Contemporary Fiction
Yotsuba! Vol. 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma
Yotsuba is a precocious little girl who has just moved into a new neighborhood. She has adventures meeting the new neighbor girls who are all older than her, but welcome her like a little sister. She has adventures with her dad in the process of moving and going to the store to get things for their house, and then she catches cicadas with her dad's friend and one of the neighbor girls.
This whole series is fantastic!
Target Readers:
- Manga Fans, All Ages Graphic Novel Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Humor Fans, Precocious Character Lovers
The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden (Vanderbeekers, #2) by Karina Yan Glaser
When beloved neighbor Mr Jeet has a stroke, the Vanderbeeker kids try to think up something nice they can do for Mr Jeet and Miss Josie. Miss Josie is always talking about how that abandoned lot by the church would make a great community garden. With permission from the pastor, the kids start secretly cleaning up the abandoned lot. But while they are doing that the pastor is called out of town and Mr Huxley seems to be trying to sell the lot. Will all their hard work be for nothing, and will Mr Jeet ever get well enough to enjoy it?
The Vanderbeekers first book is also a great read, and I can't wait for our copy of book three to arrive.
Target Readers:
- Feel Good Story Fans, Sibling Story Fans, Community Story Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Middle Grade Readers
Basketball Break by CC Joven, ill. by Alex López
Lucas is a ball hog. He takes bad shots and never passes to his teammates. Can he learn how to be a better team player?
Target Readers:
- Beginning Readers, Basketball Fans, Sports Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Kids Learning to Be Team Players, Leveled Reader Fans, Picture Book Readers
Mystery/Thriller
The Girl in the Picture by Alexandra Monir
Who killed the US Congressman's son attending the elite Oyster Bay Prep? And why? He was a nice guy, star of the soccer team, and everyone liked him. But Lana, a US Congresswoman's daughter and queen of the school who everyone thought was Chace's girlfriend is not the person snuggling with him in the pictures found in his pocket at the scene of the crime. The person in the pictures is the quiet, violin scholarship girl, Nicole. She used to be Lana's friend and roommate till something happened Junior year. Through present day and flashbacks told from Lana and Nicole's perspectives readers will uncover just what happened, why Nicole is in Chace's pictures, and who killed him.
Target Readers:
- Intense Mystery Fans, Thriller Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Boarding School Setting Fans, Music Lovers, Love Story Fans, Young Adult Readers
The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel
Emmy's mother is a child psychologist, famous author, and soon-to-be reality TV star. That means she's really going to be too busy to take care of Emmy (Emmy's father disappeared when she was 3 and the police suspected foul play). So Emmy finds herself being shipped off to a boarding school in England called Wellsworth, because only the best educational ratings for a school will keep her mom happy. Emmy is so tired of changing schools to keep her mom's high standards satisfied. But is that the real reason she ended up at Wellsworth? Because right before she left Connecticut she got this weird anonymous note saying to keep her father's relics safe. Her mother got rid of most of dad's stuff and will never talk about him. Did they still have any "relics" of his? Exploring the attic after her mom goes to bed, Emmy finds a secret compartment and a box of medallions with a note from her father asking her to keep them safe. When she gets to Wellsworth she gets more notes and finds out her dad might have gone to the school, but no one wants to talk about him. The two students who've befriended Emmy, Jack and Lola, help her investigate. But what is going on at Wellsworth and why don't people want to talk about Emmy's dad?
Target Readers:
- Mystery Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Boarding School Setting Fans, Personal Growth Story Fans, Soccer Lovers, Secret Society Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers
The Grotlyn by Benji Davies
What is sneaking around after dark and making things disappear? People say it is the Grotlyn, but what exactly is a Grotlyn?
Everyone has experienced hearing strange things in the night or having items go missing. Is a monster responsible, or is there a more logical and less sinister reason? The Victorian era city in this book is in for a surprise when they discover just what the Grotlyn is. Told in rhyme and with atmospheric (but not too spooky) illustrations. See if little ones are observant enough to figure out what the Grotlyn is before the characters.
Target Readers:
- Gothic Story Fans, Victorian Era Setting Fans, Historical Fiction Fans, Sharp Observers, Mystery Fans, Picture Book Readers
Fantasy
Lovely War by Julie Berry
Aphrodite, caught between Ares and Hephaestus argues that gods don't really understand what love is, that only mortals do. So she tells them a tale about what true love looks like. She tells them of Hazel, a shy pianist in England who met James, a soldier about to leave for the WWI front, at a parish dance the week before he shipped out. And she tells them of Aubrey, an African American jazz pianist and soldier, and Colette, a Belgian girl who has lost everything in the war, but is still doing her part to help in France by volunteering with the YMCA. A story of life, death, WWI, racism, music, and love narrated mostly by Aphrodite, but also by Ares, Apollo, and Hades.
Target Readers:
- WWI Story Fans, Love Story Fans, Mythology Fans, Fans of Stories That Probe Deep Issues, Masterful Writing Fans, Young Adult and Adult Readers
Wicked Nix by Lena Coakley, ill. by Jaime Zollars
When a people moves into the forest Wicked Nix knows he must do his wicked best to scare off the people before the Fairy Queen returns on Midsummer's Eve. He gets advice from his two wise friends, Mister Green and Rose. But the man-people is proving very hard to scare off from the cottage he is fixing back up and he knows how to fend off fairies.
Target Readers:
- Fairy Story Fans, Fantasy Fans, Fans of Stories with Twists, Luscious Writing Fans, Middle Grade Readers on up
Mighty Meg and the Magical Ring (Mighty Meg, #1) by Sammy Griffin, ill. by Micah Player
When Meg gets a ring from her archeologist Aunt for her birthday, she puts it on. That night she dreams she's an amazing, superhero woman warrior, and at school the next day she finds herself running a bit faster than normal. After school Meg goes off on her own to see just what she can do and if it is her new ring causing these changes.
Target Readers:
- Superhero Story Fans, Spunky Character Fans, Fantasy Fans, Lower Grade Readers
Science Fiction
Space Boy Vol. 1 by Stephen McCranie
Amy is devastated when her father gets fired for a mishap in the mine and her entire family gets transferred back to Earth. Not only is she moving away from friends, but she'll be in cryo during the trip to Earth and when she wakes up all her friends will have experienced 30 years of life while she'll still be a teenager. The only ray of hope in Amy's life are some kind students at school who make an effort to befriend her and show her how to survive as a teenager on Earth in the present.
This whole series is amazing so far (we have 1-3 and 4 is supposed to arrive any day), and VERY popular at our school.
Target Readers:
- Graphic Novel Fans, Scifi Fans, Friendship Story Fans, Third Culture Kids, Young Adult Readers (and Middle Grade Readers)
The Ark Plan (Edge of Extinction, #1) by Laura Martin
Scientists figured out how to bring back dinosaurs using DNA from fossils. For a while, things were really cool with new dinosaur pets and zoo attractions. But then the dinosaur flu hit. Thanks to an ancient microbe that got revived with the dinosaurs, there was a massive pandemic that wiped out a huge portion of the Earth's population. Now the dinosaurs rule most of the Earth, and the few people who survived the pandemic have retreated underground into one of the 4 Compounds set up by the Noah. The Noah is the ruler of the world now. Life is pretty good for most of the humans in the compounds, except for Sky. Sky's father disappeared above ground five years ago and was labeled a spy. Since then, Sky has been a ward of the compound but not treated very well. On her birthday, she discovers that her father did leave a note for her those five years ago. It was hidden in the compass he gave her. The note says that if he didn't come back within 4 years, she needs to get a data plug to a spot in Lake Michigan. Sky has been told all her life that going topside is suicide. But her dad's note says the survival of the planet depends on her taking this message North.
The 2nd book is exciting too!
Target Readers:
- Dinosaur Lovers, Dystopia Fans, Scifi Fans, Survival Story Fans, Thriller Fans, Middle Grade Readers
Superbad (The Bad Guys, #8) by Aaron Blabey
Our reformed heroes are now imbued with superpowers. But they are awful at using them. The International League of Heroes decides to step in and give them some training on how to use their powers, while also working on a plan of how to defeat Marmalade.
All of the Bad Guys books are very entertaining, but watching them learn how to use their superpowers was extra funny.
Target Readers:
- Superhero Story Fans, Animal Lovers, Scifi Fans, Humor Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Reluctant Readers, Lower Grade Readers (and Middle Grade Readers...and Adults 😉)
Historical Fiction
Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce
Emmeline Lake has always dreamed of being a war correspondent. She's a young woman making a go of surviving in London during WWII. She lives with her best friend and does her part for the country as much as possible. She volunteers for the fire brigade at night answering phones. But when she sees an advertisement for a typist/assistant at the newspaper she jumps at the chance. This could be her chance to really make a difference! However, when she shows up for the job, she finds out that she isn't working for the main newspaper. She's working for Woman's Friend owned by the same company, but focused entirely on knitting patterns, recipes, fictional stories, and an advice column called Henrietta Helps. Emmy is stuck working for Mrs. Bird, the editress of the magazine and author of Henrietta Helps. But Mrs. Bird is a relic herself and has very, very decided opinions about what shall be permitted in the advice column. Emmy's heart goes out to these women who are desperate enough for advice on relationships and such that they'll write in to a complete stranger. But what can she do? Meanwhile, she's juggling everyday life in the war and her own relationship issues.
Target Readers:
- Historical Fiction Fans, WWII History Fans, Humor Fans, Fantastic Character Fans, Adult Readers (though accessible to Young Adult Readers)
Skylark and Wallcreeper by Anne O’Brien Carelli
It's November 2012 in Queens, New York and Lily, though just 12, is helping with the evacuation of her grandmother's retirement home as Hurricane Sandy causes waves to pound in through the 1st floor of the building. Relocated to the Armory in Brooklyn, Lily convinces her mom to let her stay and help her grandmother and the other residents. During the move her Granny handed her a fancy old pen and told her to keep it safe. The pen went missing while Lily went out looking for food for the residents, and now she's trying to track it down because her Granny keeps talking about it and saying it needs to go to Marguerite. But who is Marguerite? Meanwhile, flashbacks to Brume, France in 1944 share Granny's exploits as a 12 year old girl herself during WWII. She was recruited as a messenger for the French Resistance, dubbed Wallcreeper for her bird-like climbing skills, she was joined in her dangerous assignments by another girl, Marguerite, whose codename was Skylark.
Target Readers:
- Historical Fiction Fans, WWII Story Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Time Slip Story Fans, Intergenerational Friendship Story Fans, Feel Good Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
The story of a lighthouse and the man who keeps it from day to day until the day his job is done.
Sophie Blackall totally earned that shiny sticker that now graces the front of this book. Her illustrations are filled with so many minute details that make the life of the lighthouse keeper come alive that much more.
Target Readers:
- Historical Fiction Fans, Art Lovers, Lighthouse Fans, Award Winner Readers, Picture Book Readers
Biography/Autobiography/Memoir
Wreck My Life: Journeying from Broken to Bold by Mo Isom
Mo Isom shares her story of growing up and the struggles she faced. How she dealt with crazy standards she set for herself, an eating disorder, the mask she wore as she started college, the success she achieved on the soccer field but emptiness she felt inside, how her dad's suicide rocked her world, and how God broke through all the brokenness and heartache as she hung upside down in her wrecked jeep one Thanksgiving. She shares then how her life changed after that, the long recovery process, the healing physically, emotionally, and spiritually that followed. And where God led her once she gave her life over to Him completely.
Target Readers:
- Autobiography Fans, Christian Literature Fans, Overcomer Story Fans, Sports Fans, Young Adult and Adult Readers
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
Raina shares her intestinal and anxiety struggles that emerged in 4th and 5th grades. Readers get to peek inside her head to see how she was thinking and feeling as she faced name-calling by a girl in her class, verbal presentations, her best friend moving, her constant stomach aches, her grandma coming to live with them for a few months, and her fear of getting sick.
It is great to have a person kids look up to SO much (seriously, kids LOVE her stuff) openly share how she has struggled with anxiety, fear, and stress, and what helped her get a little better. I appreciate that she includes her therapy sessions and some real helpful tips in this autobiographical graphic novel. She also does a great job of sharing just how many people benefit from therapy and that it isn't something to be ashamed of. This is an absolutely fantastic read.
Target Readers:
- Autobiography Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Mental Health Awareness Book Fans, Middle Grade Readers on up
Magic Ramen: the Story of Momofuku Ando by Andrea Wang, ill. by Kana Urbanowicz
A picture book biography of Momofuku Ando who invented instant noodles.
I love how this picture book biography really brings across all the trial and error of invention and the ways that failures are part of the process to success. I also had no idea that the creator of instant noodles was inspired to create something cheap that anyone could afford to help alleviate hunger. Make sure you read the further info in the back of the book about how Ando kept on inventing even into old age, even inventing food for astronauts.
Target Readers:
- Biography Fans, Foodies, Instant Noodle Lovers, Asian History Studiers, STEM Book Fans, Picture Book Readers
General Nonfiction
The Tornado Scientist: Seeing Inside Severe Storms by Mary Kay Caron, photos by Tom Uhlman
Mary Kay Carson shares how Robin Tanamachi has been studying tornadoes for years. The way she got into studying weather, how she performs her research, and some major studies she's been/is involved in. Along the way readers will learn a lot about how tornadoes form, the kind of destruction they can cause, and how scientists are hoping to reduce fatalities from tornadoes in the future.
Target Readers:
- Storm Chasers, Weather Studiers, STEM Book Fans, Curious Readers, Young Adult Readers (approachable for upper Middle Grade)
Backyard Bears: Conservation, Habitat Changes, and the Rise of Urban Wildlife by Amy Cherrix
Tag along with scientists studying the black bears living in Asheville, NC and its suburbs. They are looking at how living in the city is affecting the health, longevity, and population of the bears. The book also looks at several other wild animals that have adapted to living in urban areas.
Target Readers:
- Animal Lovers, STEM Book Fans, Curious Readers, Middle Grade and Young Adult Readers
Water Land: Land and Water Forms around the World by Christy Hale
Die cut pages help illustrate different land form and bodies of water names for children.
A pond on one spread becomes an island on the next spread. A straight of water becomes an isthmus, and kids get clear pictures of these different names for bodies of water and landforms. In the back of the book is a big foldout showing the locations of examples of all of these things in the world. There's also definitions for each term, and a list of more locations of these things throughout the world.
Target Readers:
- Curious Readers, Geography Studiers, Geography Teachers, Picture Book Fans
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