Baby/Toddler:
This Is Our Baby, Born Today by Varsha Bajaj
(Nancy Paulsen/Penguin Books for Young Readers, August, 2016)
Looking for a gift for a new baby? Look no further! This joyful celebration of a new baby’s arrival reminds us of the community that supports each child. Local author Varsha Bajaj has created a classic picture book for all to share.
Hill & Hole by Kyle Mewburn,
illustrated by Vasanti Unka
(Feiwel & Friends, July 2016)
Hill and Hole are best friends. Each day, Hill tells Hole about the sun rising, and Hole tells Hill how lovely it is to hear the earth breathe. One day, they decide to switch places. While they both enjoy seeing the sun and feeling the earth breathe, they soon miss their previous selves. It’s a lovely story that reminds you to enjoy your friends and what you have.
Who Loves Me? by Jennifer Dewing, illustrated by Maria Carluccio (I See Me Books, 2016)
It is often said that there is no better gift that you can give a child than love. Who Loves Me? features the names of family members and friends who love the child, and encourages the child to reach to the sky when asked “how much” each of one of them loves him or her. When ordering, customers have the option to upload a photo of their child to appear on the dedication page of the book. Children love seeing their names and photos in print!
The Cranky Ballerina written and
illustrated by Elise Gravel
(Katherine Tegen Books, August 2016)
Saturdays make Ada cranky. That’s because Saturdays are ballet lesson days and Ada is not any good at ballet. Kick! Bop! Bonk! Those are the sounds that come from Ada’s arabesques. When a pirouette sends Ada into the hall, she meets a teacher who finds a certain skill in her moves. A funny picture book that reassures children that there’s an activity for each of them!
Emerging Reader:
Tell Me A Tattoo Story by Alison McGhee,
illutrated by Eliza Wheeler
(Chronicle Books, April 2016)
One evening, curious Little Man wants to hear all about his father’s tattoos. His father walks him through each inked piece– from the Ferris wheel representing the first date with his wife to the dragon representing a favorite story book. Flowing text paired with a great palette of illustrations combine to make this a picture book that highlights the connections between images and storytelling.
My Dinosaur Egg Hunt, written and illustrated by Bob Barner (I See Me Books, 2016)
In this personalized book, authored and illustrated by children’s book veteran Bob Barner, your child becomes a paleontologist on the hunt for fossilized dinosaur eggs. Young readers will delight in learning about different dinosaurs and their eggs found around the world. Your child will also love seeing his or her name and photo on the cover and on every page of this charming adventure.
Smitty Hits The Play Books
by Wade Smith and Jayme Lamm
(Bright Sky Press, August, 2016)
Smitty loves to play football, but his mother and his teacher have other ideas. They want him to succeed in school because they know how important education is for all children. With their help (and a little intervention), Smitty learns a valuable lesson about balancing school and play. This straightforward story was written by Houston Texans Wade Smith in conjunction with his educational foundation.
Inspector Flytrap by Tom Angleberger
(Abrams Books for Young Readers, August, 2016)
Angleberger (author of the beloved Origami Yoda series) has written a fun, new mystery for beginner readers in which Inspector Flytrap (a Venus flytrap) wants to be the greatest detective of all time. His playful language is laugh-out-loud funny! We are always looking for fun new beginner chapter books to hook the youngest independent readers. This one is a must!
Middle Grade:
Hundred Percent by Karen Ramano Young
(Chronicle Books, August 2016)
Oh, sixth grade! It’s a year of change for Christine (Tink) and her best friend Jackie. Boys, mean girls, family woes, and more make this charming book sing for any girl who doubts herself as she leaves her childhood behind.
Ms. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson
(Walden Pond Press, June 2016)
Topher, Steve, and Brand, three boys in Ms. Bixby’s sixth grade class, have categorized teachers into six distinct classifications. Ms. Bixby is one of the Good Ones. When she announces she will not be able to finish the school year, the boys hatch a plan, which includes skipping school, cheesecake, french fries, and multiple city busses downtown among other things, to give Ms. Bixby the special last day she deserves. Along the way, we learn the boys’ back stories and how Ms. Bixby touched each of their lives. Comical, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and perfect for fans of WONDER. Not to be missed!
Framed! A T.O.A.S.T Mystery by James Ponti
(Aladdin Books, August 2016)
Florian Bates has just moved back to the U.S. with his parents, an art conservator and a museum security expert. Florian notices everything, and has developed the T.O.A.S.T. plan — Theory of All Small Things. By combining small details about a person or a situation, Florian comes to surprisingly accurate conclusions and ends up working for the FBI in the art theft division. The first in a new series from James Pointi, FRAMED! is a great mystery that will make you start noticing all the little things in your life too!
Teen:
Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley
(Dial Books, May 2016)
Solomon hasn’t left his house in three years and seventeen days, and he’s okay with that. Lisa, on the other hand, wants out of the suburb of Upland, and is convinced that Solomon is her ticket. All she needs to do is “cure” him, write an awesome college application essay about it, and win the full-ride scholarship to Woodlawn University. On the pretense of becoming friends with Sol, she starts visiting him every day, and soon, her boyfriend, Clark is joining them for Star Trek discussions, card games, and an impending pool party. But when the truth of Lisa’s initial motivation is revealed, will all of their relationships survive?
The Leaving by Tara Altebrando
(Bloombury USA Children’s Books, June 2016)
One night, five teens find themselves dropped off at a playground, blindfolded and totally confused. Each of them has a map home in their pocket. It turns out that six children were kidnapped 11 years ago and five have returned. They have come home to a variety of family situations and face mistrust, fear and anger. The novel is narrated by two of the teens and the sister of the one boy who has not returned. What happened to them and where is the sixth child? Hold on tight; this is a taut thriller best for grades 9 and up.
Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick
(Little Brown Books For Young Readers, May, 2016)
Nanette O’Hare, a soccer superstar but also a fish out of water, is given a Catcher In The Rye type novel by her favorite teacher. As she reads and rereads, she is taken by how the book parallels her life. She befriends the author who doesn’t want anything to do with the book. Nanette meets other acolytes, and her life is changed in many ways. It’s a year of growth that rings true for any girl spreading her wings.
