Provo Library Children's Book Blog

  Starboard  By Nicola Skinner  New York: Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2023. 401 pages.  Kirsten Bramble is a reality TV star whose fame has dimmed over the last few seasons. When she and her school class take a trip to the SS Great Britain for a tour—suddenly Kirsten gets a little more than she had bargained for. The ship is actually alive and has decided that Kirsten is her new captain. When all of the class except Kirsten and her ex-best-friend Olive have disembarked, the ship takes off—which is a feat since she has no working sails or engines. The two girls must figure out what quest the ship wants to take them on and what they must do to return home to their family and friends. And along the way they have to confront their past and face their futures.  This is a fun magical realism/adventure book with a plucky tween captain and her quiet-yet-fierce first mate. Readers who love adventures, strong girl characters, and a good dose of magical ...

As we look back and remember the many brillant black women creators and advocates during this Black History month, it's essential to also keep looking forward to the future and to the amazing potential inherent in upcoming generations --to look to that special spark that is known as black girl magic. The Light She Feels Inside Written by Gwendolyn Wallace Illustrated by Olivia Duchess Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2023. Picture Book.  Maya learns to utilize her glow (whether it's produced from seeing injustice, sadness, or joy) by looking back at past black women pioneers to rally her community and bring people together.  Natural Me Written by MzVee Illustrated by Lisbeth Checo New York: Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2024. Picture Book. A message of empowerment meant to encourage young girls to love themselves just as they are.  Black Girls: A Celebration of You! Written by Dominique Furukawa Illustrated by Erika Lynne Jones New York: Ha...

Hope in the Valley By Mitali Perkins New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2023. Fiction. 291 pages. Pandita Paul lives in the Silicone Valley with her father and two older twin sisters. The school year has ended and she is looking forward to spending the summer reading and writing her poetry. She loves to sit and write in her favorite place, the Ashar Jaiga, or place of hope which is on the porch of an old rundown farmhouse next to her home. This farmhouse has become a sanctuary for Pandita and it is filled with memories of time she spent there with her mother who died unexpectedly.  When Pandita learns that plans are in place to sell and tear down the old farm house and orchard she is devastated and knows she has to stop this from happening. In an effort to save her precious sanctuary, she joins up with the local historical preservation society to protest the sale of this historic piece of property. Pandita will do everything she can to preserve the orchard in order to hold onto the me...

Happy Black History Month! Here are five amazing African American illustrators, and one of the books they have each illustrated. You can find more books illustrated by each person by simply searching their name in the library's catalog. These illustrations are beautiful, heartfelt, and depict incredible characters. Check out one of these books today! A Boy and His Mirror Written by Marchánt Davis Illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023. Picture Book. In this rhyming picture book, a boy named Chris seeks acceptance and a sense of identity when his long, curly hair is mocked by other kids. When he looks in the mirror, he sees a woman who tells him he looks like a king. As Chris learns what it means to be himself, readers will enjoy the incredible and detailed illustrations that complement the story well. Extraordinary Magic: the Storytelling Life of Virginia Hamilton By Nina Crews New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2024. Biography. In this picture book bi...

The Accidental Apprentice By Amanda Foody Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2021. Fiction. 283 pages. Eleven-year-old Barclay Thorne yearns for the quiet life of a mushroom farmer, but after unwittingly bonding with a beast in the forbidden Woods, he must seek Lore Keepers to break the bond and return home. --Editor Lark and the Wild Hunt By Jennifer Adam Harper Collins Publisher, 2022. Fiction. 469 pages. When her brother disappears into the Fae realm, twelve-year-old Lark must try to save him by solving riddles, fixing an ancient clock, and trusting her new Fae friend, Rook. --Editor Serafina and the Black Cloak By Robert Beatty Disney Hyperion, 2015. Fiction. 293 pages. In 1899, a twelve-year-old rat catcher on North Carolina's Biltmore estate teams up with the estate owner's young nephew to battle a great evil and, in the process, unlocks the puzzle of her past. --Editor The Princess Who Flew with Dragons By Stephanie Burgis Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2019. Fiction. 218 pa...

  Preschool Time The Animal Song By Jonty Howley New York: Random House Studio, 2023. Picture Book. Three talented animals--a crocodile playing a snare drum, a big brown bear with a bass, and a weasel with a banjo--form a traveling band to sing and play for the other animals in the woods. --Publisher Preschool Time Swim Swim Sink By Jenn Harney Los Angeles; New York: Disney-Hyperion, 2020. Picture Book.  When one little duck keeps sinking, it relies on duckling ingenuity to stay afloat. --Publisher Toddler Time I Am Stuck By Julia Mills New York: Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2023. Picture Book. It stinks to be stuck. Turtle is stuck on their back, unable to flip over. "Try wiggling your feet," advises Duck--nope. Still stuck. "Try wagging your tail," Kangaroo suggests--nope again. Armadillo says that rolling in a ball might work--Turtle tries ... but rolls ALL the way over and is stuck again. Possum wonders if Turtle is playing possum, but ...

Wild Bird Written by Diane Zahler New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2023. Fiction. 308 pages. Rype is found in the hole of a tree by Owen, the son of a boat captain. She doesn't remember much and doesn't understand his language, but she decides to join them on their voyage. During the trip, many of the crew members become ill with the bubonic plague and think that Rype is to blame for the illness. They want to throw her off the boat, but Owen convinces them to let him take her to shore. He ends up staying with her and traveling across Europe, trying to to make his way back to the rest of his family in England. They meet many people and begin traveling with troubadours, having wild experiences along the way. During their journey Rype begins healing from her trauma and remembers more of her past in Norway, including her real name. A great book for older middle grade readers who love historical fiction. The black plague was a dark and difficult time in history, and Wild Bird is the ...

Ukraine is a region that has, both currently and historically, undergone an extreme amount of upheaval. Here are some books that can help you teach your children about the history, culture, and people of Ukraine. Or maybe just help you to learn more about it yourself. The Lost Year By Katherine Marsh New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2023. Fiction. 354 pages. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Matthew is struggling with online learning, being cooped up in the house, and not being able to see his friends and father, who is reporting about the pandemic in France. Matthew is living with his mother and his high-risk 100-year-old Ukrainian-born great, great grandmother Nadiya (nicknamed GG). After an unfortunate incident involving a stray arrow, Matthew is punished by the removal of his gaming system, the one thing he looks forward to in life currently. His mom asks him to help GG go through old boxes of her stuff, where he finds out more about his family's history during the Sovi...

Emma and the Love Spell By Meredith Ireland New York: Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2024. Fiction. 251 pages. Ever since she was small, Emma has had magic powers. Her adoptive parents always seem scared of them -- or of someone finding out -- and so she keeps them concealed and under control as best as she can. But still, whenever her emotions spiral out of control, she loses control of her powers and usually affects the weather and environment around her. Two years ago, when Emma, who is Korean American, and her parents moved into a small town, she struggled to fit in and make friends. So now, when her best (and only) friend Lina (who she also has a major crush on) is moving across the country because her parents are getting a divorce, Emma doesn't know what she'll do without her. Though she still doesn't feel in control of her powers, Emma is confident that now is the time to use her powers on purpose --to get Lina's parents back together. Of course, playing with p...

As a kid, I had several unrealistic career paths chosen for myself.  I distinctly remember in fifth grade debating between an NFL player and an opera singer.  LOL!  But one dream job was a little more realistic than the rest and just as exciting to think about --a paleontologist.  Not much is cooler than getting paid to find dinosaur bones, except for maybe reading books about dinosaurs.  Read on, dinosaur lovers!  Granny Rex Written by Kurtis Scaletta Illustrated by Nik Henderson Petaluma, CA: Cameron Kids, 2023. Picture Book.  A tiny bird getting pushed around by a mean hawk gets inspiration from her ancestor --the mighty dinosaur! Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur? By Helen Yoon Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2023. Picture Book. A little girl has lost her best friend --an invisible dinosaur!  She's searched high and low, with no luck.  What's a girl got to do to track down her invisible pal? Parker's Place By Russ Willms Ne...

Bea and the New Deal Horse By L.M. Elliott New York: Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2023. Fiction. 375 pages. When Beatrice and her sister, Vivian, are abandoned by their father in a hayloft one night, they are forced to figure out how to convince the farm owner to let them stay. The girls offer to help with odd jobs around the farm and Mrs. Scott, the farm owner, decides to take them in until their father returns. When Mrs. Scott discovers that Bea is good with horses, she decides to help her get ready to participate in horse competitions to sell the horses to get money to help the farm. Bea forms a strong bond with the chestnut horse that has previously been untamable and in the process gets even closer to Mrs. Scott as they learn more about each other.  This historical fiction novel takes place during the Great Depression in Virginia and includes many events during the story to show what happened during that time. It includes penny auctions, refer...

Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks Written by Suzanne Slade Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2020. Biography.  A picture book biography of Gwendolyn Brooks, African American poet who became the first Black person to win the Pulitzer Prize. --Editor Something, Someday Written by Amanda Gorman Illustrated by Christian Robinson New York: Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2023. Picture Book.  Reveals how even the smallest gesture can have a lasting impact on the world's biggest problems. --Editor Rise: From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou Written by Bethany Hegedus Illustrated by Colin A. Johnson New York: Lee & Low Books Inc., 2019. Biography. A biography of African American writer, performer, and activist Maya Angelou, who turned a childhood of trauma and emotional pain to become one of the most inspiring voices of our lifetime. --Publisher Brown Girl Dreaming By Jacqueline Woodson New York...

Preschool Time The Robber Raccoon Written by Lou Kuenzler Illustrated by Julia Woolf London: Faber and Faber Limited, 2022. Picture Book. It seems Rosie is up to no good as she breaks into the houses of Bear, Flamingo and Snake, but when Officer Skunk catches her in the act all she has taken is junk! But Rosie has a plan to recycle these treasures and make something new. --Editor Preschool Time How to Be a Rockstar Written by Lisa Tolin Illustrated by Daniel Duncan New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2022. Picture Book. A child offers advice on starting a rock band, going on tour, and leaving the audience wanting more. --Editor Toddler Time The Secret Rhino Society Written by Jonathan E. Jacobs Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2020. Picture Book. Meet Hudson, a hippo. Fran, an earthworm. And Jean, a lightbulb. They have one thing in common: a profound appreciation for rhinos. So, they form a Secret Rhino Appreciation Society, in w...

There's something beautiful and magical about butterflies that make us fall in love with them. Other bugs are a lot less graceful and colorful. If you have a butterfly lover in your home, here are some books you might want to checkout. Becoming Charley Written by Kelly DiPucchio Illustrated by Loveis Wise New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. Picture Book Charley has always been taught what to do when he becomes a butterfly. But what should he do if he can't become a butterfly? This lovely picture book teaches us that even if things turn out a little different than what we expect, everything will be okay. The Wishing Wings Written by Jennifer Castle Illustrated by Tracy Nishimura Bishop New York: Bloomsbury, 2017. Intermediate. 113 pages. Addie and her family move to Brook Forest where she finds some beautiful butterflies that talk and grant wishes. But the butterflies are endangered by an enchantment and they need Addie's help to break it. This is a sweet and empowering short c...

15 Secrets to Survival By Natalie D. Richards New York: Delacorte Press, 2023. Fiction. 376 pages. Even though their parents are close friends, Baxter and the 3 other members of the so-called "Getalong Gang" rarely see eye-to-eye. After being disqualified from a school trivia competition because of the unkind messages they were sending each other, they are sent to a complete a wilderness survival course with Baxter's great-uncle Hornsby. When the course goes awry and Uncle Hornsby goes missing, though, the four middle schoolers are forced to learn how to work together and leverage their individual strengths to survive the Montana winter wilderness with Baxter's 18-month-old sister while also trying to rescue their missing instructor. Baxter and his companions face several wilderness dangers, including hypothermia, avalanches, and dangerous wildlife. The fast-pace of the narrative will have readers hooked to the very end, while the team learns to work together and beco...