Tag: juvenile

New Children’s Nonfiction

- Stephanie Leave a comment

When I want to read nonfiction, I gravitate towards the children’s section. Children’s nonfiction titles help develop a deeper knowledge of the world and serve as a great introduction to new topics. Nonfiction has always been difficult for me to read, but I have found that children’s nonfiction utilizes informational writing in such a way that doesn’t feel like a chore to read (at least to me). Below you will find a list of new children’s nonfiction that has just hit the shelves at the library.

As of this writing, all of these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions are provided by the publishers. These titles were published in 2025.

Dawn written and illustrated by Marc Martin

With gorgeous artwork and a spare text, an award-winning picture-book creator gently celebrates the natural world through the lens of a sunrise.

As the sun slowly rises, many things happen in a small window of time. The world comes alive with the actions of animals, plants, clouds, and sky. A deer drinks, an owl wakes, a dandelion shimmers in the light. A ladybug climbs, a fish jumps, birds call in a chorus. Geese fly away in formation. A flower blooms. Beautifully illustrated with glowing imagery and written with a charming simplicity holding appeal for new readers, Marc Martin’s ode to the slow-blooming beauty of a sunrise and the life that unfolds in its radiance narrows the lens to show the wonder of time passing. – Candlewick Studio

The Friendship Train: A True Story of Helping and Healing after World War II by Debbie Levy

An impeccably researched, touching true story of the kindness of strangers around the world following World War II from a bestselling author and award-winning illustrator.

On one side of the ocean, a war had ended, leaving many in Europe without enough food.
On the other side of the ocean, Americans asked, How can we help?

The need was too great for any one person to fill-but what could people do if they joined together?

The answer was the Friendship Train, which ran from the West Coast to the East collecting good food for hungry bellies. Americans of all ages gave what they could. Especially children! They donated their allowances, sold newspapers, collected food from neighbors, loaded packages onto trucks and boxcars-all for strangers across the sea.

And in return, those strangers asked themselves How can we say “thank you”? Still recovering from the war, they didn’t have a lot to give, but they found a way-their own train full of ways-to express their gratitude.

This heartwarming nonfiction picture book from Debbie Levy and Boris Kulikov shows how small acts of kindness can grow, healing lives and helping turn strangers into friends. – Bloomsbury Children’s Books

The History of We by Nikkolas Smith

Fossil records show that the first humans were born in Africa. Meaning, every person on Earth can trace their ancestry back to that continent. The History of We celebrates our shared ancestors’ ingenuity and achievements and imagines what these firsts would have looked and felt like.

What was it like for the first person to paint, to make music, to dance, to discover medicine, to travel to unknown lands? It required courage, curiosity, and skill.

The History of We takes what we know about modern human civilization and, through magnificent paintings, creates a tale about our shared beginnings in a way that centers Black people in humankind’s origin story. – Kokila

Hurricane written and illustrated by Jason Chin

Caldecott and Sibert Medalist Jason Chin charts the thrilling saga of an island community’s brush with a category three hurricane, and the cutting-edge science that helps them prepare.

It’s a beautiful day on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. But while all seems calm now, a hurricane is barreling across the Atlantic, and everyone is wondering when it will hit the U.S. coast. And where.

Night and day, meteorologists use satellites to monitor the storm. Brave pilots fly directly into the tempest, dodging lightning bolts to gather crucial data. Back on the island, families board up windows, drag furniture upstairs, and stock survival kits to prepare for what may come.

From its dramatic opening, Hurricane alternates between striking maps charting the hurricane’s progress and daily life on the island.

Hurricane is at once a fascinating view into a natural disaster and a reassuring survey of the tools we use to mitigate the damage. As climate change makes hurricanes ever more destructive, this engaging and rigorous book is perfect for classrooms, and for families making their own safety plans. – Neal Porter Books

Imogen: The Life and Work of Imogen Cunningham written by Elizabeth Partridge, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu

A picture book biography of the iconic photographer Imogen Cunningham by National Book Award finalist Elizabeth Partridge.

Imogen Cunningham loved to observe the world. She noticed the colors in the woods outside her house and how light and shadows moved between the trees. She tried to capture this beauty on paper with pencils, but something was missing. One day she read about a woman in Paris who earned a living as a photographer, and she knew she was meant to do the same. With the support of her loving father, she then began her journey to become one of the most important photographers in America.

The life of iconic photographer Imogen Cunningham is brought vividly to life by National Book Award finalist Elizabeth Partridge, who also happens to be Cunningham’s granddaughter. With stunning illustrations by Caldecott Honor winner Yuko Shimizu, Imogen captures the passion of the creative process with a unique and intimate perspective. – Viking Books for Young Readers

In the World of Whales written by Michelle Cusolito, illustrated by Jessica Lanan

Plunge deep into the awe-inspiring true story of a freediver’s encounter with a newborn sperm whale and its family.

When a freediver (one who dives without the benefit of oxygen) slips underwater, he encounters a pod of sperm whales so close he can almost touch them. When he sees blood in the water, he wonders if there’s been an injury. When he comes even closer, what he finds instead is a moments-old calf, skin wrinkly and tail fluke still folded from the womb.

The calf’s family nudges it up to breathe; nudges it toward each member of the pod, by way of introduction; and then it happens—the mother nudges her child toward the diver, inviting him, too, to share in the family moment.

Told from the vantage point of Belgian freediver Fred Buyle, who with his diving partner Kurt Amsler are the only people known to be present at the birth of a sperm whale, In the World of Whales features lyrical-yet-precise text by Michelle Cusolito and dreamlike illustrations by Jessica Lanan, creator of the Sibert Honor book Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider. Any child who dreams of speaking to animals will adore this proof of humanity’s bond with the wild world. At the end of the story, find more information about freediving and whales. – Neal Porter Books

Making Light Bloom: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Lamps written by Sandra Nickel, illustrated by Julie Paschkis

The untold story of Clara Driscoll, a nature lover with the mind of a creative innovator and the unsung genius who designed and engineered the iconic Tiffany lamp

Drawing inspiration from her childhood gardens, Clara Driscoll created designs for Louis C. Tiffany’s stained glass windows. Clara had such a flare for glass that Tiffany put her in charge of a special workroom, staffed with women—called the Tiffany Girls. But Clara wanted more. She wanted to create a three-dimensional work that would make light bloom. So she figured out how to engineer a lamp—how to shape and bend glass and light it so that her designs sprung to colorful, vivid life.

Today, we all recognize Tiffany lamps, but we almost forgot the woman who created them. Extensive back matter features more information about Clara Driscoll, her letters, and her design and manufacturing process, as well as bibliography and sources. – Peachtree

Malcolm Lives!: The Official Biography of Malcolm X for Young Readers by Ibram X Kendi

National Book Award–winning and #1 New York Times–bestselling author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi brings a global icon to life in the first major biography of Malcolm X for young people in more than thirty years–perfect for fans of blockbuster hit STAMPED: A REMIX with Jason Reynolds.

As a youth, Malcolm endured violence, loss, hunger, foster care, racism, and being incarcerated. He emerged from it all to make a lasting impact. As a Black Muslim. As a family man. As a revolutionary. Malcolm’s life story shows the promise of every human being. Of you!

To trace Malcolm’s childhood and adult years, Kendi draws on Malcolm’s stirring oratory style, using repetition and rhetoric. Short, swift chapters echo Malcolm’s trademark fast walk. An abundance of never-before-published letters, notes, flyers, photos, extensive source notes, and more give young readers a front-row seat to his life.

One hundred years after his birth in 1925, Malcolm’s antiracist legacy lives on in this thoughtful and accessible must-read for all people. For you!

Just like history, Malcolm lives. – Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

The Music Inside Us: Yo-Yo Ma & His Gifts to the World written by James Howe, illustrated by Jack Wong

“I’ve been asking myself all my life, ‘What is the purpose of music?’” –Yo-Yo Ma

4 starred reviews! “Will move some readers to tears and make them think about the special gifts each person possesses.” (Kirkus)

At a young age, Yo-Yo Ma discovered a remarkable gift for the cello, playing Bach from memory by age four. His technique was far beyond his years, but even as he grew and became a world-class musician—studying at Juilliard, performing at Carnegie Hall at a young age, even playing on television before the president of the United States—he wanted to use his gift for something deeper, something bigger.

As he asked question after question, trying to understand his place in the world, he discovered something that every culture has in common: music.

Ma decided that he would spend his life not only performing for others, but learning from other cultures’ musical traditions and finding ways to unite people. Even as he dedicated himself to humanitarian work around the world, Ma also dedicated himself to teaching a new generation of young cellists to play with their whole hearts, bodies, and souls, like he does—how to find the music inside themselves.

From James Howe, bestselling author of Bunnicula, and Jack Wong, award-winning author/illustrator of When You Can Swim, comes the story of legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who is special not only because of his unmatched talent but also his curious mind and compassionate heart. Powerfully told and stunningly illustrated, this biography will inspire readers to discover the gifts inside us all.

Back matter includes an author’s and an illustrator’s note, a timeline of Ma’s life, and resources to learn more about his life and work. – Abrams Books

Smash, Crash, Topple, Roll!: The Inventive Rube Goldberg: A life in Comics, Contraptions, and Six Simple Machines written by Catherine Thimmesh, illustrated by Shanda McCloskey

Award-winning author Catherine Thimmesh’s irresistibly engaging text and artist Shanda McCloskey’s energetic, cartoon-style artwork introduce readers to the life and creative legacy of Rube Goldberg, the world-famous inventor of crazy contraptions. A rollicking educational kids’ book that is part biography, part inspiration, and part physics how-to, Smash, Crash, Topple, Roll! posits the ultimate question … why do anything the simple way? (Especially if, for instance, there is a catapult option?)

Because, of course, there are lots of things you can do the simple way:
Set an alarm,
flip a switch,
open a door,
toast some bread . . .

But what if, instead, you did things the Rube Goldberg way?
Endlessly entertaining,
needlessly complex,
and achieving a delicate balance of physics, humor, and excitement!

The book includes an overview of the six simple machines that power most of Goldberg’s inventions and puts the tools for making real-life Rube Goldberg machines right into readers’ hands. It’s the perfect thing to spark the imaginations of budding inventors, artists, and thinkers of all ages—because the most promising relationships with science start not with a textbook but with the willingness to break stuff and ask silly questions! – Chronicle Books

This is Orange: A Field Trip Through Color written by Rachel Poliquin, illustrated by Julie Morstad

Prepare your senses for a delicious shock of orange in all its glory and variety—in a playful color tribute destined to wow art and design enthusiasts of all ages.

Look closely. The color orange is all around you, not only in the natural world—from fruit and foxes to minerals and mushrooms—but in the human-engineered world, too, from works of art to religious ceremonies to astronaut survival suits. Ranging through time and circumnavigating the globe, witty stream-of-consciousness text and jaunty illustrations explore color through surprising social, historical, cultural, and artistic lenses. With more than thirty vivid examples and a gentle introduction to color theory, this eye-opening voyage into the heart of orange is a clever appeal to experience other colors—and the world at large—with an open and expansive mind. – Candlewick

The Sky Was My Blanket: A Young Man’s Journey Across Wartime Europe by Uri Shulevitz

Born in the tumult of World War I, a young Jewish boy named Yehiel Szulewicz chafes at the borders of his hometown of Żyrardów, Poland, and at the rules set in place by his restrictive parents. Brimming with a desire for true adventure, he leaves home at fifteen-and-a-half years old to seek his future elsewhere. Little does Yehiel know, he’ll never see his parents again.

His journey takes him beyond Polish borders, to Austria, Croatia, France, and Spain. With no money and no ID papers, he often sleeps under the stars, with only the sky as his blanket. But even wayfaring Yehiel can’t outrun the evil spreading across Europe in the years leading up to World War II. As the fascists and Nazis rise to power, Yehiel soon finds himself a member of the Spanish Republican Army and then the Jewish Resistance in Vichy France, fighting for freedom, his friends, and his very life.

Inspired by the true story of Uri Shulevitz’s uncle and stunningly illustrated by the author, The Sky Was My Blanket is a unique and riveting account of one man’s courage and resilience amidst one of the darkest periods in global history. – Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

New Picture Books

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If you’re looking for books with gorgeous illustrations, I recommend you check out picture books! Below you will find a list of new children’s picture books that were published in 2025. As of this writing, all of these titles are available at the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions are provided by the publishers.

Cat Nap written and illustrated by Brian Lies

In the warm, late afternoon sunlight, a girl sits on the couch reading a book. Her kitten dozes nearby. But when Kitten notices a mouse and dives after it through a framed poster on the wall, an epic chase through time, art, and history ensues. Is it a dream? That’s up to the reader to decide, but for the kitten, every leap and bound is full of suspense and makes for a masterpiece.

Caldecott Honor–winning and New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Brian Lies creates a truly unique picture book journey that invites young readers through the galleries of an art museum as well as through time, space, and history. As the cat and mouse leap from one page to the next, they are portrayed in the style of masterful artworks from history—an ancient Egyptian relief, an illuminated manuscript, a stained-glass window, a ceramic dog—each painstakingly and lovingly re-created in its original media by Brian Lies. When the sly mouse gets away, Kitten finds himself lost and alone. Will art help him find his way home?

This visual showstopper by an award-winning and bestselling picture book creator offers readers a page-turning cat and mouse chase, an introduction to famous works of art throughout history, an epic adventure story, and a homecoming. Backmatter includes information about how each of the illustrations in the book was created, notes on the original artworks featured in the book, and an afterword inviting young readers to make, create, and build things. – Greenwillow Books

CeeCee: Underground Railroad Cinderella written by Shana Keller, illustrated by Laura Freeman

A Cinderella retelling with a young enslaved girl in the title role. On a Maryland plantation, CeeCee’s story doesn’t end with a prince, but a different type of rescue.

CeeCee is a young enslaved girl growing up alongside the two spoiled daughters she must work for on a plantation in Maryland. She takes care of them, catering to their every whim and suffering their casual cruelty. She learns to read by listening to their lessons and stories with the threat of punishment if caught.

CeeCee receives help from the caring cook, Binty, and hope comes in the form of a different kind of escape. CeeCee chances everything for the possibility of a new life.

While many are familiar with the traditional Cinderella story, this retelling is sure to empower and uplift a new generation of young readers. – Charlesbridge

Everyday Bean written and illustrated by Stephanie Graegin

Meet Bean, a very tiny hedgehog. She loves ghosts, swings and a stuffie called Clem.

Meet Bean’s grandma. She loves strawberries, sweaters and tiny Bean burritos.

And they both love stories.

In ten tiny stories we follow Bean and her grandmother through adventures of the everyday. Bean loses her bad mood in a meadow and Grandma thinks she sees a ghost (don’t worry it’s just Bean!) — and there’s even a story with giant strawberries.

This first volume in the Tiny Bean’s Big Adventures series by acclaimed author/illustrator and hedgehog friend/insider, Stephanie Graegin, is the perfect gift for little (and big) readers and hedgehog admirers everywhere. – Tundra Books

The House That Floated written and illustrated by Guojing

A stunningly beautiful picture book from a critically acclaimed artist that follows a family who lives in a house by the sea as water levels start to rise.

In this gorgeous, wordless story, a family makes their home on a cliff overlooking the sea. They live peacefully, spending their days exploring the ocean and filling their home with warmth and laughter. But as seasons pass, the waters rise, bringing the tides closer to the clifftop and the house. When a powerful storm rages and giant waves engulf the cliff, the family must leave—but not without their beloved home.

Inspired by true stories of communities relocating houses, award-winning artist Guojing evokes a family’s ingenuity and determination to save their home in a moving portrait of empathy, love and strength. Through dreamy ocean scenes and vibrant tones of red, pinks and blues, this striking narrative offers an adventure story with a dramatic and glorious ending. – Random House Studio

The Invisible Parade by Leigh Bardugo

It’s time to join the party! Adventure awaits readers of all ages on Día de Muertos​ in this stunningly original and lushly illustrated tour de force about family, love, and overcoming grief.

Everyone in the neighborhood was getting ready for the party.
Everyone knew somebody on the guest list . . .
This was the day the dead returned.

There’s a party tonight, but Cala doesn’t want to go. While her family prepares for the celebration, Cala grieves her grandfather and tries to pretend she’s not afraid.

But when she is separated from her family at the cemetery, Cala encounters four mysterious riders who will show her she is actually quite brave after all.

Brimming with magic and humor, The Invisible Parade is the first picture-book collaboration between award-winner John Picacio and New York Times bestselling Leigh Bardugo. Set on the night of Día de Muertos, Cala’s story is one of love, loss, and the courage that can be found in unexpected places. – Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Island Storm written by Brian Floca, illustrated by Sydney Smith

Can you tell when a storm is coming? Can you feel the wind coming and growing? Do you hear the branches bouncing together, hear the whispers of the wind through the leaves?

Join in the journey as two siblings bear witness to the steady start, thrilling apex, and gentle end of this island storm. They’ll shelter soon, but first they want to feel it all.

Sydney Smith is the winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international distinction given to authors and illustrators of children’s books, and his illustrations are fantastically textured and visually spectacular. Paired with Brian Floca’s eloquent, rhythmic text, Island Storm is a multi-sensory experience that will amaze and delight readers. Children who fear thunder can take comfort in seeing it captured in the pages, while those who relish watching the sky crack open can enjoy battling this storm from the comfort of their homes. – Neal Porter Books

The Monster in the Lake written and illustrated by Leo Timmers, translated by Bill Nagelkerke

Four ducks are tired of their small pond and set out for an adventure in the big lake. Walking at the back, Eric isn’t sure. He’s heard there’s a monster in the lake, but his friends don’t believe a word of that old story! Eric reluctantly tags along, only to make a startling discovery and find himself in a wonderful underwater adventure.

This large-format picture book features a detailed, fold-out, underwater world of mechanical marvels and sea creatures. The story of a nervous duck who finds courage and the overconfidence of groups will resonate with anyone who’s nervously dipped a toe in unknown waters. – Gecko Press

The Moon Moved In written by Sue Soltis, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez

What would happen if the moon moved in next door? A funny and original story about an unexpected friendship, the essential role of the moon, and our power to connect, even from far away.

When the Moon moves into the long-empty house next door, all the rooms fill up with light—and Stella finally has a friend. But without the Moon in orbit, the world is going topsy-turvy. The tides stop, and the Earth has a new wobble. Stella worries, but the Moon just wants to stay and garden. Can Stella convince the Moon that life on Earth needs the Moon back in orbit? And what will become of her wish for a friend next door? – Chronicle Books

Popo the xolo written by Paloma Angelina Lopez, illustrated by Abraham Matias

We can always remember her.

Nana is surrounded by family and takes joy in her many grandchildren. She’s also tired and feels pain. Soon she begins her transition from life into death, accompanied by her beloved Xolo dog, Popo.

Together they go on Nana’s journey, and by the end of the story, Nana’s family celebrates the many years of love they shared with her. A grandchild takes on caring for Popo in Nana’s memory.

Simultaneously published in English and Spanish, Popo the Xolo helps kids understand how loved ones live on in our memories. An unforgettable picture book that’s grounded in the importance of the 9 levels of Mictlān and the role Xolo dogs play in Indigenous cultural understandings of present-day Mexico. – Charlesbridge

Recess written by Lane Smith, design by Molly Leach

School is where you go to learn. It is fun.
But sometimes you need a little break from all the fun.
That is why there is recess.
But what if it’s not recess time?
No problem!

You can have a Now Recess, a Really-Need-a-Break Recess, a Wherever-You-Are Recess.
It doesn’t matter what you call it. Just make sure you shout it:
RECESS!

Featuring the distinctive humor and beloved art of bestselling Caldecott honoree Lane Smith, this irresistibly fun, interactive read aLOUD is the perfect stress reliever to send kids into fits of giggles and shaking out their wiggles. – Abrams Books

This Year, A Witch written and illustrated by Zoey Abbott

A little girl has been every adorable thing you can imagine for Halloween, and she is done with being cuddly, sweet, and precious. This year, she’s rebelling big-time and going for a totally different vibe: the spookiest thing out there. She’s going to be…a witch!

With only a little help from Dad, she works hard on her witchy locks, brew, spells and enchantments, and power to petrify. But what happens when what she sees in the mirror is so spooky, she scares even herself? Nothing that an understanding dad—and maybe a quick restorative nap—can’t handle. – Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

Where the Deer Slip Through written by Katey Howes, illustrated by Beth Krommes

This is the hedge that grew and grew.
The wall of stone a bit askew.
This is the gap where the deer slip through,
when the sky is still more pink than blue…

Throughout the course of a beautiful summer day, from sunrise to moonrise, a host of animals find their way through a gap in the hedge, bringing the farm to life. – Beach Lane Books

You and Me, Anemone: A Story About Friendship and Personal Space by Rachel Vail, illustrated by Chris Raschka

Don’t want to be booped? No problem! A sea anemone in the ocean confidently sets itself some personal boundaries, encouraging young readers on land to do the same.
You and Me, Anemone is a nuanced, thoughtful, playful picture book for young children about the delicate challenge of boundaries—having them, maintaining them, and respecting them in others. The playful, rhythmic, interactive text by award-winning author Rachel Vail pairs the science of sea life with social-emotional learning for terrific classroom potential. Two-time Caldecott Medal winner Chris Raschka’s illustrations—created by painting and stitching on burlap—are a visual and emotional showstopper with a ton of kid appeal. Back matter includes an author’s note and facts about the incredible sea anemone. – Greenwillow Books

Meesh the Bad Demon by Michelle Lam

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Michelle Lam’s juvenile graphic novel debut, Meesh the Bad Demon, is the story of unlikely heroes, bad guys, and the stereotypes and myths that surround them. Meesh, a bad demon, tries to find her place, but instead discovers that she doesn’t quite fit in with her peers. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though!

Twelve-year-old Meesh would rather read magazines from Plumeria City (the fairy realm), watch fairy television shows, and talk to flowers instead of doing typical demon things. She spends her days seeing the good in people and the world around her. That, unfortunately makes Meesh a ‘bad’ demon in the eyes of her peers. Meesh struggles with fire breathing, acid-puking, horn-sharpening, lava-molding, and many other skills that her school in Mount Magma works to teach young demons to prepare them for the world. Luckily for Meesh, her grandma is there to listen and to try to understand her problems.

When disaster strikes Mount Magma, Meesh is at first confused and scared. Running to her grandma for help, Meesh discovers that her grandma is in danger. All of demon-kind is in trouble and Meesh must find help. Escaping from Mount Magma, Meesh is on the lookout for other worlds. Stumbling upon the fairy realm, Meesh is convinced that the fairies will be able to help her save the other demons. Just when she thinks her problems are solved, Meesh realizes that something is not quite right in the fairy realm. They aren’t the perfect creatures she always thought, but Meesh is determined to solve her problem and ends up making new friends along the way. Meesh and her group of outcast friends all learn that there’s more to themselves than the stereotypical things others think about them. Learning to love yourself and knowing your own strengths while being able to ask for help are just some of the important lessons that readers will learn in this book.

Meesh the Bad Demon was absolutely adorable. While I am definitely not the target audience of this juvenile graphic novel, I appreciated the author’s clear determination to teach readers about the importance of understanding and accepting others’ differences. Highly recommend.

Stealing Home written by J. Torres with illustrations by David Namisato

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Written by J. Torres and illustrated by David Namisato, Stealing Home tells the story of how baseball helped a young boy through hard times. While I have read many books about the Japanese American experience during World War II, Stealing Home was my first read about Japanese Canadians. Highly recommend this juvenile graphic novel told from the perspective of Sandy Saito as he looks back to his childhood in 1940s Vancouver.

Growing up in Vancouver in the 1940s, Sandy was an eight year old whose biggest worry was when he could watch the Asahi baseball team play. He spent his time reading comic books, going to school, and cheering on the Asahi, the pride of the Japanese Canadian community. At home, Sandy spent time with his younger brother, his mother, and his father, a doctor with his own office in the community. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the lives of all North Americans of Japanese descent changed. First the changes were small, but eventually his family was sent to a remote internment camp without his father. His father was at a camp far away, where they spent months separated. Sandy, his brother, and his mother found ways to cope with the harshness of the camp. Eventually baseball made its way to the camp. This proves to be fortuitous for Sandy as it helps him deal with the big emotions he has been facing and the circumstances he has been dealt.

Stealing Home was incredibly emotional, but seeing this story through the eyes of an eight-year-old definitely softened some of the harshness of that period. Although this is a fictional story, the author clearly thoroughly researched this subject. There are also notes with more background information and other important topics central to the story at the end of the book. I recommend this graphic novel for those looking for a book that deals with the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II with sensitivity and a unique perspective.

A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat

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When my to-read list is overwhelming, I look up book award lists. One of my favorites is the National Book Awards and my latest read came from that list! A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2023. This graphic memoir caught my attention straight from the beginning and left me reminiscing about my middle grade years.

Dan Santat was an awkward kid. His middle grade school years were especially awkward, but thankfully a trip to Europe helped turn his life around just in time for high school. Dan may be a good kid, but that doesn’t stop him from being bullied. While he feels like he’s invisible some days, others he is constantly picked on while staying out of trouble. When his parents find a brochure talking about a class trip to Europe, they decide that Dan must go because when else is he going to have the chance. Dan has low expectations and is decidedly not excited to go.

When he shows up at the airport, his feelings are confirmed. He’s stuck with the same middle school girls who made fun of him, showcased through a series of flashbacks throughout the book. As he travels through Europe, seeing the sights in France, Germany, Switzerland, and England, Dan starts to open up as he experiences a series of firsts. He decides he wants to try all the different types of Fanta, has his first Fondue, accidentally steals a bike in Germany, and most importantly has his first love. Dan slowly breaks out of his shell while going through the big emotions that we all experienced as thirteen year old kids trying to find our way in the world.

This graphic memoir was funny and adorable. I found myself commiserating with Dan as he struggled to express himself and crying along with him as he had to say goodbye to his first love. The author acknowledges how even though his middle school years were awkward, they also changed his life. This is such a reflective and self-affirming graphic memoir for all of us that went through challenging middle school years.

Classic Novel Retellings

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Do you have a favorite classic novel? What about a favorite classic novel retelling? A repeated conversation I have at the library is patrons asking for retellings of classics that are easier to read or understand than the original. As someone who has a slight aversion to anything labeled a ‘classic,’ I love retellings. I have talked about some of my favorite graphic novel retellings before on the Info Cafe blog, but for this specific blog, I wanted to focus on retellings aimed for children and young adults. The selected titles add twists to the stories that bring these classic tales much needed updates.

The titles in this list have not been talked about before on the blog. They are also owned by the Davenport Public Library, so click on the titles and put a hold on any of them today! The descriptions have been provided by the publishers.

Juvenile Fiction

Sisters of the Neversea by Cynthia Leitich Smith

In this beautifully reimagined story by NSK Neustadt Laureate and New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek), Native American Lily and English Wendy embark on a high-flying journey of magic, adventure, and courage to a fairy-tale island known as Neverland…

Lily and Wendy have been best friends since they became stepsisters. But with their feuding parents planning to spend the summer apart, what will become of their family—and their friendship?

Little do they know that a mysterious boy has been watching them from the oak tree outside their window. A boy who intends to take them away from home for good, to an island of wild animals, Merfolk, Fairies, and kidnapped children, to a sea of merfolk, pirates, and a giant crocodile.

A boy who calls himself Peter Pan. – Heartdrum, Harper Collins Publishers

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Treasure Island: Runaway Gold by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Bestselling and award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes reimagines the classic novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson in this thrilling adventure set in modern-day Manhattan, in which three children must navigate the city’s hidden history, dodge a threatening crew of skater kids, and decide who they can really trust in order to hunt down a long-buried treasure.

Three kids. One dog. And the island of Manhattan, laid out in an old treasure map.

Zane is itching for an adventure that will take him away from his family’s boarding house in Rockaway, Queens. So when he is entrusted with a real treasure map, leading to a spot somewhere in Manhattan, Zane wastes no time in riding the ferry over to the city to start the search with his friends Kiko and Jack and his dog, Hip-Hop.

Through strange coincidence, they meet a man who is eager to help them find the treasure: John, a sailor who knows all about the buried history of Black New Yorkers of centuries past—and the gold that is hidden somewhere in those stories.

As a vicious rival skateboard crew follows them around the city, Zane and his friends begin to wonder who they can really trust. And soon it becomes clear that treasure hunting is a dangerous business… – Quill Tree Books, Harper Collins Publishers

Young Adult Fiction

Anne of Greenville by Mariko Tamaki

This is the story of how I became Anne of Greenville. It’s also the story of how I found my true true, and how I needed to maybe come to Greenville, of all places, to make that happen.

In this modern reimagining of Anne of Green Gables, Anne is an ABBA-loving singer/actor/writer of disco-operas, queer, Japanese-American who longs to be understood for her artistic genius. Recently relocated to middle-of-nowhere Greenville and starting at a new school, Anne has a tendency to A) fall in love quickly, deeply, and effervescently and B) fly off the handle in the face of jerks. Both personality quirks quickly come into play when the soccer team boos the premiere of her disco performance, which—in a roundabout way—introduces her to her new BFF, Berry, and she soon after meets the girl of her dreams, Gilly.

Falling quickly into that age-old trap of ignoring the best friend for the new crush, Anne soon becomes embroiled in a series of dramatic and unfortunate events, and quickly finds herself wrapped up in a love triangle she never expected. Is she MTB with Gilly? Or is Berry her true soul mate? Only time (or 304 pages) will tell.  – Disney Publishing Group

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Debating Darcy by Sayantani DasGupta

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Leela Bose plays to win.

A life-long speech competitor, Leela loves nothing more than crushing the competition, all while wearing a smile. But when she meets the incorrigible Firoze Darcy, a debater from an elitist private school, Leela can’t stand him. Unfortunately, he’ll be competing in the state league, so their paths are set to collide.

But why attempt to tolerate Firoze when Leela can one-up him? The situation is more complicated than Leela anticipated, though, and her participation in the tournament reveals that she might have tragically misjudged the debaters — including Firoze Darcy — and more than just her own winning streak is at stake…her heart is, too. – Scholastic

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One For All by Lillie Lainoff

One for All is a gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.

Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl.” But Tania wants to be strong, independent, a fencer like her father—a former Musketeer and her greatest champion. Then Papa is brutally, mysteriously murdered. His dying wish? For Tania to attend finishing school. But L’Académie des Mariées, Tania realizes, is no finishing school. It’s a secret training ground for new Musketeers: women who are socialites on the surface, but strap daggers under their skirts, seduce men into giving up dangerous secrets, and protect France from downfall. And they don’t shy away from a sword fight.

With her newfound sisters at her side, Tania feels that she has a purpose, that she belongs. But then she meets Étienne, her target in uncovering a potential assassination plot. He’s kind, charming—and might have information about what really happened to her father. Torn between duty and dizzying emotion, Tania will have to decide where her loyalties lie…or risk losing everything she’s ever wanted. – Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

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Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore

New York City, 1922. Nicolás Caraveo, a 17-year-old transgender boy from Wisconsin, has no interest in the city’s glamor. Going to New York is all about establishing himself as a young professional, which could set up his future—and his life as a man—and benefit his family.

Nick rents a small house in West Egg from his 18-year-old cousin, Daisy Fabrega, who lives in fashionable East Egg near her wealthy fiancé, Tom—and Nick is shocked to find that his cousin now goes by Daisy Fay, has erased all signs of her Latine heritage, and now passes seamlessly as white.

Nick’s neighbor in West Egg is a mysterious young man named Jay Gatsby, whose castle-like mansion is the stage for parties so extravagant that they both dazzle and terrify Nick. At one of these parties, Nick learns that the spectacle is all meant to impress a girl from Jay’s past—Daisy. And he learns something else: Jay is also transgender.

As Nick is pulled deeper into the glittery culture of decadence, he spends more time with Jay, aiming to help his new friend reconnect with his lost love. But Nick’s feelings grow more complicated when he finds himself falling hard for Jay’s openness, idealism, and unfounded faith in the American Dream. – Feiwel & Friends

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So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow

North Carolina, 1863. As the American Civil War rages on, the Freedpeople’s Colony of Roanoke Island is blossoming, a haven for the recently emancipated. Black people have begun building a community of their own, a refuge from the shadow of the “old life.” It is where the March family has finally been able to safely put down roots with four young daughters:

Meg, a teacher who longs to find love and start a family of her own.

Jo, a writer whose words are too powerful to be contained.

Beth, a talented seamstress searching for a higher purpose.

Amy, a dancer eager to explore life outside her family’s home.

As the four March sisters come into their own as independent young women, they will face first love, health struggles, heartbreak, and new horizons. But they will face it all together. – Feiwel & Friends

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Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, Where the Rhythm Takes You is a romantic, mesmerizing novel of first love and second chances.

Seventeen-year-old Reyna has spent most of her life at the Plumeria, her family’s gorgeous seaside resort in Tobago. But what once seemed like paradise is starting to feel more like purgatory. It’s been two years since Reyna’s mother passed away, two years since Aiden—her childhood best friend, first kiss, first love, first everything—left the island to pursue his music dreams.

Reyna’s friends are all planning their futures and heading abroad. Even Daddy seems to want to move on, leaving her to try to keep the Plumeria running.

And that’s when Aiden comes roaring back into her life—as a VIP guest at the resort.

Aiden is now one-third of DJ Bacchanal—the latest, hottest music group on the scene. While Reyna has stayed exactly where he left her, Aiden has returned to Tobago with his Grammy-nominated band and two gorgeous LA socialites. And he may (or may not be) dating one of them… – Balzer + Bray

XOXO Children’s Picture Books

- Brittany Leave a comment
a young child hugging a mailbox with a pink background.

February is the month of love! Below is a curated list of titles that are not specifically Valentine’s Day but more focused on the most popular ways to show affection – hugs and kisses! If you have read any of the titles below, I would love to hear what you thought of them!

porcupine on a blue backgroundI Need a Hug by Aaron Blabey
Porcupine wants something simple, a hug. After asking many other animals for a hug, Porcupine is told time after time no. Downtrodden and about to give up, Porcupine finds an unlikely friend.

This story is sweet and written in rhyme! You can share this title to teach empathy and inspire your young poets.

a young child hugging a mailbox with a pink background.The Hug Machine by Scott Campbell
The Hug Machine loves to give hugs, there is nothing that the Hug Machine will not hug. Yes, you can hug the Hug Machine, the Hug Machine is always open for business.

I enjoy sharing this title each year with young people. It is fun to spot the unlikely animals and objects that the Hug Machine hugs.

seal on a rock with a small birdSealed with a Kiss by Beth Ferry
Seal is new to the zoo after arriving from a zoo in France. While sitting in her enclosure, Seal is greeted by a little bird who plants a sweet peck on her cheek. After her snack of sardines, Seal sets out to greet the other zoo animals and give them each a smackeroo. Little does she realize, the sardines that she had for snack gave Seal terrible breath.

This story teaches compassion with a side of silly!

a grumpy cactus in a windowsill Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich
Hank is a cactus who lives in a pot in the windowsill who enjoys his quiet life. Hank’s quiet life is interrupted by a coyote, a tumbleweed named Rosie, a tortoise, and more who cause Hank to get crankier and crankier. Finally, after being chastised for stepping on his lawn, a man tells Hank that he needs a hug. Hank scoffs at first but later decides that maybe a hug is just what he needs. Now who will hugs a cactus?

This is such a sweet book and I hope that you enjoy it as well!

birds hugging outsideDuck & Goose: Goose Needs a Hug by Tad Hills
Goose is feeling sad. Hoping to cheer up their friend, Goose’s friends perform a series of acts hoping to garner a smile.

Sometimes, all we need to do with our loved ones is to ask them what they need instead of assuming. What they say might surprise you!

Two kitties hugging in a heart. Hug Time by Patrick McDonnell
There once was a kitten who was so full of love who wanted nothing more than to hug the entire world. The dreamer makes a list and embarks on a quest that takes him to Africa to hug the unhuggable.

This book is perfect for the little lovebug in your house!

animals hugging one anotherGroup Hug by Jean Reidy
One little slug causes a series of adorable animal hugs.

Full of gorgeous artwork and adorable characters, this story is a treat!

 

 

dinosaur running Dinosaur Kisses by David Ezra Stein
Little Dina hatches from her egg and discovers the magic of the kiss. Trying desperately to kiss everything in sight, Dina struggles because it isn’t easy for a t-rex to give a kiss!

This silly book is sure to delight young readers.

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

- Stephanie Leave a comment

‘I am learning how to be
sad
and happy
at the same time.’ – Jasmine Warga, Other Words for Home

Lately novels in verse have been popping up on the top of my to-read list. Novels in verse are stories that are written using poetry instead of the typical format of a novel (sentences, paragraphs, and chapters). These books don’t have to rhyme, although some do! If you’re looking for a quick read, give a novel in verse a try. My latest read was a novel in verse that hit me right in the feels: the Newberry Award Honor winner, Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga.

Jude and her family live in a beautiful seaside town in Syria. Her parents run a store, while her older brother attends school. When the war in Syria creeps closer to their home, her parents decide that it would be best for Jude and her mother to move to Cincinnati, Ohio to live with relatives. Jude is devastated. She doesn’t want to leave her older brother and father behind, but her parents have already decided they must leave.

When Jude and her mother land in Cincinnati, everything moves too fast and the world is too loud. Her family try to help the two assimilate, but Jude is at a loss. She used to watch old American movies with her brother and best friend, but those movies are nothing like the real America where she now lives. A big confusion for her: Americans need to label everything. Jude and her mother are suddenly ‘Middle Eastern’, something she has never been called before. Jude is incredibly observant, noticing the new opportunities available to her, the new ways people react to her, and the new friends she finds. Jude’s new life is full of so many surprises, both good and bad, but she is able to live up to her brother’s words to ‘be brave’.

This middle grade free verse novel was beautifully written. It is authentically written, descriptive, and thought provoking. Warga talks about many issues that immigrants face when they flee their unsafe homelands and then the issues that pop up once they land in a new place. There are themes of resilience, belonging, family, and identity. This is a story of one family’s transformation before and after the war began in Syria. Their lives will never be the same, but they have no choice.

This title is also available as CD audiobook, Playaway audiobook, and as a Libby eBook and Libby eAudiobook.

As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Jason Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author who writes poetry and novels for young adult and middle-grade readers. Reynolds’ books are also multiple award winners. My latest read, As Brave as You, was a Kirkus Award Finalist, Schneider Family Book Award Winner, and Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book.

As Brave as You is the story of a multigenerational family and their ideas of love and bravery across those generations. Genie and his big brother, Ernie, are spending the summer with her grandparents all the way in Virginia. Their parents are driving them from Brooklyn all the way down to the country in Virginia. Genie has never done anything like this before, so he’s both excited and nervous. When the family finally arrives in Virginia, Genie is surprised. His grandpa is blind! Grandpop can’t see, but he covers it so well, especially by wearing a pair of cool Ray-Bans.

Being an ever-curious kid, Genie has so many questions for Grandpop so he just starts asking whatever pops into his head. The more Genie learns, the more he thinks that Grandpop is the bravest person he knows. The only flaw: Grandpop NEVER leaves the house. Grandpop finally allows Genie to go into his secret room: a place filled to the brim with songbirds and plants. It’s a wonderful room that looks like the outside has been pulled inside. Genie starts to think if Grandpop is actually as brave as he presents.

Genie deals with complicated thoughts around bravery the closer it gets to Ernie’s fourteenth birthday. Grandpop has a tradition for all the men who turn fourteen: in order to become a man, you have to learn how to shoot a gun. Genie thinks this is incredibly cool, but Ernie isn’t really interested at all. That also throws Genie’s idea of bravery into freefall. Is being a man really about proving something? Or is it about being responsible for your own decisions?

This book is also available in the following format:

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

- Stephanie 1 Comment

‘What the Collective doesn’t understand is by honoring the past, our ancestors, our cultures—and remembering our mistakes—we become better.’ – Donna Barba Higuera, The Last Cuentista  

Donna Barba Higuera’s newest book, The Last Cuentista, flew to the top of my to-read list when I saw the list of 2022 ALA Youth Media Award Winners. The Last Cuentista is the 2022 Newberry Award winner for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature. Donna Barba Higuera was also the 2022 recipient for the Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Award. This book is a top contender for my favorite read of 2022.

The Last Cuentista tells the story of a journey through stars to save humanity as we know it, told through the eyes of a young girl named Petra Peña who longs to be a storyteller like her abuelita. Her parents have hopes that she will be a scientist like them. Petra’s dreams are put on hold when the government realizes that there is a comet heading straight towards Earth that will destroy the planet and all life that lives there. Only a few hundred scientists and their children have been selected to evacuate Earth and head to a new planet named Sagan, where they have determined that people can safely live. Petra and her family are among the chosen few. The only hitch in this plan: it will take them hundreds of years to travel there.

The scientists and their children will be put to sleep while Monitors will watch over them and make sure the ship runs smoothly. While they are sleeping, they will be programmed with different informational courses that will allow them to wake up with all the information they will need to survive on Sagan.

Hundreds of years later, Petra awakens on the ship only to discover that she is the only person who remembers Earth. The Collective has taken over the ship and has hatched a new plan to control, essentially, everything. Their desire is to erase all the sins of humanity’s past. They have purged the memories of all those onboard. If they were unable to purge the memories, they eliminated the person altogether. Petra alone carries all the memories of the past. She isn’t quite sure what to do as having that knowledge puts her life in danger. Petra must find a way to save herself and the stories she carries within.

This book is also available in the following formats: