Tuesdays are my favorite day of the week, because I get to shout about all the amazing new books being released. I’ve got a selection for you today, so let’s get to it!
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
Celebrate!: A Happy Book of Firsts by Janet Lawler, Illustrated by Brittany Baugus
Our first words, our first steps, these and so much more are things we celebrate!
But when a bird flaps its wings for the first time, or a kitten makes its first climb―do they also celebrate?
Celebrate! is a sweet and joyous rhyming picture book about life’s milestones, how we celebrate, and wondering what else we might accomplish in our lives as we grow!
Picture Books
Good Dream Dragon by Jacky Davis, Illustrated by Courtney Dawson
Good Dream Dragon comes to the rescue in easing a child’s bedtime fears in this magical story featuring a nonbinary child.
When a young child is afraid to go to sleep, they call on the Good Dream Dragon to help lead the way. Together, the pair race past comets as they travel through the night galaxy, making their way to the magical world of Dreamland.
This soothing bedtime story celebrates imagination as a way to help alleviate a child’s bedtime jitters. It is a gentle reminder to children that comfort is always within reach.
Bored No More!: The ABCs of What to Do When There’s Nothing to Do by Julie Reiters
The ultimate book of boredom busters from A to Z—perfect for any time you’re stuck at home or in need of a little inspiration!
Act out a play
Bounce a ball
Call a friend
Dance down the hall
Whether you’re home with the flu or stuck inside on a snowy day, this lively picture book offers fun suggestions for families looking to step away from their screens. Julie Reiters’s bold and graphic art style is sure to appeal to readers of all ages, and the poetic text makes for a smooth read-aloud. With options from A to Z, Bored No More! is sure to provide inspiration for what to do when there’s nothing to do!
Give This Book Away! by Darren Farrell, Illustrated by Maya Tatsukawa
Two award-winning creators team up for this picture book about what happens–and how you feel–when you give to someone else. And then it asks you to do just that–with the book in your hands!
Prepare to open a very special book–a book that you read, but that you don’t keep. That’s right. This book isn’t destined for a pile in your room. It’s not going to gather dust on a bookshelf. This book is for you to read and enjoy, and then to give away. Yes, away, to someone you’ve never spoken to before.
So, who are you going to pick? The next person you pass on the street? Someone sitting alone on a bench? A kid at the park? Who knows—maybe you’ll even make a new friend!
Here is a one-of-a-kind picture book that brilliantly introduces the act of giving—quite literally—in a concrete way for kids to understand, and reveals how good it feels when you do.
The Girl Who Built an Ocean: An Artist, an Argonaut, and the True Story of the World’s First Aquarium by Jess Keating, Illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter
The inspiring tale of a seamstress-turned-scientist who invented the world’s first aquarium at a time when women in STEM were startlingly rare.
The daughter of a seamstress and a cobbler, Jeanne Villepreux-Power began her career as a dressmaker, sewing beautiful gowns for the Parisian aristocracy. But her heart longed for more, and when she moved to the seaside, she became fascinated by the ocean’s mysteries.
She filled her pockets with seashells and specimens, and filled her notebooks with oservations about coral and crustaceans and all manner of marine life. The argonaut interested her most of all, but Jeanne’s observations of this shy creature were confounded by its tendency to swim away when approached. Jeanne wanted a way to bring a piece of the ocean home with her, and that’s she came to build the world’s first aquarium—an invention that would pave the way for countless scientific discoveries in the years to come…
Alphabedtime by Susanna Leonard Hill, Illustrated by Betsy Snyder
It’s a busy night for the Alphabet Family—after all, there are 26 kiddos to get ready for bed. A, B, and C declare they are not ready, and Impish I and Jazzy J don’t want to settle down, but by toothbrushing-time the crew seems to be headed in the right direction. Bath time requires six bathtubs and is super-splashy—and getting into jammies is no joke—but finally, after a story has been read and they are all tucked in tight, peace should reign. Except what’s this? When Mom turns off the light, it’s an Alpha pillow fight! Toddlers are sure to get a huge kick out of this lively alpha family—and hopefully following each and every little letter’s antics will tucker them out!
The Very Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra: With 10 Musical Sounds! by Tim Lihoreau and Philip Noyce, Illustrated by Olga Baumert
Follow Ava and Jayden on a magical journey, as they discover the instruments of the orchestra, and explore beautiful scenes inspired by the music. Introduce the maestro-in-making in your life to orchestral music. Young readers can discover instruments from the violin to the trumpet and learn about the composers and their dazzling pieces. The spreads tell the story of the classical tune, while the sound button brings it to life.
Featuring 10 different sound buttons throughout the book that play 10-second clips of famous classical pieces performed by a live orchestra. Parents and carers – save the batteries, and your patience, with an on/off switch for the musical sounds located on the left of the back cover.
Middle Grade
A Seed in the Sun by Aida Salazar
A farm-working girl with big dreams meets activist Dolores Huerta and joins the 1965 protest for workers’ rights in this tender-hearted novel in verse, perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia and Pam Muñoz Ryan.
Lula Viramontes aches to one day become someone whom no one can ignore: a daring ringleader in a Mexican traveling circus. But between working the grape harvest in Delano, California, with her older siblings under dangerous conditions; taking care of her younger siblings and Mamá, who has mysteriously fallen ill; and doing everything she can to avoid Papá’s volatile temper, it’s hard to hold on to those dreams.
Then she meets Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong, and other labor rights activists and realizes she may need to raise her voice sooner rather than later: Farmworkers are striking for better treatment and wages, and whether Lula’s family joins them or not will determine their future.
Troublemakers in Trousers: Women and What They Wore to Get Things Done by Sarah Albee, Illustrated by Kaja Kajfez
Meet twenty-one women throughout history who broke fashion and norms to do something groundbreaking in this unique middle-grade collection that celebrates trailblazers and troublemakers.
Girls and women have historically been denied access to work, been blocked from the arts, refused the opportunity to lead and fight, and much more, simply because of their gender. From Hatshepsut to Joan of Arc to Frida Kahlo, Troublemakers in Trousers highlights twenty-one women who, for different reasons, wore men’s clothing, pretended to be men, and broke the rules in order to do something they wanted—or needed—to do.
The perfect modern-day introduction to women throughout history who broke boundaries and pushed the limits set by society.
Graphic Novel
History Comics: The Transcontinental Railroad: Crossing the Divide by Andy Hirsch
Turn back the clock with History Comics! In this graphic novel, experience the great railroad race between Central Pacific and Union Pacific. Wealth and glory await whichever builds the longest track!
In 1863, America is divided not just by the civil war but by months of travel over thousands of miles. Two railroad companies, one each from East and West, are given the task of connecting the nation by rail. Building this railroad will be a monumental undertaking, difficult and dangerous. The work falls to immigrant laborers from the lowest economic classes. They accomplish astounding feats of engineering while waiting for an answer: Will those who connect the country be accepted into it?
That’s all I have for today. 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!
Which titles have you been looking forward to the most? Be sure to share in the comments below!
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