Hot Off the Press: New Books for 2016

January used to be a slow month for new books; years ago, I used to use this month to catch up on 2015 reads that I had overlooked. Well, we are already receiving many fabulous titles, and I am already overwhelmed with the number of books that I want to read! This is just a sampling of books that I can't wait to get my hands on:

Picture Books: 

Shhh! This Book is Sleeping is narrated by a small mouse, who informs the reader/listener that the very book that he/she is holding is sleepy. This means that the book needs a bedtime story, a cozy blanket, and a good-night kiss. I have a low tolerance for gimmicky and overly-cute books for very young children (in the wake of the awesome Press Here, there's been a ton of imitators that fail to meet its ingenuity), but this might be a winner. 

Apparently, Time for Spring is a re-release of a long out-of-print Crockett Johnson picture book. Fauquier County residents will be all too familiar with the premise of having a late winter snowstorm when spring is just about ready to bloom! 

Wheels on the Tuk-Tuk  is an Indian (Asian) version of the classic toddler song. A tuk-tuk is a three-wheel taxi, and obviously quite an experience to be had! 

Children's Novels: 

So excited about Cleo Edison Oliver, Playground Millionaire that you wouldn't even believe. I adore Sundee T. Frazier's The Other Half of My Heart (shamefully neglected in that year's "best books" lists) very much, and can't wait to meet Miss Cleo Edison Oliver, who seems to be quite the businesswoman! 

That title! That cover! I have a feeling that Superheroes Don't Eat Veggie Burgers will be a popular choice in our libraries. What happens when a sixth grade boy's stories about a superhero become true? 

Children's Nonfiction:

If you've ever attended a skating or hockey event, you know that the Zamboni is a crucial element of keeping the ice safe and clean (and children love watching it glide across the ice!).  I'm willing to bet that not many people know about its invention (I certainly don't!); thankfully, Monica Kulling's Clean Sweep! Frank Zamboni's Ice Machine is here to set the record straight. 

I'm a huge fan of Carole Boston Weatherford, so the fact that her latest nonfiction picture book, Freedom in Congo Square, is about New Orleans's Congo Square (where enslaved African-Americans established a market and a place to perform music every Sunday) is just icing on the cake. 

Graphic Novels: 

I made a real effort to read more graphic novels in 2015, and the experience made me a huge fan of graphic novels/comic books (I read 29 graphic novels/comic books last year; I read 15 in 2014). Comic Squad 2: Lunch features the best children's/ya graphic novelists on the subject of school lunch (the first volume was all about recess). 

Young Adult: 

After reading Alexandra Bracken's superb retelling of A New Hope, I'm ready to read everything else that she writes. Passenger features a violin prodigy who time travels to 1776 in the middle of an intense battle at sea.

I've read several YA novels about aspiring dancers/musicians/actors who discover that their dreams and plans have been altered; the plots mostly run together in my mind, but I'm pretty sure Up To This Pointe is the first story about a 17 year old (formerly) aspiring ballerina who decides to take a job as a research assistant in Antarctica. Caught your fancy? It certainly piqued my interest!

This is just a hint of the incredible 2016 books already in our collection, with more on the way (and I didn't even talk about the adult fiction/nonfiction that I want to read!). If you want more information on recently ordered and added books, you need to check out Wowbrary, our weekly email newsletter about the latest books, ebooks, audiobooks, and DVDs added to our libraries.

Jennifer Schultz, Youth Services Librarian, Fauquier County Public Library