Provo Library Children's Book Blog

The Nest by Kenneth Oppel illustrated by Jon Klassen Simon & Schuster, 2015. Fiction. 244 p Steve is worried about his new baby brother.  He was born with congenital defects and is not doing well. Steve has other emotional challenges as well, and deals with a lot of anxiety.  One night he has a dream that some creatures--he thinks of them as angels--come to him and promise him that they can "fix" his baby brother. The dream recurs and after a while, Steve realizes that the creatures are actually the wasps who are building a large nest outside his home. The wasps promise just what Steve has been hoping for, but are they as friendly as they seem? Oppel has created a chilling tale that poses complex moral and ethical questions. Would we, as a society, be willing to trade a potentially disabled children for the chance of having a physically perfect ones?  How eager would we be to correct our own physical imperfections, if given the chance, and how would t...

Nightmares! By Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller Delacorte Books, 2014. Fiction Charlie knows his stepmother is a witch and it is not only because they had to move into her spooky purple mansion; he is certain something is just not right with her. Even though no one believes him, he becomes more convinced when his little brother is mysteriously kidnapped and Charlie must enter the Nightmare World to try to save him. Charlie and his friends have to conquer their own fears and ally themselves with unusual creatures that fill children’s nightmares if they want to escape and return home. A spooky middle school read with a mixture of humor and adventure. Highly recommend listening to the book which is narrated by the author Jason Segel who is a professional actor. It is available for download on Overdrive.

Icefall By Matthew J. Kirby Princess Solveig and her siblings are trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen fjord, along with her best friend and an army of restless soldiers, all awaiting news of the king's victory in battle, but as they wait for winter's end and the all-encompassing ice to break, acts of treachery make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. All Hail the Queen  By Erika David Adventurous Anna and snow magic-wielding Elsa explore the mountains, fjords and palace of their kingdom while getting to know each other as sisters. Now that the castle gates are open, Anna and Elsa are thrilled to be finally getting to know their kingdom. Anna bubbles with enthusiasm for all the things to do and the people to meet in Arendelle, and Elsa loves using her magic to help the town. But ruling a kingdom can be tiring-- and more than anything, the sisters want to spend time together! Icebreaker By Lian Tanner Petrel, an outca...

Frozen Wild: How Animals Survive in the Coldest Places on Earth By Jim Arnosky Describes how some animals survive in frigid regions, including muskrats, walruses, and the Arctic fox. Brrr!: A Book about Polar Animals By Melvin Berger Simple text and photographs present the physical characteristics, behavior, and habitat of a variety of animals living near the North and South Poles, including humpback whales, seals, polar bears, and penguins. Polar Animals: In Search of Polar Bears, Penguins, Whales and Seals By Steve Bloom Join photographer Steve Bloom's expedition to photograph polar animals in the Arctic and Antarctic. Baby Animals of the Frozen Tundra By Carmen Bredeson Up-close photos and information about baby animals of the tundra biome. Polar Animals By Wade Cooper We can leap and dive. We can swim and slide. Who Lives Here? Polar Animals By Deborah Hodge Introduces animals that are built for living in the extreme cold of the polar regions, including the arctic fox, empe...

A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens A miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future. Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree By Robert E. Barry When Mr. Willowby's Christmas tree is so tall that he has to cut the top off, he unwittingly provides trees for various people and animals. Frosty the Snow Man By Steve Nelson An illustrated version of the song in which a snowman comes to life and plays with the children who built him. Snowmen at Night By Caralyn Buehner Snowmen play games at night when no one is watching. Where Teddy Bears Come From By Mark Burgess When Little Wolf cannot fall asleep, he decides that he needs a teddy bear and goes into the woods to see if he can find out where to get one. Bear Stays Up for Christmas By Karma Wilson Bear's friends awaken him the day before Christmas and help him to stay awake as they bake fruitcakes, fill stockings, and sing carols; then, while they sleep, he prepares his ...

Lost in the Sun By Lisa Graff Philomel Books, 2015. 289 p. Fiction Trent Zimmerman is in very difficult place emotionally.  He is traumatized by his parent's divorce, but also by an accident that occurred in the recent past in which his friend died. His trauma makes him full of fear, which easily turns into an explosive rage when he is put into an uncomfortable situation.  Luckily, he meets a girl, Fallon, whose buoyant personality and sunny outlook lets him temporarily escape from his fear and hate filled environment.  Fallon is not without trauma in her own past, and when she witnesses one of Trent's violent explosions it triggers her own unpleasant memories and threatens their friendship.  Trent knows he has to find a way to win back her trust, and that search leads him to a better emotional place of his own. Not many books explore the sources of childhood violence.  Graff does an excellent job of showing how a kid can be completely sympath...

Frankie Liked To Sing By John Seven Illustrated By Jana Christy Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2015. Biography. Frankie liked to sing. In fact he liked to sing so much he went looking for audiences to sing to—at his mother’s parties, his father’s bar, and local dances. He didn’t always have the audience he wanted; when he was younger he was picked on for the fancy clothes his mother made him wear. But he didn’t let that stop him. One day he saw his favorite singer, Bing Crosby, perform live and told himself that one day, he would be on stage. When he had sung to everyone there was to sing to in Hoboken, New Jersey, he headed to New York City to make his dream come true. He found a spot on the radio and from there his singing career took off. Released in celebration of Frank Sinatra’s Centennial birthday this month, this very kid friendly picture book biography, with no mention of his adult personal life, will introduce children to this iconic singer.

The Magical Snow Garden By Tracey Corderoy After seeing a picture of a flower garden, Wellington is determined to grow a garden even though he lives in a cold, snowy area. Charlie’s Snow Day By Ree Drummond When Charlie wakes up to a world covered in snow, he can't wait to get outside and see what's going on around the ranch. Bear & Hare: Snow! By Emily Gravett Friends Bear and Hare go out and play in the snow. Into the Snow By Yuki Kaneko Into the Snow is an exuberant story told in the child's own voice. Celebrating immediacy and exploration, along with the tender bond between mother and child, this is a story that feels good, the way all real things do. First Snow By Peter McCarty When Pedro comes from far away to visit his cousins, who are eager to introduce him to snow, all Pedro can think about at first is how much he dislikes cold. Mike and the Snow Dragon By Daphne Prendergrass Mike the Knight wants to play in the snow, but his dragon fri...

The Sister Solution by Trudi Trueit Aladdin, 2015. Fiction. 240p. Sammi’s little sister, Jorgianna, has always been the brilliant one, winning competitions and awards and getting all the attention. Sammi doesn’t mind so much since she has her own 8th grade life to live. But when Jorgianna’s teachers decide it’s time for her to skip two whole grades, making her Sammi’s new classmate, Sammi feels like her world is ending. Embarrassed by her sister’s outrageous fashion sense and jealous of her immediate entry into the popular clique that Sammi herself has been trying to join for months, Sammi makes Jorgianna agree to a contract that they will have absolutely zero contact at school. On the other side of things, Jorgianna wishes she had her sister’s beauty, grace, and social skills. She wishes Sammi could be proud of her achievements and would love her help adjusting to 8th grade, but with Sammi’s new hostile attitude, Jorgianna decides to go it alone. Will these two sisters ever d...

Listen Slowly by Thanhha Lai Harper, 2015. 260p. Fiction Mai is a Vietnamese American pre-teen who has been raised in California.  One summer she is sent with her Grandmother to Vietnam to help her Grandmother find out more about her husband, Mai's grandfather, who was lost during the Vietnam War.  Mai is not at all thrilled to be away from her friends, the beach, and a certain boy, for the summer, but the longer she stays in Vietnam, the more Mai comes to accept and even enjoy her cultural heritage. Ms Lai has given Mai a very authentic voice, complete with eye rolls, and attitude, but also a deep kindness and love for her family.  The relationship between Mai and her grandmother is very sweet, even though Mai doesn't speak much Vietnamese, and her grandmother doesn't speak English.  The best thing about the book is the detail about life in Vietnam.  By the time they finish the book, readers will feel like they spent a week in a small Vietnamese vi...

Sid Fleischman (1920-2010) An award winning American author of children's books known for their humor, imagery, zesty plotting, and exploration of the byways of American history. Bandit’s Moon Twelve-year-old Annyrose relates her adventures with Joaquin Murieta and his band of outlaws in the California gold-mining region during the mid-1800s. By the Great Horn Spoon! Jack and the butler stow away on a side-wheeler bound for California where they join the Gold Rush of 1849. Disappearing Act After their archaeologist mother fails to return from Mexico and they discover that someone is stalking their Albuquerque house, twelve-year-old Kevin and his opera-singing older sister flee to Venice, California, where they hope that new identities will keep them safe. Escape: The Story of the Great Houdini A biography of the magician, ghost chaser, aviator, and king of escape artists whose amazing feats are remembered long after his death in 1926. Profiling his early years, ...

The Best Parts of Christmas By Bethanie Deeney Murguia Candlewick Press, 2015. Picture Book Fritz loved the live Christmas tree he picked out for his family. He had the important job of decorating it when they brought it home. His mother reminded him to spread out the ornaments to cover the entire tree but Fritz knew the ornaments wanted to be closer to their friends. When he was done he realized that with the ornaments so close together that the tree looked rather bare and came up with an idea to finish decorating the rest of the tree. When he was done he loved it so much that he did everything by the tree—read, played, etc. But when Christmas had come and gone and it was time to remove the tree, Fritz was sad to let the tree go…until he came up with another great idea! The simple magic of Christmas is brought to life in this picture book that preschoolers will enjoy having read to them.

Is It Hanukkah Yet? By Chris Barash Illustrated by Alessandra Psacharopulo Albert Whitman & Company, 2015. Picture Book. In rhyming text, Is it Hanukkah Yet? shows a multigenerational family preparing for the festival lights as they decorate their home, bake festive goodies, play games and sing familiar songs. The soft color illustrations bring across a warm, homey feel that sets the tone of happy memories being made by the family during the holiday season. An enjoyable read-aloud to share.

The Only Child By Guojing Schwartz & Wade Books, 2015. Graphic Novel. This critically acclaimed debut from Guojing is a wordless graphic novel that is simply wonderful and moving. After getting lost, a nameless little girl follows a stag on a fantastic adventure as she tries to find her way to her grandma’s house. As she meets new friends and challenges in the clouds, the reader feels and relates to the emotions that the little girl is experiencing. With gorgeous and expressive charcoal grey illustrations that span the 100-page book, this story quietly captivates the reader. Its wordless format will assure that it will quickly become a favorite for all ages, from young children to adults. The Only Child is definitely a stand-out among other books of its kind.

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt Penguin Group, 2015. 276 p. Fiction Everyone thinks Ally is just dumb, even Ally. The other kids seem to be able to read so easily, but it has never been easy for Ally. She lives in constant terror that someone will ask her to read or write in class, so she keeps a store of tricks she can use to get out of reading, most of which land her in the principal's office.  All of that changes when her teacher goes on maternity leave, and a new teacher takes her place. Mr. Daniels quickly figures out that Ally is not dumb at all. He tries to find out why she has been labeled a "problem" student, but he has to proceed carefully. She has been traumatized by so many other teachers that she is easily discouraged.  It takes the concerted effort of Mr. Daniels, and Ally's two new misfit friends, Albert and Keisha, to convince Ally just how smart, and strong, she really is. This is a wonderful, feel-good, story. Hunt motivates ...