Just One Wave

Jonker, Travis. Just One Wave

April 15, 2025 by Harry N. Abrams

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Liam and his two sisters go to the beach, and he is determined to find a Wave. The ocean, however, does not cooperate, and is completely still. He waits and waits, and eventually decides to ask the birds for help. He even tries to "scare" up a wave. When that doesn't help either, he uses his best magical thinking and builds a huge sand castle, hoping to tempt a wave to knock it over. Nothing works, so he decides that he will create his own wave, and at least his little Sonja will have a good experience. 

The simple text is large and makes for quick page turns. Young readers will find it easy to discuss what Liam hopes to accomplish, and why his plans don't really work. It's good that he finally takes some initiative and manages to give his sister a splashy beach experience. 

The artwork is digitally created, and has simple shapes highlighted by bold black outlines. The colors include a lot of sandy tan and watery blue, with nice bright pops of red. 

Get ready for a trip to the beach by spreading a beach towel on the floor and imagining that you are at the beach with Liam, then continue your day of (virtual) sand and sun by reading Doerrfeld's Nellie's Big Splash, Ree's Sora's Seashells, Brown's A Boy, His Dog, and the Sea, Elmquist and MacKay's Beach Baby, and Roosa and Smith's Beach Day. No sun screen needed, and no sand or wet towels to deal with! 
 

Does anyone go to the beach ONLY for the waves? It seemed a bit odd that Liam would just wait for a wave instead of playing in the sand or walking and splashing in the water with his sisters. I feel like this would make more sense if I had read Just One Flake. 
 

Barry Timms

Timms, Barry. This is NOT a Polar Bear!
January 7, 2025 by Nosy Crow
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

A little girl is playing in the snow and introduces us to her friend. He looks suspiciously like a polar bear, but she insists that he is not, and proceeds to inform us of all the things that he is. He roller skates, skis, drives, discos, and makes her laugh again and again. The two have many adventures, proving the bear is a save-the-world-together bear and a tunnel-deep-down-under bear, NOT a polar bear. She feels that the bear needs a special name, and decides to give him one based on his best quality-- a never-let-you-go-lar bear whose hugs are the best.

This is the third book in Timms’ series, which includes This is NOT a Dinosaur! and This is NOT a Unicorn! Young readers will be drawn to the repetitive nature of the story, and the fast paced rhymes that propel it. There are some clever liberties taken with language that make this an interesting look at identity. The little girl doesn't care that her friend is a polar bear; she loves him for who he is, and for the fun times together that they share.

The color palette is one of the most unusual and eye popping that I have seen. The use of fluorescent orange (which is evident on the bear's scarf on the cover of the book) for the little girl's hair is especially striking, and there are bright purple skies, neon pink sweaters, and bright yellow bumper cars. These are set against white backgrounds, which really make the colors pop, and almost vibrate. The winter wonderland with the fluorescent orange sled with snow covered Christmas trees with very bright ornaments alongside a pale purple castle is particularly vibrant.

It's good to have a funny, go-to picture book when little ones have a hard day, and I can see this being a big hit for fans of silly stories like Hale and Pham's Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn, Border's Peanut Butter and Cupcake, and Shea and Jarvis' Oh, Are You Awake?

Timms, Barry. The Sleepiest Sleep

August 19, 2025 by Nosy Crow

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Patterpaw, a young tiger cub, is having a sleepover with his grandtigers! Grandpa is very worried when Patterpaw starts to yawn that the ground will be too lumpy for his little sweetheart, but Grandma smiles and has the birds put together a soft bed. Grandpa is also afraid that Patterpaw will be afraid of the dark, but Grandma summons fireflies. An even bigger worry emerges when a storm blows up, but all of the animals in the jungle sing a song to lull Patterpaw back to sleep. The storm passes, and all of the animals snuggle down to "the sleepiest sleep", just like the listener is encouraged to do. 

Told in rhyming verse, this is a good story to allay fears when young children are sleeping in new places, hopefully one that are more prepared for their arrival. It's nicely rhythmic and repetitive, with comforting phrases like "croakiest croaks" and "squeakiest squeaks". This alone would go a long way toward negating questions about more drinks of water or blankets. 

Kukhtina's illustrations also encourage slumber, with their dark blue color palette and soothing yellow fireflies. The tigers are a great contrasting shade of orange. The text is sometimes a light purple or blue on darker shades, which might require some grandparents to turn up the lights a bit, but this book will probably be reread enough that it is memorized, so that shouldn't be a problem for long. 

It's good to scaffold new experiences by reading about them, so this would be a great gift for a new grandparent, perhaps along with a soft blanket. After several readings, little grand tigers should be ready to spend the night, especially since human grandparents are going to be more prepared with actual beds and a roof overhead in case of storms. This is a perfect choice for fans of Cummins and Oswald's Sleepy Sheep and the Sheepover or Ferneyhough's Nana, Nenek & Nina.

Most grandparents are more sentimental than I am and will find this to be delightful, but The Sleepiest Sleep didn't pass the Oma Test. The verse was a bit twee, and I expect my grandchildren to be a bit tougher than this. Also, after reading this, I would feel compelled to research where tigers really do sleep when it storms. I'm imagining it's not right out in the open with bears, mice, turles, and snakes gathered around. 

Wednesday is for Wiggling and Hazel the Handful

Nava, Eva Wong and Sterling, Holly (illus.). Wednesday is for Wiggling 

July 1, 2025 by Candlewick
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

A little girl has her week all mapped out, as she spends time with different caregivers doing different activities. She is in day care on Mondays with her friends, and her babysitter takes her to dance class at the end of the day on Tuesday. Her mother's day off is Wednesday, so the two spend lots of quality time together. On Thursday she goes to the library with her babysitter and thinks about lots of things, and hangs out with friends on Friday. Saturdays are set aside for her grandmother and grandfather, and she visits with her father on Sundays, and the two go to the park with their dog. The girl likes all of the days, and finds it hard to pick a favorite, and at the end, encourages readers to think about what they do every day.

The multicultural cast is shown having fun in lots of different settings. Adults will know that the girl's mother has put a lot of thought into who will care for the girl when the mother is at work, but young readers will just enjoy the variety of outings the girl gets to take. It was nice to see that the girl was happy with her situation for each day, with the possible exception of Monday. She starts the day with moping because the weekend is over, but soon warms up and enjoys playing with her friends.

Sterling's pencil illustrations are digitally colored, and have a lot of detail. It's fun to look at the background and see all of the little details, like flowers growing on the roof of the school or different books in the library, like Jarvis' The Boy with Flowers in His Hair.

One of my favorite books as a child was Fiedler's My Special Day, mainly because it offered a simple look at one girl's activities during an ordinary day. This is a similar slice of life tale that also reminded me a bit of LaRocca's Mauntie and Me, which also details time spent with a variety of relatives and friends in routine settings.

Michalak, Jamie and Myers, Matt (illus.) Hazel the Handful
April 1, 2025 by Candlewick Press

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Hazel is a tiny dog who loves to hang out with her girl, Bea, and be the center of attention, as is the right of all adorable tiny dogs. As the two go through their day, going on walks, taking twenty-four naps, having photo shoots, and sharing meals, Hazel is well aware that she is living her best life. This wonderful existence comes to a halt when a screeching baby is introduced to the mix. The baby cries, stinks, and worst of all, becomes the new center of attention. From capturing everyone's complements to commandeering Hazel's favorite toys, the new baby changes Hazel's everyday life in ways that are just not okay. The worst part is that Bea seems to like the baby, perhaps more than Hazel! When a family picture ends in disaster, Hazel runs away and hides, sure she is in trouble. When she hears Bea crying, upset that her beloved pet is gone, Hazel runs out to rejoin her girl, and starts to realize that perhaps the new baby isn't so terrible. After all, he does leave a trail of food in his wake!

Hazel is a very tiny dog who looks to be at least part Yorkshire Terrier, and Myers' illustrations are quite adorable, which immediately made me sympathetic to the dog who has to deal with a stinky new baby. Young readers who might be struggling with an interloper of their own will understand Hazel's objections, but will perhaps see that these are not as horrible as the seem at first. Hopefully, this will soften their feelings for a new sibling as well.

The watercolor and ink illustrations give this a warm, autumnal feeling, and I loved all of the details about the pleasures in Hazel's life. Comfy chairs and blankets, a strong routine, and lots of supportive family members make Hazel and Bea feel loved. Bea's grandmother even knits boots for Hazel when she is knitting things for the baby! Hazel has some favorite toys, although I'm not entirely sure that sharing her stuffed frog and pig with the baby is the best idea, beneficial dog bacteria not withstanding!

There are a number of books that combine new siblings and animals, so it's not hard to find a book to help older children accept a new family member. Hazel's antics, however, are particularly clever, so this is a fun book to add to the mix along with Nelson's Dog's First Baby, Bright's My Sister is an Alien, Nichols and Taylor's No, Baby, No, and Harper and McQuillan's It's Not Fair.

Mustafa's Mithai

Rafi, Sana and Ali, Nabi H. (illus.) Mustafa's Mithai

June 17, 2025 by Viking Books for Young Readers

Copy provided by the publisher

Mustafa loves the sweet treats that come under the category of mithai, and he's sad that there aren't any celebrations coming up where his mother might serve some more. When he complains to his mother, she reminds him that there is always a reason to celebrate, which gives him the idea to invite his friends over for a special mithai party. His friends are enthralled with the variety of treats, but don't know what to choose. Mustafa plays "dessert matchmaker" to ensure that his friends get a sweet that they will enjoy. After a play date that includes plenty of outdoor activities and pizza for dinner, the mithai are served. Kent gets a jelly and ice cream dish, Pooja a ladoo, Beau an orange jalebi to match his shirt, and Chrissy gets a chum-chum. For himself, Mustafa chooses a gulab jamun. The children like their new foods so much that they want seconds, and Mustafa and his mother are glad to share their cultural traditions. There is an author's note at the end explaining more about mithai. 

Ali's illustrations would be right at home in a PBS cartoon; the pictures are bright, and the lines crisp. There's a lot of movement on the page, and the children's eyes clearly show their emotions. The drawings of the food made me hungry! 

While there is plenty of information about Mustafa's favorite treats, as an adult I found myself wanting a lot more information, and maybe some recipes. Also, why does Mustafa's mother have "leftover" deserts. Was this her secret stash? Clearly, Mustafa was surprised that these were in the house! I'm always glad of a book that makes me ask more questions! 

Be prepared to find a good Pakistani bakery near you after you read this book so that you can find some Badusha and Rasmalai for your own mini celebration! This is a great choice to include with other books about the important of foods in cultural celebrations, like Shum's Mooncakes Mean Family, Gilmore and Valiant's Cora Cooks Pancit, Wang and Yum's Luli and the Language of Tea, and Lucido and Demirag's Pasta Pasta Lotsa Pasta. 
 

MMGM- Recycling Day and Welcome to My World

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Faber, Polly and Fahlen, Klas. (illustrator)
Recycling Day: What Happens to the Things We Throw Away
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

What happens to the things we throw away or put in the curbside recycling bin? Well, depending on where you live, what ostensibly happens can be very different. My children and I spent a lot of time making sure we were putting correct items in the bin, and this book would have been helpful in explaining to them why it was so important to be conscious about discarding items.

Misha and her family always have some items that are used up, broken, or no longer needed that need to leave their house. Near her house are a variety of recycling bins for different things. She's fortunate that there is a robust recycling center that collects electronics, textiles, glass, paper, and cans. We learn how glass and paper are recycled and turned into new bottles or paper, how food scraps and yard waste are composted, and how cans, textiles, and plastic bottles are turned into many new products. Trash that can't be recycled is burnt in an incinerator that powers a steam generator. Other trash is buried. At the end of the book, Misha's family is shown trying to reduce the amount of waste they create, which is such a critical part of the process! The end of the book includes tips on how readers can keep items from becoming waste.

Faber's informational text is accompanied by colorful, detailed illustrations that shown many aspects of the recycling process. There's a comfortable amount of text arranged neatly on the pages, so this would make an excellent read aloud for elementary classrooms to accompany units on recycling or for Earth Day celebrations. I loved the tips at the end, and would love a poster of them!

Books like Recycling Day, along with titles like The Can Caravan by O'Neill and Kang, Flipflopi: How a Boat Made from Flip-Flops Is Helping to Save the Ocean by Lodding and Pabar, One Plastic Bag by Paul and Zunon, and Don't Throw That Away!: A Lift-the-Flap Book about Recycling and Reusing by Bergen and Snyder can help raise awareness in young readers and help them become pros at reducing, reusing, and recycling their unwanted goods properly!

Lawrence, Ellen. Using Water Around the World

August 1, 2025 by Ruby Tuesday Books

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

It's easy to take clean, running water for granted in the US, but not everyone is that lucky. This Welcome to My World series, which covers a variety of topics, starts with describing the different ways that water is used. It's not just important for drinking; water is essential for cooking, cleaning, and staying cool. We find out about getting water from plants in desert environments and from snow in icy ones, and learn how children in some parts of the world spend a large part of their day transporting water. The effects of dangerous water are outlined, and the impact of wells on communities without good supplies of water are explained. At the end of the book, the importance of clean water is discussed, and there is a map that shows where each of the examples in the text takes place. There is a short glossary, as well as a brief index. 

I was surprised at how many things I learned from this 24 page book. I had never heard of fog screens, which collect potable water from the fog in Peru, and also did not know about milk plants in the desert. My students would be surprised to find out that many people still wash clothes in rivers or have to get water from trucks and transport it home in containers. 

The photographs in this book are all helpful in supporting the text, and I enjoyed the insertion of facts that went along with the theme of the pages. It was good to know that line drying clothes really is better for the planet; I hand out my laundry mainly to save money! 

While this series is probably best suited to elementary schools due to the short length and simplicity of information, reading Using Water Around the World would help even middle school readers understand the plot of books like Bajaj's Thirst. Offer this to students who want to know more about how water is used around the world along with Clendenan and McLaughlin's Fresh Air, Clean Water Our Right to a Healthy Environment Daniele and Wu's The Girl Who Tested the Waters: Ellen Swallow, Environmental Scientist, and Mihaly's Water: A Deep Dive of Discovery. 

There is a whole series of these books. I am donating my copies to my local elementary school, and would probably purchase them if I worked at that level. These are a bit too young for middle school. 

Sunny Wants to Play

Maurey, Katty. Sunny Wants to Play
March 11, 2025 by Tundra Books

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

There are plenty of people in Sunny's life. That's not the problem. However, her parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who live with her would rather watch television or read than play with her. As she goes shopping with her mother, she is envious of other children who have brothers and sisters to play with, and even the dogs in the park have playmates! When the adults in her home are sleeping in the afternoon heat, a knock comes at the door. It's a neighbor boy, asking for Sunny. She goes out to play and meets other children in the area, and gets to run, jump, and participate in games with them. When the frenetic activity ends with Sunny getting hit in the face with a ball, she is more than happy to return to her quiet home for some quality snuggles with her mother. 

The thing that I found most interesting about this book was the setting. Sunny and her family appear to be of Asian descent, and there are some indications in the pictures that this book is not set in North America. There are signs in a different language, people sleeping in the afternoon, and even a large mesh cover on the table that looks to be for keeping bugs out of food. I would have loved to know more about where Sunny lives. 

Being an only child is an singular experience, and most picture books do tend to focus on families with several children, and play up the problems siblings have getting along. It's interesting to see the challenges that Sunny faces. As much as I fought with my brother, it was always good to have someone to go on bike rides with, play board games, or run around the yard.    

Pair this book with Phelan's Druthers or Chen's Play With Me when a little one is bored and doesn't know what to do. This could be a good springboard for discussion to plan activities that don't involve other people. 
 

Happy birthday, Taylor Swift!

I don't understand the extreme love of Taylor Swift, nor the backlash against her. She seems like a decent person who is kind to her fans, does solid work, and deserves to have a happy life. My students, however, adore her, and since Ms. Swift has been performing for twenty years, there are also adult teachers, librarians, and authors!) who do as well. I'm glad to see an influential woman singer making this much of an impact, and know that the few biographies and the Eras encyclopedia that I bought have circulated VERY well. Are these books worth investing in? Definitely. They'll be worn out by the time Swift goes out of fashion.

Mooney, Carla. Taylor Swift: Queen of Reinvention 

August 1, 2025 by Twenty-First Century Books ™

Copy provided by the publisher

My collection development policy has long been to hold off buying biographies until the subject has passed away; my school library had a 1980s era biography of Michael Jackson that showed me how much biographies can change! There are some exceptions; Dan Wetzel's EPIC ATHLETES are very popular with my sports buffs. Another recent exception, due to the intense demand, has been Taylor Swift. So far, I've purchased Burk and Dorado's The Story of Taylor Swift, Feder and Tatreau's Taylor Swift By the Book, Stevens and Steinfeld's Kid Musicians: True Tales of Childhood from Entertainer, Songwriters, and Stars and Bolte's Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour encyclopedia. None of these are ever on the shelf.

This ICONS series from Lerner is formatted like the standard biographies I have on more standard historical figures like George Washington or Marie Curie. Coming in at just 80 pages, it covers the singer's life so far in eight chapters. There are many pictures, which will delight fans, as well as a glossary, source notes, selected bibliography, list of websites, and an index. I was especially glad to see the inclusion of a "Legacy and Impact" page, because this is almost always a requirement for any biography project, and I personally am little help with this information when students ask!

I'm not a fan of Swift's but realize that she has an impressive range of accomplishments. The book did include some information that was knew to me, such as her writing collaborators. There was plenty of discussion about the inspiration for some of her songs, and her difficult dealings with other individuals, but this was all done in a fair and balanced, non sensational way. There is even a page about Swift's interest in the NFL, which is especially pertinent since her engagement to Travis Kelce.

Would I have loved a biography of Karen Carpenter or Olivia Newton John when I was in middle school? Absolutely. While I would rather students be interested in books like Orgill's 2001 Shout, Sister, Shout! : Ten Girl Singers Who Shaped a Century, there is no denying that younger readers would vastly prefer this short but well done book on a modern singer's life. A student saw this sitting on my desk while I was processing it, and wanted it right away

Calonita, Jen. The Taylors

October 7, 2025 by Scholastic Inc.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this prequel to Eulberg's The Taylors: Love Stories, we find out how the group got together as they started middle school in fifth grade. Teffy is new to Harrison Middle School, and meets Taylor, Tay Tay, and TS in her homeroom. All four girls were named after the singer, and adopt nicknames to limit confusion. Taylor is the youngest of five, and so tired of hand-me-downs that she asks to be allowed to keep her full name! The group bonds over wanting to go to the Eras concert, although tickets are expensive. Mean girl Hannah boasts that her parents are taking her, and says that she is allowed to invite one friend, which gives her a lot of social power. The Taylors (as they call themselves) know they can't count on Hannah's invitation, and vow to stick together and work to raise funds so that they can all go. They also try out for cheerleading, and help each other with the routines, eventually making the 5th and 6th grade squad of 24 girls. This makes their schedules a little tight; they all have various other things going on in their lives, and commit to make 200 beaded friendship bracelets so they can earn $400, which leads to more requests for the hand made jewelry. It's not enough, however, and even after trying to gain some attention on social media in hopes of winning tickets, they content themselves with "Tay-gating" at the venue with one of the mothers. There, they are interviewed by local news media about the fact that they are all named after the singer, and also the fact that they took all the money they earned for tickets and donated it to the local library that had recently suffered a fire. The singer hears this interview and not only invites them to hear the concert in the VIP section, but hugs the girls and gives Teffy a hat that they are all supposed to share. They, in turn, give the singer a bracelet, which she puts on right there! (Insert appropriate squeals.)

Strengths: Middle school students have the time and the emotional capacity to embrace fandoms in a way that becomes difficult as one gets older. This is important, because these often stay with people their whole lives. Those 7th graders obsessed with Tolkien? They grow up to be my son-in-law and lead to a Tolkien themed bathroom! I personally still own a prairie dress in case I have to go in costume as Laura Ingalls Wilder, and I have friends who still have as core parts of their personalities interests in the Beatles and the original Star Trek. Calonita (who is also very interested in Disney) understands this, and paints the Taylors' interests in Swift with an understanding brush. I'm sure the drama over the expensive tickets was repeated again and again in middle schools everywhere, and villains like Hannah, who rubbed her tickets in everyone's faces, emerged. The girls all have different interests, but decide to try out for cheerleading so they can be together. My favorite part was that they actively tried to earn money, and put it toward a good cause when they realized they couldn't buy tickets. 
Weaknesses: While I was glad to see a middle school that included fifth grade (mine did), having 24 girls on the cheerleading squad seemed like a very large number. Also, if the Taylors are going to the Eras tour in 5th grade, having them be in high school in the next book didn't quite line up, not that Young readers will care. 
What I really think: Calonita is clearly a fan of Ms. Swift (check out her fantastic 12 to 22), so brings a lot of love and energy to this story. This is middle school wish fulfillment at its finest, so I will definitely purchase a copy. If you are having a Scholastic book fair, make sure to ask for an extra box of these books if you have a solid Swift fan base. 

Eulberg, Elizabeth. Love Stories (The Taylors #1)

October 7, 2025 by Scholastic Inc.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Younger readers will want to learn the backstory of the Taylors  by reading about when they met in fifth grade in The Taylors, but older readers can go ahead and start with this tale of their entry into high school. We see more of their individual personalities, and see what romances come their way. Blonde Teffy is shy and quiet, and would rather stay at home with her books and music, pining over family friend Liam, than perform songs she has written with Tay. Red haired TS is determined to make the high school varsity soccer team, and when she does, is thrown for a loop by a British important to the team, Gemma, on whom she has an overwhelming crush. Tay (who drops the second Tay because it seems babyish) is the only one who is still a cheerleader, because she has a background in gymnastics. Taylor Perez is bound and determined to run for student body president, but that's before she becomes enamored of Hunter, who is gorgeous and a senior. The girls are invited to a high school party, but make the wise choice not to drink alcohol, and run into their old nemesis Hannah and her henchwoman Greta. Teffy keeps hanging out with Liam, whose parents funded her own parents business, Harrison by Design, which is struggling to get enough orders to stay afloat. She doesn't understand why he is dating Cat, even though she waffles on whether or not she is romantically interested in Liam. Taylor spends so much time with Hunter that her grades falter, and she also decides not to run for elected office. Teffy is so distracted by Gemma that her game suffers, and she tries to distance herself from her crush, which doesn't help the team. Tay meet emo rocker Reece when they have to work on a science project together, and their romance runs a somewhat rocky course as Tay has to realize how wealthy Reece's family is, and he feels inferior when he realizes how good her singing is. It's great that all four have romances and are still able to stay together as a friend group and help each other through the difficult moments. 

Strengths: This is EXACTLY the type of older middle grade books that I've been looking for. Certainly,  in middle school in the 1970s, I was reading a  lot of titles about girls in high school, like Conford's 1976 The Alfred G. Graebner Memorial High School Handbook of Rules and Regulations: A Novel, and sometimes even college (and even now desperately want to buy Colver's 1942 Joan Foster series for myself from Image Cascade!). Eulberg does a great job of fleshing out each character so they each have distinctiev interests and personalities. The wide range of love interests was impressive; Taylor's older, probably deeply creepy guy who is probably pressuring her for more physical interaction behind the scenes, Tay's "opposites attract" bad boy who's really quite sweet, Teffy's friendship with Liam that she would like to be something more, and TS's all consuming crush on Gemma. The relationships all work out in various ways that will make the readers happy. I enjoyed the fact that most of the parents were around and supportive; only Tay's mother is absent, although her father is very involved. The fact that all of the girls like Taylor Swift's music comes up quite a bit, and I think the chapter headings are all names of her songs. This will be HUGELY popular even without the inclusion of Swift fandom, especially since Eulberg has other good Young Adult titles that work for middle school readers, like Take a Chance on Me and Past Perfect Life as well as her middle grade The Best Worst Summer. 

Weaknesses: The Timeline with the origin story of the Taylors doesn't quite work, but Young readers won't notice. I thought I was going to have a hard time telling the characters apart, but I didn't, although looking at the cover of the second book, I had to really think through who was who! (I was thrown off by Taylor's shorts.)
What I really think: This is a fantastic choice for middle school readers who want to learn more about their future in high school, or for high school readers who (like me) can't stomach the horrific drama and trauma, as well as salty language, that seems to make up most of the Young Adult titles these days. I'm not sure what we're allowed to call books like this these days ("clean reads" is definitely out), but this is a gentler read along the lines of Kristy Boyce's Hot British Boyfriend, Jouhanneau's Kisses and Croissants, or the work of Kasie West. Definitely purchasing, and looking forward to Cruel Summer (1/6/26).

The Quilt of Our Memories

Acevedo, Desireé and Jaubert, Victor. The Quilt of Our Memories. 
October 14, 2025 by Cuento de Luz

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
 

The narrator's great-great-grandmother has an idea; she will make a quilt with blocks from the women in the family. These blocks will represent each woman's interest; from shelling peas to flowers to favorite dogs, generations of women lovingly work their favorite things into blocks for the quilt. This work spans generations, and includes blocks from the narrator's mother and aunt, as well as twin cousins. When the quilt ends up with the narrator, he states that even though it was meant for the women in the family, he also wanted to contribute to this multigenerational testament to the bonds of kinship. He learns to sew, and adds a block of his baby daughter to the quilt, which he will pass down to her. The end of the book has a family tree. 

Like another title from this publisher, Fran and Zuzanna's The Vase with the Golden Cracks, this book is printed on Stone Paper, which is so smooth and heavy that it almost feels like good quality fabric! It also makes the brilliantly saturated illustrations seem even more vibrant. There's a good feel for the different decades that the women lived in, and the clothes and quilt blocks are very fun. 

Modern readers will enjoy the twist with the son wanting to work on the quilt; there are many men involved in the quilting world now, which wasn't necessarily the case fifty years ago. 

This would make a great gift for a newborn, along with a memory quilt, and adds to the variety of picture books that feature the power of this art form in connecting generations and memories like Malik's Saif's Special Patches, Rockwell's The All-Together Quilt, Polacco's The Keeping Quilt, Johnston's The Quilt Story, or Bourgeois's Oma's Quilt. 

As a quilter, I'm not sure that the author really understands quilts. The dedication thanks her grandmother for knitting, but I can't say I have ever seen a memory quilt with blank spaces left. How do the new blocks get added? Also, on the cover, the quilt is being machine quilted AFTER the binding has been put on. I also had an issue with the narrator getting the quilt. Why didn't his twin cousins? Did they fight too much about it? If it's about connecting the women in the family, it would have made more sense to have them get the quilt. It's a fine story, but like I said... questions. 
 

Little Bird Laila and Wiggling Words

Yang, Kelly and Yan, Xindi (illus.). Little Bird Laila
April 15, 2025 by Dial Books

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central 

Laila helps her parents when they struggle with everyday tasks involving the English language, and even translates for her teacher at conferences, not always telling the truth! She feels important, and Mama and Baba are proud of her. She feels bad when other students make fun of the fact that her parents' English skills aren't great, because she knows how many interesting things they DO know. Since language classes are expensive, Laila decides that she will become her parents' teacher. While Laila still struggles herself with some idiomatic language, she works hard with her parents to increase their knowledge. Soon, the family is sharing jokes in both English and Chinese, and Laila's mother is able to understand Laila's teacher at conferences and tell her that she is proud of Laila.

Yang, whose middle grade Front Desk has been hugely popular, and who has written several Young Adult novels as well, brings her own childhood experiences to add a personal touch to this familiar tale of children helping out parents who struggle with language. My community has more Somali, Nepali, and Yemeni immigrants, but Laila's tale is not dependent upon a particular language. I did enjoy the fact that there were some Chinese store signs and words included. "Add oil" is a refrain in the book; it means to keep going, because everything moves faster with oil. It reminded me a bit of the old phrase "Now you're cooking with gas"!

The artwork is delightful, and Laila and her parents are shown in a variety of settings. They go to shops, the bank, school, and spend time in their apartment. There's plenty of white space on the page so the words are very clear, and there aren't too many sentences on each page. This makes it perfect for classroom story times, and I can see this being used to help build empathy.

It's great to see young children wanting to help out in books like Compestine's The Chinese New Year Helper, and Laila and her parents efforts to learn a new language will ring true with readers who were invested in titles like Amy Wu and the Warm Welcome, by Zhang and Chua, Drawn Together, by Lê and Santat, Vo's Gibberish, and Wang and Yum's Luli and the Language of Tea.

Rolfe, Kate. Wiggling Words
September 30, 2025 by Candlewick
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

A child struggles with reading books as the words tumble about the pages. This is frustrating and leads to a bit of a temper tantrum, as well as the thought that reading is something that will never be figured out. Mountains of red letters appear on the pages, but eventually the child starts to make some sense of them. This ends on a positive note as the letters come to shape a flower, a house, and trees, and the child feels that anything is possible. An author's note at the end details her own struggles with dyslexia and some of her strategies to make reading easier.

I love that the book is printed in a dyslexia friendly font, and the two color illustrations are spare and cut down on distractions. The mountains of letters look daunting, and the child's frustrations are palpable. It's good that eventually things start to be easier to navigate.

It would have been good to see some strategies depicted in the text of the book, although that might have slowed down the narrative pace. Children who are struggling with their own reading will feel emboldened when they see representation of another reader struggling. Combine this with Rudolph's Brilliant Bea, Beaty's Aaron Slater, Illustrator, Fortune's Did You Say Pasghetti? and Harris and Wick's Magnificent Meg to help children understand some of the reading struggles of dyslexia.

The Vase With the Golden Cracks

Nuño, Fran andCelej, Zuzanna (illustrator).

The Vase With the Golden Cracks
May 6, 2025 by Cuento de Luz
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

The author reminisces about his father's love of words when he was growing up. The father would write his favorites on slips of paper and put them in a beautiful vase. All of the words had subtle meanings that weren't captured in any languages other than their native Japanese. One particularly inspiring word was "ikigai", which refers to one's mission in life. When the vase was accidentally broken, the father wasn't angry, but cleaned up the vase and repaired it, decorating the cracks with gold. This tradition of kintsugi embraces the scars in the pottery and shows that things are often stronger after being broken and repaired. This love of words, and the reverence shown for them, inspired the author to become an author and share his stories.

The watercolor and collage illustrations are beautiful, and is influenced by traditional Nihonga, with many trees and natural elements. The faces remind me of some of the soft focus watercolor illustrations in early 1970s picture books as well. The use of collage is particularly striking, and many of the illustrations are framed with cut work embellishments. There is a list of Japanese words and their meanings at the end of the book, accompanied by the Japanese characters. (I'm not sure which system is used.)

This book has the most noteworthy paper of any title I have seen. It is heavy and silky, and absolutely luxurious. The publication data page describes this as Stone Paper whish is ecologically certified, and is really exceptional.

This reminds me of Reibstein and Young's 2008 Wabi Sabi, and is a great way to share aspects of Japanese culture along with Gallup's Anna's Kokeshi Dolls, Uegaki and Simms' Ojiichan's Gift, or Hadley and Fujisawa's The Star Festival.

I love words, and my favorite was Majime, a person who you trust to do any kind of job in a serious, responsible way, although many book people will love the word tsundoku. This is the act of buying more books and leaving them on the pile of OTHER books that are waiting to be read!

Paloma Flies Away

Guarda, María J. Paloma Flies Away
January 14, 2025 by Candlewick Press
E ARC provided by Young Adult Books Central

Paloma's family has left their home country after a dictator came to power, and have moved suddenly to a new country. They have gotten a warm welcome, and there are many new and interesting things to do and see, but Paloma misses her old home. She often wonders why her parents are different from other parents, and has some trouble fully understanding the two parts of her identity. When the situation in her home country eases, she and her parents return, but it is almost as difficult to move back as it was to move away. Still, her parents have many connections, and are glad to be back home. It takes Paloma a while to settle in, but she is glad that she and her family won't have to leave again.

The color palette is really interesting; teal, orange, and purple. This unexpected combination gives the book an interesting feeling of "otherness" which worked well, especially since no country names are mentioned. The watercolor pictures are accented with a lot of dark ink lines, and have lots of small details that young readers will enjoy exploring.

The vague descriptions of Paloma's home country, and the country to which her family travels for their new life, make this a book that can mirror the experiences of many different cultures. While not all families leave because of dictators, many do. Also, while going back to a country one had to leave might not be overly common, it is probably a hope that some children hold.

Readers can either see themselves and their families' experiences in a book about immigration, or gain empathy about what some of their classmates might have gone through. Add this to Choi's The Name Jar, Betancourt-Perez and Williams A Thousand White Butterflies, and especially Park and Choi's Good-Bye, 382 Shin Dang Dong for a look at how children navigate immigration issues.

MMGM- Fun in the Sun

It's

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
 at 

Always in the Middle 

and #IMWAYR day 

at

Unleashing Readers

Heart, Lee. Fun in the Sun

Cover by Katie Forrester

December 9, 2025 by Simon Spotlight

Copy provided by the publisher

Originally published as Angela Darling's Isabella's Spring Break Crush in 2014. Ana Miller lives in Chicago, where it is still wintery cold for spring break. Her best friends are all traveling, but Ana's parents are too busy. Her mother is a pediatrician and her father is an accountant, who suggests that Ana work in his office over the break to earn some money. This is NOT Ana's plan. Her twin brother, Adam, doesn't mind as much, but when Ana sets out to convince their parents to plan a vacation, he goes along. Ana has quite the impressive presentation, and her parents eventually give in... to a point. Ana and Adam will fly to spend the week in Florida with their Grandma Gina. While she loves her grandmother, this doesn't sound like the best plan, especially when her grandmother mentions that a neighbor will have her grandson there as well. The neighbor, Lillian, is very quiet and reclusive, which doesn't bode well for Mason. Once in Florida, however, Ana is sucked into the fun of visiting an orange Grove, watching The Sound of Music as Grandma Gina sings enthusiastically along, and eating ice cream. When Mason turns out to be a really cute baseball player, things are looking up. The kids hang out at the pool and go to a museum, which is a lot of fun until neighbor Sonia's twin grandkids, Daniel and Daniella, get brought into the mix. Daniella seems to like Mason, and tries to get Ana interested in her brother, calling a forced movie night "a double date". When Lillian and Gina plan a nice dinner out, Ana goes shopping with her grandmother, and the two have a great time bonding over cute outfits, and Ana is glad that she is getting to spend time with her. Things are going well, but a trip to Adventure Land with Daniel and Daniella leads to some tension. A week isn't a very long time to spend with anyone, but at the end of the week Mason asks for Ana's phone number, and the two plan to text until they both spend some time in Florida over summer vacation. 

Strengths: The Spotlight Sprinkles books have been wildly popular with my students; they are only 160 pages long, and have plenty of friend and boyfriend drama. This is one of my favorites, mainly because Grandma Gina is such fun. She gets up early, swims, and is always on the go. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I can remember how long a week can seem when one is twelve, and how interesting it was to meet other children on vacation. Grandma Gina's reminiscing about the long distance relationship she had with Ana's grandfather was rather sweet; mentioning it made it clear that she took Ana's emotions seriously, even if she knew that kids in Chicago and New York didn't have much of a chance for a serious relationship. The drama with Daniel and Daniella spiced things up, and the array of activities made sense. This was a fantastic vicarious spring break trip! 
Weaknesses: Since I've taken exactly two spring vacations in the last forty years, I didn't have a lot of sympathy with Ana's plight. At least she didn't complain too much out loud, and she did eventually enjoy being with her grandmother. Young readers will commiserate more with her. Did appreciate the effort she put into developing a vacation pitch to her parents! 
What I really think: While I would love to know who is really writing these, I am just glad to see short, middle grade romances. The original Crush series ended rather abruptly; I hope that Spotlight Sprinkles  has a few titles that are original and not reworked from previous editions. Making Waves comes out 5/5/26. 

Cornille, Didier The Cities of the Future

June 10, 2025 by Post Wave
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Starting with a brief overview of the growth of urban and suburban communities in the 1970s, this intriguing book discusses the ways in which people are trying to make cities more pleasant, sustainable places to live. After an introduction about the difficulties a variety of problems pose to urban populations, each chapter highlights different cities across the globe who are trying to mitigate the problems. This includes Berlin, whose efforts at city planning have made it one of the greenest cities in the world, and the vertical forests of Milan. Other topics include growing food in cities, using renewable energy, improving transportation, and using smart technology. There are also chapters on different historical attempts to improve city design, like the Social Palace is Guise, how different countries are working on creating the types of cities they want, and showcases of different cities that were successful in the past, like Bilbao, Spain, and Bordeaux, France.

Even as someone who enjoys living in a walkable suburb, I can see the appeal of city living. This book, which is translated from the French, has a European feel to it. It's hard to describe, but ever since I was given a translation of a Danish book as a child, I've been attracted to the modern print and small, precise pictures floating in a lot of white space that seems to define many European books, especially nonfiction titles. This is more of a middle grade book, due to its length, but could be used with younger children who have a lot of patience. I think New York City and Detroit are the only US cities that are included in this title.

The birdseye views of the components of the cities described have so much detail, and have a largely brown, green and gray color palette, which make the red and blue details really pop. Even the textures on the buildings, and the tiny trees and plants, are beautifully done. One especially fun element are the stripes along the sides of the pages which continue onto the outside, as can be seen on the cover.

While this is lacking an index or bibliography, the table of contents is very complete, and the research into both modern and historical cities seems very well done.

While there are lots of picture books about farm and country life, perhaps I have just never noticed the growing number of books about the urban landscape. Young readers who are interested in ecology and in architecture will enjoy The Cities of the Future, which is a great companion to Bartunek and Velcovsky's From Pyramids to Palaces, Sedlackova's Bustling Cities of the World, Theule's Concrete: From the Ground Up, Tardif's Metropolis, and Roeder's The Power of Architecture: 25 Modern Buildings Around the World.

And yes, I will apparently read any and all books with HENRY in the title! 

Worsley, Justin. Henry is an Artist

September 16, 2025 by Flamingo Books

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

A small dog named Henry loves to go on walks with his human, but is greatly disheartened when his lovely artwork (best described as poop sculptures) is thrown in the trash! Doesn't anyone appreciate all of his hard work and brilliance? When his owner is preoccupied on his phone, Henry manages to leave one of his projects in situ, where it is found by a group of appreciative bugs. In the dark of night, they move the sculpture into the bug hotel. Henry get an invitation to the opening, and is glad that someone finally appreciates his artistic endeavors.

The artwork has a fuzzy, almost finger painted feel to it, which makes the sculptures appear a little less realistic, which might be a good thing for squeamish readers. While my own dog does not seem to have the... talent that Henry has at making his sculpture stand upright, I guess that goes to show how much of an artist Henry really is!

Poop is certainly funny to a certain audience, and I can see this being the absolute favorite of a three year old. The text is very short, with just a sentence or two on each page, making this a short read, just in case you have to read it aloud four or five times in a row. I liked the ground level perspective; most pages show just the humans legs, since we are seeing the world from Henry's viewpoint.

This will appeal to fans of the many recent books about dogs that have been published, like Cáceres' Hello, Tobi, Sharff's Joan in the Cone, or Otis' Hazel is All That. It also joins the pantheon of books about excrement that range from Gomi's classic 1981 Everyone Poops Finally, this is a perfect gift for the legions of young Henrys that are coming up in the world; it seems to be the new hot name. There are human Henry's represented in Simon's Horrid Henry and Bailey and Song's A Friend for Henry series, as well as Henry Quackenbush's Henry the Duck and a disproportionate number of books about hippos named Henry!

First There Was Me, Then There Was You and Whoa Panda!

Sewankambo, Yvonne and McLeod, Aurore (Illustrator).
First There Was Me, Then There Was You
February 11, 2025 by Candlewick Press
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

A young boy waits eagerly for the birth of his sister, and is glad that she has arrived even though she is rather boring at first. He tells her all of the things that they will do when she is older, but also takes the time to help her learn to walk and talk. As she gets older, he can help her dance, run around, and amuse their parents. Things will not always go smoothly, and there may be fights and misunderstandings, but the boy is glad to have his sister in his life and offers her his unwavering support.

I enjoyed the overall tone of this, which nicely balanced the good and bad things about having a sibling. The boy is somewhat older, perhaps five, when his sister is born, so he has some patience that younger children may not have with infants. Even though his sister is boring, he is able to recognize the fact that there are small milestones that will lead up to a day when she is more interesting and can play with him. The recognition that there may be some sibling spats, but they will be temporary, was great. The boy in this book is certainly an exemplary older brother!

McLeod's artwork is engaging, and I loved how many of the backgrounds were set outdoors. My favorite part, which is easy to miss, was the depiction of the brother and sister's companion stuffed animals having their own adventures on some of the pages. The brother has a rabbit, and the sister a much smaller bear, and they are shown dancing, hanging from a tree branch, and having their own squabble. The rabbit even carries the bear through a field of flowers! I am not sure why this was so touching, but I enjoyed it.

There are plenty of books welcoming new babies, but I liked that this was forward looking and gave some insight into what the future would hold for the brother and sister's relationship. First There Was You, Then There Was Me is a stand out in the new sibling category, which includes Bradbury's Nearly Exactly Almost Like Me, Laguna's When You're Older, Childs' The New Small Person, Pinckney's Brandon and the Baby, and the classic Keats' Peter's Chair.

Jennings, C.S. Whoa Panda! 

August 12, 2025 by Nancy Paulsen Books

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Panda is very exuberant, but he needs to work on his personal boundaries. He stands too close, and puts his nose right in others' faces! When this happens, his friend politely asks him to step back, and Panda does. When he meets a dog whom he thinks might be a new friend, however, he scares the dog off by being too enthusiastic and squeezes too hard. He has to be reminded that a better way to greet someone new is to give the puppy a smile from a distance. When Panda licks his new friend and is admonished, Panda gets angry and stomps off, but comes back and works on his interpersonal skills so that everyone is happy.

Jennings has illustrated a wide variety of books, including the From An Idea To series, and her pictures have a great Cartoon Network goofy quality to them that is perfect for Panda's antics. Young readers will giggle when they turn the page and get a close up of Panda's eye... you are WAY too close, Panda! The dog is delightfully silly as well, and the blue and lime color scheme works with Panda's black and white.

It's hard to teach kids about personal space, even in middle school! (Do NOT hug your librarian. Please!) Humor is a great way to approach this topic, and the short and simple text is to the point. I can see this being used as a classroom read aloud in early elementary when students need lessens in keeping their hands to themselves, and the narrator has a calm, balanced approach that models how readers can tell others when behavior bothers them.

I'm a big fan of books about manners, and my personal favorite, that I read every time I visit my grandson, is Scarry's Little Golden Book of Manners. Include this in rotation with Keller's Do Unto Others, Willem's Time to Say "Please", Shannon's It's Not Funny, David, Bell's Chick and Brain: Smell My Foot to ensure that your young reader will have the skills needed to be successful in society! 

Don't You Know It's Bedtime?

Peacock, Lou and Arrhenius, Ingela P. (illustrator) 

Don't You Know It's Bedtime?

September 2, 2025 by Nosy Crow

Copy provided by Edelweiss Plus

Bear has a very set bedtime routine that involves having a snack, brushing his teeth, and putting on his pajamas. He's all ready to snuggle down for the night when there is a knock at the door. We can lift the flap to reveal mouse standing on the other side of the door. She's hungry, but Bear has an extra banana. There's another knock on the door, though, and Crocodile needs a new toothbrush! Bear helps him out, too, and the three are ready for bed when Lion knocks on the door because he has outgrown his pajamas! Luckily, he and bear are the same size. Surely everyone is ready to be tucked in now, but Owl shows up at the door on his way to band practice. Will the friends ever get to sleep? Luckily, Owl plays a soft, sleepy tune as the friends return to their houses and snuggle down in their own beds until the next morning. 

There are a lot of books about reluctant sleepers, like Alves' Time for Bed, Little Owls, Birkett's Bedtime is Boring, Strasser's So Tired, So Wide Awake, and Cummins' Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover, so I was glad to see that Bear has a well established routine and doesn't mind turning in; there are just things getting in his way! McKinlay's How to Make a Bedtime also has a good strategy for preparing a nighttime ritual. 

The artwork is very bright, and the animals are composed of simple shapes, somewhat reminiscent of Frank Asch's artwork. The text is predictable, and it's fun for young readers to lift the flap and see who is on the other side of the door. I liked the parallels of the animals asking for help with the same sort of tasks that Bear has just completed, and the Owl showing up to serenade everyone is a nice surprise. 

I can see this becoming a favorite bedtime story for little ones, and the doors are sturdy enough to hold up to repeated readings. 

Of course, I always have questions about picture books. Do bears and lions really wear the same size pajamas? Don't crodiles have birds that clean their teeth? Doesn't Mouse have any snacks in her house? And she's going to knock on Bear's door? This sort of thinking can lead to some interesting story times, even BEFORE my grandson can talk!  

Where Are You, Brontë? and Please Look After This Dog

dePaola, Tomie and McClintock, Barbara (illus.) 

Where Are You, Brontë?

May 6, 2025 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Picture book author Tomie dePaola wrote and illustrated a large number of books, starting in the 1960s, and had an impressive output right up to his death in 2020 at the age of 85. He also illustrated books written by other people, and the last creation he left behind was the text for this book. McClintock (who also illustrated Aylesworth's The Mitten) has taken this story and illustrated it in a style reminiscent of dePaola's work while still bearing her hallmarks. 

Starting when Brontë was a puppy and arrived at dePaola's home, we see how the two of them bonded. Whimpering puppies are of course allowed into one's bed, even if they spend the next twelve and a half years sleeping there. Brontë loved his toys, and would often bring them to dePaola's writing studio. The two played games, went on walks, and clearly spent a lot of time together, enjoying each other's company, even when the dog lost his sight. After Brontë's death, the refrain "Where are you, Brontë?" becomes poignant and nostalgic. Even though he misses his faithful companion very much, dePaola is comforted by the idea that Brontë will always stay with him in his memory. 

We miss dogs because they become a part of us. When they die, it feels like something is missing. This approaches the idea of death very gently, saying only "The day you left me, I knew that I would miss you", and showing dePaola looking wistfully at Brontë's food dishes and collar. After a few other lonely panels, we see an image of Brontë in the clouds, and dePaola feels that the memory of his dog is a good one that will bring him comfort. 

McClintock's artwork even includes a picnic table with many of dePaola's characters sharing a meal with him, which was a interesting touch! She clearly could have drawn his style perfectly, but the mix is perfect. The colors seem reminiscent of dePaola's work, and she does give the illustrator some wonderful scarves! 

There are a variety of picture books about death, including the one I think about most, Viorst and Blevgard's 1971 The Tenth Good Thing About Barney. Wild and Blackwood's Harry & Hopper, Macero's Rosie and Crayon, and Becker's A Stone for Sascha are also good choices for helping to deal with grief, but I think this will be read most by fans of dePaola's work like Strega Nona, Jingle the Christmas Clown, and The Cat on the Dovrefell. 

Antczak,Kasia and Kasia Fryza (illustrator)
Please Look After this Dog: A Guide to Taking Care of Me
October 7, 2025 by Post Wave
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Spot the dog wants young readers to not just know how to take care of dogs, but to understand the needs of their furry friends. In two page spreads, we first learn what your dog might be thinking or feeling, and then how humans can help. This is explained in the front of the book, which is a really wonderful inclusion. Topics covered include what to feed a dog, how to make sure your dog is comfortable and can get enough rest, what to do in case your pooch is ailing, and how to make sure a dog's potty needs are met. There are also pages about a dog's mental well being, with advice on how to comfort them during storms, when to give them space, and how to deal with barking and squirrel chasing. The last page even addresses the needs of older pets, and how to make them happy when they can no longer be as active as they were. 

The illustrations are very colorful, with combinations like pink and yellow or red and turquoise, with lots of black line accents. The main text is in a larger font, and there is just enough to make this book suitable for a read aloud, while the details of how to take care of a pet are in slightly smaller print, in case a child is reading this book independently and wants to know more about exactly how to meet a pet's needs. 

Even though the drawings are simple, Spot's expressions are rather humorous, which adds a touch of levity to a serious topic. This would be a great book to read to children who really want a pet, so that they can understand how much work is involved. 

Pets are great for children, but there is a learning curve for understanding and dealing with them. Help young Readers find out how to best deal with dogs by reading them this great guide, along with Sekaninova and Wolf's Dogs Are Great BUT (It's Great to Have a Pet) or Miles' slightly longer but very thorough The Puppy Place: A Guide to Puppies.