How is it March already?! The year is speeding by, but in some ways I don’t mind. I am ready to leave winter behind and enjoy some spring sunshine and temperatures. Here are some books to help you pass the time as winter shifts to spring.
Picture Books for Kids
Be You! – The latest from Peter H. Reynolds, the author of The Dot and So Few of Me. Great message to be your own work of art because there’s only one you.
I Found a Kitty! – The latest from Troy Cummings, the author of More Bears. A sequel to Can I Be Your Dog? (♥♥♥♥♥) Arfy the dog writes persuasive letters to townspeople trying to find a home for a homeless kitten. Great for animal lovers and for classroom teachers working on letter writing and persuasive writing.
The Legend of King Arthuratops – A re-imagined Camelot story starring dinosaurs. This looks darling!
Monster’s Trucks – Monster loves his trucks, but he doesn’t like it if anyone else touches them – and that is just what the reader is going to do!
Violet Shrink – When an introverted girl finds out her family reunion is coming up, she talks to her dad about her anxious feelings at large family parties. I am looking forward to reading this one!
When My Brother Gets Home – A little sister imagines the adventures that await when her older brother gets home from school.
Bringing Back the Wolves: How a Predator Restored an Ecosystem – A government sponsored hunt in the late 1800s decimated the wolf population at Yellowstone National Park, negatively impacting the entire ecosystem. In the 1990s, the government reintroduced wolves to the area which in time restored the ecosystem. I am fascinated by this story and can’t wait to read this book. Terrific nonfiction addition for homes and schools.
This Book Is Literally Just Pictures of Snoozy Animals That Will Make You Sleep Better – Beautiful photographs of sleepy, yawning, and snoozing animals.
Early Chapter Books for Kids
Arise and Shine – Amelia Bedelia and Friends, book 3. Amelia and her friends are studying the Middle Ages at school and learning about chivalrous behavior. This sounds cute.
Bo and the Dragon-Pup – Book 2 in the Unicorn Diaries series from Scholastic BRANCHES. Bo the Unicorn and the rest of the unicorns at school discover the dragon caves. I enjoyed the first book so much (Bo’s Magical New Friend – ♥♥♥♥). I’m looking forward to reading this one, too.
The Dead Sea Squirrels: Tree-Mendous Trouble AND Whirly Squirrelies – Books 5 and 6 in this silly series from Veggie Tales co-creator Mike Nawrocki. These two stories focus on kindness and self-control.
Disney Before the Story: Anna Finds a Friend AND Elsa’s Icy Rescue – Childhood stories of Anna and Elsa.
Fierce Competition! – A sports competition with the school villains gets out of hand.
The Future of the Time Dragon – Book 15 in the Dragon Masters series from Scholastic BRANCHES. The kids must find the time dragon to save a friend.
I Can Build It! – The darling Princess Truly, with her magic hair, is back for her third adventure from Scholastic ACORN. Princess Truly uses her inventing skills to help with a problem at the animal shelter.
Space Shuttle Scam – Book 12 in the A to Z Mystery Super Editions. The kids try to find a sneaky thief at a Space Museum in Florida.
Books for Older Kids/Teens
Aster and the Accidental Magic – A bored girl in a new place wishes for the power to communicate with her new dog and ends up only able to speak in dog language.
Awesome Dog 5000 vs Mayor Bossypants – The robot dog Awesome Dog 5000 teams up with three kids when the Mayor decides he wants to get rid of Awesome Dog for good.
Batman Overdrive (Graphic Novel) – Bruce Wayne is itching to turn 16, fix up his dad’s old car, and track down some thieves stealing cars in Gotham. I loved this one. I’ll be reviewing it here tomorrow.
Black Brother Black Brother – A Black student at a mostly white prep school struggles to fit in and face injustice unlike his lighter-skinned brother. This sounds like a fascinating story.
The Chaos Curse – Book 3 in the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond series about a girl struggling with the forces of evil.
Coo – Ten years ago, a flock of pigeons took in an abandoned baby and raised her. Now, when her most favorite pigeon is injured by a hawk, Coo must venture down into the world of people to find help. I’ve already requested this one from the library!
The Dragon Egg Princess – A boy who comes from a long line of rangers who protected a magical forest full of supernatural creatures wants no part of the woods that claimed his father. But there are forces trying to take over the woods and an evil stirring within them – and he might be the only one able to save the world.
Dragonslayer – The second Wings of Fire Legends story (after Darkstalker – ♥♥♥♥♥). Three human kids negotiate the dangers of Pyrrhia. This is at the top of my list for this week!
Fly Back Agnes (Older Middle Grade) – A struggling girl invents a new identity for herself when she visits her dad for the summer, but her lies start to pile up and cause problems with people she wants to befriend.
The Future King – Book 3 in the Revenge of Magic series. Six magic students from the UK return from being lost in time with stories of a dire future and a coming war. I have this series on my wish list.
The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane – A girl longing for the father she’s never known finds out he will be judging a singing contest in Nashville, and she’s determined to perform for him and finally meet him face to face. I’ll be reviewing this one later this month.
The Lost Lands – Rise of the Dragons, book 2. This is a multi-author series like The 39 Clues series. Dragons used to roam the Earth, but they were banished. But now, the kids are friends with a dragon that can open the portal between the worlds – and there are some who would use that power to invade Earth again. I have the first book in the series from the library right now. I love dragon stories!
Mananaland – The latest book from Pam Muños Ryan (Echo, Esperanza Rising). A boy longing to know more about the mother who disappeared when he was a baby sets out on an adventure to find answers for his questions.
Marvel Action: Captain Marvel: Cosmic CAT-tastrophe – First in a new series. Manhattan is overrun by Flerkens, and Captain Marvel is on the case. I’m eager to see this one in person.
The Oracle Code (Graphic Novel – Older Middle Grade) – Barbara Gordon is living in the Arkham Center for Independence after being shot and losing the use of her legs. But her investigative instincts are still sharp as she looks into stories of missing patients. I’ll be reviewing this one later this month.
Show Me a Sign – An Own Voices story of a Deaf community on Martha’s Vineyard in the early 19th century and a girl caught in a cruel experiment as a scientist tries to discover why so many residents of the area are Deaf.
Things You Can’t Say – A boy still grieving the loss of his dad faces other losses – a best friend who pulls away; someone taking over his sacred, safe space; and his usual routines at home when a stranger moves in. I’ll be reviewing this one later this month, too.
Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor (Older Middle Grade) – The fabulous Ally Carter publishes her first middle grade novel this month, and I can’t wait to read it! A group of orphans look for clues to several mysteries in the old mansion which has become their unusual home.
Books for Teens/Young Adults
Every Reason We Shouldn’t – The daughter of Olympians tries to settle into a new life now that her own Olympic dreams have ended, but the arrival of a new Olympic hopeful at her parents’ ice rink adds an unexpected wrinkle to her new normal.
The June Boys – The Gemini Thief has been kidnapping boys for years – three boys, held for 13 months and then released, every time. Except one teen believes an extra boy has been taken this year. And she’s starting to wonder if the kidnapper is closer to home than she ever imagined. This sounds amazing.
The Kingdom of Back – The latest from Marie Lu (Legend, Warcross, Young Elites) focuses on Mozart’s older sister, equally brilliant and talented, but limited by her gender and her family’s expectations until a mysterious stranger offers her everything she dreams of.
Moment of Truth – A girl who is sure she has her life figured out finds everything upended by a masked man dressed like action hero Heath Hall. This sounds so fun!
Only Mostly Devastated (LGBTQ+) – A m/m take on Grease. A summer fling ends abruptly for Ollie, and he thinks he’ll never see Will again. But when his family moves across the country, there is Will, at Ollie’s new school. But the Will here is NOTHING like the Will Ollie spent the summer with.
Salty, Bitter, Sweet – A new Own Voices romance from Blink. Isa is living in France with her father and step-mother after losing her abuela and watching her parents’ marriage implode. The only bright spot is the chance to compete for an apprenticeship with Chef Grattard, but the arrival of an attractive young man might unravel what stability she has left.
The Warrior’s Curse – The Traitor’s Game, Book 3, from the fabulous Jennifer A. Nielsen (The False Prince – ♥♥♥♥♥+, A Night Divided – ♥♥♥♥). Simon and Kestra are still trying to defeat the evil Lord Endrick, but their paths have diverged and it’s not clear if they will ever be able to work their way back to one another again. This series is on my TBR list.
Wicked as You Wish – A Hundred Names for Magic, book 1. The prince of a magical land, now frozen in ice, is stuck in Arizona where no magic works at all. But the appearance of a magical creature means there might be a chance for him to return to his home and defeat the Snow Queen. This sounds amazing!
Find Your Voice – From the author of The Hate U Give comes this guided journal for teens about writing your story and your truth.
Books for Adults
The Crow’s Call (Trade Paperback) – First in the new Amish Greenhouse Mystery series from Wanda Brunstetter. Three women are forced to provide for their families when father, son and son-in-law are all killed in an accident. But someone is trying to put the family greenhouse out of business.
Eight Perfect Murders (Hardcover) – Book 1 in the Malcolm Kershaw series. Bookseller and mystery lover Malcolm Kershaw once put together a list of eight perfect literary murder mysteries. But that was years ago. Now, though, the FBI is knocking at his door about a series of unsolved murders that look suspiciously like his old list.
From Alaska With Love (Mass Market Paperback) – After exchanging letters during his tour of duty in Iraq, a soldier and the woman whose letters sustained him meet in Alaska. He’s not sure why she is there – she turned down his initial request to meet in person, but he’s convinced her to stay for 6 weeks and get to know one another. But she’s afraid if he finds out the truth about her, he won’t want her there any more. I’ll be reviewing this one later this month.
The Happy Camper (Trade Paperback) – A woman fleeing her disappointing life decides to head home to help her grandfather on his small farm, but her mother has beaten her there and taken over her old room, leaving Dillon in her grandfather’s old camp trailer. While she works with a neighbor to renovate the trailer and start putting her life together again, her old life shows up – with roses and a ring.
Lavender Blue Murder (Hardcover) – Book 21 in the Tea Shop Mystery series. A bird hunt turns deadly and Theodosia is asked to stick around and help the widow figure out who killed her husband and tried to burn down their home.
My Fair Latte (Trade Paperback) – Book 1 in the Café Cinema Mystery series. An unemployed barista inherits an old theater, a bunch of family secrets and a nemesis. This looks fun!
A Novel Way to Die (March 5 – Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Cozy Mystery Bookshop series. Sawyer is hosting her first author event when the author’s husband is found dead in her best friend’s shop. Sawyer knows her friend is being framed, so she teams up with her book club members to track a killer. This is currently available for free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers as is book 1, Plotting for Murder.
One Little Lie (Trade Paperback) – Book 1 in the new Pelican Harbor series from Colleen Coble. Jane Hardy is the new interim sheriff in Pelican Harbor, but before she can even settle into her new assignment, her father is arrested for theft and suspected of murder, possibly tied to the cult they fled 15 years ago.
The Panda of Death (Trade Paperback) – Book 6 in the Gunn Zoo series. Teddy’s new husband discovers he fathered a son he never knew about. But when the young man comes to town to meet his family, he’s arrested for murder.
Star Trek: Kirk Fu Manual: A Guide to Star Fleet’s Most Feared Martial Art (Hardcover) – An illustrated book celebrating the fighting style of Captain James T. Kirk.
Star of Persia (Trade Paperback) – A new novel looks at the story of Queen Esther from the Bible.
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird (Hardcover) – A couple’s love is shattered when he is killed in a car accident and she has to try to find a way to go on living, But then an unexpected event gives her a chance to get their life together back and soon she is living both scenarios – one life where Freddie died and another where he lived.
Better Stretching: 9 Minutes a Day to Greater Flexibility, Less Pain and Enhanced Performance the JoeTherapy Way (Hardcover) – Tips and techniques to improve mobility, strength, and flexibility.
Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life (Trade Paperback) – The latest from Anne Bogel focuses on overthinking and negative thoughts. This seems like it will address similar things to Jennie Allen’s new book Get Out of Your Head. The books might pair up well together.
Galatians: A Biblical Study (Hardcover) – A new Bible study from Joyce Meyer. Includes study material and reflection questions.