Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Each month we have two book clubs for kids at the Provo City Library! These book clubs are especially designed for kids ages 9-12 and a caregiver. This September, our Guys Read book club will meet September 22 and our  Girls Read book club will meet September 27. You can preregister for these programs on the library calendar online, beginning September 1! This month, Guys Read will be reading: The Terrible Two By Mac Barnett and Jory John New York: Amulet Books, 2015. Fiction. In this hilarious series opener, legendary prankster Miles Murphy is reluctant to move to a small town away from his friends and his own school. The one highlight, is he knows that he knows he will become the number one prankster at his new school -- until he discovers he is facing serious competition in the form of an inspired mystery prankster. The battle of pranking one-upmanship begins in this highly entertaining read. This is a funny and high-interest read with a lot of kid appeal. Girls Read will...

I Am a Baby   By Bob Shea  Candlewick Press, 2022. Picture Book.  In this cause and effect book readers will learn all the things that happen…because the main character is a baby. From Mommy being sleepy to Kitty hiding, things are all happening because of the baby. Shea’s illustrations show more details into the various causes (like baby trying to grab kitty). The repetition of the phrase “because I am a baby” will invite young listeners to join in with the refrain. The bright colors and comical, illustrated moments (I especially enjoyed the spreads of why Daddy is clumsy or why Grandma is smiley) make this a comical romp for all those older readers who have had these sorts of moments because of their own babies. Expect a snort or chuckle from older readers while younger ones will giggle at the power a baby has over a household. Well done, Mr. Shea. Well done.

Here is the thing, I love animal picture books. Which is totally ironic since I don’t actually love pets or being around animals. But if you want to watch a documentary about animals or you want to visit the zoo or aquarium or you want to read a book about animals, then fantastic. I’m totally with you. When it comes to learning about animals or seeing cute animal characters in a book—I love it. I guess I just don’t want to clean up the messes or get fur all over my clothes. Anyway, there are a lot of fun animal picture books that have recently been published, and I wanted to share some of my new favorites with you!  Frog Vs. Toad  By Ben Mantle  Candlewick Press, 2022. Picture Book. I nearly snorted when reading the first part of this book. It starts off with a frog catching a fly that was caught at the same moment by a toad. When the fly comments on being eaten by “two frogs” the frog and the toad are offended—and both let go of the fly who buzzes off. The rest of the bo...

Eruption: Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives By Elizabeth Rusch and Tom Uhlman Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2013. Informational. 76 pages.  An account of the work of volcanologists Andy Lockhart, John Pallister, and their team describes their life-risking efforts to investigate dangerous volcanoes that pose threats to more than one billion people worldwide. Volcanoes in Action Written by Anita Ganeri New York, NY: Rosen Central, 2009. Informational. 48 pages.  What is a volcano? -- Why volcanoes erupt -- Volcano hazards -- Case study: Mount Pelée, Martinique, 1902 -- Case study: Mount St. Helens, U.S.A., 1980 -- Case study: Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, 1985 -- Case study: Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, 1991 -- Case study: Soufriere Hills, Montserrat , since 1995 -- Case study: Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of Congo, 2002 -- Eruption prediction and protection. Volcanic Eruptions Written by Ann Squire New York, NY: Children's Press, an imprint of Scholastic ...

Honest June Written by Tina Wells Random House, 2021. Fiction. 274 pgs. A fairy godmother granting you a wish seems like the answer to any problem but June Jackson discovers that being put under a spell can make life more difficult. June is a people pleaser who doesn't see anything wrong with bending the truth if it keeps everyone happy. So June wears clothes her mother picks for her that she detests and she is playing field hockey after school for her father. But what June really wants is to be able to write but she couldn't possibly tell her parents this! But when she is put under a truth telling spell by her fairy godmother, June learns that telling the truth is always the best choice. June is a delightful spunky character who is very relatable. I could empathize with her feelings since I am also a people pleaser. Growing up is hard and I enjoyed seeing the growth that June made as she learned that being honest and expressing ones true feelings will bring freedom. This was a...

  The Puppy Problem Written by Laura James Illustrated by Charlie Alder Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2022. Intermediate. 114 pages. Gizmo the Dachshund, moves to a new town, Puddle, where he meets his next door neighbor dog, Jilly. Jilly has four puppies and she wants people who live in Puddle to adopt them, so she can still see them around. Gizmo comes up with an idea to make a newspaper advertisement for the puppies. His advertisement sparks an idea to create a community dog newspaper called The Daily Bark.  This book was so enjoyable to read. Seeing the shenanigans that the dogs get into are hilarious. All of the dogs have their own fun personalities and they learn a lot as the story progresses. There are bold illustrations that add a lot of energy to the story. As soon as I finished this book, I put the second book on hold. Dogs lovers and fans of Hank the Cowdog or Diary of a Pug will especially enjoy this series.

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. As a child, while I hated the idea of summer ending, I was always really excited by the thought of starting school again. I loved back to school shopping and looking forward to the new beginnings in a new year in school. So to get your children just as excited as I used to be about the prospect of going back to school, here's a list of my five favorite picture books about starting school. Isabel and Her Colores Go to School Written by Alexandra Alessandri Illustrated by Courtney Dawson Sleeping Bear Press, 2021. Picture Book. Isabel is going a new school, where instead of speaking Spanish like she loves, she'll have to speak English which sounds wrong to her ears. A girl in her new class asks Isabel if she would like to be friends, but Isabel doesn't understand the question. As she draws her new friend a picture, she realizes that not everything has to be communicated in words. This book will show kids that a new year is a new chanc...

Manatee Summer By Evan Griffith New York: Quill Tree Books, 2022. Fiction. It's the summer before middle school, and 11-year-old Peter plans to spend his entire summer completing the "Discovery Journal" he keeps with his best friend Tommy. The journal is filled with drawings and copious notes about the wildlife they discover in their Central Florida neighborhood. When Discovery No. 95, a manatee the boys name Zoe, turns up critically injured, Peter is galvanized to advocate for animal rights and his summer of activism begins. Meanwhile, he is faced with the upsetting news that Tommy, his best and only friend, is moving to Michigan. If that weren't enough, Peter also must balance his time helping manatees with his role as caretaker for his grandfather with Alzheimer's, keeping an eye on him while his single mother works. This is a sun-soaked novel perfect for readers who love animals and their planet. Peter's role in Zoe's rescue feels believable, even for ...

  The Terrible Two is a classic humorous novel about two boys who both want to be the school prankster. When they finally decide that two brains are better than one and work together, they come up with one of the most brilliant pranks ever. This book is a fun light hearted read with hilarious writing and illustrations that add to the humor of the story. If you enjoy funny entertaining books like The Terrible Two you may also enjoy reading these books. Confessions of a Class Clown Written by Arianne Costner Random House, 2022. Fiction. 273 Pgs. Jack Reynolds is the class clown and has a talent for producing goofy video's for his "MyTube" posts. But he has a problem, he needs help filming his shows and his tomfoolery has caused him to loose all of his friends. On impulse he decides to sign up for an after-school "Speed Friendshipping" club to find some new friends, but who would be the best partner for his comedy club? A funny book that encourages readers to thin...

The Rent Collector: Adapted for Young Readers By: Camron Wright Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2022. Fiction. 227 p.  Sang Ly lives at the dump with her family. They pay the rent by collecting trash and selling it for money. Life is difficult with gangs, a sick baby and constant rent to pay. When Sang Ly's husband finds a children's book at the dump, their life changes as Sang Ly convinces the rent collector to teach her to read to provide a better life for her young son.  This inspirational book is based on a true story and should be heard by everyone. The Young Readers version of this award-winning novel makes this story accessible to a larger population of readers. Although the characters are adults, this is a story that older elementary children can enjoy and much learning can take place as discussions revolve around it. It is a beautiful book with drawing characters, life lessons and reflection.

Milo Imagina el Mundo Escrito por Matt de la Peña Ilustrado por Christian Robinson G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2021. Libro Illustrado. Milo hace un largo viaje en metro. Para pasar el tiempo, observa a la gente a su alrededor y hace dibujos de cómo se imagina que son sus vidas. Está el hombre de bigotes con un crucigrama; Milo lo dibuja jugando al solitario en un apartamento desordenado. Está la mujer vestida de novia; Milo la dibuja en una gran ceremonia en la catedral. Y luego está el chico del traje; Milo lo dibuja llegando a su hogar, que es un castillo. ¿Pero qué pasa si la vida de cada uno es diferente de lo que Milo imaginó inicialmente? De los creadores galardonados Matt de la Peña y Christian Robinson nos llega este oportuno e importante álbum ilustrado sobre cómo no se puede conocer realmente la historia de alguien con solo mirarlo . La Última Descendiente Por Rick Riordan Montena, 2021. Ficción. 415 paginas. La Academia Harding-Pencroft no es un instituto normal: de sus clases s...

Honestly Elliott By Gillian McDunn New York: Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2022. Fiction. 263 pgs. Of all the places in his life, Elliott feels most at home in the kitchen. Between his ADHD and his parent's divorce, Elliott often feels out of place and extra-disorganized. But when he's in the kitchen cooking, everything clicks into place for him. Which is good because since Elliott's best friend moved away, he's been feeling more lost than usual. A mysterious incident -- which he refuses to talk about -- has caused extra tension with his father and landed Elliot in therapy. Meanwhile at school, his lunchtime friend group blocks him from joining their group for a class project because of his ADHD and he ends up partnered with ultra-organized, ultra-popular Maribel Martinez. As they plan their project -- baking and selling gluten-free pies -- Elliott realizes he isn't the only one seeking out their true self. This realistic fiction novel will appeal to readers with...

Peter Pan is a boy who will never grow up and loves a good adventure. As we know, his favorite pastimes include spending time with the Lost Boys and taunting Captain Hook. Check out these couple of books that Peter might find intriguing. The Double Dangerous Book for Boys Written by Conn Iggulden New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2019. Informational. 317 pgs. This informational book has vital information for kids who seek out adventure. It is chalk-full of information about things like flying machines, starting fires, American trees, and ruins of the world. This book would be perfect for Peter Pan, a young, adventure-seeker without parental supervision. Beware the Crocodile Written by Martin Jenkins Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2019. Informational. 27 pgs. You may not know as much about crocodiles as you think you do. This book digs into crocodiles and what makes them tick. Its fun and informative pages would have Peter Pan "hooked" onto every word. The Pira...

Red Scare By Liam Francis Walsh New York : Graphix, 2022. Graphic Novel. 236 pgs. Red Scare follows Peggy, a girl living with Polio at the height of the Red Scare in 1953. When Peggy comes in contact with a man suspected of being a Soviet spy, she starts receiving visits from the FBI, who accuse her of helping the “Commies.” Peggy soon discovers that she is not as unaffected by the encounter as she thought when she finds the strange artifact that the FBI were looking for hidden in her crutches. Peggy must decide what to do with it, all while witnessing the fear and hate in her community towards anyone associated with communism.  This graphic novel touches on themes of war and recovery, illness and disability, and standing up for the liberty of others against a culture of fear and exclusion. The discussion of the need to see community members as individuals beyond their beliefs was insightful. Peggy also struggles to come to terms with her disability throughout the novel as she lea...

The idea of time travel is one of endless fascination and countless possibilities. Happily, that makes it the perfect setup for a great story! Here are five favorite books that will transport you to another time and place:  Da Vinci's Cat: A Novel Written by Catherine Gilbert Murdock New York: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2021. Fiction. 278 pages. Two unlikely heroes, Federico from sixteenth century Rome and Bee from present day New Jersey, are brought together across time by a cat, a sketch, and a mysterious time-traveling wardrobe to prevent history from being rewritten and the future changed.  Jukebox Nidhi Chanani New York: First Second, 2021. Graphic Novel. 208 pages. A mystical jukebox with vinyl records keyed to transport the traveler back to the time of the record's origin is the unique method of travel for Shaheen and her cousin Naz as they search for Shaheen's missing music-obsessed father.  Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Treehouse #1...

The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza Written by Mac Barnett Illustrated by Shawn Harris Katherine Tegen Books, 2022. Comics. Move over, Captain Underpants!  There are new heroes in town--the first cat in space, his trusty computer sidekick, LOZ, and the queen of the moon!  When the moon is threatened by evil space rats, Earth calls on a cat to blast into space and head to the moon to stop them.  Along the way he meets friends to help him with his task and hilarity ensues! Fans of Dav Pilkey will eat this book up.  It's quirky, likeable characters and silly plots make for a madcap read that will appeal to reluctant readers and lovers of funny graphic novels.  Personally, I'm not a huge fan of excessive potty humor, which can sometimes accompany comic books of this ilk, but this one kept the weird and funny without the toilet jokes--win!  

This is the time of year where sunflowers are in full bloom! Often times people go to sunflower festivals, take beautiful photos in fields of sunflowers, or just enjoy the blooms in their own yards. These majestic flowers are beautiful and incredible, as they always turn towards the sun. If you like sunflowers, here are a few book that you will enjoy!  A Seed Grows By Antoinette Portis New York : Neal Porter Books/Holiday House, 2022. Informational.  This informational picture books teaches readers about the life cycle of a sunflower. It has detailed illustrations with close up views and fold out pages. If you want to learn more about the science behind these amazing flowers, this book is for you. Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers Written by Lina al-Hathloul & Uma Mishra-Newbery Illustrated by Rebecca Green Chicago, Ilinois : Minedition, 2022. Picture Book. This is a story about human rights activist Loujain Alhathloul told in a symbolic picture book. Loujain dreams o...