Provo Library Children's Book Blog

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...

At the beginning of every school year (and throughout the year), I'm often called upon to give rousing speeches on resiliency and bravery to my children— School can be hard, but you can do hard things!   Remember last year when you were so scared to try out for the school play, but you were brave and did it and loved it so much?   Remember when you first started swimming lessons and you were terrified of the deep pool, but now you love to jump in the deep end?   And of course, lots of be brave, you can do it, don't give up, etc, etc, etc!  All of the books on this list illustrate the wonderful things that can happen when we take a deep breath, gird our loins, and step into the potentially scary! Jayden Noticed Written by Carolyn Crimi Illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justic Somerville, MA: Canlewick Press, 2026. Picture book.  Jayden is an observer. He notices everything, but most of all he notices rocks. Jayden has rocks for all sorts of activities—a Satu...

A Sea of Lemon Trees By Maria Dolores Aguila New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2025. Fiction. 272 pages. I will be recommending this book to anyone and everyone! It's a gorgeous novel in verse, based on true events in an agricultural town in California in the early 1930s. Some in the community were in favor of segregation and planned to send all of the Mexican American children to a separate school. However, many in the community knew segregation was wrong and they put their own plans in place to resist segregating the schools. This decision to oppose segregation required the sacrifice, persistence, courage, and bravery of community members young and old.  Roberto Alvarez, a 12-year-old will become the lead plaintiff in the court case fighting school segregation. Roberto believes in the power and strength of community, and knows that even though he is young, he can make a difference by standing up for what he believes in. I loved reading about Roberto's determination and willingn...

  Wilderness Hacks By Joslin Brorsen New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2026. 327 pages. Sadie Hahn hasn't spent much time outdoors since her father, who taught her everything she needs to know about camping and outdoor survival, died. Her younger brother Silas, however, leaned in the opposite direction. He focused all of his energy on learning more about outdoor survival—particularly from his favorite YouTuber, Radley Shaw. So when Radley opens up a contest to kids who live the Rockies encourage them to show him around their local spots, Silas convinces his sister to cook and eat grubs as part of their entry. When Sadie unexpectedly wins the contest, she brings Silas with her to meet Radley. Unfortunately, Radley isn't what he appears to be on their channel, but when an earthquake breaks open the dam and floods the river that they are traveling, Sadie and Radley will have to work together to survive. For kids who love survival stories like Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain but are ...

  One of my favorite sea creatures is a jellyfish. Any time I go to an aquarium, I always find myself frozen in place watching as they seem to float through their tanks. So naturally, I find myself looking forward to it any time I hear that there is going to be a new jellyfish book published. Here are some of my favorite books about our majestic aquatic friends. Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Jellyfish Written by Carole Boston Weatherford Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2026. Informational. This charming book about jellyfish describes the beautiful creatures through 14 different poems. It combines poetry, facts, history, and science to explain how jellyfish live, survive, and interact with the ocean. This book could just as easily be used to teach kids about art techniques as it could about jellyfish. Each poem appears on a beautifully illustrated full page spread, and the illustration style changes for each poem to fit the tone. This ...

Worm on the Job Written by Maureen Fergus Illustrated by Paul G. Hammond  Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2026. Picture Book.  Worm is on the hunt for a new job after he tires of being the head librarian at his local library. After considering and rejecting several different options (lifeguard, window washer, etc.), he decides to apply to be the newest security guard for the Invention's Convention building. At first, the hiring manager doesn't quite believe in Worm's abilities, but once Worm is given a chance, he proves that you don't have to be big to make an impact.  This book was so much fun, and all the worm facts throughout were a welcome bonus to all of the absurd and hilarious hijinks that Worm got up to. Preschoolers and early elementary school kids who love humorous picture books will definitely love Worm! Adult readers will also get a kick out of the story, making this a perfect book for read-alouds. 

One Whole Hippopotamus By Carter Higgins San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2026. Picture Book. Counting, sorting, parts and wholes! This book is a science and math primer disguised by a bouncy rhyme. One Whole Hippopotamus  explores similarities and differences by showing two shapes, and asking how they are the same and how they are different. Some are speckled, differently sized, or in pieces. Back matter gives ideas on how to read this book with different age groups. I love a Carter Higgins book. Her illustrations have a classical feel, similar to Eric Carle, and the bright colors help kids answer the questions the narration asks. This book is a fun bouncy story to read straight through and it will be fun to methodically go through the pages with a child. This discussion provoking title is sure to help teach concepts of similar, different, parts, and builds vocabulary to describe patterns (e.g. speckled, checkered). All over, a delightful read for multiple ages.