Author: Margaret Kingsbury

Where Rising is gentle and meditative, Challah Day! depicts the chaotic mayhem that often accompanies cooking with multiple children and pets. A family of four, plus their pet dog, prepare challah for dinner with grandparents. Offsay’s playful, rhyming text has the family joining together to follow the steps in baking the bread, while the illustrations show the mess that accompanies such preparations, from the baby throwing eggs on the floor to a braiding tug-of-war with the dog and creative ways of pouring flour. The illustrations take a whimsical turn when the children are depicted as smaller, climbing flour bags and hopping on sugar and oil. It’s a picture book full of Jewish joy. Back matter includes a description of why challah is important and a recipe.

This lovely picture book tells the story of Jewish life in Cochin, India. It is the first time I’ve read a children’s book centering Indian Jewish experiences. Leah is a storyteller, and after Shabbat, she tells stories to children in the synagogue’s courtyard. Butterflies listen nearby, and then one day, a butterfly notices that Leah seems sad and lands on her shoulder and asks why. She tells the butterfly that she and her family are leaving India to live in Israel. Leah misses India when she moves, but remembering her stories and the butterflies helps her.

This is one of my favorite middle grade novels of the year so far. It’s a beautiful historical fiction following four Jewish 12-year-old girls in the same family across the centuries. It begins with a young girl’s expulsion from Spain in 1492, then to Turkey, where the family finds refuge, then to Cuba, where Fidel Castro forces the family to leave, and finally to Miami. It’s really moving to read about how each journey is filled with terror and grief for lost homes and family, but then each new country becomes home and becomes loved and becomes integrated into the family’s culture, only for them to be rejected from the country once more for being Jewish. Behar has several other middle grade novels depicting Jewish experiences.

This joyful, cute middle grade is like a Jewish The Parent Trap and has sadly gone a bit under the radar. It takes place in the 1940s in a fictionalized city. Through some kind of magic, Shira and Esther were born nearly identical in the same hospital on the same day. But the girls could not be more different otherwise. Shira’s rabbi father looks down on her dreams of performing, while Esther’s stage performer mother is equally dismissive of Esther’s goals to learn more about Jewish religion. When the two 12-year-old girls meet for the first time, they hatch a plan to switch places and fulfill their dreams. It’s a delightful read.

This picture book is inspired by real events, specifically when a statue of the slave trader Edward Colston was pulled down during an antiracist protest. Co-author Jen Reid was one of the protestors and, like on the cover, climbed onto that empty space, fist raised. The picture book follows a child who sees so many statues on walks of historical figures some claim to be “heroes” but who actively harmed people who looked like her. She wonders where the real heroes are, and then she realizes that she can help to make a difference by making her voice heard. Back matter includes more details about the events shown in the book as well as discussion questions.

This powerful picture will be released in one month. Set in 1970, it’s a fictionalized account of how San Diego’s Chicano Park came to be. A young girl and her mami live in Barrio Logan, a Chicane neighborhood. When the two see construction beneath the bridge, Mami sighs in relief, explaining that the city is finally building a much-promised park. However, it turns out that the city is building a police station, not a park. The community rallies together to protest at the construction site. They protest for 12 days before the city grants their request for a park at a town meeting. This is a wonderful picture book about the power and importance of protests.

This is the second book in the Frankie and Friends chapter book series, one of my favorite new chapter book series. Frankie’s mom is a news reporter. When a protest for justice sweeps the news, Mama is called in to report. In her absence, Frankie wonders what a protest is and why people are protesting. To get to the bottom of it, she decides to do her own journalistic investigation with the help of her toys. She interviews her father and sister—learning about racial injustice and activism—and then her toys participate in their own protest. This is an engaging introduction to protests, activism, and journalism. A glossary is included at the end.

This heartwarming middle grade novel releases in two weeks. Jamie, who is nonbinary, and their friends are entering secondary school in Nottingham, England. When it’s time to choose schools, Jamie realizes the schools are divided by gender. There’s a boy’s school and a girl’s school, neither of which applies to Jamie. Many of the adults in Jamie’s life don’t understand their problem and encourage them to just pick. But thankfully Jamie has supportive friends and family who help them protest the unfair binary division of students.

I have read this book so many times with my daughter. We often joke around the house by saying, “We will teach humans to fear the feline race!” It’s essentially a bunch of adorable cats under the leadership of the Feline Commander trying to make humans restructure their entire lives around their needs before they take over the world. We are doomed. There are three volumes in this series.

I am cheating because this doesn’t release until August! It’s a new adventure starring the same character from the popular Unico Japanese manga and film series from the 1970s and ’80s. Unico has been expelled from the heavens for irritating the evil goddess Venus. The West Wind was supposed to place him on the Hill of Forgetfulness, but instead, feeling sad for the small unicorn, she takes him to the mortal realm, where he can be free. When Unico awakens, he finds a cat named Chloe, and the two take refuge in an elderly woman’s home. However, the more Unico comes to love others, the more he draws the attention of Venus. Fantasy readers will love this.

If your kid loves drawing and manga, there are a lot of great manga art instruction books out there. This one, by the author and illustrator of the children’s manga Bounce Back, provides step-by-step instructions for drawing manga characters, including expressions, hairstyles, different angles, and more. Also check out her book How to Draw Kawaii Manga Fashion. It’s easy to lay these books out flat while drawing along.

This is another great manga art instruction book for kids. It includes a story along with instructions. Lemon is a 7th grader who loves drawing. Momiji, her cousin, is an illustrator in her twenties. Their interactions, where Lemon asks Momiji to teach her how to draw manga, are written in panels. It’s a great way to incorporate art instruction with a story. This is a three-book series. The other two books are Learn to Draw Manga Poses for Kids and Learn to Draw Manga Faces for Kids.

Star Trek actor George Takei first described his time in Japanese American incarceration camps in his excellent YA graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy. Now he’s written about his experiences for picture book readers. Takei was 4 years old when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Soon after, he and his family of five were forced to leave their Los Angeles home and live in a series of Japanese incarceration camps. Takei relates how he, his family, and other children found ways to make the camps home, even amid the unconscionable. Back matter includes an author’s note, photographs, and more about the history of Japanese Americans during and after World War II. Lee’s soft illustrations are lovely. This is a great addition to the growing number of picture books about WWII Japanese incarceration camps.

This is another stunning picture book about a moment in history that I have never seen covered in picture books—the Korean War. It’s based on the experiences of the author’s mother and her family, who sheltered refugees in their home by the sea during the War. Kyung is at first understandably shy of the refugees fleeing the war and coming to live in her house. More people come, day after day, and the family does their best to provide space, food, and kindness. Kyung tires of the constant noise and chores, but then she befriends one of the refugees. As the war comes ever closer, Kyung learns the importance of community and sticking together. Back matter includes author’s and illustrator’s notes about their families during the Korean War.

This lovely picture book celebrates languages and family. Sumi’s mother speaks both Malayalam and English and weaves both languages into her daily interactions, like the warm tapestry illustrations. Sumi tells the story of her mother growing up in Kerala, studying English when she was 12, and then moving to America. Sumi then shares stories of how she’s learned both languages, of her travels to Kerala, and of the languages her family speaks there (like her aunt who knows four languages). It’s a beautiful homage to language based on the author’s childhood.

This sweet picture book is about a young girl who wants to learn how to dance the tinikling—a traditional Filipino dance—for her Lolo and Lola’s anniversary celebration. As her older siblings practice, Kailani feels left out, but she has trouble recreating the pattern on the bamboo sticks, and her legs get tangled when she practices the steps with her father. But she keeps practicing, and she’s ready to dance the tinikling at her grandparents’s party. This is a really fun picture book.

Who doesn’t love Miss Lila Greer, the teacher from The Questioneers series? I am so happy she now has her own picture book. It follows Miss Greer from infancy to the moment she becomes the famous classroom’s teacher. Born the youngest of five siblings and raised by a single dad, Lila Greer constantly had a case of the worries. She had trouble adjusting to school and missing her brothers and home, but thanks to an excellent teacher, she learned to love school. While her anxiety followed her, she learned techniques to calm her worries. Thanks to the wonderful teacher, she decides to become a teacher, too.

I am so excited about this new chapter book series, The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class! Each book follows a different child in Mrs. Z’s third-grade class and is written by a different author. In this first book, written by Kate Messner, Emma McKenna can’t wait to start classes at a new school — Curiosity Academy. Emma loves cheerleading and celebrating special days. At her old school, a classmate bullied her, and she’s excited to start fresh in Mrs. Z’s class. However, her bully is at this new school, too! I love how Mrs. Z treats the students in class. The second book — Rohan Murthy Has a Plan by Rajani LaRocca — is also out this week, and my daughter and I enjoyed it just as much as the first book.

This middle grade novel-in-verse switches perspectives between two narrators, Eb and Flow, after they get in a fight at school and are suspended for ten days. Both are struggling with anger and problems at home. There are two great teachers in this. The first is Eb’s grandmother, a retired teacher who is raising her. The second is the teacher who helps them when they return to school after their suspension. The two have to attend a class together before they rejoin the school and their regular classes. The author is a teacher, and you can really tell!

This is a charming middle grade novel about a summer that tween Samira spends at home while her parents and older sister are in India for a wedding. Samira is home with her grandmother and younger brother. She’s hoping she can hide in her room all summer, but several things thwart those plans: her house gets toilet papered and she suspects it’s her ex-best friend, a new girl her age moves in nearby, her brother joins a band, her grandmother makes friends with all the neighbors and even a nice guy at the grocery store, and Samira plans to enter a film contest at her art teacher’s encouragement. This art teacher is so supportive; I love her!

This is an amazing middle grade nonfiction adaptation of The Making of Asian America. Lee and Soontornvat cover a broad array of Asian American history. Much of it looks at the racism and civil rights struggles Asian Americans have experienced, starting with the 13th-century fascination with the “Orient,” and including the model minority myth and COVID-19 hate crimes. It’s an accessible and fascinating nonfiction.

This slim graphic nonfiction is the first volume in a new series uncovering Asian American and Pacific Islander history. It follows four middle schoolers and a museum guide as they prepare for a school project about AAPI history by going to a history museum with a special AAPI exhibit. They learn about the arrival of the “Manilamen” in New Orleans, the Gold Rush in California, Chinese railroad workers, and more. The second and third volumes will be released later this year and early next year. Back matter includes a curriculum guide. It’s an excellent book to use in middle school classrooms or to read at home!

This middle grade nonfiction focuses specifically on Chinese American experiences. It covers a broad array of experiences and gives mini-biographies, historical anecdotes, and discussions of larger major events. Blackburn begins in 499 CE, describes the Exclusion Act, delves into major laws, and more. She includes questions for further thinking. It’s a really great addition to this nonfiction series.

Now for something completely different! This is a super fun middle grade graphic novel that combines Chinese and Greek mythology. It stars the Monkey King — Sun Wukong — on his quest to become a god. After much mischief in the world of Beasts, Sun Wukong travels to the world of the Gods, where beasts aren’t allowed. After making a ruckus, God Venus says that Sun Wukong can earn his godship by working with the Gods. He agrees. The first stop is Crete, where a minotaur is causing some trouble. I’m hoping there will be more books in this series!

Board book readers love sing-along stories, and this one is absolutely delightful! It portrays a wide range of mothers and children as they journey on a city bus through the seasons. The words are to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus”: “The mommies on the bus say “please sit down” all through the town.” It’s a lovely ode to mothers and public transportation. The illustrations are fantastic.

If I had to choose one picture book to read for Mother’s Day, it would be this one. It’s such a heartwarming celebration of motherhood and bellies. While most picture books about fat and big bellies tend to center on a negative or bullying experience, this is just all joy from start to finish. A young boy’s favorite panza (belly) is their mamá’s. Mamá’s panza stretched and grew when he was inside it, and now it’s the perfect cushion for wrestling antics, a place to hide when strangers are near, and a pure comfort during storytime snuggles. While we read this together, my daughter and I patted our bellies and commented on how soft they were, and the cool noises they make when we pat them, and how I grew her inside me. It was a really sweet moment, and I’m so glad other mothers and children can celebrate their wonderful bellies with this picture book.

This one is probably my daughter’s favorite. It’s a super sweet picture book about a baby and mama sloth. When Baby Sloth takes a tumble from his mother’s arms one night and lands in the forest below, he feels scared. He watches Mama’s progress down the tree by the light of the moon. It’s very slow progress, and his mother encourages him to look and smell and feel the things around him as he waits. This helps calm Baby down. The illustrations are so vivid: pops of bright colors on an otherwise navy or black background.

We are all about animals lately at home, and this nonfiction picture book is another really sweet Mother’s Day read. It explores the mother/child relationship between polar bears, kangaroos, penguins, deer, and many other animals, 13 total. Each page is short and simple with one fact about the animals depicted. The realistic watercolor illustrations are lovely. This is a great nonfiction book for younger picture book readers.

I love the Rebel Girls series, and their newest middle grade release is a nonfiction that addresses financial literacy. Alexa von Tobel, who is the founder and CEO of LearnVest.com, a personal finance website, addresses a range of topics: savings accounts, starting a business, budgeting, credit cards, and more. The illustrations and short chapters make this really accessible and a great conversation starter, too. I needed this as a kid!

This is the first book in a new middle grade series about a young artist who decides to start her own business. Gigi wants to raise money to go to an art summer camp, but her immigrant parents can’t afford it, and she doesn’t think they would approve. They want her to focus more on her academic studies. She and her friends decide to start a tutoring business to help younger kids with math and raise money. But it’s hard to run a business and keep up with art, school, and friends! This is a charming, relatable novel. I’m looking forward to reading more in the series!

This is the first book in a new early fictional chapter book series centering financial literacy. It’s Lucy’s birthday, and she receives a card from an aunt as a gift. She and her best friend Julian have noticed another wealthier girl at school who has a card her parents gave her who buys fun things with it — like a glittery sweater that Lucy loves. Lucy decides to buy the same sweater with her card, but it’s too expensive. Lucy and Julian ask their babysitter to explain the difference in cards, and they learn the difference between debit cards, credit cards, and gift cards. The second book, Batter Splatter, has Julian setting a budget for a bake sale to raise money for a school banner. These are really fun and informative reads for ages 6-9 ish.

This is a really funny picture book told from the perspective of a one-dollar bill named Big Bill. Bill is enjoying his life of constant use when he meets a one hundred dollar bill, who makes Bill a bit jealous. He makes a wish on Penny for more zeroes and becomes a one thousand dollar bill! But it turns out that the life of luxury is kind of boring. Also check out Wilson’s equally delightful A Penny’s Worth.

I listed this as one of my most anticipated 2024 reads in a newsletter last year, and let me say, it did not disappoint. It will be on my list of favorite 2024 releases, without a doubt. It’s a gorgeous verse novel about a 13-year-old boy, Jake, with anorexia, depression, and OCD, which Schu based on his own experiences. Jack just wants to disappear, but the people who love him — like his grandmother, divorced parents, and a friend he makes — want him to stay. His family sends him to an in-patient treatment facility for help, and he spends most of the next year there. This novel recounts his experiences in verse. Reading this basically ripped my heart out. I cried so much!

I don’t see Torrey Maldonado on lists that often, but he’s one of my favorite middle grade authors. This slim and accessible verse novel is a really moving and nuanced take on toxic masculinity. Trev used to create art with his hands, but when his stepfather hits his mother and goes to jail for it, he decides he needs to use his hands to box instead. That way, he can protect his family. But his mom and sister want him to keep making art. I love the community of Black male role models that Trev has surrounding him and offering support.

In this beautiful historical novel-in-verse, Carole Boston Weatherford attempts to trace her ancestry as far back as she can, reimagining her ancestor’s lives through poems. She manages to trace them to a plantation in Maryland and even finds a reference to one of her ancestors in one of Frederick Douglass’s writings. She doesn’t let the lack of archival evidence stop her from imagining what the past looked like. I got to listen to a panel with Weatherford hosted by School Library Journal in February, and I loved listening to her speak about writing this novel. She spoke of her process of listening to her ancestors speaking to her and the necessity of creative license when facts run cold, particularly for historical renderings of African American history. Her son, Jeffery Boston Weatherford, illustrates with stunning scratchboard art.

This lovely middle grade novel-in-verse is the first traditionally published book about a tween with cystic fibrosis by an author with cystic fibrosis. Penny has several things complicating her life right now: her best friend is moving away, she needs to write a poem about herself for the school poetry contest, there’s a dolphin stuck in the creek that runs through her backyard, and she’s experiencing a bad CF flare. She and the dolphin bond, but she knows the dolphin needs to find her way back to her pod. Baldwin’s writing is just wonderful. I don’t have CF, but I do have lots of respiratory disorders, and I really identified with Penny.

This super fun rhyming search-and-find Passover picture book is sure to be on repeat in many households. A family has gathered for Passover, but the mischievous matzah keeps hiding in every room of the house, inside and outside. Kids and pets search for that sneaky Afikoman, and young readers can join the search.

Kids will also love this dinosaur take on Passover. Tyrannosaurus Rex wants to host the seder for all the dinosaurs, but none of them want to come. They’re worried he will eat them! This gives him tsuris — worry. But then all the dinosaurs tell him what gives them tsuris, and it turns out they have a lot to worry about, too. It’s a funny picture book that dinosaur lovers will enjoy.

This is a lovely picture book about grieving for a lost grandparent. A young girl is celebrating Passover with her family, but how can it be Passover without Poppy, her beloved grandfather? Family members tell her he’s still there with them, but the child has trouble understanding what they mean. How is Poppy still there? Where is he? As she searches, she remembers cherished moments with him.

There aren’t very many Passover books for middle grade readers, and this short story anthology helps to fill the gap. Fourteen Jewish middle grade authors write Passover-themed short stories, comics, and poems. It’s cleverly organized around the 14 parts of the Passover Seder, and the acknowledgments use the “Who Knows One” pattern, the traditional Passover song. Contributors include Ruth Behar, Veera Hiranandani, Sarah Kapit, A. J. Sass, Laurel Snyder, and more.