New Books For the New Year, Part I

The 2011 books are coming in! Some of these "new books" are from 2010, actually. I needed to order several books that received Honors and the Printz. Let's get on with this, shall we?




Bitter Melon

I'm fascinated with all the hoopla surrounding Amy Chua's recent Wall Street Journal article and memoir. With that in mind (and remembering that Ms. Chua is not representative of all Chinese and Chinese-American mothers), I'm eager to read Bitter Melon. Set in 1980s San Francisco, this is a YA novel about a young Chinese-American rebelling against her mother and setting her own path in life.





Buzz Beaker and the Outer Space Trip

African-American boys are barely represented in easy readers; I'm happy to have found Buzz Beaker. We also ordered Buzz Beaker and the Speed Secret. Buzz appears to be an inventor of sorts.





Camo Girl

This coming of age novel about a biracial girl growing up in the Las Vegas suburbs sounds very appealing.







Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream

Clara Lee, a hopeful Little Miss Apple Pie contestant, looks adorable. I predict that this will be popular among our patrons.




Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night




Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave

Both books were Newbery Honor recipients. Looking forward to reading them.




Doodlebug: A Novel in Doodles

Books with cartoon illustrations are all the rage, thanks to Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Doreen uses her notebook to chronicle her feelings about her new home and city. Dodo has ADD; girl characters with ADD are not common in children's literature, so this is a welcome addition. Kirkus Reviews called it "charming and thoughtful."





Except If

An egg will become a baby bird, except if it becomes a baby snake! And so on and so on. This looks terrific; I hope I can share it with my toddler story time group.




I Must Have Bobo

Aww. The story of a young boy separated from his favorite toy (and the cat who also covets his toy). Looks adorable.




Just in Time, Abraham Lincoln

Patricia Polacco's latest picture book features two brothers who visit a museum in Harper's Ferry, WV and are transported to the Battle of Antietam. Just in time for the Civil War sesquicentennial (150th anniversary).




Little White Rabbit

Looks like another lovely charmer from Kevin Henkes; a little rabbit wonders what it would be like to be other animals. Drama comes in the form of a cat, naturally. Cats are all about drama.



Magic Tree House: A Crazy Day With Cobras

Jack and Annie explore India during the Mogul Empire (1600s). The nonfiction companion is Snakes and Other Reptiles.




Monkey Truck

Kids love stories about monkeys. Kids love stories about trucks. So why not write a story about a monkey truck that rescues jungle animals in trouble? I'm sure this will be popular.




Painter and Ugly

Togo is one of my favorite picture books, so I'm really looking forward to Painter and Ugly. Anyone who thinks that picture books are only for small children should take a look at Robert J. Blake's books; his writing and illustrations are beautiful, evocative, and sophisticated. Blake returns to a favorite theme: sled dogs and the Iditarod.


To be continued.