These are nine titles that feature different themes, from early readers to middle school, and I always try to squeeze in at least one graphic novel in the mix.
Let’s start with early readers:
The Brighter I Shine by Kamee Abrahamian (Author) Lusine Ghukasyan (Illustrator)
This is a magical retelling of a birthday, from how the little girl came to them as a dream before arriving, to her relationship with her ancestors through story retelling and customs, as a way to keep family traditions alive.
In Armenian tradition, you decorate the house with roses and mint and sumac, prepare beef dumplings with garlic yogurt, and get together to bake cakes with family and friends.
“Because stories make up who we are; they are like rivers that lead into oceans, like seeds that fall from flowers, like pages of this book that come from trees. And the more stories told, the brighter this little child shines”.
The Brighter I Shine is on sale since October 1, 2024
Publisher: Lantana Publishing
Pages: 32/ Hardcover
EAN/UPC: 9781915244833
Up next, this is such an incredible artist:
Alice in a Winter Wonderland by Jann Brett
Jan Brett is amazing at making you think again with her illustrations, depicting classics in new and whimsical ways, and making you realize how utterly absurd some stories actually are:
This rendition of Alice in Wonderland goes all the way to the Alaskan tundra, with Alice spying on a white rabbit that goes down a crevasse in an Alaskan glacier, and that is just the beginning!
I love that some of the animals Jann Brett depicted no longer exist, such as the smiling Smylodon turned Cheshire Cat, and real birds and animals around grotesque characters.
This is an imaginative and completely original re-telling of Lewis Carrol’s work.
Alice in a Winter Wonderland is on sale since November 26, 2024
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Pages: 40/ Hardcover
ISBN: 9780593533888
The Creature of Habit Tries His Best by Jennifer E. Smith (Author) Leo Espinosa (Illustrator)
This is the second installment of a series, where a very easily frustrated rabbit faces new challenges.
On the island of Habit, he resides and he has some cute small friends who are always willing to try new things, like riding a bicycle.
Having recently learned that he likes trying new things, the creature has also learned that he doesn’t always have to be very good at everything.
Learning to ride a bike has many downs and only one up: when you finally realize you have got it. However, frustration is there (my thirteen-year-old hasn’t learned yet!) even though the important thing is not to give up.
The Creature of Habit Tries His Best is on sale since November 19, 2024
Published by Random House Studio
Hardcover | Pages: 40
ISBN: 9780593434611
Up next is this lovely bilingual book:
Be Careful, Xiao Xin! by Alice Pung (Author) Sher Rill Ng (Illustrator)
I loved the premise of this book because helicopter parenting is a suffocating reality for many children around the globe.
This bilingual book is written in English and Chinese and follows young Xiao Xin, a young kid who is hammered day in and day out about being careful.
Teacher Tom is my guru regarding free play, and he has a lot to say on the subject:
“Most of the time, our warnings to “be careful” are redundant at best and, at worst, become a spur to rebellion (which, in turn, can lead to truly hazardous behavior) or a sense that the world is full of unperceived dangers that only the all-knowing adult can see (which, in turn, can lead to the sort of unspecified anxiety we see so much of these days). Every time we say “be careful” we express, quite clearly, our lack of faith in our children’s judgement, which too often becomes the foundation for self-doubt”.
Xiao Xin believes he is a fearless Red Fire Warrior and feels braver on the inside than on the outside. If their family keeps hovering on top of him, how can he test his strength and learn what he is capable of?
The only way to know about fear is by facing it, not by being protected from all external possibilities. And Xiao Xin knows it better than anyone in his family!
Be Careful, Xiao Xin! is on sale since November 12, 2024
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Hardcover | Pages: 48
ISBN: 9780593812907
Up next, middle grade novels and graphic novels about different subjects:
Elvis Is Missing by Bruce Hale (Author) Luke S. Guin-Magee (Illustrator)
This sci-fi adventure features two titles with more to come, about a group of kids, the Garcia-Jackson family, that traverse a hedge in their neighborhood… only to find themselves on another planet!
Elvis is their dog, the one that went first through the hole, chasing a space squirrel. The three kids, with their babysitter in tow, will follow him straight into an adventure into deep space, with aliens, asteroids, and villains. An adventure that will, hopefully, last only long enough for them to be back safe before dinner.
Elvis Is Missing is on sale since October 15, 2024
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Paperback | Pages: 160
ISBN: 9780593660171
Completely changing subject, this survivor tale kept me awake at night:
The Other Side of Tomorrow by Tina Cho (Author) Deb Jj Lee (Illustrator)
This is a harrowing account of the escape route so many people decide to take, despite all the danger, to escape from North Korea.
Having finally read and loved When Stars Are Scattered, this graphic novel reminded me of it, but from a different direction:
North Korea is rife with problems, starvation, and mass executions being the worst two of them. Yunho and Myunghee are two kids who finally decide to face all the dangers to escape, facing death in the process.
Yunho is trying to reunite with his mother, who has crossed before into mainland China, and who will send for him after acquiring money to escape. Myunghee is all alone in the world but saves Yunho’s life and their fate is intertwined from that moment.
China is not nice to them, they are caught in an internment camp where they must sleep on the floor and cannot have baths or a bathroom. When they miraculously escape, they must keep going, to Laos, and perhaps, finally, to America. Hope and the idea of a different tomorrow keep propelling them forward, and all you can do is pray for them to finally reach their destination, to be free, to have a chance at a decent life.
Deb Jj Lee is such an incredible artist, the delicate illustrations can help you feel more emphatic with the kids, as they face one danger after another.
This book is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
The Other Side of Tomorrow is on sale since November 12, 2024
Publisher: Harperalley
Paperback | Pages: 224
ISBN: 9780063011076
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (Author) Ashley MacKenzie (Illustrator)
Christopher has an uncanny ability to attract animals and Mae can fly, by hovering in the air using a magic trench coat. When she is being pursued by a murderer, only Christopher can help her.
They will discover an Archipelago on the brink of disappearance and they will try to save it, alongside the magical creatures that inhabit it, trying first to understand why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying.
Island after island, sphinxes, and dragons and pursuits later, they will soon realize that only they can fix the dark problem that plagues this magical land.
The book features 60 illustrations, including a map and a bestiary of magical creatures.
Impossible Creatures is available since September 10, 2024
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Hardcover | Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780593809860
The Owl Prowl Mystery by Diana Renn (Author)
The Backyard Rangers have already solved a mystery and saved local turtles in a prior adventure. But there’s a new wildlife problem.
A barred owl named Bella has turned into a local celebrity, and Marsh Hollow is rife with birdwatchers, wildlife photographers, and bird paparazzi, all are endangering and hindering owls in the process.
Miles and his friends decide to take action by launching a campaign, one that feels more urgent when Miles discovers that someone is baiting and trapping owls, who is to blame?
To top it all, a rival group appears claiming that they want to protect the birds. Will they be able to pull themselves together and help the birds?
The Owl Prowl Mystery is available since August 13, 2024
Publisher: Fitzroy Books
Paperback | Pages: 282
ISBN: 9781646034789
Finally, a different survival story set in the freezing Alaska waters:
Off the Map by Meika Hashimoto (Author)
Marlo is looking forward to an end-of-year canoe trip with her mom. She is completely bummed, though, when they spot Amos’ van at the trail head. Perhaps ignoring the fact that Amos and Marlo no longer speak to each other, their parents have decided to make an end-of-the-year trip together.
The kids will try to avoid each other at all costs, until they, inevitably, end up in the same canoe. When they start arguing, they will lose sight of the grownup’s canoe in front of them. And they are heading for a waterfall!
Hopefully being lost in the wilderness, in freezing weather, can help them stand aside their differences long enough to survive.
And talk about why they weren’t in talking terms anymore….
Off the Map is available since November 12, 2024
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Hardback | Pages: 208
ISBN: 9781339011172
