Disney Animation! Property Brothers! Mo Willems! It’s a great week for reading.
Happy Labor Day! Hope you and your family are getting to enjoy some relaxation over this long weekend. Here are the books coming out this week:
Books for Kids
Come with Me – A girl wonders what she can do to help when it seems the world is full of hurt and fear. Sounds like a timely story.
A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale – A young chef bakes some fairy tale components like an apple and a handful of beans into something yummy. I’ve been waiting for this one for awhile.
Give Me Back My Book – Friends fight over a book. I’m curious to see this one in person and see what happens.
Joey and the Shining Star/Twitch and the Invisible Wind – The Owlegories Christian video series now has books that look at how nature teaches us about God.
The King of Too Many Things – This is the sort of book that catches my attention with the illustrations, but keeps it with a great title and premise. I long to be more of a minimalist, but I am more like this king. I can’t wait to read this one.
La Princesa and the Pea – A Latino twist on the classic tale of the Princess and the Pea. This is definitely the week for some great fractured fairy tales! Keep on reading for several more.
The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABCs (the Hard Way) – Poor little red cat gets chased all the way through the alphabet in this darling picture book.
Pickwick’s Picnic – I can’t wait to see this counting book in person. Doesn’t it look adorable?!
The Pout-Pout Fish and the Bully Bully Shark – The Pout-Pout Fish series takes on the subject of bullying. This sounds like a great way to talk about bullying with younger kids.
Sam, the Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole Universe – Companion book to the outstanding Leonardo the Terrible Monster. I have been waiting for this book for months! I am so glad it’s finally time for its release.
Twinderella, A Fractioned Fairy Tale – A twist on Cinderella from the fabulous author of The Three Ninja Pigs.
Pete and the Lost Tooth – Early Reader for fans of Pete the Cat
Showdown in Space – A new DC Super Hero Girls Early Reader/Leveled Reader about Wonder Woman, Supergirl and Miss Martian on an outer space adventure.
Little Legends: The Magic Looking Glass – Book 4 in this fractured fairy tale transitional chapter book series.
Phone-Y Friends – Book 4 in the Project Droid series about a boy and his robot “cousin.” These are written by the author of the Magic Bone series, which I adored. I’d like to check out one of these early chapter books for younger elementary school readers.
Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate – Book 5 in the amazing Princess in Black series. This time, the princess is on a playdate when a monster strikes. I can’t wait to read this one. I adore this early chapter book series.
Audrey Hepburn/Rosa Parks (Sept 7) – Little People Big Dreams series of biographies. The illustrations for these immediately grabbed my attention.
We Are in an Art-ivity Book – Activity book for kids starring Piggie and Gerald.
Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults
Adventurer’s Guide to Dragons (And Why They Keep Biting Me) – Book 2 in the Adventurer’s Guide series about adventurers who get a new quest to kill the Dragon Queen – except they don’t want to kill her at all! This sounds like an awesome series; I’d like to check out the first book and see what it’s like.
Alex Rider Scorpia Graphic Novel – A graphic novel version of the Alex Rider story, Scorpia.
All’s Faire in Middle School – New graphic novel from the author of Roller Girl about a girl who transitions from homeschool to public school where her Renaissance Faire upbringing gets her more attention than she bargained for. I love stories like this and will certainly be checking this one out.
Assassin’s Curse – Book 3 in the Blackthorn Key series about an apothecary’s apprentice who solves puzzles and codes. I have book one on my TBR shelves.
Click’d – A girl’s coding project goes viral, but then she finds a dangerous glitch. This sounds so fun! This is on my list for sure.
Elsie Mae Has Something to Say – A girl hopes to save her home in the Okefenokee Swamp by sending a letter to President Roosevelt and stopping local bandits, but her cousin may ruin all her plans.
The Glass Town Game – The Brontë sisters have invented a game called Glass Town and one day when they are expecting the worst for their family, the four girls are whisked away to their imaginary town. This seems like a mix of fantasy and history (Napoleon).
Halfway Normal – A young cancer survivor tries to settle back into middle school. I have a feeling this will be both emotional and inspirational. It’s on my list!
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus – A girl without arms moves with her family to a rundown theme park in Arizona where she finds not only a friend who really understands her, but also a mystery. This book has been wildly popular among early readers on Twitter.
Mighty Jack and the Goblin King – Book 2 in this graphic novel series that’s a twist on Jack and the Beanstalk. This time, Jack’s autistic little sister has been taken by an ogre and he’s off to get her back.
Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Won’t-Walk-the-Dog Cure – Book 2 in this series that is an updated re-boot of the classic Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series I read as a kid.
One Mixed-Up Night – Best friends run away to spend the night in IKEA. This has the feel of The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler to it. This is at the top of my wish list for this week!
Rapunzel and the Lost Lagoon – Rapunzel is back at the castle after the adventures of Tangled. Now, she and a lady-in-waiting stumble on a mystery together. This sounds terrific.
Shadow of a Pug – Book 2 in the Howard Wallace PI series. I loved book one in this series, and I am looking forward to reading book 2.
The Book of Massively Epic Engineering Disasters – A book of “great” engineering disasters. This would be a fun addition to a science classroom or school library.
Harley Quinn’s Brain Squeezers – An activity book for fans of the DC Super Hero Girls
Genuine Fraud – A new story from the supremely popular author of We Were Liars. This was a dark story, and the format is unusual – it starts at the present and then works backwards. A very interesting way to tell a story.
Girls Made of Snow and Glass – This re-imagining of Snow White has a young woman with a glass heart and her step-daughter who was magicked out of snow. I love re-worked fairy tales! This sounds terrific.
I Hate Everyone But You – Best friends exchange emails and texts as they head to different colleges for their freshman year.
If There’s No Tomorrow – One moment changes everything for a girl who was looking forward to her senior year. I have no idea what happens to change things – which means I’ll have to read this to find out!
Nothing – A girl who is convinced that real life is nothing like the books she reads decides to write down the things that happen to her during her sophomore year and finds it’s not so different after all.
Running Full Tilt – A young man turns to cross country and running to escape a difficult family situation with his out of control brother. I’m going to max out my library wish list this week!
They Both Die at the End – Two boys meet through an app that puts you in touch with others who are going to die on the same day. What a fascinating idea! A little dark, but I am curious to see what happens.
The Thing with Feathers – Emily goes from homeschooling with her mom and her seizure therapy dog to high school. She lives in fear that she will have a seizure at school.
Tower of Dawn – The next book in the Throne of Glass series. I would love to read this series some time soon. [So many books, so little time]
Wild Bird – A girl spends 8 weeks at a survivalist/wilderness therapy camp. This sounds fantastic. I have this on my list.
Books for Adults
Autobiography of Jean-Luc Picard – I have the James T. Kirk autobiography, but I haven’t had a chance to read it. I am even more eager to read this one as Jean-Luc was “my” captain.
Bringing Maggie Home – An elderly woman carries the guilt of a lost sister for 70 years. Can her granddaughter, a cold-case agent, help her solve the mystery and ease the guilt that has impacted the family for generations.
A Christmas Peril – First in a new mystery series staring a former cop managing a community theater group. I enjoyed this one; I’ll be reviewing it in a couple weeks.
Conspiracy in Belgravia -Book 2 in the Lady Sherlock Historical Mystery series. I haven’t gotten to book one yet, but I am eager to check out this series.
Dead in the Water – Denise Swanson has launched a new series set in Scumble River and starring Skye Denison. I read many books from the earlier series and enjoyed them.
Essence of Malice – Book 4 of the Amory Ames Mystery series, this one about a perfumier in Paris. I haven’t read any of these, but the covers are gorgeous and catch my eye every time. I’d love to read one.
March of Crime – Book 11 in the Murder-By-Month series. I read the first couple books in this series, but I’ve fallen behind. I’d like to pick back up on this one.
Pudding Up with Murder – Book 3 in the Undercover Dish Mystery series about secret chef who cooks amazing casseroles that her clients can pass off as their own. I have yet to read one of the books, but they are definitely on my list. But I’d like to know where I can find a service like this in my town!
Tale of Two Kitties – Book 9 in the Magical Cats mystery series. I have several of the early books on my TBR shelves. I love mysteries with cats in them – dogs, too.
Trouble is Brewing – An ebook novella that bridges the Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander with her new series about a brewmaster. I have already pre-ordered this one. This seems like a brilliant way to introduce your fans to your new series. I can’t wait to read this.
Armed and Dangerous: The Ultimate Battle Plan for Targeting and Defeating the Enemy – A new look at spiritual warfare.
Art of Star Trek The Next Generation – 178 posters featuring art for my favorite iteration of Star Trek, The Next Generation.
Blood Sweat and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made – My teen would probably love this one as video games are a big part of his life. I know many adults who would find this interesting, too. Sounds like a great history of technology book.
Education à la Carte – Dr. Kevin Lehman’s (The Birth Order Book) new book looks at the educational options available to families today and offers advice for navigating your choices. I’m looking forward to this one. I love Lehman’s work.
Forever Letter: Writing What We Believe for Those We Love – A guide book for writing letters that pass on your real treasures – your values, beliefs and love.
Ink and Paint: The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation – Get the behind-the-scenes story on the women who worked for Disney Animation.
It Takes Two – The Property Brothers tell their own story in this memoir. I love watching these guys on TV. Hopefully their terrific chemistry will translate well in book form.
The Last Arrow – How to live a life that leaves nothing undone at the end. This sounds inspiring. It’s on my library wish list.
Picturing Heaven – Adult coloring book for fans of Randy Alcorn’s writing. I tend to start adult coloring books but never finish them. But I am excited to see this one up close. I am interested in the devotions that go with the pictures.
The Suffragents (Sept 1) – Looks at the men who were part of the movement to get women the right to vote. This sounds like a terrific look at history.