Fifty Fantastic Finds in Kids Lit
Lori Sands
lori.sands@uncg.edu
Twitter: @lysands
April Dawkins
amdawkin@uncg.edu
Twitter: @aprldwkns
Tammy Gruer
tsgruer@uncg.edu
Twitter: @technerdgeek
Picture Books
Mine! by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann (August 2023)
A fun rhyming picture book, perfect for read-alouds!
A shiny red apple is hanging at the "tip-tippy top" of a tree and it grabs the attention of several greedy animals. As each one sees the tempting prize, they shout, Mine! When a gust of wind blows it right into possum’s hands, she decides to share with worm – Ours!
Ages 3-7, P-2
Starred reviews from ALA Booklist and Horn Book
In the Night Garden by Carin Berger
(July 2023)
In the night garden, nothing is as it seems and everything is made new. Listen closely and you might hear the wind blowing through the trees, the murmur of a slow stream, or the gentle song of crickets and bullfrogs, lulling you to sleep.
A beautiful bedtime book with collage artwork and a mysterious cat on every page.
Ages 3-6, P-2
Starred reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, Horn Book and Pub Weekly
Mr. S: A First Day of School Book by Monica Arnoldo (June 2023)
“The kids in room 2B could tell something was wrong…”
A kindergarten class arrives for their first day of school, but can't find their teacher—only a delicious-looking sandwich and the words "Mr. S" scribbled on the chalkboard. Chaos ensues.
Meanwhile, in the parking lot…there’s lots going on with a man, a car, a tree and a fire – but the students don’t see it and it isn’t mentioned in the text, just in the pictures, through the window.
A fun, engaging read-aloud that kids will love.
Ages 4-8, P-3
Starred reviews from SLJ, Pub Weekly and Booklist
Once Upon a Book by Grace Lin and Kate Messner (February 2023)
Alice loves to imagine herself in the magical pages of her favorite book. So when it flaps its pages and invites her in, she is swept away to a world of wonder and adventure, riding camels in the desert, swimming under the sea with colorful fish, floating in outer space, and more! But when her imaginative journey comes to an end, she yearns for the place she loves best of all – her cozy kitchen that smelled of dumplings and where her family was waiting with dinner.
A white rabbit can be found traveling along with Alice through each page of her journey.
Ages 4-8, P-3
Starred reviews from Kirkus, Horn Book, Booklist and SLJ
Summer is for Cousins by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Abhi Alwar (May 2023)
Ravi can’t wait to spend summer vacation at the lake house with his family—especially his cousins! Summer vacation is for days at the beach, long hikes, paddleboarding, and—of course—ice cream. Ravi and his oldest cousin, Dhruv, had the same favorite flavor last year, but everything feels different now. Dhruv is older - will he still want to spend time with little Ravi? Then Ravi realizes that he, too, has grown, as he and his cousins share a fun day and make a special dinner together.
Ages 4-8, P-3
Starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist and Publishers Weekly
Stillwater and Koo Save the World by Jon J. Muth (February 2023)
Today feels full of opportunities! “What would you like to do?” Stillwater asks Koo. “Something important! Fix all the things that are wrong! Let us save the world,” says Koo (who always speaks in haiku). But this is a very big idea for a little panda.
During the course of the day, Koo discovers that it’s the little acts of kindness that all add up to help make the world a better place.
Ages 4-8, P-3
Starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist and Publishers Weekly
This is the first of four new books featuring the beloved Zen panda, Stillwater -- star of the Caldecott Honor Book and New York Times bestseller, Zen Shorts, and of the Peabody Award and three-time Emmy Award-winning Apple+ TV series.
Big by Vashti Harrison (May 2023)
“Once there was a girl with big laugh and a big heart and very big dreams.” She learned and laughed and dreamed and grew. You’re such a big girl, they said, and it was good. Until it wasn’t. She was too big for the swing, too big for her pink tutu, too big to cry. She gathered up all of the words used about her, kept the good ones, and gave the others back to those who hurt her.
Ages 4-10, P-3
Starred reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, Horn Book and Publishers Weekly
To the Other Side by Erika Meza (March 2023)
My sister tells me the rules of the game are simple. Avoid the monsters. Don’t get caught. And keep moving. If the monsters catch you, you’re out. A young boy and his older sister have left home to play a game. To win, they must travel across endless lands together and make it to the finish line. Each child imagines what might be waiting for them across the border: A spotted dog? Ice cream! Or maybe a new school. But the journey is difficult, and the monsters are realer than they imagined. And when it no longer feels like a game, the two children must still find a way to forge ahead.
Ages 4-8, P-3
Starred reviews from Kirkus, SLJ and Publishers Weekly
Friends Beyond Measure: a story told with infographics by Lalena Fisher (February 2023)
Explores the world of infographics, including maps, diagrams, charts, timelines, and so much more! From the chart showing how to make fairy tea to the Venn Diagram of the friends’ personalities, every page is filled with fun details for the reader to pore over.
Ages 4-8, P-3
Starred reviews from Kirkus, Horn Book and Publishers Weekly
My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Steph Littlebird (March 2023)
Mom never had long hair—she was told it was too wild. Grandma couldn’t have long hair—hers was taken from her. But one young girl can’t wait to grow her hair long: for herself, for her family, for her connection to her culture and the Earth, and to honor the strength and resilience of those who came before her.
A beautiful and moving book with important historical and cultural information on the significance of hair to Indigenous cultures.
Ages 5-10, P-3
Starred reviews from Kirkus, Horn Book, Publishers Weekly and SLJ
The Voice in the Hollow by Will Hillenbrand (October 2023)
When a blizzard closes the library early, Hubert decides to take a shortcut home through the spooky Hollow. A stranger appears and offers to take his hand. Together they journey through the snow, an ominous forest, over fallen trees and mountains. A family of bears seems can be seen, first sleeping then suddenly awake, setting off a landslide and sending Hubert and his companion running. Just as Hubert is reaching his destination he turns to find his guide gone and sees only one set of footprints. Hubert races home to tell his family about his wild adventure through the Hollow.
Ages 4-8, P-3
Starred reviews from Kirkus and SLJ
The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker (March 2023)
In a green valley a tree is rooted along the edge of a meandering river. First a house is built, then a town. As time passes, a city rises but eventually crumbles while the tree remains in its spot. Environmental challenges have their impact and nearing the story's end the tree is beaten and worn but it produces acorns that fall into the river and take root just around the bend from the original tree.
A wordless book that could serve as a prompt to begin a unit on the development of human civilization or the impact of people on the environment
Ages 5-10, K-4
Starred reviews from Kirkus, Horn Book, Publishers Weekly and SLJ
Nell Plants a Tree by Anne Wynter, illustrated by Daniel Miyares (January 2023)
Nell buried a seed.
As Nell grows from a girl to a young mother to a grandmother, with the same white house in the background, the tree also grows and grows until it shelters several generations of Nell’s family. We see both the present and the past simultaneously, watching as time goes back and forth, showing connections between past and present in nature and in the family.
Ages 4-8, P-3
Starred reviews from Kirkus, Horn Book, Publishers Weekly and SLJ
Evergreen by Matthew Cordell (February 2023)
We Are Here by Tami Charles, illustrated by Bryan Collier (January 2023)
The Brilliant Ms. Bangle by Cara Devins, illustrated by K-Fai Steele (June 2023)
It’s a new school year, and something is different. The students’ beloved librarian, Ms. Stack, has retired. The new librarian, Ms. Bangle, is not the same! She has different ways of doing, well, everything! How will the students ever adjust?
Change isn’t easy, but it can be a positive experience. With a bit of patience, and a lot of heart, it can be positively brilliant.
Early Non-Fiction
Ages: 4-12 �Grades: K-6
Kati’s Tiny Messengers Dr. Katalin Kariko and the Battle against Covid-19
Kirkus Reviews (August 1, 2023)
GRADES 2-4�TOPICS: Biography,Covid 19, Immigration
The story of a Hungarian-born researcher whose childhood fascination with science led to a central role in the development of one of the first effective vaccines against the Covid-19 virus. In a personal message at the end, Katalin Karikó herself urges young people, girls especially, who dream of becoming scientists to go for it! Her story, as Hoyt tells it, reflects that determined attitude— the author presents clear pictures of her subject’s character as well as achievements, culminating in a suspenseful account of the vaccine’s human trials in 2020. The backmatter includes nods to colleagues and photos.An inspiring profile of a scientist making history. (timeline, source list) (Picture-book biography. 7-9)
Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of Czech Kindertransport �by Caren Stelson
Kirkus Reviews starred (November 15, 2022)
GRADES 2-4�TOPICS: Holocaust, World History, WWII�An unlikely hero saved the lives of hundreds of children during the Holocaust. Stelson describes how Jewish Czech children were saved via the Kindertransport during World War II. Beginning in 1938, they were taken via train from their hometown, Prague, to England, where they lived with foster families for several years while war raged in continental Europe. After the war, they returned home to learn most of their parents had perished. Many years later, they also discovered, for the first time, the identity of the self-effacing man who had literally set the wheels in motion by organizing the transports and securing necessary documents, allowing them—a total of 669 children—to leave their war-ravaged country and Nazi brutality behind so that they might live. His name? Nicholas “Nicky” Winton, an Englishman working in Prague in the late ’30s and one of many whose contributions made the Kindertransport possible. Decades later, he was honored by the Czech president and knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to humanity. A not-to-be-missed, inspirational book about courage, heart, and the necessity of caring for others. (timeline, more information about the Kindertransport, information on the Yad Vashem’s Children’s Memorial, photos, author’s note, illustrator’s note, source notes, bibliography, further reading) (Informational picture book. 7-11)
What a Map Can DO by Gabrielle Balkan
Booklist (May 15, 2023 (Vol. 119, No. 18))
.Grades K-2 �TOPICS: Maps, Geography, Activities
In this accessible introduction to maps, a friendly raccoon says to readers, “I've got something I want to show you . . . It’s something small, like me. And it shows you something big.” The idea starts simply, showing the little friend’s bedroom as it’s normally viewed and then showing it on a map, which the raccoon explains is a bird’s eye view, “and you don’t even have to be a bird!” On the spreads that follow, each of which shows a type of map—moving from depictions of familiar places such as a park to interstate maps and maps of the stars—the cheerful critter is accompanied by a few sentences of important map facts, such as what a legend is and how to find places based on their symbols. Each spread also includes easy seek-and-find activities that will keep readers engaged, with the bold, thick-lined artwork in bright, saturated colors adding to the cheerful atmosphere. A closing index of all the types of maps covered helps reinforce the concepts. An entertaining and informative choice for early geography and art classes.�
Ancestory The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Art by Hannah Salyer
Kirkus Reviews starred (February 15, 2023)
Grades 3-6�Topic: Art, Ancient World, History Includes Back Matter
Prehistoric art “rocks” the world. This book about rock and cave art around the world introduces children to masterpieces dating back millennia, allowing readers to appreciate unique specimens of ancient creativity and recognize human kinship with distant ancestors who “took the time to create.” The artwork, which relies on ceramic sculpture, photographs, colored pencil, charcoal, pigment, and digital media, teems with vivid images of paintings, drawings, and etchings. These include examples of rock art found all over the globe, with ages noted. Some are especially mesmerizing, presented as if in caves “illuminated” by lantern light, simulating flickering flames, akin to the conditions under which the art was made originally. …The illustrations highlight Indigenous peoples who may “still have distant familiarity with these ancient sites and stories.” The author raises questions about how and why our ancestors crafted their art: “Mapping the stars? Documenting the world around them?” Readers will also learn our forebears used all-natural materials, such as charcoal, ash, and malachite, and tools including flint, shells, and yucca stalks. Excellent explanatory backmatter concludes this fascinating book. Modern-day people are diverse; ancient people are seen in silhouette. How extraordinary that ancient ancestors call out to us from the rocks we see all around.
I
An American Story by Kwame Alexander
Kirkus Reviews starred (December 1, 2022
Grades 1-5�TOPICS: Slavery, US History, Human Rights
“How do you tell a story / that starts in Africa / and ends in horror?” Alexander uses multiple voices to weave this poem about a teacher who takes on the difficult but necessary task of starting a classroom conversation about slavery. Between the theft of people from the African continent and the sale of people in America, from the ships that brought them and the ocean that swallowed some of them to their uncompensated work and the breakup of families, Alexander introduces objections from the implied listeners (“But you can’t sell people,” “That’s not fair”), despair from the narrating adult, encouragement from the youth, and ultimately an answer to the repeated question about how to tell this story. Rising star Coulter’s mixed-media art elevates the lyrical text with clarity and deep emotion: Using sculpted forms and paintings for the historical figures gives them a unique texture and lifelike fullness, while the charcoal drawings on yellow paper used for the present-day student-teacher interactions invite readers to step inside. Where Coulter combines the two, connecting past with present, the effect is stunning. Both young readers and adults unsure of how to talk about this painful past with children will find valuable insights. With powerful art from a bold new talent, this is a probing and sensitive take on a devastating chapter of U.S. history. (author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Informational picture book. 6-10)
Love is Loud How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement by Shandra Neil Wallace
Booklist (December 1, 2022 (Vol. 119, No. 7))
Grades 2-4. �TOPIC: Civil Rights, Biography, Backmatter�This picture-book biography honors Diane Nash, a significant figure in the civil rights movement during the 1960s and beyond. Born and raised in Chicago, Nash left home to attend college in Nashville but was appalled by the injustice and indignities endured by Black people living under segregation laws in the South. A proponent of nonviolent resistance, she worked for change through protests such as the Nashville lunch counter sit-ins and the Freedom Rides. Though harassed, threatened, jailed, and sometimes afraid, she was never deterred from working for justice. Written in direct but poetic phrases with occasional rhymes, the text traces Nash’s path from childhood through the tumultuous 1960s, promoting nonviolent principles to bring about change and persuading others to join the movement. The book's section on the lunch counter sit-ins is particularly effective. Collier, who previously collaborated with Wallace on Between the Lines (2018), contributes a series of strong, dynamic illustrations created with watercolor and cut-paper collage. A fitting portrayal of Diane Nash, a civil rights leader who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022.
Galapagos Islands of Change �by Leslie Bulion
Booklist starred (March 1, 2023 (Vol. 119, No. 13))
Grades 1-4. �TOPIC: Poetry Collection, Conservation, Backmatter
The creators of Serengeti: Plains of Grass (2022) offer here an equally appealing introduction to this Pacific Island group. Following an introduction detailing this archipelago's volcanic origins and seasonal weather variations, Bulion presents a series of poems (many free verse) highlighting the native species of this region. …Throughout, small captions offer additional information about these creatures and their importance to this ecosystem. Stadtlander's lush gouache-and-pastel spreads spotlight these unusual species. …With an afterword detailing the effects of climate change on these habitats and generous back matter, this is informative, accessible, and not to be missed.
Indestructible Tom Crean �by Jennifer Thermes
Booklist starred (January 1, 2023 (Vol. 119, No. 9))
Grades 2-5. �TOPIC: Biography, Exploration, SEL, Relationship skills�Thermes recounts the life and adventures of Irish sailor and Antarctic explorer Tom Crean, with emphasis on his voyages with Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton. From 1901–1904, able seaman Crean accompanied Scott on the Discovery, where he helped to build supply depots on Antarctica's Hut Point Peninsula; from 1910–1913, chief petty officer Crean sailed on the Terra Nova on Scott's ill-fated trip to the South Pole; and from 1914–1917, second officer Crean sailed the Weddell Sea with Shackleton and led the dramatic rescue efforts to save the crew after the Endurance sank. Throughout, the author emphasizes Crean's physical stamina, mental fortitude, leadership qualities, love of animals, and personal modesty concerning his heroics. The succinct narrative unfolds in present tense, which adds to the dramatic tension of these adventures. Thermes' past work as a map illustrator is employed to great effect here, with map features incorporated into many illustrations. Created with watercolor, colored pencil, and salt, the artwork features a soft, sunny palette that keeps the story upbeat, even during blizzards and perilous times. She also effectively uses nearly wordless spreads to enhance the drama at several points in the story. With varied compositions (infographic panels; single- and double-paged spreads; and smaller, graphic-novel-style insets), this is a detail-rich presentation not to be missed.
How Do You Spell Unfair? �By Carole Boston Wetherford
Kirkus Reviews starred (March 1, 2023
Grades: 2-5�TOPICS: Biography, Civil RIghts, SpellingBee,
A champion Midwestern speller experiences discrimination at the 1936 National Spelling Bee. MacNolia Cox was neither the first African American child to win a national spelling contest (1908) nor the next (2021)—but she was the first even to win a spot as a finalist in all the intervening decades and, Weatherford suggests, could well have won except for some rule-bending by the judges. Using a call-and-response cadence (“Can you spell dedication? / D-E-D-I-C-A-T-I-O-N”), the author pays tribute to the Akron, Ohio, eighth grader’s indomitable spirit and focus as well as her love of words while recording the public excitement she caused by winning her school and then citywide bees. With a teacher, a reporter, and her mother, MacNolia then traveled to Washington, D.C., where she experienced segregation (even on stage, in the accompanying, pointedly wordless, picture) but “nailed word after word.” She didn’t win the championship but proved something important by her example: “That was MacNolia’s triumph.” Her slender figure glows with character in Morrison’s illustrations, too, where she pores studiously through dictionaries here, poses with celebrities like Joe Louis and Fats Waller there, waves gravely to a cheering crowd as she boards a train for the nation’s capital, and afterward returns to her hometown in graceful, silent dignity. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Spells out reasons to vow N-E-V-E-R A-G-A-I-N. (foreword, afterward, select bibliography) (Informational picture book. 6-9)
The Book of Turtles by Sy Montomery
Kirkus Reviews starred (March 15, 2023)
GRADES: 1-5�TOPICS: TURTLES,SEL
A longtime ambassador for the animal kingdom introduces turtles from around the world. Knowing just what will intrigue her readers, naturalist Montgomery starts off with a surprising statement: “Sometime around 240 million years ago…the shell invented the turtle.” She describes the ways shells define and protect turtles. She details turtles’ other physical characteristics and their unusual longevity. She gives examples of “extreme turtles”—biggest, smallest, flattest, fattest, and so forth, and species with unusual traits and/or skills. Readers will learn that the Chinese softshell terrapin is one of several species that “tinkle through their mouths.” Some South American turtles communicate through vocalizations. She also introduces some celebrity turtles, including the late Pinta Island tortoise Lonesome George, likely the last of his kind. An appealing section on the habits of baby sea turtles leads nicely into a description of turtle population decline and why turtles are a crucial part of ecosystems...which in turn leads to suggestions of how readers can help. Accompanying the smoothly written narrative are images of more than 30 species, often with features of their usual habitat, mostly set against a white background. Wildlife artist Patterson’s unobtrusively labeled acrylic paintings are realistic and detailed. Who can resist the tortoises enjoying a neck rub or shell scratch (from light-skinned human hands)? Smartly pairing two experts in wildlife portrayal, this one is not to be missed. Splendid. (resources, glossary, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 5-9)
Early Readers
Ages: 4-12�Grades: 1-6
Marya Khan and the Fabulous Jasmine Garden (Marya Khan #2) by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Ani Bushry
Ages 6-9, Grades 1-4
School Library Journal Starred Review
TOPICS: Asian American,Community, Realistic Fiction, Relationships
Marya is super excited her school is creating a community garden to be cared for by the students. Not only will her third-grade class be the first to work on it, but Marya’s mom will be teaching the students all about gardening. Most importantly, one student will be chosen to lead the charge. Marya REALLY wants to be the class leader . . . but so does Alexa, her worst enemy…
Who Will Win? By Arihhonni David (April 2023)
Ages 4-8, P-3
Starred reviews from Booklist and Horn Book�Indigenous Peoples, Animal Stories, Beginning Reader��Fun for beginning readers, the book retells an amusing Native American tale with a satisfying ending, while the expressive illustrations help readers visualize the characters and setting. . . . Like many books in the I Like to Read series, this respectful retelling of a traditional trickster tale offers a welcome change of pace for beginning readers.
The award-winning I Like to Read® series focuses on guided reading levels A through G, based upon Fountas and Pinnell standards.
Try a bite Trilobite! By Jonathan Fenske
School Library Journal (August 1, 2023)
Gr 1-2-A great way to encourage children to read is to make available books at their level with characters or subjects that suit their interest. Geisel Honor winner Fenske does just that with his beginning reader titles, and this one is no exception. Much like in Green Eggs and Ham, Trilobite does not want to try Bug's new dish, which appears to be a cupcake. Trilobite loves noodles, and that is that. In an increasingly heated discussion between the two, Bug tries many times to get Trilobite to eat the new food, and Trilobite gets evermore frustrated at Bug's nonstop insistence. The text is written in the form of a beginning graphic novel, with speech bubbles much like in Mo Willems's "Elephant & Piggie" books. This format will entice children who are drawn to the graphic style and feel. Fenske's brightly drawn, expressive bugs are adorable, and the story flows and moves quickly. VERDICT Buy it. Kids will have fun reading the banter between Bug and Trilobite.-Cassie Veselovsky © Copyright 2023. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Mazie Wiz and her Dragon
School Library Journal (March 1, 2023)
PreS-Gr 1-Maxie the wizard learns that young dragons can be a handful. Little Maxie, who has brown skin, is excited to watch her dragon hatch and declares her new companion a "perfect match!" Swimming in the swamp all day with the dragon is fun, but come suppertime, Maxie finds her charge is cranky and would rather have cookies than a healthy salad. The little wizard casts a spell to conjure up cupcakes that the dragon devours. It's too big to fit inside the castle or the bed, so Maxie uses her magic to accommodate her fast-growing friend. Just like most toddlers, Dragon won't go to sleep-time to conjure up a teddy bear or two. Meadows's tale offers insight into the joys and challenges of caregiving that young readers will delight in. Short sentences on each page and large clear typeface support the newest readers. Rhyming text aids word recognition, and more sophisticated phrases such as "hocus-pocus" are repeated as the little wizard practices her spells. Cloud's darling illustrations employ saturated hues and strike the right magical note, with a glittery witch's hat and shimmery stars. VERDICT A sweet bedtime story of friendship and magic for emerging readers.-Sarah Webb © Copyright 2023. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Middle Grade to Early Teen/Tween
Ages: 9 - 13
Grades: 4-8
What Happened to Rachel Riley by Claire Swinarski (Jan 2023)
Anna Hunt may be the new girl at East Middle School, but she can already tell there’s something off about her eighth-grade class. Rachel Riley, who just last year was one of the most popular girls in school, has become a social outcast. But no one, including Rachel Riley herself, will tell Anna why. Anna decides to uncover the mystery and create a podcast.
Ages 8-12, Grades 5 and up
Starred reviews: Booklist, SLJ, Bookpage.com
Spin by Rebecca Caprara (Mar 2023)
Novel in verse that retells the story of Arachne told from her perspective. Reframes the story and includes friendship with and romantic feelings for best friend Celandine. Other Greek myths woven in stories from her mother.
Ages 12+, Gr 7-9
Starred Reviews: SLJ, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus
¡Ay, Mija! My Bilingual Summer in Mexico by Christine Suggs (Apr 2023)
Debut graphic memoir remembering a trip to Mexico to visit family, growing up queer, and navigating Latinx and American heritage.
Ages 12+, Grades 7+
Starred Reviews: SLJ
Harvest House by Cynthia Leitich Smith (April 2023)
Halloween is near, and Hughie Wolfe is volunteering at a new rural attraction: Harvest House. He’s excited to take part in the fun, spooky show—until he learns that an actor playing the vengeful spirit of an “Indian maiden,” a ghost inspired by local legend, will headline. But girls and women are going missing, especially indigenous women.
Follow up to Hearts Unbroken
Ages 12-17, Gr 7-9
Starred Reviews: Shelf Awareness, Publishers Weekly, SLC
Doubles by Jennifer Liss (June 2023)
After reading a news story, Easton’s world is turned upside down. How could he have been photographed at a parade he never attended? Someone must be impersonating him! Can Easton and his friend Mari track down the imposter and solve the mystery before it’s too late?
Gr. 4-7; Hi-Lo (written at 3rd gr level)
Period: The Quick Guide to Every Uterus by Ruth Redford and Aitana Giráldez (Aug 2023)
Backed by the experts at Mayo Clinic, PERIOD. is the no-nonsense guide kids and caregivers alike can trust to navigate menstruation, period. This 4-color graphic novel guide embraces all the icky, all the sticky, and all the confusing aspects of the monthly cycle, acknowledging that there's no cookie cutter way to manage the physical and emotional mayhem. Fully gender-, body-, and sexuality-inclusive
Ages 8-12, Gr 2-6
Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed by Dashka Slater (Aug 2023)
When a high school student started a private Instagram account that used racist and sexist memes to make his friends laugh, he thought of it as “edgy” humor. Over time, the edge got sharper. Then a few other kids found out about the account. Pretty soon, everyone knew.
Ultimately no one in the small town of Albany, California, was safe from the repercussions of the account’s discovery. In the end, no one was laughing. And everyone was left asking: Where does accountability end for online speech that harms? And what does accountability even mean?
Ages 12-18, Gr 7-9
Starred Reviews: Shelf Awareness, Booklist, SLJ, Bulletin for the Center for Children’s Books
Salsa Magic by Letisha Marrero (Sept 2023)
“In this novel steeped in family lore and West African Yoruba beliefs, Maya (13) navigates old ideas and thirsts for new knowledge as she discovers how she fits into her vibrant family (African and Latine) and the world beyond. Maya’s first-person narrative… is endearing and relatable, and peppered with Spanish. Readers are transported to the streets of Brooklyn and treated to the sights, sounds, and smells of life in the restaurant. Characters are as diverse as the streets of New York.” - SLJ
Ages 8-12, Gr 3-7
Starred Reviews: Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, SLJ
Kin: Rooted in Hope by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illus Jeffery Boston Weatherford (Sept 2023)
Carole and Jeffery Boston Weatherford’s ancestors are among the founders of Maryland. Their family history there extends more than three hundred years, but as with the genealogical searches of many African Americans with roots in slavery, their family tree can only be traced back five generations before going dark.
Ages 10+, Grades 5-6
Starred Reviews: Horn Book
Alebrijes by Donna Barba Higuera (Oct 2023)
For 400 years, Earth has been a barren wasteland. The few humans that survive scrape together an existence in the cruel city of Pocatel – or go it alone in the wilderness beyond, filled with wandering spirits and wyrms. They don’t last long.
13 year-old pickpocket Leandro and his sister Gabi do what they can to forge a life in Pocatel. The city does not take kindly to Cascabel like them – the descendants of those who worked the San Joaquin Valley for generations.
When Gabi is caught stealing precious fruit from the Pocatelan elite, Leando takes the fall. But his exile proves more than he ever could have imagined -- far from a simple banishment, his consciousness is placed inside an ancient drone and left to fend on its own. But beyond the walls of Pocatel lie other alebrijes like Leandro who seek for a better world -- as well as mutant monsters, wasteland pirates, a hidden oasis, and the truth.
Ages 10-14, Gr 5-9
Starred Reviews: Booklist, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, SLJ
Young Adult
Ages:15+
Grades: 8 - 12+
We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds (Nov 2022)
Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she's uprooted from her life in DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. She makes two friends, Simone Cole, her captivating next-door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, daughter of the town’s most prominent family―whose mother’s murder remains unsolved. The racist history of Bardell, Georgia is rooted in Avery’s family in ways she can’t even imagine.
Ages 14-18, Grades 10-12
Starred Reviews: Kirkus, Booklist, SLJ, Publishers Weekly, Bookpage, Shelf Awareness
Children of Ragnarok by Cinda Williams Chima (Nov 2022)
World based in Norse mythology
Story of the journeys of sixteen-year-old Eiric, half-systir, Liv, and spellsinger, musician, and runecaster Reginn. Intricately plotted so that even the twists have twists. Epic Fantasy
First in a series - Runestone Saga
Ages 13-17, Grades 8+
Starred Reviews: Kirkus, Publishers Weekly
Show-Ha Shoten! by Akinari Asakura (Feb 2023)
Shy Azemichi Shijima has secretly been studying the art of comedy. His outgoing classmate Taiyo Higashikata has big dreams of being funny but no follow-through. When the two team up, they just might take the comedy world by storm!
Grades 9+
Starred Reviews: SLJ
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert (Jan 2023)
Bradley & Celine used to be best friends. Bradley is a football player, Celine is obsessed with conspiracies with a huge social media following. But he got cool and she thinks he abandoned her. They end up taking a survival course not expecting to see each other, and must team up to win a big prize.
Grades 7-9
Starred Reviews: Kirkus, Booklist
Enter the Body by Joy McCullough (Mar 2023)
In the room beneath a stage's trapdoor, Shakespeare’s dead teenage girls (Juliet, Ophelia, Cordelia, and Lavinia) compare their experiences and retell the stories of their lives, their loves, and their fates in their own words. Novel in verse
Ages 14-17, Grades 9-12
Starred Reviews: SLJ, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Horn Book, BCCB, SLC, Shelf Awareness
A Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen (Mar 2023)
Waxways series book 1 - Magic comes out of the ground, from land once inhabited by dragons. People travel on waxways, portalling from one location to another via concentration and candles.
“For readers who have just finished Naomi Novik’s The Golden Enclaves and are ravenous for more dark academia” (Booklist), this “pulse-pounding” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) fantasy thriller follows six teenage wizards as they fight to make it home alive after a malfunctioning spell leaves them stranded in the wilderness.
Ages 14+, Grades 9-12
Starred Reviews: Publishers Weekly, Kirkus
Stateless by Elizabeth Wein (Mar 2023)
Historical thriller
When Stella North is chosen to represent Britain in Europe’s first air race for young people, she knows all too well how high the stakes are. As the only participating female pilot, it’ll be a constant challenge to prove she’s a worthy competitor. But promoting peace in Europe, the goal of the race, feels empty to Stella when civil war is raging in Spain and the Nazis are gaining power—and when, right from the start, someone resorts to cutthroat sabotage to get ahead of the competition.
Ages 12+, Gr 7 up
Starred Reviews: Horn Book, SLJ
Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker (Apr 2023)
Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen. On the anniversary of these brutal events, Clement and Cristina Trudeau―the sixteen-year-old twin heirs to the powerful, magical, dethroned family―are mourning their father and caring for their sick mother. Until, by chance, they discover their mother isn’t sick―she’s cursed. Cursed by someone on the very magic council their family used to rule. Someone who will come for them next.
Ages 13-18, Gr 7-9�Starred Reviews: Kirkus, Publishers Weekly
Impossible Escape: A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe by Steve Sheinkin (Aug 2023)
It is 1944. A teenager named Rudolf (Rudi) Vrba has made up his mind. After barely surviving nearly two years in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, he knows he must escape. Even if death is more likely. Gerta Sidonová’s family fled from Slovakia to Hungary, where they live under assumed names to hide their Jewish identity. This is the true story of one of the most famous whistleblowers in the world, and how his death-defying escape helped save over 100,000 lives.
Ages 12-18, Grades 7+
Starred Reviews: Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, SLJ, Shelf Awareness, Booklist, Hornbook
All the Fighting Parts by Hannah Sawyerr (Sept 2023)
Novel in verse
Sixteen-year-old Amina Conteh has always believed in using her voice as her weapon—even when it gets her into trouble. After cursing at a classmate, her father forces her to volunteer at their church with Pastor Johnson.
But Pastor Johnson isn’t the holy man everyone thinks he is. The same voice Amina uses to fight falls quiet the night she is sexually assaulted by Pastor Johnson.
Ages 14+, Grades 9-12
Starred Reviews: Kirkus, SLJ
Ryan and Avery by David Levithan (Sept 2023)
When a blue-haired boy (Ryan) meets a pink-haired boy (Avery) at a dance--a queer prom--both feel an inexplicable but powerful connection. Follow them through their first ten dates as they bridge their initial shyness and fall in love--through snowstorms, groundings, meeting parents (Avery's) and not (Ryan's), cast parties, heartbreak, and every day and date in between. (They were minor characters in Two Boys Kissing)
Ages 12-17, Grades 7+
Starred Reviews: SLJ
Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury (Sept 2023)
Haunted house thriller with two parallel story lines 10 years apart. As Brittney investigates the mansion in the present, Daisy’s story runs parallel in the past, both timelines propelling the girls to face the most dangerous monsters of all: those that hide in plain sight.
SLJ - Genuinely terrifying
Grades 9-12
Starred Reviews: Kirkus, SLJ
The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker (Oct 3, 2023)
YA fantasy duology set in an alternate Tang Dynasty China, where a poor biracial girl with the ability to raise the dead gets caught up in the dangerous political games of the royal family.
Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table—resurrecting the dead, for a price.
Ages 14-17, Grades 7+
Starred Reviews: Kirkus, SLJ
Huda F Cares? by Huda Fahmy (Oct 10, 2023)
National Book Award Finalist
In this laugh-out-loud funny sequel to the graphic novel Huda F Are You?, the Fahmys are off to Disney World, but self-conscious Huda worries her family will stand out too much.
Fictionalized memoir
Ages 12+, Grades 7+
Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare (Oct 10, 2023)
“Sweeping yet intimate, rich with romance and intrigue, Sword Catcher is Cassandra Clare at her magical best. In pages packed with sumptuous descriptions, Clare gives us a kingdom’s worth of characters—including Kel the ‘sword catcher,’ trained to protect his prince at all costs, and Lin, a young physician of an outcast people—forced to navigate a web of tangled loyalties between the loved ones they cherish and the powers they serve. This book will break your heart and leave you wanting more!”—Helene Wecker, New York Times bestselling author of The Golem and the Jinni
NOTE: Adult Fantasy
Access Fifty Fantastic Finds in Kids Lit resources on our padlet…. https://padlet.com/tsgruer/fiftyfantasticfindsinkidslit2023
Dr. April M. Dawkins
Assistant Professor, UNCG
amdawkin@uncg.edu
Lori Sands
Director, Teaching Resources Center, UNCG
lori.sands@uncg.edu
Tammy S. Gruer
Assistant Professor & School Library Program Coordinator, UNCG
gruert@uncg.edu
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