Whether you’re soaring on the backyard swing set or fighting off aliens with a giant, robot-shaped hotel, life is always exciting in the spring. Check out these new releases to give your May an extra kick!
New in Picture Books
Touch the Sky by Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic and illustrated by Chris Park
Interest Level: Grade K – 3
Vern longs to be one of the kids who swoop until their toes touch the sky. He heads to the swings and desperately tries to pump his legs, but he just can’t get it. A chance encounter with precocious (and hilarious) Gretchen gives him just what he needs to know, and he finally learns to soar. A story for every child on the cusp of learning something new who just needs an extra push to get there.
Praise for Touch the Sky
★ “Lucianovic demonstrates a keen, child-friendly understanding of what it’s like to master a new skill. . . The energetic, loosely drawn mixed-media illustrations zing with color. . . It’s swing, hit, and no miss with this rip-roaring charmer.” — starred, Kirkus Reviews
Good Night, Good Beach by Joy Cowley and illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper
Interest Level: Grade PreK – 1
An evocative bedtime picture book that distills the essence of a family summer at the beach—skin sticky with salt, sandy feet, waves hush-hushing, and a shell under the pillow.
Praise for Good Night, Good Beach
“Tapper’s illustrations, simple yet lively ink drawings with soft watercolor washes, are particularly evocative of a child’s beach experience. . . A pleasing, summery picture book.” — Booklist
The Apple Argument by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Anita Barghigiani
Interest Level: Grade PreK – 1
In the Garden of Eden, God buried the vegetables and put the fruits where they could be seen. Wanting easy picking, the caretakers of the Garden listen to the snake, pick the apples, and suffer the consequences.
Praise for The Apple Argument
“The story of the Garden of Eden gets juicy in this picture book that looks at the tale from a new perspective.” — Foreword Reviews
“A palatable variation (of the Garden of Eden story) that connects the tale to contemporary individuals ‘hardy, sweet, and difficult.'” — Publishers Weekly
This Is Not a Cholent by Sarah Sassoon and illustrated by Viviana Garofoli
Interest Level: Grade PreK – 2
Amira loves her Nana’s Iraqi cholent and it’s time for the “Best Cholent Competition Down Under.” “This is not a cholent,” say the other participants. But everyone agrees the stew is the best cholent ever.
Praise for This Is Not a Cholent
“In this Australia-set tale, a girl and her grandmother demonstrate that it’s what comes out of the pot that matters. Delicious and guaranteed to leave readers hungry for more helpings.” — Kirkus Reviews
A Feather, A Pebble, a Shell by Miri Leshem-Pelly
Interest Level: Grade PreK – 2
When the Israeli author-illustrator runs in a field or swims in the sea, she looks for something to hold in her hand: a pebble or a feather. She leaves them in their habitats . . . for the reader to find.
Praise for A Feather, A Pebble, a Shell
“Will appeal to all nature lovers as well as all readers who want to learn about the landscape of Israel. This beautiful book is a breath of fresh air.” — Sydney Taylor Shmooze
New in Graphic Novels
Hotelitor: Luxury-Class Defense and Hospitality Unit by Josh Hicks
Interest Level: Grade 9 – 12
Luxury ship Hotelitor is equipped with a hyperspace engine and single, double, and adjoining rooms. When an alien attack strands the craft in deep space, 18-year-old intern Anna Greene must save its guests from chaos.
Praise for Hotelitor
“Sharp and full of heart and fun.”—Booklist
“A clever, high-octane graphic novel satire of the bourgeois and proletariat.” — Publishers Weekly
“Relying on often hilarious situations and dialogue, Hicks delivers a sharp story about the service industry, social classes, and corporate greed . . . Hotelitor blends sci-fi and class comedy with entertaining results. A good choice for YA graphic novel collections.” — School Library Journal
New in Young Adult
Eyes Open by Lyn Miller-Lachmann
Interest Level: Grade 9 – 12
Living under the Salazar dictatorship in 1960s Portugal, Sónia must find her voice as a poet and an activist after the government arrests her boyfriend and shuts down her family’s business in this moving novel in verse.
Praise for Eyes Open
★ “Beautifully and fluidly written, Miller-Lachmann’s memorable verse novel captures the setting splendidly, dramatizing the abysmal condition of women under the dictatorship.” — starred, Booklist
★ “The verse format allows Sónia’s poetic voice to shine, drawing readers into the stark reality she’s dealing with. . . Conveys harshness, beauty—and lingering hope.” — starred, Kirkus Reviews