Provo Library Children's Book Blog

The Second Life of Snap By Erin Entrada Kelly New York: Greenwillow Books, 2026. Science fiction. 164 pgs. 12-year-old Zuzu Santos does not like robots. Really, she doesn't trust anything that comes from the Lockwood Corporation; the super-conglomerate that governs life for the people in Barren, Texas. Zuzu and her fellow 'dusties' live in trailers with strict water rations in Barren, meanwhile people who live across the shelterbelt in the city of Bountiful have actual trees and all the water they want. To add insult to injury, Zuzu's father has been laid off by Lockwood and as a parting gift has been given a castoff robot—sans charging cable. To make things even worse, this robot is a guardian robot, specifically programmed to ensure Zuzu is attending school, doing homework, and other things a chaperone might do. Zuzu takes the robot to a nearby salvage yard, where her friend manages to reprogram the robot. In a twist, Snap (Secure Network Android Processor) now has a ...

Even Steven Written by Carrie Finison Illustrated by Daniel Wiseman New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2026. Picture Book. Steven loves sharing. He especially loves sharing by cutting everything in half. "It's fun. It's fair. It's even." But sometimes cutting things in half isn't the best way to share, like if you're sharing a book! Help a very literal Steven learn different ways to share that may, or may not be exactly even.  This book is sure to get kids laughing as Steven tries to share absurd things. Should you give every person one slide? Should you take turns licking a lollipop? This book also starts a conversation about equity. Sometimes people don't always get the same thing, but it can still be fair. The last pages end with asking the reader how Steven could share different types of objects. This is sure to be a funny primer for teaching children about sharing and how fairness doesn't always mean equal.

Science Fair: a Story of Mystery, Danger, International Suspense, and a Very Nervous Frog By Dave Barry New York: Disney Editions, 2008. Fiction. 394 pages.  The president of Kprshtskan is plotting to infiltrate the science fair at Hubble Middle School in Maryland in order to take over the United States government, but when Toby Harbinger, an ordinary student, makes up his mind finally to win the fair, the terrorists' plans go awry. --Editor Frogkisser By Garth Nix  New York: Scholastic Press, 2017. Fiction. 372 pages.   Princess Anya has a big problem: Duke Rikard, her step-stepfather, is an evil wizard who wants to rule the kingdom and has a habit of changing people into frogs, and her older sister Morven, the heir, is a wimp--so with the help of the librarian Gotfried (who turns into an owl when he is upset), and the Royal Dogs, she must find away to defeat Rikard, save her sister, and maybe even turn Prince Denholm back into a human being. -- Editor Froggy: a Pon...

¡Ladra, George! By Jules Feiffer Glanes, Girona, Spain: EntreDos, 2021. Libro ilustrado. "Cuando su mamá le pide que ladre, George maúlla, grazna ..., pero ¡no puede ser! George es un perro. ¿Qué le pasa? Este libro interactivo es muy divertido y presenta unas ilustraciones sencillas de colores atrevidos que contribuyen a la expresividad de los personajes y al humor de las situaciones. Es un álbum ideal para hablar de las emociones. Además, los lectores gozarán con la sorpresa final." --Editor Mi perro solo habla español By Andrea Cáceres Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2023. Libro ilustrado. "Cuando Aurora llegó a los Estados Unidos, aprendió a hablar inglés, pero Nena, su spaniel, no. Por eso, cuando pasea a Nena, Aurora les explica a sus nuevos amigos que su mascota solo habla español ..." --Editor Los perritos sben mucho y crecen Escrito por Laura Gehl Ilustrado por Amy Schimler-Safford Concord, MA : Barefoot Books, 2026. Pequeño libro ilustrado. ...

Stories in the Park Dad and the Dinosaur Written by Gennifer Choldenko Illustrated by Dan Santat New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2017. Picture Book. A boy keeps a toy dinosaur in his pocket to help him be brave like his dad--but when the dinosaur goes missing, Dad knows just what to do. --Publisher Stories in the Park Crunch, the Shy Dinosaur Written by Cirocco Dunlap Illustrated by Greg Pizzoli New York: Random House, 2018. Picture Book. Advises the reader on how to interact with a very shy dinosaur. --Editor Canopy Capers and Summer Story Time The Dinosaur in the Garden By Deb Pilutti New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2024. Picture Book.  After waiting millions of years, a T Rex thinks a curious girl might just find the clues he left behind, making his story part of hers. --Publisher Canopy Capers and Summer Story Time A Delicious Story By Barney Stalzberg New York: Hippo Park, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, 2023. Picture Book. Two mice--one big and one small--have a ...

  Yasha's Amazin' Bar Mitzvah By Margaret Gurevich  New York: Penguin Workshop, 2026. Fiction. 233 pages.  Yasha, a thirteen-year-old in 1986, is about to start his final year of junior high at a new school after moving from Brighton Beach, a neighborhood in New York City, to Rockwood, a town right in the middle of New Jersey's suburbia. He isn't used to being in the minority as a Russian American boy, and the only other Russian family in town seems desperate to hide their heritage. There is a lot to figure out in his new life between learning his Torah portion for his bar mitzvah and trying to find friends that will accept him for his true self. Through it all, the Met's amazing season is a beacon of hope, bringing a community together to help Yasha feel at home.  Yasha's story will be sure to resonate with many middle grade readers trying to find their place in the world. His various friendships, both with kids his age and the senior citizen he befriends as pa...