Happy, Happy Book Birthday!

Luckily it didn't take much to convince my son to bake a cake for me last night.  I mean, I had to have cake.  We were celebrating FOUR book birthdays today and TWO tomorrow. It didn't take much arm twisting.  He even shaved chocolate on top, which after the first time blowing out the candle I realized was probably not a good idea to be close to the keyboard.  Lesson learned.   Chocolate cake. Peanut butter frosting. Doesn't get much better.

These are only a select few of the many fabulous books that came out in the world today.  Be sure and add them and all the others onto your TBR pile and then let's chat!

Party 1: Hello, Neighbor!: The Kind and Caring World of Mister Rogers by Matt Cordell 

For so long it was embarrassing to admit how big a fan I was of Mister Rogers.  Yeah, really big.  I wrote him letters.  Invited him to birthday parties.  I think (and my face is turning red now) even invited him to my Bat Mitzvah?  Those letters? He wrote me back!  If I still have them, I don't know where they are.

Matt's book is as lovely as Mister Rogers himself.  And for any adult fan, there are treasures sprinkled throughout.  When we had our party, I pulled up a video of the opening of the show and another episode.  You can tell Matt did, too, since the illustration of the boy in his shirt matches the true one.  I love the back matter.  A visual glossary. Matt's connection to Mister Rogers. Where to find out more and links to episodes.  It will definitely be included on my 2021 Sibert contender list.

Party 2:  Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us by Lauren Castillo

BONJOUR! HOLA! Ha! We could not stop reading this book!  It's an early chapter book so we really didn't have time to read the whole thing, but we got pretty darn close!  Each time it was the end of the chapter, we couldn't stop. Would Hedgehog find Mutty?  What about Beaver?!  A young student wrote in the chat, "Beaver is rude."  Ha! They were surely paying attention! The short chapters, words defined and happy illustrations make for such a satisfying read for emerging readers. You can't help by smile.  PS-It will be hard not to fight the urge to run to Trader Joe's for a box of hedgehog cookies. Maybe bake a batch yourself.  You definitely have some time...

Party 3: Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

Today was not my first book birthday celebration for Juana Martinez-Neal and won't be my last. She has a big fan base in Castleton after we championed her Caldecott Honor book,  Alma and How She Got Her Name from literally DAY 1.  So I've been waiting patiently for this book to come out. Yay!  It's gorgeous and what do you know? Another book about neighbors. You'll be dreaming of the ocean (or lake or just being somewhere peaceful) for hours.  But you know, that's not a bad thing.

Party 4: Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley

To be completely honest, I haven't finished this one yet but I'm hooked.  This is going to be one of those graphic novels we won't be able to keep on our shelves.  Jen has moved to Peapod Farm from the city with her mom and mom's boyfriend.  Only a few chapters in and we feel for Jen as she navigates chickens, chicken poop, Walter's daughter, math struggles and more. Our Roller Girl, El Deafo, Smile fans are going to be so excited to read this one!

Party 4A (with me, myself and I): Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick

I finished this coming of age mystery last month. Neurodivergent Frankie, her twin, Tess and Collette used to all be best friends until Mia came along. "Friendships aren't about fault...they're about forgiveness...and they're tough, especially when people grow up and change. You kind of have to keep getting to know your friends all the time." This is a hard lesson for any of us.  When Collette goes missing, Frankie's the first to put it together where she might be and together with Tess they begin to track her steps hoping to find her. Grab your your bike, some taffy and your heart for this new novel perfect for grades 5 and up.

PRH Audio · Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick, read by Jorjeana Marie

There you have it--Four + one books. One day. Two more tomorrow. I love this time of year in #kidlit. Exhausting for someone like me who wants to celebrate them all but so worth it!

PS-The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate also got released today.  Needs no explanation and from all that chatter that I am hearing, it's another one surely not to miss.

PARTY PIX