Happy April! Wherever you are checking in from, I hope you are doing well and enjoying some great books. Here are some of the books releasing this week:
Books for Kids
A Is for Another Rabbit – A rabbit-obsessed narrator annoys an owl by not following the rules of a traditional alphabet book.
A Book for Escargot – A sequel to Escargot. This time Escargot is headed to the library in search of a book about a snail hero.
Cat Ladies – Princess is a cat who knows how to take care of her ladies and keep them out of trouble. But when a stranger arrives, it upsets Princess’ carefully maintained system. I can not WAIT to read this in person!
Do Not EVER Be a Babysitter! – Uncle Pig endures an Amelia Bedelia sort of adventure when he babysits his nieces and nephews.
The Elephants’ Guide to Hide-and-Seek – When an elephant struggles in hide-and-seek, he uses a handy resource from the Elephant Hobby and Sport League to help. This looks ADORABLE!
Explosion at the Poem Factory – A former piano teacher takes a job at a poem factory, but one day the machines go berserk.
Follow that Car – Mouse follows Gorilla through a series of interesting settings on a chase.
Star Wars: I Am a Padawan – The latest Little Golden Book is written by Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano from Star Wars The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, all about her character, Ahsoka as she trains to become a Jedi.
Marie Curie and the Powers of Persistence – First book in the new My Super Science Heroes series. In the book Marie Curie faces an evil nemesis that wants to thwart her growth into a super scientist in the future. It’s a clever idea. I’d like to check this one out in person.
Scoob!: A Dog’s Best Friend – An early reader based on the new Scoob movie.
Bumble and Bee: Let’s Play Make BEE-lieve – Book 2 in the Bumble and Bee series from Scholastic ACORN. Bumble and Bee are ready for a day of adventure on the pond, but their friend Froggy isn’t interested.
Junior Monster Scouts: It’s Raining Bats and Frogs! – Book 3 in the Junior Monster Scouts series. The Baron’s evil plan goes wrong and the rain just won’t stop.
Books for Older Kids and Teens
Ansley’s Big Bake Off – Book 1 in the new Daniels’ Sisters series from Faithgirlz written by the younger sisters of Alena Pitts (and daughters of the late Wynter Pitts). It looks like this is a spin-off of Alena’s series Lena in the Spotlight. The Daniels’ sisters are trying to find a new normal after the loss of their mother and move to a new city. Ansley dreams of gymnastics success, but she also discovers how much baking means to her. How does she decide which passion to pursue?
Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes – Book 3 in the Pandava series based on Hindu mythology from Rick Riordan’s imprint.
Camping with Unicorns (comics collection) – Book 11 in the Phoebe and Her Unicorn series. This book highlights Phoebe and Marigold’s summer adventures.
Catwad: Me Three (Graphic Novel) – Book 3 in the Catwad series.
Compass of the Stars – Book 2 in the Thea Stilton and the Treasure Seekers series. The Thea Sisters are on the hunt for seven secret treasures.
The Deceivers – Book 2 in the Greystone Secrets series by Margaret Peterson Haddix. The Greystone kids and their friend Natalie are trying to rescue their parents and friends from the evil world they discovered in book 1. I have these on my reading list.
Disney Frozen (Graphic Novel retelling) – A graphic novel retelling of the first Frozen movie.
Eye of Zeus – Book one in a new Legends of Olympus series (not connected to Rick Riordan that I can tell). When a statue of Athena comes to life, it tells Phoebe, a girl who has been bounced around in foster care, that she is the daughter of Zeus. I’m looking forward to reading this one!
The Last Kids on Earth: June’s Wild Flight – June gets a solo story in this spin off of the Last Kids on Earth series. This book is set between books 5 and the upcoming 6th book.
Lila and Hadley – Hadley’s life is upside down. Her mom is in jail. Hadley has to move to another state to live with her older sister. And they haven’t spoken in years. In the middle of it all, Hadley meets Lila, an abandoned dog with no interest in anyone or anything – except Hadley. I’m eager to read this one!
The List of Things that Will Not Change – There are plenty of things changing in Bea’s life – like her dad getting married to his boyfriend and her getting a new sister. But she keeps a list of things that will not change – like her parents’ love for her – to help her through the ups and downs.
Nat Enough (Graphic Novel) – First in a new series. Nat has never felt like she is “enough.” And when middle school starts, and she’s not even cool enough for her best friend, she’s not sure where she fits. I can’t wait to read this one!
Poison at the Pump – Book 25 in the Imagination Station series. This time the kids travel back to the cholera epidemic of 1854.
Rewritten (Older Middle Grade) – Book 2 in the Unwritten series. The characters from Gracie’s original fairy tale have had to start over, and some of them aren’t very happy with her about that. But when Gracie finds out she’s still in danger, she ends up in a horror story as she tries to set things right. I am so intrigued by this one!
Scoob Junior Novelization – A junior novel based on the movie.
Thieves of Weirdwood – First in a new illustrated fantasy series about two thieves who stumble across the headquarters of a magical organization.
Timmy Failure: Zero to Hero – A prequel to the series which is also now a movie on Disney+. This is Timmy’s origin story.
Untwisted – The sequel to Twinchantment. While the kingdom adjusts to the return of magic, not everyone is happy about the new unified approach, especially at the school where the princesses attend. I’m looking forward to the next step in this series!
Whatever After: Abby in Oz – A special edition from the Whatever After series where Abby and her friends head to Oz.
Wizard for Hire: Magic Required (Older Middle Grade) – The third and final book in the Wizard for Hire series. Ozzy’s been injected with a mind-control serum, and Rin the “wizard” has gone missing.
What Were the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?
Who Is Temple Grandin?
Books for Teens/Young Adults
Alex Rider: Nightshade – Book 12 in the Alex Rider series. Now that Scorpia has been destroyed, Alex is hoping to get back to a normal life. But a new criminal organization, Nightshade, is on the rise. Sounds awesome!
Black Widow: Secrets of a Super Spy – Discover the whole story of Black Widow Natasha Romanoff.
The Burning – A teen running from rumors and harassment in a new town with a new name gets drawn into the story of seventeenth century woman accused of witchcraft.
Empire of Dreams – An orphan joins the Royal Guard when her adoption by the empress is thwarted by her enemy. If she can survive the first year – something no woman has ever done – she may have the experience she needs to save the empire. This sounds fascinating!
Goodbye from Nowhere – A teen discovers his mother has been having an affair and his father has known and kept the secret. As Kyle withdraws from his usual activities and friends, his parents urge him to keep the secret until after a large family gathering over the summer. But Kyle sees what the secret is doing to people, and he’s not sure he should keep it after all.
Gotham High (Graphic Novel) – A re-imagined Bruce Wayne gets kicked out of his exclusive prep school for defending another student from bullies and finds himself at the local high school. There he starts hanging out with Selina Kyle and Jack Napier. But the school is rocked by the kidnapping of fellow student Harvey Dent.
Jack Kerouac Is Dead to Me – When her older boyfriend prepares to graduate and hit the open road, 15 year old JL has to decide if she wants to join him, knowing if she does, it will permanently fracture the relationship with her best friend.
Meet Me at Midnight – After a six-year prank war, Asher suggests he and Sidney join forces to prank the woman who kicked their families out of their lake houses because of the pranks.
The Perfect Escape – A teen in need of money is tempted to commit grade fraud when a co-worker approaches him with a more legal plan. The two of them could join up and compete in a survivalist weekend and split the huge cash prize if they win.
Rules for Being a Girl – From the author of Sex and the City. When no one believes her reports of a teacher coming on to her, Marin is not about to back down. She will use every means available to her to take back her power and make things right.
So This Is Love – The latest Twisted Tale is based on the story of Cinderella. What would have happened if Cinderella never tried on the glass slipper?
Sword in the Stars – The sequel to Once & Future (Rating: ♥♥♥♥). Ari and her crew must travel back in time to get the Holy Grail. (LGBTQ+) I’m curious to see what happens next for this quirky cast of characters in this quirky retelling of the King Arthur legends.
We Didn’t Ask for This – In the middle of the annual lock-in, a group of eco-protesters chain themselves to the doors, refusing to let anyone out until their demands are heard.
What I Like About You – Can you have a love triangle with only two people? You can when the person you are online has already engaged in a relationship with the guy you are meeting in real life – and you are NOTHING like your secret online persona. I can’t wait to read this one!
Speak Love: Your Words Can Change the World – A devotional for teens from Annie F. Downs.
Books for Adults
The Body in the Garden (Hardcover) – A young woman who overhears a blackmail attempt that turns into murder starts to investigate when the police are bribed to drop the case.
Chosen Ones (Hardcover) – Years ago, five ordinary teens were prophesied to take out a force of evil. And they did. This is the story of what happened after, when one of the five dies and the others discover the Dark One’s plans were bigger than they ever imagined. This sounds amazing!
Dead on the Vine (Hardcover) – First in a new Finn Family Farm Mystery series. A woman who inherits a produce farm has every intention of selling it. But when she finds a dead body there, the sale is on hold, and she has to work the farm while the police investigate the crime.
Deep Fried Revenge (Trade Paperback) – Book 4 in the Farm-to-Fork Mystery series. Angie and her crew are competing in the Best Restaurant competition at the Idaho State Fair when one of the competitors is killed.
Dogcather in the Rye (e-book) – First in the new Bought-the-Farm Mystery series. A woman launching a farm-themed inn runs into trouble when her dog finds a dead body on her property. This looks like a cute series! This book is available for Kindle Unlimited subscribers at the time of this writing.
The Stolen Letter (Hardcover) – Book 5 in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series. Delaney’s beloved bookstore, the Cracked Spine, is in danger of being closed down and she meets a woman who thinks she might be the reincarnated Mary Queen of Scots.
To Have and to Hoax (Trade Paperback) – One year into their marriage, Lady Violet and Lord James Audley had a fight to end all fights. They have barely spoken to each other in the four years since. But when Lady Violet gets word that James has been hurt in an accident, she rushes to his side only to find him completely fine, and utterly confused as to why she has come all this way. This launches the couple into a game of one-upsmanship as each tries to get the other’s attention. I already have this on hold from the library.
Up Next Murder (e-book – April 9) – The sequel to the delightful Microphones and Murder. In the course of solving their first case, a body was found. Now, for their second podcast season, the step-sisters dig into the case of the young woman found during that investigation. I bought this the MINUTE I saw it announced!
You Deserve Each Other (Trade Paperback) – When a pair of fiancés start to grow tired of their match, they know whoever actually calls off the wedding has to foot the bill for the canceled event. So they launch a series of pranks to get the other one to be the one to cancel. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
All the Glorious Names (Hardcover) – A 40-day devotional about the names of God.
Get Out of Your Head Study in Philippians (Paperback) – The study guide for the Philippians Bible study based on the Jennie Allen book Get Out of Your Head.
Shut Hell Up: When the Enemy Brings Up Your Past, Remind Him of Your Future (Trade Paperback) – Overcome the negative thinking that keeps you feeling inadequate and out of whatever God has called you to do.
When Did We Start Forgetting God?: The Root of the Evangelical Crisis and Hope for the Future (Trade Paperback) – From the former editor-in-chief of Christianity Today.
Your Story Matters: Finding, Writing and Living the Truth of Your Life (Trade Paperback) – A book about writing as a spiritual practice. I have this one on my list for this week.