Upcoming Reads

Six friends. Five suspects. One murder.

Savana Caruso and Jesse Melo have known each other since they were kids, so when Jesse texts Savana in the middle of the night and asks her to meet him at Cray’s Warehouse, she doesn’t hesitate. But before Savana can find Jesse, she bears witness to a horrifying murder, standing helpless on the ground as a mysterious figure is pushed out of the fourth floor of the warehouse. 

Six teens were there that night, and five of them are now potential suspects. With the police circling, Savana knows what will happen if the wrong person is charged, particularly once she starts getting threatening anonymous text messages.

As she attempts to uncover the truth, Savana learns that everyone is keeping secrets—and someone is willing to do whatever it takes to keep those secrets from coming to light.

Eleven-year-old cousins Brandon and Josh return home safely at the end of their Almost True Adventure, only to discover that their cousin Adam has been captured by the very same aliens from the Intergalactic Council on Obedience to Parents they just escaped from!

Long ago, there was a tree who loved a boy. She gave him all she had, until she had no more to give. But what happens to the tree after the boy is gone? So begins the inspiring and heartwarming tale of a young girl who meets the tree and loves her without expectation. Love is a powerful healing force in this tender and magical adventure that reminds us the end is also a new beginning. Beautifully written and illustrated, The Giving Back Tree teaches a simple lesson: we can grow back.

Merriam-Webster Launches New Children’s Books

“Merriam-Webster, the go-to source for word mastery, is launching Merriam-Webster Kids, a new book imprint in fall 2021 to inspire and excite a new generation of language lovers.

Kicking off the series, for kids aged 8-12, is Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day: 366 Elevating Utterances to Stretch Your Cranium and Tickle Your Humerus. This high-energy collection offers a year’s worth of fascinating words, amazing facts, captivating illustrations, and zany stories. With 12 audio downloads, kids can hear each story read aloud by celebrity narrators Rachel Bloom, David Harbour, and Soledad O’Brien.

For much younger word-lovers-in-training, Merriam-Webster’s 150 First Words is the perfect welcome gift for any baby. Encouraging language acquisition through the repetition of simple phrases, this oversized board book features 150 words for everyday objects and activities, woven around illustrations of mealtime, playtime, and other daily routines. Within every scene, search-and-finds provide fun ways to connect with your baby.

“Reading with children from an early age helps build lifelong literacy skills,” said Greg Barlow, President of Merriam-Webster. “And those skills open worlds. Through reading, kids learn about the world around them, the world beyond them, and the infinite worlds yet to be imagined.”

Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day: 366 Elevating Utterances to Stretch Your Cranium and Tickle Your Humerus and Merriam-Webster’s 150 First Words will be available this October wherever books are sold. Future Merriam-Webster Kids titles include activity books, picture dictionaries, and story books.

Watch the book trailers:
Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day
Merriam-Webster’s 150 First Words



About Merriam-Webster Inc.For over 180 years, Merriam-Webster has been America’s leading provider of language information.  Each month, our award-winning websites, apps, and social media channels offer guidance to tens of  millions of visitors. In print, our publications include Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary (among the best-selling books in American history) and dictionaries for English-language learners. All Merriam- Webster products and services are backed by the largest team of dictionary editors and writers in  America.

For more information, visit Merriam-Webster.com, and follow @MerriamWebster on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.”

Dog Band by Regan W. H. Macaulay

Dog Band by Regan W. H. Macaulay is a delightful and creative story about a group of dogs who start a band. The challenge is that they don’t know what type of music to play, so they go about asking their friends for advice.

This is such a cute story. Between the fun text by Macaulay and the colorful illustrations by Wei Lu, this book is destined to entertain youngsters.

There is so much to enjoy about Dog Band. The band receives a variety of answers with great reasoning behind their friends’ choices. The author includes some pronunciations for readers as well, so they understand how to say different breed names.

Children who like reading stories about animals, children who have a love for music, and those who appreciate fun stories will want to read Dog Band.

Rating: 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

  • Publisher : Iguana Books (March 23, 2021)
  • Language : English
  • Paperback : 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 : 1771804750
  • ISBN-13 : 978-1771804752
  • Reading age : Baby – 8 years

I received a digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Don’t Cook, Mom by Jackie Myers

A fun story that will delight young readers is what you’ll find in Don’t Cook, Mom by Jackie Myers.

When twins Ellie and Nellie smell burnt food again, they know Mom is cooking. They try all kinds of tricks to keep her from cooking, but she always seems to outwit them. So, they come up with one more plan they think will work.

I couldn’t stop laughing as I read this silly story about two girls trying to find a way to keep their mom out of the kitchen. With plenty of antics Don’t Cook, Mom will have everyone giggling. Jack Foster provided the artwork for this story. I liked how the pages without full artwork had artistic elements in the corners of the pages. It made for a little something special as the reader turned the pages.

Whether kids love their mom’s cooking or would rather she just ordered out, Don’t Cook, Mom will be enjoyed by all.

 

Rating: 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

 

Paperback : 28 pages

ISBN-10 : 1612448755

ISBN-13 : 978-1612448756

Product Dimensions : 8.5 x 0.08 x 8.5 inches

Publisher : Halo Publishing International (September 9, 2020)

Reading level : 8 – 10 years Language: : English

I received a free digital copy of this book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

 

Luke & Lottie It’s Christmas by Ruth Wielockx

It’s Christmas! The twins, Luke and Lottie, are so excited. Christmas Eve is the best night of the year.

A warm and recognizable story about celebrating Christmas together. For children ages 3 and up.

Lexile Measure : 480
Grade Level : Preschool – 2
Item Weight : 14.4 ounces
Hardcover : 32 pages
ISBN-10 : 1605374911
ISBN-13 : 978-1605374918
Publisher : Clavis (September 3, 2019)

 

Purchase from:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Indiebound