Summer 2021 Picks

Bugs in My Hair!

Bugs in My Hair!

By David Shannon | ISBN 978-0-545-14313-4
Ages 4-8 | Hardcover | Picture Books | September

Nobody talks about them, but they are everywhere. Some estimate 20 million children a year host them. Oh the shame and humiliation of having bugs in your hair! But if you go to school, or have play dates, chances are good you might meet them someday. Maybe you already have! Lucky for you, the unwelcome bugs in this story are so funny you will be laughing aloud.

Ode to Underwear

Ode to Underwear

By Helaine Becker | Illustrated by Mike Boldt | ISBN 978-1-4431-2475-1
Ages 3-6 | Picture Books | September

Let's hear it for our underwear! From boxers to bloomers and briefs to bikinis, whether they're frilly, silly, or saggy — we all have our favourite pair, so give three cheers for underwear!

The Night Before Christmas

The Night Before Christmas

By Clement C. Moore | Illustrated by Barbara Reid | ISBN 978-1-4431-2471-3
Ages 3-8 | Hardcover | Picture Books/Holidays | October

Charming plasticine animals bring a lively Canadian twist to the classic words, and fans will know to look for hidden treasures within each awe-inspiring spread. Some librarians have already called this book ?an instant classic.?

Train

Train

By Elisha Cooper | ISBN 978-0-545-38495-7
Ages 4-8 | Hardcover | Picture Book | October

1 light, shining bright? A train!
7 lights, flashing red and white? A fire truck!


Trains are moving. Fast and loud, colourful and powerful. Experience their sights, sounds, smells — and the engineers and conductors who make them go — as they roll across the country. Elisha Cooper is the award-winning author of Farm, which received starred reviews in The Horn Book and Publishers Weekly, and Beach, which won the 2006 Society of Illustrators Gold Medal.

When Lions Roar

When Lions Roar

By Robie H. Harris | Illustrated by Chris Raschka | ISBN 978-0-545-11283-3
Ages 3-5 | Hardcover | Picture Books/Concepts | October

Sometimes the world seems scary — too scary. But what if you shout, "GO AWAY!" Will the sun come out? Will a flower bloom?

When Lions Roar is a caring and reassuring story of a young child who faces fear and makes his world a safe place again. 2012 Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka and bestselling author Robie H. Harris pair together to create a comforting story for young readers when their world becomes unsettled

Trouper

Trouper

By Meg Kearney | Illustrated by E. B. Lewis | ISBN 978-0-545-10041-0
Ages 7-10 | Hardcover | Picture Books/Animals | November

Trouper ran with a mob of mutts who tripped over trash cans and pawed the cold streets for bones. Until one day, the dogs are captured from off the streets and put in cages in a shelter as they wait to be adopted. Trouper watches sadly as, one by one each of his dog friends are chosen. He's the only one left, until finally — one lucky day, when just the right boy comes around and finds that this three-legged mutt is the perfect pet for him!

Year of the Jungle

Year of the Jungle

By Suzanne Collins | Illustrated by James Proimos | ISBN 978-0-545-42516-2
Ages 4 & up | Hardcover | Picture Books/Family | September

When young Suzy's father leaves for Vietnam, she struggles to understand what this means for her and her family. What is the jungle like? Will her father be safe? When will he return? The months slip by, marked by the passing of the familiar holidays and the postcards that her father sends. With each one, he feels more and more distant, until Suzy isn't sure she'd even recognize her father anymore

The World According to Klutz

The World According to Klutz

By Klutz | ISBN 978-0-545-61213-5
Ages 8 & up | Box Set | Middle-Grade/Non Fiction | August

To help defend today's youth against the painful consequences of growing up, Klutz created a three-book collection that captures their ever-so-slightly subversive streak. Pure, unfiltered Klutz, in a convenient paperback format. The three titles are The Encyclopedia of Immaturity ? Short Attention Span, The Klutz Book of Inventions ? Hall of Fame Edition, and The Greatest Facts in the History of Facts.

Ultra

Ultra

By David Carroll | ISBN 978-1-4431-1918-4
Ages 9-12 | Paperback | Middle-Grade Fiction/Sports and Recreation | September

Quinn has been called a superhero and a freak of nature. At age 13, he's an amazing distance runner. He takes on the second-hardest challenge of his life when he enters his first ultra-marathon: a grueling 100-mile, 24-hour-long race that will push him to the very limit of his endurance. While Quinn struggles to go on — up a mountain and through the night, as his muscles break down and he begins to hallucinate — we learn why the ultra-marathon is only the second hardest thing he has endured in his young life.

Seeing Red

Seeing Red

By Kathryn Erskine | ISBN 978-0-545-46440-6
Ages 10-14 | Hardcover | Middle-Grade/Fiction | September

Life will never be the same for Red Porter. He's a kid growing up around black car grease, white fence paint, and the backward attitudes of the folks who live in his hometown, Rocky Gap, Virginia. Red's daddy, his idol, has just died, leaving Red and Mama with some hard decisions and a whole lot of doubt. When Red discovers the injustices that have been happening in Rocky Gap since before he was born, he's faced with unsettling questions about his family's legacy

The Lost Kingdom

The Lost Kingdom

By Matthew Kirby | ISBN 978-0-545-27426-5
Ages 9-12 | Hardcover | Middle-Grade Fiction/Fantasy and Magic | September

In this extraordinary adventure story, Billy Bartram, his father, and a secret society of philosophers and scientists venture into the American wilderness in search of the lost people of the Welsh Prince Madoc, seeking aid in the coming war against the French. Traveling in a flying airship, the members of the expedition find their lives frequently endangered in the untamed American West by terrifying creatures, a party of French soldiers hot on their trail, and the constant threat of traitors and spies.

The 14 Fibs of Gregory K.

The 14 Fibs of Gregory K.

By Greg Pincus | ISBN 978-0-439-91299-0
Ages 8-12 | Hardcover | Middle-Grade Fiction/School and Education | October

Gregory K. is the middle child in a family of mathematical geniuses. But if he claimed to love math? Well, he'd be fibbing. What he really wants most is to go to Author Camp. But to get his parents' permission he's going to have to pass his math class, which has a probability of 0. To make matters worse, he's been playing fast and loose with the truth: "I LOVE math" he tells his parents. "I've entered a citywide math contest!" he tells his teacher. "We're going to author camp!" he tells his best friend, Kelly. And now, somehow, he's going to have to make good on his promises.

The Last Present

The Last Present

By Wendy Mass | ISBN 978-0-545-31016-1
Ages 8-12 | Hardcover | Middle-Grade Fiction/Humorous Stories | October

Amanda and Leo have a history with birthdays. Now their friend's little sister, Grace, has fallen into a strange frozen state on her birthday, and Amanda and Leo must travel in time in order to fix whatever's wrong. As they journey back to each of Grace's birthdays, they start seeing all sorts of patterns . . . which raise all sorts of questions.

The Raven Cycle #2: The Dream Thieves

The Raven Cycle #2: The Dream Thieves

By Maggie Stiefvater | ISBN 978-0-545-42494-3
Ages 14 and up | Hardcover | Young Adult/Fiction | September

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after.

The Opposite of Geek

The Opposite of Geek

By Ria Voros | ISBN 978-1-4431-0484-5
Ages 12 and up | Paperback | Young Adult Fiction/Social Issues/Death and Dying | September

Gretchen Meyers doesn't know exactly what went wrong, but life in the tenth grade is beginning to suck. Then James/Dean rolls into her life — also known as her zit-faced chemistry tutor James and his slightly less zit-faced cousin Dean. Kind-hearted rebels without a cause, they draw Gretchen out of classroom hell, and briefly the world seems full of possibility. But everything changes over the course of one awful night. The Opposite of Geek is a tale of haiku, high school, and heartache.

Hitler's Secret

Hitler's Secret

By Will Osborne | ISBN 978-0-545-49646-9
Ages 12 and up | Hardcover | Young Adult Fiction/Action and Adventure | October

Otto and Leni thought they were safe: They escaped — barely — from war-torn Europe and are living as refugees in England. But now the Crown has recruited them: Great Britain wants them to go back. As spies!

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer

By Katie Alender | ISBN 978-0-545-46809-1
Ages 12 and up | Hardcover | Young Adult Fiction/Social Issues | October

Paris, France: a city of fashion, chocolate croissants, and cute boys. Colette Iselin is thrilled be there for the first time, on her spring break class trip. But a series of gruesome murders are taking place around the city, putting everyone on edge. As she tours the sights, Colette keeps seeing a strange vision: a pale woman in a ball gown and powdered wig, who looks like Marie Antoinette.

Sorrow's Knot

Sorrow's Knot

By Erin Bow | ISBN 978-0-545-16666-9
Ages 12 and up | Hardcover | Young Adult Fiction/Fantasy and Magic | October

In the world of Sorrow's Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry, something deadly. Most of the people of this world live on the sunlit, treeless prairies. But a few carve out an uneasy living in the forest towns, keeping the dead at bay with wards made from magically knotted cords. The women who tie these knots are called binders. And Otter's mother, Willow, is one of the greatest binders her people have ever known.

The Lost Boy

The Lost Boy

By Greg Ruth | ISBN 978-0-439-82331-9
Ages 8-12 | Hardcover | Graphic Fiction/Fantasy and Magic | September

Nate's not happy about his family moving to a new house in a new town. After all, nobody asked him if he wanted to move in the first place. But when he discovers a tape recorder and note addressed to him under the floorboards of his bedroom, he's thrust into a dark mystery about a boy who went missing many, many years ago.

Thanks for Thanksgiving

Thanks for Thanksgiving

By Heather Patterson | ISBN 978-1-4431-2834-6
Ages 4-7 | Paperback | Begnning Reader/Holidays | September

With perfect words to conjure up the rich sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of the holiday, Thanks for Thanksgiving will surely carve its place in our time-honoured Canadian tradition. Nature hikes, apple-picking, migrating geese, and even a road-hockey game are surrounded by the rich colours of autumn.

Le chateau de M. Monsieur

Le chateau de M. Monsieur

By Genevieve Cote | ISBN 978-1-4431-2932-9
Ages 4-8 | Paperback | French/Nature and the Natural World | September

M. Monsieur aime que tout soit GRAND. Il veut construire un GRAND château au sommet de la GRANDE colline sur laquelle il vit. Pour cela il utilise les matériaux disponibles dans les alentours. Une fois son château construit, il se rend compte qu'il n'y a plus rien à admirer depuis sa fenêtre et que tous les endroits préférés de ses amis ont été détruits — Avec l'aide de ces derniers, M. Monsieur apprend que ce sont parfois les plus petites choses qui apportent les plus grandes joies.

Mini-Souris: A la plage

Mini-Souris: A la plage

By Jennifer Holm | Illustrated by Matthew Holm | ISBN 978-1-4431-2987-9
Ages 9-12 | Paperback | French/Graphic Fiction | September

L'école est finie et Mini-Souris part à la mer pour profiter de la plage, du soleil, du surf, de la plongée et des requins! Oui,des requins! On dirait bien que la semaine de Mini-Souris ne va pas se dérouler comme prévu! Va-t-elle survivre à ses vacances d'été? Va-t-elle devenir une super surfeuse... ou un appât pour les requins?

Art © 2021 by Victo Ngai from Wishes by Mượn Thị Văn. All rights reserved.