We’re half way through October, and the holiday season is quickly approaching. I’m feeling ready for sweatshirt weather, soup, and crunchy leaves! Here are some new books releasing this week to enjoy as the season turns colder.
Books for Kids
Doctor Tenth: Christmas Surprise! – A Christmas story about Donna and the Tenth Doctor. I have yet to see this line in person, but I think the idea is adorable.
Malala’s Magic Pencil – Activist, Malala Yousafzai releases her story in picture book format to reach younger readers. This is going to be a powerful story! This would work in classroom settings, libraries and at home.
Merry Christmas, Peanut! – One of the things I love about this time of year is that Christmas books start releasing. In this book, a peanut has a yummy-looking adventure on his way to visit family for the holidays. The illustrations in these books are fantastic and clever. This is sure to be a hit!
Thanksgiving in the Woods – Based on the true story of a family who hosted their Thanksgiving celebration in the woods. As a teacher, I had a hard time finding great Thanksgiving stories to read in November. I would add this one to my repertoire if I was still teaching.
The Doctors Time and Space Collection – A collection of the first 8 books in this line (Includes Doctors 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12). Includes a poster. This is a great gift idea for Doctor Who fans who are also kids at heart!
Star Wars Forces of Destiny: Tales of Hope & Courage – Maz Kanata’s journal records the stories of 6 heroines of the Star Wars Saga.
Miss Tracy Is Spacey! – Book 9 in the My Weirdest School series by Dan Gutman. My students loved these short chapter books about a group of elementary school kids and their wacky school staff.
Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults
Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Secret Crush Catastrophe – Book 12 in this super popular middle grade series with a diary format. This time, Nikki has a dilemma when a new boy has a crush on her.
Frank Einstein and the Bio-Action Gizmo – Book 5 in this great science fiction series starring fun, smart kids and quirky robots.
Harry Potter: A Journey through the History of Magic – Based on the new exhibition at the British Library. I can’t wait to see this one in person!
Kid Sherlock – Graphic novel about new kid, John Watson (who happens to be a dog) and Sherlock Holmes. This looks adorable!
The Legend of Shadow High – The kids of Monster High meet the ones from Ever After High in this new book by Shannon Hale. I’ll be reviewing this one on Thursday this week.
Open If You Dare – Three friends find a box labeled “Open if you dare” and now they are solving a forty-year-old mystery. This sounds right up my alley.
Paper Chains – Two friends from very different family situations work their way through strains at home and in their friendship. This sounds absolutely lovely. It is at the top of my wish list for this week!
The Phantom of the Opera (Muppets) – The Muppets put their special spin on the classic story, The Phantom of the Opera. I’d love to see this in person to see what the Muppet influence is on the story.
The Summer of Owen Todd – Owen and Sean have been best friends for ages, so it’s no surprise when Sean opens up to Owen about things going on with the new babysitter Sean’s mom hired to look after him for the summer. The question becomes what Owen should do – does he stay quiet like Sean asks him to? Or is this too big to keep to himself? This sounds like a younger kids version of A List of Cages (which is one of my favorite books of 2017). This is going to be a difficult but important book to read. This is also at the top of my list for this week.
The Magic Storm – Book 6 in the Phoebe and her Unicorn series. I LOVE this quirky comic series about a girl and her unicorn best friend. I pre-ordered this MONTHS ago, and I will be stalking the mail carrier on Tuesday, waiting for my copy.
Who Is Ralph Lauren? – Latest in the Who Was series of biographies
36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You – Two kids join a psychology study at their university to see if love can be engineered. Told in IMs, sketches and texts, this sounds like a fun read for teens and young adults. This is on my wish list for the library.
Dear Martin – A young African American journals to Dr. King, wondering if his teachings still hold up today when the young man is caught in an altercation with a white police officer. This is a timely story which has received a LOT of positive buzz leading up to the release. This is on my library list, too.
What Was That All About? – A 20-year look at the Duncan family from the Zits comic strip. As the mom of a teenager, I adore this comic. I have this book on my Christmas list!
Books for Adults
Cold as Ice – Book 6 in the Country Club Murders series about an amateur sleuth socialite. The covers for this series are appealing to me, so I have this whole series on my library list.
Planet Hulk – Prose novel based on the comic series about the Incredible Hulk on the planet Sakaar where he is sold into slavery. The Hulk is one of my favorite Marvel characters, so this is on my Christmas list.
Thor Ragnarok Prelude – Graphic novel prelude to the movie releasing in November. Collects Prelude 1-4, Thor (1966) 361, and Hulk (2000) 95.
30 Days to Joy – A one month creative journal including quotes and prompts. Could be a great gift idea, or something to structure my desire to be crafty when I don’t know what I want to do.
Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff – For fans of the show Fixer Upper comes this book by Chip Gaines about some of the antics and ideas he has pursued and the things he has learned along the way.
Chasing Light – As a visual person, I am a sucker for a fantastic photograph. When our family toured the White House several years ago, I was struck by the gorgeous pictures that lined the walls. This looks like a lovely collection of photos of one of our First Ladies.
Fast Food Genocide: How Processed Food Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It – If you are trying to make more healthy choices in your diet, this book could be a resource to motivate you, looking at the impact of processed food on our health. This is on my library list.
Seeing the Unseen – A 90-day devotional by Randy Alcorn with a focus on eternity. Includes scripture references as well as quotes from Christian leaders.
Why the Vote Wasn’t Enough for Selma – Examines the impact of the right to vote on African Americans in the south, specifically in Selma, with regard to economic justice and true “citizenship.”