Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Next Stop By Debbie Fong New York: Random House Graphic, 2024. Comics. 249 pages. Pia Xing, a shy and lonely middle schooler, has been looking forward to her summer plans all year. She is going on a good, old-fashioned road trip across the country to see Lake Cessarine -- a remarkable, underground bioluminescent wonder that is said to have magical powers. When her dad has to bail on their plans, Pia is determined to go herself, joining a tour group full of strangers. Along the way, they see wild roadside attractions and Pia starts to form a friendship with Sam, whose mom is tour-guide for the group. As the bus gets closer to Lake Cessarine, it is more and more obvious what is driving Pia to keep going -- the tragic passing of Pia's younger brother has left her family broken and wracked with grief. Can the mystical Lake Cessarine grant Pia a miracle and bring her brother back? I don't know if the cover of this book -- which captures the fun, road trip California Crazy vibe -- re...

I have a family member who LOVES dragons. It is one of his most favorite things. He wishes that there were real dragons in the world. I have another family member who really likes dragons because of how fierce and scary they are (though he also likes the dragons that aren’t scary). If you also have a dragon fan in your home, here are five picture books that are great reads for fans of the giant and mystical beast!  100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli  Written by David LaRochelle  Illustrated by Lian Cho  New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2023. Picture Book.  This is a humorous story about counting dragons…who all happen to be named Broccoli. Readers start with 100 dragons, but then wind or adventure or other things pull various numbers of dragons away. Readers then have to figure out just how many dragons are left. Kids who love dragons and being silly will enjoy reading this book.  Attack of the Underwear Dragon  Written by Scott Rothman ...

  The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman  By Gennifer Choldenko  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2024. Fiction. 309 pages.  Eleven-year-old Hank’s mom doesn’t come home one night, leaving Hank to care for his three-year-old sister, Boo. When it is almost a week later and mom still hasn’t come home, Hank decides to head to a Lou Ann’s house (a stranger that his mom has listed as his “emergency contact” on his school form). But with help from Lou Ann comes social workers and people asking Hank a whole lot of questions about his mom that he isn’t sure he can or wants to answer.  This is a powerful story about a kid who loves fiercely. He loves his sister and is determined to do any hard thing to keep her safe. He loves his mom, even though he knows he can’t rely on her. And he is trying to decide if he can care about all the other people that come into his life who may disappear when the social services workers figure out what to do with him. This story made me laugh and c...

  Back To School, Backpack! Written by Rich Simon Illustrated by Tom Toro New York: Little Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book. A hilarious yet reassuring back-to-school picture book where a child's backpack frets about first-day-of-school jitters! --Editor First Day of School By Esther Van Den Berg New York: Clavis Publishing, 2021. Picture Book. A funny, heartwarming, and colorful picture book about the first day of school. For children who are a little afraid of this big step and for those looking forward to it.--Editor Mission: Back to School: Top-Secret Information By Susan Hood New York: Random House, 2016. Picture Book. Imagined in the form of a secret agent's set of instruction, Mason and other children negotiate the first day of school. -- Editor Louise the Big Cheese and the Back to-School Smarty-Pants By Elise Primavera New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2011. Picture Book. Louise the Big Cheese is determined to make the grade in school this ye...

Stories in the Park  The Trouble With Time Travel Written by Stephen W. Martin Illustrated by Cornelia Li Toronto, ON: Owlkids Books, 2019. Picture Book. Max and her dog Boomer accidentally break a vase, a treasured family heirloom-the only thing that Max's great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother managed to save when her houseboat sank. Instead of coming clean, they decide to do the next most logical thing: Build a time machine, travel back to her great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother's home, and smash the vase then so that they can't smash it later! What could possibly go wrong? Building the time machine is surprisingly easy, but controlling the thing proves difficult. After mucking up the time-space continuum, Max and Boomer end up crashing into the family houseboat-and sinking it. Lacking the heart to break anything else, Max and Boomer return to the near-present to warn their near-past selves not to build a time machine... --Publisher Stories in the Pa...

Drawing Deena By Hena Khan New York: Salaam Reads, in imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2024. Fiction. 232 pages. Deena is Pakistani American girl who has a lot of things to worry about. She wants to help promote her mom's Pakistani clothing business, improve her changing friendships, and pursue her interest in art. Though her parents are supportive, Deena worries about her family finances, and whether she and her brother Musa will be able to pursue their passions. These concerns lead to clenched teeth and early-morning nausea, so Deena learns how to identify her anxiety and manage her feelings.   This book is perfect for aspiring artists, kids experiencing anxious feelings, and anyone who might relate to a story about growing up. Hena Khan writes in a way that feels real and relevant to kids, showing the stress of dentist appointments, normal ups and downs in friendships, and the best parts of being yourself. Deena's voice is honest and I loved hearing about her art projects a...

Sometimes you just feeling inspired to create. The art seems to just pour out of you. Other times, you stare at the blank page and wonder where you could even start. Wherever your child is in this creative process, here are some picture books about their favorite art supplies that may cause inspiration to strike. Leo and the Pink Marker By Mariyka Foster Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishing Company Inc., 2024. Picture Book. While his moms are busy at work in the junkyard, Leo begins to doodle with a marker. Pretty soon he's finished off his coloring book and is forced to move on to the mailbox, the front door, the cat, and eventually all of the junk in the junkyard. Leo's parents celebrate when they discover he has added color to the whole world. After reading this book your child will be so inspired to create, you may need to warn them that walls are off limits. Poppy's Perfect Crayons By Sally Anne Garland Minneapolis, MN: Beaming Books, 2024. Picture Book. Poppy has a brand...

  Tree. Table. Book. By Lois Lowry New York: Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2024. 194 pages. The two Sophies are best friends and neighbors, even though one is eleven and the other is eighty-eight they have a special bond. Younger Sophie sets the scene of the idyllic suburban street they live on with its charming cast of characters. Initially, all seems well, however it soon becomes apparent that older Sophie is becoming more and more forgetful. When the threat of older Sophie potentially moving into an assisted living facility nearer to her son looms, younger Sophie is determined to prove that older Sophie is still capable of living independently. So, she starts unofficially administering one of the diagnostic tests to determine if a person has dementia which includes being able to repeat a list of items. Through this process the Sophies will go on a journey together into older Sophie's past as a young Jewish girl living in Poland during the Nazi regime....

Comic books are a popular book choice for many young readers and there are a lot of different genres to choose from. Realistic comics are some of my favorite ones because they are about kids living their best life at school, on vacation, or at home. Here are a few of my favorite realistic comic books for readers who enjoy a slice of real life. Art Club By Rashad Doucet New York: Little Brown and Company, 2024. Comic. 221 pages. Growing up Dale has heard that art will get you nowhere in life, but art is what he loves. His favorite things are drawing and playing video games and he dreams of one day creating his own comics. However, his grandfather is always telling him to focus on school and his studies and not spend so much time doodling. So, when Dale gets the chance to start an after-school art club he doesn't hesitate. He gathers up a group of students who work with him to start up a successful art club and prove to the vice principal, his grandfather, and others that art can be ...

What We Wear When We Take Care By Sarah Finan Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2024. Informational. How do protect your ears when it’s loud? Or your eyes from the water when you swim? Some activities require special equipment to help us stay safe. We wear a helmet when we ride a bike, gloves when we play in the snow, or goggles when we go swimming. Sarah Finan explains several of the different situations in which we wear protective equipment and why it’s important to keep us safe.  While staying light-hearted, this book is excellent for promoting engagement by including plenty of onomatopoeia to describe potentially dangerous situations. Using just yellow and blue, the images show movement with different painting techniques, like splattering yellow to show a chemical reaction or smearing a train to show it rushing past. All over, it is beautiful in its simplicity and a great introduction to why we sometimes have to wear silly-looking clothes.

Live and Let Fry Written by Eric Luper Illustrated by Joe Whale New York: Scholastic Inc., 2023. Intermediate. 151 pages. After saving Belching Walrus Elementary yet again, our favorite cafeteria food are ready to finally lay back and relax...not! When a family of donuts show up at the school to tackle an unexpected foe, it's up to our favorite foods to confront the threat and save Belching Walrus once and for all! --Editor Ready to Roll! By Coco Simon New York: Simon Spotlight, 2021. Fiction. 141 pages. Kelsey loves working in her family's restaurant at the Donut Dreams counter, but she feels like she could be doing something more. When her friends tease her about always having strong opinions, she decides to start a blog, Kelsey's Corner. Kelsey is positive her words will be her ticket to popularity. But she soon discovers a handful of good friends is far better than a baker's dozen of insincere ones. --Editor Dancing with Doughnuts Written by Harriet Whitehorn Illust...

Stories in the Park Field Trip to the Ocean Deep By John Hare New York: Holiday House, 2020. Picture Book. In this wordless picture book, a student is accidentally left behind on a field trip to the ocean deep. --Editor Stories in the Park Hope at Sea: An Adventure Story By Daniel Miyares New York: Anne Schwartz Books, 2021. Picture Book. Hope doesn't want to listen to her father's stories about his voyages at sea. She wants to be part of those stories! Now's her chance... She will stow away on Papa's ship. But look! the wind has picked up, and the sky is darkening. Batten down the hatches! Could there be such a thing as an adventure that is too exciting? Join high-spirited Hope on a trip of a lifetime in this exquisitely illustrated picture book that also captures the love between a father and child. --Publisher Summer Story Time and Canopy Capers Mr. Tiger Goes Wild By Peter Brown New York; Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2013. Picture Book. Bored with city life an...

As a young baker, I was always excited to find new recipes to try out or to connect with other baking fans. If you have an aspiring baker as well, here are some books they might enjoy. The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs By Molly Birnbaum Naperville, Illinois : Sourcebooks eXplore, an imprint of Sourcebook Kids, 2019. Informational. 224 pages. This book is great for bakers of all levels. Just look if the recipe has one, two or three chef hats to know your level. If you're still learning how to read a recipe, the beginning pages will teach you some common words used in the baking world. David Atherton's Baking Book for Kids By David Atherton Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2023. Informational. 67 pages. Any fans of the Great British Bake Off will be excited for these recipes from the 10th season winner. Some of these recipes will challenge your little baker and allow some creativity in their bakes, while others will be great for a baker of any experience. Recipe for Disas...

Facing the Mountain By Daniel James Brown New York: Penguin Random House, 2023. Informational. 231 pages. This young reader's edition follows Japanese American men that bravely fought for the United States during World War II, despite the discrimination they and their families were facing at home. The narrative discusses the successes and the staggering losses of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (made up entirely of the Japanese American soldiers) on the European front through the experiences of Rudy Tokiwa and Fred Shiosaki from the mainland US and Katsugo Miho from Hawaii. Meanwhile, Gordon Hirabayashi was fighting at home to protest against the unconstitutional internment camps that Japanese Americans, immigrants and natural-born citizens alike, were forced to relocate to. This fascinating and heartbreaking historical account introduces and condemns the unjust treatment of these Americans, many of whom were still willing to lay down their lives for a country that showed them no ...

Tabletop role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons have been a popular hobby for years, but have exploded in popularity recently. Thanks to movies and tv shows that show these creative and imaginative games in a positive light, more people are feeling inspired to try it out for themselves. If you're a big D&D fan, or even just an aspiring TTRPG player, these comic books are for you! Roll Call (D&D Dungeon Club #1) By Molly Knox Ostertag & Xanthe Bouma New York: HarperAlley, 2022. Comics. 202 pages. Best friends Jess and Olivia have always handled middle school the same way they handle monsters in their D&D games -- together. Jess is perfectly happy to keep their game small, with Olivia as dungeon master and Jess as lone party member. But when Olivia suggests starting a club at school -- and bringing in new members -- it feels like everything is changing too quickly for Jess. The story goes back and forth from "real life" at school and showing scenes f...

Ten-Word Tiny Tales Written by Joseph Coelho Illustrated by Joseph Coelho and 21 artist friends Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2023. Picture Book. Is it possible to write a story in just 10 words?  That's what author Joseph Coelho means to find out, with help from 21 of his illustrator friends.   I checked out this book for my girls, who are both budding artists.  They are always asking me for ideas of things to draw, so I thought this book might help get their creative juices flowing, and I was right!  They loved coming up with their own ten-word tales (the creepier the better!) and drawing a picture to go with their story.  I'd recommend this book to homeschool families and teachers doing creative writing lessons, or just for families like mine, that like a unique reading experience that encourages creativity.