This year is going to be amazing for books from our clients, including the first picture book biography about the inspirational father of Black History Month, a middle-grade novel in verse about when friendship becomes more, and a young adult search for a murderer.
Here are the books we’re most looking forward to in 2019…
PICTURE BOOKS
Jan. 15 – THE BELL RANG, written and illustrated by James E. Ransome. A slave girl witnesses the heartbreak and hopefulness of her family and their plantation community when her brother escapes for freedom. “A unique and engaging perspective on enslaved families.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)
Feb. 1 – CARTER READS THE NEWSPAPER, illustrated by Don Tate, written by Deborah Hopkinson. A picture book biography about the father of the Black History Month, Carter G. Woodson. “A charmingly illustrated picture book biography for elementary schoolers.” —School Library Journal (Peachtree)
Feb. 1 – LET ‘ER BUCK, written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by Gordon C. James. A picture book biography telling the true tale of cowboy George Fletcher’s epic ride in the 1911 Pendleton Round-Up rodeo. “An excellent choice for most biography collections. The rollicking language and gorgeous art make this a terrific read-aloud and conversation-starter for older elementary students.” —School Library Journal (starred review) (Carolrhoda Books)
May 7 – A VOICE FOR THE SPIRIT BEARS: HOW ONE BOY INSPIRED MILLIONS TO SAVE A RARE ANIMAL, written by Carmen Oliver, illustrated by Katy Dockrill. This picture book biography follows the life of Simon Jackson, who turned a fascination for wildlife into the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition, to protect the highly endangered bears. (Kids Can Press)
June 25 – RISE! FROM CAGED BIRD TO POET OF THE PEOPLE, MAYA ANGELOU, written by Bethany Hegedus, illustrated by Tonya Engel. A comprehensive picture book biography that lyrically traces the life of the writer, activist, trolley car conductor, dancer, mother and humanitarian. (Lee & Low Books)
June – HOW TO READ A BOOK, written by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. A poem that’s a love letter to literacy. (HarperCollins)
Sept. 10 – BETWEEN US AND ABUELA: A FAMILY STORY FROM THE BORDER, written by Mitali Perkins, illustrated by Sara Palacios. This picture book is about a family who go to the border between California and Mexico to visit their grandmother at Christmas and must devise a clever way to get her gift over the fence. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers/Macmillan)
Fall – A RACE AROUND THE WORLD, written by Caroline Starr Rose, illustrated by Alexandra Bye. The true story of Nellie Bly, who in 1889 set out across the Atlantic on a journey around the world that she hoped to complete in less than 80 days, and her rival, Elizabeth Bisland, who embarked on a competing westward trip the very same day. (Albert Whitman & Company)
MIDDLE GRADE
Jan. 8 – JADA JONES: SLEEPOVER SCIENTIST, written by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Noeka Myers and Vanessa Bradley Newton. In the third book in this chapter book series, Jada is hosting her first sleepover and is excited about the fun scientific activities she has planned, until her friends say they just want to hang out. “Readers who love ‘Ivy and Bean’ or ‘Katie Woo’ will want to meet Jada Jones.” —School Library Journal, about the series (Penguin Workshop)
June 25 – TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: FORCES OF NATURE, by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson. The third entry in the non-fiction series that tells two truths and a lie, letting the reader pick out the fake. (HarperCollins)
YOUNG ADULT
Jan. 19 – SPIN, by Lamar Giles. The untimely death of a popular young DJ is called into suspicion by her two best friends, who go on a mission to discover the twisted truth. “Not to be missed.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) (Scholastic Press)
Jan. 29 – THE LONELY DEAD, by April Henry. A girl who can see the dead becomes the prime suspect in her ex-best friend’s murder and must find the true killer before she becomes a target herself. “Henry delivers a compelling thriller that weaves supernatural elements into a topical tapestry of loss, betrayal, and family drama. A thriller that manages to be both creepy and fun.” —Kirkus Reviews (Macmillan)
March 19 – ANGEL THIEVES, by Kathi Appelt. Tales of an angel thief, a caged ocelot and a slave weave together across time, connected by a bayou and the universal desire for freedom. (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)
March 26 – VOICES: THE FINAL HOURS OF JOAN OF ARC, by David Elliott. The legendary hero gets the Hamilton treatment. “An elegant, spirited introduction to classical poetry and to a woman fighting not just for a cause but for a place in a world that undervalued her voice.” —Booklist (MHM Books for Young Readers)
April 2 – FORWARD ME BACK TO YOU, by Mitali Perkins. A girl having trouble fighting off the secrets of her past and a boy with no past having trouble taking on his future bond during a summer service trip to India to work with survivors of human trafficking. A Junior Library Guild Selection (Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers/Macmillan)
Aug. 27 – RUN, HIDE, FIGHT BACK, by April Henry. A diverse group of teens must band together to survive after a shooting breaks out in a Portland shopping mall. A Publishers Lunch YA Summer Buzz Book (Macmillan)
Sept. 10 – THE HIDDEN CODE, by P.J. Hoover. Hannah’s parents died 11 years ago while traveling abroad, but when she receives a mysterious letter right after her sixteenth birthday, Hannah goes on a journey to find our the truth and, possibly, the Code of Enoch, an artifact believed to hold the key to curing all disease. (Cbay Books)