Provo Library Children's Book Blog

It's "I" week! Here are three fun books as we learn about the letter I. In a Jar By Deborah Marcero G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2020.  Picture Book. Llewellyn, a little rabbit, is a collector. He gathers things in jars--ordinary things like buttercups, feathers, and heart-shaped stones. Then he meets another rabbit, Evelyn, and together they begin to collect extraordinary things--like rainbows, the sound of the ocean, and the wind just before snow falls. And, best of all, when they hold the jars and peer inside, they remember all the wonderful things they've seen and done. But one day, Evelyn has sad news: Her family is moving away. How can the two friends continue their magical collection--and their special friendship--from afar?  --Publisher Islandborn Written by Junot Díaz Illustrated by Leo Espinosa Dial Books for Young Readers, 2018.  Picture Book. Every kid in Lola's school was from somewhere else. Hers was a school of faraway places. So when Lola's teache...

this way, Charlie By: Caron Levis and Charles Santoso New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2020. Picture Book. Jack, the goat, lives on a rehabilitation farm. He keeps to himself as other animals come and go. That is until Charlie, a horse losing his sight, arrives. At first the two animals do not get along, starting with Charlie stumbling over Jack, but soon Jack sees things differently and realizes that Charlie could use a guiding friend as he learns to make way around the farm blindly.  This sweet story shows kindness for those who are dealing with disability, seen or unseen. In a very tasteful way it illustrates some of the challenges of trauma and handicaps with a captivating blossoming friendship. The illustrations are beautifully detailed with an emotional pull as the two animals become unlikely friends, helping each other through their difficulties in just the way they need. 

Ghost Hunter's Daughter By Dan Poblocki New York: Scholastic 2020, Fiction. 273 p.  Claire's father is a television personality known worldwide for finding and banishing spirits. But Claire doesn't really believe in any of it until a classmate named Lucas tells her that her dad is in danger. Lucas's grandmother is a medium; spirits of the dead come to her, sometimes with unfinished business, sometimes with messages for their living loved ones, but always with a knock on the door. This power has been passed on from generation to generation. When Lucas is compelled to open the door one night he finds the ghost of Claire's deceased mother, begging for someone to help her husband. The two kids take matters into their own hands and go to the cursed town of Hush Falls Holler, the last place Claire's dad was seen. Where is Claire's dad? And if they find him, can they save him?  This is a well-paced and fully realized horror story for middle grades. There are plenty...

  April and Esme, Tooth Fairies By Bob Graham 2010 On their first assignment, two young tooth fairy sisters journey by night into the huge world of humans to collect Daniel Dangerfield's tooth and fly it safely home. Evie and the Strawberry Patch Rescue By Stefanie Dahle 2019 First in a new series about a sassy, adorable fairy and her friends who care for the plants and animals of Wildberry Acres. Fairy Felicity's Moonlight Adventure By Alison Murray 2016 Felicity follows a snail that leads her through a greenhouse, an orchard, and a garden until she finds her surprise. How to Trick the Tooth Fairy By Erin Russell 2018 Kaylee loves pulling pranks on people, but when she takes on the Tooth Fairy, another notorious prankster, it turns into an all-out prank war for the crown. Anna and the Tooth Fairy By Maureen Wright 2017 Anna has a loose tooth and expects the Tooth Fairy to be visiting soon. She starts thinking her baby sister Sophie may be a tooth fairy in training. Bloom By Do...

  Curse of the Night Witch Written by: Alex Aster Sourcebooks Young Readers, 2020. Fiction. Tor Luna lives on Emblem Island where everyone knows their lives will be dictated by the emblem they are born with. Tor was born to be a leader, just like his mother, but he hates his emblem and wants more than anything to change his fate. One night during the annual New Year's Eve celebration Tor throws a wish into the fire asking for a different emblem. The next morning he awakens to discover that instead of  his wish being granted he has been given a curse which could only come from the Night Witch. Tor, his best friend Engle and Melda, the smartest girl in Tor's class, decide they must find the Night Witch and ask her to remove the curse. So begins an adventure that will change their lives forever. One of my favorite things about this tale is how the author weaves in myths and Columbian folklore into the story. These ancient myths provide clues and answers to the obstacles that Tor ...

Storm Dog  By Laura Elliott  Katherine Tegen Books, HarperCollins Publishers, 2020. 225 p.  Ariel is the youngest of three kids. There is George who is deployed to Afghanistan, Gloria who has just graduated from high school and is known for her beauty—in fact has just been named an Apple Blossom Princess for a big parade. Then there is the younger Ariel. Ariel who is too smart for her own good (and thus tends to only get scorn from her mother and sister and hardly any notice from her father). After one bitter family confrontation Ariel heads into the woods of the Blue Ridge Mountains—even though there is a coming storm. There Ariel discovers Duke, a German shepherd with PTSD-like symptoms who guides her to a cabin to wait out the storm. In that cabin Ariel meets Staff Sergeant Josie (a former Army K-9 handler) with her own case of PTSD. It is there in that cabin that Ariel starts to plan to make her own decisions and to be proud of herself—a plan which inevitably will lea...

  A Home for Bird   By: Phillip Stead   Vernon the toad takes the silent Bird on a journey in hopes of finding Bird's home.   Because You Are My Teacher By: Sherry North   In illustrations and verse, lists some of the places a teacher would take her students if she had the means, from a hot-air balloon trip over China's Great Wall to an airboat ride in the Everglades to observe alligators.   Up and Away!: How Two Brothers Invented the Hot Air Balloon By: Jason Henry   "Back in 1782, in Annonay, France, lived Joseph Montgolfier, a dreamer and an inventor who was curious about how everything worked. When one day a gust of wind blew his papers into the fireplace, he noticed that something lifted the pages into the air--and he realized that heat could make things rise. With the help of his brother Étienne, he began to experiment ... and created the world's first flying machine, sparking the birth of flight. This beautifully illustrated picture book tells t...

It's Halloween week -- the perfect time for the letter "H"! How to Build a Haunted House Written by Frank Tupta Illustrated by Kyle Beckett Past the graveyard, hear the howl of werewolf loggers on the prowl. In this spooky, rhyming romp, creatures of all types work together to build a haunted house for a vampire family in need of a home. From mummies to Cyclops to the skeleton crew, they’re all working hard to get the job done. But they’d better hurry, because the house needs to be finished before the sun comes up. It’s a good thing their foreman, Frankenstein, is here to keep everyone in check. Will they get it done in time?  --Publisher Red House Tree House Little Bitty Brown Mouse Written by Jane Godwin Illustrated by  Blanca Gómez   Dial Books for Young Readers, 2019.  Picture Book. A little mouse makes her way around the world, and invites preschoolers along as she sets out: Red house / Blue house / Green house / Tree house! / See the tiny mouse in her lit...

  What If... Written by Samantha Berger Illustrated by Mike Curato New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2018. A little girl who love to create stories and fantastical art wonders what would become of her art if pencils disappeared. She imagines creating stories from origami creatures from paper lying around. She keeps imagining what would happen if each new creation idea disappears until she is using leaves, flowers, her voice, her body, and only her mind to create the vivid stories that live in her heart. What If… is an imaginative tale told through gorgeous artwork that uses an element of collage to illustrate a world where all storytellers and makers can find a renewed joy in their drive to always create.

The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt By Riel Nason Toronto: Tundra Books, 2020. A little ghost is sad because he is a quilt. All of his friends and family are sheets. They can swoop and fly and do many amazing ghostly things. Unfortunately, the little ghost can't because he is a quilt. He can't fly fast because he's too heavy, he often gets sweaty because of all his fabric layers, and he can't blend in with Halloween decorations. The poor little ghost feels very sorry for himself until one fateful Halloween night he goes on an adventure that no other ghost could. Maybe being a quilt isn't so bad? This is an adorable read for Halloween and teaching children that it's ok to be different. The little ghost's frustration with being different is relatable and not overly dramatized.  This book can  be a great introduction to celebrating differences and can also open conversations about bullying and not judging others. A great read for an October night.  

The Body Under the Piano By Marthe Jocelyn Toronto: Tundra Books, 2020. Mystery. In 1902 in the small town of Torquay, England 12-year-old Agatha Morton is desperate to solve her first murder mystery. Aggie is naturally shy and reserved, except for in her notebooks where she writes dramatic and bloodthirsty murder mysteries - what her mom calls her "Morbid Preoccupation." In a chance encounter, Aggie befriends a Belgian refugee named Hector Perot the day before a murder is committed in their quiet town. With Aggie's Morbid Preoccupation and Hector's talent for fastidious details, the two kids set out to solve the mystery before the killer strikes again. This new middle-grade mystery series is inspired in part by the childhood of the original Mystery Queen - Agatha Christie. This reimagining of Agatha as a precocious, crime-obsessed child pairs her with a character inspired by Agatha Christie's most famous detective -- Hercule Poirot. This new detective series is a...

  The Little Kitten Written by: Nicola Killen Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2020. Picture Book. This is a perfect Halloween read-aloud about a little girl named Ollie and her lucky cat named Pumpkin. Ollie and Pumpkin are outside playing one autumn afternoon when they find a tiny lost kitten shivering in a pile of leaves.  Soon after playing with the little kitten Ollie discovers a lost cat poster and decides to take the kitten home. After returning the kitten to its home she turns to head back and becomes lost herself. Eventually her cat, pumpkin, finds her and guides Ollie safely home. The next day both Ollie and Pumpkin receive a special thank you gift. The illustrations are bold and beautiful with a black and white color pallet and accents of orange. When you add a shiny metallic touch to the leaves and clever little window cut-outs to the story you have the perfect charming book that young listeners are going to love.  

I Talk Like a River  By Jordan Scott  Illustrated by Sydney Smith  Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, 2020. Picture Book  This book gave me chills when I read it. The story is about a boy who has a hard time talking like everyone else. Words don’t come easily and there are often stutters, stuck words, or murmurs. When the unnamed boy is asked to tell the school class about his favorite place he can’t. His dad picks him up from school and takes him to the river so he can calm down and collect his thoughts. There the dad tells him that the boy talks like a river. Rivers aren’t always calm—sometimes they churn and bubble and crash. As the book states, “Even the river stutters.”  I love this book. I love how readers can learn what it is like for someone who has a hard time talking. I love how the idea of “talking like a river” makes totally sense because rivers have all sorts of personalities and times when things are smooth and when they aren’t. I love how the dad w...

Get ready for letter "G"! Here are three great books as we learn about the letter "G." Gustavo the Shy Ghost By Flavia Drago Candlewick Press, 2020.  Picture Book. Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. And he loves almost nothing more than playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can’t see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him and to share with them something he loves?  With fancifully detailed artwork and visual humor, debut picture-book creator Flavia Z. Drago’s vivid illustrations tell a sweet and gently offbeat story of loneliness, bravery, and friendship that is sure to be a treat for little ghouls and goblins everywhere.  ...

The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo! Written by Elaine Bickell Illustrated by Raymond McGrath New York : Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2020. Picture Book. One night, Little Ghost goes to scare someone and discovers that she has lost her BOO! She begins a search to find her BOO and encounters all kinds of different animals that make similar noises. She discovers an owl, a pigeon, a rooster and even a cow. Each animal offers to let her borrow their sound, but she is determined to find her own unique sound. Just as the sun is beginning to rise and all hope seems lost, the Little Ghost discovers the perfect way to get back her BOO, and it includes you, the reader!  This beautifully illustrated picture book is a perfect read-aloud book. It includes many fun, interactive moments where the reader gets to make animal noises. Written in rhyme, this cute picture book is perfect for younger audiences who want to still be involved in Halloween fun but don't enjoy scary ...

Ghost Squad By Caribel A. Ortega New York: Scholastic Press, 2020. Fiction. 12-year-old Lucely Luna is definitely not scared of ghosts. In fact, some of her best friends are ghosts -- her family members that inhabit the old tree behind her house. When Lucely learns that her father's ghost-tour business is struggling and they might lose their house, and that an evil supernatural force is coming to wreak havoc on Lucely's small Florida town -- she and her best (living) friend Syd perform  a spell to raise the dead and accidentally unleash a host of vengeful spirits. Now Lucely and Syd, with help from Syd's witchy grandma Babette, must figure out how to put the evil spirits to rest and make things right -- this time for real. This spooky, Halloweeny ghost story is based in Dominican mythology and peppered with campy pop culture references to everything from Ghostbusters to The Goonies. While this book is definitely scary and action-packed, it's so full of love, family...

Don't Turn Out The Lights: A Tribute to Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark By: Jonathan Maberry, Editor. HarerCollins Children's Books, 2020. Fiction. During October its always fun to read a scary story or two and if you enjoy reading stories like Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to tell in the dark or books by R.L. Stine then you will enjoy this collection of  short scary stories. You will discover spine-chilling tales about haunted houses you can't get out of, a carved bear that creeps into your bedroom at night , the neighbor who is a lonely boy looking for a playmate and many more chilling stories that will make the hair on your arms stand up and send a tremble down your spine. There is a great variety of stories to fit everyone's tastes. If the stories weren't enough to chill you to the bone there are also illustrations from Iris Compiet that will add to the creepy, eerie feeling of the story. Do turn out the lights, grab a flashlight and ...

Dan, Unmasked  By Chris Negron  HarperCollins, 2020. 355 p.  Dan’s best friend is Nate. They both love superhero comics—especially Captain Nexus—and baseball. In fact, the baseball team that they are on not only just made it into a tournament but they also all spend time together in Nate’s basement to read each new issue of their favorite comics together. Unfortunately, one day Nate is hit in the head with a baseball at practice and ends up in the hospital in a coma. Dan is sure that he is the cause of Nate getting hurt since he distracted him right before the baseball hit him. Now Dan believes that he must (with the help of Nate’s brother and a new friend) write a comic that shows Nate how to come out of his coma.  This is a powerhouse of a story. There are all sorts of things in here—sports, action, comic book heroes, friendship, art, and life or death situations. Readers will watch Dan as he goes through all sorts of emotions, tries to figure out his world and who...

Paper Crafts By Annalees Lim New York: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2014 Paper, glue, and tape go a long way with these fun but simple crafts. Make flowers, stationary and more with the help of this book. Snappy Style: Paper Decoration Creations By Jennifer Phillips Minnesota: Capstone Press, 2013 Have you ever wanted to make crafts that reflect your style and personality? Then this is the book for you. Dot art, quilled paper, garland, baskets, you can decorate your house the way you like it with these creations. The Scrapbooker's Idea Book By Kathy Ross Minnesota: Millbrook Press, 2007 Scrapbooking is an artform. Learn how to make your scrapbooks look better by using the tips and tricks in this book. You'll be able to make better scrapbook pages in no time. Scrapbook Starters By Tracy Maurer Florida: Rourke Publishing LLC, 2010 Do you want to scrapbook but don't know where to start? This starter book will help you find your way through the scrapbooking sea of options. Themes...

Next up is letter F -- here are three fun books for your enjoyment! Sun Flower Lion By Kevin Henkes Greenwillow Books, 2020.  Picture Book. On a warm morning, a little lion sleeps under a sun that shines so brightly, it looks like a flower. He dreams the flower is as big as the sun. He dreams the flower is a cookie. He lets his imagination soar. Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes uses simple shapes, limited colors, and a pitch-perfect text to tell Lion’s story in this transcendent picture book. Sun Flower Lion introduces emerging readers to short chapters, action verbs, and adjectives, while bright illustrations transform simple shapes into something magical.   Sun Flower Lion will shine at story time and bedtime and for young children just learning how to read on their own.   --Publisher Five Fuzzy Chicks Written by Diana Murray Illustrated by Sydney Hanson Imprint, 2020.  Picture Book. It’s time for bed, but these five chicks are full of energy! They race ...

On the Horizon: World War II Reflections Written by: Lois Lowry Illustrated by: Kenard Pak Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. Informational. Anyone else need a good cry every once in a while? Well, this book will surely bring you to tears. Lois Lowry beautifully draws together stories from World War II, both Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima, to capture the personal impact of each. In beautiful lyrics she blends stories tied to her own experiences living her earliest years in Hawaii and later moving to Japan near the time of these events.  This quick read of poetic verses is a beautiful memoir and encourages reflection on this time in history that has had such a large impact on the world. 

She Wanted to Be Haunted By Marcus Ewert Illustrated by Susie Ghahremani New York: Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020. Picture book. Clarissa is an absolutely adorable cottage. She's bright pink and surrounded by daisies with a doormat that seems to smile in welcome to everyone who visits. The only problem is that she wants to be a terrifying, haunted house inhabited by monsters or ghosts like her father, a vampire castle, or her mom, a witch's hut. She tries everything she can think of to be scarier -- but only manages to make herself cuter. Just when she is ready to give up, an uncharacteristically frightening friend comes to stay and Clarissa realizes that she, like her new resident, can be both terrifying and cute. This haunting tale of self-acceptance is, like Clarissa, a little bit spooky and a little bit cute. The lighthearted cadence of the rhyming text makes a humorous contrast against the Halloweeny illustrations, especially those of Clarissa's paren...

  The Haunted Lake Written by: P.J. Lynch Candlewick press, 2020. Picture Book.  The Haunted Lake by P.J. Lynch is not for the faint of heart or younger children even though it is an illustrated picture book. It's a beautiful haunting story about a village that is flooded with water after the river is dammed. The local people claim that it is a haunted lake. But a local fisherman and his young son Jacob don't listen to the stories. They stay in the village that was once their home where Jacob's mother is buried in the cemetery beneath the water. Jacob and his father catch fish in the waters above the town and then take the fish to market to sell making a small meager living. One night while Jacob is out fishing he disappears lured beneath the waters by the ghosts who live there. This is a ghost story about undying love with stunning illustrations. The author builds two worlds, the world above the water which is bright and cheerful, and the world below that is eerie and icy ...

Your Place in the Universe  By Jason Chin  Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, 2020. Picture Book.  Chin explains concepts that are literally out of this world to kids in such a way that they can understand the scale of the ideas. Chin starts by explaining that kids who are about 8-years-old are an average of about 50 inches—which would be about as tall as five copies of this book stacked on top of each other. Then he goes on to explain how tall that is compared to an ostrich or a giraffe. Then things go all the way (step by step so kids can continue to understand the grand scale of things) to galaxies and the universe.  This is a brilliant way to look at the scale of things compared to each other—and a good way for kids to understand since the start of the comparisons start with them and their size. Not only does each page have side-note details about the things being talked about on the page, the end of the book also contains extra details to further explain things ...

When the Moon Came Down By Feridun Oral Little Bunny just can't sleep. He's hungry, but too scared of the dark to go looking for food. Then he sees a bright light nearby—what can it be? Can it really be the moon, come down from the sky to see him? A surprising friendship is celebrated with delicate and charming pictures by a prizewinning illustrator. The Moon Keeper By Zosienka Emile has a new job as moon keeper. He spends his evenings making sure the moon has everything it needs to shine its light over the night creatures. Night after night he keeps watch over the moon--clearing away the clouds and telling the fruit bats to move along when they play too close. Emile finds the moon nice to talk to in the stillness of the night. But what happens when the moon starts to change and slowly disappears? Moon Bear Written by Brenda Z. Guiberson Illustrated by Ed Young Brenda Guiberson's lyrical text and Ed Young's stunning illustrations combine in a winning tribute to this end...

It's time for letter "E" to shine.   Here are three fun books to read during "E" week! The Good Egg Written by Jory John Illustrated by Pete Oswald Harper, 2019.  Picture Book. Meet the good egg. He’s a verrrrrry good egg indeed. But trying to be so good is hard when everyone else is plain ol’ rotten. As the other eggs in the dozen behave badly, the good egg starts to crack from all the pressure of feeling like he has to be perfect. So, he decides enough is enough! It’s time for him to make a change… Dynamic duo Jory John and Pete Oswald hatch a funny and charming story that reminds us of the importance of balance, self-care, and accepting those we love (even if they are sometimes a bit rotten).  --Publisher Eat Pete! By Michael Rex Nancy Paulsen Books, 2018.  Picture Book. Pete couldn't be more thrilled when a monster shows up in his bedroom. Now Pete has someone to play with! And the hungry monster couldn't be more thrilled to be there, either. Now he ...

  All About Anxiety Written by Carrie Lewis Illustrated by Sophia Touliatou Minneapolis: Beaming Books, 2020. Wouldn’t you love to turn something you struggle with into a super power? All About Anxiety can teach kids to do just that! As kids learn to navigate an increasingly complex world that is changing daily, it makes sense that we see an increase in anxiety. Using colorful illustrations and breaking down how to pinpoint what is causing the anxiety, Lewis and Touliatou can help kids develop essential coping skills that will be useful throughout their lives.

Buenos noches, perrito bueno = Good Night, Good Dog By Mary Lyn Ray Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. Small Picture Book. The dog knows it's time to get ready for bed. Join him as he faces bedtime. The problem? He's not tired.  This bilingual small picture book is perfect for bed time. The dog knows the routine of his owners when they get ready for bed. But he's not tired. Parents will be able to connect the dog's desire to stay awake with their children's bedtime antics. Kids will enjoy the simple yet colorful illustrations. Parents and children can connect to both the English and Spanish languages with this simple bed time book.