Today we celebrate and remember the work and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. One way to honor his work is by reading his words as well as those of others who have worked for or who are currently working for justice, civil rights, and freedom not only in the US but around the world.
Here are some of the new books releasing this week:
Books for Kids
I Am Harriet Tubman – The latest picture book biography from Brad Meltzer. These are spectacular!
Love – A beautiful celebration of LOVE. I will not be surprised when this one wins a boatload of awards!
My Pillow Keeps Moving – Look at that cover! The cover alone would make me buy this book. This sounds like a sweet story – a dog tries to endear herself to the man who owns her by being everything he needs.
Princess Pulverizer Grilled Cheese and Dragons AND Worse, Worser and Wurst – Nancy Krulik is the author of the outstanding Magic Bone series which I loved sharing with my students who were branching out into chapter books. She has a new series out called Princess Pulverizer, and it looks fantastic! Princess Serena would rather be a knight than a princess. Check out this series for your fans of The Princess in Black.
Twin Trouble – Book 7 in the Ella and Owen series. Twin dragons, Ella and Owen, meet twin unicorns who do not get along.
Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults
Ellie, Engineer – Ellie’s plans for her best friend’s birthday get so big, she has to recruit rival groups in the neighborhood to help her. This looks like a fun story with STEAM features.
Sing Like Nobody’s Listening – Pitch Perfect for the middle grade set. Two friends compete against one another in an acapella competition. This is the latest book in the MIX line from Aladdin.
Waking the Monsters – Hilo Book 4. My students and I were crazy for this graphic novel series. I’m so glad it is still going strong. I highly recommend this series.
Knock Knock! Who Was There? – Joke book from the folks at the Who Was/What Was/Where Is nonfiction series.
Love, Hate and Other Filters – An American-born Muslim teen looks for balance between parental expectations and her own dreams while also facing backlash for being Muslim after a horrific event that happens in another part of the country. If you have a goal of reading more diverse books this year – either diversity in characters or diversity in authors, consider checking this book out. It is on my library list.
Truly Devious – A new student at an elite academy plans to solve a cold case attached to the school, but the past won’t stay in the past. I have already requested this from the library, and the early reviews are positive.
Books for Adults
Carnegie’s Maid – A poor farmer’s daughter assumes the identity of a missing woman for a chance to serve as a maid to the Carnegie family.
Isaiah’s Daughter – Fictionalized story of the adopted daughter of the Biblical prophet, Isaiah, who captures the attention of Prince Hezekiah. I am doing a study of the book of Isaiah right now, and I am intrigued by this story.
Marvel Cinematic Universe Guidebook: It’s All Connected – I believe this is the third volume in this guidebook series exploring the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This book looks at Agent Carter and Agents of SHIELD and how they fit into the larger Marvel Universe.