Check out these exciting easy and fiction titles published in November. Happy reading!
ELEMENTARY PICTURE BOOKS
Captain’s Log : Snowbound by Erin Dionne & Jeffrey Ebbeler. 9781580898256. Charlesbridge. 2018. Gr PK-3.
A young boy is stuck inside during a massive snowstorm and imagines himself on a ship just like Ernest Shackleton, his favorite explorer, whose ship was also trapped by ice in Antarctica.
The Case of the Missing Chalk Drawings by Richard Byrne. 9781250189592. Macmillan. 2018. Gr PK-3.
Colored chalks are angry because their chalk flower drawings are being stolen. When Sergeant Blue looks into the case, he discovers that the culprit is the eraser. But how to prevent this in the future? Chalks have to draw and erasers have to erase. Sergeant Blue comes up with a solution.
Don’t Touch My Hair! by Sharee Miller. 9780316562584. Hachette. 2018. Gr PK-3.
Aria, a young black girl, loves her vibrant hair, but must take extreme measures to avoid the people who want to touch it without her permission. Finally, she learns to speak up.
Eleanor Wyatt, Princess and Pirate by Rachael MacFarlane (ill. by Spencer Laudiero). 9781250138576. Macmillan. 2018. Gr PK-2.
Eleanor can’t decide if she wants to be a princess or a pirate. She’s glad to realize that she can be either one, or both together, or something else entirely. Though Eleanor is white, she has racially diverse friends as well as one in a wheelchair.
The Elephant’s Child by Rudyard Kipling (ill. by Jonas Laustroer). 9789888341672. IPG. 2018. Gr K-4.
Because of his “satiable curiosity” about what the crocodile has for dinner, the elephant’s child and all elephants thereafter have long trunks.
Five Flying Penguins by Barbara Barbieri McGrath (ill. by Stephanie Fizer Coleman). 9781580898058. Charlesbridge. 2018. Gr PK-2.
Five little penguins are minding their own business when a seal starts to chase them. This counting book for young readers is also an adventure tale with a humorous twist at the end.
Found. by Jeff Newman & Larry Day. 9781534410060. Simon & Schuster. 2018. Gr PK-3.
Some time ago, a young girl lost her dog, and she has finally stopped looking for him. One day she finds another lost dog, takes him home, and cares for him. They become great friends—and then she sees his picture on a “Lost Dog” poster. Can she lose him, too?
Hide and Seek by Anthony Browne. 9781536202601. Candlewick. 2018. Gr PK-2.
While searching for their missing dog, Goldie, in the woods, Poppy and Cy play a game of hide-and-seek to distract themselves. Illustrations by the author offer hidden animals for the reader to find.
Little Fox in the Snow by Jonathan London (ill. by Daniel Miyares). 9780763688141. Candlewick. 2018. Gr PK-3.
Follow a fox through his day as he explores the woods, searching for dinner and almost becoming dinner himself. The poetic text makes this a great read-aloud as well as perfect for a science unit on food webs.
Making a Friend by Tammi Sauer (ill. by Alison Friend). 9780062278937. Harper Collins. 2018. Gr PK-3.
Beaver has tried several times to make friends with the other forest creatures. Finally, he gives up and starts to make his own friend—out of snow. Raccoon stops to help, because it takes two to make a friend. They are disappointed in their new friend, which is cold and silent, until they realize that they have become friends.
My Heart Is a Compass by Deborah Marcero. 9780316561761. Hachette. 2018. Gr PK-3.
In an effort to bring something unique to show-and-tell, Rose decides to draw an intricate map of her imagination.
No Boring Stories! by Julie Falatko (ill. by Charles Santoso). 9780451476821. Penguin. 2018. Gr PK-2.
When a group of oddball animal friends get together to brainstorm their next great story idea, an adorable bunny desperately wants to join in. But the group thinks cute bunnies are boring and assume anything she contributes will be as well. She manages to prove her ideas are wonderfully strange, and she’s finally allowed to join the writers’ group.
Sophie Johnson, Unicorn Expert by Morag Hood (ill. by Ella Okstad). 9781534431614. Simon & Schuster. 2018. Gr PK-3.
Sophie knows all about unicorns; in fact, she currently has 17 of them. They include her little brother, her dog, and several stuffed animals—all complete with horns. It’s a lot of work to care for all of them, especially because her mother is more concerned with mess than with magic. The humor broadens when the appearance of a real unicorn is noticed by everyone but Sophie.
ELEMENTARY CHAPTER BOOKS
Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr. 9781536200171. Candlewick. 2018. Gr 3-6.
Astrid is the only child in her small Norwegian town. She loves skiing and sledding, and enjoys spending time with her best friend and godfather, Gunnvald. One day, a family with children moves to town along with Gunnvald’s daughter, whom Astrid didn’t know about, and her whole world is turned upside-down as she learns about estrangement, physical distance, and the bonds that connect friends and family.
Gamer Army by Trent Reedy. 9781338045291. Scholastic. 2018. Gr 4-7.
Rogan is an expert at the virtual reality game Laser Viper, so much so that he is invited to join four other young players in a contest to see who will be the grand champion. They work as a team, with one player voted out at each level, and as play progresses, the remaining players realize that they are in real danger.
Henry & Eva and the Castle on the Cliff by Andrea Portes. 9780062560025. Harper Collins. 2018. Gr 4-6.
After the death of their parents, Henry and Eva are living with their Uncle Claude and his girlfriend. When ghosts of their ancestors appear to tell the children that their parents’ deaths were not accidental, Henry and Eva set off to find the killer.
Inkling by Kenneth Oppel. 9781524772819. Random House. 2018. Gr 4-6.
Inkling, a being made entirely of ink, can be whatever he wants to be. From the first moment he pulls himself out of the pages of a sketchbook, Inkling has a mission—to teach Ethan how to draw, to help Ethan’s artist dad get working again, and to try to help Ethan’s heart heal.
Lizzy and the Good Luck Girl by Susan Lubner. 9780762465026. Hachette.2018. Gr 4-6.
Ever since Lizzy’s mother lost her baby two years ago, Lizzy has been on the watch for omens—good or bad. When she meets a homeless runaway, Lizzy sees the temporary tattoo of a four-leaf clover on the girl’s wrist and takes it as a sign of good luck for her mom’s new pregnancy. Lizzy invites the girl to hide in her bedroom, but she begins to realize that life is messy, and signs can’t predict success
Love Like Sky by Leslie C. Youngblood. 9781368016506. Hachette. 2018. Gr 4-6.
Georgie is still adjusting to leaving Atlanta for a small town, having a stepfather, and being unable to get close to her stepsister, when her six-year-old sister, Peaches, suddenly becomes very ill.
More Than a Princess by E.D. Baker. 9781681197685. Macmillan. 2018. Gr 4-6.
Aislin of Eliasind is half fairy and half pedrasi—and all princess. While walking through her forest, she comes upon humans who had somehow made it past the magical defenses guarding her kingdom. They believe she is human and kidnap her. Finding herself the pawn between two warring kingdoms, Aislin must use all her talents, not just her magical ones, to break free.
The Prince Problem by Vivian Vande Velde. 9781338121513. Scholastic. 2018. Gr 4-6.
A witch mistakes a fable-loving prince for a bully and places a curse on him. Now every time that Prince Telmund falls asleep, he turns into a new animal. Princess Amelia wants only to escape the ball her parents are throwing in order for her to find a husband. When she is kidnapped by Prince Sheridan, she and Telmund end up working together to save both their kingdoms.
Shelby’s Story : A Dog’s Way Home Tale by W. Bruce Cameron. 9781250301918. Macmillan. 2018. Gr 4-6.
The author of the Dog’s Purpose adult book and children’s series tells the story of the puppy who went from living in a landfill to finding a loving home and becoming the star of the movie “A Dog’s Way Home,” which premiers on January 11, 2019. (See the trailer here.)
MIDDLE SCHOOL FICTION
Better You Than Me by Jessica Brody. 9781524769710. Random House. 2018. Gr 4-7.
Ruby is a tween superstar with tons of fans, and Skylar is the biggest of those fans. When the meet each other on the set of the show, both wish they could switch places with the other. But when their wishes come true, they both find that their wished-for lives are not as great as they expected.
Courageous by Yona Zeldis McDonough. 9781338226850. Scholastic. 2018. Gr 4-7.
When Aiden hears the call for every boat to sail from England to Dunkirk to rescue the troops trapped between the German army and the English Channel, he wants to help. But his parents, who have already lost their oldest son to the war, refuse to go and forbid him to take their fishing boat. Aiden and his friend Sally sneak away from their houses and go anyway.
It Wasn’t Me by Dana Alison Levy. 9781524766436. Random House. 2018. Gr 4-7.
When Theo’s artwork is vandalized with gay slurs in the student gallery, all five bystanders claim innocence. Ms. Lewiston, Theo’s favorite teacher, brings the six children in over school vacation to engage in a “Justice Circle” to find the culprit. What they find, however, is that each student has a unique story, and that despite their differences, they can all be friends.
No Slam Dunk by Mike Lupica. 9780525514855. Penguin. 2018. Gr 6-8.
In Annapolis, Maryland, Wes is a good teammate but this basketball season has been challenging. He needs to deal with aball hog teammate who is determined to steal the spotlight, and with Wes’s army veteran father who is suffering from PTSD.
Speechless by Adam P. Schmitt. 9781536200928. Candlewick. 2018. Gr 5-8.
When Jimmy’s cousin, Patrick, passes away, Jimmy is told that he must give the eulogy at the funeral. He struggles to come up with something meaningful to say about his cousin who seemed to ruin everything they did together.
Unconventional Warfare (Special Forces, Book 1) by Chris Lynch. 9780545861625. Scholastic. 2018. Gr 7-9.
Danny has always been one step away from being in real trouble, until he pulls a stunt that puts him in court. The judge gives him a choice: jail or Vietnam. Danny enlists in the army, where he becomes part of a special ops team. He has a purpose now, but will he survive?
HIGH SCHOOL FICTION
The Color of Lies by CJ Lyons. 9780310765356.Harper Collins. 2018. Gr 9-12.
Ella has synesthesia, which allows her to read people’s emotions through colorful auras that surround them. She can read anyone, except for Alec, a student journalist who comes to ask Ella about the death of her parents years ago. Shockingly, Alec tells Ella that her parents were actually murdered and he is looking into the case. Together they uncover mysteries years in the making
Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean. 9780544530942. HMH. 2018. Gr 9-12.
Mari has spent her entire life training for the challenge she must conquer in order to become the next empress of Honoku. The only problem is, Mari is a yokai, one of the supernatural beings that the emperor is determined to enslave and destroy. As she struggles to hide her true identity, Mari finds herself facing decisions that will ultimately decide the fate of Honoku and all who live there.
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott. 9781534437333. Simon & Schuster. 2018. Gr 7-12.
Because of her CF—cystic fibrosis—Stella has spent more time in the hospital than she likes to remember. If she doesn’t keep her lungs healthy, she will need to have a transplant, so she takes her medicine religiously and keeps herself six feet away from everyone. Will doesn’t care about medicine or drug trials for his CF; he just wants to turn 18 so he can leave the hospital and see the world. Is getting close and falling in love with each other worth the risks?
Four Three Two One by Courtney Stevens. 9780062398543. Harper Collins. 2018. Gr 9-12.
Four teens were the only survivors of a bus bombing. One year later, they are still trying to deal with the aftermath of the trauma. They decide to travel to New York City to attend the opening of a new artistic installation at the site of the explosion, made up of rubble from the destroyed bus, hoping to make sense of the tragedy.
The Incredible True Story of the Making of the Eve of Destruction by Amy Brashear. 9781616959036. Soho Teen. 2018. Gr 9-12.
In 1984, looking to distract herself from her parents’ divorce in the wake of her mother’s affair with, and subsequent marriage to, the only African American man in town, Laura wins a walk-on role in the film adaptation of Boudreaux Beauchamp’s novella “Eve of Destruction.” But when the scripted nuclear explosion occurs, the townspeople seem to think a real nuclear bomb has detonated.
The Kinship of Secrets by Eugenia Kim. 9781328987822. HMH. 2018. Gr 11-Adult.
In 1948, Najin and Calvin Cho and their daughter Miran, leave South Korea to seek better opportunities in the U.S. They leave their infant daughter, Inja, with relatives in Korea, knowing once they are settled, they will come get her. But then the Korean War breaks out, and the Cho family are unable to collect Inja. As Miran grows up in American suburban luxury, Inja struggles in a war-torn land, with no way to connect with a family she has no memory of. This story is told from each sister’s perspective.
Love a la Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm. 9781368019040. Hachette. 2018. Gr 9-12.
At a prestigious culinary school in Paris, Rosie, a small-town cook from Ohio, and Henry, the son of a restaurateur in Chicago, find themselves in competition with each other despite their growing feelings for each other. Then Henry grows jealous over Rosie’s budding friendship with a bad-boy baker, causing Henry to push Rosie away, while the curriculum grows more intense.
The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston. 9781368014786. Hachette. 2018. Gr 9-12.
Owen ‘s privileged life is shattered when his mother shows up at his elite boarding school to tell him that his father used the family business to embezzle millions of dollars and now has vanished without a trace. Owen returns to his hometown to finish his senior year and has to contend with the town hating him for what his father did. To escape the threats, he finds refuge in an isolated pecan orchard, owned by a mysterious man named Gus. As Owen uncovers the secrets in Gus’s past, he learns more about his own family.
Mammoth by Jill Baguchihnsky. 9781684421954. Ingram. 2018. Gr 8-12.
A paleontology geek, Natalie is thrilled to get an internship digging for Ice Age fossils at a dig in Texas. Even better, she gets to work with Dr. Carver, the host of the most popular paleontology podcast in the world! But when her idol steals the credit for one of Natalie’s discoveries, she is disheartened. And when she discovers the threat that Dr. Carvers poses to the dig site, she resolves to use her talent to save it, despite the consequences.
Pulp by Robin Talley. 9781335012906. Harlequin. 2018. Gr 9-12.
The subject of Abby’s senior class project is classic 1950s lesbian pulp fiction. She has become fascinated by a woman who wrote under the pseudonym of “Marian Love,” indulging in hopes and fantasies she knows are nothing but fiction. In 1955, eighteen-year-old Janet Jones engages in a secret love affair with her best friend, Marie, only able to express her own story through writing.
The Resolutions by Mia Garcia. 9780062656827. Harper Collins. 2018. Gr 9-12.
On New Year’s Eve, four friends make resolutions—for each other. As the year goes on, they support each other as they try to meet their new challenges. Though all four characters come from LatinX backgrounds, the issues they confront are common within and beyond their diversity groups.
Skyward (Book 1) by Brandon Sanderson. 9780399555770. Random House. 2018. Gr 9-12.
What’s left of the human race lives below ground, and the pilots who fight against the long-term alien attacks by the Krell are unequivocal heroes. Spensa longs to overcome the reputation of her father as a coward and become a pilot herself. Then she discovers a long-abandoned starfighter of unknown origin that changes her fortune.
This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow. 9780062494238. Harper Collins. 2018. Gr 8-12.
Dia, Jules, and Hanna used to be in a band together until Hanna’s drinking took over her life and she left. Without Hanna, the band fell apart when Dia had a baby, Jules had a disastrous relationship, and Hanna went to rehab. When the Sun City Originals contest and its $15,000 prize is announced, Dia, Jules, and Hanna reunite the band and try to make peace with who they were and who they are now.
The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson. 9781681198590. Macmillan. 2018. Gr 9-12.
Once every year, Wren is chased through the woods of her Ireland hometown by the judges, a group of people who stole an ancient magic from Wren’s people. If they knew the truth about her identity, the ritual game would turn deadly. Wren ups the stakes when she agrees to go undercover as an intern at her enemies’ headquarters. As things get complicated, lies, betrayal and deceit surround her, and Wren soon finds herself uncovering a truth that could change everything.
Your Own Worst Enemy by Gordon Jack. 9780062399427. Harper Collins. 2018. Gr 9-12.
Three disparate candidates vie for the position of class president. Stayey Winn is a type-A student and the clear front-runner. French-Canadian transfer student Julia Romero isn’t afraid of a little scandal to get what she wants. And stoner Tony Guo wants his favorite chocolate milk back. Each candidate suffers with a complicated home life and deals with issues of family, race, and a life in politics.
