Landing next week are several titles from big names who need no introductions. John Grisham continues his series featuring 13-year-old  legal prodigy, Theodore Boone (you may have to squint to see the title on the cover; it’s The Activist) … Friends Elephant & Piggie return in their 19th adventure in Mo Willems’ A Big Guy Took My Ball!  … Jennifer Brown again keys in to a hot teen subject, with a book on sexting, about a girl who sends her bodyfriend a picture that even a Thousand Words can’t take back.

The titles highlighted here and more arriving next week are on our downloadable spreadsheet, Kids New Title Radar, Week of May 20.

Picture Books

Ben Rides On, Matt Davies, (Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press)

Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Matt Davies ventures into the world of children’s books with his first title. While it addresses the familiar theme of facing a bully, the subject is made fresh with illustrations that recall David Catrow crossed with Ralph Steadman and capture Ben’s big feelings as he faces his nemesis.

How to Negotiate Everything Lisa Lutz, Illus. Jaime Temairik, (S & S BYR)

Not familiar with co-author David Spellman, (featured on the cover)? As a fan of Lisa Lutz’s Spellman Files mystery series, I am pleased to report that her first picture book exhibits her dry sense of humor and appreciation of the absurd, beginning with her faux co-author, the lawyer/older brother/ “good child” from her adult books. Sammy, the protagonist dispenses advice on how to get to “yes” whether making a deal for an ice cream or negotiating for a pet. Illustrator Jaime Temairik wows in her picture book debut with an animated cartoon style and judicious use of infographics.

 P.S. Be Eleven, Rita Williams-Garcia, (HarperCollins/Amisted)

The sequel to the Coretta Scott King Award winner (and Newbery honor title), One Crazy Summer has received starred reviews from all the prepub sources. In this story, the three sisters return to Brooklyn from their summer in California with their mother and the Black Panthers, portrayed in the previous book. The title, P.S. Be Eleven comes from their mother’s letters to her oldest daughter, Delphine; a caution to not grow up too fast.

Next week continues the picture book palooza we’ve experienced this apring, so we’re devoting most of this column to a few of the notables, and just one of the dozens of YA titles that will also arrive.

Our downloadable spreadsheet lists the titles mentioned here as well as dozens more, Kids New Title Radar, Week of May 13. Also listed are the tie-ins to two animated summer blockbusters, Monster’s University (Disney/Pixar, June 21) and Despicable Me 2 (July 3).

Picture Books

Cowpoke Clyde and Dirty Dawg, Lori Mortensen, illus. Michael Allen Austin, (HMH/Clarion)

This cumulative tale larded with old West vernacular is a soon-to be story time favorite. I agree with the Kirkus assessment, “Pitch-perfect rhyming text bounces along with peppy phrases telling the tale of a cowboy who likes to keep things clean and tidy. Clyde tries tactic after tactic to catch his dog for a scrub down, each new method adding another layer of mayhem to the scene, with a lassoed hog, wet chickens and a kicking mule adding to the hilarious hijinks.”

Octopus Alone, Divya Srinivasan, (Penguin/Viking Childrens)

Srinivasan struck gold with her stunning debut Little Owl’s Night (2011) mines similar early childhood territory with a lovely quiet story about the joys of companionship and solitude.

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Water in the Park, Emily Jenkinss, Stephanie Graegin, (RH/Schwartz & Wade)

Emily Jenkin has quietly created a shelf of read alouds, each one a jewel and an  essential purchase. That New Animal was a completely new take on how kids feel about the arrival of a younger sibling. I was blown away by Five Creatures, a very clever exercise in critical thinking skills with a subtle nod to the Venn diagram. Last year’s Lemonade in Winter was a gift to teachers who wants to incorporate math into their literature program. And now, proving once again that she can not be pigeon holed, Water in the Park  is a fresh reflection of the everyday lives of children in a neighborhood park. Jenkin’s rhythmic language ensures that this new classic will be read aloud again and again.

Toys in Space, Mini Grey, (RH/Knopf)

Mini Grey’s Traction Man series is my go-to for preschoolers who are obsessed by superheroes. In this new book, Grey puts her own unique comic spin on this familiar storybook theme of talking toys that have their own  secret life.
 

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The Mighty Lalouche, Mathew Olshan, illus. Sophie Blackall, (RH/Schwartz & Wade)

“One hundred and a few-odd years ago, in Paris, France, there lived a humble postman named Lalouche.

He was small, Lalouche, and rather bony, but his hands were nimble, his legs were fast, and his arms were strong”

And so begins this story of an underdog who became a champion.

Blackall’s paintings of the characters, boxers with nom de plumes like “Bleriot” (lighter than air, unafraid of heights) and “The Pointillist” (pinpoint accuracy, confuses the colorblind) support Olshan’s humor and wit. The illustrations are painted on paper then cutout, layered in dioramas and photographed to create a fantastical world.

Young Adult

Firecracker, David Iserson, (Penguin/Razorbill)

Highly recommended by librarians on YA GalleyChat, this debut by screenwriter Iserson (Fox’s New Girl, NBC’s Up All Night and SNL) features an entitled rich girl forced to face real life after being expelled from private school, it called “Quirky, fun.” Kirkus notes that part of the quirkiness is and occasional “surfeit of swearing.”

Get ready for Rick Yancey‘s The 5th Wave to fulfill heavy expectations when it arrives next week. The first in a new series, it is one of many  debuting from both well-known and first time authors with the arrival of the summer publishing season. Also look for  the first collaboration  between two bestselling YA authors, Andrea Cremer and David Levithan in a book young people in love, somewhat complicated by the fact that one of them is invisible.

All the titles highlighted here and more, are available on our downloadable spreadsheet, Kids New Title Radar, Week of 5.6.13

Picture Books

Yoo-Hoo, Ladybug! Mem Fox, Laura Ljungkvist, (S&S/ Beach Lane Books)

Mem Fox is the master of the early childhood read aloud (Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes). Her rhythmic rhyming text is just right for the seek-and –find pictures. (Hint: to find her in the spread below, consider which vehicle a ladybug would drive).

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If You Want to See a Whale Julie Fogliano, Erin Stead (Roaring Brook Press )

A quiet, playful and imaginative take from the award-winning team that brought us the 2012, And Then It’s Spring.

The Great Lollipop Caper, Dan Krall, (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)

The whole family will enjoy this edgy silly fun with its cartoon-y graphic illustrations. The book trailer reflects the book’s spirit:

Beginning Readers

Pancakes, Pancakes, Eric Carle,  (Simon Spotlight )

Rooster Is Off to See the World, Eric Carle, (Simon Spotlight)

Classic Carle titles return in their original format (we know and love them as picture books, but they were originally easy-to-read books). These are particularly welcome as interesting low-level readers are the most difficult to find. Newly fluent kids eat them up like popcorn.

Chapter Book

Sugar, Jewell Parker Rhodes, (Hachette/Little, Brown BYR)

A gripping historic fiction tale of friendship set on a Southern sugar plantation from the author of the Coretta Scott King honor, Ninth Ward,

Middle Grade

Doll Bones, Holly Black, Eliza Wheeler (S&S/McElderry;Listening Library:

Black returns to her Spiderwick audience with this gripping creepy middle grade horror tale. Do not read before bedtime. You have been warned.

Young Adult

The Lucy Variations , Sara Zarr (Hachette/Little, Brown BYR)

Zarr’s is always the first galley I read from the Little, Brown galley pile. I can’t say it better than Kirkus, in a starred review, “What makes Lucy’s story especially appealing is the very realistic way this ‘entitled brat’ (as grandfather called her) acts out as she experiments with new identities. … The combination of sympathetic main character and unusual social and cultural world makes this satisfying coming-of-age story stand out.”

The 5th Wave, Rick Yancey, (Penguin/Putnam)

Arriving with a major promotional campaign from Penguin, this cross between King’s The Stand and Hunger Games is s a roller coaster ride. My heart was in my throat the entire read. Entertainment Weekly featured the book trailer, with the headline, “Is this the Next Big Thing?” The answer is “Yes.”

Reboot, Amy Tintera, (HarperTeen)

There’s been enthusiasm on YA GalleyChat for this new addition to the dystopian genre, readers calling it “Dark and twist-y, with well rounded characters.” The only prepub review, from Kirkus, is equally enthusiastic, characterizing it as a “compulsively readable science-fiction debut [that] will appeal widely… Superb concepts and plotting will hook readers from the start… [with] plenty [for] those who appreciate romance.”

Several charming picture books are on their way next week (gotta love that pug in Everyone Sleeps), Lauren Myracle is set to reach a younger audience and screenwriter Paul Rudnick publishes his first YA novel with a cover that lives up to the title, Gorgeous.

All the titles highlighted here, and more (including a roundup of several new board books and several middle grade series that shouldn’t be overlooked, plus roundup of graphic novels and superhero comics), are on our downloadable spreadsheet, Kids New Title Radar, Week of 4.29.13.

Picture Books

My Lucky Birthday, Keiko Kasza, (Penguin/Putnam Juvenile)
From the creator of the storytime favorite My Lucky Day, another animal trickster romp.

Everyone Sleeps, Marcellus Hall, (Penguin/Paulsen)
Illustrator Hall (City I Love, Cow Loves Cookies) strikes out on his own, writing as well as illustrating his first picture book, featuring and adorable pug.

When You Wander: A Search-and-Rescue Dog Story, Margarita Engle, illus by Mary Morgan, (Macmillan/Holt BYR)
A gentle portrayal of the work of search and rescue dogs. Don’t worry about getting lost, they will find you.

Early Chapter Book

The Life of Ty: Penguin Problems, Lauren Myracle, illus by Jed Henry, (Dutton)

Myracle is known by YA readers for several titles including Shine. To 9- and 10-year-olds, she is known for the Winnie Years series. She’ll soon to be known to a younger crowd with Ty, Winnie’s younger brother, appealing to fans of Judy Moody’s brother Stink. What are his “penguin problems”? Ty smuggles one out of the local zoo.

Young Adult

Gorgeous, Paul Rudnick, (Scholastic; Scholastic Audio)

The first YA novel by the stage and screen writer and frequent contributor to the New Yorker, a fantasy princess romance with a snarky voice and social commentary (PW says the writing is “hilarious, profane and profound — often in the same sentence”), likely to find an audience with the Princess Diary crowd.

Graphic Novels

Note:  superhero comics arriving next week are rounded up in the spreadsheet.

My Life as a Cartoonist, Janet Tashjian, Jake Tashjian, (Macmillan/Holt BYR)
In this sequel to My Life as a Book and My Life as a Stuntboy, Derek is being bullied by a tough kid who, upending the stereotype, is in a wheelchair. A Wimpy Kid look alike.

New Moon: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1 , Stephenie Meyer, Young Kim, (Hachette/Yen Press)
Continues the graphic version of  the Twilight series.

Oz: Road to Oz, Skottie Young, Eric Shanower, (Marvel)
The graphic retellings of the Oz series are collected in this bind-up. Eric Shanower is the Eisner Award-winning and New York Times best selling cartoonist of Age of Bronze series, a graphic novel rendition of the Trojan War.

Last night during dinner with one of my oldest friends, I asked if she’d heard that E.L. Konigsburg had died, she said, “Oh no! You don’t know what she meant to me.”

And I didn’t. I only know what she meant to me. My friend, who isn’t a librarian and hasn’t been to the kids’ section of the library since her son was little, vividly recalled reading Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth (S&S/Atheneum) in elementary school. She and her friends were so entranced by the book that they became witches, making up spells and wreaking havoc.

I was only half listening as I recalled my first visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in my early twenties. I walked from the grand stairs to the entrance. As I sat, enchanted by the fountains, I realized I was following the footsteps of the famous run-away Claudia in From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (S&S/Atheneum).

One of the delights of being a school librarian is rereading Konigburg’s titles. A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver (S&S/Atheneum) was required reading in our 5th grade for a very long time.

I have a brother who is sight impaired. When it became obvious that he wouldn’t be able to read again using his eyes, I started shipping him audio books I had reviewed. At a family gathering he took me aside and said he never was much of a reader and wasn’t interested in these kids books, so please  stop sending them. “Sure,” I said. “Sorry.”

Then I reviewed the audio of The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place (RH Audio). It was fabulous. Five stars! Not thinking, I popped it in a jiffy pack off to the brother.

About a week later, a phone call. “Hey, Lisa, you know that audio book you sent me?”

I sputtered, “Oh, I am sorry, I wasn’t thinking … I just loved it so much …  I won’t send anymore.”

“No, no,” he interrupted, ” it was great! Send me more just like that.”

And I would, I thought at the time, except, there are no more just like that. And now there won’t ever be.

Next week, a new picture book arrives from Mo Willems and there’s not a pigeon in it (or a piggie, or an elephant) … the prolific Neil Gaiman is releasing two books … Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini publish THE middle-grade book of the season … and Kiera Cass continues her mashup of The Hunger Games and The Bachelor. 

All of the titles highlighted here and more, on our downloadable spreadsheet, Kids New Title Radar, Week of 4.22.13

Picture Books

Tiptoe Joe, Ginger Foglesong Gibson, Laura Rankin, (HarperCollins/Greenwillow)

Read-aloud perfection for the preschooler with a new sibling in the house. (“Shhh, the baby is sleeping!”) It’s a Kids IndieNext Spring: “One by one, Tiptoe Joe the Bear gathers his menagerie of friends to experience something special. As dear friends thud, stomp, and tiptoe towards the surprise, each wearing a colorful and different accessory, the happiness grows until wonderful treasures are revealed. Both inviting and suspenseful, this is a joyful book to share. Beautifully illustrated, Tiptoe Joe has the makings of a classic!” —Joanne Doggart, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Chatham, MA

That Is Not a Good Idea!, Mo Willems, (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray)

Employing the framework of a silent movie, the dastardly villain (a fox) entices an innocent damsel (a goose), all while the readers and their surrogates (the chicks) will be shouting the title refrain. Rock star Mo hits another read-aloud homerun.

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Fancy Nancy: Fanciest Doll in the Universe, Jane O’Connor, Robin Preiss Glasser (HaperCollins)

Is Fancy Nancy a guilty pleasure? Why do I have judgmental opinions about sparkly pink books? O’Connor is a brilliant writer who delves into the psyche of little girls and lets us wade in the everyday issues of childhood. There should be an award for that. Robin Preiss Glasser brings light and line and delight to every page, we KNOW Nancy and her family through her detailed portraits. Don’t miss it.

Bink and Gollie: Best Friends Forever, Kate DiCamillo, Alison McGhee, Tony Fucile, (Candlewick)

They are back!! Kudos to Alison McGhee, Kate DiCamillo and Tony Fucile for another delightfully dry easy-to-read tale about this pair of friends.

Dinosaur Zoom!, Penny Dale (Candlewick/Nosy Crow)

Dale who created the high-interest mashup of paleontological creatures and construction vehicles, Dinosaur Dig! is back with dinos driving cars as they hurtle to a birthday party.
 

Middle Grade

House of Secrets, Chris Columbus, Greg Call, Ned Vizzini, (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray)

This is THE MIDDLE GRADE BIG BOOK OF THE SEASON! Yes, I know I am shouting. Chris Columbus (the director of the first  two Harry Potter movies) and Ned Vizzini (It’s Kind of A Funny Story, The Other Normals) have teamed up to tell a tale that all the Riordan/Colfer/Rowling fans will be fighting over. Magic, adventures, good vs. evil AND its almost 500 pages!

Lunch Lady and the Video Game Villain: Lunch Lady #9, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, (RH/Knopf)

One of my favorite graphic novel series for the Captain Underpants set.

Young Adult

Unnatural Creatures: Stories Selected by Neil Gaiman, (HarperCollins)

Gaiman has curated a selection of short stories that reads as if he were sitting across the table saying, “Read this…now read this…okay…read this.” Who wouldn’t follow this expert’s advice? He explains here why he put this volume together. Also out this week is the second InterWorld novel, The Silver Dream (HarperTeen) written with another sci fi master storyteller, Michael Reeves.

The Elite, Kiera Cass, (HarperTeen)

PW called the first in this series “A cross between The Hunger Games (minus the bloodsport) and The Bachelor (minus the bloodsport)” Teen readers will be anxious to get their hands on number 2. The CW is at work on a second pilot for a possible series (they scrapped the one shot last year). We’ll learn in a few weeks if it will go to series, but early buzz is good. Cass has a new YA romance series in the works, described as “Matched meets Never Let Me Go — children trained in academies to be perfect friends can be purchased by the wealthy as companions and a forbidden romance ensues.”

Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood, Abby McDonald, (Candlewick)

I like chicklit. There I said it. Books about women and girls navigating the world of friendships and romantic relationships. I missed McDonald’s Sophomore Switch, loved Boys, Bears & a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots (couldn’t resist the title). The title of this new one says it all. If you are looking for what the “trenders” are calling the “new young adult” or YA crossover, don’t overlook Abby McDonald.

Arclight, Josin L. McQuein, (HarperCollins/Greenwillow)

This debut is a Kids IndieNext Spring pick: “This is a page-turner of dystopian fiction unlike anything I’ve ever read. A stunning debut novel, there’s a reality throughout this work that one doesn’t usually find in science fiction aimed at adolescents. So much more than just an ‘entertainment for young people,’ this story of identity and the courage found when one faces one’s worst nightmares deserves a very wide audience.” —Keri Rojas, Cornerstone Cottage Kids, Hampton, IA

Next week brings a new opportunity to get boys excited about reading with a new title from the team of Griffiths and Denton. In picture books, get ready for another sure-fire bedtime book from the author and illustrator who created the enduring best seller, Good Night, Good Night, Construction Site. And, tie-ins are arriving for Lego’s latest theme.

All the titles highlighted here, and more, on our downloadable spreadsheet, Kids New Title Radar, Week of April 15.

Middle Grade

The 13-Story Treehouse, Andy Griffiths, Terry Denton, (Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends)

Next week brings a debut that may be a Newbery contender, Zebra Forest … Another debut, is a twisted modern version of Rumpelstiltskin … Tracy Kidder’s book about a remarkable doctor who works with the poorest in Haiti is rewritten for kids … Tie-ins are being released for the summer animated movie, Epic, based on William Joyce’s The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs.

All the titles highlighted here and many more coming next week, are listed on our downloadable spreadsheet Kids New Title Radar, Week of April 8.

Picture Books

Tea Rex, Molly Idle, (Penguin/Viking)

This is Idle’s second book of 2013 after February’s charming word-less pink pas de deux Flora and the Flamingo, (Chronicle). Here, she brings the same sweet, stylish vision to a tea party where the guest of honor is bigger than life.

Middle Grade

Zebra Forest, Adina Rishe Gewirtz, (Candlewick; Brilliance Audio)

A compelling debut novel of family secrets and how to deal with them once they are revealed. Put it in the mix for your Mock Newbery discussions.

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin, Liesl Shurtliff, (RH/Knopf BYR)

The perfect next read for fans of Adam Gidwitz’s Grimm stories, a twisted fairytale with accessible characters and modern humor, as the following trailer demonstrates.

Nonfiction

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World, Tracy Kidder and Michael French,  (RH/Delacorte BYR)

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Tracy Kidder (Soul of the New Machine, Among the School Children, House) has reworked his profile of Dr. Paul Farmer to be accessible to readers in the 10 and up range. The doctor is an infectious disease specialist and humanitarian who works with the poorest of the poor in Haiti.

Movie Tie-ins

The 3D animated Fox movie Epic, coming to theaters May 24, is based on William Joyce’s The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs (HarperCollins, 2000).

See the trailer on the Official Web Site: EpicTheMovie.com

Epic: Welcome to Moonhaven, Annie Auerbach (HarperFestival, 4/9/13) — Ages 4 to 8

Epic: The Junior Novel, Annie Auerbach (HarperFestival, 4/9/13)  – Ages 8 to 12

Epic: Meet the Leafmen,  (I Can Read Book 2), Lucy Rosen, (HarperCollins, 4/9/13)

Epic: M.K. Saves the Day,  (I Can Read Book 2), Lucy Rosen, (HarperCollins, 4/9/13)

Arriving just in time for National Poetry Month (April, if you have been under a rock), is Poems to Learn by Heart, collected by Caroline Kennedy and  illustrated by Jon J. Muth, (Disney/Hyperion, 3/26/13).

Caroline Kennedy thrilled us with an anthology of her family’s favorite poems in A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children, (Disney/Hyperion, 2005). She follows up with a delightful collection of poems that are terrific for memorizing. It includes old favorites like Mary Ann Hoberman’s Brother,

I had a little brother
And I brought him to my mother
And I said I want another
Little brother for a change.

Also included is A.A. Milne’s Disobedience that begins “James James Morrison Morrison Weatherby Dupree took great care of his Mother, though he was only three.”

Poems by Langston Hughes, Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson, join new ones sure to become classics like Jeff Moss’s If Little Red Riding Hood…,  a delightful imagining of how the storybook character would be instructed in the differences between a wolf and grandma by her dad.

We don’t have to wait all year to read poetry but it’s great to have a whole month to celebrate the reading, the sharing, and the writing of poetry. When and where? Everywhere! Try memorizing a verse or two while waiting in line at the grocery store, or a few short ones while waiting for those cookies to come out of the oven. Begin a class visit or a meeting or an assembly with a poem.

Try celebrating my favorite day of the year, national Poem in Your Pocket Day on Thursday, April 18, 2013. The idea is simple: poems are unfolded from pockets throughout the day during events in parks, libraries, schools, workplaces, and bookstores. Select a poem you love during National Poetry Month, then carry it with you to share with co-workers, family, and friends or on Twitter by using the hashtag #pocketpoem.

At Bank Street College of Education, we would paper the hallways of our school with children’s selections. Let us know your plans, projects, and suggestions for Poem in Your Pocket Day by emailing npm@poets.org.

Need a little help on the poetry front? There is no more practical or current guide than The Poetry Friday Anthology: Poems for the School Year with Connections to the Common Core, by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, an essential purchase.

After the jump, more helpful titles

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Next week brings the inspired collaboration of Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen on a picture book about childhood’s greatest demon; the dark. Many series continue, of course, including the 53rd outing of Geronimo Stilton, which keeps on giving first-time fluent readers the opportunity to zip through another adventure. In Young Adult, the second in His Fair Assassin series will not disappoint the legions of Grave Mercy fans.

All the titles highlighted here and many more coming next week, are listed on our downloadable spreadsheet Kids New Title Radar, Week of April 1.

Picture Books

The Dark, Lemony Snicket, illus. by Jon Klassen, (Hachette/Little, Brown BYR)

Snicket takes the ordinary childhood fear and elevates it as he gives voice to “the dark.” Caldecott winner (This Is Not My Hat) Klassen represents light and dark so that we “see” the anxiety yet understand that there is really nothing to be afraid of … Really.

Can You See What I See?: Out of This World: Picture Puzzles to Search and Solve, Walter Wick, (Scholastic/ Cartwheel Books)

The ninth title in a series from the creator of the I SPY books, who is a wizard, packing each photograph with interesting objects and clues for the younger set.

Easy Readers

Mia Sets the Stage, Robin Farley, illus. by Olga Ivanov, (HarperCollins)

I am thrilled to get my hands on more of the adventures of this dancing cat and her cohort. These emergent readers with limited language are some of the best new easy-to-read books.

Middle Grade

Genie Wishes, Elisabeth Dahl, (Abrams/Amulet)

Genie, the official blogger for her 5th grade class, is dealing with her own set of issues; a BFF who seems ready to defect. This debut will resonate with middle grade readers.

Write This Book: A Do-It-Yourself Mystery, Pseudonymous Bosch, (Hachette/Little, Brown BYR)

The readers who cut their teeth on Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events took to Pseudonymous Bosch with ease, delight and fervor. This entry into the series that began with The Name of This Book Is Secret is more of a “consumable” as readers are encouraged to participate in the creation of the story. Yet, if you are thinking about satisfying a rabid reader, this is a must-have (just catalog it as reference for programming or as part of your Writing Box program. You do have a Writing Box program? If not, download this Writing Box How-to).

Hollywood, Dead Ahead, Kate Klise, illus. by M. Sarah Klise, (Harcourt)

I have read everything by the sisters Klise since a special education reading teacher turned me on to Regarding the Fountain. Kirkus calls this one,  Number 5 in the 43 Old Cemetery Road, series that began with Dying To Meet You, “Another winner for this inventive series.”  Agreed.

Goosebumps Most Wanted #3: How I Met My Monster, R.L. Stine, (Scholastic Paperbacks)

A little creepier than the originals (these have real nightmare-inducing covers), but still embedded with humor. Must-have horror for the early chapter book readers.

Spy Mice series, Heather Vogel Frederick, (S&S, pbk reprint)

The Black Paw
For Your Paws Only
Goldwhiskers

Okay, I admit I missed this exciting middle grade series on its first go-round. Simon and Schuster caught my attention with sharp paperback repackaging. The first three — The Black Paw, For Your Paws Only and Goldwhiskers –are about the unlikely relationship of misfit Oz Levinson and spy mouse in-training Glory Goldenleaf as they embark on James-Bond-like adventures. Heather Vogel Frederick knows how to tell a story. Most librarians are familiar with her delightful Mother-Daughter Book Club series.

Young Adult

Dark Triumph, Robin LaFevers,  (Houghton Mifflin)

This sequel to last year’s Grave Mercy holds up to the first. A fantasy world of court intrigue and killer nuns. What’s not to like?

Next week, celebrate the new season, with an extraordinary picture book about the famous ballet, The Rite of Spring (it really did cause a riot). Preschoolers will fall in love with a little pig who speaks frog and get ready for summer reading programs with a new Origami Yoda Activity Book by Tom Angleberger.

These and other titles coming out next week are listed on our downloadable spreadsheet, Kids New Title Radar, Week of March 25

Picture Books

When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky: Two Artists, Their Ballet, and One Extraordinary Riot written and illus. by Lauren Stringer, (Harcourt)

There are many children’s picture books about music and musicians (the Pinkneys’ Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington, and Raschka’s Giant Steps) and dance and dancer’s (numerous Nutcrackers, even one illustrated by Maurice Sendak, lovely ballet books by Rachel Isadora, Dance! with Bill T. Jones featuring Susan Kuklin’s photos, and the Pinkneys’ Alvin Ailey).

But, believe me when I say there are none like this one. Stringer’s words are music and her illustrations dance. She captures the excitement and movement of a turning point in music and dance history. In 1913, the avant-garde composer Igor Stravinsky composed The Rite of Spring (in French, Le Sacre du printemps) to be choreographed by the internationally renowned dancer, Vaslav Nijinsky for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. The collaboration was so shocking at the time that the debut performance ended with the audience rioting.

Stringer’s lyrical text and exuberant paintings reflect the artistic styles of the period without being imitative, expressing the joy, frustration and excitement of creative processes.

In addition, Stringer offers a few gifts on her Web site, including an activity guide created with Tracie Vaughn Zimmer. There is also a curriculum guide to the Rites of Spring from Carnegie Hall, and you can also hear the music and a discussion of its reception on NPR.

Ribbit!, Rodrigo Folgueira, illus. by Poly Bernatene, (RH/Knopf BYR)

If, like me, parents and teachers continually ask you for more books like Bark, George and Meow Said the Cow, latch onto this one.  Pre-schoolers find it hysterically funny when an animal makes the wrong sound; it’s becoming a genre of its own.

Oversized Preschool Board Book

Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep (lap board book), Joyce Dunbar, illus. by Debi Gliori,  (HMH)

This oversized board book reprint of a book originally published in 1998 and no long in print, is just right for reading aloud with parenting classes, Headstart or a pre-school programs and is a good title for modeling the pleasure and possibilities of reading aloud.

Middle Grade Series

Magic Tree House #49: Stallion by Starlight (A Stepping Stone Book) by Mary Pope Osborne and Sal Murdocca (RH BYR; Listening Library)

Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #27: Horse Heroes: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House #49: Stallion by Starlight, by Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce and Sal Murdocca, (RH BYR)

It might not be news or cause for a parade when a new Magic Tree House book is published, but it should be. Whenever a new Jack and Annie comes out of the box (the series is now just one titles shy of 50 titles), my heart still sings. Osborne’s consistently engaging, just-right stories hit home with newly fluent readers. The companion Fact Trackers are a terrific way for classroom teachers to connect the fantasy with Common Core standards. So, who wants to help organize the parade?

Defies Category

Art2 – D2’s Guide to Folding and Doodling: An Origami Yoda Activity Book by Tom Angleberger, (Abrams/Amulet)

Angleberger’s The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Darth Paper Strikes Back, and The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee were runaway hits with Bank Street’s 4^th and 5^th graders (Origami Yoda was a Mock Newbery honor winner). Fair warning, this is “consumable,”  because of its pull-out pages. Buy one for reference and start planning Star Wars summer reading programming, using this and  Star Wars Origami: 36 Amazing Paper-folding Projects from a Galaxy Far, Far Away by Chris Alexander (with forward by, guess who, Tom Angleberger).

You can thank me later.

Young Adult 

If You Find Me, Emily Murdoch, (Macmillan/St. Martin’s)

A suspense-filled story about 15-year-old Carey, who is rescued after living in the Tennessee wods with her sister and meth-addicted mother. Prepub reviews are  strong, with Kirkus calling it a “deeply affecting story … made all the more so by Carey’s haunting first-person narration.” PW had issues with the credibility of the story, but still called it “memorable and deeply moving” and predicted that readers will fall in love with the characters.

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, Meg Medina, (Candlewick; Brilliance Audio)

Kirkus calls this first-person story about a 15-year-old who is bullied when she goes to a new school in Queens, NY, “nuanced, heart-wrenching and ultimately empowering.”

Manga

Witch & Wizard: The Manga, Vol. 3, James Patterson and Jill Dembowski, Yen Press

It’s Patterson’s popular series, Manga style, a high-interest title that will appeal to graphic novel fans, both boys and girls.

Next week, middle school kids will be clamoring for the next in a series they can easily recognize as written for them, the prolific James Patterson‘s third in his Middle School series, My Brother Is a Big, Fat Liar (Hachette/LBYR). Newbery Medalist, Patricia MacLachlan, proves herself no slouch, with two new titles in one week and the hotly popular Cassandra Clare concludes the steampunk Infernal Devices series.

These, and more highlights, are included on our downloadable spreadsheet, Kids New Title Radar, Week of March 18.

Two from MacLachlan

White Fur Flying, Patricia MacLachlan, (S&S/Margaret K. McElderry )

Cat Talk, Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest, illus. by Barry Moser, (HarperCollins/Katherine)

MacLachlan (best known for her Newbery medal winner, Sarah, Plain and Tall) rests not on her laurels. With two titles arriving this week, she makes even James Patterson look like a slacker. In Cat Talk, she and her daughter, who collaborated on two books about dogs, Once I Ate a Pie and I Didn’t Do It, bring their verse skills to the feline point-of-view, with artwork by Barry Moser, whose sublime kitty illustrations adorned My Cats Nick and Nora and Cheshire Cheese Cat. In White Fur Flying, MacLachlan’s spare style tells the moving story of a troubled boy and the dog that saved him.

Picture Books

Pug Worth, Valerie Worth, illus. by Steve  Jenkins, (Macmilla/FSG BYR)

Each season, the cover of a new picture book gets the place of honor above my desk. I have been looking up at this one since November and still adore it. Jenkins’s talents highlight Valerie Worth’s animal poems.
Ol’ Mama Squirrel, David Ezra Stein,  (Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books)

A Kids IndieNext Spring pick, described as “equally a funny story of one courageous mom facing down the world and a thank you to all the moms out there in the world who have done the same — and continue to do so — for their children.”

Children’s Informational Books

Pranklopedia: The Funniest, Grossest, Craziest, Not-Mean Pranks on the Planet!, Julie Winterbottom, (Workman)

Looking for something for third grade boys to put a little spark in the winter doldrums? As the title guarantees, nothing too mean but many classic pranks in this compendium.
The Eagles are Back, Jean Craighead George, Illus. by Wendell Minor, (Penguin/Dial)

Naturalist Jean Craighead George left us bereft when she died last year. There will be no more wolves, falcons, and eagles to enchant us in novels, essays and picture books. Or so we thought. Her boon companion Wendell Minor brings his signature style to illustrated  one more revelatory story, the revival of the eagle in its habitat. Jean’s books ARE the Common Core; she was a visionary.

Chldren’s Fiction

Tallulah’s Toe Shoes, Marilyn Singer, Alexandra Boiger, (HMH/Clarion)

Singer’s ballerina series took flight with Tallulah’s Tutu. For all the little children who WANT, NEED, HAVE TO HAVE a ballet book, Tallulah is “every girl” and we are happy to have another to share.
 

Young Adult

Clockwork Princess, Cassandra Clare, (S&S/ Margaret K. McElderry)

More steam punk, please! This, the final volume in the Infernal Devices series arrives with much fanfare; with a ‘book trailer exclusive” on Entertainment Weekly’s Shelf Life blog, a feature in USA Today on Thursday, and an A- review from Entertainment Weekly, saying it may be the author’s ” best undertaking to date.” This series is the prequel to Clare’s Mortal Instruments, which will be coming to the big screen in August, starring Lily Collins. Clare and Holly Black (co-author of The Spiderwick Chronicles) are collaborating on another series, Magisterium, aimed at middle schoolers, with The Iron Trail, coming in September of next year.

Is there such a thing as award fatigue? Not for me. Awards, especially those chosen by knowledgeable judges (full disclosure, I was on this particular committee), shine a light on titles that might otherwise have been lost in the crowd. The Ezra Jack Keats New Writer and New Illustrator Book Awards, which were just announced, recognize and encourage new talent.

The 2013 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award Winner Is:

Julie Fogliano for And Then It’s Spring, Illus. by Erin Stead, (Macmillan/Roaring Brook/Neal Porter)

The award citation reads, “First-time author Fogliano shares the excitement that goes hand in hand with planting the first seeds of spring. After months of snow, a boy and his dog agree that enough is enough, and decide to plant a garden. They dig, plant, play and wait…and wait…until at long last, shades of green begin to replace the brown. Spring is in the air!”

The 2013 Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award Winner Is:

Hyewon Yum for Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten!, (Macmillan/FSG/Frances Foster)

The award citation reads, “First day of kindergarten jitters may be nothing new, but in Yum’s book, it’s a parent who is frantic and needs reassuring! Playfully using color and size (Mom and son take turns appearing small and blue-tinted; large and rosy pink), this author-illustrator captures the emotional highs and lows of both parent and child around this milestone.”

The 2013 Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Honor Awards Go To:

Sanjay Patel for Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth, (Chronicle Books)

K.G. Campbell for Lester’s Dreadful Sweaters, (Kids Can Press)

The 2013 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor Awards Go To:

Mara Rockliff for My Heart Will Not Sit Down, (RH/Knopf BYR)

Jennifer Lanthier for The Stamp Collector, (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

Don Tate for It Jes’ Happened, (Lee & Low Books)

Next week, middle grade kids will be fighting over the next titles in two ongoing series, the sixth in The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers series (Scholastic), this one by best selling adult author David Baldacci, and a new series about the warrior cats, Dawn of the Clans #1: The Sun Trail, by Erin Hunter (HarperCollins). In Young Adult, the popular Delirium series comes to a close and another new series begins. These are just a few of the titles highlighted below and on our downloadable spreadsheet, Kids New Title Radar, Week of March 4.

Young Adult — Series

   
Requiem, Lauren Oliver, (HarperCollins; Listening Library)

The heavily anticipated conclusion to the trilogy (Delerium, Pandemonium), the first of which is currently in development for a possible FOX TV series. It does not disappoint, it’s a Spring 2013 Kids’ Indie Next List pick: “In the final book of the Delirium trilogy, Lena is in an impossible place — and it only gets worse. Oliver uses the points of view of Lena and her best friend, Hana, to give the reader perspective inside and beyond the wall, making the tale all the more interesting when their stories converge. Alex’s indifference pains Lena but she must stay strong for Julian who is quickly falling in love with her. As much as she tries to deny it, her heart will always belong to Alex — if only he would realize that. Oliver ties up all the loose ends in this thrilling conclusion.” —Alexis Duell, Market Block Books, Troy, NY

Also in print for the first time next week is the Delirium Stories (HarperCollins), which features the novellas Hanna, Annabel, and Raven, originally published as ebooks.

Unremembered, Jessica Brody, (Macmillan/FSG BYR)

First in a series, about a girl who wakes up from plane crash with no idea who she is. She’s become famous for surviving, but only one strange boy claims he knows her. Prepub reviews are mixed, but I found this one a compelling, suspenseful read and am looking foward to book 2.

Middle Grade — Series

Cal Ripken, Jr.’s All-Stars: Wild Pitch, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Kevin Cowherd, (Hyperion)

The third book in Ripken’s All-Star series captures the excitement and drama of baseball as well as the interpersonal relationships of the team members and coaches. Next reads for Jake Maddox and Matt Christopher fans.

Middle Grade — Stand Alones

The Center of Everything, Linda Urban, (Harcourt Children’s Books)

From the author of two of the best middle grade novels of the last ten years, A Crooked Kind of Perfect and Hound Dog True,  another gem, a satisfying story of community and family, friends and relationships. And donuts. Also a Spring 2013 Kids’ Indie Next List pick: “Everything in Ruby Pepperdine’s life has been wrong since her beloved grandmother died. Even her two best friends aren’t talking to her anymore. With the town gearing up for Bunning Day — the annual celebration of the invention of the doughnut — Ruby knows she has just one chance to make things right. But what if she makes the wrong wish? Ruby will win your heart as she navigates the rough waters of grief and friendship and growing up.” —Sandy Scott, The Galaxy Bookshop, Hardwick, VT

The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, Charles Vess, Illus. by Charles de Lint, (Hachette/Little, Brown YR)

Children’s librarians might remember the picture book Circle of Cats by the same team. This lushly illustrated expanded chapter book edition of the out-of-print original will capture the middle grade fantasy readers.

Picture Books

A Little Book of Sloth, Lucy Cooke, (S&S Margaret K. McElderry)

Cute Overload is positively dark and depressing compared to this factual picture book account of a sloth rescue center located in Costa Rica (see if you can resist this video from the sanctuary). Adorable Mona-Lisa smiling sloth faces with sleepy eyes, cuddling, hugging, hanging and napping. Irresistable.

Busy-Busy Little Chick,  Janice N. Harrington, Illus. by Brian Pinkney, (Macmillan/FSG BYR)

Just when librarians are bemoaning the dearth of picture book folktales, Harrington (The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County, an Irma Black Honor Award, 2006) gives us this deliciously read-aloudable version of The Hen’s House told by the Nkundo people of Central Africa.

“Mama Nsoso’s chicks shivered in their cold, damp nest”

“Peo-peo, Mama, Peo-peo. We’re chilly-cold. Our tummies are chilly-cold. Our feet are chilly-cold We’re chilly-cold all over.”

Little Chick notes that even his bottom is “chilly-cold.“

Although Mama has promised to build a new house for her chicks, she is easily distracted by tasty treats…”crunchy-munchy, sweety-meaty, big fat worms!” Tomorrow she will work; today she and her chicks will eat big fat worms.
And so it goes, yet Little Chick is not eating the “ crunchy-munchy, jumpy-jumpy, cricky-cracky crickets.” He is hard at work creating their new home. Pinkney has hit his stride as he confidently renders the chicken family in broad strokes, filling the pages with color, light and movement. We feel the chicks shivering in the damp mud of their leaky hut. We bounce along with Little Chick on a stark white background as he gathers materials for building. The rhythm of his brushstrokes make real the wind that “swooshed and made them cold.”

Flood, Alvaro F. Villa, (Capstone)

This timely wordless picture book speaks volumes about coming of a storm and the resulting flood. A family’s idyllic farmhouse surrounded by nature -a river and green fields is threatened by the impending weather. We witness the family prepare, then leave their home as the rain begins pounding down. In two dramatic double page spreads, the house is front and center as floodwaters wash through the interior walls. There is hope as the waters recede and although adults will shake their heads at the seemingly “easy” cleanup and restoration, children will find comfort in the sunny end.

Exclamation Mark  Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Illus. by Tom Lichtenheld (Scholastic)
From the team that created  Duck! Rabbit!. Need I say more? Already has an SLJ star.

Lottie Paris and the Best Place Angela Johnson, Illus. by Scott M. Fischer (S&S Books for Young Readers)
Second in the Lottie series takes this imaginative energetic child to the “best place to be” — the library, of course. Perfect for pre-library visits.

Coming next week, Geisel Honoree Pete the Cat gets a new life in two easy-to-read titles … move over Wimpy, Timmy the Failure is coming to town … and, surprise, a new entry in the YA dystopian genre, Dualed, debuts. The titles below and other highlights from next week are also available on our downloadable spreadsheet, Kids New Title Radar, Wk. of FEB 25

Picture Books

Rosie’s Magic Horse, Russell Hoban, illus. by Quentin Blake, (Candlewick)

Any title from the late Russell Hoban (Bedtime for Frances) is cause for celebration. This one is illustrated by the first British Children’s Laureate, Quentin Blake, best known for his drawings in Roald Dahl’s Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. It is featured in the NYT Children’s Books column this week, which notes that “The story is inventive from the very first pages, when it becomes apparent that the narrator is in fact a Popsicle stick.”

The Princess and the Peas, Caryl Hart, illus by Sarah Warburton, Candlewick/Nosy Crow
In a Suessian rhyme, Caryl Hart tells the tale of Lily-Rose May whose father is determined to find a way to get her to eat peas (a sampler is available here). It comes from the independent UK press, Nosy Crow, which began publishing in 2011 and formed a partnership with Candlewick shortly after.

Easy Readers

Pete the Cat: Pete’s Big Lunch
Pete the Cat: PlayBall! 
both written and illus. by James Dean, (HarperCollins)

The Geisel committee nailed it this year by naming Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin, created and illustrated by James Dean, an Honor Book. Now the series is newly published in an easy-to-read format for beginning readers. Yea!

Middle Grade

Timmy Failure, written and illus by Stephan Pastis, (Candlewick)

Pastis (Pearls before Swine) brings his absurdist humor to the middle grade set in this first of the Timmy Failure series, Mistakes Were Made, a Wimpy Kid read-alike that gets a not-so-wimpy launch (the cover even sports a blurb by Jeff Kinney, “Timmy Failure is a winner!”)

The Runaway King, Jennifer A. Nielsen, (Scholastic; Scholastic Audio)
The first book in this series, The False Prince, was named a NYT Book Review and PW best book and is one of many YA and middle-grade series that has been optioned for a film.

Young Adult

Dualed, Elsie Chapman, (Random House Books for Young Readers; BOT Audio)

A new entry into the dystopian genre, which Kirkus says “kicks it up a notch.”PW calls it the “textual equivalent of a Quentin Tarantino movie,” but VOYA says, “Fans of the latest crop of speculative fiction, such as the Divergent trilogy, will want to read this imaginative tale.” Check out a sample of the BOT Audio.

Eleanor & Park, Rainbow Rowell, (Macmillan/St. Martin’s Griffin)

YA debut by author of Attachments comes with 4 pre-pub starred reviews (Booklist, SLJ, Kirkus and PW, plus a 5 for quality and 4 for potential popluarity from VOYA). It’s a bitter-sweet story of the love between two misfits which clearly has charm, and strong crossover appeal, but some librarians on GalleyChat feared it would take selling to teens who might be put off by the ’80s’ setting and pop-culture references.

The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door, Karen Finneyfrock, (Penguin/Viking)

A debut about bullying that SLJ says, because of its “articulate, funny, and brave” main character, 14-year-old Celia Door, becomes “much more than a “problem novel.”

Also Known As, Robin Benway, (Walker Childrens; Brilliance Audio)

The author of the stunning debut YA novel, Audrey, Wait!  (Penguin/Razorbill, 2008) returns with an over-the-top teen adventure.

The Goddess Inheritance, Aimée Carter, (Harlequin Teen)

For the girls who have aged out of Rick Riordan’s Gods of Olympus series, here is a supernatural romance series featuring the Greek gods and goddesses.

TV Tie-in

A Story of God and All of Us Young Readers Edition Mark Burnett, Roma Downey, (Hachette/Little, Brown YR)
This tie-in to The Bible, a ten-hour mini-series which begins airing on the History Channel on Sunday, March 3, is for children 10 and up. It retells Bible stories in a simple manner from creation, to the story of Noah to God’s covenant with Abraham continuing on to the life of Jesus. Contains a full-color insert with stills from the miniseries.