Book Lists

April New Releases

By Jennifer Swanson on April 2, 2018 / Book Lists, Common Core & NGSS, Cross-Curricular, Curriculum Tie-in, Diversity, Fiction, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, MUF Contributor Books, New Releases, Nonfiction, STEM

While April is supposed to bring showers, let’s all hope it actually brings good weather to some places across the country. But, if you do find yourself inside on a rainy day, check out some of these amazing new books. They are sure to delight!

Let’s start with a big Congrats to two of our very own MUF members, Michelle Houts and Tricia Springstubb, for their new books!

Count the Wings by Michelle Houts ( Ohio University Press)

When you look at a bird, do you see feathers and a beak? Or do you see circles and triangles? Artist Charley Harper spent his life reducing subjects to their simplest forms, their basic lines and shapes. This resulted in what he called minimal realism and the style that would become easily recognized as Charley Harper’s. Art fans and nature lovers around the world fell in love with Harper’s paintings, which often featured bright colors and intriguing nature subjects. Count the Wings is the first book for middle-grade readers about Harper’s life and work.

Cody and the Heart of a Champion by Tricia Springstubb (Candlewick Press)

What secret is Spencer keeping? Will Wyatt and old P.U. finally become boyfriend and girlfriend? Why does Pearl listen to that big boss Madison? Cody’s got a lot to figure out in the fourth and last book in this lively, award-winning series about a diverse cast of characters and their adventures.

Rebound by Kwame Alexander (HMH BFYR)

From the New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander comes Rebound, a dynamic novel in verse and companion to his Newbery Award-winner, The Crossover, illustrated with striking graphic novel panels.

Before Josh and Jordan Bell were streaking up and down the court, their father was learning his own moves. In this prequel to Newbery Medal winner The Crossover, Chuck Bell takes center stage, as readers get a glimpse of his childhood and how he became the jazz music worshiping, basketball star his sons look up to.

Warriors: A Vision of Shadows #5: River of Fire by Erin Hunter (Harper Collins)

Erin Hunter’s #1 bestselling Warriors series continues in A Vision of Shadows #5: River of Fire. This hardcover edition includes a double-sided jacket with a bonus poster!

StarClan’s prophecy has been fulfilled, and the long-lost SkyClan has returned to its rightful place among the other four warrior Clans. Many cats believe the danger is past. But after moons of division and strife, ShadowClan is in danger of falling apart forever….

The Creature of the Pines (The Unicorn Rescue Society) by
by Adam Gidwitz (Dutton BFYR)

A fully illustrated, globe-trotting new middle grade fantasy-adventure series about mythical creatures and their cultures of origin, from the Newbery Honor-winning author of The Inquisitor’s Tale.

Elliot Eisner isn’t exactly excited about starting at a brand-new school in a brand-new town; he’d much rather stay at home and read a book. But things take an unexpected turn when he finds out his weird new teacher, Professor Fauna, has planned a field trip for Elliot’s very first day. Along with a new friend–brave, outspoken Uchenna Devereaux–Elliot gets caught up in a secret group of adventurers, The Unicorn Rescue Society, whose goal is to protect and defend the world’s mythical creatures. Together with Professor Fauna, Elliot and Uchenna must help rescue a Jersey Devil from a duo of conniving, greedy billionaires, the Schmoke Brothers.

Wedgie & Gizmo vs. the Toof by Suzanne Selfors (Katherine Tegen Books)

Wedgie LOVES the new micro-pig next door. And she LOVES him! They both like to go for walks and roll in smelly things. They are going to be in the school pet parade together. They are best friends. But Gizmo knows the truth. The pig is Wedgie’s new sidekick. Super Wedgie and the Toof have teamed up to stop Gizmo from taking over the world.

But they will not win! Gizmo is an evil genius. He is smarter than most comic book villains. And more powerful than even Darth Vader! He ordered a flying machine online and he will use it to set free all the guinea pigs at the pet parade.

Point Guard (Home Team) by Mike Lupica (S & S BFYR)

Gus and Cassie have always been on the same team off the field, but in this third novel in New York Times bestselling author Mike Lupica’s Home Team series can they stay friends when they’re on the same court?

You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly (Greenwillow Books)

Twelve-year-old Charlotte Lockard and eleven-year-old Ben Boxer are separated by more than a thousand miles. On the surface, their lives seem vastly different—Charlotte lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while Ben is in the small town of Lanester, Louisiana. Charlotte wants to be a geologist and keeps a rock collection in her room. Ben is obsessed with Harry Potter, presidential history, and recycling. But the two have more in common than they think. They’re both highly gifted. They’re both experiencing family turmoil. And they both sit alone at lunch.

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The Backward Season (Wishing Day) by Lauren Myracle (Katherine Tegen Boooks)

Now that her sisters Natasha and Darya have had their turn, Ava Blok finally gets her Wishing Day. But after seeing the unintended consequences of the wishes her sisters made, she’s not sure what to wish for. The only thing she’s certain of is that it’s her job to set things right.

Hopeful that she can put her broken family back together, and eager to prove her pessimistic older sisters wrong, Ava realizes that fixing the future means changing the past. Will the journey her wishes take her on end up costing her everything?

Ready, Set, Go! Children’s Books Compete Overseas

By Robyn Gioia on March 28, 2018 / Book Lists, children's bookstores, Fiction, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, independent bookstores, Nonfiction

Morning Calm medal featuring the Seoul Tower in the background and traditional Korean buildings in the forefront.

Librarians are readers. They love books and read plenty of them. They delve into fictional worlds, constantly update their knowledge with the latest nonfiction, hone their research skills with a constantly evolving cyber world, keep abreast of the latest apps and an ever-increasing catalog of digital books.

So, what happens when a group of librarians from Korean International Schools (International schools teach in English) and an American School get together to compare favorite titles? They develop the Morning Calm Program, aptly named for a program featured in South Korea. Korea is described as “The Land of the Morning Calm” in a poem written by the Indian poet, Sir Tagore during the Joseon Dynasty.

Each librarian selects their own books to recommend to the committee. Each book must have been published in the last two years, have school-wide student appeal, and is worthy of literary merit. Where they find books to consider is wide-open. Books can be chosen from far and wide, and not through regular channels. If a librarian falls in love with a book, and it meets the criteria, he or she is free to bring it forward.

The books are presented to the whole committee of librarians. The committee, a multi-cultural mix of people representing many different perspectives, reviews and discusses each book before placing it on the next school-wide reading list.

The list contains: 5 picture books, 5 intermediate elementary, 5 middle school, and 5 books for high school.

The following are the books that made this year’s 2017-2018 Morning Calm Reading list:

Elementary Picture Books

Elementary Chapter Books

Middle School

High School

At the beginning of the year, our elementary school librarian sets up a showcase featuring all of the picture books and intermediate titles. The top shelf showcases a photocopy of the book standing up. The books are in such demand, a representative has to take its place. The bottom shelf houses the copies. Students are allowed to open the case and take one from the pile to check-out. At any given time, a quick glance tells you the books are popular.

The program doesn’t stop there. The librarian begins the school year by introducing the books to each class in an exciting way. For the little kids, it might be a video introduction. For the older kids, it might be a letter from the author. PYP/IB schools call this a “provocative introduction” because it peaks your interest and makes you want to know more.

Many teachers purchase class sets for their students. Some classes do projects centered around the story. Many teachers make the books required reading. Older students do reviews and post them to the school’s Schoology website. The books might be part of a literature circle. They may become part of an after school book club. They may become part of a reading competition between classes. They may be chosen for a teacher’s read aloud time.

Our librarian, and every librarian out there, offers student incentives for reading. The incentives may come in the form of reading contests, where the winning class is rewarded with an ice cream party. Or there might be banners hung in the library listing the names of students and the titles they’ve read.

Teachers get in on the act, too. They may have bulletin boards featuring book elements and plots. Classes may have book talks with other grades. Parents may be invited for a read-in with their child. Students from 5th grade may read picture books to 1st grade partners. There are also volunteer community members who might read to a student one-on-one or a student may read to the volunteer. And we can’t forget the PTO. Members running the book fairs may offer the Morning Calm titles for sale.

Anyway you look at it, these books are the talk of the school for an entire school year.

The librarian at our elementary school estimates 50% of the student body reads the featured titles. Keep in mind that the little ones generally aren’t part of those statistics, meaning the upper elementary grades make up the bulk of the reading.

At the end of the year, students vote on their favorite titles. Each student must have read 4 of the 5 titles to be eligible to vote. Numbers are crunched from the participating schools and a winner in each category is announced. Winning books receive the Morning Calm Medal and shouting rights for placing first.

The most important thing? The exposure our students receive for a year of great reading. Check back in May when all the votes are in!

Interview and Giveaway with Author Varian Johnson

By Jacqueline Houtman on March 23, 2018 / Author Interviews, Book Lists, Diversity, Fiction, Giveaways

Varian Johnson is the author of several novels for children and young adults, including The Great Greene Heist, which was an ALA Notable Children’s Book, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2014, and a Texas Library Association Lone Star List selection, and To Catch a Cheat, another Jackson Greene adventure and a Kids’ Indie Next List pick. He lives with his family near Austin, Texas. You can find him on the web at www.varianjohnson.com and @varianjohnson.

Photo credit: Kenneth B. Gall

Varian’s newest book, The Parker Inheritance (Arthur A. Levine/ Scholastic) will come out next week, and has received starred reviews from School Library Journal, The Horn Book, and Kirkus, and is a Junior Library Guild Spring 2018 Selection.

About the book:

“When Candice finds a letter in an old attic in Lambert, South Carolina, she isn’t sure she should read it. It’s addressed to her grandmother, who left the town in shame. But the letter describes a young woman. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding the letter-writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle.

So with the help of Brandon Jones, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert’s history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter’s promise before the answers slip into the past yet again?”

How does your engineering background inform your writing?

The Parker Inheritance was probably influenced by my engineering career more than any of my other books. There are a lot of math terms in the book, much of which I learned while getting my civil engineering degree. But there’s also a very big difference between designing bridges and writing books. And as much as I liked my engineering job, I’m very happy now be a full-time children’s book author.

The Parker Inheritance pays homage to the classic puzzle novel, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. (The Cooperative Children’s’ Book Center at UW-Madison has many of her notes and drafts archived here.) Can you tell us about your process for constructing the Parker puzzle(s) and deciding how the clues would reveal the answer?

The novel that would eventually become The Parker Inheritance started off as two separate novel ideas, with one being a puzzle mystery and the other being a historical multi-generational novel. I tinkered with both on and off for years, but neither idea was strong enough to stand alone. It wasn’t until rereading Holes that I got the idea to combine the ideas. The puzzle was pretty well developed when I began writing the book—and it was surprising how well the puzzle fit into the larger historical story. Even though I was consciously writing two books, maybe my subconscious always knew that the stories belonged together.

Like your Jackson Greene books, The Parker Inheritance involves complex details for the characters to put together, but in a sort of reverse way. Instead of building the details into a caper like “Gang Greene,” Candice and Brandon are breaking down a mystery by revealing the details. Did that difference influence your approach to the writing?

Oh, totally. Candice and Brandon’s strategies mirror the real-life sleuthing I did to create and “solve” the puzzle. I ran each of the web searches that they performed in order to see what popped up—to make sure that the answer to a clue wasn’t revealed too quickly. In many ways, it was easy to write about the techniques that Candice and Brandon used for deciphering the letter, as I had performed that very same research to write the book.

What made you decide to use flashbacks and multiple points of view to tell part of the story instead of sticking with Candice’s POV?

I thought it was important to see the lives of the people from the puzzle through their own eyes—not just Candice and Brandon’s viewpoints. I also thought it would be interesting to show how race relations have improved from the 1950s to today…and unfortunately to also show how race relations have stayed the same.

If there was one single thing that you wanted readers to get from The Parker Inheritance what would it be?

If anything, I want readers to think about the preferences and preconceptions that they bring into any interaction. I want readers to question what they believe when they see someone; when they speak with someone. I want reader to step past their internal biases in order to see the real person standing in front of them.

What other books do you recommend to readers who enjoyed The Parker Inheritance?

The Westing Game, obviously! But also The Watsons Go To Birmingham—1963, Holes, March Book 3, and When You Reach Me.

And now for the giveaway:

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Book Lists

April New Releases

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