Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Alebrijes By Donna Barba Higuera Montclair, NJ: Levine Querido, 2023. Fiction. 404 pages. In the distant future, 13-year-old Leandro Rivera and his 9-year-old sister Gabi live on the outskirts of the walled city of Pocatel. Forced into hard labor and petty theft to survive, Leandro and Gabi are Cascabeles descendants of farmers from the San Joaquin Valley from before most of the world was destroyed. Cascabeles are subjected to the oppressive Pocatel Regime and live life in fear of severe punishment for even very minor offenses. The siblings are working on a plan to escape Pocatel and see if the old stories of La Cuna, a paradise city, are real. Their plan is derailed when Gabi is caught stealing, and Leandro is sent to Center of Banishment after taking her place. Leandro is offered a surprising reprieve -- have his consciousness transferred to a piece of old world tech, an animal drone called an alebrije. As an alebrije he can leave the confines of Pocatel, but he is tasked with findin...

  Toddlers and Preschoolers have a lot to learn. One of the things they need to learn about are feelings and emotions. Sometimes it is hard to talk about all the different feelings. Thankfully, books can help! Here is a list of different books that you can read with a little one to help talk about different emotions, feelings, and whatnot to help them understand what they are.  Don’t Blow Your Top!  Written by Ame Dyckman  Illustrated by Abhi Alwar  New York: Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2023. Picture Book. This may be my new favorite book on emotions. It shows what to do when a volcano gets angry (a bird accidentally drops a coconut on the volcano…then another…) Big Volcano reminds Little Volcano to breathe, count, and think happy thoughts. This works the first time around, but not quite the second time. And Little Volcano EXPLODES! Then has to apologize for the outburst. This is a great book that has personally helped my little one learn how t...

  Nothing Else But Miracles By Kate Albus  New York: Margaret Ferguson Books, Holiday House, 2023. 278 pages.  Dory Byrne lives in the Lower East Side in New York City during WWII. Her mom previously passed away and her pop is off fighting in the war. Older brother Fish (17) is watching Dory and younger brother Pike while all three of them go to school. Pop always says that the “neighborhood will give you what you need.” So, when a new landlord threatens the home they live in, Dory looks to the neighborhood to see how it can keep them safe.  This is a great historical fiction story with loads of details about New York City, the Lower East Side, the Statue of Liberty, and even Coney Island. Dory is a character with a lot of spunk and readers will learn with her as she works through growing up and dealing with all the feelings that come with various stressful situations. Fans of middle grade historical fiction will love Dory’s story.

What's the Weather? By Shelley Rotner New York: Holiday House, 2019. Informational. 35 pages. Photos of puffy clouds, dramatic storms, and rainbows alternate with buoyant portraits of a diverse group of children experiencing the natural world. Seasons, precipitation, wind, clouds, storms, and climate change are all introduced in a format that younger children can grasp from a trusted name in children's nonfiction. --Publisher Weather and Climate! By Kathleen M. Reilly White River Junction, VT: Nomad Press, 2020. Informational. 90 pages.  What's it like outside? Is it a day for building a snowman, constructing a sandcastle, or planting a garden? Weather and Climate! With 25 Science Projects for Kids introduces kids ages 7 to 10 to the fascinating world of meteorology and all of the ways what's going on in the atmosphere above our heads can affect us here on the earth! Plus, discover how weather and climate change are linked but not the same, and figure out ways to be par...

Toddler Time Adventures for Breakfast By Anastasiya Keegan  Brooklyn, New York: POW!, 2022. Picture Book. Luna and Milo's grandmother believes that everyday should start with a hot bowl of oatmeal, but her grandchildren are tired of it. Rather than suffer through another bowl, the sneaky siblings write her a letter of apology, explaining the incredible, hair-raising, hilarious, and unbelievable occurrences that are preventing them from joining her at the breakfast table; including, suddenly being swept out to sea, getting inside a giant ant farm, and even floating adrift in space! Breakfast will never be the same, but hopefully Luna and Milo will make it back in time for lunch! --Editor  Preschool Time My Mommy, the Octopus Written by Wendy and Nonnie Gerber Illustrated by Tori Davis New York: Sky Pony Press, 2023. Picture Book. When I wake up in the morning, the first things I see are Mommy's arms, open wide, to give a hug to me. Take one mom with two arms, add a young c...

 As children are learning to act on their big feelings it is good to teach worthwhile skills of kindness. Just like any other talent or skill, being kind to others is something that can be learned, practiced, and improved --and picture books are a fun way to teach such important lessons! Here are five of my favorite picture books that beautifully teach the importance of being kind. A Little More Beautiful Written by Sarah Mackenzie Illustrated by Breezy Brookshire Spokane, WA: Waxwing Books, 2023. Picture Book. Lou Alice is an elderly lady who decides that every day she wants to make the world a more beautiful place than the day before. She decides to plant flowers in secret around the town to brighten peoples' days. One day Lou Alice has to move to a retirement home and her days are not filled with as much joy as it seems that everyone has forgotten her. But a little girl had noticed that she was gone and decided to take up her duties of upkeeping the gardens. She brings some of t...

  The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum Written by Lisa Yee Illustrated by Dan Santat New York: Random House, 2024. Fiction. 276 pages. Olive Coban Zhang has always been invisible to her classmates. She even feels invisible to her parents, who are often gone on extended business trips, leaving her with her grandmother, Mimi. But after Mimi is gone, her parents pull her out of school one day to send her to a reforming arts boarding school on an island castle turned prison. After initially worrying that she'll fail the entrance test, Olive instead gets paired with four other like-minded kids who dub themselves the Misfits. The Misfits become child spies for NOCK (No One Can Know), an organization so secret that no one who is not a part of the organization has ever heard of them. When a jewel thief dubbed the Bling King begins stealing expensive jewelry right off the wrists and necks of wealthy people all over San Francisco, the Misfits know that they have to stop him before he can strike at...

Space is a topic of endless fascination for adults and children alike. Whether you are interested in the planets and stars, astronaut training, past missions, or speculation abut the future of space travel --there is something of interest to almost everyone within this wide-ranging topic. The following are some recent books that can answer your questions and just maybe bring up some new ones! The Astro Chimps: America's First Astronauts By Dawn Cusick Independent Pub Group, 2024. Informational. 210 pages. Did you know that the U.S. space program didn't send humans into space first? Our first astronauts were actually chimpanzees. Tasked with making sure space travel was as safe as possible for humans this top secret initiative is detailed in The Astro Chimps from the perspective of the team of veterinarians, handlers, and psychologists who worked with theses amazing animals.  The Astronaut's Guide to Leaving the Planet Written by Terry Virts Illustrated by Andrés Lozano N...

Eb & Flow Written by Kelly J. Baptist New York: Crown Books for Young Readers, 2023. Fiction. 218 pages. Two kids, De'Kari and Ebony do not like each other. It all started when De'Kari, who likes to be called Flow, had a girl squirt a packet of barbeque sauce on his nice white shoe. Shoes that his dad had given him before he left for a deployment. Eb, short for Ebony, gets mad when she accidentally trips over a boy's foot and he calls her a bad name. Both Eb & Flow are angry and with their friends encouraging them they start a fight which ends in a pair of ruined shoes, a black eye, and a ten day suspension.  This novel in verse is told from alternating points of view as both Eb & Flow work through how they feel about the fight and deal with their individual problems at home. During their suspension their fight goes viral and family, friends and community members get involved. Both Eb and Flow have a lot of time at home to reflect on their actions and think abou...

Horses are some of the coolest creatures, and our intermediate books are the perfect reading level for beginning readers looking for more of a challenge. These books have horses aplenty, and most include illustrations! Read about horses in a fantasy setting, a historical setting, and maybe even a familiar, Tangled setting. If you like horses and intermediate books, you're sure to love one of these. Magic and Mischief By Stacy Gregg London: HarperCollins Children's Books, 2023. Intermediate. 124 pages.  Olivia and Eliza are best friends trying to help the ponies at Pemberley Stables. The horses are trapped in time with magic, and their behavior isn't always appropriate. Bess is a highway pony, but she's also a criminal! She robs carriages for fun, and Olivia and Eliza are desperate to help break the spell that's making Bess so naughty. Another beginning to a great series full of magic and horses.  Magically Maximus Written by Kiki Thorpe Illustrated by Laura Catrine...

Viking By Susan M. Margeson New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2010. Informational. 72 pages. The story of Vikings, from fighting longships and legendary bravery to mythological gods and monsters. --Publisher Vikings By Carrie Love New York: DK Publishing, 2016. Informational. 56 pages. Explores the civilization of the Vikings, discussing their epic voyages, festivals, and daily lives. --Editor The Littlest Viking Written by Alexandra Penfold Illustrated by Isabel Roxas New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2018. Picture Book. The littlest Viking must deal with an even littler Viking--his new baby sister. --Publisher Helga Makes a Name for Herself By Megan Maynor Illustrated by Eda Kaban New York: Clarion Books, 2020. Picture book. A small but fierce Viking girl, along with her wolverine sidekick, is determined to become a warrior, just like her hero Ingrid the Axe. --Editor Exploring the Life, Myth, and Art of the Vikings By Tony Allan New York: Rosen Publishing, 2012. Informational. 144 pages. Prese...

  Toddler Time No Pants! By Jacob Grant New York: Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2021. Picture Book. When his busy father prompts him to get ready for an exciting family cookout, an exuberant young Pablo decides that he would rather not wear his pants and would have more fun finding other ways to use them. --Editor  Preschool Time Noah's Seal By Lyn Marlow Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press​, 2021. Picture Book. While Nana fixes their sailboat, which will take them out to sea where the seals live, Noah builds his very own seal friend on shore until a storm blows in and he must take cover. --Publisher Preschool Time Probably a Narwhal Written by Shelley Moore Thomas Illustrated by Jennifer Harney New York: Boyds Mills Press, an imprint of Boyds Mills & Kane, 2020. Picture Book. What happens when a creative girl makes a massive mess? She blames it on a narwhal, of course! But what happens when a narwhal magically appears to defend himself? A hilario...

Cat on the Run In Cat of Death! By Aaron Blabey New York: Scholastic, 2023. Intermediate. 187 pages. Princess Beautiful is an internet sensation with millions of followers. She is incredibly famous and rich, so she takes advantage of that to do what she wants and command her employees to meet her every need. She's very exited for her date with the gorgeous billionaire heir, Catrick Cash, so she doesn't notice what's on the computer screen in her latest viral video. Unfortunately, the screen shows that she is accessing nuclear missile launch codes. Immediately, she goes from the most loved influencer to a hated cat on the run. Aaron Blabey has written another addictive series with the Cat on the Run series. It's full of high stakes chases, mystery, and silly puns. Any lover of the Bad Guys will love this new series. It's a simple read with plenty of action so it would be great for new or reluctant readers. I will warn you that it ends with a brutal cliff hanger, so w...

One of my favorite museum exhibits I visited recently was about rocks and minerals. It was fascinating to learn about how some of the beautiful stones had formed and how they are used in so many of our everyday objects and tools! Here are five picture books to read with budding geologists and anyone who likes to learn about or collect rocks. A Stone Is a Story Written by Leslie Barnard Booth Illustrated by Marc Martin New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2023. Informational. 40 pages. This picture book follows the story of a stone in the various phases of its existence--from a volcano, to the ocean, to a mountain, to you. Dynamic vocabulary and watercolor illustrations enhance this imaginative read. Rick the Rock of Room 214 Written by Julie Falatko Illustrated by Ruth Chan New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022. Picture Book. Rick is tired of sitting on the Nature Finds shelf of classroom 214. He wants adventure like the rocks the class has learned about th...