Welcome Back!

Welcome back to school! Below are some new and noteworthy books to get your year started. Come and check them out! 

Quest by Aaron Becker (Grades K-3) 

Aaron Becker, creator of Journey, a Caldecott Honor book, presents the next chapter in his stunning wordless fantasy. A king emerges from a hidden door in a city park, startling two children sheltering from the rain. No sooner does he push a map and some strange objects into their hands than he is captured by hostile forces that whisk him back through the enchanted door. Just like that, the children are caught up in a quest to rescue the king and his kingdom from darkness, while illuminating the farthest reaches of their imagination. Colored markers in hand, they make their own way through the portal, under the sea, through a tropical paradise, over a perilous bridge, and high in the air with the help of a winged friend. Journey lovers will be thrilled to follow its characters on a new adventure threaded with familiar elements, while new fans will be swept into a visually captivating story that is even richer and more exhilarating than the first.

Frog and Friends by Eve Bunting (Grades K-2)

Welcome to Frog and his world. He enjoys nothing better than spending time floating in his pond or visiting with his friends. He appreciates the simpler things in life and would prefer that things stay just the way they are - nice and peaceful. From acclaimed children's writer Eve Bunting comes a new beginning reader series featuring the delightful Frog and his friends Rabbit, Possum, Raccoon, and Squirrel. In the first book Frog is alarmed when he finds a strange object in his pond, he tries to re-gift a scarf, and he makes friends with a runaway hippo. In Party at the Pond Frog is busy with his autumn party, he is overseen dancing around the pond, and he narrowly escapes being turned into a prince. Retro-style artwork by illustrator Josée Masse gives a fresh, distinctive look to this new series.

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires (Grades K-3) 

A girl decides to make something magnificent with the help of her assistant—her dog, but they "are shocked to discover that the thing isn't magnificent. Or good. It isn't even kind-of-sort-of okay. It is all wrong. The girl tosses it aside and gives it another go." From her efforts, children see the importance of planning, gathering supplies, building, and not giving up when a good idea doesn't initially work out. Ample use of white space makes the digital artwork pop. The text consists mainly of one- or two-line captions for the pictures, and the layout and design are spot-on, building action with a smart use of vignettes, boxed illustrations, and spreads. Clever use of artwork conveys the youngster's spectrum of emotions as she "saws and glues and adjusts," "smashes," "pummels," and "explodes" ("It is not her finest moment."). Then, finally, the girl finishes, and her scooter really is "the most magnificent thing." This is a solid choice with a great message that encourages kids not to quit in the face of disappointment but rather to change their perspective and start over.—Melissa Smith, School Library Journal 

The Night Gardener by Terry Fan (K-3)

With spare text and a simple palette, The Night Gardener tells the story of a depressed town's transformation with the help of a nocturnal gardener. The book begins on Grimloch Lane, a street where every head hangs down and an orphan boy, William, is down in the dumps. A dapper elderly man with a green leaf shining in his pocket passes him, and the magic begins. Every night, a new fantastical topiary appears in a tree on Grimloch Lane, to the neighborhood's delight. People begin playing outside, drawing, playing the tuba, and looking up in wonder: it's an urban planner's delight. William gets to tag along one night, and as the season changes, the work of creating community-revitalizing topiaries is passed to him. The illustrations look like a more cheerful Edward Gorey, done with a blend of fine-tip ink and pencil work and watercolor, with the night portrayed in pearly monochromatic blues. While most of the characters are white, a few background characters wandering through the trees are people of color. VERDICT An elegant picture book that celebrates creativity and community; for first purchase.—Lisa Nowlain

Claude in the City by Alex T. Smith (Grades 2-4)

Claude is a small, plump dog who wears a beret and a lovely red sweater. He has a best friend, Sir Bobblysock, a striped sock who is grubby and smells a bit like cheese. In the first episode in Smith’s debut chapter-book series, Claude shops for berets before inadvertently preventing a crime at an art museum. The second episode sees Sir Bobblysock feeling rather unwell. Claude roller-skates him to the hospital and, while Sir Bobblysock is wheeled away for tests, Claude pretends to be a doctor and solves a mystery illness. The tiny trim size and duo-tone artwork, all shades of black, gray, red, and pink, give this UK import a distinctly retro feel (it appears to be set in the 1960s), and Claude—mostly head and snout—is an amiable, unintentional hero. The sentence structure here varies, from short and declarative to more complex, and the stories are longer than in typical books for transitioning readers. It’s cool and hip-feeling and, at times, quite funny. Kids who dig quirky Claude will await his next adventures. Ann Kelley, Booklist 

Mercy: The Incredible Story of Henry Bergh, Found of the ASPCA and Friend to Animals by Mancy Furstinger (Grades 3-6)

Tackling the life of Henry Bergh (1813–88), the founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Furstinger provides a satisfying account of an interesting, albeit little-known, figure whose contributions to animal and human rights were substantial. Although he never owned animals himself, Bergh felt a strong compassion for creatures that could not defend themselves. He spent many years of his life searching for a calling without finding a career path that suited him, until he learned of the animal rights work being done in England and decided to replicate a similar organization in the United States. Bergh's creation of the world's first child protection agency is also covered briefly but does not overshadow his work for animal rights. Furstinger creates tension as she describes the vile conditions of animal treatment in the United States and worldwide in the mid-to-late 1800s. Never overly graphic, the full-color illustrations do an effective job of depicting the injustices toward animals, enhancing the story, and evoking empathy in readers. While Bergh's story is engaging, Furstinger occasionally interjects sidebars of relevant information, creating possibly distracting interruptions. VERDICT This suitable biography about a somewhat obscure figure will find many interested readers and is unlikely to duplicate existing collection offerings.—Ellen Norton, School Library Journal 

Little Cat's Luck by Marion Dane Bauer (Grades 3-6)

From Newbery Honoree Marion Dane Bauer comes a heartwarming novel in verse that’s a companion to the “wholly satisfying” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) Little Dog, Lost. When an indoor calico cat named Patches spots a golden autumn leaf fluttering past her window, she can’t help but venture outside to chase it. But soon, Patches feels something tugging at her, telling her to find a special place—one she won’t know until she sees it. Why must she go on this search? She doesn’t know yet. Along the way, Patches finds herself in dire circumstances, but with the help of the other neighborhood animals, she faces off against the scariest dog in town and continues on her journey to her special place. Beautifully told in verse and accompanied by adorable illustrations by Jennifer A. Bell, this heartwarming novel from Newberry Honor­–winner, Marion Dane Bauer, is a timeless, touching, and fulfilling story about finding your way home.

I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 by Lauren Tarshis (Grades 3-6) 

Could an entire city really burn to the ground? Oscar Starling never wanted to come to Chicago. But then Oscar finds himself not just in the heart of the big city, but in the middle of a terrible fire! No one knows exactly how it began, but one thing is clear: Chicago is like a giant powder keg about to explode. An army of firemen is trying to help, but this fire is a ferocious beast that wants to devour everything in its path, including Oscar! Will Oscar survive one of the most famous and devastating fires in history? Lauren Tarshis brings history's most exciting and terrifying events to life in this New York Times bestselling series. Readers will be transported by stories of amazing kids and how they survived!

The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan (Grades 4-6) 

At the end of the term, Emerson Elementary School will be bulldozed to make way for a shopping center and students will be reassigned to other schools in the district. This change is particularly hard for the 18 fifth graders in Ms. Hill's class. She tasks them with keeping a poetry journal throughout the year; their poems will be placed in a time capsule at the end of the year. The students write about their feelings, the project, the imminent changes to their community, and their worries about middle school through alternating poems divided into four quarters. One girl's mother is being deployed, a boy's father recently left the family, and another boy's beloved grandfather is ailing. With the gentle guidance of their teacher, who may have been arrested in the 1960s protesting the Vietnam War, they become socially aware and organize a movement to protest the school closure. The distinct personalities of the students shine through in a variety of poetic forms. Sadness, humor, anger, and hope are expressed in authentically young voices. The poetic forms are discussed in further detail in the back matter, making for a great teaching resource. VERDICT This gently evocative study of change in all its glory and terror would make a terrific read-aloud or introduction to a poetry unit. A most impressive debut.-Brenda Kahn, School Library Journal 

Two Miserable Presidents: The Amazing, and Totally True Story of the Civil War by Steve Sheinkin (Grades 5-6)

May 22, 1856: A MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA WALKS INTO THE SENATE CHAMBER, LOOKING FOR TROUBLE. That Congressman, Preston Brooks, was ready to attack Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts over remarks Sumner made slamming senators who supported slavery in Kansas. Brooks lifted his cane to beat Sumner, and here the action in the book stops, so that Steve Sheinkin can explain just where this confrontation started. In the process, he unravels the complicated string of events – the small things, the personal ones, the big issues– that led to The Civil War. It is a time and a war that threatened America's very existence, revealed in the surprising true stories of the soldiers and statesmen who battled it out. 

Booked by Kwame Alexander (Grades 5-6)

Twelve-year-old Nick loves soccer, and he and his best friend Coby have big plans for winning the Dr. Pepper Dallas Cup, the renowned world youth soccer tournament, even though they will be playing on opposing teams. Besides the big game, Nick has a lot of other things on his mind. For one thing, his mother wants to move away to pursue her dream of training race horses, and his linguistics professor father is pressuring him to improve his vocabulary by reading the dictionary. Throw in the twin eighth-grade tyrants who relentlessly want to pound him and weekly lessons at Miss Quattlebaum's School of Ballroom Dance & Etiquette, and his life at Langston Hughes Magnet School of the Arts is pretty hectic. But school is also where "the Mac" can be found, Langston's resident rapping, dragonfly-loving, red mohawk-wearing librarian and Nick's favorite adult. And then there's April, Nick's current crush. Newbery-winning poet Alexander once again brings to life a novel in verse that equally captures the rapid-fire excitement of a soccer match and the palpable pain of a young boy whose family is falling apart. Peppered throughout are useful and amusing vocabulary words as well as wise-cracking yet sage life lessons from a beloved librarian. Authentic characters and amusing situations abound, making this story one that will be welcomed by readers of all levels. VERDICT Another winning goal for Alexander and middle school readers alike.-Carol Connor, School Library Journal