Sponsored by The Oddmire Series by William Ritter, new from Algonquin Young Readers.
Don’t miss this middle-grade fantasy-adventure series from the bestselling author of Jackaby. To renew the magic fading from the Wild Wood, goblins must perform an ancient ritual involving a newborn changeling. But when the night arrives, something goes terribly wrong. Tinn and Cole are raised as human twins, neither knowing what secrets may be buried deep inside one of them. When they turn thirteen, a mysterious message arrives, calling them to leave their sleepy town and risk their lives journeying through the Deep Dark to uncover who they truly are.
Hello readers!
How are you doing? I should have been at my dream conference this week (feminist publishing!) so I am distracting myself with plants and books. I have my eyes on a new edition in the Illustrators series from Abrams – Dick Bruna by Bruce Ingman – but I’m also tempted by everything else in that series! While I work out which one to buy first, here’s your pick of this week’s new releases in the world of children’s literature…
The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray
When Amelia Earhart’s legendary flight goggles go missing, it’s down to eleven year old Millie and her band of fellow Amelia-fans to find them and return them to their rightful place. The only problem is that the house is full of suspects, a blizzard’s raging outside, and the clock’s ticking…
I mean, this lovely middle-grade had me at Amelia Earhart, but then there was a mystery, girl power, dastardly doings, a character who collects Nancy Drew, and honestly, what more do you want than that?
Our Favorite Day of the Year by A. E, Ali, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell
Ms. Gupta’s class is sharing their favorite day of the year so that everybody can celebrate them together. Musa’s favorite day is Eid and in celebration, he and his mother share foods with his friends. As the year passes, and other favorite days are shared, all of the students become the best of friends.
A lovely introduction to holidays (including Pi Day, Rosh Hashanah, Christmas and Las Posadas), rich and important cultural traditions, and the power of friendships, this is a beautiful book with lovely endpapers (good endpapers rock!).
Beyond Me by Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu
Maya lives in a suburb just outside of Tokyo, but on March 11, 2011, a five minute long earthquake hits and everything changes. This is the story of what happened afterwards, and how Maya coped with it.
Based on real world events, this is an eloquent and subtle exploration of grief, and the impact of trauma. It’s told in free verse and narrated by Maya herself, sharing not only her struggles with coming to terms with what’s happened but also how she learns to find strength in the community and friends around her.
No Longer Alone by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Robyn Wilson-Owen
(Backlist bump!)
Emotions are hard, right? They’re even harder when you feel all alone, just as the little girl at the heart of this story does. But one day when her dad talks with her, she realises that it’s okay to feel the way that she does and that the feelings she has can be felt.
A lyrical, gentle exploration of grief and how to live with big, incomprehensible feelings, this is full of grace. It’s perfect for helping out with those conversations about difficult things, and helping small readers realise that they’re not alone with their feelings.
Specs for Rex by Yasmeen Ismail
(Backlist bump!) Rex has new glasses and he is not a happy lion! He hates them, he doesn’t want to wear them at school, and so the only option he’s got left is to hide them… but it’s not that easy hiding a pair of very big and very round and very red specs!
Funny, charming, and very beautifully put together, this sees Rex figure out that it’s not that bad to be a little bit different from everybody else. It might even result in him finding a new friend…
Okay, that’s it from me this week! I’ll see you in seven days with more gorgeous new books for you to fall in love with. Between then and now, you can stay in touch with me via social media (where I will be sharing pictures of new plants), on my website, or over on the biweekly literary fiction podcast Novel Gazing.
Happy reading!
Louise.