effie’s pretty sure Selimene and Carlota are just herbalists, but is surprised to learn they’re witches!

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

New Jacqueline Woodson! New Jacqueline Woodson! New Jacqueline Woodson! This poignant story is about ZJ, a 12-year old Black kid whose dad is a retired football player. ZJ’s bright and warm relationship with his father begins to change when his dad unexpectedly develops headaches and memory lapses, and doctors don’t have many answers though it seems to be a result of the many concussions ZJ’s dad suffered during his years of play. As his dad’s memories slip away, ZJ holds his own more tightly.

Happy reading, friends. See you next Tuesday. In the meantime, come say hi on Twitter.

Chelsea