“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Dr. Suess
KIDS BOOKS
NOTE: We have the current list and stock of the Battle Books for the Pikes Peak region.
For your convenience when looking up series for children: http://www.mymcpl.org/books-movies-music/juvenile-series
Clovis Keeps His Cool
By Katelyn Aronson (Page Street Kids A$17.99)
Fern and Otto: A Picture Book Story About Two Best Friends
By Stephanie Graegin (Penguin Random House $17.99)
When best friends Fern, a bear, and Otto, a cat, go searching for an exciting story in the forest, they have different ideas about what that means. Fern thinks they should stop and watch a race between a tortoise and a hare, but Otto worries a tortoise is too slow to be exciting. Fern thinks the three brothers talking about how to build a house is incredibly interesting, but Otto isn’t convinced. Along the way, the two friends meet a little girl in red who is off to visit her grandmother (and a wolf headed the same way!); a cranky girl complaining that her porridge isn’t the right temperature; and many others. But it’s not until they run into a big scary witch that they both can agree that this is not the kind of excitement they had in mind. With irresistible illustrations and tons of charming details, this is a delightful fantasy adventure that proves the best adventures are the ones you share.
A Brave Bear
By Sean Taylor (Candlewick Press $16.99)
It is a hot, hot day. Dad Bear says, “I think a pair of hot bears is probably the hottest thing in the world.” So Little Bear suggests they go to the river to cool down. It’s a long way. Little Bear tries to impress his Dad by doing a big jump from one rock to another, but he falls over. When he picks himself up and keeps going, his dad says, “I think a brave bear is probably the bravest thing in the world.” For very young children just beginning to dare to do new things and their supportive and loving parents, this gentle read-aloud just might be the best thing in the world.
Tomatoes for Neela
By Padma Lakshmi (Penguin Random House $17.99)
Neela loves cooking with her amma and writing down the recipes in her notebook. It makes her feel closer to her paati who lives far away in India. On Saturdays, Neela and Amma go to the green market and today they are buying tomatoes to make Paati’s famous sauce. But first, Neela needs to learn about all the different kinds of tomatoes they can pick from. And as Neela and Amma cook together, they find a way for Paati to share in both the love and the flavors of the day.
When You are Happy
By Eileen Spinelli (Simon & Schuster $19.99)
In this delightful and lyrical text by renowned children’s author Eileen Spinelli, a young girl finds reassurance from all of her family members and learns that love complements every mood. Coupled with dazzling art by illustrator Geraldo Valério, her words become a beautiful reminder of the care and comforts of unconditional love.
Small Knight and the Anxiety Monster
By Manka Kasha (Macmillan $18.99)
When Small Knight feels pressure from their parents to be a perfect princess, an anxiety monster shows up. No one else can see the monster, so Small Knight and their best friend Tiny Bear, decide that it is up to them to save themselves. They set off on a magical quest, only to discover that the answer was inside themselves all along. Turning to face the Anxiety Monster, they learn how to keep it under control.
Personal and whimsical, Manka Kasha’s debut picture book is a beautiful story about understanding your anxiety and finding the courage to face it.
Doodling 101: A Silly Symposium
By Mo Willems (Hyperion $19.99)
B Is For Bison
by Greg Paprocki (Babylit $9.99)
EARLY / MIDDLE GRADE READERS
Tales of Fearless Girls
By Isabel Otter (Tiger Tales $19.99)
Einstein: A Fantastic Journey of a Mouse Through Space and Time
By Torben Kuhlmann (Northsouth Books $19.99)
When an inventive mouse misses the biggest cheese festival the world has ever seen, he’s determined to turn back the clock. But what is time, and can it be influenced? With the help of a mouse clockmaker, a lot of inventiveness, and the notes of a certain famous Swiss physicist he succeeds in traveling back in time. But when he misses his goal by eighty years, the only one who can help is an employee of the Swiss Patent Office, who turned our concept of space and time upside down. From the creator of Lindbergh-The Tale of a Flying Mouse, Moletown, Armstrong – The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon, and Edison – The Mystery of the Missing Mouse Treasure comes Einstein. Torben Kuhlmann, in his fourth mouse adventure, explores the question: Suppose Albert Einstein’s famous theories first came into being through an encounter with a little mouse.
Praise for Edison–The Mystery of the Missing Mouse Treasure
Spy School Goes South
by Stuart Gibbs (Simon & Schuster $8.99)
Thirteen-year-old Ben Ripley has been caught in the snares of SPYDER more than once and knows well enough to be suspicious of anything that seems too good to be true–despite needing special tutoring in advanced survival techniques. So when Murray Hill finally breaks his silence with an offer to hand over the SPYDER elite, Ben knows that there must be something going on. But his hesitation doesn’t stop the assignment. The mission: Follow Murray Hill to an undisclosed location with no one else but Erica Hale to identify SPYDER leadership. However, as Ben suspected, nothing goes as planned, and what should be an easy mission quickly turns deadly. Ben and Erica will have to face rogue agents, trained killers, and even very hungry crocodiles in a race against the clock to find out what SPYDER is up to this time–and thwart their evil plans.
Run Like a Girl
By Danielle Brown (Button Books $14.99)
A collection of fascinating biographical stories of 50 highly successful sportswomen, from boxing superstar Nicola Adams to record-breaking yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur and fearless mountain biker Rachel Atherton. All over the world, there are female athletes breaking barriers, pushing limits and achieving amazing things, but where did their journeys begin? And what challenges did they have to overcome to get where they are today? As well as giving an insight into their influences, motivations and achievements, each story reminds us that failing can teach us just as much as winning; success isn’t limited to the sports field; and ‘running like a girl’ can lead you all the way to the top.
Friends Forever
by Shannon Hale (Macmillan $12.99)
Shannon is in eighth grade, and life is more complicated than ever. Everything keeps changing, her classmates are starting to date each other (but nobody wants to date her!), and no matter how hard she tries, Shannon can never seem to just be happy. As she works through her insecurities and undiagnosed depression, she worries about disappointing all the people who care about her. Is something wrong with her? Can she be the person everyone expects her to be? And who does she actually want to be?
The Spiderwick Chronicles
by Tony Diterlizzi (Simon & Schuster $7.99)
Back in stock-an oldie but goodie! After finding a mysterious, handmade field guide in the attic of the ramshackle old mansion they’ve just moved into, the Grace children discover that there’s a magical and maybe dangerous world existing parallel to our own. This edition of the first book in the #1 “New York Times”-bestselling series features a larger trim size and an original cover with all-new art.