Category: The Kids Are All Right

I adore Daniel Minter’s illustrative style (Going Down Home with Daddy, a book he illustrated, won a Caldecott Honor a couple of years ago), and this book is beautifully created with linoleum block prints. In this story, seven brothers are constantly fighting, but when their father dies, the brothers are tasked with creating gold out of seven spools of thread. If they can’t accomplish this by sundown, they will live the rest of their life as beggars. Using the Nguzo Saba, or “seven principles” of Kwanzaa, the author has created an unforgettable story that shows how family members can pull together, for their own good and the good of the entire community.

Sonia Manzano from Sesame Street writes this sweet tale about the joys of an urban Christmas. On the day before Christmas, Mami brings home a delicious roast for a Christmas feast. When they discover it’s too big to fit in their oven, Jose and Papa need to find an oven big enough to cook Mami’s roast. They visit their neighbors to find a bigger oven, bringing Christmas cheer with them along the way.

It’s December, and the houses on Isaac and Teresa’s block are getting ready for the holidays. Isaac and his family decorate their big window for Chanukah, and across the street, his best friend Teresa and her family trim their Christmas tree. When it gets dark, Teresa’s house glows red and green and Isaac’s decorative menorah glows blue and white. But when someone throws a rock through Isaac’s window late at night, the celebratory spirit is extinguished until the whole community joins together to support Isaac and his family and celebrate the true spirit of the holidays.

This sweet picture book answers the age old question: What does Santa look like? A family celebrates the Christmas season with family, representation, and holiday spirit.

There are many sides to every story, and this story is about Kristoffer and Kristtorn. They lived alone in the woods until one day, Kristoffer was found by a couple and taken away to live with them while Kristtorn was left alone. She ends up finding a home with a witch who recognized her powers and tried to protect her from the world. But Kristtorn grew up and her powers grew, and she learned that the world was afraid of her. Beautiful illustrations accompany this Christmas tale.

This is a new picture book from one of my favorite children’s authors. This one is about a little girl who is gifted a candy dish. Each day the candy dish opens and supplies her with one piece of delicious candy, but despite her attempts, she can’t force the dish to reopen and give her more. The next morning the dish opens and again gives her one piece of candy and doesn’t reopen for the day. This is a sweet story about savoring each day.

This warm and lyrical picture book is inspiring and uplifting, celebrating diverse families and the bonds of people all over the world.

This sweet middle grade follows fourth grader Austin, the perpetual new kid. Despite his best efforts, his size (he also skipped a grade) makes it hard for him to disappear. At his new school, he quickly falls in with an outgoing friend and becomes intrigued by the Safety Squad. But Austin also has trouble reading, and his many workarounds won’t help him apply to the Safety Squad. As Austin begins to find his voice, he realizes he may not be as alone as he thought.

Sharon Draper returns to the heroine of Out of My Mind in this new middle grade novel. Melody’s back, this time heading off to an accessible summer camp for kids with disabilities. Though nervous, Melody’s new adventure catapults her into new life experiences, making new friends, and developing her first crush.

I really loved Rob Harrell’s middle grade novel, Wink, so I was thrilled to discover he was working on a graphic novel. His first Batpig book, When Pigs Fly, is no disappointment. If you haven’t seen it yet, let me tell you what the dedication is: “For all the kids out there writing stories and drawing whenever you can: Keep going! I mean, look at this – it’s a whole book about a pig in a cape. If I can do it, you can too!” Basically his humor and kindness radiate in that one dedication, and this graphic novel is sweet, funny, and goofy. Check out this book!

You might remember that I recently revealed the covers to Remy Lai’s new nonfiction graphic novels. Her first graphic novel, Pawcasso, is such a wonderful one. Every Saturday, Pawcasso trots into town with a basket, a shopping list, and cash in paw to buy groceries for his family. When Jo sees him, she follows Pawcasso and gets mistaken as his owner. Excited to make new friends, Jo reluctantly hides the truth and agrees to let “her” dog model for an art class the kids attend. What could go wrong?

I love this graphic novel because it’s set in my parent’s home town of Hong Kong. In this story, Grace moves to Hong Kong with her mom and stepdad, and when she’s on a school field trip, she runs into a woman who gifts her a dragon egg. Grace discovers that the wonderful stories of dragons she heard when she was a young girl might actually be real— especially when the egg hatches overnight. This book has beautiful illustrations and is full of action, humor, and mystery.

This sweet graphic novel is about Manu and her best friend, Josefina. They live at a magical school for girls where they are up to all sorts of mischief. When a prank goes seriously wrong, Josefina wishes for Manu’s magic to disappear… and it does. But then Manu performs a dangerous spell to restore her powers, and her magic becomes uncontrollable.

Meet two adorable kittens, Woolfrik and Perigold, who decide that the best way to make money is to become professional monster slayers. The only thing is, they know nothing about monsters, especially slaying them. Then they meet a ghost named Earl Mortimore, who is the last not-so-living member of an ancient guild of warriors, and he’s going to teach them everything he knows. Do these kittens have what it takes to save the day and prove they’ve got what it takes to be heroes?

One of my favorite picture book series has a new installment. The Questioneers are perfect readalouds (I cannot recommend Ada Twist, Scientist more), and this one introduces us to Aaron, who wants badly to be a storyteller but his dyslexia makes it hard to read. This is written in dyslexia-friendly font and follows Aaron as he discovers a different way to tell his stories.

In this fun and refreshing graphic novel that combines religion with brujeria, Manu and her best friend Josefina live at a magical school with the religious sisters who take care of them. Despite Manu’s magical talent, her troublemaking ways mean she’s often in trouble. After a prank goes wrong, and Josefina wishes Manu’s magic away, Manu’s powers disappear.

In this slim, biographical book, ballerina Misty Copeland presents a roundup of Black ballerinas. This is an inspiring look at a group of women who made strides in a field dominated by white dancers (and Copeland also points out that, even now, lighter skinned Black ballerinas outnumber their darker-skinned counterparts for similar reasons).

In this fun middle grade read, Xavier Moon’s angling for an invitation to the Scepter Club, the club for boys that his father and grandfather belonged to. But with his braces and his stutter, it’s been difficult for Xavier to find his confidence. Enter his great uncle, who gifts him with quirky socks that begin to get Xavier some positive attention and help Xavier begin to seek out something of his very own that sets him apart.

I am a huge fan of Jessie Sima’s work (Not Quite Narwhal is adorable!), so I was thrilled to see Jessie’s new book come out. The story centers around this house you see on the cover. She is a little spooky, a little cobwebby, her hinges creak, and her pipes bang. She thinks she might be haunted, which is not a good thing because nice families don’t want to live in haunted houses! Is House destined to be alone forever?

Tracey Baptiste’s wonderfully scary middle grade series The Jumbies is now for the picture book crowd! Inspired by traditional Caribbean tails, most people think that jumbies exist only in stories. But Naya sets out on a nighttime adventure to find out for herself, sure that jumbies are real. Some have big mouths. Or thick fur. Or glowing skin. Or sharp teeth. Kind of like her new friends.…

This darling book by Mexican artist Flavia Z. Drago is about Gustavo, who is very good at all the ghostly things. But making friends is a whole different skill, one that he has never mastered because no one can see him! Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him and to share with them something he loves?

I love so much about Max Brallier’s hugely popular The Last Kids on Earth series. He creates fun and fantastic worlds, his characters are believable as they face very dangerous situations, and there is plenty of humor. I can see why so many readers are drawn to these stories. I actually gifted a whole set to a fifth grade class I was mentoring a couple of years ago, and I got a lot of mail from them telling me that they loved the books. This is the seventh book in the series, so if you’re new to it, start from the first one (The Last Kids on Earth) and read them all.

Charlie Hernández loves his Latin American heritage: the culture, the art, and especially the myths. His abuela has shared stories with him since he was young, and Charlie knows them all, every monster and ghoul who have spent the last five hundred years haunting the imaginations of children all across the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Central and South America. But when the myths become real, Charlie finds himself in the middle of an ancient battle between La Liga, a secret society of legendary mythological beings sworn to protect the Land of the Living, and La Mano Negra (a.k.a. the Black Hand), a cabal of evil spirits determined to rule mankind.

In this colorful and whimsical picture book, a little girl sits and listens to incredible stories from her aunties and begins to wonder what her own story may look like and discovers the endless possibilities.

In this fun, joyful picture book set in Zanzibar, Musa and Dada are headed to the beach. But the daladala, also known as a bus, continues to make stops leading them to wonder just how many people this bus can hold. As it turns out, there is always room for everyone if you make the room.

In this emotional novel, ten year old Fabio loves to ride his bike. He does so constantly, delivering bread to his neighbors and escaping into a land of his own, away from adults. Until Fabio forgets how to ride.

In this heartfelt middle grade novel, Miosotis is determined to improve her average grades if it will get her a forever dog like her Papi promises. But as she begins to focus on their deal, Miosotis begins to wonder about her family, including hurtful comments from her abuela, and her older sister’s relationship with her fiancé which may not be as romantic, or as safe, as everyone believes.

This middle grade adventure is cowritten with Supergirl actress Melissa Benoist and her sister, Jessica Benoist and is about twin sisters who can’t connect with each other. When they’re whisked away to Haven and learn of their legacy, the two are drawn even further apart as one of them easily finds her footing in their new home and the other only wants to go back. But if the girls can’t come together, they risk losing everything they love.

I adore this book by brothers Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey. Their debut picture book, The Old Truck, was one of my favorite picture books of 2020. The illustrations, created with hundreds of hand carved stamps, are the inspiration for a gorgeous new collection of kids bedding and decor for West Elm. In The Old Boat, a young boy and his boat set off on adventures, but as he gets older he sees more and more trash and pollution in the ocean and the man and his old boat find a new purpose.

This wonderful book follows one of the most powerful pirates in history: a woman who was born into poverty in Guangzhou, China, in the late 1700s. When pirates attacked her town, Zheng Yi Sao agreed to marry the captain if she got an equal share of his business. He agreed, and she took command of his fleet when he died six years later. Over the next decade, the pirate queen built a fleet of over 1,800 ships and 70,000 men. I thought this book was fascinating!

This gorgeous book won the Caldecott Medal, and I love everything about this story. The story of a lighthouse keeper and his family is one that is sure to enchant all readers. We watch the seasons pass and supplies come in and icebergs float by. We observe them living in all types of weather. The end is filled with two pages of information about the research for the book. This book is a true treasure!

This book is a feast for the eyes and filled with so many wonderful and beautiful details. The story begins with Hope, a young girl who loves her father’s stories about his voyages at sea. When her father sets off on his 19th-century merchant vessel, Hope can’t help but get on board as a stowaway and faces the truth about the ocean: it is both irresistible AND terrifying!

This gorgeous compilation of poems from the great Langston Hughes is paired with stunning cut-paper collage illustrations by Ashley Bryan. I loved reading more of Hughes’s poems inspired by the sea, and there is no better illustrator to accompany those poems than Mr. Bryan, who has lived more than half his life on a small island in Maine. (I’ve visited him there!) This book is a treasure!

In this funny picture book, unicorn Bubble 07 heads to Earth to decide if his team of unicorns should move forward with their plan to invade Earth. Posing as a stuffed animal, he infiltrates the home of Earthling Daughter and has to put up with all manner of annoyances. He eventually has to decide if he can keep to his mission or if he’ll be overcome by Earthling Daughter’s kindness and love.

In this twisty thriller, Katrina and her family have been in the Witness Protection Program for as long as she can remember, which is only as far back as ten. Katrina’s adopted multiple names and multiple backstories to preserve their secret, until their location is revealed and her parents go missing.

This is the first LGBTQ anthology for middle grade readers and features stories from Justina Ireland, Mark Oshiro, Claribel Ortega, and more.

In this middle grade novel, Mari’s excited to spend the summer at her family’s Style High for teenagers who love fashion. But when she gets there, Mari realizes that she doesn’t fit in with everyone else, like her best friend Justice who didn’t want any special treatment in getting in. But Mari did get special treatment, and as the summer goes on, she begins to realize some difficult truths about herself and her family.

This book dives into the history of pre-colonial Africa. It explores the history of the continent through ten not often discussed figures who will prove fascinating and admirable to young readers.

Jenny Mei is sad, and her best friend watches Jenny as she makes people laugh and shares her orange and gives compliments. When Jenny is sad and having a bad day, her friend knows that she needs to wait and be a good listener so they can kick a rock together and buy popsicles to share. Sometimes, when a friend is sad, the best thing to do is to be there “for fun and not-fun and everything in between.”

Harpreet Singh likes to match his patkas to his mood: red when he needs courage, yellow when he feels sunny, and pink when there’s something to celebrate. But when Harpreet and his family move across the country, he only wears white patkas, a sign that he felt shy, and doesn’t want to be seen. Will Harpreet be able to adjust his new life, make new friends, and start wearing his colorful patkas again?

Every month, Milo gets on the subway with his big sister. He always has a notebook in hand, and he likes to imagine and draw what the lives of his fellow passenger riders are like. He imagines that the man doing a crossword is going home to his mewing cats and burrowing rats. He imagines a boy in a suit with brand new sneakers lives in a castle with a butler, two maids, and a gourmet chef. But when Milo finds the boy getting off at the same stop he is getting off of, and heading to the same place he’s heading to, Milo reimagines all the pictures he made on the train.

Charlie loves her grandma and they spend all of their time together, but when Charlie’s family moves out of the city, she sees Grandma less and less. Her grandma tells her that when Charlie misses her, to look at the moon and Grandma will do the same. But when Grandma passes away, Charlie is too sad to do anything, until the spring concert when she sees a sign that Grandma is always with her.

In this funny picture book, Marcy Su can’t help but make a mess— it’s just how she rolls. But when her mom asks her to make her proud by cleaning up the mess, Marcy Su goes into action. She does the laundry and vacuums and takes a bath, but while her room is getting clean, the rest of the house is only getting messier as Marcy knocks down flower vases and leaves the bathtub water running in her haste to clean up her space.

Twelve year old Wren is is a makeup artist struggling with her best friend and her parent’s divorce. A move to a new town seems like the perfect chance for starting over, especially as the makeup artist on a new production. But Wren worries about her mom, who’s sleeping a lot and snapping at her, and soon Wren learns there’s something going on that can’t be concealed with makeup.

Though eleven year old Zach knows he’s too old now for his imaginary friend, Shovel, their friendship is only growing stronger. And now that he’s in middle school Zach needs Shovel more than ever. But Shovel, the narrator of the story, wonders if he’s really helping Zach cope or if he’s pushing real life friends away.

In this imaginative sci-fi novel, Petra’s longed to be a storyteller like her grandmother. But now the world is ending. Earth’s been destroyed by a comet, and Petra and her family have been chosen to move to a new planet. But when Petra awakens on the ship, she realizes she’s the only one who remembers Earth. A dangerous group aboard the ship is purging people’s memories, and Petra’s the only one with the stories of their past.

In the land of Illyria, where boys have the chance to become powerful sorcerers to fend off the Dread, girls like Marya are little more than an afterthought. But after Marya makes a mistake, she’s funneled off to Dragomir Academy, full of other girls like her. As they train to work in service of one of the sorcerers, Marya and the others learn secrets about Illyria’s magic that threaten to upend life as they know it in Illyria.