Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Alright Baby Dracula, we know that you are going to grow up to be hauntingly charming and will potentially terrorize the world with the mere thought of you…but right now you are a baby. And like most youngsters you may want to read some great picture books. Here are some that I am recommending just for you:  Vampenguin  By Lucy Ruth Cummings  Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2021. Picture Book. I know you are a vampire baby…and most babies like to go to the zoo. Here is a book about a vampire family that visits the zoo and all the crazy mischief that happens on that particular trip.  Knight Owl  By Christopher Denise  Little, Brown and Company, 2022. Picture Book. Toddler Dracula, I know that you prefer doing things at night. And Knight Owl is no different! He wants to be a knight and protect the kingdom at night. Now, maybe you aren’t so into protecting kingdoms…but you can always learn to like it, right?  Attack of the Underwear Dragon  By Scot...

  Crash from Outer Space By Candace Fleming Scholastic Focus, 2022.  Informational.  272 pgs. In 1947, a field in Roswell, New Mexico was disturbed by a crash that left debris scattered. Some say the bodies of extraterrestrial beings were found amongst the debris, that a UFO had crashed there, and that the government was covering up the evidence in a massive conspiracy. But what really happened at Roswell?  UFOs : What Scientists Say May Shock You! By N.B. Grace Franklin Watts, 2008.  Informational.  64 pgs.  Strange lights seen in the sky, flying saucers, little green men with huge eyes-- all are extraterrestrial sightings people have claimed to have encountered. Are they real or imagined? Alien Invasion By Allan Morey Bellwether Media, Inc, 2020.  Informational.  24 pgs. People have all wondered about the possibility of intelligent life visiting Earth. But what if their intentions were nefarious? With superior intelligence and weapons, huma...

Read in Toddler Time Bob's Hungry Ghost By Geneviève Côté Toronto, Ontario : Tundra Books, 2014. Picture Book. Bob wants a dog for his birthday, but instead he gets a ghost, and its name is Fluffy. Unfortunately, Fluffy doesn't fetch, sit or go for walks. But he does eat everything, and soon all of Bob's things and even Bob himself end up in Fluffy's belly. Will Bob find a way to tame his unruly and very hungry ghost? Will Fluffy realise that eating Bob wasn't a very nice thing to do? All ends well in this sweet and silly look at appreciating what you have. Every child will want a ghost for their birthday after reading this book.--Publisher Read in Preschool Time Ghost Cat By Kevan Atteberry New York : Holiday House, 2019. Picture Book. A boy who used to have a cat believes that its ghost is darting through his house by day and purring in his bed at night.--Publisher Read in Preschool Time There's a Ghost in this House  By Oliver Jeffers  New York : Philomel Boo...

  Astrid the Astronaut: The Astronomically Grand Plan Written by Rie Neal  Illustrated by Talitha Shipman Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 2022. Intermediate. 97 pages. Astrid's Astronomically Grand Plan has many steps, but they all lead up to her being the first astronaut in space who uses hearing aids. She is finally old enough to join the STEM after-school program called the Shooting Stars, where they do activities and projects to learn about space. Joining this club with her best friend, Hallie, is just one of the steps in her grand plan. Astrid has to make a new plan and new friends when it turns out that her best friend would rather do the art club. She learns to make new friends, work together, and that there's more than one way to solve a problem.  There are so many elements of this book that young readers can connect to. It is so relatable with the themes of friendship, growth mindset, and teamwork. STEM and space enthus...

Has anyone ever asked you what food you would choose if you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life? For me the answer is pizza. It's so versatile! You can eat it with eggs and bacon for breakfast. You can make it with a traditional marinara sauce or mix it up with BBQ sauce, pesto, or ranch. You can even make it into a dessert! I really do think I could eat it for every meal and never truly get sick of it. So for those of you who also contribute to the 100 acres of pizza that Americans eat each day, these books are for you! Pizza! A Slice of History By Greg Pizzoli Viking, 2022. Informational.  Would you like a history of pizza that's both short enough and interesting enough that you can read it with your young children? Then this book is for you! Pizzoli takes readers from Italy to the U.S. and through time from the first Margherita pizza to the first pizza delivery, through to the present day. Kids will be begging you for regional pizzas from Chicago, Detroit, and...

The monster created by scientist Victor Frankenstein in author Mary Shelley's classic work may just be fiction, however I'm of the opinion that if he really was  A-L-I-V-E, he'd want to understand more of how Frankenstein created him. Thus, finally being able to achieve his wish of having a bride and companion just like him: To help Frankenstein's monster gain a solid foundation in scientific history so that he too can become a genetic engineer -  The Book of Big Science Ideas Written by Freya Hardy Illustrated by Sara Mulvanny London: Ivy Kids, an imprint of Quarto Group, 2019. Informational. 80 pages.  The Book of Big Science Ideas starts out each "big idea" by offering a succinct explanation, then continues by introducing influential thinkers within each discussed topic. Topics include such established scientific fields as: electricity, the periodic table of elements, and the solar system. It then moves forward to briefly introduce current experimental ide...

Are you feeling adventurous? Try cooking a new recipe using one of these adventurous cookbooks. You will find step-by-step recipes showing you how to take ordinary food and combine it with unusual ingredients to create a surprisingly delicious masterpiece. Begin your cooking adventure by checking out one of these unusual cookbooks and see what creations you can make. Adventurous Eats  By Katrina Jorgensen Capstone Press, 2021. Informational. 32 pgs. Throw ordinary and plain snacks out the door and create something new with flavor combinations that may surprise you. These recipes are appetizing and easy enough for young aspiring chefs to follow. Head to the kitchen and get creative! Twisted Treats: Desserts With Unexpected Ingredients By Heather Kim Compass Point Books, 2019. Informational. 48 pgs. Learn how to make traditional desserts that are household favorites and then experience an explosion of flavors by adding unusual ingredients to create fun textures and mouth watering cre...

Grounded for All Eternity By Darcy Marks New York : Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 2022. Fiction. 375 pgs. Malachi, Crowley, and Lilith are just your average, normal, middle-school kids. That is, if you consider living in the suburbs of Hell and having black feathered wings normal. They want to enjoy their school free vacation, but Hell is on lock down after the soul of Reverend Samuel Paris, leader of the 1693 Salem witch trials, escapes. Malachi and his friends travel to Earth, looking for some fun, but accidentally bring the Reverend's soul with them to modern day Salem, Massachusetts. Chaos ensues, and Malachi meets many new types of characters, such as witches, angels, and humans. Malachi and his friends must work together to return Reverend Sam's soul to Hell, or else all of Salem will be destroyed. Or worse, be grounded for all eternity.  Read this book for the ultimate Halloween experience, and if you want to revisit the ...

  The Blue Shark By Sara Green Bellweather Media, 2013. Informational. Engaging images accompany information about the blue shark. Narwhal By Katie Marsico Heinemann Library, 2012. Informational. Follow a narwhal through its day as it eats, swims, and cares for its young. Kangaroos By Katie Riggs Creative Education, 2017. Informational. A kindergarten-level introduction to kangaroos, covering their growth process, behaviors, their home in Australia, and such defining features as their big back feet. Koalas By Willow Clark PowerKids Press, 2012. Informational. Provides information on the cuddly koala, a native of Australia. Anocanda vs. Jaguar By Thomas K. Adamson Bellweather Media, 2020. Informational. Amazing photography accompanies engaging information about anacondas and jaguars. The combination of high-interest subject matter and light text is intended for students in grades 3 through 7. Lion vs. Tiger Written by Jerry Pallotta Illustrated by Rob Bolster Scholastic, 2009. Infor...

Read in Toddler Time The Froggies Do NOT Want to Sleep By Adam Gustavson Charlesbridge Publishing, 2021. Picture Book. The froggies do not want to sleep and refuse to head to bed; they'd rather play their accordions, go for long drives in the country, or sing opera while shooting themselves out of cannons.--Publisher Read in Preschool Time The Fairy Garden Written by Georgia Buckthorn Illustrated by Isabella Mazzanti Ivy Kids, 2022. Picture Book. Mimi was a perfectly ordinary girl who lived a perfectly ordinary life. She didn't want many things. But there was one thing she wanted more than anything else... to see fairies in her garden. Could she ever make a garden perfect enough that they would come?--Publisher Read in Preschool Time Mister Fairy Written by Morgane de Cadier Illustrated by Florian Pig é Red Comet Press, 2021. Picture Book. Mister Fairy spreads happiness and joy wherever he goes.--Publisher Read in Book Babies Mrs. Peanuckle's Vegetable Alphabet By Jessie Fo...

There are so many awesome Halloween-themed informational books at the library. Some are fun and spooky while others are down-right frightening. Here are five of my favorites for those wanting to get in the holiday spirit. The Ghostly Carousel Written by Calef Brown Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 2018. 32 pages . This book of very silly poems will get you in the mood for Halloween. There are poems about scary shadows, creeping crud, and a zombie named Joel. You will definitely get a kick out of these goofy monsters.  Living Ghosts & Mischievous Monsters Written by Dan C. Jones New York: Scholastic Press, 2021. 166 pages. The author of this book is a member of the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma and grew up hearing scary stories from the elders in his tribe. As an adult, he travelled the country to hear more chilling tales from other tribes and nations. These stories truly are spooky--some so wild, you wouldn't come up with them in your wildest dreams. You might want to read these with ...

Old Friends By Margaret Aitken Illustrated by Lenny Wen New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2022. Picture Book. Marjorie is an old soul who would rather spend time knitting, gardening and baking than playing the games other children her age are interested in. Now that her grandmother is gone, Marjorie is at a loss about whom she will do these activities with, until she sees an advertisement at the community center for a Senior Citizen Friends Group that includes all of her favorite activities. The only problem is, Marjorie is not a senior citizen. Disguise hijinks ensue as Marjorie tries to sneak into the group. This delightful picture book shows that there is more that connects the generations than one might think. Marjorie’s disguise techniques will amuse readers. There is also an overarching theme of grief and lost loved ones as Marjorie misses her grandmother. Her new intergenerational friendships show that people of any age can learn from each other. The close of the book also reveals t...

A Spoonful of Frogs By Casey Lyall Illustrated by Vera Brosgol New York: Greenwillow Books, 2022. Picture book. On today's episode of Bewitching Kitchen! our host, a friendly witch, is going to show us step-by-step how to make a witch's favorite treat -- the always delicious frog soup. The T.V. cooking show is going perfectly until it's time for the main ingredient, a spoonful of frogs. It's almost as if the frogs don't want to be part of the soup! Our Kitchen Witch host tries her best to keep her cool as she desperately chases after some extra hoppy frogs. This book is hilarious and will be a favorite classroom read aloud for elementary school children young and old. Ideal for a Halloween-y read aloud that isn't too scary, or for any audience that likes to see frazzled adults. 

The Clackity  By Lora Senf Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2022. Fiction. 279 pgs. 12 year old Evie lives with her aunt in the 7th most haunted city in America (per capita). Her Aunt Desdemona is the local paranormal expert, so when strange things start happening at the abandoned slaughterhouse, Aunt Desdemona is determined to figure out what's going on.  Evie is never supposed to go to the slaughterhouse, but worry for her aunt leads Evie there where she sees her Aunt taken by a shadowy figure with an eerie smile--the Clackity.  Evie must save her aunt from an alternate reality filled with all kinds of danger and bring her back before the ghost of a serial killer can add them both to his list of victims.   Oooh, this was a fun one!  Evie was so relatable in her fears and flaws, but also inspiring in her bravery and love for her Aunt.  I loved the atmosphere of the whole book, especially the description of the 7 houses Evie has to traverse to find he...

During spooky season, ghosts are a prime spooky figure. We see ghost decorations, we read and tell ghost stories, and even dress up like ghosts for Halloween. Ghosts can be spooky or they can be fun! Below is a list of five favorite ghost picture books that kids will love. There's a Ghost in this House  By Oliver Jeffers New York : Philomel Books, 2021. Picture Book. This picture book is all about a girl who believes her house is haunted but she can't ever seem to find the ghosts. What makes this picture book fun is that there are transparent pages throughout the book that when turned, will make it so the reader will be able to see the cute ghosts hiding around the house causing all kinds of mischief.  A Wee Boo Written by Jessica Boyd Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan Victoria, British Columbia : Orca Book Publishers, 2022. Picture Book. If you are looking for a cute ghost character, look no further. This book is all about a ghost named Wee Boo that is trying to earn her hauntin...