Category: The Kids Are All Right

New Children’s Book Releases for November 6, 2018!

Post author By Karina Glaser
Post date November 5, 2018

Hi Kid Lit friends!

Happy election day! I hope you have had the chance to vote or have it in your plans today. Need to find out your polling place? Find it here. Want to know what is on your ballot? Look it up here. For a list of resources to learn more about the issues and candidates, check this out. My voting day plan is this: write and do some illustrations in the morning and then go to my polling place to vote and then head to the library to return books.

And now… new books! It’s the first Tuesday of the month, so there are lots of exciting releases today. Check these out and let me know what looks interesting to you!

*Please note that all book descriptions are from Goodreads. If I had a chance to read the book and loved it, I will mark it with a .

Sponsored by Caracal, an imprint of Lion Forge.

Your favorite mummy, Milo, just can’t catch a break! No matter how much he tries to stay out of trouble, trouble finds him! Snacks go missing during a camping trip, his dad gets pulled into a dangerous martial tournament, and his best friend somehow ends up in Wizard Prison! Under any circumstances, Milo always comes through to save the day! (Usually.) Wrapped Up Vol. 2 by Dave Scheidt and illustrated by Scoot McMahon includes backstories drawn by Yehudi Mercado, Mason Dickerson, Sean Mac, Aaron Pittman, and Shan Murphy. Find it in stores now from Caracal, an imprint of Lion Forge!

Picture Book New Releases

Don’t Touch My Hair by Sharee Miller

It seems that wherever Aria goes, someone wants to touch her hair. In the street, strangers reach for her fluffy curls; and even under the sea, in the jungle, and in space, she’s chased by a mermaid, monkeys, and poked by aliens…until, finally, Aria has had enough!

The Boy and the Giant by David Litchfield

There is a Secret Giant in Gableview who has hands the size of tabletops, legs as long as drainpipes, and feet as big as rowing boats. But little Billy thinks the Giant is just a tall tale that his grandad likes to tell. According to Grandad, the Giant keeps the bears away when they go camping and rescues Billy’s favorite kite when it gets tangled up in the tallest tree. Grandad swears the Giant is real, but Billy’s not buying it. Why has he never seen the giant before? Why does the Giant stay hidden? Grandad knows why: People are afraid of things that look different. When Billy suddenly finds himself face-to-face with the Giant, he runs away in fear—and hurts the Giant’s feelings. But now he’s got an opportunity to make it up to him, and, just maybe, to be friends with the nicest guy in town.

The Eye That Never Sleeps: How Detective Pinkerton Saved President Lincoln by Marissa Moss, illustrated by Jeremy Holmes

From award-winning author Marissa Moss comes the first children’s book about Allan Pinkerton, one of America’s greatest detectives. Everyone knows the story of Abraham Lincoln, but few know anything about the spy who saved him! Allan Pinkerton’s life changed when he helped the Chicago Police Department track down a group of counterfeiters. From there, he became the first police detective in Chicago and established the country’s most successful detective agency. He went on to solve more than 300 murders and recover millions of dollars in stolen money. However, his greatest contribution was protecting Abraham Lincoln on the way to his 1861 inauguration. Though assassins attempted to murder Lincoln en route, Pinkerton foiled their plot and brought the president safely to the capital.

Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Dee Romito, illustrated by Laura Freeman

Georgia Gilmore was a cook at the National Lunch Company in Montgomery, Alabama. When the bus boycotts broke out in Montgomery after Rosa Parks was arrested, Georgia knew just what to do. She organized a group of women who cooked and baked to fund-raise for gas and cars to help sustain the boycott. Called the Club from Nowhere, Georgia was the only person who knew who baked and bought the food, and she said the money came from “nowhere” to anyone who asked. When Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for his role in the boycott, Georgia testified on his behalf, and her home became a meeting place for civil rights leaders.

No Boring Stories! by Julie Falatko, illustrated by Charles Santoso

The unpopular animals have had enough. They want to be in a picture book! Stories about mommy-loving kitties and cuddly bunnies at bedtime are boring. Wouldn’t you rather hear about yeti crabs in robo suits and fierce babirusa princesses who fight giant grape monsters?! This group of misfits has a unique story to tell, but they’ll never finish writing it if their over-eager bunny neighbor won’t GO AWAY!

Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes by Eva Chen, illustrated by Derek Desierto

Juno Valentine’s favorite shoes don’t light up. They don’t have wheels. They are, to be perfectly honest, the tiniest bit boring. But they’re still her favorite muddy-puddle-jumping, everyday-is-an-adventure shoes. One day, when they go missing, Juno discovers something amazing: a magical room filled with every kind of shoe she could possibly imagine! Juno embarks on an epic journey through time and space, stepping into the shoes of female icons from Frida Kahlo and Cleopatra to Lady Gaga and Serena Williams. Each pair of shoes Juno tries brings a brand new adventure―and a step towards understanding that her very own shoes might be the best shoes of all.

How to Eat Pizza by Jon Burgerman

How do you eat pizza? Do you pick the biggest slice? Add hot pepper flakes? Use your hands? Do you know how your pizza slice feels about that? He thinks it’s disgusting. There are so many other things you could eat — that aren’t him. Listen up. He’s got ideas.

Chapter Book New Releases

Ellie, Engineer: The Next Level by Jackson Pearce

After Ellie’s first elevator build goes terribly wrong, her parents decide her “punishment” is to assist an elderly neighbor, Mrs. Curran, around the house. Ellie and her friends Kit and Toby are really only supposed to help with little things, but Ellie can’t turn down the opportunity to use her engineering skills here and there where she sees a need–because that’s what engineers do! It’s no fun, though, when Mrs. Curran always gives Toby the credit for all the ingenious projects, and acts like Kit and Ellie were just helping him. . . . Can Ellie come up with another great build to elevate Mrs. Curran’s ideas about this girl engineer?

Middle Grade New Releases

Angel and Bavar by Amy Wilson

After the death of her parents, Angel has a lot to get used to: a new home, a new family, a new school. The last thing she’s interested in is making new friends. Until she meets Bavar, a strange boy who slips through the shadows, a boy who might understand her nightmares. But Bavar doesn’t want to let anyone in. Everyone—and everything—in his enchanted house is already urging him to step up and protect the world from a magical rift and the fearsome monsters traveling through it, a responsibility he wishes he could ignore.

Henry & Eva and the Castle on the Cliff by Andrea Portes

Prominent Environmentalist and Oceanographer Die in Boating Accident

This is the headline that changes Henry and Eva’s lives. Their parents, environmentalist William Billings and his oceanographer wife Margo, disappear mysteriously at sea. But for Henry and Eva, things are about to go from bad to worse. Their jerk-face uncle (nicknamed Claude the Clod) and his awful girlfriend (Terri the Terrible) have moved into their big house on the cliff to “take care of them,” but Eva has her doubts about their intentions. And when some spooky visitors appear with a message, they realize that their parents’ deaths might not have been as cut and dry as everyone thinks. It’s up to Henry and Eva to discover the truth—but can they do it before the Clod catches them?

Speechless by Adam P. Schmitt

As if being stuffed into last year’s dress pants at his cousin’s wake weren’t uncomfortable enough, thirteen-year-old Jimmy has just learned from his mother that he has to say a few words at the funeral the next day. Why him? What could he possibly say about his cousin, who ruined everything they did? He can’t recall one birthday party, family gathering, or school event with Patrick that didn’t result in injury or destruction. As Jimmy attempts to navigate the odd social norms of the wake, he draws on humor, heartfelt concern, and a good deal of angst while racking his brain and his memory for a decent and meaningful memory to share. But it’s not until faced with a microphone that the realization finally hits him: it’s not the words that are spoken that matter the most, but those that are truly heard.

The Prophet Calls by Melanie Sumrow

Born into a polygamous community in the foothills of New Mexico, Gentry Forrester feels lucky to live among God’s chosen, apart from the outside world and its “evils.” On her thirteenth birthday, Gentry receives a new violin from her father and, more than anything, she wants to play at the Santa Fe Music Festival with her brother, Tanner. But then the Prophet calls from prison and announces he has outlawed music in their community and now forbids women to leave. Determined to play, Gentry and Tanner sneak out. But once they return, the Prophet exercises control from prison, and it has devastating consequences for Gentry and her family.

Love Like Sky by Leslie C. Youngblood

G-baby and her younger sister, Peaches, are still getting used to their “blended-up” family. They live with Mama and Frank out in the suburbs, and they haven’t seen their real daddy much since he married Millicent. When Peaches gets sick, suddenly Mama and Daddy are arguing like they did before the divorce and even the doctors at the hospital don’t know how to help Peaches get better. It’s up to G-baby to put things right. She knows Peaches can be strong again if she can only see that their family’s love for her really is like sky.

The Devlin Quick Mysteries: Secrets from the Deep by Linda Fairstein

It’s the end of summer, and Devlin Quick is invited to join her best friend Booker’s family on vacation at their summer home in Martha’s Vineyard. Booker has a science project for school: to take a daily bucket of water from the Vineyard Sound and submit a sample to an oceanographic DNA lab. From that, they can actually tell you what species of fish have been in those waters: striped bass, blues…and sharks! But Devlin comes up with something else in her bucket from the days when pirates hid treasures along New England coastline. With access to the crime DNA lab back in NYC (courtesy of her mother), Dev is going to solve the mystery of this treasure…and figure out all of the secrets Martha’s Vineyard is hiding.

The Girl with the Dragon Heart by Stephanie Burgis

Silke has always been good at spinning the truth and storytelling. So good that, just years after arriving in the kingdom as a penniless orphan, she has found her way to working for the most splendid chocolate makers in the city as a master promoter. Although Silke loves her work at the Chocolate Heart, she’s certain it’s not going to last, and what Silke wants more than anything is somewhere to call home–somewhere safe. But when your best friend is a dragon-turned-hot-tempered-girl, trouble is always right around the corner.

More Than a Princess by E.D. Baker

One day, as Aislin is venturing through the woods, she is alarmed to hear a band of humans coming through. How did they get past the guarded magical passageway that leads to her hidden kingdom? Mistaken for a human herself, Aislin is captured, and soon realizes she’s in even bigger trouble–she’s being used as a pawn to help the king of this nearby kingdom, Morrain, find a secret passageway to the warring land of Scarmander, so he can capture his enemies by surprise. Aislin must find a way to break free, while also minding the beautiful human princess and ladies-in-waiting she now shares a castle with, who are all too ready to point out her differences. Thankfully, Aislin’s inner strength goes beyond her magical qualities. And with a few loyal friends by her side, she’s ready to stand up for herself and her kingdom once and for all.

Gertie Milk and the Great Keeper Rescue by Simon van Booy

Ever since Gertie Milk arrived on Skuldark, the mysterious island home of all lost objects, she’s felt like something was missing. According to Kolt, her mentor and fellow Keeper of Lost Things, the island used to be filled with Keepers tasked with returning missing items throughout history. But now the only three left are Gertie, Kolt, and, Robot Rabbit Boy–a bumbling but lovable Series 7 Artificial Intelligence Forever Friend.

The Flash: The Secret Files of Barry Allen

As Central City’s guardian speedster, Barry Allen has experienced—and survived—a lot. Everything you need to know about The Flash, including all of his top-secret notes, is compiled in this ultimate guidebook. Sneak a peek at the classified S.T.A.R. Labs dossiers on everyone in Central City (human and metahuman), view case notes, and read, in Barry’s own words, exclusive details about his life before and after the accident.

Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken? by Kelly Jones

Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown is finally settling into her new home and her new role as keeper of some highly unusual chickens–chickens with secret superpowers! But the arrival of two new magical chickens for her flock and some unusual eggs to be incubated and hatched (what will their superpowers be?), plus an impending inspection from the Unusual Poultry Committee (who even knew this existed?) has Sophie feeling pretty stressed out. Her older cousin, Lupe, is coming to stay with her family, which is great–but will Lupe like chickens too? And on top of it all, Sophie’s first day at her new school is rapidly approaching!

Inkling by Kenneth Oppel

The Rylance family is stuck. Dad’s got writer’s block. Ethan promised to illustrate a group project at school–even though he can’t draw. Sarah’s still pining for a puppy. And they all miss Mom. So much more than they can say. Enter Inkling. Inkling begins life in Mr. Rylance’s sketchbook. But one night the ink of his drawings runs together–and then leaps off the page! This small burst of creativity is about to change everything. It’s not until Inkling goes missing that this family has to face the larger questions of what they–and Inkling–truly need.

Nonfiction New Releases

Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World by Vashti Harrison

Featuring the true stories of 40 women creators, ranging from writers to inventors, artists to scientists, Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World inspires as it educates. Readers will meet trailblazing women like Mary Blair, an American modernist painter who had a major influence on how color was used in early animated films, actor/inventor Hedy Lamar, environmental activist Wangari Maathai, architect Zaha Hadid, filmmaker Maya Deren, and physicist Chien-Shiung Wu. Some names are known, some are not, but all of the women had a lasting effect on the fields they worked in.

Backlist Book Recommendations

Picture Book Recommendation: Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by S.D. Nelson

A biography of Native American athlete Jim Thorpe, focusing on how his boyhood education set the stage for his athletic achievements which gained him international fame and Olympic gold medals.

Middle Grade Book Recommendation: Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez

After Tyler’s father is injured in a tractor accident, his family is forced to hire migrant Mexican workers to help save their Vermont farm from foreclosure. Tyler isn’t sure what to make of these workers. Are they undocumented? And what about the three daughters, particularly Mari, the oldest, who is proud of her Mexican heritage but also increasingly connected to her American life. Her family lives in constant fear of being discovered by the authorities and sent back to the poverty they left behind in Mexico. Can Tyler and Mari find a way to be friends despite their differences?

Project Book Recommendation: The Best of Making Things: A Hand Book of Creative Discovery by Ann Sayre Wiseman

This classic educational and creative text features 125 projects, carefully selected by the author to “develop natural curiosity and self-esteem,” and to demonstrate “simple and important concepts that have shaped the cultures of the world.” So when a child asks, “What can I do?” you can reply, “Make things! Paper from laundry lint! A bird feeder from clothes hangers! Chocolate pudding finger paintings! Beautiful fish & potato prints! A cardboard box loom that teaches weaving and math! A simple pattern to sew shirts, pants, or dresses!”

That’s it for me – I have to get back to reading! I would love to know what you are reading this week! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at karina@bookriot.com.

Until next week!
Karina

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The Kids Are All Right

Children’s Books Featuring Octopuses

Post author By Karina Glaser
Post date October 31, 2018

Hi Kid Lit friends,

On our way home from a family vacation in Maine last July, we listened to an audiobook called The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery. This is a book for adults but still appropriate for my eight-year-old and ten-year-old; they were enthralled. We learned something within the first minute of listening: the plural of octopus is not octopi; it is octopuses. Because octopus is a Greek word, you cannot place a Latin plural ending on it.

Sponsored by Graphix Books, an Imprint of Scholastic

From the creator of the acclaimed graphic novel The Witch Boy comes a new adventure set in the world of magic and shapeshifting — and ordinary kids just trying to make friends.

Since listening to this book, my kids have been fascinated by all things octopus-related. They went to the Baltimore Aquarium with their grandmother and spent a long time watching the giant Pacific octopus. They have been reading books about octopuses. We have watched YouTube videos of octopuses in the wild.

Octopuses are fascinating. They have three hearts! They have blue blood! The suction cups on their arms contain two-thirds of their neurons! Check out more about this amazing animal species with the books below.

Picture Books

Inky’s Great Escape by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Sebastià Serra

In April 2016, The New York Times published an article about an octopus named Inky who escaped from the National Aquarium of New Zealand through a drainpipe and into the sea. In this charming fictionalized account, Inky, worn out from his exciting life in the ocean, has retired to the aquarium. There he quietly plays cards, makes faces at the visitors, and regales his tankmate Blotchy with tales of his past adventures. Then Blotchy dares Inky to make one more great escape: out of their tank. Will Inky succeed?

Octopus Alone by Divya Srinivasan

From the author of Little Owl’s Night comes a new book about shy Octopus who lives on a lively reef, and what happens when she finds herself in a new place far from home, wonderfully, peacefully alone. As she did in Little Owl’s Night, Divya Srinivasan shows children a wonderful part of the natural world in a very warm-hearted way.

Love, Agnes by Irene Latham, illustrated by Thea Baker

Agnes has a beak that can crush bones and arms and stretch wide as a car but that doesn’t make her a monster! After she comes across a postcard, Agnes, a giant Pacific octopus, strikes up a correspondence with various other creatures below and above the waves. Readers will delight in this unlikely introduction to the octopus life cycle.

Inky’s Amazing Escape by Sy Montgomery, illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford

Inky had been at the New Zealand aquarium since 2014 after being taken in by a fisherman who found him at sea. Inky had been getting used to his new environment, but the staff quickly figured out that he had to be kept amused or he would get bored. Then one night in 2016 Inky, about the size of a basketball, decided he’d had enough. He slithered eight feet across the floor and down a drainpipe more than 160 feet long to his home in the sea.

Octopus Escapes Again! by Laurie Ellen Angus

While searching for a meal, a hungry octopus encounters hazards and opportunities, and displays a dazzling array of defensive devices including jet propulsion, clouds of ink, extreme camouflage and mimicry, even sacrificing a limb if necessary. “Explore More” sections for kids and adults offer information and activities on the adaptive behavior of these very intelligent creatures.

How to Hide an Octopus & Other Sea Creatures by Ruth Heller

Go on a fascinating nature hunt to find the camouflaged octopus, crabs, brilliantly-painted tropical fish, and other wonderful sea creatures hidden in the pages of this book.

An Octopus is Amazing by Patricia Lauber, illustrated by Holly Keller

“[Here is] a charming introduction to the truly amazing octopus [from its intelligence to its ability to change colors to the camouflaging black ink it squirts to escape predators]. Lauber’s chatty, fact-filled text makes the book a good read-aloud, and Keller’s amusing and colorful drawings enhance it—a perfect match of text and illustration.” —SLJ

Also An Octopus by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, illustrated by Benji Davies

It begins with an octopus who plays the ukulele. Since this is a story, the octopus has to want something—maybe to travel to faraway galaxies in a totally awesome purple spaceship. Then the octopus sets out to build a spaceship out of soda cans, glue, umbrellas, glitter, and waffles. OK, maybe the octopus needs some help, like from an adorable bunny friend, and maybe that bunny turns out to be . . . a rocket scientist? (Probably not.) But could something even more amazing come to pass? Debut author Maggie Tokuda-Hall, with the help of illustrator Benji Davies, sets up an endearingly funny story, then hands the baton to readers, who will be more than primed to take it away.

For Middle Grade Readers

The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery

In pursuit of the wild, solitary, predatory octopus, popular naturalist Sy Montgomery has practiced true immersion journalism. From New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, she has befriended octopuses with strikingly different personalities—gentle Athena, assertive Octavia, curious Kali, and joyful Karma. Each creature shows her cleverness in myriad ways: escaping enclosures like an orangutan; jetting water to bounce balls; and endlessly tricking companions with multiple “sleights of hand” to get food.

The Octopus Scientists by Sy Montgomery, photographs by Keith Ellenbogen

With three hearts and blue blood, its gelatinous body unconstrained by jointed limbs or gravity, the octopus seems to be an alien, an inhabitant of another world. It’s baggy, boneless body sprouts eight arms covered with thousands of suckers—suckers that can taste as well as feel. The octopus also has the powers of a superhero: it can shape-shift, change color, squirt ink, pour itself through the tiniest of openings, or jet away through the sea faster than a swimmer can follow. But most intriguing of all, octopuses—classed as mollusks, like clams—are remarkably intelligent with quirky personalities.

Blended by Sharon M. Draper is a beautiful middle grade book about a girl living in two worlds. Eleven-year-old Isabella’s parents are divorced, so she has to switch lives every week: One week she’s Isabella with her dad, his girlfriend Anastasia, and her son, Darren, living in a fancy house where they are one of the only black families in the neighborhood. The next week she’s Izzy with her mom and her boyfriend, John-Mark, in a small, not-so-fancy house that she loves.

The Eye That Never Sleeps: How Detective Pinkerton Saved President Lincoln by Marissa Moss, illustrated by Jeremy Holmes is a fascinating nonfiction picture book about one of America’s greatest detectives. Allan Pinkerton’s life changed when he helped the Chicago Police Department track down a group of counterfeiters. From there, he became the first police detective in Chicago and established the country’s most successful detective agency. He went on to solve more than 300 murders and recover millions of dollars in stolen money. However, his greatest contribution was protecting Abraham Lincoln on the way to his 1861 inauguration.

Revenge of the Flower Girls by Jennifer Ziegler is a hilarious middle grade book about the Brewster twins. Set in summer, they are not looking forward to upending their typical summer fun to help their older sister Lily plan her wedding. Burton, Lily’s groom-to-be, is not nice or fun, and he looks like an armadillo. The triplets can’t stand to see Lily marry someone so wrong for her, so they’ll stop at nothing to delay Lily’s big day. But will sprinklers, a photo slideshow, a muddy dog, and some unexpected allies be enough to prevent their sister and the whole Brewster family from living unhappily ever after?

Around the web…

Best Children’s Books 2018, via Publisher’s Weekly

Best Middle Grade & Children’s Books 2018, via Goodreads

Best Picture Books 2018, via Goodreads

I would love to know what you are reading this week! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at karina@bookriot.com.

Until next time!
Karina

Nala keeping me company as I work.

The Kids Are All Right

New Children’s Book Releases for October 30, 2018

Post author By Karina Glaser
Post date October 29, 2018

Hey Kid Lit friends,

It’s almost November, and pretty soon I will be filling up your inboxes with holiday gift recommendations. For now, I am enjoying the rhythms of autumn. Today I will gather together the children’s books I will give out to trick-or-treaters. We live on the New York City Marathon route, and as I write this I am enjoying watching runners pass by the window as they train for the big race on November 4th. Leaves are finally changing color in New York City, a little later than normal, and I’ve been digging through the closets to look for warm clothing that my kids haven’t grown out of.

Today’s picture book new releases speak to the changing seasons – lots of winter books! Take a look and let me know which look interesting to you.

*Please note that all book descriptions are from Goodreads. If I had a chance to read the book and loved it, I will mark it with a .

Sponsored by Graphix Books, an Imprint of Scholastic.

From the creator of the acclaimed graphic novel The Witch Boy comes a new adventure set in the world of magic and shapeshifting — and ordinary kids just trying to make friends.

Picture Book New Releases

Got to Get to Bear’s by Brian Lies

Bear never asks for anything. So when she sends a note to Izzy urgently requesting her presence, Izzy can’t refuse! But a blizzard begins and slows Izzy’s progress. As the snow accumulates, so do her friends, helping her on her way to Bear’s place.

Horse Meets Dog by Elliott Kalan, illustrated by Tim Miller

Horse is just an oversize dog with funny paws…according to Dog. And Dog? Just a tiny baby horse with a weird tail. That’s what Horse thinks, anyway.

Winter is Here by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek

Snow falls, animals burrow, and children prepare for the wonders winter brings. Kevin Henkes’s striking text introduces basic concepts of language and the unique beauty of the winter season. Laura Dronzek’s expressive paintings beautifully capture the joyful wonders of winter.

Penguinaut! by Marcie Colleen, illustrated by Emma Yarlett

Orville lives at the zoo, surrounded by animal pals who go on exciting adventures. A hang gliding rhino! A deep-sea diving giraffe! Orville struggles to keep up, until one day he concocts an adventure all his own: build a spaceship and fly to the moon all by himself. Can one tiny penguin get there alone?

Tallulah’s Ice Skates by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger

Tallulah is an accomplished ballerina, but she also loves to skate. After all, skating’s a lot like ballet—challenging, graceful, and glamorous. Tallulah is positive that with some hard work, she and her friend Kacie will be just as good on the ice as they are at dance. They’ll be Super Skaters! But Kacie doesn’t want to rehearse fancy moves; she wants to have fun. So Tallulah practices by herself.

Middle Grade New Releases

The Dreamway by Lisa Papademetriou

Every night, your sleeping body stays in your bed, while the you of you travels deep beneath the earth to ride the complex rails of the Dreamway…. Stella Clay thought it was just another ordinary day at her drab gray school. Then her twin brother, Cole, is attacked by a shadowy creature on their way home, and Stella’s world turns positively peculiar. Suddenly, her brother seems different, almost dimmer, like a candle about to flicker out. And then a talking mouse shows up in her bedroom.

Blended by Sharon M. Draper

Eleven-year-old Isabella’s parents are divorced, so she has to switch lives every week: One week she’s Isabella with her dad, his girlfriend Anastasia, and her son Darren living in a fancy house where they are one of the only black families in the neighborhood. The next week she’s Izzy with her mom and her boyfriend John-Mark in a small, not-so-fancy house that she loves. Because of this, Isabella has always felt pulled between two worlds. And now that her parents are divorced, it seems their fights are even worse, and they’re always about HER. Isabella feels even more stuck in the middle, split and divided between them than ever. And she’s is beginning to realize that being split between Mom and Dad is more than switching houses, switching nicknames, switching backpacks: it’s also about switching identities.

Lumberjanes: The Good Egg by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Brooklyn Allen

Welcome to Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types. The five scouts of Roanoke cabin—Jo, April, Molly, Mal, and Ripley—love their summers at camp. They get to hang out with their best friends, earn Lumberjane scout badges, annoy their no-nonsense counselor Jen . . . and go on supernatural adventures. That last one? A pretty normal occurrence at Miss Qiunzella’s, where the woods contain endless mysteries.

Nonfiction New Releases

The Book of Ingeniously Daring Chemistry by Sean Connolly

In this introduction to chemistry for STEM-curious kids ages 9 and up, each chapter of The Book of Ingeniously Daring Chemistry focuses on a single element—its properties, how it was discovered, and even its potential danger level. Easy-to-follow experiments help readers put their newfound knowledge into action. All that’s needed is a sense of adventure and some items from around the house.

Backlist Book Recommendations

Picture Book Recommendation: Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales

Frida Kahlo, one of the world’s most famous and unusual artists is revered around the world. Her life was filled with laughter, love, and tragedy, all of which influenced what she painted on her canvases.

Middle Grade Book Recommendation: The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park

In Seoul, Korea, in 1473, Young-sup and his older brother Kee-sup are excited about the New Year kite competition. Young-sup is an expert at kite flying. He knows just what his kite wants him to do. Kee-sup has trouble handling his kite, but can build and design a kite fit for a king. Each brother knows his own talents as they practice together for the New Year kite-fighting competition. But according to tradition, Kee-sup, the first-born son, must represent the family. Young-sup knows he must help his older brother and stay in second place. But that doesn’t stop him from hoping for the chance to show his great skill as a kite fighter.

Nonfiction Recommendation: The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation) by Daniel James Brown

Out of the depths of the Great Depression comes the astonishing tale of nine working-class boys from the American West who at the 1936 Olympics showed the world what true grit really meant. With rowers who were the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew was never expected to defeat the elite East Coast teams, yet they did, going on to shock the world by challenging the German boat rowing for Adolf Hitler. At the center of the tale is Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, whose personal quest captures the spirit of his generation—the generation that would prove in the coming years that the Nazis could not prevail over American determination and optimism.

Drawing Book Recommendation: Craft-a-Doodle by Jenny Doh

Using a simple doodle as a starting point, 18 artists take you on an inspirational, crafty journey! Filled with inventive prompts designed to fuel the imagination, these 75 exercises motivate crafters to pick up a pencil, brush, or marker, and explore their artistic voice. From quick “try it” ideas using shapes and patterns to doodled portraits and contour drawings, these step-by-step projects are wild creative fun. The featured artists include Cori Dantini, who provides a “Recipe for a Face”; Flora Chang with innovative watercolor designs; and Teesha Moore who offers ideas for adding personality to doodled characters.

Giveaway!

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a custom book stamp for your personal library! Click here to enter.

Until next week!
Karina

The Kids Are All Right

Children’s Books About Homelessness

Post author By Karina Glaser
Post date October 26, 2018

Hey Kid Lit friends,

The National Center on Family Homelessness reports that 2.5 million children are homeless each year in America, representing one in every 30 children. This is a social issue that is near to my heart. My first full-time job right out of college was at a non-profit that provided transitional housing to hundreds of homeless families every night, and I was disheartened (although not surprised) to read an article last week from the New York Times that stated that tonight one in ten school children will sleep in a homeless shelter or in the homes of relatives.

There have been many children’s books written about homelessness and poverty, so I put together a reading list. I hope these books will create opportunities for discussion and social action.

*Please note all book descriptions are from Goodreads.

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Picture Books

A Shelter in Our Car by Monica Gunning, illustrated by Elaine Pedlar

Zettie and her Mama left their warm and comfortable home in Jamaica for an uncertain life in the United Sates. With Papa gone, Mama can’t find a steady job that will sustain them and so they are forced to live in their car. But Mama’s unwavering love, support, and gutsy determination give Zettie the confidence that, together, she and her mother can meet all challenges.Monica Gunning’s moving and authentic story about homelessness in an American city was developed with the help of the Homeless Children s Network in San Francisco. Elaine Pedlar’s strong and lively illustrations bring the story to life in vibrant chalk pastel.”

Maddi’s Fridge by Lois Brandt, illustrated by Vin Vogel

Best friends Sofia and Maddi live in the same neighborhood, go to the same school, and play in the same park, but while Sofia’s fridge at home is full of nutritious food, the fridge at Maddi’s house is empty. Sofia learns that Maddi’s family doesn’t have enough money to fill their fridge and promises Maddi she’ll keep this discovery a secret. But because Sofia wants to help her friend, she’s faced with a difficult decision: to keep her promise or tell her parents about Maddi’s empty fridge. Filled with colorful artwork, this storybook addresses issues of poverty with honesty and sensitivity while instilling important lessons in friendship, empathy, trust, and helping others.

Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones

All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. Though Jeremy’s grandma says they don’t have room for “want,” just “need,” when his old shoes fall apart at school, he is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that are much too small. But sore feet aren’t much fun, and Jeremy soon sees that the things he has — warm boots, a loving grandma, and the chance to help a friend — are worth more than the things he wants.

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis

Chloe and her friends won’t play with the new girl, Maya. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually Maya stops coming to school. When Chloe’s teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship, and thinks about how much better it could have been if she’d shown a little kindness toward Maya.

Middle Grade Books

Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes

When her fifth-grade teacher hints that a series of lessons about home and community will culminate with one big answer about two tall towers once visible outside their classroom window, Dèja can’t help but feel confused. She sets off on a journey of discovery, with new friends Ben and Sabeen by her side. But just as she gets closer to answering big questions about who she is, what America means, and how communities can grow (and heal), she uncovers new questions, too. Like, why does Pop get so angry when she brings up anything about the towers?

The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden

Seventh-grader Zoey has her hands full as she takes care of her much younger siblings after school every day while her mom works her shift at the pizza parlor. Not that her mom seems to appreciate it. At least there’s Lenny, her mom’s boyfriend―they all get to live in his nice, clean trailer. At school, Zoey tries to stay under the radar. Her only friend Fuchsia has her own issues, and since they’re in an entirely different world than the rich kids, it’s best if no one notices them. Unfortunately, she’s not totally invisible, and one of her teachers forces her to join the debate club. Can Zoey find the courage to speak up, even if it means risking the most stable home she’s ever had?

Just Under the Clouds by Melissa Sarno

Always think in threes and you’ll never fall, Cora’s father told her when she was a little girl. Two feet, one hand. Two hands, one foot. That was all Cora needed to know to climb the trees of Brooklyn. But now Cora is a middle schooler, a big sister, and homeless. Her mother is trying to hold the family together after her father’s death, and Cora must look after her sister, Adare, who’s just different, their mother insists. Quick to smile, Adare hates wearing shoes, rarely speaks, and appears untroubled by the question Cora can’t help but ask: How will she find a place to call home?

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There’s no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again. Crenshaw is a cat. He’s large, he’s outspoken, and he’s imaginary. He has come back into Jackson’s life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything?

The Exact Location of Home by Kate Messner

Kirby “Zig” Zigonski lives for the world of simple circuits, light bulbs, buzzers, and motors. Electronics are, after all, much more predictable than most people–especially his father, who he hasn’t seen in over a year. When his dad’s latest visit is canceled with no explanation and his mom seems to be hiding something, Zig turns to his best friend Gianna and a new gizmo–a garage sale GPS unit–for help. Convinced that his dad is leaving clues around town to explain his absence, Zig sets out to find him. Following one clue after another, logging mile after mile, Zig soon discovers that people aren’t always what they seem . . . and sometimes, there’s more than one set of coordinates for home.

No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen

Twelve-and-three-quarter-year-old Felix Knutsson has a knack for trivia. His favorite game show is Who What Where When; he even named his gerbil after the host. Felix’s mom, Astrid, is loving but can’t seem to hold on to a job. So when they get evicted from their latest shabby apartment, they have to move into a van. Astrid swears him to secrecy; he can’t tell anyone about their living arrangement, not even Dylan and Winnie, his best friends at his new school. If he does, she warns him, he’ll be taken away from her and put in foster care.

Be sure to check out the wonderful podcast Lifelines, Episode 9. Author Saadia Faruqi recommends picture books about the reality of poverty, and Ann Braden, middle grade author of The Benefits of Being an Octopus, shares the first half of her conversation with 5th grade educator Kristin Crouch.

Jasmine Toguchi: Flamingo Keeper is the latest book in Debbi Michiko Florence’s wonderful chapter book series. Jasmine’s best friend, Linnie, has just gotten a puppy. And now Jasmine wants a pet of her own―a flamingo! So when her grandmother sends Jasmine a daruma doll as a surprise gift, Jasmine colors in one doll eye and wishes for a flamingo to keep.

Horse Meets Dog by Elliott Kalan and Tim Miller (Balzer & Bray, 10/30) is a new picture book about a horse that is just an oversize dog with funny paws…according to Dog. And Dog? Just a tiny baby horse with a weird tail. That’s what Horse thinks, anyway. A story with hilarious misunderstandings!

Nowhere Boy by Katharine Marsh is a middle grade book told in two perspectives. Max, a thirteen-year-old American boy from Washington, D.C. is lonely and homesick when he starts a new school in Brussels, Belgium. Fourteen-year-old Ahmed has just fled a life of uncertainty and suffering in Aleppo, Syria, to find himself in Belgium, his father lost on the trip to Europe. Their lives intersect in Brussels in surprising and life-changing ways.

Around the web…

In Conversation: Sharon M. Draper and Jason Reynolds, via Publisher’s Weekly

Middle Grade Books About Indian Mythology, via Book Riot

Are you a diverse writer of middle grade literature? HarperCollins Children’s Books is hosting a Diverse Voices Open Inbox. For more information and the official rules, check out this website.

Giveaway!

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a custom book stamp for your personal library! Click here to enter.

I would love to know what you are reading this week! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at karina@bookriot.com.

Until next time!
Karina

The Kids Are All Right

New Children’s Book Releases for October 23, 2018

Post author By Karina Glaser
Post date October 22, 2018

Hey Kid Lit friends,

There are some sweet new children’s books out today, including gift editions of children’s book classics Mary Poppins and The Little Prince! As usual, if there is a book I read and loved, I’ll mark it with a .

*Please note that all book descriptions are from Goodreads.

Sponsored by Caracal, an imprint of Lion Forge

Rox and Zam spend their days repairing clunkers in a spaceship junkyard and yearning for the chance to test their skills on something besides rusted old rockets and broken-down planet-hoppers. Their big chance finally comes when the captain of a mysterious ship enlists them into his crew of colorful misfits… little do they know, they’ve been taken in by space pirates! Now the girls must choose: do they want the comforts of home and family, or the glamorous adventure of a lifetime? Quantum Mechanics by Jeff Weigel is in stores now from Caracal, an imprint of Lion Forge!

Picture Book New Releases

I Am Not A Fox by Karina Wolf, illustrated by Chuck Groenink

When Luca first arrives at the dog park, the other dogs turn him away. “You’re not a dog,” they say, “You’re a fox.” But . . . Luca likes to chase cats. He likes to yip at mailmen. And he likes sniff other dogs you-know-where. Still, Luca has to admit, he doesn’t look like the other dogs. So . . . he must be a fox, right? But when Luca finds a trio of foxes in the forest and asks to join them, they don’t think that Luca is a fox at all. After all, Luca acts just like a dog. Luca can’t seem to find anyone quite like him, but then he meets a caring little girl and finds something even better–a friend.

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers, illustrated by Genevieve Godbout

When the East Wind blows Mary Poppins over Cherry Tree Lane and into the lives of the Banks children, nothing is ever the same! This picture book adaptation of the original novel is full of Mary’s unique brand of whimsical adventure: There’s a tea party on the ceiling, a visit to the night zoo, and a trip to a mysterious shop that sells stars. Told in a lyrical text with fresh yet timeless art by Genevieve Godbout, this version of Mary Poppins is perfect for reading aloud.

Middle Grade New Releases

Knights vs. Dinosaurs by Matt Phelan

Knights vs. Dinosaurs is a highly illustrated, fast-paced adventure full of uproarious knightly hijinks, surprising secrets, and terrifying dinosaurs. With art on nearly every page, including an epic fight scene depicted in several graphic-novel style spreads, this engaging story is Monty Python for young middle school readers.

The Danger Gang and the Isle of Feral Beasts! by Stephen Bramucci, illustrated by Arree Chung

Ronald Zupan, his quick-witted fencing partner Julianne Sato, and his trusty butler Jeeves are off on another adventure. This time, they’re trying to rescue the movie star Josh Brigand–who was kidnapped from his latest film premiere by the dreaded Liars’ Club. As the Danger Gang races to save their friend, they face off with a poisoning poet, a band of Roman candle-wielding thugs, and thousands of feral foxes. When their skills of deduction are put to the ultimate test, will Ronald and his pals be able to stick together long enough to rescue Josh and defeat the Liar’s Club once and for all?

Mary Poppins (illustrated gift edition) by P.L. Travers, illustrated by Júlia Sardà

Experience the fantastical adventures of the magical nanny who inspired the classic film, stage show, and young imaginations the world over in a whole new way. This illustrated gift edition features silver foil on the cover and beautiful artwork by Júlia Sardà that re-imagines Mary’s London in rich, full color. Ideal for the lifelong Mary Poppins fan or serious collector, this edition also makes for a lovely family read-aloud.

Sanity & Tallulah by Molly Brooks

Sanity Jones and Tallulah Vega are best friends on Wilnick, the dilapidated space station they call home at the end of the galaxy. So naturally, when gifted scientist Sanity uses her lab skills and energy allowance to create a definitely-illegal-but-impossibly-cute three-headed kitten, she has to show Tallulah. But Princess, Sparkle, Destroyer of Worlds is a bit of a handful, and it isn’t long before the kitten escapes to wreak havoc on the space station. The girls will have to turn Wilnick upside down to find her, but not before causing the whole place to evacuate! Can they save their home before it’s too late?

The Little Prince: 75th Anniversary Edition by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

This special edition of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s world-famous classic marks its seventy-fifth anniversary in print. Featuring a beautiful new cover and a special look at its history and making—including a biography of Saint-Exupéry, sketches, photos, and reviews from the first edition—this new anniversary edition of The Little Prince will capture the hearts of both devoted and new readers alike.

The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher, illustrated by Shane Devries

Once upon a time–long, long ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth–an egg rolled away from its mother and landed in the ocean, where it froze solid and stayed peacefully for thousands of years. Then one day Santa and his elves discover the frozen egg, and Santa sits on it to see if it will hatch. But he can’t guess what’s inside. . . . A dinosaur!

Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo

Charlie Hernández has always been proud of his Latin American heritage. He loves the culture, the art, and especially the myths. Thanks to his abuela’s stories, Charlie possesses an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the monsters and ghouls who have spent the last five hundred years haunting the imaginations of children all across the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Central and South America. But when Charlie begins to experience freaky bodily manifestations—ones all too similar to those described by his grandma in his favorite legend—he is suddenly swept up in a world where the mythical beings he’s spent his entire life hearing about seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Hispanic folklore and into his life.

Lu by Jason Reynolds

Lu was born to be cocaptain of the Defenders. Well, actually, he was born albino, but that’s got nothing to do with being a track star. Lu has swagger, plus the talent to back it up, and with all that—not to mention the gold chains and diamond earrings—no one’s gonna outshine him. Lu knows he can lead Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and the team to victory at the championships, but it might not be as easy as it seems. Suddenly, there are hurdles in Lu’s way—literally and not-so-literally—and Lu needs to figure out, fast, what winning the gold really means.

Graphic Novel New Release

Phoebe and Her Unicorn in Unicorn Theater by Dana Simpson

Summer is here, and Phoebe and Marigold are headed to drama camp. Phoebe’s expecting some quality time with her best friend, but in a surprise twist, Marigold has invited her sister, Florence Unfortunate Nostrils! While the unicorn sisters head to camp in a magical rainbow pod, Phoebe is stuck riding with her parents in their boring car, wondering where it all went wrong. But at Camp Thespis, there are more daunting tasks at hand: writing, producing, and acting in an entirely original play! The second Phoebe and Her Unicorn graphic novel is a sparkling tale of sisterhood and summer fun, as well as a reminder that sometimes it takes a bit of drama to recognize true friendship.

Nonfiction New Releases

Backyard Bears by Amy Cherrix

What happens when conservation efforts for a species are so successful that there’s a boom in the population? Part field science, part conservation science, Backyard Bears looks at black bears—and other animals around the globe—who are rapidly becoming our neighbors in urban and suburban areas. North Carolina’s black bears were once a threatened species, but now their numbers are rising in and around Asheville. Can humans and bears live compatibly? What are the long-term effects for the bears? Author Amy Cherrix follows the scientists who, in cooperation with local citizens, are trying to answer to these questions and more.

Reach Higher: An Inspiring Photo Celebration of First Lady Michelle Obama by Amanda Lucidon

As a former official White House photographer, Amanda Lucidon shares an insider’s view on the role of the First Lady by documenting life at the White House and sharing personal memories that reveal what makes Mrs. Obama so special.

Backlist Book Recommendations

Picture Book Recommendation: Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People by Monica Brown, illustrated by Julie Paschkis

Once there was a little boy named Neftalí who loved wild things wildly and quiet things quietly. From the moment he could talk, he surrounded himself with words. Neftalí discovered the magic between the pages of books. When he was sixteen, he began publishing his poems as Pablo Neruda. Pablo wrote poems about the things he loved―things made by his friends in the café, things found at the marketplace, and things he saw in nature. He wrote about the people of Chile and their stories of struggle. Because above all things and above all words, Pablo Neruda loved people.

Middle Grade Book Recommendation: Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace, illustrated by Lois Lenski

There are lots of children on Hill Street, but no little girls Betsy’s age. So when a new family moves into the house across the street, Betsy hopes they will have a little girl she can play with. Sure enough, they do—a little girl named Tacy. And from the moment they meet at Betsy’s fifth birthday party, Betsy and Tacy becoms such good friends that everyone starts to think of them as one person—Betsy-Tacy. Betsy and Tacy have lots of fun together. They make a playhouse from a piano box, have a sand store, and dress up and go calling. And one day, they come home to a wonderful surprise—a new friend named Tib.

Drawing Book Recommendation: Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book of Animals by Ed Emberley

Using simple shapes, Ed Emberley shows would-be artists how to draw a variety of animals, including lions, frogs, mice, birds, dragons, and more! This classic book is packed with cool things that kids-and not a few adults-really want to draw. Easy and fun, the book provides hours of art-full entertainment.

Giveaway!

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a custom book stamp for your personal library! Click here to enter.

Until next week!
Karina

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The Kids Are All Right

Children’s Books About Advocacy and Elections

Post author By Karina Glaser
Post date October 18, 2018

Hey Kid Lit friends!

With the midterm elections in America coming up, I thought I would collect some new children’s books about advocacy and elections so our young people have the opportunity to learn how important their voice is from an early age. As usual, all book descriptions are from Goodreads.

New Children’s Book Releases for October 16, 2018

Post author By Karina Glaser
Post date October 15, 2018

Hey Kid Lit friends,

There are lots of holiday books coming out today as publishers and booksellers gear up for December! As usual, if there is a book I have read and loved, I’ll mark it with a .

*Please note that all book descriptions are from Goodreads.

Sponsored by …And Then You Die of Dysentery: Lessons in Adulting from the Oregon Trail by Lauren Reeves

Pack your wagons, find your ride-or-(literally) die friends, and roll up to Matt’s General Store with a sack of cash—it’s time to hit the Oregon Trail, twenty-first-century style! …And Then You Die of Dysentery is the perfect send-up to the sometimes frustrating, always entertaining, and universally beloved Oregon Trail computer game. Featuring a four-color design in the game’s iconic 8-bit format, alongside pop culture references galore, the book offers 50 humorous, snarky life lessons gleaned from the game’s most iconic moments—it’s the ultimate trip down memory lane . . . all the way to the Willamette Valley.

Board Book New Releases

Dream Big, Little One by Vashti Harrison

Among these women, you’ll find heroes, role models, and everyday women who did extraordinary things – bold women whose actions and beliefs contributed to making the world better for generations of girls and women to come. Whether they were putting pen to paper, soaring through the air or speaking up for the rights of others, the women profiled in these pages were all taking a stand against a world that didn’t always accept them.

Decked Out for Christmas! by Ethan Long

The mice at the North Pole are getting ready to deck the halls with all the essentials. They’ve got ornaments and twinkle lights, candy canes and popcorn garlands. One by one, the mice unpack all the merriest decorations, but soon the items become a bit unexpected. Hot cocoa? Fuzzy dice? A map? In a festive twist, it’s revealed that it’s not a tree the mice are decorating, but Santa’s sleigh, all decked out for Christmas Eve!

All Aboard! The Christmas Train by Nichole Mara, illustrated by Andrew Kolb

Folding out car by car, this accordion-style book takes readers on a tour of Santa’s Christmas train. Each car has lots to see—elves making toys, penguins playing, reindeer preparing for the big day—as Santa searches for his missing boot.

Be Bold, Baby! Oprah! by Alison Oliver

Celebrate Oprah Winfrey’s most motivational and powerful moments, with quotes from the media mogul, and vibrant illustrations by Alison Oliver. Be encouraging. Be brilliant. Be you. Each book ends with a mirror! Look for the companion volume, Be Bold, Baby: Michelle Obama.

Picture Book New Releases

Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave by Jessica Hische

Journey through a world filled with positive and beautifully hand-lettered words of widsom, inspiration, and motivation. As this book reminds readers, tomorrow is another day, full of endless opportunities–all you have to do is decide to make the day yours.

The Little Girl Who Wanted to Be Big by Dave Engledow

There once was a little girl who wanted to be big. Her dad told her that to be big, she had to think big. So she did—she grew taller than the tallest buildings, larger than the largest mountain, and big enough to reach the farthest plants. But being the biggest person in the universe also makes it hard to go home. What’s the biggest girl in the world to do when she’s grown up a little too fast?

Will You Help Me Fall Asleep? by Anna Kang, illustrated by Christopher Weyant

Tomorrow is the annual boat race and Monty needs as much energy as possible to make sure he crosses the finish line first. He tried closing his eyes, counting sheep, and reading a book, but nothing will help him fall asleep.

The Lost Christmas by B.B. Cronin

It’s time to decorate the tree for Christmas–but Grandad can’t find any of his ornaments! The hunt for the missing decorations takes the children up and down in Grandad’s bric-a-brac-filled house and out into a winter wonderland. And when every ornament is on the tree at last, Grandad has a wonderful holiday surprise in store. This seek-and-find book from the award-winning author of The Lost House and The Lost Picnic will delight readers of any age and belongs under a Christmas tree.

Construction Site on Christmas Night by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by Ethan Long

The trucks are gearing up for Christmas by building a special gift! But, there’s a surprise waiting for each of them, too! Presents await for Excavator, Bulldozer, Crane, Dump Truck, and Cement Mixer as each finishes their part of this big, important job and rolls off to a sweet and sleepy goodnight.

If You Ever Want to Bring a Pirate to Meet Santa, Don’t! by Elise Parsley

If your dad says you’re going to meet a bearded guy with a red suit and a bag full of treasures…he is not talking about meeting a pirate! But Magnolia has already invited the misbehaving swashbuckler to jump in line to meet Santa. So what if pirates are on the Naughty List? She’ll just teach this one to change his scurvy ways–no plundering or sword-fighting or plank-walking allowed! Plus, Santa is happy to hear everyone‘s wish list. Right?

Life With My Family by Renee Hooker and Karl Jones, illustrated by Kathryn Durst

When a young girl gets frustrated with her chaotic life at home, she imagines what things would be like if her family were animals instead. Would life be better as a pod of pelicans, a pride of lions, or a herd of buffalo? Or is it ultimately a family of humans that she needs?

Meet the Latkes by Alan Silberberg

Lucy Latke’s family is just like yours or mine. Except that they’re potato pancakes. And also, they are completely clueless. After lighting the menorah and gobbling the gelt, Grandpa Latke tells everyone the Hanukkah story, complete with mighty Mega Bees who use a giant dreidel to fight against the evil alien potatoes from Planet Chhh. It’s up to the Latke family dog to set the record straight. (To start with, they were Maccabees, not Mega Bees…) But he’ll have to get the rest of the Latkes to listen to him first!

Chapter Book New Releases

The Infamous Ratsos: Project Fluffy by Kara LaReau, illustrated by Matt Myers

Chuck Wood is the most popular kid in school, and Louie Ratso can’t believe that Chuck has asked him for help! Chuck likes Louie’s friend Fluffy Rabbitski, and he wants Louie to help him get Fluffy to notice him. As for Ralphie Ratso, he can’t believe that his brother wants to spend all his time with Chuck instead of with him. Meanwhile, despite Louie and Chuck’s attempts to get Fluffy’s attention, she has eyes for only one thing: her garden. But there may be hope. As their father, Big Lou, tells his boys, the best way to get someone to like you is to show that you’re interested in what they like. After all, that’s how Big Lou won over Mama Ratso years ago.

Middle Grade New Releases

Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Evie is happiest when she is healing people, diagnosing symptoms and prescribing medications, with the help of her devoted friend (and test subject) Wormy. So when Wormy unexpectedly proposes to her, she kindly turns him down; she has far too much to do to be marrying anyone. And besides, she simply isn’t in love with him. But a certain meddling fairy named Lucinda has been listening in, and she doesn’t approve of Evie’s rejection. Suddenly, Evie finds herself transformed from a girl into a hideous, hungry ogre! Stuck in this new and confusing form, Evie now has only sixty-two days to accept another proposal—or else be stuck as an ogre forever.

Monstrous Devices by Damien Love

On a winter’s day in a British town, twelve-year old Alex receives a package in the mail: an old tin robot from his grandfather. “This one is special,” says the enclosed note, and when strange events start occurring around him, Alex suspects this small toy is more than special; it might be deadly. Right as things get out of hand, Alex’s grandfather arrives, pulling him away from an attack—and his otherwise humdrum world of friends, bullies, and homework—and into the macabre magic of an ancient family feud. Together, the duo flees across snowy Europe, unraveling the riddle of the little robot while trying to outwit relentless assassins of the human and mechanical kind.

The No-Good Nine by John Bemelmans Marciano

Pittsburgh, 1931. When Peter awakens on Christmas morning to find his stocking full of coal, he is outraged. After he finds the Naughty List, which contains the names of some other children who received no gifts, he decides they should band together and journey to Santa’s workshop to plead their case, as well as play with the toys intended for the Nice children. The ragtag band of misfits sets out on a series of wild misadventures as they travel by train, truck, dog sled, and boat, encountering thieves and bootleggers, in order to reach the renowned Toy Factory only to accidentally burn it down.

Nonfiction New Releases

Lafayette! by Nathan Hale

A captain at eighteen and a major general by nineteen, he was eager to prove himself in battle. When he heard about the Revolution going on in America, he went overseas and fought alongside Alexander Hamilton and George Washington for America’s independence. Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales are graphic novels that tell the thrilling, shocking, gruesome, and TRUE stories of American history. Read them all—if you dare!

Something Rotten by Heather Montgomery

When Heather L. Montgomery sees a rattlesnake flattened on the side of the road, her first instinct is to pick it up and dissect it–she’s always wanted to see how a snake’s fangs retract when they close their mouths, and it’s not exactly safe to poke around in a live reptile’s mouth. A wildlife researcher with a special penchant for the animals that litter the roadways, Heather isn’t satisfied with dissecting just one snake. Her fascination with roadkill sets her off on a journey from her own backyard and the roadways of the American South to scientists and kids in labs and homes across the globe.

How We Got to Now by Steven Johnson

In the lively storytelling style that has made him a popular, bestselling author, Steven Johnson looks at how accidental genius, brilliant mistakes, and unintended consequences shape the way we live in the modern world. Johnson’s “long zoom” approach connects history, geography, politics, and scientific advances with the deep curiousity of inventors or quirky interests of tinkerers to show how innovation truly comes about.

Backlist Book Recommendations

Picture Book Recommendation: Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

This poetic book is a resounding tribute to Tubman’s strength, humility, and devotion. With proper reverence, Weatherford and Nelson do justice to the woman who, long ago, earned over and over the name Moses.

Middle Grade Book Recommendation: The Candymakers by Wendy Mass

In the town of Spring Haven, four children have been selected to compete in the national candymaking contest of a lifetime. Who will make a candy more delicious than the Oozing Crunchorama or the Neon Yellow Lightning Chew?

Logan, the candymaker’s son, who can detect the color of chocolate by feel alone? Miles, the boy allergic to rowboats and the color pink? Daisy, the cheerful girl who can lift a fifty-pound lump of taffy as if it were a feather? Philip, the suit-and-tie-wearing boy who’s always scribbling in a secret notebook?

Nonfiction Recommendation: One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

Plastic bags are cheap and easy to use. But what happens when a bag breaks or is no longer needed? In Njau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way. One plastic bag became two. Then ten. Then a hundred.

Giveaway!

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a custom book stamp for your personal library! Click here to enter.

Until next week!
Karina

Annabelle is trying to hypnotize you into reading ALL THE BOOKS.

The Kids Are All Right

An Interview with Alan Gratz

Post author By Karina Glaser
Post date October 11, 2018

Hi, Kid Lit fans!

I am very excited to have New York Times bestselling author Alan Gratz on the newsletter today! Alan is the author of multiple books for young readers, including Refugee, Ban This Book, Projekt 1065, Code of Honor, and The League of Seven series. His most recent book, Grenade, is set during World War II, the day the Americans land on Okinawa. The Japanese Army pulls Hideki Kaneshiro and all the other boys out of middle school and gives them each two grenades. One grenade, they tell Hideki, is to kill an American soldier. The other grenade is to kill himself.

Sponsored by Zola’s Elephant, written by Randall de Sève and illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski.

In this stunningly illustrated book about making a new friend and moving into a new home, two-time Caldecott-honor winning illustrator Pamela Zagarenski and New York Times bestselling author Randall de Sève create a dazzling world that celebrates both the power of imagination and the bravery it can inspire.

I had a chance to ask Alan about his research, writing habits, and the historical middle grade books he loves. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Wes Stitt

Karina Yan Glaser: I absolutely loved Grenade. I read in an interview you did with the Cybils Awards that this book began when you visited Japan and met an old man who was a boy on Okinawa during World War II. Did you keep in touch with this man while writing the book?

Alan Gratz: Hi Karina! Thank you! Yes, I was first turned on to this story by a man I met when I visited Japan almost eight or nine years ago, but alas, no, I haven’t been in touch with him in a long time. I was in Tokyo as an Artist in Residence at the American School in Japan in 2010, and he was introduced to me casually by one of the teachers at the school. His story stunned me, and stuck with me.

I don’t know about you, but there are some ideas I know I am not ready to write when they come my way. I could have never written Refugee at the beginning of my career, for example. That was a book I needed a lot more experience to be able to write. Grenade was the same for me. I knew this was an incredible situation—untrained Okinawan middle school boys given grenades and sent off to kill trained American Marines—but I didn’t even know where to begin to tell that story. So I filed it away in my brain with all the other book ideas I have, and sat on it for years.

Cut to 2017. I’ve just tackled the biggest story of my career so far, Refugee, and the story of the battle of Okinawa resurfaced for me. In fact, it was Refugee that showed me the way in to telling the story that became Grenade. Refugee is the story of what happens to three kids and their families when war comes and they have to leave their country to find safety. Grenade would be the story of what happens when war comes and a boy and his family are unable to leave. Grenade is, essentially, a story about refugees in their own land.

When I decided I wanted to write about the Battle of Okinawa, I tried getting back in touch with the teachers at the school to see if they could reconnect me with the man who had told me the story, but folks had moved on by then. I wish I’d had him as a resource! If I had, I might have written specifically about him and his experiences, the way I did with Jack Gruener and his personal experiences in the Holocaust for my book Prisoner B-3087. Unable to track him down, I had to use the story he told me only as inspiration. From there I had to find other resources to bring this piece of history to life.

KYG: What type of research did you have to do to write Grenade?

AG: I read a number of books about the war in the Pacific, some specifically about the Battle of Okinawa. Much has been written about the battles in the Pacific, and I read historians’ accounts as well as the accounts of soldiers and Marines who were on Okinawa and other islands where the Americans and Japanese fought. But those books only told one side of the story: the American side. And the American military side at that.

History, as they say, is told by the winners. But I wanted to tell a different history. One that isn’t often told. I wanted this book, as I said before, to be the story of the civilians on Okinawa. The people who became refugees in their own country when two powerful nations chose their island to wage war against each other. For those stories, my primary course was a wonderful book of interviews done with dozens of Okinawans who survived the Battle of Okinawa. Many stories were told in that collection—stories of boys sent into battle, of girls recruited as nurses, of families separated by war, and always of civilians in harm’s way, sometimes deliberately so. Nowhere on the island was safe during the month-long battle. From those stories, I built my fictional Okinawan boy and his family, basing everything that happens to them on things that really happened to the Okinawan people during the battle. I read other books about Okinawa as well—books about Okinawan history, and culture, and religion. And we had Okinawan readers to help me too.

KYG: You have a very busy travel schedule! How do you find time to write?

AG: I block my travel out so that I have three months on the road doing school visits and conferences, then three months home, then three months on the road again doing visits, then three months off again. I have to get most of my writing done in those six months I’m home! It certainly forces me to focus if I want to have a new book out each year…

KYG: What first got you interested in writing books for middle grade readers?

AG: The first three books of my career were really more young adult than middle grade. I thought that was the direction I was going to go the idea for The Brooklyn Nine came along. The Brooklyn Nine is nine “innings”—nine short stories—about the nine kids in nine successive generations of an American family, and their connections to baseball and American history. The kid in one story is the parent in the next, and the grandparent in the next, and so on. It made sense for most of them to be between the ages of 8 and 12, and suddenly I found myself writing my first truly middle grade novel. And I loved it. Which shouldn’t really have come of as much of a surprise as it did. I was an eighth grade English teacher in a former life, and in some ways I feel like I never left middle school. 🙂 I am very happy where I am now, writing middle grade fiction. I wouldn’t want it any other way!

KYG: What are you working on now?

AG: Next up is a novel about D-Day! It’s middle grade, and told from the perspectives of a number of different people, both kids and adults, who came together to make the Allied invasion of France a success. I wrote the first draft over the summer, and will jump into revisions when I’m home for the winter!

KYG: What are some other middle grade historical novels you would recommend?

I love Between Shades of Gray and Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. I’m also a big fan of The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. Gary Schmidt’s Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy is a favorite. Laurie Halse Anderson’s Revolutionary War era trilogy Chains, Forge, and Ashes are amazing. Linda Sue Park’s A Long Walk to Water was a real inspiration when I was writing Refugee, and her books about Korean history—The Kite Fighters, A Single Shard, and When My Name was Keoko—are terrific. Lauren Tarshis’s I Survived series is a great introduction to historical fiction for a lot of kids.

KYG: What great book recommendations! Thank you, Alan, for taking time to chat with me!

Check out Alan Gratz’s terrific new book, Grenade, available now. More information about all of his books is available on his website.

I’m really enjoying Donna Gephart’s In Your Shoes. It’s about two middle school students: Amy is new to Buckington Middle School, and Miles is an anxious boy who enjoys working at his family’s bowling ally. Their lives intertwine in unexpected and beautiful ways.

Don’t Touch My Hair! by Sharee Miller (Little, Brown, 11/6) is a great picture book! Aria gets frustrated because wherever she goes, someone wants to touch her hair. In the street, strangers reach for her fluffy curls; and even under the sea, in the jungle, and in space, she’s chased by a mermaid, monkeys, and poked by aliens…until, finally, Aria has had enough!

Nathan Hale continues his bestselling Hazardous Tales series with Lafayette!, a story about the Marquis de Lafayette, a French noble. He was a captain at eighteen and a major general by nineteen, but he was eager to prove himself in battle. When he heard about the Revolution going on in America, he went overseas and fought alongside Alexander Hamilton and George Washington for America’s independence.

Around the web…

Finalists for 2018 National Book Award in Young People’s Literature Announced, via Publisher’s Weekly

7 #ownvoices Native American Picture Books, via Book Riot

Be Loud: 28 Best Kindergarten Read Aloud Books, via Book Riot

Podcast: 20 Years of Magic, Part 2: The Artists of Harry Potter, via Scholastic

Giveaway!

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a custom book stamp for your personal library! Click here to enter.

I would love to know what you are reading this week! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at karina@bookriot.com.

Until next time!
Karina

Annabelle says hello!

The Kids Are All Right

New Children’s Book Releases for October 9, 2018!

Post author By Karina Glaser
Post date October 8, 2018

Hey Kid Lit friends,

Happy new release Tuesday! I’ve got a big list of great books for you today, and as usual if there is a book I have read and loved, I’ll mark it with a . There are too many books to read these days – I need another 15 hours in every day to keep up!

*Please note that all book descriptions are from Goodreads.

A Big List of Spooky Children’s Books for Halloween

Post author By Karina Glaser
Post date October 5, 2018

Hello, Kid Lit friends!

It’s October, which means it’s time to talk spooky books! Here are some wonderful children’s books that will get you in the mood for fall and Halloween. All descriptions from Goodreads.

Sponsored by So Done. “Verdict: A pitch-perfect look at changing adolescent relationships and resilience.”– School Library Journal, Starred Review

Being a girl in the Cove is different from being a boy. A girl needs her crew. But what happens when your crew is finished with you? Jamila Phillips and Tai Johnson have been inseparable since they were toddlers. In Pirates Cove – a low-income housing project – Mila’s single father does everything he can to support his kids and his community. Tai lives across the street with her grandmother, who is the only family she needs. When they are reunited after a summer apart, their friendship threatens to combust from the pressure of secrets, middle school, and dance auditions for a new talented-and-gifted program.

Picture Books

Monster School by Kate Coombs, illustrated by Lee Gatlin

Twilight’s here. The death bell rings. Everyone knows what the death bell brings—it’s time for class! You’re in the place where goblins wail and zombies drool. (That’s because they’re kindergartners.) Welcome to Monster School. In this entertaining collection of poems, award-winning poet Kate Coombs and debut artist Lee Gatlin bring to vivid life a wide and playful cast of characters (outgoing, shy, friendly, funny, prickly, proud) that may seem surprisingly like the kids you know . . . even if these kids are technically monsters.

Ginny Goblin is Not Allowed to Open This Box by David Goodner, illustrated by Louis Thomas

Ginny Goblin has one simple rule to follow: She is not allowed to open this box. Not until dinnertime. But Ginny Goblin doesn’t like to follow the rules, so nothing will stop her from trying to open this box. Not a tall tower, not a misty mountain, not a frightful forest, and certainly not a murky moat filled with scaly, scary serpents . . . But wait! What is in the box? You’ll have to open this book to find out! (Don’t worry, you’re allowed.)

Monster Academy by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple, illustrated by John McKinley

Come along with Principal Frank N. Stein into a bright, energetic classroom where the class pet is a big purple boa constrictor, recess is in a swamp, and class bats help build a Creepy Castle in the Monster Maker’s Lab. When Tornado Jo, a new student, roars into class, a storm is brewing. Who could ever guess that her new best friend will be a vampire, and she’ll help him find his missing fang?

Bear’s Spooky Book of Hidden Things by Gergely Dudas

On Halloween night, Bear is hoping for all treats and no tricks. And he’d like lots of his very favorite treat: honeycomb! Bear is off on an adventure—through a pumpkin patch and a haunted house and a corn maze—to search for this sweet. Can YOU help Bear sort through all the tricks to uncover where his treat is hidden?

Lots of Cats by E. Dee Taylor

A lonely little witch tries to brew a magical potion to conjure up some friends, but instead she gets cats…lots of cats! Margaret the witch is about to find out that taking care of a bunch of lively cats sounds like lots of fun…but it could turn out to be lots of trouble!

Monsters Go Night-Night by Aaron Zenz

Bedtime means brushing your teeth, putting on pajamas, snuggling, and kissing your family goodnight. For monsters, bedtime looks a little different. They brush their teeth, but not with a toothbrush. They get dressed for bed, but not in slippers and nightcaps. They snuggle, but not with a blankie or a teddy bear. Monsters Go Night-Night takes readers through the bedtime rituals of seven friendly monsters while making each step of the routine a guessing game. Getting ready for bed has never been so much fun!

How to Knit a Monster by Annemarie van Haeringen

Greta the goat is a wonderfully accomplished knitter. She can even knit little goats and turn them loose to play around her feet. But when she gets distracted from her knitting, threatening creatures spring from her needles, each more menacing than the last. It takes quick thinking, courage, and brilliant knitting for Greta to find her way out of a perilous situation. In this whimsical story, creativity and craft empower our heroine to restore her safety . . . as long as she pays attention to what is growing on her knitting needles!

Chapter Books

The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Princess Magnolia is excited. Excited and nervous. She’s going to the Interkingdom Science Fair today to present her poster about seeds and plants, and when she arrives, she sees that her friends are there too! Princess Honeysuckle made a mole habitat, Princess Sneezewort has built a blanket fort, and Tommy Wigtower has a talking volcano that’s saying “EAAAAT!” Wait, what? A surprise goo monster makes this a job for the Princess in Black, and the Princess in Blankets is on the scene to lend a hand. But will two masked heroes be enough to save the science fair?

Sam Wu Is Not Afraid of Ghosts by Katie and Kevin Tsang

Big Foot and Little Foot: The Monster Detector by Ellen Potter, illustrated by Felicita Sala

Hugo is a young Sasquatch. Boone is a young boy. After an unlikely encounter, they’ve become an even unlikelier pair of best friends. After saving up his Monster Card wrappers, Hugo sends away for a special prize in the mail—a Monster Detector! Using the watchlike device, Hugo quickly spots a monster right in his own cavern. Spooked, but still excited about his prize, Hugo heads to school and finds yet another surprise—his friend Boone!

Middle Grade Books

Hoodoo by Ronald L. Smith

Twelve-year-old Hoodoo Hatcher was born into a family with a rich tradition of practicing folk magic: hoodoo, as most people call it. But even though his name is Hoodoo, he can’t seem to cast a simple spell. Then a mysterious man called the Stranger comes to town, and Hoodoo starts dreaming of the dead rising from their graves. Even worse, he soon learns the Stranger is looking for a boy. Not just any boy. A boy named Hoodoo. The entire town is at risk from the Stranger’s black magic, and only Hoodoo can defeat him. He’ll just need to learn how to conjure first.

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn’t think–she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with “the smiling man,” a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.

Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh

Harper doesn’t trust her new home from the moment she steps inside, and the rumors are that the Raine family’s new house is haunted. Harper isn’t sure she believes those rumors, until her younger brother, Michael, starts acting strangely. The whole atmosphere gives Harper a sense of déjà vu, but she can’t remember why. She knows that the memories she’s blocking will help make sense of her brother’s behavior and the strange and threatening sensations she feels in this house, but will she be able to put the pieces together in time?

Spirit Hunters: The Island of Monsters by Ellen Oh

Harper Raine faces new challenges ahead when her parents take the whole family to a remote tropical island for vacation. As Harper starts to have visions of the resort’s history of disappearances and discovers more about the island’s dark and fabled past, she must use her newly acquired spirit hunting talents to save everyone on the island from murderous spirits on the attack.

The Serpent’s Secret (Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond) by Sayantani DasGupta

MEET KIRANMALA:
INTERDIMENSIONAL DEMON SLAYER
(Only she doesn’t know it yet.)
On the morning of her twelfth birthday, Kiranmala is just a regular sixth grader living in Parsippany, New Jersey . . . until her parents mysteriously vanish and a drooling rakkhosh demon slams through her kitchen, determined to eat her alive. Turns out there might be some truth to her parents’ fantastical stories-like how Kiranmala is a real Indian princess and how she comes from a secret place not of this world.

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

It’s been five years since the Sweep disappeared. Orphaned and alone, Nan Sparrow had no other choice but to work for a ruthless chimney sweep named Wilkie Crudd. She spends her days sweeping out chimneys. The job is dangerous and thankless, but with her wits and will, Nan has managed to beat the deadly odds time and time again. When Nan gets stuck in a chimney fire, she fears the end has come. Instead, she wakes to find herself unharmed in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature—a golem—made from soot and ash.

The Mesmerist by Ronald L. Smith

Thirteen-year-old Jessamine Grace and her mother make a living as sham spiritualists—until they discover that Jess is a mesmerist and that she really can talk to the dead. Soon she is plunged into the dark world of Victorian London’s supernatural underbelly and learns that the city is under attack by ghouls, monsters, and spirit summoners. Can Jess fight these powerful forces? And will the group of strange children with mysterious powers she befriends be able to help? As shy, proper Jess transforms into a brave warrior, she uncovers terrifying truths about the hidden battle between good and evil, about her family, and about herself.

The Phantom Tower by Keir Graff

Colm and Mal are twins so identical their own mom can’t tell them apart, but they’re different in just about every other way. Mal’s a pragmatist while Colm’s a dreamer, and they bicker and battle constantly. Neither brother is excited to be moving to Chicago for a fresh start with their mom just after their dad’s death. But nothing cures homesickness like intrigue–and their new home, Brunhild Tower, has plenty of it: mysterious elderly neighbors who warn against wandering the building at midday, strange sounds in the walls, and an elevator missing a button for the thirteenth floor.

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn’t like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead . . . and enter the world of spirits. Her best friend is even a ghost. So things are already pretty strange. But they’re about to get much stranger. When Cass’s parents start hosting a TV show about the world’s most haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here, graveyards, castles, and secret passageways teem with restless phantoms. And when Cass meets a girl who shares her “gift,” she realizes how much she still has to learn about the Veil — and herself.

The Gift of Dark Hollow by Kieran Larwood

The Longburrow series is Middle-earth for middle graders as readers are drawn deeper and deeper into the story of the young rabbit Podkin One-Ear fighting to save his land from evil. Hiding with fellow refugees, Podkin, Paz, and Pook are temporarily safe in Dark Hollow Warren. But their enemies—the evil Gorm—still search for them. The rabbits’ only hope may be to locate twelve magical Gifts and use them to defeat the Gorm. The fate of all rabbitkind is at stake, and danger lurks at every turn. It will take all the siblings’ courage and ingenuity to find the Gifts, battle the Gorm, and stay alive. Action and intrigue infuse the second installment of a series that shows that anyone—even little rabbits—can do great things.

The House in Poplar Wood by K. E. Ormsbee

For as long as the Vickery twins can remember, Lee and his mother have served Memory, while Felix and his father assist Death. This is the Agreement. But one Halloween, Gretchen Whipple smashes her way into their lives. Her bargain is simple: If the twins help her solve the murder of local girl Essie Hasting, she’ll help them break the Agreement. The more the three investigate, however, the more they realize that something’s gone terribly wrong in their town. Death is on the loose, and if history repeats itself, Essie’s might not be the last murder in Poplar Wood.

Monstrous Devices by Damien Love

Begone the Raggedy Witches by Celine Kiernan

On the night that Aunty dies, the raggedy witches come for Mup’s family. Pale, cold, and relentless, the witches will do anything for the tyrannical queen who has outlawed most magic and enforces her laws with terror and cruelty — and who happens to be Mup’s grandmother. When witches carry off her dad, Mup and her mam leave the mundane world to rescue him. But everything is odd in the strange, glittering Witches Borough, even Mam. Even Mup herself. In a world of rhyming crows, talking cats, and golden forests, it’s all Mup can do to keep her wits about her. And even if she can save her dad, Mup’s not sure if anything will ever be the same again.

Scream and Scream Again! by R.L. Stine and the Mystery Writers of America

Scream and Scream Again! is full of twists and turns, dark corners, and devilish revenge. Collected in conjunction with the Mystery Writers of America, this set includes works from New York Times bestselling authors telling tales of wicked ice-cream trucks, time-travelling heroes, witches and warlocks, and of course, haunted houses. Read it if you dare! With twenty never-before-published scary stories from some of the most popular authors today, it’s sure to leave readers screaming for more.

The Backstagers and the Ghost Light by Andy Mientus, illustrated by Rian Sygh

The stage crew at St. Genesius Prep—or Backstagers, as they like to call themselves—are ready for whatever the theater world can throw their way: the madness of tech week, inevitable prop malfunctions, and all the paranormal activity that goes on behind the scenes. Luckily Jory, Hunter, Sasha, Beckett, and Aziz are up for the job!

Graphic Novels

Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo: The Middle-Route Run by Ben Costa and James Park

Rickety Stitch is a walking, talking, singing skeleton minstrel, the only animated skeleton in the dungeon who seems to have retained his soul. He has no idea who he used to be when he was covered in a living, breathing sack of meat and skin. His only clue to his former identity is a song he hears snippets of in his dreams, an epic bard’s tale that could also explain the old fog covering the comical fantasy land of Eem… Oh, and his sidekick and only friend is a cube of sentient goo.

Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick (Little, Brown, 10/9/18) is a great chapter book for kids who are reading beyond picture books but are not quite ready for the middle grade autobiography, I am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World. This chapter book version has shorter chapters as well as illustrations throughout, and it is a good introduction to Malala’s life and influence.

Ode to an Onion: Pablo Neruda and His Muse by Alexandria Giardino, illustrated by Felicita Sala (Cameron Kids, 10/9/18) is a gorgeous picture book about the poet Pablo Neruda and his friend Matilde. Pablo is in a sad mood, and his friend Matilde encourages him to find the beauty and joy in the garden around him.

Welcome, Wombat by Kama Einhorn (HMH, 11/20/18) is a great nonfiction chapter book for kids interested in animals and conservation. Filled with adorable photos and interesting facts, the story follows the life of Panzer, an injured baby wombat who arrives at Sleepy Burrows Wombat Sanctuary in Australia.

Around the web…

Q & A with Kekla Magoon, via Publisher’s Weekly

19 Sparkly and Wonderful Unicorn Books for Babies and Children, via Book Riot

Which Vanderbeeker Sibling Are You?, via Book Riot

Giveaway

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a custom book stamp for your personal library!

I’d love to know what you are reading this week! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at karina@bookriot.com.

Until next time!
Karina