Provo Library Children's Book Blog

I have a lot of love for the Narwhal and Jelly books. And I can’t wait for the fall when the next book is scheduled to be published. But since waiting is hard, I have put together a list of five comic books that you may enjoy if you are like me and also love the Narwhal and Jelly series.  Crab and Snail: The Invisible Whale   By Beth Ferry.  Illustrated by Jared Chapman  HarperAlley, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2022. 64 p.  This is a fun new series. Crab and Snail are best buds and live in the surf zone (the place where the surf is sometimes in and sometimes not). One day they start to get rained on—and they realize that they are the only ones who are getting wet. Come to find out, there is an invisible whale that wants to be their friend. With lots of humor and some comedic barnacles, this book will win over early graphic novel readers.  Cranky Chicken: a Cranky Chicken Book  By Katherine Battersby  Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2021. 103 p....

Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis By: Susan Hood Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2022. Biography. 339 pages. Alias Anna is the true story of Zhanna Arshanskaya and her sister Frina. In beautiful verse, it outlines the life of Zhanna, a young Jewish girl, through WWII and the miraculous way that her life was saved because of her musical skills on the piano. Working under an alias of Anna, she was able to confront the many obstacles in her path to hide in plain sight and survive the war. Written in verse and short quotes from Zhanna herself, this is a great quick read for hesitant young readers, full of interesting history. It shares the story of Zhanna's experience without being overly wordy or irrelevant. It also includes wonderful resources, pictures and an author's note at the end that add to the entire experience. 

  Between Shades of Gray By Ruta Sepetys Philomel Books, 2011. Young Adult Fiction. In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother, and brother are pulled from their Lithuanian home by Soviet guards and sent to Siberia, where her father is sentenced to death in a prison camp while she fights for her life, vowing to honor her family and the thousands like hers by burying her story in a jar on Lithuanian soil.  Salt to the Sea By Ruta Sepetys Philomel Books, 2016. Young Adult Fiction. As World War II draws to a close, refugees try to escape the war's final dangers, only to find themselves aboard a ship with a target on its hull. Out of the Easy By Ruta Sepetys Philomel Books, 2014. Young Adult Fiction. Josie, the seventeen-year-old daughter of a French Quarter prostitute, is striving to escape 1950 New Orleans and enroll at prestigious Smith College when she becomes entangled in a murder investigation. Fountains of Silence By Ruta Sepetys Philomel Books, 2019. Young Adult Fiction. A...

  Everyone love a true crime adventure. We see it in literature for all different ages and readers. The Bad Guys is a perfect example of this. Intermediate readers have fallen for these scoundrels so much that it's been made into a movie. If you loved joining Mr. Wolf, Mr. Shark, Mr. Snake and Mr. Piranha on their adventures in trying to not be bad guys, you might want to read these four books. Remy Sneakers vs. the Robo-Rats By Kevin Sherry New York: Scholastic Press, 2017. Intermediate. Remington Raccoon, also know as Remy Sneakers, is framed for the break-in at the Science Museum. To clear his name, he and his friends set out to capture the culprit and end up head-to-head against a criminal mastermind and his robotic minions. InvestiGators By John Patrick Green New York: First Second, and imprint of Roaring Brook Press, 2020. Comics. This pair of gators use their "very exciting spy technology" to go undercover at Batter Down to find the missing famous chef. Mango and ...

Planning your upcoming summer vacation? Washington, D.C., is a city full of history, charm, monuments, and museums. Summer in our nation's capitol is an especially exciting time with many free activities, festivals, and an impressive Independence Day celebration.  Whether you're hoping to travel there in person or dreaming about it from the comfort of your living room, these books will give you a taste of the distinctive D.C. experience! The White House Cat Written by Cylin Busby Illustrated by Neely Daggett New York, NY: Balzer + Bray, 2022. Picture Book. Take a tour of the White House from a cat's perspective and learn lots of fun facts about the most famous residence in America along the way! Washington, DC City Trails By Moira Butterfield  Oakland, CA: Lonely Planet Global Ltd., 2017. Informational. 102 pages. Chock-full of little known facts and secrets, each city trail follows a different theme around the Washington, D.C., area. Trails include themes such as City Soun...

  The Swag Is in the Socks Written by: Kelly J. Baptist Crown Books for Young Readers, 2021. Fiction. Seventh grader Xavier Moon is turning twelve and for his birthday his uncle, the famous Frankie Bell sends him a pair of polka-dot socks and a letter. In the letter Frankie gives Xavier a challenge to get himself together and find his own thing. He also encourages him to follow in his grandfather and father's steps by joining the Scepter League. Xavier, who is content to stay at home and play his Switch doesn't want to draw attention to himself.  However, Xavier decides to trust his uncle and find his "swagger" and he starts wearing the socks. With the help of his uncle, Xavier ups his "sock game" and begins to take leadership opportunities which takes him down a new path. I loved this book! Xavier Moon starts to grow in confidence as he overcomes obstacles and he does so with "Swag".  He doesn't let others define him and he is determined to go...

The War that Saved My Life  has become a favorite among readers who love historical fiction and learning more about what life was like during World War II. This novel won a Newbery Honor award and the author, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, has since written a sequel to finish the story called,  The War I Finally Won . Here are five other books that are similar to this award-winner. A Place to Hang the Moon By Kate Albus New York : Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House, 2021. Fiction This is the story of three orphaned children living in England during WWII that end up being evacuated and put with host families. They are in search of a new family to adopt them and end up being moved from home to home. Their one spot of joy is the friendship they form with the town librarian. Catherine's War By Julia Billet & Claire Fauvel New York, NY : Harper Alley, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2020. Comic. This graphic novel is based on the experiences of the author's mother in...

Spectacular Spectacles Written by Jane O'Connor Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser New York : Harper, 2010. Easy Reader. When Nancy's friend Bree gets some glittery glasses to help her see better, Nancy, who likes to be fancy, wants to wear glasses too. Linus Gets Glasses By Charles M. Schulz New York : Simon Spotlight, 2016. Easy Reader. When a reluctant Linus gets glasses, a jealous Snoopy makes an effort to become fashionably bespectacled as well. Glamorous Glasses By Barbara Johansen Newman Honesdale, Pa. : Boyds Mills Press, 2012. Picture Book. After helping her cousin Joanie find glasses, Bobbie convinces Joanie to let her wear them while they go to Sophie's Sweet Shoppe. Mr. Posey's New Glasses By Ted Kooser Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2019. Picture Book. Mr. Posey is feeling gloomy. Everything seems dull. Maybe he needs new glasses? Perhaps a trip to the Cheer Up Thrift Shop with his energetic young neighbor, Andy, will help. But when the duo ...

  This Book is Not for You! Written by Shannon Hale Illustrated by Tracy Subisak Dial Books for Young Readers, 2022. Picture Book. This is a picture book by a favorite Utah author, Shannon Hale. She has also written The Goose Girl , The Princess Academy , and the graphic novel Real Friends Series.  Stanley rides his bike to the bookmobile and he's surprised to find that Ms. Christine, the regular bookmobile lady, is on vacation. Her replacement is an old man with big, bushy eyebrows. Stanley wants to check out The Mysterious Sandwich. He's surprised when the old man won't let him check the book out because it is a "girl book." Stanley is frustrated when the old man lets Valeria check out The Mysterious Sandwich because she's a girl. Stanley is also interested in a book about cats or robots, but the old man will only let cats check out books about cats and robots check out book about robots! Everyone is surprised when an Allosaurus shows up demanding to read a ...

One of my favorite things about reading is that it takes me outside myself and lets me read stories about people who have different life experiences from my own. Sometimes it can be challenging to find books with diverse protagonists, particularly in the easy reader section. After searching Provo City Library's collection, here are my five favorite easy readers with a diverse cast of characters published this year (so far!) Gigi and Ojiji By Melissa Iwai Harpercollins Children's Books, 2022. Easy Reader. Gigi is excited that her grandfather is coming from Japan to live with her family. She is looking forward to playing tag, reading books, and teaching her dog new tricks together with her grandfather. When he arrives, however, there are language and cultural barriers that Gigi did not anticipate. This is a great resource for discussing differences in customs between different cultures and the potential for confusion that can arise from misunderstanding intentions. Parker Dresses...

I loved books about aliens when I was a kid.  One of my very favorite series was "My Teacher is an Alien" by Bruce Coville, so much so that in a journal from my youth I had a list of baby names that I liked and one of the names, I kid you not, was Nikka Nikka Flexxim Puspa (from book four, "My Teacher Flunked the Planet").  Don't worry, I planned on calling them Nikka for short.  Face palm.  I still highly suggest Mr. Coville for some fun alien reading, but check out the list below for some new science fiction reads  that star our extraterrestrial friends.   Alien Summer By James S. Murray Penguin Workshop, 2022. Fiction.  On the first day of summer vacation twelve-year-old Viv Harlow just wants to relax, but when a whole race of aliens escape from the famous Area 51 where her mom works, Viv and her friends will have to make a plan, work together, and try to save their parents from alien abduction. The Secrets of Star Whales By Rebecca Thorne Joll...

  Knight Owl By: Christopher Denise Little, Brown and Company, 2022. Picture Book. Owl has always dreamed of being a knight. No one believes he can, but when knights start disappearing, he applies to knight school. Upon his acceptance he goes to the school and works extra hard to prove himself worthy. Owl is then given an assignment of night watch on the tower. One night a dragon attacks and it is up to Owl to save the day. Will he succeed? This is one that will become an instant favorite! It is full of humor and cute antics that you won't be able to stop talking about. The illustrations are so adorable and really add to the sweet nature of the story. Knight Owl is unforgettable and a story that will be enjoyed by anyone that picks it up.

  The Coral Kingdom  By Laura Knowles and Jennie Webber Lake Forest, CA: Words & Pictures, 2018. Informational. From brightly colored corals to shimmering shoals of fish, the diversity of life on a coral reef is celebrated in this visually stunning picture book with a strong ecological message about the need to protect this most precious of environments. Through gentle rhyme and intricately etched artwork, it explores the life cycle, diversity and color of the coral reef ecosystem, as well as the threats the reef faces and what we can do to save it. With each page packed full of delightful sea creatures to discover and enjoy, this is a lyrical and engaging way to learn about the life cycle of a coral reef. Coral By Molly Idle New York; Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2020. Picture Book. A disagreement between Coral, Filly, and Manta, three young mermaids who work together to build and safeguard the reef that is their home, must quickly be set right. Tropical Terry ...

  The Disappearing Act Written by Katrina Moore Illustrated by Zoe Si New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2022. Intermediate. This is the first book in the Teeny Houdini series and yes, it is as cute as it seems. Bessie Lee is always being told that she is too small, but with her big aspirations, she refused to go unnoticed! When her first-grade teacher tells her that the school is having a talent show, Bessie knows that this is her time to shine and show off her magic tricks! Her big trick is to make the class hamster, Rufus, disappear! But what will happen is he's gone for real and Bessie doesn't know how to bring him back? Follow along with Bessie's misadventures prompted by her big dreams and best intentions for a laugh or two. This book is the perfect underdog story and will surely captivate your young readers. The reading level is slightly easy but still has bigger words for your child to learn. Get ready for a very sassy, very dramatic tale!

Mina By Matthew Forsythe New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022. Picture Book.  Mina is a young mouse who loves to sit quietly with a good book. Mina's father is her opposite, a daring explorer of the surrounding forest who is always bringing home surprises.  He has one wild idea after the other, while Mina patiently endures (or barely notices) his misadventures. However, when he brings home a "squirrel," her father may have finally gone too far!  Mina is a laugh out loud romp, that will appeal to all ages. It charmingly deals with topics like trust and loyalty in a way that will keep young readers engaged. The vivid illustrations only add to its engaging appeal. As you're swept along in the story, there is always some new detail to draw your eye amidst the bold color palette. This book is a new classic, and you'll want to return to it year after year. 

 May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This month would be a perfect time to read a few books by Asian American authors. These books are excellent for teaching children about different cultures and helping them appreciate the differences in people and their traditions. This is also a great way to start discussions about the importance of respecting others.  When the Sakura Bloom Written and Illustrated by: Narisa Togo Berbay Publishing, 2022. Picture Book. A perfect read aloud that celebrates the power of the seasons and shines light on the cultural significance of cherry blossom season in Japan. The words and pictures together help the reader appreciate and understand the enjoyment of taking a look at the natural beauty around us.  I Am Golden Written by: Eva Chen Illustrated by: Sophie Diao Feiwel and Friends, 2022. Picture Book. Baby Mei is born a Chinese American to Chinese immigrant parents. This love letter written to Mei talks about being a bri...