Happy Tuesday, everybody! It’s new release day again, and if any of my fellow Americans are trying to avoid spending their stimulus payments on books, you may want to click away now. There are just too many tempting titles this week!
As always, these titles will have inclusive characters (think racial and cultural diversity, LGBTQ+ representation, diverse family structures, disability representation, and more), and fall into a range of genres in both fiction and nonfiction categories.
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Board Books
Grow by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Illustrated by Hsulynn Pang (Bookshop | Amazon)
“Pull tabs transform this book into a plant that can be displayed in a new baby’s home. The perfect gift for new parents and sure to be a hit at baby showers!
This loving ode to children, as they grow from tender seed to wildest vine, features lush illustrations of blossoming plants. Sturdy slide tabs make leaves and flowers “grow” out of the top of each page, so this gift-worthy book can be displayed like a beautiful plant in a new family’s home. A read-aloud board book to treasure and share with growing children for years to come.”
The Body Book by Nosy Crow, Illustrated by Hannah Alice (Bookshop | Amazon)
“What’s going on inside our bodies? How do we move, eat, think, and breathe? Children will love looking inside the human body to discover the answers with this incredible interactive book. With labeled acetate diagrams of the muscular, skeletal, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, excretory, and nervous systems, this is a fantastic first look at human anatomy. From pumping blood to breathing air, The Body Book is an exciting way to explore all the amazing things our body can do.”
Picture Books
Walking Toward Peace by Kathleen Krull, Illustrated by Annie Bowler (Bookshop | Amazon)
“She gave up everything: her home, her possessions, even her real name. She called herself Peace Pilgrim, put on her sneakers, and started off on her quest to walk thousands of miles all around America. Step by step, mile after mile, Peace Pilgrim traveled tirelessly, inviting everyone she met to consider a world where each person and each nation chooses peace.
This true story about a little-known woman who sacrificed everything for her convictions inspires us to step out for what we believe in, gathering others to join us along the way.”
Someone Builds The Dream by Lisa Wheeler, Illustrated by Loren Long (Bookshop | Amazon)
“Buildings, bridges, and books don’t exist without the workers who are often invisible in the final product, as this joyous and profound picture book reveals from acclaimed author of The Christmas Boot Lisa Wheeler and New York Times bestselling illustrator of Love Loren Long
All across this great big world, jobs are getting done
by many hands in many lands. It takes much more than ONE.
Gorgeously written and illustrated, this is an eye-opening exploration of the many types of work that go into building our world–from the making of a bridge to a wind farm, an amusement park, and even the very picture book that you are reading. An architect may dream up the plans for a house, but someone has to actually work the saws and pound the nails. This book is a thank-you to the skilled women and men who work tirelessly to see our dreams brought to life.”
My Nana’s Garden by Dawn Casey, Illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle (Bookshop | Amazon)
“A lyrical, stunningly illustrated book about love, loss, and the healing power of nature
My nana’s garden is tangled with weeds. “Wildflowers,” says Nana, “food for the bees.”
A little girl visits her grandmother in summer and winter, and together they explore the wonders of her garden. Until, one day, Nana isn’t there anymore. But as winter gives way to spring, the girl learns that life goes on, and so does the memory of those we love.”
What’s Silly Hair Day With No Hair by Norene Paulson, Illustrated by Camila Carrossine (Bookshop | Amazon)
“Bea has alopecia areata―that means she doesn’t have any hair. So when it’s time for silly hair day at school, Bea doesn’t know what to do. Her best friend, Shaleah, is determined to help. With silly hair day fast approaching, they’re focused on finding a way for everyone to take part.”
Sam Is My Sister by Ashley Rhodes-Courter, Illustrated by MacKenzie Haley (Bookshop | Amazon)
“Evan loves being big brother to Sam and Finn. They do everything together―go fishing, climb trees, and play astronauts. But lately, Evan notices that he and Sam don’t look like brothers anymore. Sam wants to have long hair, and even asks to wear a dress on the first day of school. As time goes by, Evan comes to understand why Sam wants to look like a girl―because Sam is a girl. Sam is transgender. And just like always, Sam loves to dream with Evan and Finn about going to the moon together. Based on one family’s real-life experiences, this heartwarming story of a girl named Sam and the brothers who love and support her will resonate with readers everywhere.”
Chapter Books
The Case Of The Missing Cheetah (Secret Spy Society #1) by Veronica Mang (Bookshop | Amazon)
“The first book in a highly illustrated new chapter book series about three delightfully mischievous young girls and some of the most enigmatic women in history who worked as spies.
It’s a dark and stormy night when three sleuthing little girls get pulled into a web of mystery. They have mistakenly uncovered a secret society of some of the most famous female spies in history. A glamorous spy named Josephine Baker enlists the girls to find out who has kidnapped Chiquita, her precious pet cheetah. Do the girls have what it takes to become spies themselves?
Debut author-illustrator Veronica Mang has created a playful pastiche full of masters of disguise, martial artists, codebreakers, and double agents in the first of this new illustrated chapter book series. Secret Spy Society: The Case of the Missing Cheetah introduces young readers to three delightfully mischievous girls and some of the most enigmatic and unforgettable women in history.”
Middle Grade
The Many Mysteries Of The Finkel Family by Sarah Kapit (Bookshop | Amazon)
“Fans of the Penderwicks and the Vanderbeekers, meet the Finkel family in this middle grade novel about two autistic sisters, their detective agency, and life’s most consequential mysteries.
When twelve-year-old Lara Finkel starts her very own detective agency, FIASCCO (Finkel Investigation Agency Solving Consequential Crimes Only), she does not want her sister, Caroline, involved. She and Caroline don’t have to do everything together. But Caroline won’t give up, and when she brings Lara the firm’s first mystery, Lara relents, and the questions start piling up.
But Lara and Caroline’s truce doesn’t last for long. Caroline normally uses her tablet to talk, but now she’s busily texting a new friend. Lara can’t figure out what the two of them are up to, but it can’t be good. And Caroline doesn’t like Lara’s snooping—she’s supposed to be solving other people’s crimes, not spying on Caroline! As FIASCCO and the Finkel family mysteries spin out of control, can Caroline and Lara find a way to be friends again?”
Kids On The March by Michael Long (Bookshop | Amazon)
“From the March on Washington to March for Our Lives to Black Lives Matter, the powerful stories of kid-led protest in America.
Kids have always been activists. They have even launched movements. Long before they could vote, kids have spoken up, walked out, gone on strike, and marched for racial justice, climate protection, gun control, world peace, and more.
Kids on the March tells the stories of these protests, from the March of the Mill Children, who walked out of factories in 1903 for a shorter work week, to 1951’s Strike for a Better School, which helped build the case for Brown v. Board of Education, to the twenty-first century’s most iconic movements, including March for Our Lives, the Climate Strike, and the recent Black Lives Matter protests reshaping our nation.
Powerfully told and inspiring, Kids on the March shows how standing up, speaking out, and marching for what you believe in can advance the causes of justice, and that no one is too small or too young to make a difference.”
Wonder Women Of Science by Tiera Fletcher and Ginger Rue, Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport (Bookshop | Amazon)
“What does it take to be a STEM genius? Check out these exciting, highly readable profiles of a dozen contemporary women who are on the cutting edge of scientific research.
Searching the cosmos for a new Earth. Using math to fight human trafficking. Designing invisible (and safer) cars. Unlocking climate-change secrets. All of this groundbreaking science, and much more, is happening right now, spearheaded by the diverse female scientists and engineers profiled in this book.
Meet award-winning aerospace engineer Tiera Fletcher and twelve other science superstars and hear them tell in their own words not only about their fascinating work, but also about their childhoods and the paths they traveled to get where they are—paths that often involved failures and unexpected changes in direction, but also persistence, serendipity, and brilliant insights. Their careers range from computer scientist to microbiologist to unique specialties that didn’t exist before some amazing women profiled here created them. Here is a book to surprise and inspire not only die-hard science fans, but also those who don’t (yet!) think of themselves as scientists. Back matter includes reading suggestions, an index, a glossary, and some surprising ideas for how to get involved in the world of STEM.”
Comics
Delicates by Brenna Thummler (Bookshop | Amazon)
“Following the events of the bestselling graphic novel, Sheets, Delicates brings Brenna Thummler’s beloved characters, artwork, and charm back to life.
Marjorie Glatt’s life hasn’t been the same ever since she discovered a group of ghosts hiding in her family’s laundromat. Wendell, who died young and now must wander Earth as a ghost with nothing more than a sheet for a body, soon became one of Marjorie’s only friends. But when Marjorie finally gets accepted by the popular kids at school, she begins to worry that if anyone learns about her secret ghost friends, she’ll be labeled as a freak who sees dead people. With Marjorie’s insistence on keeping Wendell’s ghost identity a secret from her new friends, Wendell begins to feel even more invisible than he already is.
Eliza Duncan feels invisible too. She’s an avid photographer, and her zealous interest in finding and photographing ghosts gets her labeled as “different” by all the other kids in school. Constantly feeling on the outside, Eliza begins to feel like a ghost herself. Marjorie must soon come to terms with the price she pays to be accepted by the popular kids. Is it worth losing her friend, Wendell? Is she partially to blame for the bullying Eliza endures?
Delicates tells a powerful story about what it means to fit in, and those left on the outside. It shows what it’s like to feel invisible, and the importance of feeling seen. Above all, it is a story of asking for help when all seems dark, and bringing help and light to those who need it most.”
I hope you all enjoyed reading about these new releases, and hopefully you found one or two to add to your young reader’s shelves!
Did I miss any releases you’re excited for? Be sure to share in the comments below!
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