Nightbooks

Nightbooks
by J.A. White

Alex loves to write scary stories, but he never imagined he would be trapped inside one!   On a late night trip to the basement of his building, he is magically lured to the apartment of Natacha, who soon reveals herself to be a witch.   In order to survive, Alex must read one of his creepy stories to Natacha each night, but soon finds himself running out of ideas.   With the help of Yasmin, another captive of Natacha, will he be able to find a way to escape? 

Nightbooks is a wonderful, yet eerie, selection from this year's MSBA list!  The dark, magical tale will be a fantastic choice for readers looking for a creepy story! 

Author's website: http://jawhitebooks.com/

Lifeboat 12

Lifeboat 12
by Susan Hood

Ken Sparks is being sent away.   It is World War II and he is one of 90 children selected to travel on the SS City of Benares, which will take them from London to Canada.   The beautiful ship is quite different from life in wartime London, with plenty of food for the travelers as well as other luxuries  never experienced by Ken and the other children escaping the war.   At first, it is a dream come true, until a torpedo changes everything and forces Ken, and the other passengers, to struggle to survive.

This outstanding historical fiction, told in verse,  is based on real life events.   I found myself eager to learn more about the City of Benares after reading this book.  This selection from the MSBA list is a great choice for fans of historical fiction as well readers who enjoy stories about shipwrecks and survival!

Author's website: https://susanhoodbooks.com/home

The House in Poplar Wood

The House in Poplar Wood
by K.E. Ormsbee

Twins Lee and Felix are only allowed to leave their house together once a year, on Halloween.  They live on opposite sides of the same house, with Felix unable to leave Poplar Wood.    Their mother, who works for Memory, is unable to see Felix and their father, who serves Death, can never see Lee.  This is how it has always been for Felix and Lee, because of the Agreement their parents made years earlier.   Felix and Lee tried to break the Agreement once before, with disastrous results.   Now they have been offered another opportunity to break the Agreement that has controlled their lives, but it involves working with Gretchen Whipple, whose family is the sworn enemy of the twins.  Will Lee and Felix accept the dangerous risk of destroying the Agreement so that they can bring their family together? 

This story is a great choice for readers looking for a creepy book!   It is a good blend of action, mystery, and suspense.   A wonderful selection from the 2019 - 2020 MSBA list!

Author's website: http://www.keormsbee.com/

Poetree

Poetree
by Shauna LaVoy Reynolds
illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani

Can a tree write poems?  After poetry-loving Sylvia attaches one of her poems to a tree, she is delightfully surprised to find, when she returns the next day, that a different poem has been put in its place.  Did the tree write back?   Unable to stop thinking about this special tree, Sylvia continues to share her poems.  A surprising, yet sweet, twist brings the story to a heartwarming conclusion.

This is a wonderful book that combines a sweet story with beautiful poetry!

Author's website: https://shaunalavoyreynolds.com/

Can I Be Your Dog?

Can I Be Your Dog?
by Troy Cummings

Desperate for a home, Arfy, who lives in a cardboard box, sends letters to residents of Butternut Street, hoping that someone will take him in.   His hopeful requests for a home are, sadly, met with rejections from each person he reaches out to.   Will Arfy ever find a home?

What a sweet story!  Told in letter format and accompanied by bright, engaging illustrations, Can I Be Your Dog is a wonderful story that will spark conversations about what we can do to help homeless animals like Arfy. 

Author's website: http://www.troycummings.net/

Girl Running
by Annette Bay Pimentel
illustrated by Micha Archer

Bobbi Gibb loved to run.  After watching the Boston Marathon, she decided to train for it, practicing in all types of weather.  Through warm days and cold, snow and ice, Bobbi ran, preparing herself to run the marathon.  On the day of the race Bobbi is told that, because she is a girl, she cannot compete.  Did Bobbi find a way to compete despite being told she couldn't? 

This is a fantastic picture book biography of the first woman to run in the Boston Marathon.  An author's note at the end shares more about Bobbi and her efforts to officially compete in the Boston Marathon.   A wonderful story about an inspiring woman!


Author's website: http://www.annettebaypimentel.com/
Illustrator's website: https://www.michaarcher.com/

The Very Impatient Caterpillar 
by Ross Burach

It's time for the caterpillars to metamorphosize! Unfortunately,  one confused and anxious caterpillar continues to pester his companions with questions as he struggles to understand what is happening to them.    As time passes, he gets more impatient, wanting to leap out of his chrysalis before he's ready.  Will the impatient caterpillar be patient long enough to turn into a butterfly?

What a fun book!   The humorous tale, with hilarious illustrations, will bring out laughs in many readers.  This entertaining story will be a great book to share with younger readers learning about the butterfly life cycle! 

Author's website: http://www.rossburach.com/

Book Trailer:

The Night Diary

The Night Diary
by Veera Hiranandani

For her 12th birthday, Nisha receives the special gift of a diary.   She uses the diary each night, writing to her mother who passed away when Nisha was born.   Nisha's diary tells the heartbreaking tale of the upheaval of her life as her nation is becoming more and more divided.   Soon she learns that she must leave the only home she has ever known and, with her family, is forced to make a dangerous, exhausting journey. 

The Night Diary is the recipient of a 2019 Newbery Honor and has recently been selected for the 2019 - 2020 Maine Student Book Award reading list.  It is a beautiful historical fiction that will allow readers to learn more about the history of India and Pakistan. 

Author's website: https://www.veerahiranandani.com/

Mae Among the Stars

Mae Among the Stars
by Roda Ahmed
illustrated by Stasia Burrington

From a young age, Mae wanted to view Earth from outer space.   Encouraged by her parents, she learned everything she could about space and astronauts.   Her desire to be an astronaut was not supported by all, however, as it was met with laughter from classmates and a suggestion for another career by a teacher.  Despite this, Mae continued on with her desire to wave to her parents from outer space!

This sweet tale, inspired by the life of Mae Jemison,  is a wonderful story of ambition and determination.  An author's note at the end details the many accomplishments of Mae Jemison.  Readers who enjoy this story may be interested in learning more about this amazing astronaut!


Author's website: https://www.rodaworld.com/

The Epic Adventures of Huggie & Stick

The Epic Adventures of Huggie & Stick
by Drew Daywalt
illustrated by David Spencer

An epic adventure begins when Huggie and Stick go tumbling out of Reese's backpack!   Their journey includes meeting pirates, hungry pandas, jungle animals, and many other creatures.   Told in diary format, Huggie and Stick each provide his own version of the events of their worldwide adventure, with Stick's excited retelling quite different than that of the grumpy Huggie, who would rather be far away from the happy-go-lucky Stick. 

What a funny story!  I love the diary format, which shows the very different personalities and perspectives of Huggie and Stick.   This hysterical story, with bright,  entertaining illustrations, had me laughing and will likely have many readers laughing as well!

Book trailer: