Kidsreads Newsletter

Kidsreads.com Newsletter  -  March 2018

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In our last newsletter, we asked our readers to answer a survey about their reading habits and how they use our site. One thing that we learned was that many readers would like to see books featured noting the age range that they were appropriate for, so that they could better find books for young children. I feel we may have been remiss in clearly noting that we have this here, where we have our reviews broken down by age and genre. We've added a quick link for this to the top of this newsletter as well, to make it easy for you to find going forward. 

Another thing we discovered in our survey is that more of our readers are adults than children. As a result, with this newsletter we will be merging our lists and sending one newsletter to all each month, instead of separate ones for children and parents. Our last featured section in each newsletter will share contests and content of interest for our adult readers.

Thank you to those who participated in the survey. The winners of the two packages of prize titles were Angela from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Ann from Fayetteville, Georgia.

If there is anything else you would like to see from Kidsreads, please feel free to write me a note here.

The Girls Who Code series is back with the third book in their fiction series as well as their first activity book. This has been a big month for Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani, as it was announced that she will be receiving the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education, administered through an alliance between the McGraw Family Foundation, McGraw-Hill Education and Arizona State University. If you have not checked out her books for young girls yet, now is definitely the time, as the Girls Who Code series has received rave reviews for its STEM-focused combination of fun and empowerment. You can read our reviews of both LIGHTS, MUSIC, CODE! and CRACK THE CODE below. Click here to listen to an interview with Reshma as featured on The Skimm's podcast, Skimm'd from the Couch.

Back in 2016, bestselling author Rick Riordan announced that he would be creating his own imprint with Disney to help satisfy his voracious readers. Soon after, Disney launched Rick Riordan Presents, an imprint dedicated to mythology-based books for middle grade readers with the focus on diverse, mythology-based fiction by new, emerging and under-represented authors. The first book to be published by Riordan is ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME, written by young adult author Roshani Chokshi. Riordan wrote in a blog, "You guys have been asking about a Percy Jackson-esque take on Hindu mythology, and let me tell you, Rosh does it better than I ever could."

We have our review of ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME below. Our reviewer, Teen Board member Savana W., says, "ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME is fabulous. Chokshi manages to translate Rick Riordan’s famously humorous writing and wit into her story, while continuously maintaining her own voice as a writer. Aru and Mini are heroines who every young girl should be looking up to and seeing portrayed within literature."

In books on screen news, this month has given us several trailers of movies to look forward to. Up first, here's the trailer for Christopher Robin, the story of a working-class man named Christopher Robin who encounters his childhood friend Winnie-the-Pooh, who helps him to rediscover the joys of life. This movie will hit theaters in August and is rated PG.

Looking even further ahead, this holiday season will reunite us with yet another beloved children's classic: Mary Poppins! Click here to watch the teaser trailer for Mary Poppins Returns. We'll keep you updated as more information about this movie becomes available.

We have some exciting news to share in this newsletter as the voting has begun for the Children's Choice Book Awards. The Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards are the only national book awards voted on only by kids and teens. Launched in 2008 by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader, the awards provide young readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions about the books being written for them. The voting for children's books is divided into three categories by age. You can read more about the Awards and see the finalists below. If you are ready to vote, click here.

Read on for this month's series update (we've added titles to 47 series, including Big Nate, The Chronicles of Claudette, Emily Windsnap, and more!) and a ton of new reviews.

Happy reading,

--- Rebecca Munro (rebecca@bookreporter.com)

Vote for the Children's Choice Book Award

It's time to vote for the Children's Choice Book Award! This is a big deal in the publishing industry, as it is the only national book awards program where kids decide all of the winners. From now until May 6th, you have the chance to share your opinion by casting your vote for the best book of 2017. (Adults can click here to enter votes from their children. Teachers and librarians can find information about how to set up voting booths here.)

This year's finalists are:

K-2nd Grade

• BILLY BLOO IS STUCK IN GOO written by Jennifer Hamburg and illustrated by Ross Burach
• BOOKS THAT DRIVE KIDS CRAZY: Did You Take the B from My _ook? by Beck and Matt Stanton
• PETE WITH NO PANTS by Rowboat Watkins
• POOR LOUIE by Tony Fucile
• 
  THIS BOOK WILL NOT BE FUN written by Cirocco Dunlap and illustrated by Olivier Tallec

3rd-4th Grade

• 50 WACKY THINGS ANIMALS DO written by Tricia Martineau Wagner and illustrated by Carles Ballesteros
• FREDERICK DOUGLASS: The Lion Who Wrote History written by Walter Dean Myers and illustrated by Floyd Cooper
• MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN written by Nancy Churnin and illustrated by Danny Popovici
• OUT OF WONDER: Poems Celebrating Poets written by Kwame Alexander and Chris Colderley and illustrated by Ekua Holmes
• THUNDER UNDERGROUND written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Josee Masse

5th-6th Grade

• DISASTER DIARIES: Spiders! by R. McGeddon
• FINDING MIGHTY by Sheela Chari
• THE LOSERS CLUB by Andrew Clements
• MALALA: Activist for Girls’ Education written by Raphaelle Frier and illustrated by Aurelia Fronty
• 
  THIS IS JUST A TEST by Wendy Wan-Long Shang & Madelyn Rosenberg

This is your chance to make a difference. Get ready to show your favorite books and authors some well-deserved love!

Featured Reviews: NEW Girls Who Code Series Books

LIGHTS, MUSIC, CODE! #3 (Girls Who Code) Written by Jo Whittemore with a forward by Reshma Saujani (Fiction)
Maya and her coding club have a new project: they're coding lights and music for the winter dance! But when Maya's old friend Maddie moves to town, Maya starts spending a lot of time with her, and less time with her coding friends. Will Maya get swayed by Maddie's wayward ways, or will she stay true to her "permanent group" from coding club? And will she come through on her part for the light and music coding project? Maybe coding --- like friendship --- is about being there for your friends when they need you the most. Reviewed by Grace P., Teen Board Member.

CRACK THE CODE!: Activities, Games, and Puzzles That Reveal the World of Coding Written by Sarah Hutt and illustrated by Brenna Vaughan (Activity Book)
You might not realize it, but coding is everywhere--not just in our computers and phones. The video games you play, the animated films you watch, and the digital stopwatch you use --- they're all powered with code! This action-packed book with a two-color interior is full of word games, mazes, quizzes and more --- it's your key to understanding how coding is used in robotics, arts & animation, sports, music & performance and for social causes. You might even find inspiration for your next coding project! Reviewed by Grace P., Teen Board Member.

Featured Review: ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME by Roshani Chokshi

New Reviews

P.S. I MISS YOU by Jen Petro-Roy (Fiction)
Evie is heartbroken when her strict Catholic parents send her pregnant sister, Cilla, away to stay with a distant great-aunt. All Evie wants is for her older sister to come back. Forbidden from speaking to Cilla, Evie secretly sends her letters. Evie writes about her family, torn apart and hurting. She writes about her life, empty without Cilla. And she writes about the new girl in school, June, who becomes her friend, and then maybe more than a friend. Evie could really use some advice from Cilla. But Cilla isn’t writing back, and it’s time for Evie to take matters into her own hands. Reviewed by Marco M., Teen Board Member.

LOVE, PENELOPE by Joanne Rocklin (Fiction)
Penny is excited to welcome her new sibling, so throughout her mom’s pregnancy she writes letters to the baby. She introduces herself and their moms. She brags about their home city, Oakland, California, and shares the trials and tribulations of being a fifth-grader. Penny asks little questions about her sibling’s development and starts to ask big questions about the world around her (like if and when her moms are ever going to get married “for real"). Reviewed by Angela Warsinske.

ME, FRIDA, AND THE SECRET OF THE PEACOCK RING by Angela Cervantes (Mystery)
Paloma Marquez is traveling to Mexico City, birthplace of her deceased father, for the very first time. While in Mexico, Paloma meets Lizzie and Gael, siblings who want her to help them find a valuable ring that once belonged to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Finding the ring means a big reward --- and the thanks of all Mexico. What better way to honor her father! But the brother and sister have a secret. Do they really want to return the ring, or are they after something else entirely? Reviewed by Sally Tibbetts.

COCO CHANEL: Pearls, Perfume, and the Little Black Dress by Susan Goldman Rubin (Biography)
Award-winning author Susan Goldman Rubin introduces readers to the most well-known fashion designer in the world, Coco Chanel. Beginning with the difficult years Chanel spent in an orphanage, Goldman Rubin traces Coco’s development as a designer and demonstrates how her determination to be independent helped her gain worldwide recognition. COCO CHANEL focuses on the obstacles Chanel faced as a financially independent woman in an era when women were expected to marry; as well as her fierce competition with the Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli; and some of her most memorable firsts for the fashion industry. Reviewed by Dana Cuadrado.

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DISAPPEARING DIAMOND (Baker Street Academy #1) by Sam Hearn (Mystery/Detective)
John Watson has barely settled into his new school, Baker Street Academy, when his teacher announces a trip to one of London's top museums, home to the Alpine Star, the world's most famous jewel. But the gem has been stolen! The police are soon on the trail and the whole of the country is talking about the crime. When police catch the thief along with the stolen gem, it seems the case is closed. But Sherlock Holmes has other ideas. With John and Martha at his side, can he uncover the mystery behind this extraordinary gem? Reviewed by Dana Cuadrado.

PLAYING ATTARI WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN: Based on a True Story by Jennifer Roy and Ali Fadhil (Historical Fiction)
At the start of 1991, 11-year-old Ali Fadhil was consumed by his love for soccer, video games and American television shows. Then, on January 17, Iraq’s dictator Saddam Hussein went to war with 34 nations led by the United States. Over the next 43 days, Ali and his family survived bombings, food shortages and constant fear. Ali and his brothers played soccer on the abandoned streets of their Basra neighborhood, wondering when or if their medic father would return from the war front. Cinematic, accessible and timely, this is the story of one ordinary kid’s view of life during war. Reviewed by Liz Sauchelli.

MONSTERS BEWARE! written by Jorge Aguirre and Illustrated by Rafael Rosado (Graphic Novel)
She’s fought giants, clobbered dragons and now Claudette faces her biggest challenge yet…herself! Well, that and a gang of vile monsters. It all begins when Claudette’s town hosts the annual Warrior Games. After some sneaky maneuvering, Claudette manages to gets herself, Marie and Gaston chosen as her town's representatives. But none of Claudette’s past battles has prepared her for this. And to make matters worse, they must stop the vicious Sea Queen and her evil children from using the Warrior Games to free the dark Wizard Grombach and conquer the world! Reviewed by Emi Debos.

KNOCKOUT by K. A. Holt (Fiction)
As a baby, Levi had a disease that caused him respiratory issues. He's fine now, but his mom and brother still think of him as damaged, and his schoolmates see him as the same class clown he's always been. So when his dad --- divorced from his mom --- suggests he take up boxing, he falls in love with the sport. And when he finds out about a school with a boxing team and a free-study curriculum, it feels like he's found a ticket to a new Levi. But how can he tell his mom about boxing? And how can he convince his family to set him free? Reviewed by Emi Debos.

VOICES FROM THE SECOND WORLD WAR: Stories of War as Told to Children of Today by Candlewick Press (History)
The Second World War was the most devastating war in history. Up to 80 million people died, and the map of the world was redrawn. More than 70 years after peace was declared, children interviewed family and community members to learn about the war from people who were there, to record their memories before they were lost forever. Now, in a unique collection, RAF pilots, evacuees, resistance fighters, Land Girls, U.S. Navy sailors and survivors of the Holocaust and the Hiroshima bombing all tell their stories, passing on the lessons learned to a new generation. Featuring many vintage photographs, this moving volume also offers an index of contributors and a glossary. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.

FRENEMIES IN THE FAMILY: Famous Brothers and Sisters Who Butted Heads and Had Each Other's Backs written by Kathleen Krull and illustrated by Maple Lam (Biography)
One minute you can't live without them...the next minute you don't want them breathing your air! Siblings everywhere will relate to this humorous look at famous brothers and sisters whose important bonds have shaped their accomplishments...(mostly) for the better. Almost everyone has a juicy story about their siblings --- even famous people. Meet those who got along, those who didn't and everyone in between! Reviewed by Kathleen M. Purcell.

THE TRUE ADVENTURES OF ESTHER THE WONDER PIG written by Steve Jenkins, Derek Walter and Caprice Crane with illustrations by Cori Doerrfeld (Nonfiction/Animals)
When Steve and Derek adopted a mini pig named Esther, they had no idea that she would turn out to be not-so-mini after all. When her new family saw just how big and wonderful Esther really was, they fell in love --- and their lives changed forever. Esther would soon grow too large for her bed, and their small apartment. She got into everything, including her neighbor's tasty garden. So the whole family moved from a small apartment to a big farm, where Esther and her animal friends could fit happily (and get into a little less mischief). Eventually, that farm would become the Happily Esther After animal sanctuary, home to rescued animals of all kinds. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.

New Series Books for March

At Kidsreads.com, we know that a lot of you are all about series. Once you find characters, topics or a fictional world you love, you don't want to leave! That's why we add new books to our series features every month. Read below to see this month's updates, and click here to visit our Series page!

The Bad Guys, Book 6
THE BAD GUYS IN ALIEN VS BAD GUYS by Aaron Blabey

Baker Street Academy, Book 1
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DISAPPEARING DIAMOND by Sam Hearn

Baseball Genius, Book 2
DOUBLE PLAY: Baseball Genius by Tim Green and Derek Jeter

Bat, Book 2
BAT AND THE WAITING GAME written by Elana K. Arnold and illustrated by Charles Santoso

Behind the Legend, Book 6
DRAGONS written by Erin Peabody and illustrated by Victor Rivas

Big Nate, Book 18
BIG NATE: Silent But Deadly by Lincoln Peirce

The Bizarre Baron Inventions, Book 3
THE WONDERFUL BARON DOPPELGANGER DEVICE written by Eric Bower and illustrated by Agnieszka Grochalska

The Boxcar Children Mysteries, Book 146
THE DOUGHNUT WHODUNIT by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Chronicles of Claudette, Book 3
MONSTERS BEWARE! written by Jorge Aguirre and illustrated by Rafael Rosado

Cilla Lee-Jenkins, Book 2
CILLA LEE-JENKINS: This Book Is a Classic written by Susan Tan and illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte

Elementals, Book 1
ELEMENTALS: Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman

An Ellen and Ned Book, Book 1
RIDING LESSONS by Jane Smiley

Emily Windsnap, Book 7
EMILY WINDSNAP AND THE FALLS OF FORGOTTEN ISLAND written by Liz Kessler and illustrated by Erin Farley

Fairy Tale Reform School, Book 4
SWITCHED by Jen Calonita

Five Kingdoms, Book 5
TIME JUMPERS by Brandon Mull

Frank Einstein, Book 6
FRANK EINSTEIN AND THE SPACE-TIME ZIPPER written by Jon Scieszka, and illustrated by Brian Biggs

Geronimo Stilton Special Edition, Book 9
THE HUNT FOR THE COLOSSEUM GHOST by Geronimo Stilton

Ghosts of Ordinary Objects, Book 1
BONE'S GIFT by Angie Smibert

Girls Who Code, Book 3 & Activity Book
LIGHTS, MUSIC, CODE! by Jo Whittemore with a foreword by Reshma Saujani
CRACK THE CODE!: Activities, Games, and Puzzles That Reveal the World of Coding written by Sarah Hutt and illustrated by Brenna Vaughan

The Goolz Next Door, Book 1
A BAD NIGHT FOR BULLIES by Gary Ghislain

Hoops, Book 1
ELLE OF THE BALL by Elena Delle Donne

Judy Moody and Friends, Book 9
JUDY MOODY AND FRIENDS: Not-So-Lucky Lefty written by Megan McDonald and illustrated by Erwin Madrid

The Kicks, Book 8
IN THE ZONE by Alex Morgan

King of the Bench, Book 3
KING OF THE BENCH: Kicking & Screaming by Steve Moore

The Making of America, Book 2
ANDREW JACKSON: The Making of America #2 by Teri Kanefield

Middle School, Book 10
MIDDLE SCHOOL: From Hero to Zero written by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts and illustrated by Laura Park

Nate the Great, Book 29
NATE THE GREAT AND THE WANDERING WORD written by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, and Andrew Sharmat and illustrated by Jody Wheeler

Olga, Book 2
OLGA: We're Out of Here! by Elise Gravel

Paddington, Book 7
PADDINGTON AT WORK written by Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum

A Pandava Novel, Book 1
ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME by Roshani Chokshi

President, Book 3
PRESIDENT OF THE WHOLE SIXTH GRADE: Girl Code by Sherri Winston

Pride Wars, Book 1
THE SPINNER PRINCE by Matt Laney

A Quinnie Boyd Mystery, Book 3
A SIDE OF SABOTAGE by C. M. Surrisi

Science Comics, Book 8
SCIENCE COMICS: Robots and Drones: Past, Present, and Future written by Mairghread Scott and illustrated by Jacob Chabot

Secret Coders, Book 5
SECRET CODERS: Potions & Parameters written by Gene Luen Yang and illustrated by Mike Holmes

Secrets of the X-Point, Book 2
ESCAPED by Gary Urey

Star Scouts, Book 2
STAR SCOUTS: The League of Lasers by Mike Lawrence

Stick Dog, Book 8
STICK DOG CRASHES A PARTY by Tom Watson

Stink, Book 11
STINK: Hamlet and Cheese written by Megan McDonald and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

The Story Pirates Present, Book 1
STUCK IN THE STONE AGE written by The Story Pirates and Geoff Rodkey and illustrated by Hatem Aly with contributions from Vince Boberski 

Story Thieves, Book 5
WORLDS APART by James Riley

Survival Tails, Book 1
SURVIVAL TAILS: The Titanic by Katrina Charman

The Treehouse Books, Book 6
THE 78-STORY TREEHOUSE written by Andy Griffiths and illustrated by Terry Denton

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Book 2
THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL: 2 Fuzzy, 2 Furious by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

The Wide-Awake Princess, Book 7
PRINCESS BEFORE DAWN by E.D. Baker

The Wild Robot, Book 2
THE WILD ROBOT ESCAPES by Peter Brown

Wing & Claw, Book 3
WING & CLAW #3: Beast of Stone written by Linda Sue Park and illustrated by Jim Madsen

Contests on Our Other Book Report Network Websites for Our Adult Readers 

Bookreporter.com:

Spring Preview 2018: Spring is in the air! We’ve caught the fever --- and it’s being fueled by some wonderful new and upcoming releases. Our seventh annual Spring Preview Contests and Feature spotlights many of these picks, which we know people will be talking about over the next few months. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through April 20th. You will need to check the site to see the featured book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce each title, which you can sign up for here.

Fiction Author Spotlight & Contest: WE OWN THE SKY by Luke Allnutt: WE OWN THE SKY by Luke Allnutt is a tender and heartrending, but ultimately life-affirming, debut novel that will resonate deeply with anyone who has suffered loss or experienced great love. We have 30 advance copies to give away to readers who would like to read the book, which releases on April 3rd, and share their comments on it. The deadline for entries is Thursday, March 29th at noon ET.

Word of Mouth: Tell us about the books you’ve finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from March 16th to March 30th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of ALTERNATE SIDE by Anna Quindlen and THE BISHOP'S PAWN by Steve Berry.

Sounding Off on Audio: Tell us about the audiobooks you’ve finished listening to with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for both the performance and the content. During the contest period from March 1st to April 2nd at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of J.A. Jance's DUEL TO THE DEATH: An Ali Reynolds Mystery, read by Karen Ziemba, and Lisa Genova's EVERY NOTE PLAYED, read by Dennis Boutsikaris and Dagmara Dominczyk.

ReadingGroupGuides.com:

Special Contest: Enter to Win 12 Copies of AUNTIE POLDI AND THE SICILIAN LIONS by Mario Giordano for Your Group: AUNTIE POLDI AND THE SICILIAN LIONS is Mario Giordano's first novel translated into English (courtesy of John Brownjohn) and is the opening installment of a series starring Auntie Poldi, Sicily’s newest amateur sleuth. We are celebrating its release with a special contest that will give three readers the chance to win 12 copies of the book for their group. The deadline for your entries is Wednesday, April 18th at noon ET.

Special Contest: Enter to Win 12 Copies of THE BRIGHTEST SUN by Adrienne Benson for Your Group: We are celebrating the release of THE BRIGHTEST SUN by Adrienne Benson --- an illuminating debut following three women in sub-Saharan Africa as they search for home and family --- with a special contest that will give three readers the chance to win 12 copies of the book for their group. The deadline for your entries is Wednesday, April 18th at noon ET.

Special Contest: Enter to Win 10 Advance Copies of THE LITTLE CLAN by Iris Martin Cohen for Your Group: We are celebrating the April 17th release of Iris Martin Cohen's debut novel, THE LITTLE CLAN --- a love letter to classic literature and an illuminating look at newfound adulthood --- with a special contest that will give five groups the chance to win 10 advance copies of the book. The deadline for your entries is Wednesday, April 4th at noon ET.

Win 12 Copies of EXIT WEST by Mohsin Hamid for Your Group: Each month, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners will be selected, and each will win 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group. Note: To be eligible to win, let us know the title of the book that YOUR book group is CURRENTLY reading, NOT the title we are giving away. This month's prize book is EXIT WEST by Mohsin Hamid, which is March’s pick for the PBS NewsHour-New York Times book club “Now Read This.” Now available in paperback, this finalist for the Man Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Awards is an astonishingly visionary love story that imagines the forces that drive ordinary people from their homes into the uncertain embrace of new lands. To enter, please fill out the form below by Wednesday, April 4th at noon ET.