School has started here at my house, and we are trying to get back to a school-year state of mind. I think a new book – or two – might help! Here are some of the books out this week.
Books for Kids
Arithmechicks Add Up – A friendship story that includes mathematical strategies and a glossary of terms. I’m excited to see this one in person!
SumoKitty – A cat brought in to deal with mice discovers how to train like a wrestler. I can’t wait to read this one.
Mary Blair’s Unique Flair: The Girl Who Became One of the Disney Legends – A stunning picture book biography about artist Mary Blair and her work with Disney. I adore the illustrations in this. Can’t wait to read the whole thing.
Rise!: From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou – A picture book biography of the fascinating life of Maya Angelou.
Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls – Book 7 in the wildly popular Dog Man graphic novel series.
Remy and Ruby’s Rescue Ranch: Can’t We Be Friends (and four other titles) – A new early chapter book series set at a ranch/wildlife refuge. In this book a tortoise comes to the ranch but doesn’t get along with the family’s dog. I’m eager to check this one out in person.
Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults
The Flash: Crossover Crisis – Green Arrow’s Perfect Shot – First in a new trilogy starring the Flash with crossovers planned from Oliver Queen, Supergirl and the Legends of Tomorrow. In this book, Oliver and Barry team up to help one another when disaster strikes Star City and then Central City.
The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson – Graphic Novel) – The final book in the original Percy Jackson series gets the graphic novel treatment. We’ve been looking forward to this one all summer!
Stolen from the Studio – Book 2 in the Case Closed pick-your-path series. Carlos and his friends are trying to find a missing TV star from the set of Teen Witch while keeping their sleuthing a secret from Carlos’ mom.
Habitats (Science in Infographics – August 15) – One of six books releasing this week in this science series. In addition to Habitats, there’s Forces, Light and Sound, Living Things, Materials, and Plants.
Science Comics: Cats – Nature and Nurture – Graphic novel exploration of cats, from house cats to lions and cheetahs.
What Is the Story of Frankenstein? AND What Is the Story of Wonder Woman? – The latest in the What Is the Story Of line from the Who Was folks. Includes the origin story of the characters and their history in print, films, and television
Curse of the Evil Librarian – Book 3 in the Evil Librarian series for teens. A demonic librarian thought to be destroyed escapes to seek revenge on those who tried to destroy it. This sounds so bizarre I think I might have to try it.
Gut Check – A teen hoping to bond with his older brother on the football field before he leaves for college has to decide if he is going to keep his big brother’s secrets.
The Silence Between Us – A teen’s move across the country before her senior year is complicated when she switches from a Deaf school to a mainstream one. When the student body president learns sign to communicate with her, she wonders what his angle is. But it’s also nice to have someone making the effort for her. I have this one on my list for this week.
Start Here – Two teens try to figure out the next steps for their post-graduation sailing trip when the third person in their group has passed away. Is their friendship strong enough to survive the trip without Finley? I like the idea of this take on the “road” trip story.
Books for Adults
And Then They Were Doomed (Hardcover) – Book 4 in the Little Library Mystery series focuses on a death at an Agatha Christie symposium. I have been wanting to read this series for ages (the hardcover price tag has been a roadblock), but this emphasis on my favorite Christie – And Then There Were None – could be what gets me to give one a read.
Claws of Action (Trade Paperback) – Book 4 in the Cat Lady Mystery series. While the cat shelter is preparing to open a reading room where kids can read to cats, a health inspector wants to shut the whole place down because they serve snacks, making it a “cat café.” When the inspector is found dead, Lara and her aunt become murder suspects.
A Killer Edition (Hardcover) – Book 13 in the Booktown Mystery series. In the midst of some personal challenges, Tricia heads to the local romance bookshop for a new read, but instead discovers a heated argument. When one party is found dead and the other is accused of murder, Tricia is sleuthing once again.
Playing House (e-book) – First in a new series. A guy on a home tour runs into a longtime acquaintance who pretends he is her boyfriend to discourage an admirer. He’s only too happy to play along. Soon their fake romance starts to feel more real. This is a trope I love! I already pre-ordered this one.
Pride, Prejudice and Poison (Hardcover) – First in the new Jane Austen Society Mystery series. A used bookstore in England is home to the Jane Austen Society’s monthly meetings. When the Society president is poisoned and another member is almost killed, the proprietor of the bookstore agrees to look into the case.
Star Trek The Original Series: The Antares Maelstrom (Trade Paperback) – Set during the original five-year mission. The crew of the Enterprise are called in to help when a “gold rush” like race to mine a rare energy source threatens the peace and security of the surrounding sector.
The Swallows (Hardcover) – A new teacher at Stonebridge Academy upsets the school’s equilibrium when her assignments lead the female students to question and challenge the school’s “boys will be boys” attitude and push back against the things the school has been keeping secret. I have already requested this one from the library.
The Wallflower Wager (Mass Market Paperback) – A woman with a soft heart for animals runs afoul of her ill-tempered neighbor who insists she clear out her menagerie. So she sets a challenge – if he can find all of them good homes, she will clear them out. I have requested this one, too.
How to Be An Antiracist (Hardcover) – Part memoir and part call to move from recognizing racist thoughts to taking anti-racist action. This is on my list of nonfiction books to dig into.
The Immoral Majority: Why Evangelicals Chose Political Power Over Christian Values (Hardcover) – A conservative believer takes a long look at the evolution of the Christian Right as a political movement, including questions of how they reconcile their religious standards with their support of the current president. This one is high on my reading wish list.
Teaching U. S. History Through Sports (Hardcover) – Using sports and events in sporting history as a glimpse at culture and social/economic developments in America. I think this is such a cool way to engage learners.