Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Royal Wedding Disaster (From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess #2) By Meg Cabot Feiwel and Friends, 2016. Fiction. 282 p. Olivia's half sister, Princess Mia of Genovia, is getting married, and Olivia is excited and anxious about the wedding. She is also a new student at the Genovian Royal Academy, where she runs amuck of her spiteful cousin, Louisa. Olivia knows that a true princess is gracious and patient with everyone, but a new school, a sister's wedding, and her first crush, (on a real prince, no less) would unsettle anyone. And then there are the iguanas. Can Olivia hold it together, or is she on course for a real royal disaster? This is the second in a darling new series by Meg Cabot that is age appropriate for middle grade readers.  Fans don't have to read the Princess Diaries Series (which really is more appropriate for teens) to appreciate Olivia's humorous dramas and traumas as she learns that being a princess means more than just wearing a ...

I Spy Pets By Edward Gibbs Templar, 2013. Picture book. Who has silky feathers and likes to eat seeds? Look through the holes and see if you can guess which pet is on the other side. This is a great book for toddlers and preschoolers that not only teaches pet names but talks about what they like to eat and whether they have fur, scales, or feathers. The eye-catching illustration of each animal is drawn extra-large with bright colors and great textural details. The perfect guessing game for little ones. Check out I Spy under the Sea and I Spy on the Farm by the same author.

Nobody Likes a Goblin  By Ben Hatke :01 First Second, 2016. Goblin lives in a dungeon along with his best friend Skeleton (who used to be a warrior). They have all sorts of fun together. But one day some adventurers come and storm the dungeon and take away everything including Skeleton! Goblin is sad and distraught. He is determined to go and find Skeleton and bring him back. Only when he asks his one neighbor (a troll) if he saw where they went, Troll warns Goblin that “Nobody likes a goblin.” As Goblin goes on his adventures, sure enough he finds that most others that he comes across are more intent upon chasing him away than to help him find Skeleton. But after a lot of luck and a little bit of determination all comes together in the end. This is a lovely picture book with gorgeous illustrations (though what else can we expect, it is a Ben Hatke book after all)! Kiddos who aren’t afraid of monsters will enjoy this tale. Plus it is a good story for showing that determin...

Gorillas in Our Midst By Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones Coloring by Tara Black Sky Pony Press, 2015. Picture Book. You may not have noticed —not many have —that there are gorillas in our midst. Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones have created a simplistic documentary, raising awareness about the apes that surround us everyday. Two things to remember: Gorillas always take the bus, and you should always carry a banana. 

Mystery on Skull Island  By Elizabeth McDavid Jones In 1724, twelve-year-old Rachel and her friend Sally discover a pirates' hiding place on a deserted island near Charles Town, South Carolina, and they suspect it may be connected to the woman who will soon become Rachel's stepmother. Treasure Island By Robert Louis Stevenson While going through the possessions of a deceased guest who owed them money, the mistress of the inn and her son find a treasure map that leads to a pirate fortune as well as great danger. Peter Pan  By J. M. Barrie The adventures of the three Darling children in Never-Never Land with Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up. "All children, except one, grow up." And so begins the story of one of the most beloved characters in children's literature, Peter Pan. J.M. Barrie's classic tale, completely unabridged, features a boy who refuses to grow up, Tinker Bell the fairy, and the Darling children -- Wendy, John, and Michael. T...

Ride, Fly Guy, Ride! By Tedd Arnold While riding in the car with Buzz and his father, Fly Guy gets blown out of the window and finds himself riding in a truck, then a boat, a train, an airplane, and maybe even a rocket.  Cork and Fuzz: The Collectors By Dori Chaconas When best friends Cork and Fuzz go to the pond to collect shiny stones, they happen upon a duck's nest just as the eggs are hatching and Fuzz, who is wearing a feather from his collection, is collected by the mother duck. Snail and Worm: Three Stories About Two Friends By Tina Kugler Snail and Worm are best friends who support each other during a silly game of tag, through Snail's adventure up a flower stalk, and when Worm's pet goes missing. Ling and Ting: Twice As Silly By Grace Lin Identical twins Ling and Ting like to be silly, tell jokes, and laugh together. Murilla Gorilla and the Hammock Problem By Jennifer Lloyd When Okapi discovers a hole in his hammock, Detective Murilla Gorilla mu...

Inspector Flytrap By Tom Angleberger Illustrated by Cece Bell Amulet Books, 2016. Intermediate. 96 p. Inspector Flytrap is, you guessed it, a Venus flytrap.  He lives in a pot and has a goat assistant, Nina, who pushes him around on a skateboard.  He is always looking for "Big Deal" cases to solve, but every time he solves a case he makes more enemies than satisfied customers. Each chapter is its own mini-case but Angleberger ties them all together cleverly in last few pages.  Bell's funny two-tone illustrations enliven every page.  This is a very silly and slightly snarky new intermediate reader perfect for children who are just transitioning into chapter books.

Welcome to Headquarters Written By Apple Jordan Random House, 2015. Easy Reader. Meet Riley’s emotions in an Easy Reader book based on the movie Inside Out . There is Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Sadness all living inside Riley’s head. They make sure that Riley is kept safe and happy. Her imaginary friend lives there too! A great Easy Reader for kids to be introduced to the characters from the movie. The bright illustrations and easy text entertain Easy Reader level readers.

  Mamasaurus By Stephan Lomp Chronicle Books, 2016. Picture book. Babysaurus is enjoying eating leaves with his Mamasaurus when he slips off her giant back into the trees and becomes lost. So Babysaurus sets off to ask the other dinosaurs if they have seen her. Tritopa asks if she has a long horn like her own mama, Ptero asks if she has wings, and Rexy asks if she has sharp teeth. But none of them have seen her. Where is Mamasaurus? The theme is familiar, reminiscent of P.D. Eastman’s “ Are You My Mother? ” but this fresh take, complete with adorable dinosaurs, is sure to gain fans. The simple text and memorable story beg for repeat readings. The vibrantly colored dinos pop against the black backgrounds and there are plenty of Mamasaurus snuggles to go around.

Bring Me a Rock!  By Daniel Miyares Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016. There is a grasshopper that wears a crown. And he calles to his subjects “Bring me a rock!” The other various bugs and insects carry rocks (many that are the same size as the bugs if not bigger) over to the grasshopper. One smallish bug brings a smallish rock—the poor bug can only carry so much. However, the grasshopper is not pleased. He dismisses the small bug (and the small rock) by saying “I need big rocks, not puny pebbles! Be gone, little bug!” The small bug walks off disheartened. The other bugs that are bringing rocks notice and are a little disgruntled, but they continue to bring the rocks to the grasshopper. Soon the grasshopper is sitting on his tall throne of rocks (think Yurtle the Turtle). Of course, even the contribution of the small pebble is needed in the end. This newest edition of Miyares books (he also wrote Float and Pardon Me! ) is sure to get kids thinking—especia...

Giddy-Up Buckaroos!  Written by Shanda Trent Illustrated by Tom Knight Tiger Tales, 2016. Picture Book. Two siblings, donning cowboy and cowgirl outfits, imagine they are living in the Old West and get into mischief as they go about their daily routine. They dodge the sleeping family dog that doubles as a wolf; chase the unsuspecting paperboy who they claim is a stagecoach driver; lasso the family cat who is apparently a cow, all while avoiding their mom, the sheriff. After their adventures they play instruments and sing songs in the moonlight and then turn in for the night. The story and illustrations are very fun and the two little protagonists are endearingly illustrated. The rhyming structure and intermittent use of words in Spanish add to the appeal of this story that would make a great read aloud at bedtime. A glossary at the end of the book offers translations.

Neon Aliens Ate My Homework and Other Poems by Nick Cannon Scholastic, 2015. Poetry. 143 p. This is a poetry collection by well known rapper and comedian, Nick Cannon. Cannon also performs the poems on the recorded book version. They are not Pulitzer Prize level poetry, but they are certainly full of vibrancy and fun. Some of the poems are just silly, like the title poem, but some are a little more serious. There are several that are motivational, and some that discourage hate culture. The poems are illustrated by bold and energetic black and white line drawings. This is a great first exposure to poetry for for any reluctant poetry reader, or for someone who has to read a poetry book that is more than 100 pages. This book is available from the library in print and as an audio CD.

Excellent Ed By Stacy McAnulty Knopf Books, 2016. Picture book. Ed is a dog who lives a happy life with the Ellis family. But one day he begins to wonder why all of the Ellis children are allowed to eat at the table, ride in the van, sit on the couch, and use the indoor bathroom, and he is not. It must be because they are all excellent at things which Ed can’t do, like playing soccer and baking cupcakes. He decides he must find something different to be excellent at. Ed tries to show that he is the best at breaking things, but then Elaine breaks the record for soccer goals. Just as Ed decides he is definitely the best at losing things, Elmer and Emily each lose a tooth. Is Ed excellent enough to be a part of the Ellis family? This is a sweet story with gentle humor about a lovable dog and the loving family who thinks he is excellent just as he is.

School’s First Day of School By Adam Rex Pictures by Christian Robinson A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, 2016. One summer a school is built. School is nice and clean and becomes friends with someone named “Janitor.” Janitor in turn tells School that soon there will be lots of children. School is worried. What will the children do? What will the children say? What will happen? The first day of school comes, and it is just as big of a day as School imagined it would be. There are kids who say things like “I hate school” which makes School feel bad. There are kids who are funny and kids who are shy. School enjoys learning and listening to the kids and teachers. And even though School accidentally has a fire drill, things turn out all right in the end. In fact, School wishes that all the children would come back the next day. This is a great “back to school” book told from the school building’s perspective. There are loads of kids that are multicultural and diverse (ther...

Are We There Yet?  By Nina Laden and Adam McMauley Chronicle Books LLC, 2016. Picture Book. “Are we there yet?” a boy repeatedly asks.To which his mom repeatedly responds, “No” as she drives him to grandma’s house. This seemingly ordinary and rather common exchange with which we can all relate takes place on every page as the pair travel through a variety of terrains. However, as the book progresses the terrains become increasingly more extraordinary, taking them across a desert, into the ocean and through outer space!  On the surface, this book seems as though it would be boring or tiresome, but the wonderful illustrations, outlandish settings, funny ending and overall tone of the book make it a very fun book that children will ask to read multiple times. A great read-aloud that also has some I SPY type of elements to it as there are a number of animals that appear on every page that can be tricky to find!

Jacky Ha Ha  by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein Little Brown and Co. 2016. Fiction. 363 p. Jacky Hart struggles with a shuddering problem. When other kids make fun of her she fights back by being the class clown. Sometimes her antics make her friends laugh, but other times they just land her in the principal's office. When Jacky gets 20 detentions in the first day of 8th grade, a new teacher offers her a way out if she agrees to try out for the school play. Jacky reluctantly agrees, but soon finds that theater life suits her. Soon play practice is the only light in her otherwise dismal life that includes worrying about a mother serving in Afghanistan, a father who seems too interested in a female co-worker, and an ailing grandmother. James Patterson's books always seem to end of up best seller lists, and it's no wonder. Patterson really understands kid appeal. This one is full of funny moments, but has a serious side, as well. It is highly illustrated with hum...

Stories from Bug Garden By Lisa Moser Candlewick, 2016. Picture book. What appears to be an abandoned garden is actually full of adventure and humor as a unique group of bugs takes up residence there. There’s a ladybug who has no interest in being a lady, preferring making mud angels to drinking tea. There’s a roly-poly who likes to roll down hills. And there’s a horsefly who is obsessed with being a horse. “See the wind ripple my mane? See my mighty hooves flash?” When Butterfly unhelpfully points that he is not really a horse, Horsefly loftily replies, “Well, you’re not butter, either.” The text is made up of simple yet lyrical descriptions and humorous tongue-in-cheek dialogue. Add to this the friendly, scribbly illustrations and the whimsical personalities of the bugs, and this book has the feel of a classic and deserves multiple readings.

The 1980 U.S. Olympic Boycott By Marty Gitlin This book relays the factual details of the 1980 U.S. Olympic boycott. The narrative provides multiple accounts of the event, and readers learn details through the point of view of a Soviet athlete, a U.S. athlete, and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. Olympic Trivia By Marty Gitlin Test your knowledge about the history of the Summer and Winter Games and the amazing athletes who have participated in them. The title features informative sidebars, a trivia quiz, a glossary, and further resources. Nadi: The Girl Who Couldn't Sit Still By Karlin Gray A biography of the young Romanian gymnast describes some of the ways her energy got her into trouble as a child, how she became involved in gymnastics, and how practice and determination led her to become an Olympic champion. Dream Big: Michael Jordan and the Pursuit of Olympic Gold By Deloris Jordan From the age of nine years Michael dreams of playing basketball ...

Wolf Hollow  By Lauren Wolk Dutton Children’s Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2016. 291 p. Annabelle and her family live in Wolf Hollow, a place where life is quite calm and peaceful until a new bully shows up at school. Suddenly Annabelle must figure out what secrets she should keep and what secrets she should tell her parents. The trouble is that the truth isn’t always believed thanks to the duplicity of the bully. And soon it is more than just Annabelle who is getting hurt. This is a brilliant book. That being said, this is also a hard book to read—there is quite a lot in here that is painful and gruesome. But, for those that want a well-written story where a 12 year old is forced to grow up and learn about truth and lies, then this is one book to read. It also could be a good book to read as a grown up and a child. There are a lot of questions that you can pull out of the story (i.e. When should you tell parents about bullies? Have you ever felt bullied? Wh...

Stanley's Plan by Ruth Green Tate Publishing, 2015. Picture Book. Stan is a dog with a big appetite and a nose for food. When he picks up a delicious scent, he discovers an enormous pie in the kitchen! Stan rushes to all his friends, asking for help in securing his dessert. But one after another, his friends decline to join in. Will Stanley's persistence pay off? Will he ever know the taste of pie? This simple story is sweet in its lesson that our hard work can pay off in ways we don't see coming. Ruth Green's typesetting and illustrations are gorgeously understated, and she uses a limited color palette to invoke design of the 1950s and 1960s. Stanley's Plan is a book just as fun to look at as it is to read.

The Forbidden Library By Django Wexler Kathy Dawson Books, 2014. Fiction, 373 P. Also available as  audiobook  and on Overdrive When Alice overhears her father talking in the kitchen with an angry yellow and black fairy, she is forced to embrace the impossible — and things just keep getting stranger. First her father's ship goes down and everyone assumes he's dead. Then Alice is sent to live with an uncle named Geryon she's pretty sure isn't even family. Once settled in, she discovers that the library building on the estate grounds houses secrets as well as books, and her magical connection to those books might just get her killed. Young readers should be aware that The Forbidden Library brings up issues of death and deceit, as well as using some selective swearing. Alice's new life is no picnic, and she's going to have to learn how to survive and who to trust.

Nightmare Escape  (Dream Jumper #1) By Greg Grunberg & Lucas Turnbloom Graphix, 2016. J Comics. 203 p. Ben has been having vivid nightmares in which he saves people from an evil dream monster. What’s even stranger is that he vaguely recognizes some of the people in his dreams and his friend at school, who always plays a role in the dreams, remembers the dreams as well. Because of these nightmares Ben is not sleeping well. His mom takes him to a sleep clinic where he discovers some of the people from his dreams in Ward Z, a unit full of people trapped in a dream state. He also discovers that Kaylee, the girl he likes, is also trapped in a dream state. Ben quickly falls asleep in order to save Kaylee and ends up in Ward Z. In the dream world Ben is guided by a talking rabbit who reveals that Ben’s true nature is a Dream Jumper and helps Ben on his quest. This is a funny and exciting graphic novel series opener that sets the stage for future volumes. Grunberg, known for...

Hooray for Fish! By Lucy Cousins Little Fish has all sorts of fishy friends in his underwater home, but loves one of them most of all. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons By James Dean Pete the cat loves the buttons on his shirt so much that he makes up a song about them, and even as the buttons pop off, one by one, he still finds a reason to sing. The Perfect Nest By Catherine Friend Jack the cat gets much more than he bargained for when he decides to build the perfect nest to attract the perfect chicken. It’s a Tiger! By David LaRochelle A child imagines that he is in a story where he encounters a tiger at every turn. Moo! By David LaRochelle When Cow gets her hooves on the farmer's car, she takes it for a wild ride through the country. A Sick Day for Amos McGee By Philip Stead Zookeeper Amos McGee always makes time to visit his friends who live at the zoo until the day he stays home because he is sick. A Birthday for Cow! By Jan Thomas Despite t...

Books for horse lovers of all ages. Happy Go Lucky             (Big Apple Barn #1) By Kristin Earhart Scholastic, 2006. Intermediate.   87 p. Happy Go Lucky is a young pony.   He loves living with his mom at Shoemaker Stables, but when he’s sent to live at a riding school call Big Apple Barn, everything in his life changes. Buttercup Mystery        (Marguerite Henry’s Misty Inn #2) By Kristan Earhart Aladdin Book, 2015. Intermediate. 109 p. Willa and Ben must find out who is poisoning the Starling’s new horse, Buttercup, before it is too late. Maestoso Petra   (Horse Diaries #4) By Jane Kendall Random House, 2010. Intermediate. 139 p. Maestoso Petra, a Lipizzaner stallion, trains to perform in the Spanish Riding School but must go into hiding during the German occupation of Austria during WWII. Blaze and the Dark Rider   (Pony Cub Secr...

The Egyptian Cinderella By Shirley Climo In this version of Cinderella set in Egypt in the sixth century B.C., Rhodopes, a slave girl, eventually comes to be chosen by the Pharaoh to be his queen. Cinderella By K.Y. Craft Although mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella meets her prince with the help of her fairy godmother. Ella’s Big Chance By Shirley Hughes In this version of the Cinderella tale set in the 1920s, Ella has two men courting her--the handsome Duke of Arc and Buttons the delivery boy. Cinder Edna By Ellen Jackson Cinderella and Cinder Edna, who live with cruel stepmothers and stepsisters, have different approaches to life; and, although each ends up with the prince of her dreams, one is a great deal happier than the other. The Rough-Face Girl By Rafe Martin In this Algonquin Indian version of the Cinderella story, the Rough-Face Girl and her two beautiful but heartless sisters compete for the affections of the Invisible Being. Cinderella...

1 Big Salad: A Delicious Counting Book By Juana Medina Viking, Penguin Young Readers Group, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2016. In this counting adventure different food items are turned into various animals with bits of extra black lines drawn around and on the photographs of food. For example a half an avocado is turned into an “Avocado Deer” or five tomatoes are turned into “Tomato Turtles.” One of the great things about this book is the fact that each number is both written out and show by its numerical symbol. So children will see that “7” is the same thing as “seven” when looking at the “Radicchio Lions” page. The book finishes with a clever ending of how all these counting bits of food/animals are put together (if you wonder what that could be you should take a look at the title…). As a librarian who loves imaginative counting books and a girl who has always loved a good salad, this book hits two different sweet spots for me. Yay! (And yum!)