Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Hello By Aiko Ikegami Berkeley, CA: Creston Books, 2019. Picture book. In this wordless picture book, an alien visits Earth, makes friends with a little girl, and returns to his home planet to share his experiences. - Publisher We Are Definitely Human By X. Fang Toronto: Tundra Books, 2024. Picture book. When three mysterious visitors from "Europe" crash-land in Mr. Li's field, he does what any good host would: he invites them back to his farmhouse and offers to help fix up their "car". No, there's nothing strange about these guests at all. Just like other humans, they "make business", "play sportsball" and "wear hat". As the townsfolk also come to the aid of the visitors and the gathering turns into a little party, interplanetary relations reach an all-time high. - Publisher Greetings Floof! Written by C.J. Hong Illustrated by A.J. Smith Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2024. Picture book. Floof from planet Ploof has landed! And it...

The Case of the Pilfered Pearls (The Shrew Detective #1) By Margi Preus New York: Amulet Books, 2026. Intermediate. 119 pages. Detective Minerva Shrew prefers to keep her mystery solving to the woods where she lives. But when her cousin Tenacity comes to solicit her help to prevent a murder, Minerva breaks her rule of "woodland cases only" to journey from the forest to the human house to help. Sure enough, the lady of the house has lost a pearl necklace, and if it doesn't turn up, she's prepared to call an exterminator on all of the critters in her house. Minerva proves herself a shrewd shrew, as she carefully tracks down clues to save the critters and the day.  This short novel is dripping in charm, enhanced by lots of black and white illustrations. Minerva is the kind of character that becomes an instant star - she's smart, kind, and good with words. Her loquaciousness is the result of her unique wallpaper, pages of a dictionary cover her home and she shares new...

Found Sound By Meg Wolitzer and Charlie Panek New York: Dutton Children's Books, 2026. Fiction. 212 pgs.  Every July, Felix and his family abandon their cramped apartment in New York for Blissfield, Massachusetts. Ordinarily, Felix and his younger brother Miles participate in a summer camp for gifted kids. But this year, there's no camp for Felix, and he's already dreading a summer with nothing to do in the middle of nowhere. Reluctantly, Felix befriends his 11-year-old neighbor named Marigold Tanizaki-Weathers. With her multicolored hair and combat boots, Marigold isn't a typical friend for Felix, but before long they stumble on a field recorder in Felix's closet and begin a wild scavenger hunt around town. The puzzles, all sound based, start simple but quickly reveal deeper, cryptic messages. Could they be meant for Felix in particular? Could they somehow be connected to his older brother Dylan, whose relationship with Felix is strained?  This book is an audio-fir...

I never road a school bus to school, and only ever occasionally road one home from school. But it's hard to deny that a school bus is an icon. Seeing a yellow and black school bus evokes nostalgic memories of back to school, and though it's sad to see summer come to an end—we love back to school season. This list has five favorite school bus books to get you ready for back to school. On Our Way with Mr. Jay Written by Chelsea Lin Wallace Illustrated by Thyra Heder New York: Neal Porter Books, 2025. Picture book. Mr. Jay starts his morning early so that he can pick up the 18 kids on School Bus 3 and get them to school on time. Their route takes them over hills, across the freeway, and over cobblestones. The minutes are counting down as we get closer to 8:05 A.M.—the start of the school day—but bouncing, rhyming text reassures the reader that all's okay "we're on our way!" It's Not a School Bus, It's a Pirate Ship Written by Mickey Rapkin Illustrated by ...

Wombat Waiting By Katherine Applegate New York: Storytide, 2026. Fiction. 328 pgs. Wombat isn't really a wombat. She's a stray dog, with a destiny that she's determined to find. As wildfires sweep through the park where Wombat lives, a voice inside her tells her not to run from the fire, but to head straight into them. Her destiny is there. Meanwhile, Henry Cooper is forced to evacuate from his home alongside his moms and sister and make their way to a shelter. As the blaze burns on, threatening to destroy the community completely, Henry and Wombat find their way to one another. Wombat doesn't usually like people, but she feels drawn to Henry—her person. Henry is less certain at first, he loves animals and volunteers with his Mama Ro at an animal shelter, but is nervous around dogs. It's up to both of them—dog and pup—to decide to trust each other. This novel in verse is based on the real-life Palisades and Eaton fires in Southern California in 2025. That realistic ...

Life on the Moon By Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2026. Science fiction. 306 pgs.  The first rule is there is no life on the moon. The second rule is don't ask questions. 12-year-old Leo is still mourning his parents' divorce when he leaves Earth to live as part of the first Lunar Colony. He's thrilled to be part of the top-secret mission, right up until he touches down the moon. Right away his dad and his dad's friend Sally are whisked away on a project and then go missing. When he starts to question other adults, he's taught the rules of life on the moon. Normally a rule follower, Leo decides to borrow a rover and sneak out to look for his dad. Before long, Leo discovers that there is life on the moon when he encounters first a giant mouth on three legs called a Hortle and then a race of beings called Valrootens. When Leo interferes to save a Valrooten from being eaten by the Hortle, his adventure on the moon really begins. As Leo learn...

The Second Life of Snap By Erin Entrada Kelly New York: Greenwillow Books, 2026. Science fiction. 164 pgs. 12-year-old Zuzu Santos does not like robots. Really, she doesn't trust anything that comes from the Lockwood Corporation; the super-conglomerate that governs life for the people in Barren, Texas. Zuzu and her fellow 'dusties' live in trailers with strict water rations in Barren, meanwhile people who live across the shelterbelt in the city of Bountiful have actual trees and all the water they want. To add insult to injury, Zuzu's father has been laid off by Lockwood and as a parting gift has been given a castoff robot—sans charging cable. To make things even worse, this robot is a guardian robot, specifically programmed to ensure Zuzu is attending school, doing homework, and other things a chaperone might do. Zuzu takes the robot to a nearby salvage yard, where her friend manages to reprogram the robot. In a twist, Snap (Secure Network Android Processor) now has a ...

It's America's 250th birthday, and there are so many great ways to celebrate! Have you heard of America's Potluck? On Sunday, July 5th, Americans across the country are invited to celebrate Independence Day with a community potluck. A potluck, where everyone brings dishes to taste and share, is a great way to meet new friends, experience different cuisines, and feel connected to your community. Not sure what to bring? Here are some great books about sharing food to give you some inspiration! When Alexander Graced the Table Written by Alexander Smalls and Denene Millner Illustrated by Frank Morrison New York: Simon & Schuster, 2025. Picture book. Sundays are the highlight of young Alexander's whole life. After church, his big family gathers together to cook and enjoy a meal with each other's company. On one special Sunday, Alexander's asks him to whip up a sweet treat to grace the table. This childhood memory from award winning chef Alexander Smalls celebrate...

Caged Written by Kao Kalia Yang Illustrated by Khou Vue New York: Kokila, 2024. Picture book. A young Hmong girl has never been outside the camp she lives in with her parents and thousands of other families. Most days, she spends her time playing with her cousins and pretending they can fly above the clouds and far away from here. When her family's papers are finally approved, she's uncertain if she's ready to leave everything—and everyone—she's ever known behind. But on the day she leaves, her favorite aunt, Golden Flower, sees her off with the words, "Your wings have arrived." — Publisher The Rock in My Throat Written by Kao Kalia Yang Illustrated by Jiemei Lin Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books, 2024. Biography. In this moving true story, Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a Hmong refugee child navigating life at home and school in America while carrying the weight of her selective mutism. — Publisher The Blue House I Loved Written by Kao Kalia Yang Il...

Grandpere's Ghost Swamp By Rachel M. Marsh New York: Greenwillow Books, 2026. Fiction. 238 pages. 12-year-old Basil Theriot is haunted by the ghost of her grandfather. At his funeral, Grandpere shows up in the back row, and Basil is the only one who can see him. Basil begins to follows G'Pere's instructions to see if she can help him move on. Meanwhile, her family's restaurant is in disarray as Basil's father takes over as head chef and tries to figure out G'Pere's secret ingredient. G'Pere warns Basil that he regrets the restaurant and bringing his family to the city of New Orleans and away from the bayous where their Cajun family originated. This is all fine by Basil, because she secretly hates the family business and resents her parents' dream for her to someday take over. With her school's Career Day looming, Basil and her best friend Tommy, follow G'Pere's ghost on a journey to reconnect with the Theriot's Cajun roots by venturin...

Friedel and Gina: A True Story of Sisterhood and Survival During the Holocaust By Jeremy Dronfield New York: Quill Tree Books, 2026. Informational. 356 pgs. In 1930, the Friedel and Gina Rosenthal's family was a happy, successful Jewish family living in Dusseldorf, Germany. Their father was a successful businessman, owning three corner shops throughout the city and Friedel and Gina worked in the shops with their four siblings. When Hitler and the Nazi party came to power, the family was systematically stripped of their businesses, property and possessions. The twins, 13-years-old at the time, were even forced to leave school like many other Jewish children. One year later, the Rosenthal family was deported from Germany to Poland, forced into ghettos, and eventually sent to concentration camps. As the years of World War II grew long, Friedel and Gina found themselves alone–suffering one heartache after another. But remarkably, the twin sisters managed to survive, together. This rema...

One of my very favorite folktales is the story of stone soup. When a stranger comes to town with nothing but a pot of water and a stone, they begin to make stone soup. Slowly they convinced the selfish villagers to add what little food they have to the soup to make it even more delicious. By the time the soup is finished, the village enjoys a communal feast–made better by everyone's contributions. As is often the case with folktales, this story has been retold lots of different ways with many different twists. These are some of my favorite versions, to compare and contrast. Stone Soup: An Old Tale By Marcia Brown New York: Aladdin Books, 1947. Picture book. Probably the best known picture book version of Stone Soup, this Marcia Brown classic is a Caldecott honoree. Telling a pretty authentic version of the European folktale, three soldiers stop in a village that is reluctant to share their food. Bit by bit, the soldiers trick the villagers into adding delicious and flavorful ingred...

Both Sides Now: A Story About Young Joni Mitchell By Lydia Corry New York: Godwin Books, 2026. Comics. 144 pgs. Joni Mitchell is undeniably one of the most important musicians of the 20th century, and this graphic novel biography - chronicling her early childhood - introduces her to a new generation of fans. Growing up on the prairie in Saskatchewan, Joni identified as an artist at a young age and found a sense of wonder in her surroundings. She begged her parents for piano lessons, but was penalized by her teacher for creating her own compositions. She contracted polio and painfully relearned to walk. Finally, an encouraging teacher introduced her to poetry and ignited her artistic spirit. This is a truly captivating, highly illustrated biography of Joni Mitchell. Filled with colorful, swirling illustrations (that feel incredibly reminiscent of 1970s designs) this book is a treat for Joni Mitchell fans. Focusing mostly on her young childhood and early adulthood, this book explains how...

My Bicentennial Summer: True Adventures from the Most Epic Family Road Trip of All Time Written by G. Neri Illustrated by Corban Wilkin Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2026. Informational. 75 pages. In 1976, America turned 200 and Greg Neri's family celebrated by driving from their home in L.A. across the whole country to make it to Washington D.C. for the Fourth of July. Along the way, the family visited 26 states, found strange local delicacies, encountered all kinds of accents, and saw natural and historic monuments. There's a lot packed into America, from its places to its people to its history and this book does a good job at touching on all of it. I was a little surprised how weepy this book made me feel. As we prepare for America250, looking back on the Bicentennial celebrations was making me excited for things to come and reflect on parts of American history–both good and bad. I think this book does a good job of navigating all the things that make America great, whil...

Styx and Stones By Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge New York: Clarion Books, 2026. Fiction. 240 pgs. After dying while trying to defend his village from the Spartans, Simon of Lacadaemon has spent the last 2,451 years in the underworld. The underworld isn't all bad–Simon is a servant to Queen Persephone and he gets to spend his days chatting with Socrates, Shakespeare, Sartre, and Maya Angelou (among others). But that doesn't mean he wants to stay there. In fact, after thousands of attempts to escape, Simon succeeds and finds himself in present-day Minnesota. Specifically, he emerges from a bathroom stall of a middle school where he is discovered by social outcast Zeke Tripp. To call Simon a fish out of water might be putting things lightly, he masquerades as Zeke's cousin from Las Vegas and does his best to adjust to life in the modern day. Still, it doesn't take long for Simon to become popular and to become a true friend to Zeke. If only things were that easy–Hades do...

For good and bad, there's nothing quite like finishing a picture book to a chorus of "again!" Anyone who has read books with preschoolers knows just what I mean–when you find a favorite there's no limit to how many times you can read and re-read it. If you're looking for a new family favorite, here are five books for preschoolers that they will want you to read again and again. The Chase By Jenny Bloomfield London: Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2026. Picture book. Ready.... set.... FETCH! A little girl is playing on the beach with a dog and a ball, and with a dramatic turn of the page she sends that ball flying into the air. The excited dog goes running after the ball, and is joined by an ever growing number of dogs! The pack of dogs goes chasing after the ball all through the town, inside the museum, to the top of a waterfall! For dog lovers in particular, this is a fun frenetic read aloud with lots of dramatic book and pages turns. There is Not Usually a...

Last Day Pool Party By Emma Steinkellner New York: Labyrinth Road, 2026. Comic. 176 pages. It's the last day of eighth grade and things already feel like they're changing. Dustin, who has never been popular, is hosting a pool party and has invited the whole class. Popular Maya, who used to be Dustin's friend, is attending only because her mom is making her–after she made a prank video that hurt Dustin's feelings. Paul is Maya's cousin who would rather be at home playing video games, but was given the choice of going to the party or his brother's ball game. Liv and Juhi are lifelong best friends who are about to be torn apart, as Juhi is moving to London and Liv feels frantic to find a new bestie. And then there's Rose. Tired of feeling invisible, she is determined to accomplish everything on her eighth grade bucket list in one night. Taking place over the span of just a few hours, this book captures all the angst and excitement of finishing middle school and...

Lionel Messi's World Cup Triumph Written by Chris Barish Illustrated by Nate Sweitzer New York: Abrams Fanfare, 2026. Comic. 131 pgs. Lionel Messi will almost definitely be remembered as one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Currently on track to score 1000 career goals, Messi has won nearly every soccer championship. But for most of his career, one victory remained elusive–the World Cup. This high-interest graphic novel tells the true story of the 2022 World Cup and Messi's first World Cup Championship. For soccer and sport fans alike, this is an incredibly engaging nonfiction comic and the start to a new series 'History's Greatest Games'. Using a fun, conversational tone and plenty of interruptions to teach readers more about important moments in soccer history–including an ongoing debate about who really is 'The GOAT'–this book is sure to be a hit. My favorite way to read history is to barely notice I'm learning facts, and this book strikes ...

Inbetweens By Faith Erin Hicks New York: First Second, 2026. Comic. 240 pgs. Twin sisters Sloane and Ash have dreamed about becoming animators since they rode the studio backlot tour on a family trip to Disney World. The first step is spending their summer at a prestigious eight week animation course at a nearby university. The tweens are ecstatic to discover that their animation hero Douglas Frye will even be teaching one of their courses. Unfortunately, Sloane and Ash lose their rose colored glasses pretty quickly. Ash loves animation, but her enthusiasm doesn't immediately translate to skill. Sloane realizes she loves art but that animation isn't the right fit for her. Even Douglas Frye isn't what they expected–he openly prefers the work of white male students and is dismissive of their talented friend Nisha once he realizes she's a girl. It takes courage, friendship, a Studio Ghibli movie night, and advice from a different animation teacher for Sloane and Ash to reb...

Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game By Kadir Nelson New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2026. Informational. 102 pgs. In December of 1891, at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, James Naismith taught his students how to play a new game. He mounted fruit baskets on either end of a large room and players scored points by throwing a ball into the basket on either end. Then, play would stop while they pulled out a ladder to retrieve the ball and start again. It didn't stay that way for very long. This fascinating, informative book shows how basketball innovated and evolved from a slow moving game for mostly white players, into the fast-paced, high drama, fully integrated sport we enjoy today.  Even as a big basketball fan, I still assumed that I would mostly flip through this book to see Kadir Nelson's beautiful paintings and then call it a day. Instead, I read this book cover-to-cover in a single sitting enjoying every page. Fans of other books illustrated by Kadir Nels...