Category: Early Reader

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Intermediate, Middle Grade

Graphic Novels for all ages and stages!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Sorry, all! I spent a few days getting this roundup together – I am back and posting regularly again!

 

Maker Girl and Professor Smarts, by Jasmine Florentine, (Aug. 2025, MIT Kids Press), $12.99, ISBN: 9781536239584

Ages 7-10

Add a dash of Science Comics with a splash of Maker Comics, and you’ve got Maker Girl and Professor Smarts, a fun new series that uses tinkering powers for good. Set in New Bork City, main characters Chuy Reyes and Yael (Yaya) Levy are 12-year-old best friends who *didn’t* get superpowers when a comet hit their area of the planet a few years ago. It’s okay, though, because Chuy’s brains meets Yaya’s tinkering genius when a villain threatens the town by turning ice cream into slime! The bantering between the two buddies is witty and funny; it’s quick-paced and has enough action to keep kids turning pages. Illustration is cartoony with bold outlines and bold, bright colors. Chuy presents as a brown-skinned Latino boy and Yael and her brother, Yoel, are white-skinned and Jewish. There are two maker project for kids to try (with grownup help): a grappling hook and sorbet! Each project is illustrated and laid out for ease of construction. The story ends on a cliffhanger (naturally!), promising a good second entry to the series. Back matter includes a wealth of resources for anyone interested in “making stuff or knowing stuff”. Fun for STEAM, fun for anytime, this is a good series to add to your collections.

Need display ideas or readalikes? In addition to Science and Maker Comics, Quirk Books’ Nick and Tesla series by “Science Bob” Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith is a fun middle grade series that includes STEAM adventure and projects.

 

 

Night Light, by Michael Emberley, (April 2025, Holiday House), $14.99, ISBN: 9780823458165

Ages 4-8

Part of the I Like to Read series of comics, this is a great introductory graphic novel for emerging readers. A parent and child are reading before bed when a blackout strikes. “Too dark!’ the child says, as the flashlight’s batteries die. The parent has an idea: climbing up to the roof with a sack, they pull the stars from the sky to bring to the child’s room, but what will happen to the poor Moon, left in the dark all by themselves? A sparely worded graphic novel with panels and a breathtaking spread, Emberley creates a heartwarming story for emerging readers that’s as perfect for a bedtime read as it is for reading on one’s own. Emberley’s playful characters have appeared in other stories, including I Did It! and Let’s Go! and sport colorful pink-and-green striped pajamas and ear coverings, with colorful red noses. Sharp-eyed readers will notice the book of choice is Emberley’s father’s book, Go Away, Big Green Monster! (another storytime favorite). An excellent addition to beginner-level graphic novels, Night Light has starred reviews from Horn Book and Kirkus.

 

 

Sky & Ty 2: Dinomite!, by Steve Breen, (April 2025, Pixel Ink), $14.99, ISBN: 9781645952176

Ages 6-9

Sky and Ty are back in their second volume of adventures. The cowgirl and T. Rex duo run a delivery service, do a couple of good deeds, learn that money isn’t everything, and Ty discovers a new branch on his family tree. Adorable fun that readers who love Pea, Bee & Jay and Narwhal and Jelly will enjoy. Great for more newly independent readers, the two-color illustrations are bright and boldly outlined and have more text than early graphic novels. Bold fonts make the text easy to read and themes of kindness and friendship will resonate with kids. There are fun facts about cowgirls in the back matter along with some chuckle-worthy riddles. Pulitzer Prize Winner Breen has a winning series with this one.

There’s a free, downloadable Sky & Ty activity kit from Howdy, Partner!, the first book in the series (2024), for you to print out and have ready for readers.

 

 

Casey’s Cases: The Mysterious New Girl, by Kay Healy, (Feb. 2025, Neal Porter Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9780823456505

Ages 7-10

Casey is a quirky kid who sees is mystery in just about anything. No, really: ANYTHING. The 11-year-old is undeterred by Dina, the resident mean girl, and befriends the mysterious new girl, Jan (a case into and of herself). Jan ends up as Casey’s sidekick as Casey embarks on such adventures as the Case of the Missing Hairband, the Case of the Wrapped Presents, the Case of the Lost Fifty Bucks, and many, many more. She bumbles through a crush on classmate AJ and attempts to find (but not really) the family of a missing cat while solving her mini-mysteries with often-silly moments. She’s more Frank Drebin than Nancy Drew and readers will love her for it. Uncomplicated illustrations,  colorful and boldly outlined, make for easy reading for more confident readers.

Author Kay Healy has printable Casey resources for you to share with your readers! 

 

 

 

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Fiction, Intermediate, picture books

Tales from the TBR: A Man and His Cat Picture Book!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A Man and His Cat Picture Book: Fukumaru and the Spaceship of Happiness, by Umi Sakurai, (July 2024, Square Enix Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781646092819

Ages 5-8

How did I miss this one last year? A Man and His Cat is a popular manga series that’s released in the U.S. from Square Enix; somehow, I missed the picture book release that stars the cat, Fukumaru, who has his own adventure. In Fukumaru and the Spaceship of Happiness, Fukumaru meets two space cats whose ship has crashed. Powered by happiness, it’s up to Fukumaru to share his own joy to help his new fureinds (fur + friends) get back home. He shares tasty treats and fun toys, but when they need that last burst of joy to get liftoff, Fukumaru worries – how can he possibly share his Daddy? Sakurai creates a sweet story that emerging readers will love. The chibi illustrations are too cute for words, and the strong theme of sharing will resonate with readers who are learning to share their possessions while teaching them that sharing joy is just as important and as wonderful as sharing material things. If you haven’t gotten this on your shelves yet, give it a whirl, especially if you have manga readers at your library. 

Psst… if you haven’t explored cat manga for kids, yet, I humbly recommend Chi’s Sweet Home (also available to stream) and Fuku Fuku Kitten Tales, both by Konami Konata. My library kids wear my copies out!

Posted in Non-Fiction, picture books, Preschool Reads

Earth Day and Every Day Reading: I Love Salmon and Lampreys!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I Love Salmon and Lampreys: A Native Story of Resilience, by Brook S. Thompson/Illustrated by Anastasia Khmelevska, (Feb. 2025, Heyday), $20, ISBN: 9781597146685

Ages 4-8

Growing up, Brook Thompson loved fishing with her family and hearing their stories; she also learned to care for the salmon and lampreys that sustained generations of her family. The dams along the Klamath River in Northern California endangered the fish, leaving the fish susceptible to “ich”, a parasite, that killed over 60,000 salmon. A member of the Yurok and Karuk Tribes, Thompson joined the tribal members and community that protested the dams until several were removed. Thompson’s story goes beyond the biographical to explain how the story of the fish mirrors her own journey to becoming a scientist and engineer; their pasts are rooted together in history, starting with the fish sustaining her ancestors. Like the salmon and lampreys, Thompson explored a life away from home, returning after receiving an education that will allow her to “take care of fish for people in the future, like my ancestors did for me in past years”. Khmelevska’s endearing artwork is rich with warm colors and expressive faces. A rendering of a grown-up Thompson wears a dress readers will recognize in an author photo from the back matter. Back matter includes fun facts, maps, and a note about the Klamath River dams. The book’s text utilizes a font called OpenDyslexic, making it easier for readers with dyslexia to enjoy. A good additional purchase for picture book biographies. Pair with We Are Water Protectors for Earth Day displays.

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Intermediate

Super Magic Boy is back, and he’s a Space Tiger this time

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Super Magic Boy: I Am a Space Tiger! (#2), by Jarod Roselló, (Dec. 2024, RH Graphic), $10.99, ISBN: 9780593427811

Ages 4-8

Hugo the Super Magic Boy and his best buddy, Dino the Dinosaur, are back in another wacky adventure. This time, it’s Mami’s birthday and Hugo wants to find a gift that’s so amazing, it could be… out of this world! Transforming into a space tiger, the two travel through space and arrive at the space tiger planet only to learn that they have their own problems: their magic stone has gone missing and without it, they have no power! Space Tiger and Hugo go on their own quest to find the stone and secure a great gift for Mami. It’s a chaotic story filled with exaggerated reactions and adventure that younger readers will get laughs from. Bold and active illustration bounces off the stark white page. Reading the story reminds me of hearing a child relate a story they dreamed up; it’s here, it’s there, it’s everywhere and makes perfect sense to them. Kids will love this book. A second story stars Hugo and a space tiger at bedtime and is sweet and adorable. The third Super Magic Boy book is due out this fall… what will Hugo transform into next?

Psst… both Super Magic Boy books are also available in Spanish!

Posted in Early Reader, Realistic Fiction

The Backyard Detectives are on the case!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mystery on the Sidewalk (Backyard Detectives, Inc. #1), by Ann Biedenharn, (Nov. 2024, Daisy Hill Publishing), $26.15, ISBN: 979-8-9897014-0-7

Ages 5-7

Alec is a young Backyard Detective with a secret partner: a British mouse named Flint, and the two kick off a fun new series when they attempt to solve the mystery of the purple goo that shows up on his grandmother’s sidewalk one morning. Through observation and deduction, the two arrive at a hilarious conclusion that’s sure to get laughs from readers while teaching fun lessons about nature and color. Black and white illustrations include splashes of purple for effect; easy-to-read text makes this a great Easy Reader for kids who may still be a little young to dive into Nate the Great, but are ready to move on from Young Cam Jansen. Back matter includes an author’s note and “Flint’s Investigation Station”, containing discussion questions and a challenge for readers. Mystery on the Sidewalk is the first in a planned series, and currently available through Daisy Hill Publishing’s website, where readers and educators can find additional resources for exploring mysteries in their own backyards and public green spaces. A cute book for burgeoning readers.

Posted in Early Reader, Non-Fiction, picture books

The Shape of Things: How we created maps to understand our world

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Shape of Things: How Mapmakers Picture Our World, by Dean Robbins/Illustrated by Matt Tavares, (Aug. 2024, Knopf Books for Young Readers), $19.99, ISBN: 9780593479254

Ages 4-8

An extraordinary discussion on the development of maps, Robbins provides an insight into human history as Tavares illustrates how different eras created maps to make sense of their world. Beginning with the first cultures to make maps using cave drawings and mammoth tusks, Robbins describes how mapmaking developed with humans, going from rocks to papyrus and ink to digital technology; as humans explored the planet, maps became more detailed, including paths connecting cities, rivers, and oceans. Flat, one-dimensional maps gave way to globes and tools like the compass, Gunter’s chain, and satellites, and computers. Robbins skillfully explains how humanity came together with the goal to explore and define the world we share; Tavares’s digital illustrations show realistic depictions of people through different eras creating various maps, allowing readers to see the changes in landscape, cultures, and technology. The story of maps is the story of mankind, beautifully told here. Endpapers depict shards of an early map and a  car-mounted smartphone GPS. Back matter includes an illustrated mapmaking timeline, a bibliography, and notes on mapmaking. Developing mapmakers will return to this book again and again.

 

“Map lovers and readers interested in the development of knowledge and technology will be drawn to Robbins’ look at how we, over millennia, have documented Earth’s shape.” —Booklist

Dean Robbins is a journalist and children’s book author. His previous books include, The Fastest Girl on Earth!, Two Friends; Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, Miss Paul and the President, and Margaret and the Moon. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with his family. To learn more, visit https://deanrobbins.net/

Matt Tavares is a New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of over twenty titles. His books have been featured in: ALA Notable, Parents’ Choice Gold Awards, and twelve were chosen for the Society of Illustrators Original Art exhibit. His artwork has been exhibited at the Brandywine River Museum, the Eric Carle Museum, and the Mazza Museum. Matt lives in Maine with his wife, Sarah, and their two daughters. Visit his website: matttavares.com

Instagram:
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Matt Tavares: @tavaresbooks
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Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, picture books

A story to garden by: The Soil in Jackie’s Garden by Peggy Thomas & Neely Daggett

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Soil in Jackie’s Garden, by Peggy Thomas/Illustrated by Neely Daggett, (May 2024, Feeding Minds Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781948898164

Ages 5-8

Jackie is a little girl who gets a group of friends together to garden and celebrate the fruits of their labor in this fun cumulative story that is loaded with fun, easily readable facts about gardening, composting, plant life cycles, and more. The group is inclusive and diverse, encouraging readers to see themselves doing the work in a community garden. The verses play with language, inviting readers to join in and squirm like a worm, smack their lips, and buzz like bees, while callout boxes on each spread expand on the verses with factual text: “These are the worms – squirrrm! / that stir the soil in Jackie’s garden” is accompanied by a fact box with two sentences about worms. Readers familiar with stories like The House That Jack Built will easily recognize the format, and new readers will love the familiarity of having repeat verses, giving them familiarity with the story. Back matter includes information on the soil cycle and how to make a compost pile. Create a great gardening display with Kalee Gwarjanski’s Miss MacDonald Has a Farm , Lois Ehlert’s Planting a Rainbow, and Anna McQuinn’s Lola Plants a Garden!

Posted in Early Reader, Intermediate, Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction

Elise Gravel turns her microscope to Club Microbe

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Club Microbe, by Elise Gravel, (Apr 2024, Drawn & Quarterly), $17.95, ISBN: 9781770467026

Ages 5+

Elise Gravel makes some of the most fun science series: Club Microbe joins the ranks of Mushroom Fan Club and The Bug Club, making adorable cartoons out of subjects kids would normally scrunch their noses up at. Club Microbe is all about microorganisms: viruses, algae, bacteria, you name it, Gravel is fascinated with them. Gravel convinces readers that microbes get a bad rep because of a few creeps, like the coronavirus and rabies lyssavirus; there are loads of good microbes, like the bacteria that makes yogurt, or the germs that live in our intestines and help us digest our food (and make a little body music). There are microbes that help fight climate change, and microbes that help form snowflakes. Microbes are found everywhere on the planet – even volcanoes! – and without them, we’d be a dead planet. Gravel warms to her subject; her enthusiasm shines through, and her illustrations make expressive, brightly colored blobs of all sizes and shapes. A fun introduction that will delight any reader. Get a free virus printable and other science printables at Gravel’s author website.

 

 

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads

Tow on the Go!: A fun Easy Reader series to watch

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

It’s always a good day when I get to review Easy Readers! They’re so much fun, I can still read (most of) them at storytime, and I hardly get to review them. This new series, Tow on the Go!, is part of the Ready-to-Read series, and is all about vehicles – which, as I’ve said in the past, is an insta-win with my Corona Kids.

Tow on the Go! The Mambo Rescue!, by Patricia Lakin/Illustrated by Chiara Galletti, (Aug. 2023, Simon Spotlight), $4.99, ISBN: 9781665920063

Ages 4-6

Tow Truck Mo is a happy yellow tow truck who’s ready to pull his friends out of a jam – just give him a sec to play mambo music, because mambo makes Mo go! In this first Tow on the Go! adventure, Mo zooms through the snow to help 10 cars who have gotten stuck. How does he do it? Mambo, baby! Once he gets his friends grooving to the mambo beat, they’re able to get moving… right out of the snow. Adorable rhymes make this a great readaloud, with lines like “Mambo music does the trick. / It will free you super quick!” This is a great excuse to get the kidlings up and moving during storytime, too. Happy anthropomorphic trucks sport bright colors and big expressions; Mo is a happy tow truck ready to help. Large font helps emerging readers get the hang of reading and recognizing loads of sight words.

 

 

Tow on the Go! The Splish-Splash Puddle Dance!, by Patricia Lakin/Illustrated by Chiara Galletti, (Dec. 2023, Simon Spotlight), $4.99, ISBN: 9781665920094

Ages 4-6

The more recent Tow on the Go! book has a new character: Race Car Ro is having a great time splish-splashing in puddles after the rain, but he accidentally gets stuck in a hole and needs some help: it’s Mo to the rescue once again! What happens when Ro is too ticklish for Mo’s hook and his lasso won’t catch? Time to mambo free! This sweet series is all about looking on the bright side, and finding new solutions: “Can you mambo just like me? Dancing just might set you free!” Friendly-faced, bright cars and rhyme make these a delight to read out loud and gets kids – and grownups – moving. I hope readers get to meet more cars and trucks as Mo dances a mambo through more books.

 

 

Posted in Early Reader, Non-Fiction, picture books

Lives to learn about: Picture Book Biographies

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Chef Edna, by Melvina Noel/Illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera, (Apr. 2023, Abrams), $18.99, ISBN: 9781951836399

Ages 5-8

Have you ever heard of Chef Edna Lewis? You will now. Raised in Freetown, Virginia, in a town founded by her grandfather and other freed slaves, Chef Edna grew up on a farm and cooked with her mother, Mama Daisy, learning to measure out ingredients with coins: “A quarter’s worth of baking powder. A dime’s worth of salt”. She eyeballed, listened, and watched as her meals took shape; as her community gathered ’round to enjoy food together. But her parents passed, and Edna headed to New York to find work to help support her family; she took jobs answering phones and as a seamstress, making beautiful clothes for movie stars, but her real talent lay in creating food to bring people together, just like her life in Freetown. Eventually, that is exactly what she did: beginning with dinner parties and catered events, word spread and Edna’s Southern meals generated buzz and gained popularity, and Miss Edna eventually became Chef Edna, co-owner of an Upper East Side restaurant in Manhattan, where luminaries of all stripes came to eat Southern food. Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honoree Cabrera creates gorgeous spreads with deep colors to evoke the clean feeling of a country kitchen and the warmth of a family gathering. A spread showing Chef Edna’s Manhattan clientele reveals some familiar faces, including Salvador Dalí and Eleanor Roosevelt; older readers who recognize certain celebrities will enjoy the secret reveal and can clue younger readers in. Back matter includes an author’s note, a biscuit recipe, and further sources for more reading. The cover is a beautiful illustration of Chef Ednea holding a table full of people in her arms, illustrating the connection between food and community. Endpapers bookend her life, showing a farm  and a woman wearing a colorful floral dress, holding a bag of fresh food and flowers, crossing a street in the city. A wonderful celebration of a life well-lived, Chef Edna is an excellent add to picture book biographies.

Visit the Edna Lewis Foundation for more information about Chef Edna, her books, and a scholarship in her name that funds study for young, upcoming Black chefs.

 

The Fire of Stars : The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of, by Kirsten W. Larson/Illustrated by Katherine Roy, (Feb. 2023, Chronicle Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781452172873

Ages 6-9

This picture book biography on astronomer and astrophycsicist Cecelia Payne charts the birth of a star with Payne’s rise – also the birth of a star, albeit in the astrophysics and astronomy fields. Born in the English countryside and moved to London at an early age, Cecelia Payne is fascinated with nature and science. Pencil and ink illustrations, digitally colored, show Payne as she grows from curious child to focused, science-mined young woman, alongside the celestial creation of a star; the descriptive text mapping to moments in Payne’s life. After graduating Cambridge, Payne traveled to America, where she ultimately discovered that stars are composed mostly of hydrogen and helium. Back matter includes more about Payne and being a woman in the sciences and a deeper dive into the panels illustrating a star’s creation. There is also a timeline of Payne’s life and a bibliography. It’s a beautifully illustrated book that marries its subject with the phenomenon she helped further define. An excellent selection for STEAM and STEM collections and biography collections.

The Fire of Stars has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Kirkus. Learn more about Cecelia Payne at Physics World, the American Museum of Natural History, and Britannica.com.

 

The Queen of Chess : How Judit Polgár Changed the Game, by Laurie Wallmark/Illustrated by Stevie Lewis, (July 2023, Little Bee Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781499813067

Ages 6-9

As a child, Judit Polgár watched her parents teach her older siblings to play chess; at the age of five, it was her turn to learn. The Queen of Chess, the picture book biography of chess prodigy Polgár, chronicles her rise and dedication to the game. Stevie Lewis beautifully communicates Polgár’s intensity, beginning with the cover illustration, where Polgár stares intensely at a chessboard – and possibly, the reader? – hands folded in concentration. The Queen of Chess is a love letter to chess without necessitating knowledge of the game. Wallmark tells the story of Polgár’s passion for the game and determination to attain the rank of grandmaster; Lewis creates illustrations that communicate both Polgár’s intensity and her joy: she smiles as she and her sister go over patterns and play “blind chess”, where they sat back to back, announcing their moves to one another. Wallmark writes of Polgár’s “ferocious” and “fearless” game while noting that checkmating her opponents made her giggle and smile. Lewis captures a moment where Polgár lies on her bed, holding a book on chess positions, smiling with her eyes closed. Polgár wrote copious notes on her opponents and is well aware of the mental game involved in chess. Her determination won her medals and championships and made her the youngest grandmaster in history at the age of 15. The Queen of Chess will inspire and excite readers, possibly introducing another generation to the game. Back matter includes a timeline of Polgár’s life and a note on the mathematics of chess. An excellent choice for biography collections.

Visit the Judit Polgár Chess Foundation for more information on supporting chess programs for children. Judit Polgár’s website includes fun facts, photos, and appearances. ChessKid is a site that includes teaching materials for children who want to learn chess.