With so many holidays here and just around the corner, this is always the time of year to think about the best new books to give to a loved one, whether it’s a picture book for bedtime or the next adventure for a picky young bookworm.
Featured Pick: Hugsby by Dow Phumiruk
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This picture book is high on our list of recommendations this year for those looking for a great readaloud for a toddler. When Shelly adopts pink monster Hugsby, she is immediately smitten— Hugsby gives the best hugs EVER. But when show and tell comes at school, she becomes anxious when she sees all of the cool tricks the other kids’ monsters can do. But a good hug just when you need it is a pretty cool trick, too. A gentle story about perfectionism, affection, and acceptance is buoyed by sweet illustrations, making for wonderful read-together for kids of all temperaments.
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What’s New This Month
There are multiple new and upcoming picture books available for hold in the catalog this month, including a new book based on the viral video affirmations of Ayann Diop, and a lovely picture book for kids struggling with COVID-related isolation called Outside, Inside. Meanwhile, incoming for older kids is the latest from Gary D. Schmidt, a new Plants vs. Zombies comic, and a fascinating fantasy adventure called Root Magic that draws from Gullah culture and folklore.
What We’re Reading
Library staff is currently enjoying some standout titles both brand new and time-tested. On the new front, check out
Tristan Strong Destroys the World by Kwame Mbalia and
The Mouse Watch by J. J. Gilbert, two fast-paced middle-grade adventures. As for books that have been in the collection for a bit, librarians have recently recommended picture books like Kevin Henkes’s
Kitten’s First Full Moon, and the delightful novel
Strange Birds by Celia C. Pérez.
For more lists of recommended reads from the book world and beyond, check these out: