Check out some exciting easy and fiction titles that have come out in March.
ELEMENTARY PICTURE BOOKS
Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root (ill. G. Brian Karas). 9780763674991. 2017. Gr PK-1.
All you need for an anywhere farm is soil, sunshine, water, and a seed. You can plant a seed in a pot, a box, or even an old shoe. Read how a community comes together to create a neighborhood garden.
Bee & Me by Alison Jay. 9780763690106. 2017. Gr PK-2.
A little girl befriends a bee, which takes her on a journey of discovery in this wordless picture book.
Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper. 9781626723719. 2017. Gr PK-2.
This sweet story tells of the friendship between two cats, a big one and a little one, until one day the big cats goes away and doesn’t come back. Give this to anyone who is struggling with a loss.
Dad and the Dinosaur by Gennifer Choldenko (ill. by Dan Santat). 9780399243530. 2017. Gr K-3.
Nicholas is not really very brave, unless he has his toy dinosaur with him. One day, while playing soccer at the park, his dinosaur gets lost. Dad is the quiet hero later that night, when he takes Nicholas to search at the park.
The Fox Wish by Kimiko Aman (ill. by Komako Sakai). 9781452151885. 2017. Gr PK-2.
Roxie forgot her jump rope at the park, and when she and her brother go back to search for it, they discover that some foxes are trying to play with it. After the girl helps them out, the littlest fox said she wished for a game to play at the park. Who should the jump rope belong to?
Green Pants by Kenneth Kraegel. 9780763688400. 2017. Gr PK-2.
Jameson wears only his green pants, which make him feel invincible. However, his cousin has invited him to be in his wedding, which means wearing a tuxedo—which means black pants. Jameson has to decide: be a part of the wedding party or sit in the congregation. Author Kraegel not only accepts children’s quirks, but also their ability to come up with creative solutions.
If Your Monster Won’t Go to Bed by Denise Vega (Zachariah Ohora). 9780553496567. 2017. Gr PK-2.
A how-to book about putting your monster to bed, starting with not asking your parents for help—they don’t have a clue! Some suggestions are offering them a nice warm glass of (not milk!) bug juice and telling them a scary story. This read-aloud should keep kids in giggles.
Noisy Night by Mac Barnett (ill. by Brian Biggs). 9781596439672. 2017. Gr PK-3.
It’s night-time, but baby can’t get to sleep, because the singer in the apartment above is practicing an aria. Above that a baby calls for Mama; above that, cowboys roar with laughter; and so on. This book could make an exciting and raucous read-aloud.
Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner (ill. by Christopher Silas Neal). 9781452145426. 2017. Gr PK-2.
A boy and his mother go out in a canoe on a pond and see the hidden world of animals and plants beneath the waters.
Rain by Sam Usher. 9780763692964. 2017. Gr PK-2.
Similar to Usher’s Snow, a young boy is anxious to go outside in the rain, but his grandfather wants to wait until the sky clears up.
The Road Home by Katie Cotton (ill. by Sarah Jacoby). 9781419723742. 2017. Gr K-2.
The author expresses in poetry what he imagines forest animals say to their children as they get ready for winter.
Tidy by Emily Gravett. 9781481480192. 2017. Gr PK-2.
Kids are always told to be neat and tidy, but in Gravett’s book, a badger’s habit of tidying goes too far. Cleaning up all the leaves that fell make the bare trees look ugly, so he gets rid of them…and so on. Fortunately, he realizes the environmental mess he is making, and his friends help him restore the forest to its original state.
Triangle by Mac Barnett (ill. by Jon Klassen). 9780763696030. 2017. Gr 1-3.
Triangle plans to play a funny prank and scare his friend, Rectangle, but Rectangle isn’t amused, only scared—and angry. Can he turn the tables on Square?
ELEMENTARY CHAPTER BOOKS
Armstrong & Charlie by Steven B. Frank. 9780544826083. 2017. Gr 4-7.
When Armstrong gets signed up to be bussed to an all-white school in a different neighborhood, he’s not sure what to think. And he and his deskmate, Charlie, find that they’re an unlikely pair. But as the year goes on, they learn that there’s nothing worth fighting for more than a true friend.
Big & Little Questions (According to Wren Jo Byrd) by Julie Bowe. 9780803736931. 2017. Gr 2-4.
A young introvert finds her world has turned upside-down after her dad moves out at the beginning of summer. When she goes back to school, she realizes that no one knows and tries to keep it secret from her teacher and her friends.
Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel by Kimberly Willis Holt. 9781627793247. 2017. Gr 4-7.
After Stevie’s parents are killed in an accident, she is sent to live with her grandfather who lives at a dilapidated hotel in Texas. His aloofness makes it hard for her adjust to her new home. Both he and her mother’s past are virtually unknown to her, until she begins to meet the quirky townspeople.
A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold. 9780062445827. 2017. Gr 2-4.
Bixby Alexander Tam—thankfully his initials make the nickname “Bat”—finds life to be full of good and bad surprises. One day his veterinarian mom brings home a good surprise—a baby skunk that needs taking care of. Bat wants to keep the skunk for a pet, but convincing his mother may take some work.
Cilla Lee-Jenkins : Future Author Extraordinaire (Cilla Lee-Jenkins, Book 1) by Susan Tan. 9781626725515. 2017. Gr 3-5.
Cilla is afraid she’ll be lost in the background after the birth of her baby sister—due any day! Before then, she needs to become a best-selling author. She is writing all about herself, so that her parents won’t forget about her after the baby comes.
Dragons and Marshmallows (Zoey and Sassafras, Book 1) by Asia Citro. 9781943147090. 2017. Gr 1-3.
Zoey and her cat Sassafras are excited to learn that magical animals come to their barn for help if they are injured. With her mom away on a business trip, Zoey will have to use her science skills to help a sick baby dragon.
The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi. 9781481486965. 2017. Gr 4-7.
Three friends are trapped in a mechanical board game called The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand. They have to figure out how to defeat the game’s evil creator to save themselves and all the other children who have been trapped inside—before they become part of the machine themselves.
Genevieve’s War by Patricia Reilly Giff. 9780823438006. 2017. Gr 3-6.
Genevieve was living at her grandmother’s farm in Alsace, France, in 1939. But when the Germans invade, a Nazi officer demands a room in their farmhouse. Some French resisters, including Gen’s friend Remi, sabotage the Germans, and Gen must hide him in the attic—and hope the Nazi officer doesn’t find out!
Izzy Kline Has Butterflies by Beth Ain. 9780399550812. 2017. Gr 3-6.
Izzy faces anxious butterflies on her first day of school as she attempts to make a new best friend and try out for her grade’s performance of “Free to Be … You and Me,” all while dealing with troubling changes at home.
King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats (King & Kayla, Book 1) by Dori Hillestad Butler. 9781561458776. 2017. Gr 2-4.
King’s human, Kayla, has baked some treats for a friend’s new puppy, Thor, but some go missing and it is up to King to find the culprit.
Matylda, Bright and Tender by Molly M. McGhee. 9780763689513. 2017. Gr 3-6.
Sussy and Guy have been friends for years. Deciding that they need something of their very own to love, they buy a spotted lizard (Guy’s suggestion!) and name her Matylda. They even make up a story about her beginnings. But one day as they are riding their bikes, there is a terrible accident, and Sussy must find a way to cope with the loss of her friend. Usually these types of stories involve a pet or a grandparent, but McGhee handles the situation well.
Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere (Olga, Book 1) by Elise Gravel. 9780062351265. 2017. Gr 2-4.
Olga gives readers a peek at her observation notebook, in which she records her love for animals, her disdain for humans compared to animals, her science projects, and her observation of her fellow students, with boys with strange haircuts, people who read silly magazines for teenagers, and maybe a French-speaking spider.
One Good Thing About America by Ruth Freeman. 9780823436958. 2017. Gr 3-6.
Anais is having a hard time in her new school and neighborhood. In Africa she was the very best English student. Here no one can pronounce her name right and she can hardly understand what is being said. She misses her Papa and grandmother still in Africa. She writes them about the weird things Crazy Americans do. But she also tells about Halloween, snow, mac n’ cheese, and princess sleepovers, just a few of the things that are good about America.
The Pants Project by Cat Clarke. 9781492638094. 2017. Gr 3-6.
Though everyone sees Liv as a girl, he knows himself to be a boy. And when his new school requires all girls to wear black knee-length skirts every day, Liv knows he has to do something about it. With the help of a new friend, Liv launches the Pants Project, hoping to change the principal’s mind.
Vilonia Beebe Takes Charge by Kristin L. Gray. 9781481458429. 2017. Gr 4-6.
Vilonia tries to prove that she is responsible enough to take care of a dog.
MIDDLE SCHOOL FICTION
Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan. 9781481492065. 2017. Gr 5-8.
Amina and her best friend Soojin, both Asian Americas, are now in middle school and grappling with new friends, their changing feelings, and the pressure of dealing with their ethnicities.
The Best Medicine by Christine Hamill. 9781554518807. 2017. Gr 5-8.
Philip handles the typical middle school problems pretty well, until his mother finds out she has breast cancer. Any type of cancer would be bad, but talking—even thinking—about breast cancer is embarrassing, and Philip’s way of dealing with it are both touching and hilarious.
Braced by Alyson Gerber. 9780545902144. 2017. Gr 5-7.
When Rachel learns that her scoliosis has worsened and she will need to wear a back brace to keep her spine straight, she is devastated. She’s afraid that she will not be able to play soccer and terrified that she will not be able to hide her condition from her friends and classmates. Her mother, however, is determined to spare her the spinal fusion surgery that she herself had as a teenager.
Bronze and Sunflower by Cao Wenxuan. 9780763688165. 2017. Gr 4-8.
Taken in by a poor family in a rural village after the death of her father, Sunflower bonds with the family’s only child, Bronze, who has not spoken since being traumatized by a terrible fire.
Dragonwatch : A Fablehaven Adventure (Dragonwatch, Book 1) by Brandon Mull. 9781629722566. 2017. Gr 5-8.
Celebrant the Just is determined to enact revenge with his horde of dragons. With most of the original Dragonwatch wizards gone, Agad reaches out to Grandpa Sorenson for help. And Kendra and Seth must use their own skills in battling magical forces to help protect the world from the imminent dragon showdown.
The Fearless Travelers’ Guide to Wicked Places by Pete Begler. 9781623707996. 2017. Gr 5-8.
When Nell sees an ominous purple cloud turn her mother, Rose, into a small golden bird, she knows that some nefarious witch from the Wicked Places must be at work. Teaming up with Duke, a Fearless Traveler sworn to protect people on journeys into Dreamland, and Ravenhead, an endangered Dreamer, Nell travels the Wicked Places in search of a way to transform her mother back.
Forever, or a Long, Long Time by Caela Carter. 9780062385680. 2017. Gr 5-7.
Flora and her younger brother have been bounced from one foster home to the next as long as they can remember. Flora struggles to comprehend that her adoption means she’s found her forever home; after all, what does “forever” mean to a child who feels as if she were dropped into the world without roots? Understanding this, their adoptive mother takes them back to their former foster homes so they might be able to embrace their future.
Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry. 9781250096272. 2017. Gr 4-7.
Calli and her mother have been on the move since her father died, and she is tired of being the new girl again. The difficulty of meeting people is worsened by the fact that Calli has Tourette syndrome, and even when she makes new friends, they tend to distance themselves when her impulses become more obtrusive.
Hear the Wolves by Victoria Scott. 9781338043587. 2017. Gr 4-8.
Most of the townspeople of the Sloan’s tiny Alaska town have traveled to get supplies in a neighboring town. When a blizzard moves in and an elderly woman is injured in an accident, Sloan and five others (and a dog) brave the storm to get the woman to a doctor. The forest’s wolves have never before been a threat, but the winter has been hard and prey is hard to find. Now the wolves are starving…
Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly. 9780062414151. 2017. Gr 4-7.
After Chet “the Bull” Bullens pulls an unthinkable prank on shy, misunderstood Virgil, which also affects Gulliver (Virgil’s pet hamster), Valencia and Kaori find their lives colliding with Virgil’s and Chet’s in surprising ways.
Horizon (Book 1) by Scott Westerfeld. 9781338196580. 2017. Gr 5-8.
Eight young survivors of an Arctic plane crash are shocked to open the door not to a cold, icy landscape but to a strange jungle. With little food and water, the kids must work together to make their way in a dangerous environment full of threats like they’ve never seen before.
In Darkling Wood by Emma Carroll. 9780399556012. 2017. Gr 5-8.
When Alice goes to stay with her grandmother she discovers the magical Darkling Wood, where she meets a strange friend and discovers letters written between a brother and sister during WWI.
Love, Ish by Karen Rivers. 9781616205706. 2017. Gr 6-9.
Ish dreams of going to Mars, a place where she feels like she belongs. But when she gets an unexpected diagnosis, the news threatens to rewrite her whole future.
Miss Ellicott’s School for the Magically Minded by Sage Blackwood. 9780062402639. 2017. Gr 4-8.
Chantel is learning Spells, Potions, Wards, Summonings, and Deportment in order to safeguard the city. She is often in trouble because of attitude problems, But when all the sorceresses in charge of the city vanish, the Marauders are given free rein to attack. Chantel and her young friends must step up and use their battle spells to save the Kingdom—or die trying.
A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay. 9780763688370. 2017. Gr 7-10.
Jena has spent her entire life preparing for her role as the leader of the tunnelers—seven girls chosen at birth for their small size so they can squeeze through the small crevices of the mountain to harvest the mica their village needs to survive. The girls spend their lives deprived of food, and their limbs are wrapped to decrease growth. It is a revered but difficult life. When Jena meets Lia, a girl from a village on the other side of the mountain, both girls question everything they’ve ever been told.
Sophie Someone by Hayley Long. 9780763689957. 2017. Gr 7-10.
Sophie has never understood why her family moved to Belgium from England when she was young. And though she loves her school and her best friend Comet, there’s a cloud of mystery that hangs over her life. Sophie recalls key moments in her childhood, such as destroying passports and changing her name. Through Sophie’s own invented language, she reveals the secrets that have haunted her for so long.
When My Sister Started Kissing by Helen Frost. 9780374303037. 2017. Gr 5-8.
Claire and Abi have always loved summers at the lake house, but a pregnant stepmother and Abi’s intense new interest in boys have changed everything.
HIGH SCHOOL FICTION
The Bone Witch (Book 1) by Rin Chupeco. 9781492635826. 2017. Gr 7-12.
Tea has been ostracized from the other witches because her powers to raise the dead make her feared by all. Now she trains underground with an older bone witch, learning to control her great abilities because the others will need her soon—though they don’t know it yet.
Bull by David Elliott. 9780544610606. 2017. Gr 9-12.
This modern retelling of the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur is told in verse.
Camp So-and-So by Mary McCoy. 9781512415971. 2017. Gr 8-12.
Twenty-five girls find themselves on an unusual adventure after accepting the invitation to attend Camp So-and-So in the Starveling Mountains.
Freya (Book 1) by Matthew Laurence. 9781250088178. 2017. Gr 9-12.
Sara used to be known as Freya—the Norse goddess of love, war, beauty, and death. However, now her legacy is all she has, as her power comes from belief, and virtually nobody believes in the Norse gods anymore. A shadowy organization offers her unlimited strength and believers if only she will join them—If not, she will be destroyed. Sara instead flees with a mysterious boy in search of a way to fight back.
Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner. 9780553524062. 2017. Gr 9-12.
Reeling from the deaths of his three friends after he sent them a text, Carver faces a possible criminal investigation. When the grandmother of one of the boys invites Carver to spend a “goodbye day” sharing memories and engaging in an activity the boy they loved, Carver finds a measure of peace. When the other families make the same request, Carver is forced to face his pain head-on.
The Heartbeats of Wing Jones by Katherine Webber. 9780399555022. 2017. Gr 9-12.
Half-Chinese, half-black Wing Jones has always worshiped her older brother, but when he kills two people in a car accident and barely survives himself, Wing’s only solace is running.
The Hidden Memory of Objects by Danielle Mages Amato. 9780062445889. 2017. Gr 9-12.
When Megan’s older brother Tyler dies, she doesn’t believe that he OD’ed on heroin and committed suicide. At college, she realizes that she can see, feel, and experience the memories that objects have, and hopes to use his belongings to discover what happened to him.
Hunted by Meagan Spooner. 9780062422286. 2017. Gr 9-12.
Yeva’s been away from the forest for a long time, but she never forgot her roots. So after her father loses his fortune and Yeva moves with her sisters back to his forest lodge, Yeva is ready. But when her father goes missing, she knows the Beast is to blame, and she sets out to track him down and return her father home, whatever the consequences.
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz. 9780544586505. 2017. Gr 9-12.
Sal has always felt at home with his adoptive gay father and his Mexican-American family, but when senior year of high school comes around, he finds himself questioning everything he ever thought he knew about himself.
Overturned by Lamar Giles. 9780545812504. 2017. Gr 9-12.
Nikki’s dad is on death row for killing his friend in a fight while gambling, though he claims he’s innocent. Her goal is to save up enough money to skip town when she graduates. But when new evidence proves that her father was framed, he is released from prison, they begin a search for the truth despite the danger to both of them if they find it.
Shadow Run by Michael Miller & Adrianne Strickland. 9780399552557. 2017. Gr 8-12.
Nev, a prince in hiding, takes the job of cargo loader on a starship captained by Qole, the youngest person to ever command her own ship. He thinks Qole is the key to changing their galactic civilization for the better, but getting her cooperation proves difficult after she accuses him of trying to kidnap her. Nev learns that nothing comes between Qole and her ship and crew.
The Shadows We Know by Heart by Jennifer Park. 9781481463515. 2017. Gr 9-12.
Leah Roberts has been secretly watching sasquatches in the woods behind her house for years, but when she notices an enigmatic teenage boy living among them, her complicated family life starts to unravel.
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. 9780316341684. 2017. Gr 9-12.
Lazlo, orphan and junior librarian, dreams of finding the lost city of Weep, and when an opportunity to join the hero Godslayer and his warriors to search for it, he grabs his chance. But when they reach the city, he finds only more and more questions—and who is the blue-skinned goddess that keeps appearing in his dreams?
Ten Miles One Way by Patrick Downes. 9780399544996. 2017. Gr 10-12.
In the wake of a near-fatal car accident, Isaac Kew, twenty, recalls a very long walk he took three years earlier with his bipolar girlfriend, Nest.
Things I Should Have Known by Claire Lazebink. 9780544829695. 2017. Gr 9-12.
Chloe decides that Ivy, her older autistic sister, could use a boyfriend—and sweet, movie-obsessed Ethan in her special-needs class seems just right. The problem is that Ethan’s brother, David—whom Chloe thinks is an arrogant jerk—gets involved when Ethan and Ivy invite him and Chloe out on a double date. Chloe must confront her own romantic choices and realize it is okay to be different.
Ultimatum by K.M. Walton. 9781492635079. 2017. Gr 9-12.
When their mother dies, two very different brothers become even more distant. But when their father’s alcoholism sends him into liver failure, the two boys must come face-to-face with their demons—and each other—if they are going to survive an uncertain future.
Who Killed Christopher Goodman? : Based on a True Crime by Allan Wolf. 9780763656133. 2017. Gr 9-12.
Chris Goodman was a little strange, but everybody seemed to like him, so when he’s murdered, the entire community is shocked. Now they’re left to wonder how such a thing could happen.
You’re Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner. 9780399551420. 2017. Gr 8-12.
Julia is expelled when she tries to cover up a slur about her best friend painted on the wall at her deaf school, and now she feels like an outcast in her suburban mainstream school. While painting graffiti around town, she finds herself in a turf war with another artist. Expressing herself by art might land her in even hotter water, but her graffiti is the only part of her identity that makes sense to her now.
