Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations #1) By B.B. Alston New York: Balzer + Bray, 2021. Fantasy. 13-year-old Amari Peters is sure that her beloved older brother Quinton is still alive, no matter what anyone says. But as his mysterious disappearance drags on and Amari is bullied at her fancy private school for being poor and Black, she loses her cool and is expelled. Then, by complete surprise, a man appears at her door with an invitation to attend summer camp at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs - the organization tasked with maintaining balance between our world and the supernatural creatures who inhabit it -- the same organization to which Quinton belonged before his disappearance. Amari is certain this is the chance she has been hoping for to find answers and bring her brother home. Once she gets to camp, Amari discovers that she is a magician with powers that are banned by the Bureau. Still, Amari is not ready to give up just yet and is determined to become a J...

  Home Is In Between Written by: Mitali Perkins Illustrated by: Lavanya Naida Farrar Straus Giroux, 2021. Picture Book. Shanti and her family live in a small village in India with warm monsoon rains, green palm trees and lots of extended family. But when Shanti and her parents move to the United States, Shanti finds herself in a world of cold rain, yellow and orange leaves, a new language and new holidays. Shanti is caught in between two different worlds where she must move back and forth between cultures. At home her life is Bollywood movies, stories in Bangali, and delicious luchi and her life outside is filled with napkins on laps, no elbows on tables, ballet, and snowball fights. She feels the push and pull of both cultures and worlds until she eventually decides she is tired of navigating this space. Shanti realizes she is good at making anywhere feel like home and she decides that her home can be a place in between her two worlds. This is a delightful picture books full of vi...

  The Midnight Fair   By Gideon Sterer  Illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio  Candlewick Press, 2020.  In this wordless picture book readers will see that a fair is being set up and there are more than just people who are interested in what is going on. As the people leave the fair at night and the ticket counter is closed, a plethora of forest animals come and sneak into the fair. While there they play carnival games, ride roller coasters, and eat sugary treats. Young readers will delight in finding details in the lush illustrations—from what animals might ride the carousel to what the wolf is going to do with his carnival prize of a fish in a bag. This is a great book for all kiddos who love the excitement of a traveling fair and has a love of animals who might enjoy the fair as much as any kid.

It's "X" Week!  Here are a few books to help your children learn about this tricky letter: Grace and Box Written by Kim Howard Illustrated by Megan Lötter Feiwel and Friends, 2021.  Picture Book. Grace and Box have become fast friends. Box delivered a refrigerator earlier in the week and by the end of it, Grace and Box had already been to space, gone camping, and explored the depths of the sea together. But on Sunday, Grace notices something’s wrong with her buddy. Box has some rips and crumples that Band-Aids, ice packs, and rest on the couch can’t seem to heal. Grace certainly doesn't want these adventures to end, so she is determined to fix Box so that they can continue their play together! A universal friendship (child and box) has come alive in this imaginative and humorous picture book. The depths of friendships run deep with children, even if they're just boxes to us!   --Publisher Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark Written by Jonathan Stutzman Illustrate...

  We Wait for the Sun Written by Dovey Johnson Roundtree & Katie McCabe Illustrated by: Raissa Figueroa New York: Roaring Brook Press. 2021. Informational. Before Dovey Johnson Roundtree became a Civil Rights lawyer and legend, she was a little girl growing up with her grandmother in North Carolina. We Wait for the Sun is a story about the two of them berry picking at night when she was young. They walk the forest in the dark, following the sounds of the birds to find the juiciest berries, and then wait as the sun comes up on the horizon together. This is a heartwarming story of a memorable experience shared with someone important. At the end of the book, there is an excerpt giving a biography of Roundtree's life and what she would go on to accomplish because of the influence of her grandmother, adding to the power of the story. The illustrations capture the beauty of colors from dusk to dawn with vibrancy and draw you in to capture your attention on every page. 

The House That Wasn't There By Elana K. Arnold New York: Walden Pond Press, 2021. Fiction. Alder Madigan and his widowed mother live quiet life in their "small but neat" home next to a cherished, great big walnut tree. On the first day his new neighbors move in, they cut down the great big walnut tree to make room to add an extension to their home -- so you could say things get off to a rocky start. On the first day of school, Alder feels abandoned by his best friend who has become interested in cross-country club over the summer, but still wants nothing to do with the new girl next door -- Oak Carson whose mother cut down the walnut tree. Before long, however, Oak and Alder find themselves drawn together in a series of wonderful coincidences like when they are paired for a class project, adopt sibling kittens, and are briefly whisked to another dimension inhabited by the human-sized opossum Mort (usually an opossum-sized taxidermy animal in Alder's room) thanks to fe...

  Superstar Cats: 25 Easy Tricks to Make Your Cat Shine In The Spotlight Written by: Julie Tottman A fun, illustrated how-to guide to help kids teach their cats tricks, written by the expert animal trainer who has worked on the Harry Potter Movies, Game of Thrones, and more! Raining Cats & Dogs Written by: Will Moses A collection or irresistible idioms and illustrations to tickle the funny bones of young people. Paws of Courage: True Tales of Heroic Dogs That Protect and Serve Written by: Nancy Furstinger Modern wars recruit more than just human soldiers. Our canine companions also serve in the line of duty and under fire, whether helping police protect our home turf or accompanying soldiers on missions abroad. Readers will cheer for the hero dogs featured in this collection, profiled with stunning photos and inspiring tales of bravery, friendship, heroism, and devotion. It's Raining Cats And Dogs!: Sing-Along Animal Songs Written by: Marie-Eve Tremblay A delightful lighthearte...

  365 Days to Alaska Written by: Cathy Carr Amulet Books, 2021. Fiction. Rigel Harman loves her home that is off grid in the Alaskan wilderness. She likes the quiet and ruggedness of the wilderness and she doesn't mind not having running water or electricity. Her world is exactly the way she likes it until everything falls apart. Her parents get a divorce and she, her mom and two sisters leave Alaska and move to Connecticut. Rigel hates Connecticut! The only thing that keeps her going is the secret agreement she made with her dad to stay one year and then move back to Alaska with him. One year is a towering obstacle that feels like it will never end and the challenges of middle school only add to her melancholy. She is lonely and can't seem to connect with anyone at school until she befriends a crow living behind the school. She eventually learns that she can make new friends here in Connecticut if she is willing to give people a chance. This was a delightful story about a youn...

  Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy  By Melissa De La Cruz  Roaring Brook Press, 2020. 322 p.  Filomena Jefferson-Cho is one of the biggest fans to the Never After fantasy book series. She is so excited to be able to go and get the thirteenth (and final) book in the series; however, the sad news is that the book (which was scheduled to be published) wasn’t ever written. When Filomena heads home from the bookstore she encounters Jack Stalker—the hero from the books. He tells her that the Never After worlds are real and he needs help. Filomena has to figure out what to believe and what she can do to help save her world and the other realm where her beloved books take place. This is a fun twist on all the classical fairy tales and a look at what is truly important in a young girl’s life.

  Jump Into A Good Book with: Frankie Frog and the Throaty Croakers By: Freya Hartas Frankie can't croak like the other frogs can, but when he hears some sweet music playing he begins to play the banjo in an effort to find his voice.  One Frog Sang By: Shirley Parenteau Counting from 1 to 10 is so much fun with these singing frogs. Little Frog and the Scary Autumn Thing By: Jane Yolen Little Frog learns to be brave as she faces many new experiences in her first fall. Leap Frog By: Jane Clarke Felix the frog hears lots of new sounds in the jungle. Can you help him figure out what is making each noise? Froggy Day By: Heather Pindar The weather forecasts a "froggy" day. Looks like there will be frogs everywhere!  Tad By: Benji Davies Tad is the smallest tadpole of her brothers and sisters, but it won't take long for her to catch up to them and become a frog.  The Princess and the Frogs By: Veronica Bartles The princess just wants a pet frog to play with, but she keeps t...

Welcome to "W" week!  Here are a few books to read about this wacky, wonderful letter: What's That Noise? By Naomi Howarth Candlewick Press, 2020.  Picture Book. Magnus the Arctic seal wakes up one early morning, puzzled by a strange, rumbling sound. What's that noise? Hare, Owl, and Polar Bear don't have any idea, but Walrus has a good suggestion: it's Magnus' rumbling tummy! After a yummy feast the friends all settle down to sleep--but suddenly there's another rumbling sound. What's that noise?  --Publisher Wild Baby By Cori Doerrfeld HarperCollins Publishers, 2019.  Picture Book. As her baby goes on a mad dash through the jungle, it’s up to mama to make sure the curious little orangutan doesn’t get into too much trouble—like dancing on a bear, bouncing on an elephant, or even pulling on a leopard’s tail. But when you have a wild baby, life is full of surprises! With a simple, playful rhyme, this adorable and humorous story illustrates the oftent...

  Rain Before Rainbows By Smriti Prasadam-Halls, Illustrated by David Litchfield Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2020. A girl and her fox friend travel from a sad past toward a bright future filled with rainbows. On their journey, they learn that there are trials ahead but that if they stick together and have hope, they can conquer anything. The girl and her fox meet friends along the way that help guide them through the tough and stormy times. This book of opposition and resilience is a beautiful illustration that reminds readers of all ages that the rainbow will always come after the rain.

Hot Pot Night By Vincent Chen Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2020. Several neighbors in an apartment complex have the same question. What should they have for dinner? A Taiwanese boy has the answer. Hot pot! He invites his neighbors to help make a delicious hot pot. His neighbors readily agree and come over with different ingredients. This cute picture book introduces a traditional Asian dish in a nontraditional way: people of diverse backgrounds come together to partake of a communal dish. The writing and pictures reminded me of my own hot pot experiences as a small child. With a recipe included, this book is sure to inspire families to try out the delicious dish in their own home.

Allergic By Megan Wagner Lloyd Illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter New York: Scholastic, 2021. Graphic novel. Maggie is super excited for her tenth birthday, A.K.A. the best day of her life -- the day that her parents are finally letting her adopt a puppy. Technically it is a family dog, but Maggie knows that her younger twin brothers will be too distracted with each other to care (as usual) and her parents will be too busy with the new baby on the way, so the dog will basically be just Maggie's. When her birthday finally arrives, Maggie has just found the perfect puppy at the shelter when she starts to suddenly break out in a really bad rash. A quick visit to the doctor reveals the worst, Maggie is severely allergic to anything with fur or feathers -- owning her own dog is off the table. Still, Maggie isn't ready to give up on pets just yet, she only needs to find the right one. Like so many recent graphic novels, Allergic  is a perfect coming of age story starring a relatable ...

  Eyes That Kiss In The Corners Written by: Joanna Ho Illustrated by: Dung Ho Harper, 2021. Picture Book. This beautiful picture book is a story about love and a celebration of  Asian shaped eyes and diversity. A young Asian girl notices that her eyes are different from her peers, they aren't round like sapphire lagoons with lashes like lace trim on ballgowns. Her eyes are like her mom's, her sister's and grandmothers eyes, they kiss in the corners, are the color of warm tea and are filled with stories of the past and hope for the future. As the narrator in the story connects her features to the women in her life she begins to understand the love between family and she is empowered by their shared love as she recognizes the beauty that is her. Gorgeous illustrations and lyrical text captures this important message of seeing the beauty in ourselves and others and celebrating what makes us different and unique. Learning to love and accept ourselves and our own beauty is revol...

  Mr. Brown’s Bad Day  By Lou Peacock  Illustrated by Alison Friend  Nosy Crow, an imprint of Candlewick Press, 2020. Picture Book.  Mr. Brown is a very important tiger that does very important work. He also keeps some very important things in his briefcase. One day while eating lunch at the city park a toddler elephant in a stroller accidentally takes away Mr. Brown’s briefcase. But there are very important things in the briefcase! Thus begins a comical journey that Mr. Brown takes around the town trying to get his briefcase back. Young readers will laugh at how the briefcase happens to just keep going away all the while wondering what important things could possibly be in the briefcase (which are revealed right at the end). This fun picture book will resonate with kids who have their own “very important” things and feel a bit lost without them.

  Star Wars: Before the Awakening Written by Greg Rucka This book explores the backstories of FN-2187, Rey, and Poe Dameron. See how they lived their lives before they chose to fight in the war for the galaxy. Star Wars, the Clone Wars Written by Jason Fry, Loud Anders, Preeti Chhibber, Anne Ursu, Yoon Ha Lee, Tom Angleberger, Zoraida Cordova, Rebecca Roanhorse, Sarah B. Durst, Greg Van Eekhout, Anne, E. Convery, Jennifer Heddle, and Ksenia Zelentsova Eleven authors come together to write an anthology featuring each of their favorite episodes of the beloved television series: Star Wars, The Clone Wars. Star Wars: The Last Jedi Written by Ferrari Alessandro This graphic novel adaptation of Star Wars movie follows both Rey and Finn as their places in the galaxy become more challenging. Will Rey train as a Jedi? Will Finn find his place with the resistance? And what is Kylo Ren plotting? Sabine's Art Attack Written by Jennifer Heddle Sabine is a talented Mandalorian who is tasked to t...

"V" Week is here! Here are a few books to read that use this very valuable letter: Goodnight, Veggies Written by Diana Murray Illustrated by Zachariah OHora Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020.  Picture Book. As the sun begins to set, the tomatoes are tuckered out, the cucumbers are calm, and the beets are simply beat.  But what’s got them all so exhausted?   Celebrate the turning of day to night in this perfect bedtime ritual for plants—and humans—everywhere!  --Publisher Imagination Vacation By Jami Gigot Albert Whitman & Company, 2019.  Picture Book. Sam has a very busy family. Mom works late; Dad's projects pile up. Even Sam’s younger sister Marla is always doing something. Everyone in Sam’s family has their own idea of what the perfect vacation would look like. But there’s one thing they all agree on: they just can’t get away right now. So Sam comes up with a different kind of getaway. With a little planning, a few supplies, and a touch of creativity, she ...

The Fort  By Laura Perdew  Salem, MA : Page Street Kids, 2020. Picture Book.  A treehouse in the woods becomes a fort for two children. They each come at different times and using their imaginations, they have different adventures. The boy is a prince and the treehouse is his castle. The girl is a pirate and the treehouse is her ship. One day the prince is frustrated when he discovers that a pirate has invaded his castle and drawn a treasure map on his invitation. The pirate comes back to her ship to find that a prince has left his crown on her ship. This continues until one day, the two come to the treehouse at the same time and they learn to have adventures together!  This picture book is a fun way to encourage imagination and cooperation. The two children learn how to share, and discover that they can have fun adventures when they use their imaginations together! With the creative illustrations and the fun text, this is a perfect book to read aloud.

Unplugged By Gordon Korman New York: Balzer + Bray, 2021. Fiction. 12-year-old Jeff Baranov is the most spoiled kid in Silicon Valley -- no really, a magazine article even ranked him that way. While is mother is perpetually away volunteering with Orthodontists without Borders and his father is busy running his tech-empire, Jeff is always playing pranks and getting into trouble. When enough is finally enough, Jeff's father sends him to camp at The Oasis of Mind and Body Wellness retreat in the middle of nowhere in Arkansas. For a spoiled rich kid, The Oasis is pretty intense - there are strict rules that say no meat, no junk food, no pets, and no screens of any time. Still, Jeff refuses to be easily thwarted and bends every camp rule possible -- even convincing some of the other camp kids to care for a strange lizard they find in the woods. Together with goody-two-shoes Grace, hyperallergic Tyrell, and mysterious Brooklynne, Jeff is sneaking out of camp to buy food for the lizard, N...

  The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne Written by: Lesa Cline-Ransome Illustrated by: John Parra Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2020. Biography. Ethel L. Payne was born a journalist at heart. As a young child she enjoyed writing and collecting stories and was encouraged by her parents and teachers to practice her writing skills. In high school she wanted to write for the school paper but black students couldn't work on the school newspaper, however it did publish her very first story. As a young woman Ethel wrote letters to newspapers about discrimination against African Americans. She traveled around the world and wrote stories about what she saw. Her courage and determination as a reporter and her fearlessness in asking the tough questions  eventually lead her to become one of the first African American White House press correspondents. She became known as the "First Lady of the Black Press." This picture book biogra...

  Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon   By Kat Zhang  Illustrated by Charlene Chua  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2020. Picture Book.  Amy Wu is at school when her teacher reads a book about dragons to her class. Amy is especially excited when the teacher asks all the students to complete an art project where they make a dragon. Only, the dragon that Amy draws isn’t like the other dragons her classmates make. She feels discouraged. Once home Amy talks to her grandmother and realizes that her dragon was more like the Eastern dragons (like the costume dragon that Amy’s family has that resembles a Chinese New Year’s dragon costume). With the help of two friends and her family, Amy makes a dragon that feels just right. This is a fun story to help kids realize that there may be many different ways to look at the world (or imagine dragons). Amy is one creative kid and readers will want to read more about her and learn about the dragons that inspire her.

It's "U" week!  Here are a few books to celebrate this unusual letter! If I Had a Unicorn Written by Gabby Dawnay Illustrated by Alex Barrow Thames and Hudson Inc., 2020.  Picture Book. Have you ever given any thought to what the perfect magical pet would be? Giants are far too big, and dragons are way too hot, but what about a unicorn? It might eat all your ice cream for breakfast, but if you get upset about that, it will feed you cotton candy! It can sprinkle star dust on grumpy siblings, carry you to soccer practice on a rainbow, and make sure you dream nothing but sweet and fluffy unicorn dreams. In this playful tale, a little girl finds out firsthand what it’s like to have a magical creature as a pet.  --Publisher Abner & Ian Get Right Side Up Written by Dave Eggers Illustrated by Laura Park Little Brown and Company, 2019.  Picture Book. Abner and Ian are stuck sideways on the pages of their debut picture book. They can't start the story like this! Ian is tr...

  The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden By Karina Yan Glaser When catastrophe strikes their beloved upstairs neighbors, the Vanderbeeker children set out to build the best, most magical healing garden in Harlem--in spite of a locked fence, thistles and trash, and the conflicting plans of a wealthy real estate developer .   Wish By Matthew Cordell When an elephant couple decides it is time to have a child, unexpected challenges arise but, at last, the pair's deepest wish comes true. When Mischief Came to Town By Katrina Nannestad In 1911, when orphaned ten-year-old Inge comes to live with her stern grandmother in a remote island village in Bornholm, Denmark, she ends up changing the climate of the town, bringing joy and laughter to her grandmother's life and finding a new family for herself to help assuage her grief over losing her mother. The Very Very Far North By Dan Bar-el   As Duane, a polar bear, explores his new home he makes friends with the wide variety of creat...

  Bubbles By: Ben Clanton Toronto: Tundra Books of Northern New York, 2021. Board Book Narwhal and Jelly are back for a new adventure in this fun board book! After Narwhal accidentally pops Jelly's bubble, they go exploring to find more bubbles all over the sea. These fun-loving friends go on to find bubbles of all sorts of shapes and sizes. This book is an absolute delight to read! The fun characters keep you engaged at every turn of the page. In addition to the darling whimsy of the story, the book includes colors, opposites, and rhyming perfect for a young one. Don't be surprised if you find yourself coming back to this one again and again. 

A Story About Afyia Written by James Berry Illustrated by Anna Cunha London, U.K. Latana Publishing Ltd. 2020 Afiya has a lovely white summer frock that she washes every night so she can wear it every day. She has to wash it because it somehow collects things throughout the day. When she waders past a patch of wild roses, the flowers become imprinted on the white fabric, When she visits the seaside, the waves, fish and the entire sea go back home with her. This beautiful book is written by the late Jamaican poet, James Berry. The incredible imagery romanticize the adventures of children and the beauty they find in the world around them. As a Coretta Scott King award winner, we can except nothing less than stunning prose. The matte illustrations, done by Anna Cunha, allow the readers to imagine the beauty that Afiya sees. Through the pictures, we are able to enjoy the natural perfection of the flowers, animals and earth just like Afiya.

Ground Zero By Alan Gratz New York: Scholastic Press, 2021. Fiction. In 2001, after being suspended from school for fighting a bully, 9-year-old Brandon Chavez follows his dad to work at the North Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11. During the al-Qaida terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, Brandon is separated from his father and left with no choice but to find his own way out of the burning building -- without fully understanding the terror going on around him. In alternating chapters, we meet 11-year-old Reshmina in 2019 Afghanistan. Reshmina lives in a small village where ongoing battles between U.S. armed forces and the Taliban shape her everyday life. When she rescues an American solider, her village becomes the target of a Taliban attack. If you have read an Alan Gratz novel before, you will not be disappointed by his newest title - a fast-pace blending of history, action, and commentary on current events. The heart-pounding pace picks up on the first page and never r...

  Itzhak: The Boy Who Loved the Violin Written by: Tracy Newman Illustrated by: Abigail Halpin Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2020. Biography. Before Itzhak Perlman became one of the world's best violinists, he was just a small boy who loved music. When he was four years-old he contracted Polio which left him crippled for life. Despite his many obstacles he never gave up on his love for the violin and music. He began studying the violin when he was five years-old. He would spend two to three hours a day practicing. During his practice he experimented with different bow techniques, bouncing his bow along the strings and seeing what kinds of sounds he could make plucking the strings. He would talk to the music and would imagine what the music would look like and what kind of personality it had. He became the music. By the age of 10 he was giving solo performances and when he was 13 he performed on the Ed Sullivan Show. After that performance "His life would never again be ordin...

  Home for a While  By Lauren H. Kerstein  Illustrated by Natalia Moore  Magination Press, 2021. Picture Book.  Calvin is a young child that has to go and stay in another house for a while—foster mother Maggie’s house. He is full of feelings like “This isn’t your home” and “Nobody wants you.” Each day Calvin tries to quiet his loud feelings—by shouting, throwing, kicking, jumping, etc. However, sometimes his actions lead to things like a broken vase or a cracked bedframe. Calvin is worried that Maggie won’t want him to stay and is afraid that Maggie will be upset with his actions. This is a sweet story about a young boy who is in foster care and is trying to figure out all his emotions. The foster parent Maggie has a few tricks to helping calm Calvin (like breathing slowly in and out or teaching him to talk a walk). This is a necessary book on the hard subject of foster care and the tender feelings of a child in that situation.