Provo Library Children's Book Blog

I am a sucker for a good audio book. If you like scary audios like Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab, or my personal favorite The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud, then these five new scary listens just might make you spookily happy. Also, there is something about listening to a scary story that just makes the tale all the creepier. It could be that when I listen to scary stories I imagine the times that I sat around a campfire with friends telling tales that would hopefully keep us up all night in our tents listening to every little wilderness sound. Or when we were huddled around a dark living room in sleeping bags trying to scare each other so that we would stay up all night together. I don’t know. But there is something about listening to a good scary story. If you too like listening to scary stories and in honor of Halloween and all things that are deliciously terrifying, here are some of my more recent favorite audio books to listen to....

Braid Girls  By Sherri Winston  New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2023. 263 pages.  Maggie and her family have recently found out that Maggie’s dad has a daughter he didn’t know about. Daija and Maggie are best friends—almost sisters—and Daija doesn’t want Maggie’s new half sister to get in the way of their friendship. Callie is reeling from trying to not lose it over missing her mom (who just passed away) to getting to know her new family (she didn’t know who her dad was until right before her mom passed away.) With all three girls trying to deal with a host of emotions, they also have plans. Maggie has come up with an idea to start a hair braiding business. And Daija has the gumption to figure out how to get the business off the ground. And Callie is wanting to find her place in a new situation. Plus, all three girls have some mad hair-braiding skills.  This is a great story that focuses on three tweens who have a lot to deal with. Sometimes they handle things w...

There's a Monster in Your Book Written by Tom Fletcher Illustrated by Greg Abbott New York: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2017. Picture Book. UH OH! There's a MONSTER in YOUR book! Shake, wiggle, and tickle the monster out in this interactive bedtime read-aloud that launched the Who's In Your Book series! --Publisher Watch Out for the Lion! Written by Brooke Hartman Illustrated by Anna Süßbauer Salem, MA: Page Street Publishing Co., 2023. Picture Book. Warning readers who dare to open the book that there is a lion hiding inside, this surprising story helps them discover what is really lurking in the pages of this interactive adventure. --Publisher You Might Be Special! Written by Kerri Kokias Illustrated by Marcus Cutler Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2021. Picture Book. In this playful and interactive "quiz," readers are asked a series of seemingly straightforward questions about themselves, only to have the questions turned around into something hilarious and ...

    Toddler Time The Wheels on the Bus at Halloween By Sarah Kieley New York: Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2021. Picture Book. A Halloween variation on the popular children's song 'The Wheels on the Bus,' with a spooky bus full of ghosts, witches, cats, pumpkins, bats, candy, and a furry monster bus driver. --Publisher Preschool Time Where's My Mummy? Written by Carolyn Crimi Illustrated by John Manders Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2008. Picture Book. One deep, dark night, as all of the monsters are preparing for bed, Little Baby Mummy bravely searches for his mother until he sees a truly terrifying creature. --Editor Preschool Time If Your Babysitter Is a Bruja Written by Ana Siqueira Illustrated by Irena Freitas New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022. Picture Book. If you get a new babysitter, and it's almost Halloween, be wary... for she might just be a bruja! --Publisher Book Babies Pumpkin Heads! By Wendell Minor Watertown, MA...

Tis’ the season of pumpkin spice lattes, jack-o-lanterns, and pumpkin pie. Pumpkins have a magical quality that is essential for this time of year. Here are some fun picture books to read that take you to the pumpkin patch and celebrate the tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns!   Pumpkin Magic Written by Ed Masessa Illustrated by Nate Wragg New York: Cartwheel books, Scholastic Inc., 2020. Picture Book. When the moonlight shines on these pumpkins they come to life and go on exciting adventures through the night! Rhyming along their way, they have hilarious fun trick-or-treating and dressing up. As morning comes they make their way back home and wait for the next night’s adventure. Pick a Pumpkin Written by Patricia Toht Illustrated by Jarvis Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2019. Picture Book. A family visits the pumpkin patch and experiences the joy of picking out the perfect pumpkin. They extend the fun by inviting friends and family over to carve the pump...

Believe it or not, 2023 is winding down. As I've been thinking about pop culture moments and current events from the year, several have stuck out in my mind. So here's a list of some books to take you to the scene of some of the biggest pop culture events from 2023. For those that went to the Eras Tour... or watched everyone else's grainy concert videos: Taylor Swift Written by Wendy Loggia Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri New York: Random House Children's Books, 2023. Informational. This short Little Golden Book biography of Taylor Swift follows the singer from her birth through her early career. Those who know a lot about Taylor's life won't be surprised by the contents, but will still love looking through the beautiful pastel illustrations. Taylor fans will love this tiny biography of their favorite singer. For those that waited for news about the Titan Submersible: If You Sailed On The Titanic Written by Denise Lewis Patrick Illustrated by Winona Nelson Scholas...

The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac: The Official Magical Companion to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Books Written by J.K. Rowling Illustrated by Peter Goes, Louise Lockhart, Weitong Mai, Olia Muza, Pham Quang Phuc, Levi Pinfold, and Tomislav Tomić. New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2023. Fiction. 197 pages.  Published as the official magical companion to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, this latest addition to the wizarding world canon is chock-full of quotes, facts, timelines, character profiles, maps, and more.  The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac  makes it feel like there is no Harry Potter question that can't be answered. Not only does it cover specific topics like the properties of famous wands, magical communication, and the history of the sorting hat --but whole spreads are given over to various locations within Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic, the Burrow, and St. Mungo's Hospital, just to name a few. The attention to historical and factual detail will appeal to eve...

What better way to celebrate Halloween than to curl up with a spooky book and read together. Here are some sweet new Halloween picture books that are sure to bring a smile to your little one's face and get you ready for Halloween. Witch & Wombat By Ashley Belote New York: Random House, 2023. Picture Book. Wilma the witch is excited to get a cat because a witch just isn't a witch without a cat by her side. She goes looking for the perfect cat companion, but she can't seem to find any cats, so she comes home with a wombat. She puts some cat ears on her wombat and dresses him up like a cat, but she soon realizes that you can't turn something into something they're not.  Benita and the Night Creatures Written by Mariana Llanos Illustrated by Cocoretto Concord, MA: Barefoot Books, 2023. Picture Book. Benita loves to read, in fact, she devours books! When the night creatures come out and try to frighten her at bedtime they are annoyed that she isn't scared. In fac...

I Will Read to You Written by Gideon Sterer Illustrated by Charles Santoso New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book. Every night, a mother asks her son if she can read to him. He always chooses a scary story, one filled with goblins, witches, and monsters. But one night, the boy wonders who reads to the monsters. Dressed in a monster costume, the boy and his mother set out to find each and every monster and read to them. They encounter vampires, ghosts, and dragons. He reads a story to thousands of monsters as they drift off to sleep. Finally, the boy and his mother return home, and she reads to him. The rhyming text is amazing, and the illustrations perfectly fit the Halloween aesthetic. Kids and adults will love trying to find the little brown monster that is hiding on each page as they encounter all kinds of strange creatures. The child is thoughtful and empathetic as he recognizes one of his favorite daily activities, having his mother read to him, may not be the nor...

  Tiger Lily and the Secret Treasure of Neverland By Cherie Dimaline Los Angeles: Disney Press, 2023. Fiction. 283 pages. Tiger Lily and her community, the Indigenous people of Neverland, possess a unique ability: they can choose to grow up. But for now, Tiger Lily is enjoying being thirteen, spending time with her grandmother and exploring alongside her horse and her friends. Then Tiger Lily uncovers a plot by two of Captain Hook's pirates, who are searching for a mysterious, powerful treasure. Determined to protect Neverland, Tiger Lily sets out on a very grown-up mission: find the treasure first, and keep it out of the pirates' reckless hands. As her journey takes her from Mermaid Lagoon to the Lost Boys' secret fort and beyond, Tiger Lily will need to become the brave leader she has always wanted to be. Can she save her home and people she loves before it's too late? --Publisher We Still Belong By Christine Day  New York: Heartdrum, 2023. Fiction. 249 pages. Wesley...

  Toddler Time Preschool Time A Wee Boo Written by Jessica Boyd Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan Victoria, British Columbia: Orca Book Publishers, 2022. Picture Book. A humorous picture book about a ghost who is too cute to be scary and who realizes that she might have a more important future as an imaginary friend. --Publisher Preschool Time 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. As Little Ghost searches the night for her lost "boo," her animal friends offer to lend their sounds but she will need the reader's help to find her special sound. --Editor Book Babies Eat Together By Miguel Ordóñez New York: Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2022. Board Book. Combining geometric shapes and food, young readers see how shapes help build different kinds of foods. --Editor Monday Cuentos Un Vampiro Peligrozo Written by José Carlos Andrés Illustrated b...

Princess Magnolia is a very well-loved character. She's adventurous, charming, and poised. We just can't get enough of all the adventures she goes on! If you're wanting a few more books with similar themes that are on the same reading level, here's a list of a few: The Newest Princess Written by Melody Mews Illustrated by Ellen Stubbings New York: Little Simon, 2020. Intermediate. 117 pages. Itty Bitty is going to be a princess! But there are lots of responsibilities that go along with the royalty. Can she do everything she needs to? This cute book is perfect for Princess in Black readers who love the princess parts. Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero! Written by Kara West Illustrated by Leeza Hernandez New York: Little Simon, 2018. Intermediate. 121 pages. Mia Macrooney is from a family of superheroes, so she's not new to the world of jumping to the rescue. Although, it will take more than good genes to get into the Program for In Training Superheroes. She'll need to pa...

Extra Normal By Kate Alice Marshall New York: Viking, 2023. Fiction. 232 pages.  Charlie is completely normal in a family of extraordinary individuals. Her parents both work for the Division of Extranormal Investigations, her mother has unrivaled psychic powers, and her adopted siblings include a werewolf, a ghost, and a telekinetic boy. Sometimes though, this makes Charlie feel like she has to work harder to keep the household running to be valuable to her family. When something about their new neighbors seems suspicious, Charlie refuses to ask her parents for help and disrupt their much-neeeded vacation, instead deciding to get to the bottom of things on her own. Though Charlie worries that she is not special enough to fit in with her family, her siblings never miss a moment to show how much they care about her. Her three siblings band together to support Charlie, each using their unique skills to help in her investigations. This thriller also includes some genuinely heart-racing...