Around here, our public schools are back into the swing of things, which seems so hard to believe. Maybe you need a new book to sooth the back-to-school-blues! Or maybe you are a work/stay-at-home parent who is celebrating – you need a new book too!
Books for Kids
Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO – Tallulah knows everything the manual says about being an amazing tooth fairy. But what happens when something comes up that is NOT in the manual?
Bruce Lee – Picture book biography.
Game for Life: John Madden AND Michael Strahan AND Troy Aikman – New Early Reader biographies of big names in the NFL.
Bee the Change – Book 3 in the Big Idea Gang series of early chapter books. This time the kids are trying to show their peers how important bees are to the environment.
Dodging Dinosaurs – Book 4 in the BRANCHES Time Jumpers series. This time the kids jump back to the prehistoric era with the help of a dinosaur egg.
Let’s Play, Crabby! – Book 2 in the Crabby series from ACORN, an early chapter book series from Scholastic. I adored the first book, so I am eager to check this one out and read how Plankton tries to get Crabby to play a game.
Sadiq and the Desert Star (August 1) – First in a new transitional chapter book series. In this book, Sadiq looks for other kids who might like space as much as he does and want to help him start a space club. This looks great! The book includes information about Somalia and Somali terms used in the story. The first four books in the series all release this week.
Snow Place Like Home – Diary of an Ice Princess, book 1. An ice princess longs to go to non-magical school with her best friend.
Tabby and the Catfish – Book 3 in the Kitten Kingdom series for kids venturing into chapter books. Tabby and her brothers have to find the stolen Torch of Peace if the kingdom is going to be able to enjoy the Peace Parade.
Trip to the Pumpkin Farm – Book 11 in the always delightful Owl Diaries series from Scholastic and BRANCHES. Eva and her friends get to solve a mystery at the pumpkin patch.
Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults
For Black Girls Like Me – This is a middle grade novel about a black girl adopted by a white family who wonders what it would feel like to grow up in a family with people who looked like her. I love books that deal with identity – it’s such a big part of growing up.
The Hero Next Door – A collection of short stories about acts of bravery. This could be an awesome classroom read aloud.
Miraculous – A boy who records examples of the miraculous has his faith shaken when his eight-day-old sister dies. This is on my list for this week.
Not If I Can Help It – A girl with strong opinions discovers her strongest one is that she is NOT a fan of her father dating her best friend’s mother.
The Poison Jungle – Book 13 in the Wings of Fire series. This book will dig into the lost tribe of the LeafWings. I can’t wait to see what happens next with this series. I pre-ordered this one months ago.
Return to the Isle of the Lost (Graphic Novel) – The graphic novel version of the second book in the Descendants series.
Shake It Off – A Chicago girl finds herself on a family farm for the summer and everyone seems to think she is a snobby city girl. But when the farm is in trouble, maybe some of her city ideas can make a difference.
Awesome Space Tech: 40 Amazing Infographics for Kids (August 1) – Information about cool space-related technology presented in a graphic format. The sample pages I have seen are gorgeous. This would be a hit in a school or classroom library – or for something to read and look at on a long car ride.
The Merciful Crow – A prince on the run fakes his death and convinces one of the undertaker caste to protect him in exchange for his protection of her people when he is crowned king. I’ve seen this one on a lot of teen fantasy lists for this summer.
Skyjacked – Four teens in a private plane are on their way to New York after a camping trip. But there’s a replacement pilot, one of the kids gets mysteriously sick, and they realize they are heading in the opposite direction from New York. This sounds fantastic! It’s on my list for this week
Truly Madly Royally – A young woman in a prestigious program plans to ignore her pampered peers and focus on her program. But the one guy she clicks with turns out to be an actual prince, who brings more distractions with him than she ever imagined. This looks adorable!
The Year They Fell – Five kids who have grown up together but are virtual strangers are pulled into one another’s orbit when their parents are all killed in the same plane crash. In a lot of ways, they only have each other which means their pasts and their secrets will be drawn out. But they will also have each other when questions arise about the mysteries their parents left behind. I already have this one on hold from the library!! Some triggering topics may be addressed in the course of the novel.
Books for Adults
And Then There Were Crumbs (Mass Market Paperback) – First book in the new Cookie House Mystery series. When Kate loses her restaurant and her fiancé in one fell swoop, it’s time to start over somewhere new. That’s how she ends up working at The Cookie House. But a developer is desperate to get his hands on it, and when he is found dead, the shop owner – and Kate’s new boss – is the prime suspect. This is on my list for this week – sounds terrific!
The Book Charmer (Trade Paperback) – A librarian and book whisperer has the power to place just the right book into a reader’s hands. And the books have told her that a newcomer could be the savior the town has been needing. This is on my list, too.
The Healing Jar (August 1 – Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Prayer Jars series. An Amish schoolteacher who thinks her last chance for love has passed her by discovers a jar buried in her grandmother’s garden. I have the first book in the series on my TBR shelves.
How to Hack a Heartbreak (Trade Paperback) – A helpdesk tech tired of having her skills overlooked creates her own dating app that helps users track online dating abusers and harassers. I have had this on hold from the library for ages. Can’t wait to dig into it this week!
Knot on Her Life (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 7 in the Quilting Mystery series. Martha gets distracted from the quilt she is making for her new granddaughter because her neighbor has gotten sick. The woman’s foster daughter needs looking after, but Martha may have to dig up clues to the girl’s parents’ murder in order to keep the girl safe. I haven’t read any books in this series before, but that description makes me want to jump right into this one!
Let’s Fake a Deal (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 7 in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series. Sarah’s business, and her good name, are in jeopardy when a downsizing job unwittingly turns her into a “fence” for stolen merchandise. When her friend becomes a suspect in a local murder, Sarah’s got her hands full!
Love at First Bark (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 4 in the Rescue Me series. Ben and Mia have known each other for ages as Mia was married to Ben’s best friend. She has no idea that he has secretly loved her all that time. But now that she is a widow with a young son, Ben feels like he can’t share his feelings with her. Their work at the animal shelter draws them closer together, though, when a dozen border collies are abandoned at a local park. I’ve read book 3 in this series and I enjoyed it. I am looking forward to getting into the rest of the series.
Needled to Death (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 1 in the new Helping Hands mystery series, a spin-off of the nurse-turned-deputy-coroner Mattie Winston series). Mattie’s friend, social worker Hildy Schneider and her therapy dog get drawn into the details of a murder connected to one of her grief group clients. I love trying out new mystery series. I haven’t read any of the Mattie Winston books, but I might try them if I like this one – two series to try from one book!
Penne Dreadful (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 1 in the new Italian Chef Mystery series. When a local chef’s husband’s death is ruled suspicious, she can’t imagine why someone would have wanted him dead. But she starts looking into the local pizza joint where he was last seen alive to see if she can dig up some clues. Another first-in-a-series I’ll have to check out.
Star Trek Discovery: The Enterprise War (Trade Paperback) – Discover the events that kept Captain Pike and the crew of the Enterprise out of the Federation/Klingon War explored during the first season of Star Trek Discovery. I can’t wait to read this!!
What Lola Wants (e-book) – Book 4 in the Lola Cruz Mystery series. Lola goes undercover at a salsa club that is a possible front for prostitution.
A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons (Hardcover) – A memoir from musician and song writer Ben Folds.