This week's NEW Books
A-Z of bird portraits : an illustrated guide to painting beautiful birds in acrylics
Forkner, Andrew, author.
2019
Blanket
Ohi, Ruth, author, illustrator
2022
It's a beautiful morning, but when Cat wakes up, the world feels gray. Cat wraps up in a blanket and hides — until Dog comes in. What can Dog do to help Cat? Ruth Ohi's first wordless picture book is a quiet, heartfelt story about those times when you just want to hide under a blanket — and how much it can mean to have a friend who will be there to keep you company.
Chlorine : a novel
Song, Jade, author.
2023
Ren Yu is a swimmer. If she swims well enough, she will be scouted, get a scholarship, go to a good school. Her parents will love her. Her coach will be kind to her. She will have a good life. But these are human concerns. These are the concerns of those confined to land, those with legs. Ren grew up on stories of creatures of the deep, of the oceans and the rivers. Ren aches to be in the water. And she will do anything she can to make a life for herself where she can be free. No matter the pain. No matter what anyone else thinks. No matter how much blood she has to spill.
Clues to the universe
Li, Christina, author.
2021
The only thing Rosalind Ling Geraghty loves more than watching NASA launches with her dad is building rockets with him. When he dies unexpectedly, all Ro has left of him is an unfinished model rocket they had been working on together. Benjamin Burns doesn't like science, but he can't get enough of Spacebound, a popular comic book series. When he finds a sketch that suggests that his dad created the comics, he's thrilled. Too bad his dad walked out years ago, and Benji has no way to contact him. Though Ro and Benji were only supposed to be science class partners, the pair become unlikely friends: Benji helps Ro finish her rocket, and Ro figures out a way to reunite Benji and his dad. But Benji hesitates, which infuriates Ro. Doesn't he realize how much Ro wishes she could be in his place?
Eleanor's moon
Knaus, Maggie, author, illustrator
2023
Taught by her grandfather to love the moon, Eleanor still feels connected and close to him after she and her parents move away when she sees the moon in everything.
Fox has a problem
Tabor, Corey R., author, illustrator
2023
"Fox has a not-so-new problem, and every possible solution leads to more problems for the other animals, until they all come together with the ultimate fix"-- Provided by publisher.
Henry, like always
Bailey, Jenn, 1965- author
2023
Henry, a first grader on the autism spectrum, attempts to navigate friendships, and sudden changes in classroom routines--like a parade on Friday instead of share time.
I am not a ghost : the Canadian Pacific Railway
Bouchard, David, 1952-, author
2023
I am not a ghost tells the story of a Chinese railway worker who comes to Canada to work on the Great Canadian Pacific Railway. He, like all the others, came in search of a better life but would have died if not for the benevolence of Amelia Douglas, wife of the former governor of British Columbia. A fictional but historically accurate story with an important message, I AM NOT A GHOST describes the racism and hardship that these newcomers to Canada faced and should be required reading for anyone who wants to learn about this troubling period in Canada's history.
Journey around the sun : the story of Halley's comet
Gladstone, James, 1969- author
2021
"Journey Around the Sun is the story of Halley's Comet, as told by the comet itself, as it returns to Earth approximately every 75 years. At the same time that we learn about the comet, we also learn about the history of human culture and technology, evolving as it has toward a greater understanding of our universe. Amazingly, although people in early civilizations did not know about the return orbit of Halley's Comet, documentation of the comet has survived from ancient China, Babylon, Greece, and the Arab world. (Comets were also painted in North and South America, but it's less clear whether or not they were of Halley.) These sightings were seen as omens good and bad, and they were woven into tapestries, painting on scrolls, immortalized in theatre. Edmond Halley predicted the comet would return in 1758, and he was proven right through successive technologies: telescopes, cameras, and eventually a spacecraft, Giotto, which photographed the comet's ice core at close range. Whether viewed through a cultural, psychological, or scientific lens, what's clear is that the history of Halley's comet is deeply tied to our own. The question that remains is what will Halley's Comet "see" the next time it comes to visit? The book ends with an Author's Note with more information about Halley's Comet and comets in general."-- Provided by publisher.
Jumper : a day in the life of a backyard jumping spider
Lanan, Jessica, author, illustrator
2023
"From critically acclaimed illustrator of The Lost Package comes a bold nonfiction story following a day in the life of a backyard jumping spider"-- Provided by publisher.
Leeva at last
Pennypacker, Sara, 1951- author
2023
What are people for? That's the burning question on the mind of Leeva Spayce Thornblossom. Fame! says Leeva's mom, the mayor of Nutsmore. Money! says her dad, the town treasurer. With the help of an orphaned badger, a risk-averse boy in a hazmat suit, and the town's librarians, Leeva sets off to discover her own answer--setting off a chain of events that will change Nutsmore forever.
Lulu flutters
Mara, Maddy, author
2024
Join the four newest Sprout Wings on their adventures in the Magic Forest! These Forever Fairies will learn all there is to know about how fairies help save the day.
Maker comics. Design a game!
Wolf, Bree (Bree D.), author, artist
2022
Siblings Shen, Shondra, and Shontoya arrive at Ludum Omega Summer Camp with a passion for games, and Professor Zephyr is excited to teach this year’s students all about the art and science of game design! What makes a game fun? What kinds of games are out there? How can designers turn an okay game into a great one? With Maker Comics: Design a Game! as your guide, you’ll play and modify classic games and learn how to build and test a prototype of a new game that’s all your own!
Marshmallow martians. 2, Earth school
Kent, Deanna, author
2023
Lunchboxes, recess, and gym--oh my! Without G.L.O.W., their Galactic Learning Online Whiz (which is a fancy way of saying "computer"), the Marshmallow Martians don't know where to turn for information. So they have to go to where all the cool kids learn--earthling school.
The Mona Lisa vanishes : a legendary painter, a shocking heist, and the birth of a global celebrity
Day, Nick (Nicholas), author
2023
"A narrative nonfiction about how the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, how the robbery made the portrait the most famous artwork in the world-and how the painting by Leonardo da Vinci should never have existed at all"-- Provided by publisher.
Nova shimmers
Mara, Maddy, author
2024
Nova and her best fairy friends Lulu, Coco, and Zali are ready for their next fairy pod try-out, this time for the Shimmerbuds--who know all about fairy medicine. Nova isn't very speedy, but she loves helping the forest animals! When the forest trolls interrupt the challenge with more shenanigans, Nova has to think fast. Can she and the other Sprout Wings work together and mend the mess?
Rebel rising : a memoir
Wilson, Rebel, author
2024
For decades, Rebel Wilson had single-mindedly focused on her career, making a name for herself through her iconic roles in Pitch Perfect, Bridesmaids, and Isn't It Romantic. Now, she's ready to chronicle the emotional and physical lessons she learned, as well as her most embarrassing experiences. Rebel writes for the first time about the most personal and important moments in her life - from fertility issues, weight gain and loss, sexuality, overcoming shyness, rejections, and, well - okay there's at least one story thrown in about Brad Pitt.
Releasing the mother load : how to carry less and enjoy motherhood more
Djossa, Erica, author
2024
Mothers today are tired, overworked, and overwhelmed. The impractical standards placed on them leave them feeling burnt out and frustrated. This book is an experiential guidebook that provides moms the practical support they need, free from judgment, fear, and shame. Based on the teachings in her Momwell community, psychotherapist Erica Djossa invites us to break free from societal conditioning that demands we do it all, and step into a new way of thinking that relieves the weight of unrealistic motherhood expectations and allows us to say no, take on less, and enjoy life more.
The secret lives of booksellers and librarians : true stories of the magic of reading
Patterson, James, 1947- author
2024
To be a bookseller or librarian. You have to play detective. Be a treasure hunter. A matchmaker. An advocate. A visionary. A person who creates 'book joy' by pulling a book from a shelf, handing it to someone and saying, 'You've got to read this. You're going to love it.' Step inside . . . and enter a world where you can feed your curiosities, discover new voices, find whatever you want or require. This place has the magic of rainbows and unicorns, but it's also a business. The book business. Meet the smart and talented people who live between the pages--and who can't wait to help you find your next favorite book.
The talk
Bell, Darrin, author
2023
Darrin Bell was six years old when his mother told him he couldn't have a realistic water gun. She said that police tend to think of little Black boys as older and less innocent than they really are. Through evocative illustrations and sharp humour, Bell examines how The Talk shaped intimate and public moments from childhood to adulthood. Drawing attention to the brutal murders of African Americans and showcasing revealing insights and cartoons along the way, he brings us up to the moment of reckoning when people took to the streets protesting the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
The twilight garden : a novel
Adams, Sara Nisha, author
2024
In a small pocket of London, between the houses of No.77 and No.79 Eastbourne Road, lies a neglected community garden. It was a beautiful thing once. The garden's gate is now firmly closed. And that's exactly how Winston at No.79 likes it - anything to avoid Bernice, who has moved in next door. But then a mysterious parcel drops on Winston's doormat - a bundle of photographs of the garden in bloom many years ago. Somewhere out there, a secret gardener made a decades-old promise to keep the community's spirit alive. Now it's time for The Twilight Garden to come out of hibernation.
Whalefall : a novel
Kraus, Daniel, 1975-, author
2023
Jay Gardiner has given himself a fool's errand - to find the remains of his deceased father in the Pacific Ocean. The dive begins well enough, but the sudden appearance of a giant squid puts Jay in very real jeopardy, made infinitely worse by the arrival of a sperm whale looking to feed. Suddenly, Jay is caught in the squid's tenacles and drawn into the whale's mouth where he is pulled into the first of its four stomachs. He quickly realizes he has only one hour before his oxygen tanks run out - one hour to defeat his demons and escape the belly of a whale.
When sunlight tiptoes
Sze, Gillian, 1985- author
2023
"On a beautiful, sunny morning, a family runs errands along a city street. They visit a bakery, flower shop and fruit market. Exuberant in sounds and sights--a baker sugaring tarts, flowers greeting passers-by and pigeons cooing--the story ends as a new day of sparkling possibility begins"-- Provided by publisher.
