{"id":25263,"date":"2018-04-17T07:30:33","date_gmt":"2018-04-17T11:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?p=25263"},"modified":"2018-04-17T07:30:33","modified_gmt":"2018-04-17T11:30:33","slug":"the-other-books-coming-out-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?p=25263","title":{"rendered":"The *Other* Books Coming Out Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

Readers outside the publishing world may not know that Tuesday\u00a0is almost always the official release\u00a0day for most traditionally published books. It’s the perfect day to release new books, because booksellers have one last chance (Monday) to\u00a0order from our overnight distributors any great new releases that have slipped past our radar up to that point. It also allows any lagging shipments one extra day in the new week to catch up.
\nSince today’s book release news will be entirely focused on James Comey’s A Higher Loyalty<\/em><\/a>, I’d like to take this opportunity\u00a0to trumpet\u00a0the children’s books born today that\u00a0may not hit news channels quite as notoriously.
\n
\n\"\"<\/a>Ghost Boys<\/em><\/a> by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Little, Brown) is a powerful middle-grade novel that begins just after the shooting of a 12-year-old Black child by a white officer. The ghost of the boy, Jerome, observes the aftermath of his death\u2014a disgracefully familiar tragedy\u2014and encounters the ghost of Emmett Till, who eventually shares his own harrowing story with Jerome. It may sounds like a hard book to sell, at least to adults; many parents will think the topic is too intense for 11- and 12-year-olds. But kids hear about these events all too often in the news, and many, many kids live these events, and here is a sensitive, piercing, powerful portrait of\u00a0a family bravely facing the worst of our nation\u2014a pattern\u00a0of casually treated violence against our own brown children\u2014a centuries-old pattern that must finally be broken.\u00a0It’s amazing that Jewell Parker Rhodes treads this difficult ground so successfully with simplicity, warmth, honesty, and even hope and humor along with the heartbreak.
\n\"\"<\/a>
\nI haven’t had a chance to read artist Alison Oliver’s authorial debut picture book, Moon<\/em><\/a> (Clarion), but I am truly over the moon about\u00a0its cover art. The Publishers Weekly<\/em> review says, “Moon has purple skin, long black hair, and a daunting list of responsibilities–soccer practice, trumpet lessons, etc. She wants more (“To run. To yell. To be wild”), and a nighttime visit from a wolf answers her yearning. The wolf leads Moon to its pack, and they show her “the wolfy ways. […]\u00a0Plenty of stories assure readers that nature is worth exploring; this one suggests that it has the power to change them.” I can’t wait to read it today!
\n\"\"<\/a>
\nEarly reader series seem to lend themselves to friendship duos. Frog and Toad<\/em>, George and Martha<\/em>, Mr. Putter\u00a0& Tabby<\/em>, Henry\u00a0and Mudge<\/em>, Bink & Gollie<\/em>, Elephant\u00a0& Piggie<\/em>, Rabbit\u00a0& Robot<\/em>, Ling & Ting<\/em>, Zelda\u00a0and Ivy<\/em>, Ballet Cat<\/em> and whichever friend she is helping out in that book, and so on, continue to captivate young readers with their friendship antics. Sergio Ruzzier’s Fox & Chick: The Party & Other Stories<\/em><\/a>\u00a0(Chronicle) is the\u00a0newest entry in this grand tradition, featuring a long-suffering fox, his sometimes problematic but still-loved\u00a0best friend, and their misadventures, told via a\u00a0playful early-reader-graphic-novel style, colorful and fun. (Kids who love this should also check out Sarah Dillard’s Extraordinary Warren Saves the Day<\/a>.)<\/em>
\n<\/a>
\nIt seems we can never have enough books about anticipating a new sibling, especially\u00a0stories that are happy and reassuring. Many of our favorite new-sibling books are the funny ones that help older siblings deal with their conflicting feelings about the new addition, like Julius, the Baby of the World<\/em> by Kevin Henkes, You’re the Boss, Baby Duck<\/em> by Amy Hest, The Other Dog<\/em> by Madeleine L’Engle, Emily Jenkins’ That New Animal<\/em>, Martha Alexander’s When the New Baby Comes, I’m Moving Out<\/em>, and so on. So it’s wonderful to be able to add\u00a0Mama’s Belly <\/em>to our new sibling shelf. It’s\u00a0a lovely book by Kate Hosford and Abigail Halpin that’s\u00a0filled with an almost-big-sister’s questions about what it will be like to have a little sister, and her mother’s gentle, patient, loving answers.
\n<\/a>
\nSome MG writers have a\u00a0perfect affinity for elementary school students, able to speak their language and inhabit their worlds so naturally it feels effortless. They create friendly, cozy worlds that navigate the world of childhood concerns with compassion and humor. Linda Urban, friend and fellow Vermonter, is\u00a0such an author. Her new book is\u00a0Road Trip with Max and His Mom,\u00a0<\/em>illustrated by\u00a0Katie Kath\u00a0(HMH), a follow-up to the first in the chapter book series,\u00a0Weekends with Max and His Dad<\/em>.\u00a0In this installment,\u00a0a road trip to Michigan with his mom to celebrate his great-great-aunt’s 100th birthday at an amusement park\u2014an exciting adventure\u2014also means that Max won’t get to be with his dad for the weekend.\u00a0Fortunately, Max can approach the trip like one of the explorers he most admires, Ernest Shackleton, and turn his own adventures and misadventures\u00a0into a grand adventure they all survive.
\nI wish I could\u00a0tell you a little about\u00a0each of the fun and fine books coming out today, but it’s 1:00 am and I am punchy. Here is a round-up of April 17 book babies. (I hope you click through, because there are some gorgeous books in this list!)
\nThe Golden Thread: A Song for Pete Seeger<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Colin Meloy and Nikki McClure (HarperCollins\/Balzer + Bray)
\nThe Dangerous Journey: A Tale of Moomin Valley<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Tove Jansson (Drawn & Quarterly)
\nOne Day a Dot: The Story of You, the Universe, and Everything<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Ian Lendler,\u00a0Shelli Paroline\u00a0and Braden Lamb (First Second)
\nHowl Like a Wolf!: Learn to Think, Move, and Act Like 15 Amazing Animals<\/em><\/a> by Kathleen Yale and Kaley McKean (Storey)
\nHidden in Nature: Search, Find, and Count!<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Agnese Baruzzi (Sterling)
\nAlphabet Boats<\/em>\u00a0<\/a>by Samantha R. Vamos\u00a0and Ryan O’Rourke\u00a0(Charlesbridge)
\nWedgie & Gizmo vs. the Toof<\/em><\/a> (Wedgie & Gizmo #2) by Suzanne Selfors and\u00a0Barbara Fisinger (HarperCollins\/Katherine Tegen)
\nThe Battle of Junk Mountain<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Abbey Lauren (Running Press)
\nEvery Shiny Thing<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Cordelia Jensen and Laurie Morrison (Abrams\/Amulet)
\nExplore the Salish Sea: A Nature Guide for Kids<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Joseph Gaydos and\u00a0Audrey D. Benedict (Little Bigfoot)
\nRight Now<\/a><\/em> by Jessica Olien\u00a0(HarperCollins\/Balzer + Bray)
\nDeep Water<\/a> by Watt Key (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
\nThisby Thestoop and the Black Mountain<\/a><\/em>\u00a0by Zac Gorman and\u00a0Sam Bosma (HarperCollins)
\nA Friendly Town That’s Almost Always by the Ocean!<\/a><\/em> (Secrets of Topsea #1)\u00a0by Kir Fox,\u00a0M. Shelley Coats, and Rachael Swanson (Disney-Hyperion)
\nJolly Foul Play<\/em><\/a> (Wells & Wong Mystery) by Robin\u00a0Stevens\u00a0(Simon & Schuster)
\nCurveball<\/em><\/a> (Jeter Publishing)\u00a0by Derek Jeter and Paul Mantell (S&S\/Paula Wiseman)
\nIf Wendell Had a Walrus<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Lori Mortensen\u00a0and Matt Phelan (Henry Holt)
\nSomeone Farted<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Bruce Eric Kaplan\u00a0(Simon & Schuster)
\nScience Comics: Sharks: Nature’s Perfect Hunter<\/em><\/a> (Science Comics) by Joe\u00a0Flood\u00a0(First Second)
\nThe Fish and the Cat<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>by Marianne Dubuc\u00a0(Princeton Architectural Press)
\nMy First Book of Lacrosse: A Rookie Book<\/em><\/a> (Sports Illustrated Kids Rookie Books)\u00a0by the Editors of Sports Illustrated Kids\u00a0(Sports Illustrated Kids)
\nMy Worst Book Ever<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Allan Ahlberg\u00a0(Thames & Hudson)
\nThe Girl with More Than One Heart<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Laura Geringer Bass (Abrams\/Amulet)
\nDon’t Ask a Dinosaur<\/em><\/a> by Deborah Bruss, Matt Forrest Esenwine, and Louie Chin\u00a0(POW!)
\nTim’s Goodbye<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Steven\u00a0Salerno (Farrar, Straus and Giroux\/Margaret Ferguson)
\nAngry Birds Comics: Furious Fowl<\/em> <\/a>(Angry Birds)\u00a0by Paul Tobin\u00a0(IDW)
\nRoar: A Dinosaur Tour<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Michael Paul (Crown)
\nRunning Through Sprinklers<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Michelle Kim\u00a0(Atheneum)
\nThe Case of the Perilous Palace (Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, Book 4)<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Jordan\u00a0Stratford\u00a0and Kelly Murphy (Knopf)
\nLet’s Investigate with Nate: Dinosaurs<\/em><\/a> (Let’s Investigate with Nate #3) by Nate Ball and Wes Hargis\u00a0(HarperCollins)
\nOver at the Construction Site<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Bill Wise\u00a0and Claire Lordon (Sterling)
\nAtomic Frenchie: Sit. Stay. Rule.<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Tom Sniegoski and Tom McWeeney\u00a0(Insight Comics)
\nOutlaws of Time: The Last of the Lost Boys<\/em><\/a> (Outlaws of Time #3) by N.D. Wilson\u00a0(HarperCollins\/Katherine Tegen)
\nShadow Call<\/em><\/a> by Michael Miller\u00a0and Adrianne Strickland (Delacorte)
\nI Want Your Smile, Crocodile<\/em> <\/a>by Denette Fretz\u00a0and Jackie Urbanovic\u00a0(Zonderkidz)
\nBeauregard in a Box<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Jessica Lee Hutchings\u00a0and Srimalie Bassani (Flowerpot Press)
\nBuild It! Trains: Make Supercool Models with Your Favorite Lego Parts<\/em><\/a> (Brick Books) by Jennifer Kemmeter\u00a0(Graphic Arts Books)
\nHoney Moon Shiver<\/em> <\/a>by Joyce Magnin\u00a0(Rabbit Publishers)
\nBaeoh and the Bully<\/em><\/a> (Team Taekwondo #2)\u00a0by\u00a0Master Taekwon Lee, Jeffrey Nodelman, and Ethen Beavers\u00a0(Rodale Kids)
\nStar Wars: A New Hope – The 40th Anniversary<\/em><\/a> by\u00a0Jess Harrold and Greg Land (Marvel Comics)
\nBuild It! Dinosaurs: Make Supercool Models with Your Favorite Lego Parts<\/em><\/a> (Brick Books) by Jennifer Kemmeter\u00a0(Graphic Arts Books)
\nBuild It! Sea Life: Make Supercool Models with Your Favorite Lego(r) Parts<\/em><\/a> (Brick Books) (Brick Books) by Jennifer Kemmeter (Graphic Arts Books)
\nThe Ring of Honor (Secrets of the Seven)<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Sarah L Thomson (Bloomsbury UK)
\nAll About China: Stories, Songs, Crafts and Games for Kids<\/em><\/a> by Allison Branscombe\u00a0and Lin Wang\u00a0(Tuttle)
\nAll About Korea: Stories, Songs, Crafts and Games for Kids<\/em><\/a> by\u00a0Ann Martin Bowler\u00a0and Soosoonam Barg\u00a0(Tuttle)
\nStar Struck (Ladybirds #4)<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Jenny\u00a0McLachlan (Feiwel amd Friends)
\nZak and His Little Lies<\/em><\/a> by\u00a0J. Samia Mair and Omar Burgess (Islamic Foundation)
\nMy Vacation Scrapbook (Lonely Planet Kids)<\/em><\/a> (Lonely Planet Kids)
\nThe Pirate Ghost (Hardy Boys Clue Book #7)<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Franklin W Dixon (Aladdin)
\nI Can Eat with Chopsticks: A Tale of the Chopstick Brothers and How They Became a Pair – A Story in English and Chinese<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Lin Xin\u00a0(Reader’s Digest)
\nMy Vacation Drawing Book <\/em><\/a>(Lonely Planet Kids)
\nGuess How Much I Love Indiana<\/em><\/a> (Guess How Much I Love) by Johannah Paiva\u00a0and Mark Kummer\u00a0(Flowerpot Press)
\nA Prince and His Porcelain Cup: A Tale of the Famous Chicken Cup<\/em><\/a> – Retold in English and Chinese by Li Jian\u00a0(Reader’s Digest)
\nGiant Mazes: Search, Find, and Count!<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Agnese Baruzzi\u00a0(Sterling)
\nSea Story (Brambly Hedge)<\/em><\/a> by Jill Barklem\u00a0(HarperCollins)
\n***
\nHAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY, everyone!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The nation’s eyes may be on James Comey’s book, but there are many April 17 releases worthy of note.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25263"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25263\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}