Baby/Toddler:
Adrift by Jessica Olien
(Harper Collins, January 2017)
This is the tale of two polar bears, Karl and Hazel; one is outgoing and one is shy. Each misunderstands the other. When they are forced to interact on a runaway ice floe, they learn to like each other. It’s humorous for the parents and a wee lesson in friendship for the youngest set.
Quantum Physics for Babies (Baby University Series) by Chris Ferrie
(Sourcebooks, June 2017)
One of the hottest and most fun board book series for the very youngest. They are scientifically correct and graphically appealing, and they might help Mom and Dad recall some old school lessons.
Emerging Reader:
Twindergarten by Nikki Ehrlich & Zoey Abbott Wagner
(Harper Collins Books, June 2017)
A pair of twins are excited about starting kindergarten, but when they end up in different classes, they’re not so sure they want to go to school anymore. A gentle look at starting school and finding the good in a new situation.
I’m Smart by Jim & Kate McMullan
(Balzer & Bray, June 2017)
Share this picture book with children who will be riding the school bus. The bus tells the reader what it’s like to ride the school bus and how the bus keeps you safe.
Confiscated by Suzanne Kaufman
(Balzer & Bray, August 2017)
Each time T-Rex brother Brooks and Mikey fight, Mom takes away their toys. When the boys have nothing left to play with, they devise a scheme to liberate their toys. An ode to siblings and to sharing.
Tweens:
York by Laura Ruby
(Walden Pond, May 2017)
When their historic apartment building is sold, teens Tess, Theo, and Jaime work to save it by solving the Old York Cipher using clues left behind hundreds of years ago by the brilliant architects, the Morningstar twins. A grand adventure!
Dragon’s Green by Scarlett Thomas
(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, May 2017)
Griffin Truelove is a renowned scholar of magic. Upon his death, Truelove leaves his granddaughter Effie a ring, several magical items, and his library, warning her to find Dragon’s Green, protect his collection of rare books, and prevent the sinister Diberi from exploiting their power. Fans of Harry Potter will be bewitched from page one.
Teens:
Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
(Thomas Dunne Books, February 2017)
One day, Kathe is taken by the Goblin King, the mythical figure who stands between our world and another, darker one. To get her back, Kathie’s sister Liesl will have to rescue her sibling from the Goblin King’s realm and sacrifice herself. As her life begins to fade, Liesl must decide what she values most: her life, her love, her music, or the people still living in the world above.
Eliza And Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
(Greenwillow Books, May 2017)
Eliza Mirk is a socially awkward, highly introverted high school senior. She is also LadyConstellation, the anonymous, internet-famous creator of a web comic called Monstrous Sea. But what happens when a mistake is made and Eliza’s identity is revealed? This is a wonderful contemporary story of social anxiety, “internet friends” versus “real friends,” and finding the group you were meant to be with.
