Happy July and happy almost-Independence day! A holiday weekend is a great time to get in some extra reading.
Oh, who am I kidding? I don’t need an excuse to get in some extra reading – how about you?
This is a BUSY week for new books. Here are the books releasing this week that are on my radar:
Books for Kids
The Birthday Invitation (July 3) – Ella accidentally loses one of her birthday invitations. She’ll never expect who finds it!
Doris the Bookasaurus (July 3) – A book-loving big sister shows her little brothers how fun books can be. This is top of my list this week!
Goodnight Lab – A scientific take on bedtime stories that looks really familiar.
How to Get Your Teacher Ready – It’s up to the kids to get their teacher ready for all the important parts of the school year, from holiday celebrations to the 100th day of school. Looks like a great addition to the world of school-related picture books.
LMNO Pea-quel – A new picture book starring the LMNO peas.
What George Forgot – While George is pretty good at remembering things, this morning he feels like he has forgotten something important. I love the illustrations of Richard Byrne, so the cover of this one immediately caught my attention. I have to read this picture book to know what George forgot!
The Founding Fathers Were Spies! – New Early Reader in a series called Secrets of American History. This looks terrific and I am excited to read it.
Secret Agents! Sharks! Ghost Armies! – Another book in the Secrets of American History series, this time looking at World War II.
Comics Squad: Detention – Book 3 in this graphic novel series that collects the work of a variety of authors in one place. Great introduction for kids who are looking for new graphic novels for their reading enjoyment.
Cosmic Commandos – New graphic novel from the illustrator for the Ordinary People Change the World picture book biography series. In this book, twin brothers who are different as day and night have to work together when one of their video games comes to life. This is a must-read book on my list this week.
Dino-Riders: How to Hog-tie a T-Rex – Book 3 in the Dino-riders series where the wild west meets dinosaurs. This sounds excellent! Dinosaurs are so popular with the early elementary school crowd. Great to give them chapter books with their favorite critters!
Heartwood Hotel: A True Home/The Greatest Gift – A woodland hotel for forest critters is a haven to a little mouse who works there as a maid. She may have finally found a home at the Heartwood Hotel. These are the first two books in the series. These look sweet and perfect for the early-reading crowd
Lola Levine and Halloween Scream – Book 6 in the Lola Levine series, this time Halloween is the theme.
Princess Lessons – Book 4 in the Tales of Sasha early chapter book series about Sasha who has discovered she is a princess of the flying horses. Put this series in front of your kids who love horses!
Storm Chasing – The second book in the Cars Origins series is a chapter book backstory of one of the characters from the Cars 3 movie, Storm.
Super Turbo vs the Pencil Pointer – Book 3 in the Super Turbo series about a class pet hamster. This looks like a fun series for elementary students starting to explore and enjoy chapter books.
Survivor Diaries: Overboard – An adventure story about kids tossed overboard during a whale-watching expedition. Includes Coast Guard approved cold-water survival tips.
American Girl Character Encyclopedia – Fans of American Girl can now see all the different characters in one large book. The pictures I’ve seen are lovely. If I had an AG fan in my life, this would definitely be on my list of gift ideas for the holidays.
Journey through the Ark Encounter – Take a look at the Ark Encounter, located in Kentucky. I’ve never been and would be interested to take a look at this book and see what it is like.
Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults
Katana at Super Hero High – Book 4 in the Super Hero High series. I have enjoyed all of the previous books (you can read my review of Batgirl here), and I already have book 5, Harley Quinn, on my wish list for 2018.
Lights, Camera, Middle School – Babymouse is growing up! Popular star of 19 pink-tinted graphic novels has a new middle-school based series. I can NOT wait to get this one! My students devoured the original series. I know this new version will be hugely popular.
Molly’s Story (July 3) – A new Dog’s Purpose novel for kids about a dog named Molly whose person, CJ, is hiding Molly in a closet from her mother who doesn’t want her to have a dog.
Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls – A girl discovers her boarding school is actually a spy school and her missing mother is one of their best agents. This sounds like a younger version of the Gallagher Girls. Sign me up for this one!
Our Story Begins – Twenty-six amazing children’s authors/illustrators like Jarrett Krosoczka, Candace Fleming and Kwame Alexander share some of the stories and art that they created as kids. This would be terrific for a school library, reading and writing classrooms, and in home libraries of creative kids! Inspiring!
Unicorn in the Barn – The local legend of a mysterious white deer is actually even more amazing – it’s a unicorn! This sounds terrific.
Walking with Miss Millie – A young white girl befriends an elderly African American woman in the South in the 1960s. This sounds lovely, and early reviews are extremely positive.
Who Was Andrew Jackson? – The Who Was series looks at the 7th president of the United States.
The Silence – Book 3 in the Six series about teens with physical issues and illnesses who trade their declining bodies for an existence in machines in order to defend humanity from a rogue artificial intelligence. I have book one, The Six, on my TBR shelf.
Infographic Guide to College – Everything you need to know for surviving college, from doing laundry to saving money and avoiding the Freshman Fifteen. I adore infographics, so books like this are an immediate draw for me. I’d love to take a look at this one! Could be a great post-graduation gift.
Books for Adults
Dead Storage – Book 3 in the Maggie McDonald mystery series about a professional organizer. This is a new series to me but it sounds great.
Lions and Tigers and Murder, Oh My – Book 6 in the Devereaux’s Dime Store mystery series. I haven’t read any of the books in this series, but I enjoyed the author’s Scumble River series for years. I’d like to try this one.
Mayoral Affairs – First in the Vixen Investigations series about an investigative journalist-turned private investigator. This sounds like a fun mystery.
Murder at the Male Revue (July 8) – Book 3 in the Bucket List mystery series starting some 70-something year old sleuths. I have book one in this series on my TBR shelves.
Over Maya Dead Body – Book 3 in the Serena Jones mystery series about an FBI agent who investigates art-related crimes. This series sounds terrific. I’m putting book one, A Fool and His Monet, on my list
Sowed to Death – Book 2 in the Farmer’s Daughter mystery series about a lifestyle blogger who solves mysteries.
Fearless Parenting – The fact that this comes from the work of George Barna is what draws me to this one. It offers Christian parents a plan for raising healthy children. I am eager to read this one!
Ten Reminders for the Single Christian Woman (July 6) – The author contacted me and asked to have her new book included in book news. If you are a single Christian woman, or you do ministry with this group, you might check this one out.
What are you looking forward to reading this week?
Hey Jaymie,
Do you have any of the Denise Swanson, Devereaux Dime Story series… I have most of them and I like them. If you want I will pull them out and give them to you the next time you come over to read. I know just some more for your to be read pile.
Sandy