New Books Are Marching In, Part II

So much goodness that I had to break it into two posts.

The Queen of France




This looks very cute, and it's written by a librarian! Not only that, it's received excellent reviews, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal. This will appeal to little girls who love to play dress-up. Luckily for parents, School Library Journal assures that "it's a story that will never grow tired."


Red Wagon




Here's another book with two starred reviews (Kirkus Reviews and Booklist). This gentle story about a young fox and her favorite red wagon sounds like a keeper. Kirkus declares it "[A] winner."


Shout! Shout It Out!




It's always a good day when Denise Fleming has a new book out. "Grownups, get your earplugs ready: story time is about to get loud," warns The Horn Book Magazine. "Everybody loves to shout. So, if you know it, SHOUT it out! Ready, set, GO!" Numbers, colors, names of animals and types of transportation are presented via a mouse and his/her (human) students. Sounds perfect for a story time; I will definitely try it out!


Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit





Books about the seasons and holidays are in perpetual demand, so we can never really have enough of them. When a particularly special one comes along, it's a double blessing. Reviews have been extremely positive for this winter-to-spring story, including two starred reviews (Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal).

Star Wars Craft Book




Total Star Wars girl here (the original trilogy, although I don't hate on the newer ones as much as some super fans do). I grew up with the series, dressed up as Princess Leia for Halloween (Star Wars Princess Leia, not Return of the Jedi Princess Leia-I was six or seven). If I catch one of the movies on TV, I have to stop and watch it if I can. Written by a writer for StarWars.com, the Star Wars Craft Book shows us how to make Star Wars-inspired crafts using everyday materials. Cool. "Geek crafts" are all over the place on the Internet, so I'm sure this will appeal to geeks with glue guns.

(Speaking of Star Wars, Carrie Fisher is publishing a memoir next year about the Star Wars phenomenon; if you're familiar with her first memoir, her other writings, or her interviews, you know that she has a *wicked* wit. Cannot wait-it's been postponed from this summer, unfortunately!)


Storm Runners




I'm super excited about this, because I'm always on the look out for good series that might appeal to boys (and girls as well). Storm Runners is the first in a trilogy about a young boy and his storm-chasing father.

The Unforgettable Season: Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and the Record-Setting Summer of '41





It may be March Madness for the next two weeks, but baseball fans know that baseball season is just around the corner. Baseball books are coming out in droves, just like every year. Anyone know why baseball is the most "literary" sport? Good sports writing is some of the finest writing out there, and much of it is about baseball. The Unforgettable Season chronicles that amazing 1941 season, in which DiMaggio and Williams set records that still stand today. Publishers Weekly, in its starred review, calls this "conversational yet informative."

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku






This looks and sounds outstanding (starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and School Library Journal-wow!) . A cat narrates his life story, from his shelter days to his eventual adoption. Publishers Weekly recommends it as a "surprisingly powerful story in verse."

Ooooh. So much goodness. I think I need to learn how to read faster. It's only March, and I have so many awesome books to get to. Plus, there are some fabulous veteran authors with new books coming out in the next few months, along with some cool-sounding books by debut authors. 2011 is looking like an outstanding year for children's/YA literature!