Kids

I know it's only August, but there are several new spooky titles that I simply must share with all those brave enough to read them.

This celebration was founded by Big Cat Rescue, the world’s largest accredited sanctuary dedicated to big cats. August 10th is a day for people to come together and pay tribute to the mighty lion in as many ways as possible.  For me, that means books!  Now, on to the "mane" event.

PICTURE BOOKS
Brian the Dancing Lion by Tom Tinn-Dinsbury
Love Is for Roaring by Mike Kerr
Yoga Animals on the Savanna by Christiane Kerr

Told in short chapters with illustrations by the author on almost every page, this stand-alone companion novel to Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey celebrates the small but mighty Marisol, the joys of friendship, the power of being different, and the triumph of persevering. 

Surely Surely Marisol Rainey by Erin Entrada Kelly (08/09/22)
Marisol Rainey’s two least-favorite things are radishes and gym class. She avoids radishes with very little trouble, but gym is another story—especially when Coach Decker announces that they will be learning to play kickball.  There are so many things that can go wrong in kickball. What if Marisol tries to kick the ball . . . but falls down? What if she tries to catch the ball and gets smacked in the nose? What if she’s the worst kickballer in the history of kickball? Marisol and her best friend Jada decide to get help from the most unlikely—and most annoying—athlete in the world: Marisol’s big brother, Oz.

I love books.  Yes, I know that's not a news flash.  But did you know I also love bagels? So, obviously, I'm gonna love a book about bagels.  And I like to share (though I'm more generous with my books than with my bagels).

B Is for Bagel by Rachel Teichman (02/09/22)
From asiago to za’atar, and everything in between, B is for Bagel teaches the whole alphabet, while introducing children to traditional and innovative bagel flavors.  Splish, splash, and roll your way through this book, where unicorns and rainbows take their bagel form, and sprinkles know no limits! Kids will love finding a new favorite bagel, whether they like lox or maybe just x-tra schmear! 

A History of Underwear with Professor Chicken by Hannah Holt (02/15/22)
From Paleolithic loincloths to Henry VIII's wives wearing underwear on their heads to Mary Walker, a civil war surgeon who was arrested for wearing men's underwear and clothing to better work on patients, this book surveys the vast and fascinating history of our most private clothing.

Modeled by chickens, we trace the history of underwear from the very first discovery- a paleolithic nomad whose body was found completely preserved in ice. From there, we look across time and culture in this completely accessible, new take on boring old nonfiction picture books.

Get a sneak peek on the publisher's website.

I first discovered the magic of Natalie Lloyd in 2014, when I read her debut novel A Snicker of Magic.  And she has never disappointed.  So I'm so excited about her new novel!

Hummingbird (08/02/22)
Twelve-year-old homeschooled Olive is tired of being seen as “fragile” just because she has osteogenesis imperfecta (otherwise known as brittle bone disease) so she’s thrilled when she finally convinces her overprotective parents to let her attend Macklemore Elementary. Olive can’t wait to go to a traditional school and make the friends she’s always longed for, until a disastrous first day dashes her hopes of ever fitting in.

Then Olive hears whispers about a magical, wish-granting hummingbird that supposedly lives near Macklemore. It’ll be the solution to all her problems! If she can find the bird and prove herself worthy, the creature will make her most desperate, secret wish come true.

Today is Take a Penny, Leave a Penny Day!  Which, if you never pay with cash, you might not understand.  But you'll still love this book!

A Penny's Worth by Kimberly Wilson (04/19/22)
Pennies, worthless? Non-cents!  Hot off the minting press, Penny feels like a million bucks. But as other coins and bills are spent while she sits forgotten, she begins to doubt her value. She is too small to slot-surf with Quarter. Even penny candy sells for a dime! Refusing to be short-changed, she sets out to find her purpose at any cost.  Readers will laugh at a wealth of money puns, learn a basic lesson on US currency, and discover that self-worth is truly priceless.

The third graphic novel starring Agent Moose and Agent Owlfred is out this week!

Agent Moose: Operation Owl by Mo O'Hara (08/02/22)
Strange flash floods are making waves (and headlines) all over the Big Forest! Someone is pulling off particularly confounding capers and, between the flooding and the heists, Big Forest is in big trouble. When Madame HQ is nabbed right out of a very wet Woodland HQ, Agent Moose and Owlfred must wade through clues to get her back and stop the mystery criminal making a big splash in Big Forest!

Summer Reading is winding down, but school isn't quite ready to start.  It's the perfect time to seek out various green spaces around town . . . and to read about them, too.

The Gardener of Alcatraz by Emma Bland Smith (04/05/22)
When Elliott Michener was locked away in Alcatraz for counterfeiting, he was determined to defy the odds and bust out. But when he got a job tending the prison garden, a funny thing happened. He found new interests and skills–and a sense of dignity and fulfillment. Elliott transformed Alcatraz Island, and the island transformed him.  Told with empathy and a storyteller’s flair, Elliott’s story is funny, touching, and unexpectedly relevant. Back matter about the history of Alcatraz and the US prison system today invites meaningful discussion.