CHILDREN’S BOOKS
PICTURE BOOKS
We Found a Hat, by Jon Klassen (Candlewick; 56 pages; $17.99; ages 4-8). Two turtles discover and covet one 10-gallon hat. What to do? This measured guide to dilemmas models civility and friendship.
They All Saw a Cat, by Brendan Wenzel (Chronicle; 44 pages; $16.99; ages 3-6). Discover multiple perspectives as different animals see a cat in different ways. Multiple art styles amplify the messaging.
One Day in the Eucalyptus,
Eucalyptus Tree, by Daniel Bernstrom; illustrated by Brendan Wenzel (HarperCollins; 32 pages; $17.99; ages 4-8). A snake swallows a clever brown boy in this “I’m going to eat you up” tale with rollicking verses and visuals.
Lucy, by Randy Cecil (Candlewick; 144 pages; $19.99; ages 5-8). A stray dog and an anxious juggler face challenges in this lengthy picture book, done in vintage black and white.
Old Dog Baby Baby, by Julie Fogliano; illustrated by Chris Raschka (Roaring Brook; 32 pages; $17.99; ages 2-5). It’s all about quality time as old and new enjoy a kitchen-floor encounter in this dear ode to joy.
In Plain Sight, by Richard Jackson; illustrated by Jerry Pinkney (Roaring Brook; 36 pages; $17.99; ages 4-7). This warm peek into an African American family reveals hidden history through a special game, played daily by Grandpa and Sophie.
Before Morning, by Joyce Sidman; illustrated by Beth Krommes (Houghton Mifflin; 48 pages; $17.99; ages 4-8). Magical scratch-board art details a songlike poem about the simple pleasures of a girl’s muchwished-for snow day.
Nanette’s Baguette, by Mo Willems (Hyperion; 40 pages; $17.99; ages 3-5). “Baguette” playfully rhymes with nearly 20 words as a young frog makes her first solo trip to the bakery.
A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story
About Knitting and Love, by Michelle Edwards; illustrated by Brian Karas (Schwartz & Wade; 40 pages; $17.99; ages 4-8). A young Latina girl learns about
keppies (heads) and mitzvahs (good deeds) from her Jewish knitting neighbor.
The Airport Book, by Lisa Brown (Roaring Brook; 40 pages; $17.99; ages 5-7). Try this informative pre-boarding tour of scanners, the Jetway, overhead and underneath spaces, safety demos and baggage claim.
The Water Princess, by Susan Verde and Georgie Badiel; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds (G.P. Putnam; 40 pages; $17.99; ages 5-8). An international runway model and clean-water activist recalls daily trips to a far-off well in her arid African homeland.
Thunder Boy Jr., by Sherman Alexie; illustrated by Yuyi Morales (Little, Brown; 40 pages; $17.99; ages 3-6). In this gentle but not genteel tale, an American Indian boy yearns for a “normal” name and his own identity.
The Storyteller, by Evan Turk (Atheneum; 48 pages; $18.99; ages 4-8). A boy, a djinn, carpet weaving, drought, the Sahara and sandstorms figure into this lush tale about the power of story.
Also an Octopus: Or a Little Bit
of Nothing, by Maggie TokudaHall; illustrated by Benji Davies (Candlewick; 32 pages; $16.99; ages 3-7). Like Seinfield, this retro-looking picture book about writing is about “nothing” before characters and challenges take off.
Little Penguins, by Cynthia Rylant; illustrated by Christian Robinson (Schwartz & Wade; 40 pages; $17.99; ages 3-7). Bay Area kids can experience a wondrous first snowfall in this fanciful book about bundling up, playing outside and trundling home again.
The Princess and the Warrior,
by Duncan Tonatiuh (Abrams; 40 pages; $16.95; ages 6-9). Love, war and betrayal fuel this modified Aztec legend about how two volcanoes outside Mexico City came to be.
Food Truck: A Lift-the-Flap
Meal on Wheels, by Jeffrey Burton; illustrated by Jay Cooper (Little Simon; 12 pages; $7.99; ages 2-5). “Try Japanese and fill your tummy.” That’s the invitation in this yummy, truck-shaped board book about six cuisines on wheels.
FICTION
When the Sea Turned to Silver, by Grace Lin (Little, Brown; 374 pages; $18.99; ages 8-12). Inspired by Chinese legend, this robust companion to “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” tells of a girl’s quest to rescue her grandmother from the Tiger Emperor.
The Inquisitor’s Tale, Or, The Three Magical Children and
Their Holy Dog, by Adam Gidwitz; illustrated by Hayem Aly (Dutton; 368 pages; $17.99; ages 10-up). This “Canterbury Tale”style masterpiece is serious, scatological, violent, funny, philosophical and timely. A young monk, a Jewish boy and a peasant girl are center stage.
Raymie Nightingale, by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick; 272 pages; $16.99; ages 10-up). Beauty is as beauty does in this tour de force about a Little Miss Central Florida Tire contest and important truths.
The Best Man, by Richard Peck (Dial; 240 pages; $16.99; ages 9-12). Two weddings bookend this sweet novel, narrated by 12-year-old Archer, who covers bullies, friendship, same-sex marriage, death and masculinity.
Wolf Hollow, by Lauren Wolk (Dutton; 296 pages; $16.99; ages 10-up). A mean girl fuels suspicion, fear, persecution and tragedy in a Pennsylvania town in 1943. Can a classmate stand up to injustice?
Booked, by Kwame Alexander (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 314 pages; $16.99; ages 10-12). Free verse nimbly serves the story of a talented middle school soccer player and his school, girl, peer and family troubles. The Girl Who Drank the Moon,
by Kelly Barnhill (Algonquin; 388 pages; $16.95; ages 9-14). Magic, witches, moonlight, starlight, a baby dragon and baby sacrifice swirl together in this spell-binding high fantasy.
Juana & Lucas, by Juana Medina (Candlewick; 90 pages; $14.99; ages 5-8). In this stylish early chapter book, a spunky Colombian girl does not like her itchy school uniform or learning English.
The Wild Robot, by Peter Brown (Little, Brown; 276 pages; $16.99; ages 8-12). Here’s a terrific readaloud about a noble robot, shipwrecked on a remote island — how she fits in and confronts her mysterious past.
Impyrium, by Henry H. Neff (Harper; 584 pages; $17.99; ages 8-12). A 3,000-year-old dynasty with fading magic, a young spy, a young royal and treachery galore figure into this hefty read.
Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the
Whatever Curse, by Ann M. Martin; illustrated by Ben Hatke (Feiwel & Friends; 244 pages; $16.99; ages 8-11). Mrs. PiggleWiggle’s great-niece temporarily fills in for her in this lighthearted manual on how to remedy common kid misdeeds and bad parenting.
The Secret-Keepers, by Trenton Lee Stewart (Little, Brown; 502 pages; $18.99; ages 8-12). Like the Mysterious Benedict Society series? Then welcome Stewart’s fully imagined new world, where 11-year-old Reuben and his team rely on magic to save their poor town.
Harry Potter and the Chamber
of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling; illustrated by Jim Kay (Scholastic; 264 pages; $39.99; ages 8-12). The second volume of a modern classic series gets a lavish (and expensive) upgrade, complete with gorgeous color art.
GRAPHIC NOVELS
Ghosts, by Raina Telgemeier (Graphix; 240 pages; HB $24.99/ PB $10.99; ages 8-12). The Day of the Dead is backdrop for a loving look at the impact of cystic fibrosis on family life.
Compass South: Four Points,
Book 1, by Hope Larson; illustrations by Rebecca Mock (Farrar, Straus, & Giroux; 224 pages; $17.99; ages 10-12). In this exciting swashbuckler, 12-year-old New York twins have a harrowing time on the way to San Francisco circa 1860.
Snow White, by Matt Phelan (Candlewick; 216 pages; $19.99; ages 10-up). Elegant film noir style places a classic into the Depression era with an evil stepmother, Wall Street villains and
a worthy heroine.
Hilo, Book 2: Saving the
Whole Wide World, by Judd Winick (Random; 208 pages; $13.99; ages 8-12). Here’s a most welcome sequel about a heroic extraterrestrial robot, his diverse earthly friends and their struggle with evil.
NONFICTION
Freedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and
Dreams Brought to Life, by Ashley Bryan (Atheneum; 56 pages; $17.99; ages 6-10). In this stunning album, conjecture fills in the barest of information about real slaves, sold at auction in 1828.
The Way Things Work Now: From Levers to Lasers, Windmills to Wi-Fi, A Visual Guide to the World of Machines, by David Macaulay (Houghton Mifflin; 400 pages; $35; ages 12-up). Want to know how a 3-D printer works? To better understand technology old and new, check out this revised and updated standard.
Be the Change: A Grandfather Gandhi Story, by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus; illustrated by Evan Turk (Atheneum; 44 pages; $18.99; ages 4-8). Glorious color envelops the story of how Gandhi teaches his reluctant grandson about violence, waste, action and personal responsibility.
Level the Playing Field: The Past, Present, and Future of
Women’s Pro Sports, by Kristina Rutherford (Owl Kids; 56 pages; $16.95; ages 10-14). Top female athletes together make a point: With great potential for women in pro sports today, girls have a role to play.
The Plot to Kill Hitler: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor,
Spy, Unlikely Hero, by Patricia McCormick (Balzer + Bray; 174 pages; $18.99; ages 10up). This suspenseful history extols the bravery of a resistance leader who tries to change the course of World War II. Vietnam: A History of War, by Russell Freedman (Holiday; 160 pages; $20; ages 10-up). A new generation gains insight into a controversial war in this clear and cogent account.
Comics Confidential: Thirteen Graphic Novelists Talk Story, Craft, and Life Outside the Box, compiled and edited by Leonard S. Marcus (Candlewick; 176 pages; $24.99; ages 12-up). Local Gene Luen Yang loved the Monkey King and Superman as a kid. Learn lots more from probing Q/A interviews.
Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of
Paraguay, by Susan Hood; illustrated by Sally Wern Comport (Simon & Schuster; 40 pages; $17.99; ages 4-8). “Ada Rios grew up in a town made of trash.” Thus begins this remarkable testimony to the power of ingenuity to change lives.
How to Build a Museum: Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, by Tonya Bolden (Smithsonian/ Viking; 60 pages; $17.99; ages 10-up). Dream, vision, construction and exhibits — D.C.’s newest museum is graciously introduced to kids in this impressive “can do.” Fanny in France: Travel Adventures of a Chef’s Daughter, With Recipes, by Alice Waters with Bob Carrau; illustrated by Ann Arnold (Viking; 176 pages; $19.99; ages 10-up). Follow the young daughter of a famed Berkeley foodie on family sojourn.
BIOGRAPHY
Rad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped
History, by Kate Schatz; illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl (Ten Speed Press; 112 pages; $15.99; ages 10-up). Aung San Suu Kyi and Miriam Makeba are among 40 women profiled in this Left Coast nod to global female contribution.
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel
Basquiat, by Javaka Steptoe (Little, Brown; 40 pages; $17.99; ages 4-8). Art need not be neat to be beautiful, a message underscored by this boldly beautiful bio of a 1980s phenom.
Antsy Ansel: Ansel Adams,
A Life in Nature, by Cindy Jenson-Elliott; illustrated by Christy Hale (Henry Holt; 32 pages; $17.99; ages 5-9). A hyper San Francisco kid becomes a pioneer nature photographer in this lyrical picture biography and homage to America’s landscapes.
I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark, by Debbie Levy; illustrations by Elizabeth Baddeley (Simon & Schuster; 40 pages; $17.99; ages 4-8). How a Supreme Court justice turns the sting of prejudice into a hunger for justice makes an inspiring life story.
Some Writer! The Story of
E.B. White, by Melissa Sweet (Houghton Mifflin; 160 pages; $18.99; ages 7-10). With an intelligent text and vintage visuals, this enchanting bio captures well the beloved author of “Charlotte’s Web.”