Hello readers!
I managed to get to the bookshop this week for the first time in forever and it was quite the (socially-distanced) experience. Honestly, I think for the first few minutes I just had to stand and take it all in. It was lovely. Here’s a video of a tiny reader similarly enjoying their first visit back to a bookstore. Warning: adorable.
Let’s get down to this week’s new releases – and I hope that they make you and your tiny readers very happy.
To Liberty! The Adventures of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas by Catherine Johnson, illustrated by Rachel Sanson
Thomas-Alexandre Dumas lived a life full of stories. He began as a slave on the streets of Port au Prince before ending up as a a general in the French army. This tells the story of his remarkable life – a life which helped inspire his son, Alexandre Dumas, to write The Three Musketeers.
Perfect for children who are gaining confidence in reading on their own, this is a well-told and dynamic biography about a man full of adventure. It also includes a nicely handled afterword about the rest of Thomas-Alexandre’s life.
Walter the Whale Shark by Katrine Crow, illustrated by Hazel Quintanilla
Honestly, I just want to write ‘adorable’ about this one and leave it there, but in case you need more, here it is. Walter the Whale Shark has been counting down the days until school – he can’t wait. But his teeth are small and everyone else’s are so big! How’s he going to fit in? (Or is he going to learn that it’s okay to stand out…?).
Featuring rich artwork from Quintanilla, this is a gorgeous and delightfully quirky celebration of the things that make us all individual.
Kiki’s Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono, translated by Emily Balistrieri
Talking of adorable, here’s the book that inspired the absolutely wonderful Kiki’s Delivery Service. It’s Kiki’s thirteenth birthday and time to follow the tradition of choosing somewhere new to live for a year. Kiki and her cat – Jiji – end up in Koriko and soon realise that their new life isn’t going to be easy. Will she ever be able to call Koriko home?
First published in 1985, this is an absolute classic. It’s funny, wise, and fiercely magical, and this is a much welcome new translation of it. (And once you and your tiny readers have read it, you can try The Worst Witch from Jill Murphy…)
Charles Darwin’s On The Origin of Species by Sabina Radeva
(Backlist bump!)
This specially adapted version of On the Origin of Species is a beautiful, beautiful affair and one to share with your young natural historians. Every inch of this book aches to be read and understood, and writer/illustrator Radeva handles it so well. This is accessible, informative, wonderful and lyrical storytelling – it’s an impressive feat.
The Girl Who Stole An Elephant by Nizrana Farook
(Backlist bump!)
This is such a lot of fun. There’s a heroine who’s also a jewel thief and the very definition of rebellious, alongside a sort-of-borrowed elephant, and a jungle-based battle for survival. If that’s not enough, then there’s revolutionaries, rogues, and leeches – amazing. Farook was born and raised in Sri Lanka and perfectly captures the sights and sounds of the rural landscape – whilst also giving us an adventure of a lifetime.
Okay, that’s all from me this week! But before I go, have you seen that we’re giving away a year of free books? All you have to do is enter here and that sounds like a pretty good deal to me…
I’ll see you in seven days! Between then and now, you can stay in touch with me via social media (let’s fangirl together over Eva Ibbotson), on my website, or over on the biweekly literary fiction podcast Novel Gazing.
Grown
A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II
The Girl from Widow Hills
