Kid’s books are so much fun! I could sit all day and look at the new picture books that are coming into the library – the fun stories, the amazing illustrations, and the feel of those new shiny pages… Just as rewarding is the selection of wonderful stories out there for the middle-school crowd. Here’s just a sampling of some of the stuff that has come in that I’ve shared with my own kids!
The crayons have had enough! They each have their own complaint (Beige is sick of being called tan, Black wants to be used for more than outlining, and Orange and Yellow are fighting about which one is the rightful color of the sun) which is written (in crayon of course!) on pieces of paper that have been placed in Duncan’s crayon box. Now he has to appease them all so he can get some coloring done! A funny book with wonderful illustrations.
Title: The Day the Crayons Quit
Author: Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
Genre: Fiction, Children’s
Pages: 40
Publication: Philomel, June 2013
It’s bedtime in Burrow Down and the rabbit Eliza Brown, along with all of the other woodland creatures, is settling in to read a bedtime story. But there’s a book thief on the loose and books keep disappearing. When Eliza decides to stay up late and catch the crook she finds that it is the tiny Snatchabook, just lonely and wanting someone to read her a story. The wonderful rhyming cadence of the story, combined with the gorgeous illustrations makes this a great book to share with kids of all ages.
Title: Snatchabook
Author: Helen & Thomas Docherty
Genre: Fiction, Children’s
Pages: 32
Publication: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, October 2013
The latest from creative genius Neil Gaiman falls somewhere between a picture book and a chapter book. There are no chapters, and in spite of its page count, it is a quick read, with fantastical illustrations on nearly every page. Mom is out of town, and Dad is a little scatter-brained. When the kids go to eat their cereal for breakfast and find they are out of milk, Dad heads to the store. When he returns with the milk after a long absence his explanation is a wild tale filled with aliens, dinosaurs, pirates, volcano gods, time travel, and more. Is this just a big made-up excuse? Or could he be telling the truth?? Completely silly, but laugh-out-loud funny with hilarious illustrations that make the trip all the more enjoyable!
Title: Fortunately, the Milk
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fiction, Children’s
Pages: 128
Publication: Harper Collins, September 2013
Moses LeBeau is a feisty sixth grader living in a small town in North Carolina. She was found washed down the river as a baby and she has been on a search for her “upstream mother” for years. In the meantime, she has made a home with the Colonel, the owner of a café who has forgotten his own past, and Miss Lana, the outrageous café hostess. When a murderer comes to their small town, followed by a suspicious lawman, Mo will join forces with her best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III, to solve the mystery and save those that she loves. A quirky tale of a southern small town with a lot of humor and a lot of heart.
Title: Three Times Lucky
Author: Sheila Turnage
Genre: Fiction, Children’s
Pages: 256
Publication: Dial, May 2012
Jackson Opus is just an ordinary kid who seems to get people to do what he wants… or is he? The descendant from two of the most powerful families of hypnotists, Jackson is excited when he learns about his power and joins the Sentia Institute to hone his skills. But when he is forced to use his power in unethical ways, Jackson will have to find a way to do the right thing and save his family at the same time. The first in a series, with a cliffhanger of an ending, the story was fast-paced and interesting, although not as humorous as some of Korman’s other books.
Title: The Hypnotists
Author: Gordon Korman
Genre: Fiction, Children’s
Pages: 256
Publication: Scholastic, July 2013
Watching the Words 