August's New Kids' Books!
~Children's, Middle Readers, & Young Adult Fiction~
|
|
Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month with these great picks! / Celebra el Mes de la Cultura Latinx con nuestros libros favoritos!
|
|
También disponible la edición en español,
Soñadores
!
In 1994, Yuyi Morales left her home in Xalapa, Mexico and came to the US with her infant son. She left behind nearly everything she owned, but she didn't come empty-handed. She brought her strength, her work, her passion, her hopes and dreams...and her stories. Caldecott Honor artist and five-time Pura Belpré winner Yuyi Morales's gorgeous new picture book Dreamers is about making a home in a new place. Yuyi and her son Kelly's passage was not easy, and Yuyi spoke no English whatsoever at the time. But together, they found an unexpected, unbelievable place: the public library. There, book by book, they untangled the language of this strange new land, and learned to make their home within it.
Dreamers is a celebration of what migrantes bring with them when they leave their homes. It's a story about family. And it's a story to remind us that we are all dreamers, bringing our own gifts wherever we roam. Beautiful and powerful at any time but given particular urgency as the status of our own Dreamers becomes uncertain, this is a story that is both topical and timeless.
The lyrical text is complemented by sumptuously detailed illustrations, rich in symbolism. Also included are a brief autobiographical essay about Yuyi's own experience, a list of books that inspired her (and still do), and a description of the beautiful images, textures, and mementos she used to create this book.
|
|
|
No! I Won't Go To School!
by Alonso Núñez
|
|
Zombies, monsters, and dragons stalk this book's pages. Cries of despair echo through them. Prisons and dungeons lie in wait. Is this a nightmare? Is it an apocalypse? Well, yes--because it's the day before our narrator's first day of school, and all entreaties to his mother are falling on deaf ears. Why should he go to school when he already knows two letters, "N" and "O," and he knows they spell NO , which is exactly the word this occasion demands? Why aren't these magic letters working anymore?
Alonso Núnez’s playful story, Dave Morrison’s rollicking Spanish-to-English translation, and Bruna Assis Brasil’s imaginative illustrations offer a doomsday vision of a child’s first day of school that any young reader will recognize.
|
|
|
The Day You Begin
by Jaqueline Woodson, art by Rafael López
|
|
GRETCHEN'S STAFF PICK
"This book does what so few picture books do - it centers the experiences of minority kids as it gently encourages cross-cultural sharing in a way that preserves the perspective of the minority child's culture. Delicate, emotive, precise, humane, Woodson's prose is perfect and López's colorful detailed art provides a wonderful, bright counterpoint."
There will be times when you walk into a room
and no one there is quite like you.
There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it's how you look or talk, or where you're from; maybe it's what you eat, or something just as random. It's not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it.
Jacqueline Woodson's lyrical text and Rafael López's dazzling art reminds us that we all feel like outsiders sometimes-and how brave it is that we go forth anyway. And that sometimes, when we reach out and begin to share our stories, others will be happy to meet us halfway.
|
|
|
Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor
by Patricia Valdez, art by Felicita Sala
|
|
Back in the days of long skirts and afternoon teas, young Joan Procter entertained the most unusual party guests: slithery and scaly ones, who turned over teacups and crawled past the crumpets....
While other girls played with dolls, Joan preferred the company of reptiles. She carried her favorite lizard with her everywhere--she even brought a crocodile to school!
When Joan grew older, she became the Curator of Reptiles at the British Museum. She went on to design the Reptile House at the London Zoo, including a home for the rumored-to-be-vicious komodo dragons. There, just like when she was a little girl, Joan hosted children's tea parties--with her komodo dragon as the guest of honor.
With a lively text and vibrant illustrations, scientist and writer Patricia Valdez and illustrator Felicita Sala bring to life Joan Procter's inspiring story of passion and determination.
|
|
|
New Books from Patty Rodriguez & Ariana Stein!
|
|
To learn more about each book and order on our website, click its photo above! / Haz clic en el imagen del libro para aprender
más!
|
|
Unable to find bilingual first concept books she could enjoy reading to her baby,
Patty Rodriguez
came up with the idea behind Lil' Libros. Introducing Spanish/English bilingualism, Lil' Libros encourage parents to read to their children at the earliest age--focusing on subjects they are familiar with, while making it fun and rewarding for both parent and child.
La idea de Lil’ Libros nació hace cuatro años cuando
Patty Rodríguez
tuvo su primer hijo. “Buscaba libros bilingües que enseñaran nuestra cultura y no pude encontrar nada online”, explica. “Me dí cuenta que sería una buena idea crear lo que yo buscaba porque estaba segura que habría otras madres latinas que buscan lo mismo para sus hijos”. La serie está ligada a elementos culturales latinos hechos para conectar a los nenes con sus raíces. “Nuestra meta es crear algo que nuestros compañeros, padres o abuelos latinos están orgullosos de leer a sus hijos o nietos."
|
|
Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
by Pablo Cartaya
|
|
Marcus Vega is six feet tall, 180 pounds, and the owner of a premature mustache. When you look like this and you're only in the eighth grade, you're both a threat and a target.
After a fight at school leaves Marcus facing suspension, Marcus's mom decides it's time for a change of environment. She takes Marcus and his younger brother to Puerto Rico to spend a week with relatives they don't remember or have never met. But Marcus can't focus knowing that his father--who walked out of their lives ten years ago--is somewhere on the island.
So begins Marcus's incredible journey, a series of misadventures that take him all over Puerto Rico in search of his elusive namesake. Marcus doesn't know if he'll ever find his father, but what he ultimately discovers changes his life. And he even learns a bit of Spanish along the way.
|
|
|
Tight
by Torrey Maldonado
|
|
Bryan knows what's tight for him--reading comics, drawing superheroes, and hanging out with no drama. But drama is every day where he's from, and that gets him tight, wound up.
And now Bryan's friend Mike pressures him with ideas of fun that are crazy risky. At first, it's a rush following Mike, hopping turnstiles, subway surfing, and getting into all kinds of trouble. But Bryan never really feels right acting so wrong, and drama really isn't him. So which way will he go, especially when his dad tells him it's better to be hard and feared than liked?
But if there's one thing Bryan's gotten from his comic heroes, it's that he has power--to stand up for what he feels . . .
Torrey Maldonado delivers a fast-paced, insightful, dynamic story capturing urban community life. Readers will connect with Bryan's journey as he navigates a tough world with a heartfelt desire for a different life.
|
|
|
Lucky Luna
by Diana López
|
|
Luna Ramos has too many primas to count, but there's one cousin that's always getting her into trouble, Claudia. After locking her in the bathroom at their other cousin's quinceañera, Luna is grounded for a month. Her punishment? Not being allowed to wear her signature hats, which she uses to hide her birthmark, a streak of white in her otherwise dark hair. The only thing that gives Luna the tiniest bit of satisfaction is knowing that Claudia is also being teased because she has a big nose.
Eventually, Luna discovers that Claudia was not being teased after all. Every joke Luna heard was actually directed at her! Luckily, Claudia comes to her rescue, standing up for Luna by telling the other kids to leave her alone. That's when Luna realizes the true meaning of her grandmother's wise advice -- "blood is thicker than water." She and Claudia may not like each other, but they are still primas. And it's the job of primas to stand up for each other.
|
|
|
The Crossroads
by Alexandra Diaz
|
|
Jaime and Ángela discover what it means to be living as undocumented immigrants in the United States in this timely sequel to the Pura Belpré Honor Book
The Only Road
.
After crossing Mexico into the United States, Jaime Rivera thinks the worst is over. Starting a new school can’t be that bad. Except it is, and not just because he can barely speak English. While his cousin Ángela fits in quickly, with new friends and after-school activities, Jaime struggles with even the idea of calling this strange place “home.” His real home is with his parents,
abuela
, and the rest of the family; not here where cacti and cattle outnumber people, where he can no longer be himself—a boy from Guatemala.
When bad news arrives from his parents back home, feelings of helplessness and guilt gnaw at Jaime. Gang violence in Guatemala means he can’t return home, but he’s not sure if he wants to stay either. The US is not the great place everyone said it would be, especially if you’re
sin papeles
—undocumented—like Jaime. When things look bleak, hope arrives from unexpected places: a quiet boy on the bus, a music teacher, an old ranch hand. With his sketchbook always close by, Jaime uses his drawings to show what it means to be a true citizen.
|
|
|
Merci Suarez Changes Gears
by Meg Medina
|
|
Coming out 9/11/18!
Merci Suarez knew that sixth grade would be different, but she had no idea just
how
different. For starters, Merci has never been like the other kids at her private school in Florida, because she and her older brother, Roli, are scholarship students. They don’t have a big house or a fancy boat, and they have to do extra community service to make up for their free tuition. So when bossy Edna Santos sets her sights on the new boy who happens to be Merci’s school-assigned Sunshine Buddy, Merci becomes the target of Edna’s jealousy. Things aren't going well at home, either: Merci’s grandfather and most trusted ally, Lolo, has been acting strangely lately — forgetting important things, falling from his bike, and getting angry over nothing. No one in her family will tell Merci what's going on, so she’s left to her own worries, while also feeling all on her own at school. In a coming-of-age tale full of humor and wisdom, award-winning author Meg Medina gets to the heart of the confusion and constant change that defines middle school — and the steadfast connection that defines family.
|
|
|
Anger is a Gift
by Mark Oshiro
|
|
Moss Jeffries is many things—considerate student, devoted son, loyal friend and affectionate boyfriend, enthusiastic nerd. But sometimes Moss still wishes he could be someone else—someone without panic attacks, someone whose father was still alive, someone who hadn’t become a rallying point for a community because of one horrible night. And most of all, he wishes he didn’t feel so stuck.
Moss can’t even escape at school—he and his friends are subject to the lack of funds and crumbling infrastructure at West Oakland High, as well as constant intimidation by the resource officer stationed in their halls. That was even before the new regulations—it seems sometimes that the students are treated more like criminals. Something will have to change—but who will listen to a group of teens?
When tensions hit a fever pitch and tragedy strikes again, Moss must face a difficult choice: give in to fear and hate or realize that anger can actually be a gift.
|
|
|
The Season of Rebels & Roses
by Virginia Sanchez-Korrol
|
|
At an assembly of liberals in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in 1887, Inocencia Martínez eagerly looks for Sotero Figueroa, a journalist and independence movement activist whose politics and handsome visage she finds extremely exciting. She is so intent on keeping him in her sights that, when he stops to speak to someone, she almost runs right into him! Inocencia, the daughter of a Spanish bureaucrat, was 18 when she first heard Figueroa speak about freedom from colonial repression and an independent Puerto Rico. Hearing the speakers at the assembly, some who advocate for total independence from Spain and others who favor a plan that would give Puerto Rico a voice in the Spanish government, fuels her dreams of becoming a leader in the movement.
When Sotero requests permission to visit, Inocencia’s parents are initially horrified that someone of African descent wants to court their daughter. Ultimately, just before the couple’s seditious activities force them into exile, her parents give approval for their marriage. While living in New York City, Inocencia starts her own women s group to aid the revolutionaries, following in the footsteps of her mentor, Doña Lola Rodríguez Tió. Ranging from Puerto Rico to Cuba and the United States, this engaging novel for teens follows historical figures that were instrumental in the fight for self-determination in Puerto Rico.
|
|
|
Undead Girl Gang
by Lily Anderson
|
|
Meet teenage Wiccan Mila Flores, who truly could not care less what you think about her Doc Martens, her attitude, or her weight because she knows that, no matter what, her BFF Riley is right by her side. So when Riley and Fairmont Academy mean girls June Phelan-Park and Dayton Nesseth die under suspicious circumstances, Mila refuses to believe everyone's explanation that her BFF was involved in a suicide pact. Instead, armed with a tube of lip gloss and an ancient grimoire, Mila does the unthinkable to uncover the truth: she brings the girls back to life.
Unfortunately, Riley, June, and Dayton have no recollection of their murders. But they do have unfinished business to attend to. Now, with only seven days until the spell wears off and the girls return to their graves, Mila must wrangle the distracted group of undead teens and work fast to discover their murderer...before the killer strikes again.
|
|
|
Pitch Dark
by Courtney Alameda
|
|
From Courtney Alameda, the author of
Shutter,
this thrilling, sci-fi horror and space adventure will be sure to stay with readers long after the last pages.
Lost to time, Tuck Morgan and his crew have slept in stasis aboard the
USS John Muir
for centuries. Their ship harbors a chunk of Earth, which unbeknownst to them, is the last hope for the failing human race.
Laura Cruz is a shipraider searching the galaxy for the history that was scattered to the stars. Once her family locates the
John Muir
and its precious cargo, they are certain human civilization is saved.
When Tuck's and Laura’s worlds collide—literally—the two teens must outwit their enemies, evade brutal monsters that kill with sound, and work together to save the
John Muir
. . . and the whole human race.
|
|
|
The Education of Margot Sanchez
by Lilliam Rivera
|
|
Pretty in Pink
comes to the South Bronx in this bold and romantic coming-of-age novel about dysfunctional families, good and bad choices, and finding the courage to question everything you ever thought you wanted--from debut author Lilliam Rivera.
Things/People Margot Hates:
Mami, for destroying her social life
Papi, for allowing Junior to become a Neanderthal
Junior, for becoming a Neanderthal
The supermarket
Everyone else
After "borrowing" her father's credit card to finance a more stylish wardrobe, Margot Sanchez suddenly finds herself grounded. And by grounded, she means working as an indentured servant in her family's struggling grocery store to pay off her debts.With each order of deli meat she slices, Margot can feel her carefully cultivated prep school reputation slipping through her fingers, and she's willing to do anything to get out of this punishment. Lie, cheat, and maybe even steal...Margot's invitation to the ultimate beach party is within reach and she has no intention of letting her family's drama or Moises--the admittedly good looking but outspoken boy from the neighborhood--keep her from her goal.
|
|
|
A Room of One's Own Bookstore
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
