Check out these exciting easy and fiction titles published in February. You’ll find magic, talking animals, dystopian societies, science fiction, and fantasy. Happy reading!
ELEMENTARY PICTURE BOOKS
Adelaide’s Secret World by Elise Hurst. 9781524714543. 2018. Gr 1-3.
A shy, human-like rabbit named Adelaide crafts tiny figurines of animals that only she can see, and whom she knows are as lonely as she is. But a chance meeting with a fox and a mysterious storm help Adelaide gather the courage to bring all the lonely animals together.
Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick & David Serlin. 9781338180619. 2018. Gr PK-3.
Baby Monkey, private eye, will investigate stolen jewels, missing pizzas, and other mysteries—If he can manage to figure out how to put his pants on.
The Bat can Bat : A Book of True Homonyms by Gene Barretta. 9780805099461. 2018. Gr 1-3.
Silly animal athletes teach readers what a homonym is during a hilarious game.
The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates & Juniper Bates. 9781534406582. 2018. Gr PK-2.
A big red umbrella with a smiley face likes to help anyone who needs shelter from the rain. It spreads its arms wide and welcomes those who are small, tall, hairy, or many-legged. There is always room for everyone under the big red umbrella.
The Book about Nothing by Mike Bender (ill. by Hugh Murphy). 9780399551093. 2018. Gr PK-2.
This funny book is about nothing, nada, zilch—but that doesn’t mean it isn’t about something.
The Boy and the Blue Moon by Sara O’Leary (ill. by Ashley Crowley). 9781627797740. 2018. Gr PK-3.
A boy and his cat set out on a magical adventure during a blue moon. Through fields, forests, and lakes, the two fly through blue skies to reach the moon. But Earth calls them home—and the boy wakes wondering if it was all a dream.
Cool Cat Versus Top Dog by Mike Yamada. 9781847807380. 2018. Gr PK-1.
The annual Pet Quest race is here again, and Cool Cat and Top Dog are racing against each other, and against Buck Thumper, for the coveted Pet Quest Cup. However, their competitiveness gets the best of them, threatening to keep both of them from crossing the finish line. Now they must find a way to work together to keep Buck Thumper from winning the prize.
Honk! Splat! Vroom! By Barry Gott. 9781512441406. 2018. Gr PK-2.
As five mice race along a road, trying to be the first to the finish line, they have to avoid several obstacles, including a cat!
May I Come In? by Marsha Diane Arnold (ill. by Jennie Poh). 9781585363940. 2018. Gr PK-2.
Raccoon doesn’t want to be alone during a thunderstorm, but none of his neighbors have any room for him. Will anyone let him in?
Nobody’s Duck by Mary Sullivan. 9780544792500. 2018. Gr K-2.
When Duck mysteriously arrives on Alligator’s front lawn, Alligator demands to know who Duck belongs to. As they set off to find out, they have a series of wacky adventures together at the library, a movie theater, and a go-kart track before returning to Alligator’s home where they finally realize who Duck belongs to after all, learning an important lesson about friendship.
Old Hat by Emily Gravett. 9781534409170. 2018. Gr PK-2.
Everyone mocks Herbert because of his old hat, which his grandma knitted for him when he was little. He tries getting new hats, but fashion changes faster than he can buy them. Maybe, Herbert finally decides, he should just wear what he wants.
Petra by Marianna Coppo. 9780735262676. 2018. Gr PK-2.
As her view of herself changes, an imaginative little rock named Petra cheerfully adapts to her circumstances by imagining herself to be first a mighty mountain, then an egg, and finally an island after she is flung into a pond.
Rabbit & Possum by Dana Wulfekotte. 9780062455819. 2018. Gr PK-1.
When Rabbit’s friend Possum accidentally becomes stuck in a tree, Rabbit devises a variety of plans to rescue him, but none work. Rabbit refuses to give up and has one more idea—if Possum is brave enough to try it.
Vincent Comes Home by Jessixa Bagley & Aaron Bagley. 9781626727809. 2018. Gr PK-3.
Vincent has always lived on board a ship, which stops at ports all over the world. Vincent wonders what “home” is, because he has never had a fixed place to live. Then, one day. he wanders ashore and finds out something very important about the meaning of home.
ELEMENTARY CHAPTER BOOKS
The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. 9780062686206. 2018. Gr 4-6.
In 1350 Europe, a hunchbacked orphan named Boy lives as an outcast. Through his climbing and jumping talents—and ability to talk to animals—Boy draws the attention of a strange pilgrim named Secundus who manipulates Boy into stealing the seven relics of Saint Peter located all across Europe.
Geeked Out : A LAME New World (Geeked Out, Book 1) by Obert Skye. 9781627799393. 2018. Gr 3-5.
A secret vigilante group called the League of Average and Mediocre Entities is formed by a group of middle school geeks who have had enough of being bullied. With the chaos of life outside of school growing, LAME is determined to at least give their fellow middle school students the super heroes they need in school.
Granted by John David Anderson. 9780062643865. 2018. Gr 4-6.
Ophelia Delphinium Fidgets is a wish-granting fairy in the magical land of Haven. Only a small number of wishes get granted, and one particular day, Ophelia gets her first wish-granting assignment ever. She soon learns that granting wishes takes more effort than she thought.
A Pup Called Trouble by Bobbie Pyron. 9780062685223. 2018. Gr 3-6.
When a coyote pup named Trouble finds himself lost in New York City, he’s torn between the love he’s developing for his new friends there and the ache he feels missing his siblings back at Singing Creek. But when word gets around that a coyote is loose in the city, Trouble will have to make a difficult decision about where he truly belongs.
Raffie on the Run by Jacqueline Resnick. 9781626728660. 2018. Gr 4-6.
Raffie loves living in the subway station with his family, where his little brother loves to listen to his adventure stories. But when his brother is taken, Raffie must make his way across the city to find him and bring him back home.
Wed Wabbit by Lissa Evans. 9781338185270. 2018. Gr 3-5.
When Fidge, impatient with her little sister Minnie, kicks Minnie’s stuffed Wed Wabbit into the street, Minnie gets hit by a car when she runs after it. Fidge stays with her cousin Graham while her mother is at the hospital with Minnie. A thunderstorm transports the kids to the Land of the Wimbley Woos from Minnie’s favorite picture book. The land is being tyrannized by Wed Wabbit, and Fidge and Graham must save the land from Wed Wabbit—or they’ll never get back home again.
The Wishmakers (Book 1) by Tyler Whitesides. 9780062568311. 2018. Gr 3-6.
When Ace opens a jar of peanut butter, he accidentally unleashes a genie named Ridge. Now a Wishmaker, Ace is bound to help Ridge complete a quest to save the world in one week’s time. Although Ridge can grant Ace unlimited wishes to help with the quest, each one has consequences. The pair soon encounter two other Wishmakers and their genies, and the three kids join together in a race across the country to save the world before time runs out.
MIDDLE SCHOOL FICTION
Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire (Arlo Finch, Book 1) by John August. 9781626728141. 2018. Gr 6-8.
When Arlo Finch joins the Rangers—Pine Mountain’s version of the Boy Scouts—he thinks he’s going to be learning wilderness skills. But Arlo discovers that a wild magic from a parallel realm permeates the mysterious Long Woods, and he must learn how to defeat a dark and ancient evil that is sending threats into Arlo’s world.
Fourth Dimension (Rule of 3, Book 1) by Eric Walters. 9780143198444. 2018. Gr 7-10.
Emma moves with her younger brother and ex-Marine mother into a brand-new condo building, which means there is still some electrical work going on, so at first she is unconcerned by the latest blackout. Then, her car won’t start, and all their cellphones seem to have died at the same time. Emma and her family were about to go on a camping trip, so they head out into the wilderness to weather out the disaster—but when society breaks down, violence comes all too close.
Legends of the Lost Causes (Book 1) by Brad McLelland & Louis Sylvester. 9781250124326. 2018. Gr 4-7.
After an outlaw burns down the Home for Lost Causes, Keech and his band of orphans need to find the powerful and legendary Char Stone. Though they are all Lost Causes, they must battle threatening forests and zombies, discover new things about themselves, and find the stone before the outlaw does.
Marabel and the Book of Fate by Tracy Barrett. 9780316433990. 2018. Gr 4-7.
When Princess Marabel’s twin brother, Marco, is kidnapped on their thirteenth birthday, Marabel must defy expectations and prophecies, leave the castle for the first time, and face great danger to rescue him.
The Quest of the Cubs (Bears of the Ice, Book 1) by Kathryn Lasky. 9780545683043. 2018. Gr 4-7.
The Northern Kingdoms of the polar bears are taken over by a group of power-hungry bears. When Roguers come to snatch a set of twin bear cubs, their mother offers herself instead. The cubs set off on a dangerous mission across the ice to find their mother. Along the way, they must learn to trust each other if they want to survive.
Tempests and Slaughter (Numair Chronicles, Book 1) by Tamora Pierce. 9780375847110. 2018. Gr 7-10.
Arram Draper, Varice Kingsford, and Ozorne Tasikhe forge a bond of friendship that sees them through many changes as student mages at Imperial University of Carthak.
The Traitor’s Game (Book 1) by Jennifer A. Nielsen. 9781338045376. 2018. Gr 6-8.
In the kingdom of Antora. Kestra is returning from exile and traveling home to meet her father, chief counsel to the evil ruler Lord Endrick. She is kidnapped by a group of rebels, who plan to force her to retrieve the lost Olden Blade, the only object that can destroy Lord Endrick. She fights back, but as long-buried secrets come to light, Kestra questions everything she’s been told about her family and her kingdom.
HIGH SCHOOL FICTION
The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson. 9781481498548. 2018. Gr 9-12.
Elena Mendoza, the first scientifically confirmed virgin birth, acquires the ability to heal by touch at the same time that people start disappearing in beams of light, causing her to wonder if she is bringing about the Apocalypse.
The Belles (Book 1) by Dhonielle Clayton. 9781484728499. 2108. Gr 9-12.
The Belles are young women given powers by the Goddess of Beauty. They keep the citizens of Orleans beautiful and free from turning back into red-eyed monsters, which is their natural state. Camellia, a Belle, desperately covets the role of Queen’s favorite; but when another Belle is chosen, Camellia begins to question what she knows about the Belles.
The Book of Pearl by Timothee de Fombelle. 9780763691264. 2018. Gr 7-12.
Joshua Pearl is stuck in an old-world Parisian marshmallow shop just before World War II. He is originally from a fairy tale world, the memories of which fade the longer he stays in our world—including memories of his great love still waiting for him—and he doesn’t know how to return home. He must preserve his memories through trinkets that keep his story alive, or else lose his love forever.
Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston. 9780062652850. 2018. Gr 9-12.
Ana is a scoundrel and an outlaw. She was found floating in space with an android and rescued by a space captain and his crew. Now her android is not working properly, and she will do anything to fix it, including stealing the coordinates to a ship that might hold the answers. But an Ironblood boy gets the data first, and now they are both fugitives together. Someone wants them captured—dead or alive.
Honor Among Thieves (Honors, Book 1) by Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre. 9780062570994. 2018. Gr 9-12.
Homeless teenager Zara is a petty criminal who is shockingly recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by a race of sentient aliens to explore the outer reaches of the universe in a ship. But as she befriends the other humans on board the Leviathan, she learns some dark truths about the ship.
Ink, Iron, and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare. 9781250112767. 2018. Gr 9-12.
In a steampunk fantasy set in nineteenth-century Italy, a young woman named Elsa finds a secret society of alchemists, chemists, engineers, and scriptologists. When she meets a handsome mechanist, she tries to recruit him and the rest to help her find her kidnapped mother, just as an assassin arrives.
The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross. 9780062471345. 2018. Gr 8-12.
Brienna longs to master her passion of knowledge and to find a patron in the kingdom of Valenia. However, she is left without one until a shady, disgraced lord offers patronage. She accepts and soon is swept up into a world of betrayal and intrigue as she discovers a plot to overthrow the king of Maevana—the rival kingdom of Valenia—and restore the rightful queen, who is destined to rise up and lead the revolution.
Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman. 9781101931288. 2108. Gr 9-12.
In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, Tess, a stepsister of Seraphina, is trying to dull the pain of a past trauma with alcohol when she causes a fight at her sister’s wedding. She decides to disguise herself as a boy and run away. Along the way, she helps a friend on a quest and tries to come to terms with who she is and where she really belongs.
When Light Left Us by Leah Thomas. 9781681191812. 2018. Gr 8-12.
After their father left, the Vasquez children were left with a void—which was filled when a shimmering alien figure named Luz appeared near their house. But when Luz also left, he took something from each of them. How can they go on with their normal lives after being so changed?
Your One & Only by Adrianne Finlay. 9780544991477. 2018. Gr 9-12.
After a plague kills most of humanity, the remaining humans created clones to populate the Earth, trying to make them plague-resistant and eliminate human flaws. Jack, believed to be the only human left, struggles to fit in with the clones. Then clone Althea-310 finds herself falling for Jack. Just as they grow closer, Jack is blamed for acts of vandalism to the community, and Althea risks everything to defend him. They set out to uncover who’s responsible and just what role Jack plays in the future of humanity.
ADULT CROSSOVER FICTION
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. 9780312577230. 2018. Gr 11-Adult.
Ernt Allbright, a former POW, returns from the Vietnam War and moves his family, which includes his wife Cora and thirteen-year-old daughter Leni, to Alaska to live off the grid in the harsh wilderness. Things go well at first, but as the darkening winter approaches and their resources dwindle, Ernt’s mental state deteriorates. Cora and Leni face the truth that they are on their own if they want to survive.
Gunpowder Moon by David Pedreira. 9780062676085. 2018. Gr 11-Adult.
As nations on the Earth get closer to war, Caden Dechert wants only to keep his crew safe in the moon’s unforgiving surface. But small crimes on the moon escalate into murder, and the lunar inhabitants begin to question if anyone is safe there. While trying to find the killer and prevent a catastrophe, Dechert discovers a conspiracy that could threaten not only the moon, but civilization on earth as well.
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig. 9780525522874. 2018. Gr 11-Adult.
Tom Hazard has a rare condition that has kept him alive for centuries, allowing him to be a part of history, from performing with Shakespeare to sharing drinks with Fitzgerald. He takes a job in a London high school where he teaches the history he actually lived. He falls for the French teacher, but a secret society that follows people with Tom’s condition forbids love. Tom must then decide if he can live in the present or continue to be haunted by memories of his past.
The Philosopher’s Flight by Tom Miller. 9781476778150. 2018. Gr 11-Adult.
When America joins its allies during World War I, 18-year-old Robert wants to enlist in the elite Sigilry Corps. But the unit doesn’t accept men, because women are much better magicians (known as empirical philosophers) than men. Robert is determined and is finally accepted to the all-female school of magic for training, and must prove that he has the right stuff.
