Baby/Toddler
There Is A Tribe of Kids by Lane Smith
(Roaring Brook Press, May 2016)
Lane Smith (GRANDPA GREEN and IT’S A BOOK) has created another stunning picture book. From a pod of whales to a smack of jellyfish, he details groups of animals in relation to a small child, one of the tribe of kids. Sly clues sprinkled through the book link each page to the next. A picture book for all to love – bravo!
(Roaring Brook Press, May 2016)
A family prepares for a vacation. They pack their bags and head to the airport. Author and illustrator Lisa Brown details each step of the trip through the airport. Set in today’s world, from the ID check at security to the woman incessantly talking on her cell phone, there are story lines that carry throughout the book, encouraging readers to spend time on each page. A perfect book for a family preparing for a trip or for anyone who loves reading. For all ages.
I Love Cake by Tammi Sauer
(Katherine Tegen Books, May 2016)
Rabbit, Porcupine, and Moose are three great friends, but when Moose’s love of cake ruins Rabbit’s plans and is not fun for Porcupine, Moose will need to find a way to patch things up! A great read-aloud about asking for forgiveness and repairing friendships. Warning! May induce cravings for cake!
Emergining Reader
Be Glad Your Dad…. By Matthew Logeline
(Little, Brown Books For Young Readers, May 2016)
All of our dads have annoying qualities. This charming picture book reminds us to be grateful that our dads are not owls, iguanas or dung beetles, because they all have worse qualities than our dads. A fun ode to fathers, just in time for Father’s Day!
Suite For Human Nature Diane Lampert & Wynton Marsalis
(Atheneum Books, May 2016)
Mother Nature tells us what we need and nurtures us when we need her. This beautifully illustrated picture book guides us through all the human emotions. Do you wonder about the reasons we act in such odd ways? Mother Nature starts a conversation that even the beginning reader can comprehend.
Tweens
Terrible Two Get Worse
by Mac Barnett & Jory John
(Abrams Books for Kids, April 2016)
Our favorite pranksters have returned! Barnett and John bring us back to Yawnee Valley, where Niles and Miles meet their match in Principal Barkin’s father, former Principal Barkin. Plenty of jokes, enhanced by Matt Cornell’s line illustrations, make this story a delight for readers of the first TERRIBLE TWO novel, although familiarity with that book is not required for enjoyment of this prankish tale. For grades 3 and up.
Wild Robot by Peter Brown
(Little, Brown Books For Young Readers)
Five hundred crates of robots are lost at sea during a hurricane; five wash ashore on an uninhabited island but only one remains intact. “Roz,” Rozzum Unit 714, accidentally activated by curious otters, comes to life, and because she has been programmed to learn, begins to adapt to her new surroundings. At first rejected by the animal population, Roz slowly gains their trust, adopts an orphaned gosling, and becomes a valuable part of the island community. Sure to prompt discussion about the environment, technology, and community, Peter Brown’s simple illustrations and well-measured text combine for a perfect read-aloud or book club choice for middle grade readers.
The Girl In The Well Is Me by Karen Rivers
(Algonquin Young Readers, March 2016)
Kammie wants nothing more than to belong at her new school. She tries to befriend the cool girls, Kandy, Sandy and Mandy, who decide to initiate her into their club. Unfortunately, the initiation results in Kammie falling down a well. As she struggles to free herself and waits for a rescue, Kammie alternates between hallucinating a conversation with French-speaking coyote and recalling how she ever wanted these friends. By turns funny, sassy and heartbreaking, Kammie’s experience is utterly believable and utterly unforgettable. For grades 5 and up.
Teens
Underwater By Marisa Reichardt
(Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, January 2016)
Morgan has become agoraphobic, never stepping outside of the apartment she shares with her mother and younger brother. She witnessed a horrific school shooting in the Fall, and she just can’t get past it. When a boy moves in next door who has a connection to her school and her past, Morgan uses the help of her therapist to take baby steps to recover her zest for life. This is an incredibly well written debut novel which touches on some very serious topics with believable characters, the right amount of tension, and a timely topic.
Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend by Alan Cumyn
(Atheneum Books, April 2016)
Shiel’s orchestrated and controlled life has just been thrown into chaos. It’s not just that she, as the student body president, really should have known that their school was planning to host Pyke, a pterodactyl exchange student. There’s also a dance to plan and college applications to write. At least her boyfriend, Sheldon, is always there for her. Pyke’s presence exerts a strange primal influence on the students. The fall dance is a huge success – but goes All KINDS of wrong! The parents are scandalized, and Shiel must act quickly before the community kicks the most popular “kid” out of school – or worse. As her carefully constructed world unravels, Shiel can’t deny her own attraction to Pyke and comes to question who she is and what she wants out of life.
Lifeboat Clique by Kathy Parks
(Katherine Tegen Books, March 2016)
Denver sneaks into an A-list party to see if the cute boy Croix really was interested in her. As bad luck would have it, a tsunamii hits the Malibu coast, destroying the party house and stranding Denver at sea with her former best friend Abigail and three other teens. Part survival story, part analysis of a failed friendship, this snarky novel takes a close look at the social hierarchy of high school.
