Provo Library Children's Book Blog

She Loves You: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah By Ann Hood Penguin Random House, 2018. Fiction p. 252 Set in the height of popularity of The Beatles, “She Loves You: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” is a truly delightful historical fiction that explores the summer of 1966 from our main character’s point of view as she obsesses over The Beatles and seeing them in concert while simultaneously dealing with her own personal struggles. Trudy shares a love of The Beatles with her dad, and her closest friends. But as their concert quickly approaches, she finds that her life is changing all around her, and she doesn’t seem to have any control over it. Trudy is convinced that if she just sees The Beatles in concert and meets Paul McCartney, her father will be more present, her best friend will start actually acting like her best friend, and her life will make sense again. Hood does an excellent job making Trudy a protagonist that sometimes isn’t perfectly likable, but who is always relatable. Her problem...

Sandwiches! Written by Alison Deering Illustrated by Bob Lentz Capstone Young Readers, 2017. J Informational. 143 p. Has anyone else been eating a lot of leftover turkey sandwiches this week? Looking for a little variety in your lunchtime routine?  Sandwiches! is a fun introduction to cooking and experimenting with food. The format of this informational book is easy for young readers follow. Instead of strict recipes specifying ingredients and quantities, Sandwiches! functions more as a culinary choose-your-own-adventure, with bold diagrams of sandwich layers showing options and suggestions for both picky and adventurous eaters. There are over 50 sandwich guides in this book, organized by level of difficulty and peppered with interesting facts throughout. Sandwiches! is an exciting, accessible cookbook that encourages exploring in the kitchen. 

Stand Straight, Ella Kate: The True Story of a Real Giant By Kate Klise Illustrated by M. Sarah Klise A fictionalized biography of Ella Kate Ewing, born in 1872, who was eight feet tall by the age of seventeen and who became financially independent by traveling the country for nearly twenty years appearing at museums, exhibitions, and in circus shows. If You Ever Want to Bring a Circus to the Library, Don't! By Elise Parsley Magnolia returns to explain the many downsides to bringing a circus to a local library. If I Ran the Circus By Dr. Seuss A young boy imagines the fantastic animals and incredible acts he will have for his greatest of all circuses. The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum By Candace Fleming Biography of P.T. Barnum, showman and founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Readers can visit Barnum's American Museum; meet Tom Thumb, the miniature man (only 39 in. tall) and his tinier bride (32 in.)...

Small Spaces By Katherine Arden G.P. Putnam & Sons, 2018. Fiction. Ollie already has a sense that something weird is happening in her small Vermont town when she encounters a woman weeping at the edge of the river and preparing to throw an old book away. This is even before Ollie's school bus breaks down in a field filled with frightening Scarecrows - stranding Ollie and all her classmates. As things get more and more paranormal, Ollie follows the advice of the mysterious book she stole from the woman at the water's edge - stick to small spaces. Katherine Arden's first Middle Grade offering is filled with spine-chilling suspense sure to satisfy fans of the horror genre. This fast-paced adventure propels readers from start to finish and is filled with a cast of likable and very real characters. The chills may be the biggest draw for readers, but the emotional depth will make this one hard to forget.

Crunch the Shy Dinosaur Written by Cirocco Dunlap Illustrated by Greg Pizzoli Random House, 2018. Picture book.  Crunch is a dinosaur who is a little bit shy—shy enough that even a loud voice saying hello to him makes him scamper off in fear. Young readers will need to beckon him more than once, and be very careful while doing so. If they speak too loudly, he’ll back off, but if they speak too softly, he might misunderstand them, or not hear them at all. He’s a very particular dinosaur, so getting to know him takes a little bit of work. His colorful illustrations and fun design make it so worth the effort though. Crunch is a great introduction to the finer points of social interaction. Learning how to speak to him in just the right voice, and letting him go to bed when he’s had enough socialization and is tired, are great ways to remind young readers that when making new friends, it’s best to approach calmly—especially if that new friend is a dinosaur!

Dear Professor Whale By Megumi Iwasa Illustrated by Jun Takabatake Gecko Press, 2018. Intermediate Fiction. Professor Whale lives all alone at Whale Point - a place that used to be inhabited by lots and lots of whales. He gets sad thinking about the old days when he had lots of friends around and was the perennial champion at the Whale Point Olympics. When Wally, a young whale who lives far away, writes Professor Whale a letter saying he's heard stories about the Whale Point Olympics and the great, big, gold-medal winning whale Professor Whale has an idea to bring it back. This book is a follow-up to YOURS SINCERELY, GIRAFFE , and holds all the same tenderhearted sweetness of the first. This is a quick read with an underlying message of the importance of friendship above all things and is highlighted by the illustrations of beloved Japanese illustrator Jun Takabatake.

All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah  Based on the Classic Books by Sydney Taylor By Emily Jenkins Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky Schartz & Wade Books, 2018. Picture Book In 1912 in New York’s Lower East Side there lived a family—an all-of-a-kind family (because they had all one kind of child with five girls). On the particular day when this story takes place it is the first night of Hanukkah and all the girls are helping to prepare the Hanukkah latkes (except for four-year-old Gertie who is too little to help). Everyone is excited—especially Gertie. Though Gertie becomes more and more distraught when she isn’t allowed to help peel or grate the potatoes, help chop the onions, or finally fry the latkes. Finally with a bit of foot-stomping (and exasperation on her mother’s part), Gertie is sent to her room. There she is torn between the feelings of wanting the others to miss her and her missing the fun of the evening. When her Papa comes home he figures out a solution to help...

Read in Monday Book Babies Barnyard Boogie! Written by Tim McCanna Illustrated by Allison Black Abrams Appleseed, 2017.  Picture Book. The Barnyard Band is performing today!  Horse, Cat, Goat, Pig, and all their friends practice their instruments, filling the barnyard with happy sounds.  Cow wants to join the fun.  But without an instrument to play, what can Cow do ?  --Publisher Read in Monday Cuentos Una Gran Ayuda Por Daniel Fehr NubeOcho, 2018.  Spanish Picture Book. Tejón está sentado llorando. Ha perdido su osito de peluche. Pero Oso ha tenido una idea: -¡Yo puedo ayudarte! ¡Encontraré tu osito!  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Lizbeth Lou Got a Rock in Her Shoe Written by Troy Howell Illustrated by Kathryn Carr Ripple Grove Press, 2016.  Picture Book. “This just will not do!” says Lizzy, flinging a rock from her shoe.  A simple matter―getting a rock in your shoe―but what is ...

The Missing Donut By: Judith Henderson Illustrated by: T.L. McBeth Kids Can Press Ltd., 2018. Picture Book Was the donut purloined by crat the cat? He did feel very discombobulated after he flew off the bike trying to prove that he was a master bike rider. In this story, the missing donut, a boy named Chris and his cat, Crat, will help readers learn some big words through small stories. With Sprinklers, the sprinkle fairy's helpers, new vocabulary words are "sprinkled" into the stories. If you happen to see a sprinkler you know there is a big word coming. The Sprinkle Fairy and her helpers are slipping the best words into the stories from the word factory in Sicily so be prepared to learn some prodigious new words. This book is a fun way to teach children about the magic in a word and to increase their vocabulary. The illustrations are simple and entertaining to look at and the stories are quirky with slap stick humor that I found entertaining. If ...

Just Add Glitter Written by Angela DiTerlizzi Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill Beach Lane Books, 2018. Picture Book. What are you grateful for today? A children's picture book all about glitter? Yes, please! Many of the pages have textured glitter you can't help but run your fingers across. Initially, a rainy day is brightened by a gift of glitter that is subsequently added to almost every aspect of this little lady's life. Does she go too far? Is that even possible?! You will have to read and see.

Croc and Ally: Friends Forever By Derek Anderson Penguin Workshop, 2018. Easy Reader. Croc and Ally are just two polar-opposite reptiles who also happen to be best friends. In three short stories, we get to see just what it means to be a friend. Ally and Croc may not always get along, like when Ally wants to sit next to Croc on the couch to be to closer him but Croc needs a little space, but they are always able to compromise. Sure to be a hit with fans of other famous Easy Reader duos (Elephant and Piggie, Snail and Worm, Frog and Toad, etc.) this new series is full of goofball fun.

Hedgehog Needs a Hug by Jen Betton   G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2018 Little Hedgehog wakes up one day feeling bad and needing a hug. Unfortunately, everyone he asks for a hug turns him down because they don't want to get prickled by his spines. Feeling alone, he wanders through the forest until he comes upon a sly fox, who is willing to "hug" him. But when Fox moves in for a bite, he only gets a mouthful of spines before taking off through the forest. Alone again, Hedgehog hears Skunk crying. No one will give Skunk a hug either. Hedgehog offers Skunk a hug, and opens his arms wide. Skunk embraces Hedgehog, being careful to avoid his spines, and the two begin to feel better. Jen Betton's debut as an author-illustrator, this cute book is about finding friendship despite your differences. The watercolor illustrations are sweet and vibrant. The comforting ending of feeling better when with a friend is perfect for young and not-so-young readers alike.  ...

Eduardo Guadardo, Elite Sheep  By Anthony Pearson Illustrated by Jennifer E. Morris Two Lions, 2018. Picture Book. Have you ever wondered what FBI stands for? And no—not the FBI that is part of the US Government—the FBI that is part of Fairy-Tale Land. Well, it stands for “Fairy-Tale Bureau of Investigations” and is an important part of Fairytales. Anyway, the gist of this story is that Eduardo Guadardo is graduating from the FBI and is going to become an “Elite Sheep.” He is going to be given a “dossier” (top-secret file of information) on a specific assignment—one Mary Sawyer who is in trouble. And Eduardo needs to save her! (Even if it means that he must follow her all over…including to school one day, which was against the rules.) Basically this is a funny spoof on how fairytales might be part of top-secret investigations (and have to go undercover in especially cute ways). Plus there is a bonus bit that encourages people to be a team player. All in all this is one cle...

Read in Monday Book Babies Dance, Dance, Dance! By Ethan Long Holiday House, 2018.  Easy Reader Book. Introducing Horse and Buggy, the hilarious new characters from Theodor Seuss Geisel Medalist Ethan Long! Horse and Buggy are best friends, but they don’t always see eye to eye. When Buggy sees Horse dancing, he asks, "What are you doing?" "I am dancing," Horse replies. "I am the best dancer. I have the best dances!" "You are not dancing. You are just moving around." Can Horse convince the reluctant Buggy to lighten up and join in? YES! In this side-splitting story about friendship, Horse and Buggy learn that doing something together makes it twice as fun.  --Publisher Read in Monday Cuentos Mi día de suerte By Keiko Kasza Grupo Editorial Norma, 2006.  Spanish Picture Book. Cuando un cerdito toca a la puerta del zorro por equivocación, este no pude dar crédito a su buena suerte. No todos los días aparece la comi...

Squirm By Carl Hiaasen Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2018. Fiction In typical Hiaasen fashion, “Squirm” is a book about taking care of the world we live in packed into an insane adventure full of hi-jinks, wild animals, and the great outdoors. Unlike Hiaasen’s other books, “Squirm” offers a slightly more serious story, with a little less silliness than his usual style, but with the same classic wit that always make his books a delight for young and older readers. “Squirm”, while told with a little less humor than Hiaasen’s other books, still offers a story full of excitement, with a whole lot of heart, and an important message at the center. “Squirm” asks readers to consider the implications of their actions, both involving wildlife and people. While the main adventure deals with a poacher trying to kill protected species, and the illegality and unethical nature of his decisions, the underlying story is about Billy and his father coming to terms with their fragile re...

No Fixed Address By Susin Nielsen Wendy Lamb Books, 2018. Fiction. 280 p. Felix and his mom Astrid are living in their van. Astrid says it's only temporary, but they've been down on their luck for a while. She looks for jobs while Felix goes to school with his two friends, Dylan and Winnie. Felix is really good at trivia and sees a chance to get his small family out of their bad situation by trying out for a Jeopardy-style game show. In the meantime Astrid and Felix deal with the tricky logistics of food and hygiene and finding new places to park overnight. Felix is aware that his mom is not always honest and that her rules of morality are flexible. Then there are the grey areas when Felix finds himself dodging questions from the authorities and concerned friends alike. The secret of their homelessness is exhausting. But if Felix can win Who What Where When  maybe he can change everything. No Fixed Address  addresses the cycles of poverty that can affect decision maki...

Catch That Cookie! By Hallie Durand Illustrated by David Small Marshall refuses to believe that gingerbread men can run, even after a series of clues leads his class on a riddle-filled gingerbread cookie hunt. The Gingerbread Boy By Paul Galdone Retells the popular story of a boastful cookie that runs away from a group of hungry people and animals. The Gingerbread Pirates By Krisitn Kladstrup Illustrated by Matt Tavares When Jim's gingerbread pirate, Captain Cookie, comes alive, the tasty treat prepares to battle Santa Claus, who likes to eat cookies on Christmas Eve. The Gingerbread Man By Jim Aylesworth Illustrated by Barbara McClintock A freshly baked gingerbread man escapes when he is taken out of the oven and eludes a number of pursuers until he meets a clever fox. Gingerbread Friends By Jan Brett Lonely Gingerbread Baby, having set out to find a friend, enters a bakery where he tries to talk to different cookies and ot...

The Darkdeep By Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs Bloomsbury, 2018. Fiction. When Nico Holland disappears into Still Cove - a mysterious and mist shrouded place near the small Pacific Northwest town of Timbers - Tyler, Emma, and Opal rush in after him and all are surprised to discover a mysterious island hidden in the fog. Though the island seems abandoned, the four soon discover a houseboat full of curios and covering a dark and ancient secret beneath its hull - a secret that knows more about them than they may care to admit. This new, middle-grade, horror fiction novel from YA big-shots Ally Condie  and Brendan Reichs was exactly the kind of spooky, paranormal read I was looking to dig into this fall. Part "Stranger Things", part Stephen King, and part something totally new - this book builds momentum quickly and keeps the excitement going until the last page. A sequel to this book is already planned, and is sure to be highly anticipated.

Rosa's Animals: The Story of Rosa Bonheur and Her Painting Menagerie By Maryann Macdonald Abrams, 2018. Biography. There's a good chance that Rosa Bonheur is the most famous artist you've never heard of. The first woman to earn a French Legion of Honor, Rosa Bonheur was a successful Realist painter in the 19th century when women weren't usually allowed to train as artists. Thanks to special training from her father, Rosa grew up to have her impressively naturalistic paintings of animals displayed at the French Salon and all over the world. This book introduces readers to Bonheur and marvels at her extraordinary life - she was a friend of Buffalo Bill Cody, she kept a miniature zoo complete with three lions at her home near Fontainebleau, and received a special permit to dress as a man and visit the Paris Horse Fair. This is a well compiled biography about a female artist many children will likely not learn about in school. The text isn't jazzed up or beda...

Ogre Enchanted By Gail Carson Levine Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2018. 340 p. I have been a fan of the book Ella Enchanted for two decades. It is a brilliant book that reworks the fairy tale Cinderella. (For all of you who haven’t read that book—you really should. But the basic premise is that Ella is “blessed” with obedience from a fairy. So she has to do everything that people tell her to do.) Anyway, Ogre Enchanted is the story of Evora, a healer, who has been turned into an ogre by the same fairy that made Ella’s life miserable for not saying yes to a marriage proposal (she thought she was too young at 15 to get married and didn’t even want to think about marriage until at least 17). So Evie has to live as an ogre—a being who all the humans want to get rid of or kill—and figure out how to find true love and another marriage proposal so that she can turn back into a human. I liked this book. I don’t think it is as strong as Ella Enchanted (though that was so ama...

Read in Monday Book Babies Bark, George By Jules Feiffer Harper Collins Publishers, 1999.  Picture Book. From acclaimed author-illustrator Jules Feiffer, Bark, George is a hilarious, subversive story about a dog who can't . . . bark! This picture book geared for the youngest readers is perfect for those who love Mo Willems' Pigeon series. When George's mother tells her son to bark, George goes "Meow," which definitely isn't right because George is a dog. When she asks him again, he goes "Oink." What's going on with George? Readers will delight at the surprise ending!  --Publisher Read in Monday Cuentos No es una caja By Antoinette Portis Kalandraka Editora, 2008.  Spanish Picture Book. Para un conejito imaginativo, una caja no es solo una caja.  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Crackerjack Jack Written by Bowman Wilker Illustrated by Marie-Ève Tremblay  Owlkids Books, 2018.  Picture Book. ...

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates By Ryan T. Higgins Disney Press, 2018. Picture Book. 48 p. In this story Penelope Rex (a T. Rex) learns how to make friends. Rule number 1: Don’t eat them, not even a little bit. Penelope is very nervous to start school. She really wants to make friends, however when she first walks into her classroom and sees all the children she can’t help but gobble them up. Children are delicious. When her teacher sees this she very sternly tells Penelope “We don’t eat our classmates” and Penelope very apologetically spits them out. Obviously the children do not like being eaten and are justifiably annoyed with Penelope and do not trust her. This makes making friends very difficult, but Penelope doesn’t seem able to help herself. When an encounter with the class goldfish goes a little awry, Penelope learns just how not fun it is to be chomped on and learns to curb her appetite. The adorable illustrations and Penelope’s stuffed-animal look makes the story ...

Just Like Jackie Written by Lindsey Stoddard Harper Collins Children's Books, 244 p. Fiction. Robinson loves baseball and working on cars. She is named after Jackie Robinson, the famous baseball player. She doesn't like bullies and unfortunately she has an issue controlling her anger. She loses it when Alex Carter starts making fun of her name. The worst part is after she punches Alex in the nose they have to call her grandpa and that gets him off his schedule and makes him forget more. Robinson meets together with Ms. Gloria, the school counselor, and a group of students to work through hard things they are going through. A family tree assignment ends up being tricky for everyone in the group for various reasons, but it does provide an opportunity for Robinson to ask her grandpa more details about her mom, who died just after she was born. Robinson doesn't know the name for it, but her grandpa suffers from Alzheimer's disease. She does her best to keep him on...

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser Houghton Mifflin, 2017. Fiction. 297 p. The Vanderbeeker family includes two parents, four kids and three pets.  They have lived in the same brownstone in Harlem as long as any of the kids can remember.  One day, right before Christmas, their landlord and upstairs neighbor decides he is not going to renew their lease.  The kids are horrified at the thought of having to move, so they start a campaign to convince reclusive old Mr. Biederman that he really does not want to make them leave.   Here is a good choice for a read aloud or book on CD for a road trip over the Christmas break.  It has great parent/child relationships and all the protagonists are trying to do what is right.  The funny family antics reminded me a lot of the  Penderwicks  series.  

Check out a book about royalty and learn about rulers of the past, or jump into something a little more fictional! Princess Diana By Joanne Mattern DK Publishing, 2006. A biography about a more modern princess, Diana's story will inspire young readers who want to learn about England's ruling class. Nefertiti of Egypt By Mary Englar Capstone, 2009. Fame, fortune, and glamour, what's more fascinating than the world of royalty? This biography of Queen Nefertiti presents the life of this popular queen of ancient Egypt who lived during the 14th century B.C. Pictures and first-hand quotations bring you closer than ever to the woman behind the crown. Marie Antoinette, Queen of France By Mary Englar Capstone, 2009. Fame, fortune, and glamour, what's more fascinating than the world of royalty? This biography of Marie Antoinette presents the life of this tragic queen who married Louis XVI, King of France, in the 18th century. Pictures and...