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Hi Kid Lit Friends!

I’m writing this from rainy North Carolina where I’m here for a children’s book festival. It’s always hard to find time to read when I’m traveling, but I did get to finish one book on the plane coming here. It was a middle grade book that came out last week called One Speck of Truth by Caela Carter (author of the middle grade book, Forever, Or a Long, Long Time). It’s a story of questions and imperfect parents and adoption. Part of the book is set in Lisbon, Portugal, which I loved! We need more children’s books set outside of the United States, don’t you think?

As always, if I’ve had the chance to read one of these books and loved it, I marked it with a . Please note that all descriptions come from the publisher.

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Sponsored by Walker Books US.

Cookie has woken up on the wrong side of the bed and is very angry. You want to know why? Well, you’d have to keep reading to find out.You might hear about a certain roommate’s terrible musical skills, why you should never let your barber try out a “new look,” how it’s impossible to find a hat that fits a cookie, and why an ice-cream parlor that’s out of your favorite treat can be a source of desolation. Then there’s the matter of a hungry bird who tries to snack on you. . . . Propelled by quirky humor and woes that every young child can relate to, Angry Cookie suggests that sometimes the best way to cheer up a grumpy lump is simply by being there — and lending your ears.

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Board Books

 Little Plane by Taro Gomi

Little Plane is learning to fly! When you’re small and on the go, there’s a lot to watch out for: tall trees, muddy hills, and more! With wings aloft, Little Plane keeps flying, weathering the bumps along the way with his initiative, confidence, and positive attitude.

Picture Books

 Charlotte the Scientist Finds a Cure by Camille Andros, illustrated by Brianne Farley

The animals of the forest are all getting sick and no one can figure out why. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and help her friends and family, Charlotte dives into some serious medical science. But when the doctors and other scientists don’t take her work seriously, she sets out to find a cure on her own, determined to show that she can make a difference. This empowering story about a smart, confident bunny encourages girls to be persistent and believe in themselves.

 Born to Ride: A Story About Bicycle Face by Larissa Theule, illustrated by Kelsey Garrity-Riley

Louise Belinda Bellflower lives in Rochester, New York, in 1896. She spends her days playing with her brother, Joe. But Joe gets to ride a bicycle, and Louise Belinda doesn’t. In fact, Joe issues a solemn warning: If girls ride bikes, their faces will get so scrunched up, eyes bulging from the effort of balancing, that they’ll get stuck that way FOREVER! Louise Belinda is appalled by this nonsense, so she strikes out to discover the truth about this so-called “bicycle face.” Set against the backdrop of the women’s suffrage movement, Born to Ride is the story of one girl’s courageous quest to prove that she can do everything the boys can do, while capturing the universal freedom and accomplishment children experience when riding a bike.

Catch Me: A Seek-and-Find Book by Anders Arhoj

Cats and dogs rule—and wreak humorous havoc—in this innovative picture book that reads from front to back and back to front! In this action-packed follow-up to Find Me: A Hide-and-Seek Book, readers will delight in tracking a sly cat, Big Meow, and an elusive dog, Little Woof, through 11 richly detailed scenes populated with dogs, cats, and other cute creatures. Finding each protagonist is made even more fun with vibrant color changes on every page. Open the book from the front to search for Big Meow, then open the book from the back to turn the tables and catch Little Woof. It’s two seek-and-find experiences in one book!

Marigold Finds the Magic Words by Mike Malbrough

Marigold is throwing himself the most amazing birthday party ever! He’s baked himself an enormous birthday cake and planned everything well in advance. Everyone is ready for something extraordinary. Something…magical! But when Marigold tries to make a bouquet of flowers disappear, a pesky finch appears in its place. That’s not right at all! At every turn, Marigold’s magic trick gets derailed until the distractions are too much to bear, and Marigold launches into a full-on feline frenzy, making everything–and everyone–disappear. What magic words can save the day?

 You Are New by Lucy Knisley

A world of being new is waiting for little ones and the grown-ups who love them in this warm and funny book perfect for baby showers. From napping to crying, cuddling to playing, this book introduces the world with humor, honesty, and unmitigated sweetness. Lucy Knisley celebrates the joys of having—and being!—a baby in this timeless celebration of new beginnings and the transformative power of love.

 My Funny Bunny by Christine Roussey

When a boy receives a gift box from his uncle on his sixth birthday, he’s sure he knows what’s inside—the perfect adorable dwarf rabbit of his dreams! The box does indeed contain a bunny . . . but it looks like a potato, with wiry whiskers and blobs of yucky fur—most definitely not perfect or adorable. The boy is a blur of sadness, fury, and disappointment, until the bunny finds ways to comfort him. Maybe this funny bunny isn’t so bad after all? This sweet story teaches children a valuable lesson about why it’s important to give pets (and people!) a chance . . . even if they seem quite imperfect at first.

 The Unbudgeable Curmudgeon by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Fiona Woodcock

Have you ever seen a curmudgeon that looks like your brother, but is in such a bad mood you hardly recognize him? You can try all the peanut butter sandwiches and brownies you have, but he is not moving. Nothing works, especially nudging, and he just makes you so grumpy that eventually you have no choice but to fight back–and then… Have you ever become a curmudgeon that just won’t budge?

 

Middle Grade Books

Mostly the Honest Truth by Jody J. Little

After Pop is sent back to rehab, Jane Pengilly arrives at her newest foster home determined to stick to the straight and narrow and get back to her beloved dad as soon as she can. It’s not the first time they’ve been apart, but Jane’s determined it will be the last. Twelve days out in the boonies of Three Boulders makes Jane miss Pop more than ever. But as the days go by, she realizes that family is more than who you’re related to—and that a home can be found in the unlikeliest of places.

Little Apocalypse by Katherine Sparrow

When a sudden earthquake strands Celia’s parents out of town, she finds herself on her own in a shaken city. She tries to reach out to other kids around her apartment building. Some of them, like the sad boy named Demetri, seem wary of letting her too close. The others call themselves Hunters. They claim the earthquake was caused by monsters only kids can see. And they think Celia is destined to save the city. Celia doesn’t feel destined to save anything—but for the first time, she feels like maybe she’s seeing things as they really are….

 A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramee

Twelve-year-old Shayla is allergic to trouble. All she wants to do is to follow the rules. But in junior high, it’s like all the rules have changed. Now she’s suddenly questioning who her best friends are and some people at school are saying she’s not black enough. Shay’s sister, Hana, is involved in Black Lives Matter, but Shay doesn’t think that’s for her. After experiencing a powerful protest, though, Shay decides some rules are worth breaking. She starts wearing an armband to school in support of the Black Lives movement. Soon everyone is taking sides. And she is given an ultimatum.

Samantha Spinner and the Spectacular Specs by Russell Ginns

When Samantha Spinner’s uncle Paul disappeared, he left presents for his nieces and nephew. Samantha’s sister, Buffy, got $2,400,000,000. Her brother, Nipper, got the New York Yankees. Samantha got . . . a rusty old umbrella. Well, it seemed unfair–until Samantha discovered that the old umbrella holds the plans for a super-secret network of transit systems that covers the globe. It’s the ticket to danger and adventure beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.

Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince by Liz Kessler

Traveling home by cruise ship should be a relaxing break after Emily’s latest adventure, but things take a turn when the ship is overtaken by a pirate king and his crew. After the pirates collect everyone’s riches, they steal something even more valuable: Aaron. The pirate king’s eldest son takes Aaron captive, forcing him to help guide the pirates to the mythical Trident’s Treasure. So Emily dives into action and joins the younger son’s crew in hopes of saving Aaron.

 

Graphic Novels

Lucy Speak Out! by Charles M. Schulz

In this delightful collection of classic Peanuts comics for younger readers, Lucy rallies her friends to speak out for equal rights for women. Between social causes and dropping fly balls in the outfield, Lucy decides to write a biography of Beethoven, much to Schroeder’s dismay. Meanwhile, life in the Peanuts gang is as hilarious as always: Woodstock takes up farming, Peppermint Patty struggles to make the grade, and Charlie Brown’s rotten luck lands him in the hospital.

 

Nonfiction

 A Computer Called Katherine by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Veronica Miller Johnson

Katherine knew it was wrong that African Americans didn’t have the same rights as others–as wrong as 5+5=12. She knew it was wrong that people thought women could only be teachers or nurses–as wrong as 10-5=3. And she proved everyone wrong by zooming ahead of her classmates, starting college at fifteen, and eventually joining NASA, where her calculations helped pioneer America’s first manned flight into space, its first manned orbit of Earth, and the world’s first trip to the moon!

Dreaming in Code: Ada Byron Lovelace, Computer Pioneer by Emily Arnold McCully

Even by 1800s standards, Ada Byron Lovelace had an unusual upbringing. Her strict mother worked hard at cultivating her own role as the long-suffering ex-wife of bad-boy poet Lord Byron while raising Ada in isolation. Tutored by the brightest minds, Ada developed a hunger for mental puzzles, mathematical conundrums, and scientific discovery that kept pace with the breathtaking advances of the industrial and social revolutions taking place in Europe. At seventeen, Ada met eccentric inventor Charles Babbage, a kindred spirit. Their ensuing collaborations resulted in ideas and concepts that presaged computer programming by almost two hundred years, and Ada Lovelace is now recognized as a pioneer and prophet of the information age

 Gloria Takes a Stand by Jessica M. Rinker, illustrated by Daria Peoples-Riley

As a young girl, Gloria Steinem thought for herself and spoke her mind. She read many books by her favorite authors and imagined herself as the heroine of the story. But Gloria grew up during a time when women were not encouraged, or even allowed, to do a lot of the things men could do: go to college, get a job, open a bank account, and more. There were restrictions that made it impossible for women to be independent or equal to men. So, Gloria set out to change that . . .

 

I would love to know what you are reading this week! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at karina@bookriot.com.

Until next time!
Karina

Instead of one of my critters, I thought I would show a picture of a different creature… this one I found guarding the book return slot at Monroe Elementary School’s library in Hinsdale, IL. The speech bubble says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, your books won’t get returned. They will not.”

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