Casey

Mushroom rain

by Laura K. Zimmermann

j579.6 Zimmermann
Picture Books, Nonfiction, Nature

"Through lyrical text and colorful detailed artwork, the mysterious and sometimes bizarre world of mushrooms is explored. Back matter includes a glossary and science facts"--

Budding mycologists and those less passionate about fungi will equally enjoy this beautifully illustrated nonfiction title. -Casey

The drowned woods

by Emily Lloyd-Jones

ON ORDER BOOK
Fantasy, Young Adult

"Mer, the last living water diviner in the isles of Wales, seeks revenge against the prince who used her powers for his own evil ends"--

I'm halfway through listening to The Drowned Woods, and Moira Quirk's reading of this dark, ethereal fantasy is wonderful. Just right for Leigh Bardugo and Naomi Novik fans. -Casey

The complete Chi's sweet home

by Kanata Konami

jMANGA Konami Chi's Complete
Kids, Graphic Novels, Animals, Humor

"Chi is a mischievous newborn kitten who, while on a leisurely stroll with her family, finds herself lost. Separated from the warmth and protection of her mother, feels distraught. Overcome with loneliness she breaks into tears in a large urban park meadow, when she is suddenly rescued by a young boy named Yohei and his mother. The kitty is then quickly and quietly whisked away into the warm and inviting Yamada family apartment where pets are strictly not permitted."

I'm so happy this series was released again. If you're in the mood for some funny kitten antics, Chi's waiting! -Casey

Kitty

by Rebecca Jordan-Glum

jE Jordan-Glum
Picture Books, Humor, Nature

"Granny thinks catsitting will be easy. She'll make her signature cupcakes, give the cat a good brushing, and together they'll share a sweet night's rest. But Kitty has other plans. After Granny loses her glasses and accidentally lets a raccoon inside, all bets are off--much to the cat's displeasure"--Inside jacket flap

Funny and adorable! Sure to be a read-aloud hit! -Casey

The katha chest

by Radhiah Chowdhury

jE Chowdhury
Picture Books, Read Woke, Crafts

Asiya loves to visit Nanu's house and rummage through her katha chest filled with quilts that tell stories about the bold and brave women in Asiya's family.

I love this new picture book about the intersection of family history and handicrafts, best shared in lap-sit sessions poring over the lush illustrations. -Casey

Somewhere in the bayou

by Jarrett Pumphrey

jE Pumphrey
Picture Books, Animals, Humor

Rat, Squirrel, Rabbit, and Mouse want to cross the bayou, but next to the log they are considering as a bridge is a sneaky tail, which may be attached to someone dangerous--each of the four approach the problem with a different strategy, with varying results.

The Pumphrey brothers' latest title is fabulous. Pick this one up if you're looking for something funny and fun to read aloud! -Casey

No nibbling!

by Beth Ferry

jE Ferry
Picture Books, Gardening, Humor

Derwood the goat has planted a garden and is prepared to defend it from all nibblers, including Tabitha the bunny, whom Derwood is convinced has designs on his growing vegetables; she teases him as the months go by, but after she helps him with the weeding the two become friends and share the feast.

Puns galore and adorable illustrations make perfect storytime fare! -Casey

The crab ballet

by Renée LaTulippe

jE LaTulippe
Picture Books, Nature, Music

When the tide is out, the Crab Ballet begins, featuring anemones, squid, crabs and many other sea creatures, an aquatic corps de ballet performing for the reader.

Beautiful, entertaining, and educational! -Casey

A perfect day

by Jennifer Yerkes

jE Yerkes
Picture Books, Nature

"One bright summer day, the animals of the pond create a symphony of sounds"--

Beautiful illustrations, minimalistic text, and ample space for performative storytelling make for a fabulous storytime read-aloud. Just right for sharing and beginning readers! -Casey

Baloney and friends : dream big!

by Greg Pizzoli

jREADER Pizzoli Greg
Early Readers, Graphic Novels

"Baloney and friends continue their adventures, which include a birthday cake mishap, a tricky bargain, a painting surprise, and the discovery that the best moments are shared with friends"--

Are you ready for some "serious" Baloney? This reader series by Greg Pizzoli gets better with each installment! Baloney and Friends may just be visiting the Children's Room right now as well--stop on by to check them out! -Casey

Circe

by Madeline Miller

OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction, Fantasy

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Circe has had me spellbound since I listened to Perdita Weeks weave her magic in March of 2020. This is my third time around and I love it just as much as the first. -Casey

Concrete Rose

by Angie Thomas

OverDrive Audiobook
Young Adult, Fiction, Black Lives Matter, Read Woke

International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood.

Dion Graham breathes life into the characters and setting of Angie Thomas's prequel to The Hate U Give. Don't miss this powerful chapter in Carter family history. -Casey

Playing the cards you're dealt

by Varian Johnson

jFICTION Johnson Varian
Fiction, Read Woke

"Ten-year-old Anthony Joplin has made it to double digits! Which means he's finally old enough to play in the spades tournament every Joplin Man before him seems to have won. So while Ant's friends are stressing about fifth grade homework and girls, Ant only has one thing on his mind: how he'll measure up to his father's expectations at the card table. Then Ant's best friend gets grounded, and he's forced to find another spades partner. And Shirley, the new girl in his class, isn't exactly who he has in mind. She talks a whole lot of trash- way more than his old partner. Plus, he's not sure that his father wants him playing with a girl. But she's smart and tough and pretty, and knows every card trick in the book. So Ant decides to join forces with Shirley--and keep his plans a secret. Only it turns out secrets are another Joplin Man tradition. And his father is hiding one so big it may tear their family apart... "--Dust jacket.

Playing the Cards You're Dealt is great for readers of all ages. Perfect for card players, fans of realistic fiction, and anyone who enjoys fabulously full characters, I can't wait to reread this one. -Casey

Himawari House

by Harmony Becker

GRAPHIC NOVEL Becker
Graphic Novels, Read Woke

"When Nao returns to Tokyo to reconnect with her Japanese heritage, she books a yearlong stay at the Himawari sharehouse. There she meets Hyejung and Tina, two other girls who came to Japan to freely forge their own paths."--Provided by publisher.

Incredible design, a wide breadth of illustration styles, strong female friendships, humor, and polyglots adjusting to life abroad. Himawari House is a delectable slice of life through and through! -Casey

Fairytale blankets to crochet : 10 fantasy-themed children's blankets for storytime cuddles

by Lynne Rowe

746.434 /Rowe
Crafts

Bedtime bookworms will love snuggling up and listening to their favourite story in a cosy hooded blanket. Bring storytime to life as they act out the characters - will they be a goodie or a baddie, Little Red Riding Hood or the wolf? Every blanket tells a story, with pockets on the sides for snuggly paws and different tails. Perfect for unwinding for a bedtime story and animating the oral tradition of storytelling - little listeners, as well as their parents, will find themselves enchanted.

Gifts you can make! These fairytale inspired blankets are adorable and cozy for the upcoming winter. -Casey

Rise of wolf 8 : witnessing the triumph of Yellowstone's underdog

by Rick McIntyre

599.773 /McIntyre
Nonfiction, Animals

*Yellowstone National Park was once home to an abundance of wild wolves--but park rangers killed the last of their kind in the 1920s. Decades later, the rangers brought them back, with the first wolves arriving from Canada in 1995. This is the incredible true story of one of those wolves. Wolf 8 struggles at first--he is smaller than the other pups, and often bullied--but soon he bonds with an alpha female whose mate was shot. An unusually young alpha male, barely a teenager in human years, Wolf 8 rises to the occasion, hunting skillfully, and even defending his family from the wolf who killed his father. But soon he faces a new opponent: his adopted son, who mates with a violent alpha female. Can Wolf 8 protect his valley without harming his protégé? Authored by a renowned wolf researcher and gifted storyteller, The Rise of Wolf 8 marks the beginning of an original and bold new trilogy, which will transform our view of wolves forever.

I'm looking forward to more books in this series by Rick McIntyre. If you're interested in wolf restoration, I cannot recommend this title highly enough. -Casey

Bodies are cool

by Tyler Feder

jE Feder
Picture Books, Read Woke, Diverse Characters

Illustrations and easy-to-read, rhyming text celebrate bodies of all shapes, sizes, ages, and colors, with different kinds of hair, eyes, spots, scars, and more.

Bodies Are Cool! Unashamedly all bodies positive and I am definitely here for it. -Casey

Your mama

by NoNieqa Ramos

jE Ramos
Picture Books, Read Woke

Illustrations and easy-to-read text twist classic "your mama" jokes into a celebration of the beauty, power, and love of motherhood.

Remember all of those "your mama" jokes in the '90s? Well, all joking aside, Your Mama is awesome! -Casey

City of the plague god

by Sarwat Chadda

jFICTION Chadda Sarwat
Diverse Characters, Read Woke, Fantasy

"Thirteen-year-old Sikander Aziz has to team up with the hero Gilgamesh in order to stop Nergal, the ancient god of plagues, from wiping out the population of Manhattan in this adventure based on Mesopotamian mythology"--

This is the first of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint that I have read, and I am impressed! Going back for round two with Sikander and Gilgamesh soon, as the first time around was a whirlwind. -Casey

Watercress

by Andrea Wang

jE Wang
Picture Books, Read Woke, Memoir

Embarrassed about gathering watercress from a roadside ditch, a girl learns to appreciate her Chinese heritage after learning why the plant is so important to her parents.

Inspired by Andrea Wang's upbringing in rural Ohio and illustrated by Jason Chin, Watercress is pertinent reading for all ages. Text and illustrations pair perfectly, elevating this story of hope shining through grief, and love overcoming loss, beyond solely a childhood audience. Great for sharing as a family or reading on your own. -Casey

I sang you down from the stars

by Tasha Spillett-Sumner

jE Spillett
Picture Books, Read Woke, Diverse Characters

A Native American woman describes how she loved her child before it was born and, throughout her pregnancy, gathered a bundle of gifts to welcome the newborn.

Tasha Spillet-Sumner's poetry and Michaela Goade's illustrations are a beautiful pairing not to be missed. -Casey

I love you, baby burrito

by Angela Dominguez

jE Domingue
Picture Books, Read Woke

"From Pura Belpre honoree Angela Dominguez, Love You Baby Burrito is a modern classic picture book celebrating the act of swaddling a newborn into a baby burrito." -- Provided by publisher.

Angela Dominguez's latest book is beyond adorable. Karen G. and I were "oohing" over it when it first came in. I can't wait to share it in Book Babies soon! Anyone who's ever burritoed a baby owes this one a read. -Casey

Our little kitchen

by Jillian Tamaki

jE Tamaki
Picture Books, Diverse Characters, Poetry

"A crew of resourceful neighbors comes together to prepare a meal for their community. Includes a recipe and an author's note about the volunteering experience that inspired the book"--

Picture book perfection, made to be shared! -Casey

The only good Indians : a novel

by Stephen Graham Jones

eAUDIO
Horror, Read Woke

"Peter Straub's Ghost Story meets Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies in this American Indian horror story of revenge on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Four American Indian men from the Blackfeet Nation, who were childhood friends, find themselves in a desperate struggle for their lives, against an entity that wants to exact revenge upon them for what they did during an elk hunt ten years earlier by killing them, their families, and friends"--

The Only Good Indians is a masterpiece, and not for the faint of heart. If you're up for it, I recommend going into this title cold, cover material only, and no spoilers here! However, I will say that Shaun Taylor-Corbett's narration lends the perfect tone to Stephen Graham Jones's hauntingly beautiful prose. I'm adding it to my 2021 rereads list for the Fall, as I'm still thinking about it and have yet to pick up another novel after finishing weeks ago. -Casey

The dragon thief

by Zetta Elliott

eBOOK
Read Woke, Fantasy, Adventure

Told in two voices, Jax and Kavita, Kavita's brother Vik, and new friend Kenny try to return the baby dragon to the realm of magic before anything else goes wrong.

I'm currently reading this one aloud at bedtime for the second time! No surprises that the sequel to Dragons in a Bag is just as fun. -Casey

Like the moon loves the sky

by Hena Khan

jE Khan
Read Woke, Diverse Characters, Picture Books

Illustrations and prose inspired by the Quran celebrate a mother's love and hopes for her child.

This incredible picture book was inspired by the Quran, and celebrates the love between mothers and daughters. -Casey

Lift

by Minh Lê

jE Le
Read Woke, Diverse Characters, Picture Books, Graphic Novels

From the award-winning and bestselling creators of Drawn Together comes the fantastic tale of a magical elevator that will lift your spirits--and press all the right buttons! Iris loves to push the elevator buttons in her apartment building, but when it's time to share the fun with a new member of the family, she's pretty put out. That is, until the sudden appearance of a mysterious new button opens up entire realms of possibility, places where she can escape and explore on her own. But when she's forced to choose between going at it alone or letting her little brother tag along, Iris finds that sharing a discovery with the people you love can be the most wonderful experience of all. Using their dynamic comics-inspired storytelling, acclaimed author Minh Lê and Caldecott Medal-winning artist Dan Santat carry readers on a journey of ups, downs, and twists and turns that will send hearts--and imaginations--soaring.

DING! ---Looking for a lift?--- -Casey

Mexican Gothic

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

eAUDIO
Read Woke, Historical Fiction, Horror, Suspense

"The acclaimed author of Gods of Jade and Shadow returns with a darkly enchanting reimagining of Gothic fantasy, in which a spirited young woman discovers the haunting secrets of a beautiful old mansion in 1950s Mexico"--

Lovecraft, Machado, Hitchcock, Burroughs, Shelley, and Poe fans will delight in this slow-burn horror. Leave the lights on afterward, they may help with the lingering ghosts. -Casey

Fry bread : A Native American Family Story

by Kevin Noble Maillard

eBOOK
Read Woke, Picture Books

This one has it all! Fabulous rhyming text, wonderful illustrations, and a wealth of backmatter make this a perfect book for sharing in groups or one on one. -Casey

Preaching to the chickens : the story of young John Lewis

by Jabari Asim

jE Asim
Black Lives Matter, Black History, Read Woke, Picture Books, Biographies

John Lewis's early life is chronicled here and it is beautifully done. If you haven't read about how he used to preach to his flock, I can't imagine a more poignant time. -Casey

Clean getaway

by Nic Stone

eBOOK
Black Lives Matter, Read Woke, Adventure, Black History, Travel

"For the life of him, William "Scoob" Lamar can't seem to stay out of trouble--and now the run-ins at school have led to lockdown at home. So when G'ma, Scoob's favorite person on Earth, asks him to go on an impromptu road trip, he's in the RV faster than he can say FREEDOM. With G'ma's old maps and a strange pamphlet called the 'Travelers' Green Book' at their side, the pair takes off on a journey down G'ma's memory lane. But adventure quickly turns to uncertainty: G'ma keeps changing the license plate, dodging Scoob's questions, and refusing to check Dad's voice mails. And the farther they go, the more Scoob realizes that the world hasn't always been a welcoming place for kids like him, and things aren't always what they seem--G'ma included."--Jacket flap.

A clandestine road trip, The Green Book, and a rad G'Ma--Nic Stone's first middle grade novel is perfection! -Casey

Laura dean keeps breaking up with me

by Mariko Tamaki

eBOOK
Read Woke, LGBTQ+, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Diverse Characters

Touching and beautifully rendered in grayscale with occasional splashes of pink, this is a love story for everyone. If you have yet to be kicked to the curb by Laura Dean, it might be time to get dumped. -Casey

Toil & trouble : 15 tales of women & witchcraft

by

YOUNG ADULT FICTION Toil
Young Adult, Read Woke, Short Story, LGBTQ+, Fantasy

"History is filled with stories of women accused of witchcraft, of fearsome girls with arcane knowledge. Toil & Trouble features fifteen stories of girls embracing their power, reclaiming their destinies and using their magic to create, to curse, to cure--and to kill...This collection reveals a universal truth: there's nothing more powerful than a teenage girl who believes in herself"--Publisher.

This collection of short stories , some by YA superstars, casts a charm firm and good. Look for culturally, and LGBTQIA+ diverse characters, strong women, and some worlds you won't want to leave. -Casey

Bedtime bonnet

by Nancy Amanda Redd

jE/Redd
Picture Books, Black Lives Matter, Diverse Characters

As family members braid, brush, twirl, roll, and tighten their hair before bedtime, putting on kerchiefs, wave caps, and other protective items, the little sister cannot find her bonnet.

I can't wait to see this one when it gets in! -Casey

The old truck

by Jarrett Pumphrey

eBOOK
Kids, Picture Books

"On a small family farm, an old truck falls into disrepair and lies nearly forgotten, except by the family's daughter. The truck is been part of her daydreams as she grows up and develops strength and independence. As an industrious young woman, she pulls the rusted and overgrown vehicle from its almost-grave and restores it"--

I love this title about making something old new again, and again, and again. Simultaneously about loving family and respecting items through time, this is one for all the menders and antiquers out there! -Casey

My best friend

by Julie Fogliano

eBOOK
Kids, Picture Books

Two girls quickly become best friends, even before they learn one another's names.

Soaring illustrations accompany lyrical text about what it means to have and be a best friend. This one is a gem! -Casey