Provo Library Children's Book Blog

The Ruby Code By Jessica Khoury New York: Scholastic Press, 2023. Fiction. 293 pages. Ash spends most of his time in a virtual reality games, and one day a stranger gifts him a copy of an old fantasy game called The Glass Realm. Inside of the game, Ash meets Ruby, a NPC (non-player character) who is supposed to assist real players, but Ash notices something unique about Ruby. As they continue deeper into the game, they realize that Ruby's abilities are greater than anyone could have imagined. This book is perfect for any video game fans, as well as fans of sci-fi and epic adventures. With themes similar to Ready Player One and Free Guy , this is fun book that highlights parallels and ideas between virtual reality and actual reality. Told in alternating chapters from both Ash and Ruby's point of view, this book presents a unique perspective and is highly entertaining.

  Sona and the Golden Beasts  By Rajani LaRocca  New York: Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2024. Fiction. 385 pages.  Sona lives in a magical land called Devia with her father and brothers. In this land the Malech are the ruling class that conquered Devia, and the Malech don’t want any of the Devan ways to survive —the Malech rulers just want to mine all the jewels from the land to take back to their home country. When Sona discovers a wolf pup that she believes is related to one of the five sacred beasts of Devia, Sona must leave on an adventure to try to save the wolf pup, a loved one, and her country.  This is a story full of magic, adventure, self-discovery, and figuring out who to trust and how to decide what is right in the face of all that is hard. Kids who love good adventures with magic and friendship and animal camaraderie thrown in will love this novel.

There have been many good picture books published recently, and many of them are great to read aloud to young boys. Here are five of my favorite newer picture books to read to preschool boys. Enjoy!  The Duck Never Blinks  By Alex Latimer New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2023. Picture Book. In this book, the narrator is trying to get a duck to blink, and the narrator asks the readers for help. That silly duck stares and stares as ideas are tried and then fails to get that duck to blink. The best part of this book is when a young reader sees what happens when the narrator goes away and takes a break (hint, it has something to do with a duck and blinking...) This book gets kids laughing as they realize that the duck is on their side in this story that breaks the fourth wall.  I Do Not Eat Children  By Marcus Cutler New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2024. Picture Book. An unnamed monster declares that he does not eat children; however, the children that surround him ma...

  A Spoonful of Time Written by Flora Ahn Philadelphia: Quirk Books, 2023. Fiction. 271 pages. Maya's grandmother is visiting and Maya spends most of the day with her grandmother while her mother is at work. Maya quickly learns that her grandmother likes to cook Korean food and one day as they are eating a Korean dish her grandmother has prepared, she and her grandmother are magically transported back in time. Maya has so many questions after they return home. She learns from her grandmother that some of the women in her family have a special ability to revisit moments from their past using food to time travel to a specific memory. Maya's grandmother can feel the memory, focus on it and visit a place or time from her past. Maya wants so badly to tell her best friend Jada about her discovery, but first she must find out if she also has the gift to cook and travel back in time --because nobody would believe her story unless she could prove that it was true. A fun aspect of this b...

Arrrrrrre you a fan of pirates? We are! Pirates are some of the funniest, silliest, and sometimes most fearsome characters. These picture books feature pirates with hilarious, heartfelt, and memorable moments. The Grumpy Pirate Written by Croinne Demas and Artemis Roehrig Illustrated by Ashlyn Anstee New York: Orchard Books, 2020. Picture Book. Pirates tend to be jolly, albeit sometimes scary, people, so "Grumpy Gus" doesn't exactly fit in with his crew. He complains about every single little thing, and the other pirates are sick of it. The Pirate Queen decides to give Grumpy Gus a gift...an equally grumpy parrot. Gus begins to realize that if he wants the pirate to have a better attitude, he needs to have one as well. Cliff the Failed Troll: (Warning: There Be Pirates in This Book!) Written by Barbara Davis-Pyles Illustrated by Justin Hillgrove Seattle: Little Bigfoot, an imprint of Sasquatch books, 2020. Picture Book. Cliff is not a very good troll, and after he fails i...

  A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever Written and Illustrated by Marla Frazee Orlando: Harcourt, 2008. Picture Book. When James and Eamon go to a week of Nature Camp and stay at Eamon's grandparents' house, it turns out that their free time spent staying inside, eating waffles, and playing video games is way more interesting than nature. But sometimes things work out best when they don't go exactly as planned. The Great Zapfino Written by Mac Barnett Illustrated by Marla Frazee New York: Beach Land Books, 2022. Picture Book. When The Great Zapfino climbs to the top of the circus platform, all eyes are on him, waiting for his incredible leap. But Zapfino is afraid of heights! He can't take the pressure and flees, boards a plane, and runs away to start a new life. In the City, Zapfino starts work as an elevator operator in a tall building but soon learns you can never really outrun your fears. When disaster strikes, can Zapfino find the strength to be great? The Boss...

  The Happy Shop By Brittany Long Olsen Portland, OR: Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group, LLC, 2024. Comic. 139 pages. In this short comic, 11-year-old Darcy has just moved to a new town and is missing her old home and friends. One day, she stumbles upon The Happy Shop which is full of glowing jars labeled with happy moments like "Having the perfect weather on your wedding day." She realizes that all the jars are filled with other people's happy memories and when you open the jar, you are able to feel what they felt in their joyous moments. When she accidentally breaks a jar, the shop owners agree to let Darcy help around the store to repay the cost. With the store losing money, the owners, Frida and Flora, are worried that they may have to close down the store. Then, Darcy stumbles upon a way to help them bottle not only happiness, but other emotions. If you loved the complexities and emotions of Inside Out, this book is a natural read alike. It's a beautiful story that...

Farms are an essential part of our world. Farms provide us with food, materials for clothes, and so much more. There is so much to learn about the work that goes into making a farm function to provide us with our every-day needs. Here are some picture books that take you to the farm. Thank a Farmer By Maria Gianferrari New York: Norton Young Readers, 2023. Informational. Picture Book. There are so many things that we use every day that come from a farm. There are all different kinds of  farms, from wheat to fruit to dairy and everything that we consume comes from them. This book helps us to remember that whether we have berries on our plate or milk in our cups, there is a farmer to be grateful for. A great informational book on the different kinds of work that is done on a farm. Miss Macdonald Has a Farm Written by Kalee Gwarjanski  Illustrated by Elizabet Vukovic New York: Random House Childrens Books 2024. Picture Book. This book is a fun take on the classic song “Old MacDon...

Looking for a new read? We’ve got you covered! Check out one of our Book Boxes for kids ages 9-12. Each Book Box contains a book to check out, as well as envelopes filled with fun surprises that you can open as you read along. Supplies are limited and pre-registration is required. You can register for June Book Boxes beginning May 27th and pick them up at the Children's Reference Desk, Monday through Saturday during regular library hours beginning June 3rd. Each child can only check out one book each month, so check out these book descriptions to decide which book you want! The City of Ember By Jeanne DuPrau New York: Random House, 2003. Fiction. 270 pages. It's Assignment Day in the year 241, which means 12-year-olds Lina and Doon will draw lots to be given the jobs that they will do for the rest of their lives. When Lina draws "Pipeworks laborer," and Doon draws "Messenger," they decide to trade assignments. But with resources like food and light running l...

 As May draws to a close and with it Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, it is a good time to reflect on the contributions and influence of the many Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders who call the United States home. Whether through art, literature, politics, or any number of other significant achievements, we, as a country, have greatly benefitted from the contributions of individuals from these cultural backgrounds. If you're curious to learn more, the following list is comprised of a blend of informational books or were written and/or illustrated by an Asian American or Pacific Islander. Enjoy!  A Child's Introduction to Asian American and Pacific Islander History: The Heroes, the Stories, and the Cultures That Helped Build America Written by Naomi Hirahara Illustrated by Sarah Demonteverde Hachette Books, 2024. Informational. 95 pages. A sweeping overview of not only significant Asian American and Pacific Islander figures, but also an ...

Nothing evokes a lovelier image of fresh baked cookies, cuddles, and unconditional love than a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house.   Grandma's Farm By Michael Garland New York: Astra Books for Young Readers, 2022. Picture Book.  Timmy and his grandma visit the farm that grandma used to live on.  Though run down now, Grandma reminisces to Timmy about what the farm used to be like and how she helped care for it.  Granny and Bean Written by Karen Hesse Illustrated by Charlotte Voake Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2022. Picture Book. Granny and Bean spend the day by the ocean finding treasures, meeting dogs, and enjoying nature.   See You Someday Soon Written by Pat Zietlow Miller Illustrated by Suzy Lee New York: Roaring Book Press, 2022. Picture Book. A grandchild gets creative in their ideas to see their long-distance grandma.  Could they could take a rocket to her house?  Or maybe mail themselves to her?  No matter what, they wo...

The Rhythm of Time By Questlove & S.A. Cosby New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2023. Fiction. 236 pages.  Rahim doesn't have a phone, so when his friend Kasia builds one for him, he is excited to try it out. But when he goes to search for videos of his favorite rap group's performance in 1997, it sends him back in time! Rahim must find a way to get back to his own time, with the help of Kasia, while he tries his best not to disrupt the timeline. That plan is foiled when things don't quite go as planned! This science fiction novel has a similar feel to the classic movie, Back to the Future . It is perfect for middle grade readers who love time travel or adventure books. It is a fun book with a good theme of family and learning to appreciate the life you have.

A Bandit's Tale By Deborah Hopkinson New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016. Fiction. 290 pages. In March of 1887, Rocco, an eleven-year-old from an Italian village, arrives in New York City where he is forced to live in squalor and beg for money as a street musician, but he finds the city's cruelty to children and animals intolerable and sets out to make things better, whatever the cost to himself. -- Editor The Plot to Kill a Queen By Deborah Hopkinson New York: Scholastic Press, 2023. Fiction. 210 pages. In 1582 thirteen-year-old Emilia Bassano is a lute player and aspiring playwright who stumbles on a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth, and is recruited by Sir Francis Walsingham to go to the castle where Mary Queen of Scots is being held and discover who is responsible for the plot. --Editor Race Against Death By Deborah Hopkinson New York: Scholastic Focus, 2023. Fiction. 289 pages. In WWII, US troops, along with thousands of Filipino soldiers who fought alongside them, were overtaken ...

  Slugfest By Gordon Korman New York: Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2024. Fiction. 292 pages. Yash is widely considered the best athlete in town. In fact, he spent his last year of junior high playing for the high school's JV teams instead of taking his normal P.E. class because the teams needed him so much.  And what's the thanks he gets? Being forced to make up his missed P.E. credit during summer school (nicknamed slugfest because the attendees are all of the unathletic kids that failed P.E. during the school year) or risking failing and having to repeat the year over. Yash even has to miss football camp and risk losing his spot on the team to attend. The tale is told from the perspectives of Yash and his fellow Slugfest schoolmates twins Stuart and Sarah (whose sole form of physical activity seems to be fighting with each other), Cleo (who's athletic but has to attend summer school because she missed so many classes when she broke her foot), Jess...

Growing Up Under the Red Flag Written by Ying Chang Compestine Illustrated by Xinmei Liu New York: Rocky Pond Books, 2024. Biography.  Ying was a three-year-old girl when China's leader, Mao Zedong, decided to bring China into a Cultural Revolution. He was nervous about losing his power and punished educated people who threatened him. Ying was learning English at home and dreaming about visiting America one day, but when she was five, Mao restricted any foreign influence in the country. Soon, Ying could no longer wear her pretty flower dress and had to always carry around  The Little Red Book , which had all of Mao's teachings. Her life was turned upside down and all the things that brought her joy had to be burned for their safety. This picture book biography is a striking story about a young girl in a communist country. We see a harsh reality through the eyes of a child. While this book deals with heavy subjects like depression, hunger, government abuse and neglect, it ...

Summer is coming up quickly, and it's the perfect weather to start spending more time in the great outdoors! Some of the most amazing things nature has to offer are the giant redwood trees in California. The tallest redwood is over 380 feet tall! If you like redwoods or learning about nature, check out these books about redwood trees! Rise to the Sky Written by Rebecca E. Hirsch Illustrated by Mia Posada Minneapolis, MN: Millbrook Press, 2023. Informational. Redwoods are the tallest living things, but they aren't the only giant trees! This picture book shows the life cycle of these giants with lovely illustrations and read-aloud text, and includes longer vocabulary-filled descriptions at the back. The Forest in the Trees By Connie McLennan Mt. Pleasant, SC: Arbordale Publishing, 2019. Informational. This informational book is an adaptation of the nursery rhyme The House That Jack Built set in the redwood forests of California. The poem looks at the coastal redwoods and the oth...

Unstuck By Barbara Dee New York: Aladdin, 2024. Fiction. 272 pages. 12-year-old Lyla Benjamin is used to being overshadowed by her basically perfect older sister, Dahlia. Lyla feels like the town-wide writing contest is finally her time to shine -- Dahlia may be better at school, but Lyla is definitely a better fantasy writer. After all, she's been planning her epic fantasy novel for basically ever. There's just one hiccup, she hasn't actually written anything yet. The more desperate Lyla is to prove herself as a writer, the more paralyzed she gets by writer's block. It doesn't help that her best friend, Rania, now goes to a different middle school and is surrounded by a new group of friends who don't seem to like Lyla. Bogged down at home by family drama, and at school by new friend drama, Lyla isn't sure she'll ever get unstuck. This novel is a heartfelt and character-driven story for any reader who has ever felt trapped by big expectations and their o...

If you like sweet middle grade romance books that are all about friendship, self-discovery, first love, or first crushes these books are for you. Fall in love with one of these sweet middle grade enemy to friends, romance stories that will make you say "ahhh." Courtesy of Cupid By Nashae Jones New York: Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. 2024.  Fiction. 274 pages. Thirteen year-old Erin wants to become a scientist and cure colon cancer as well as become the first Black woman to receive a Nobel Prize for medicine. She has her life plan in place so she can make her dreams a reality. Part of her plan starts with becoming president of the Multicultural Leadership Club at school. The only thing that stands in her way is her rival and enemy, Trevor Jin. He has been her rival since the first day of kindergarten and wouldn't you know it, Trevor also has plans to run for president and he is ready to fight her for it. So when Erin discovers that her long lost father is Cu...