Another Tuesday, another round of new releases! Here are brief blurbs about some of my new favorite children’s picture books, middle grade novels, and teen reads that released today.
The Mermaid by Jan Brett (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, $18.99) This very special Jan Brett retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears showcases Kiniro, a Japanese mermaid off the coast of Okinawa Japan, and a family of octopuses. While the style remains familiar, the color palate and new setting is a fun departure from the more Scandinavian tales Jan Brett is known for. Age 2+
The Friendship Code (Girls Who Code #1) by Stacia Deutsch (Penguin, $12.99) For your young girl coder, there’s nothing more important than the friendships she develops as she explores the tech world. The fresh, new, Girls Who Code series does just that. This first book in the series is about girls in a middle school coding club navigating the ins and outs of friendship. Filled with jargon and concepts that make coding accessible and fun. Age 8+
Girls Who Code: Learn to Code and Change the World by Reshma Saujani (Viking, $17.99) Written by the founder of the Girls Who Code organization, this book invites girls to join the movement to learn coding with tips on how to get started. Before you know it, she’ll be creating apps, games, and robots galore based on her personal interests. Watch out, tech world, here she comes! Age 8+
The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez (Viking, $16.99) When twelve-year-old Malu assembles a group of middle school misfits to form a punk-rock band, she finally feels like she fits in. She’ll do anything, including fighting her school’s administration, to keep feeling that way. This book is an exploration of friendship and a celebration of expressing your true self. Age 8+
The Arsonist by Stephanie Oakes (Dial, $17.99) A complex YA novel where two teens with nothing in common must solve a decades-old murder mystery of a third teen. Incarcerated parents, epilepsy, the Berlin Wall, and service dogs are just a few of the seemingly unrelated but extremely relevant topics explored in this book. Age 13+
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