The View from Monday – New Books Available in May

Hooray for May, and hooray for new books in your favorite bookstore or library this month! Here are just a few of the books being released into the world this month.

Picture Books

Mario Makes a Move by Jill McElmurry

If there were a Summer Olympics for squirrels, Mario would be the gold medalist of “amazing moves”. He has so many acrobatic maneuvers like the Super Looper, Arch n’ Hiss and Upside-Down Around that even he, along with his fan base of family and friends, is dazzled by his own amazingness. Except for Isabelle, who has her own set of impressive twirls and spins and declared Mario’s moves as merely “nice”.  The competition is on and in this delightful picture book by Jill McElmurry, one-upmanship is replaced by camaraderie as Mario and Isabelle learn to appreciate their individual talents and the even more spectacular flips and flops they can perform as a team.  This is a laugh-out-loud family read with a positive message. –Tim 

Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night by Brianna Caplan Sayres, illustrated by Christian Slade

For the vehicle obsessed kid, this is the perfect combination between Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site and How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight. Taking you from the construction site to the farm to the monster truck arena and more, little ones will be ready to close their eyes by the time they’ve visited each truck! –Deanna

Bon Appetit by Jessie Hartland

This charming and funny picture book biography follows Julia Child from her early days growing up in Pasadena, to her life as a spy during World War 2, through her budding life as a chef and then finally her television show and legacy. Each spread is packed full of bright illustrations, short facts and clever asides. While adults may enjoy this as much or more than children, it would also be perfect for young foodies ages 5-9. The book will be out in time for her 100^th year birthday celebrations and is a happy homage to her very rich life. –Erin

Traction Man and the Beach Odyssey by Mini Grey

Traction Man is back for a third adventure and this time he’s leaving the house! That’s right Traction Man and his loyal companion Scrubbing Brush are on their way to the beach for some fun in the sun. Their adventures wouldn’t be complete without a few challenges, some fun and the adoration of Beachtime Brenda, and they make lots of other new friends too. One of the fun things about the Traction Man books is the snappy storytelling that’s got enough grownup-friendly jokes to keep the adults happy reading them over and over. This new story won’t disappoint. –Kate

Middle Grade & Young Adult

Rush for the Gold by John Feinstein

Just in time for the Summer Olympics, our favorite young sportswriters Stevie and Susan Carol are back in another exciting sports-themed mystery from award winning real life sportswriter John Feinstein. In this volume our heroes are not only solving a mystery, but since Susan Carol is also an olympic competitor who may be an unwitting pawn, there may be more at stake than in their past adventures. –Kate

Precious Bones by Mika Ashley-Hollinger

 

Loved this book! The story of a young girl named Precious Bones growing up in the Everglades in 1949, the book addresses racism, war, greed, and the human condition in compelling story. “Bones” is a delightful heroine, innocent and thoughtful, curious and caring. With her best friend, Little Man, Bones solves the murders of two men involved in Everglades land development. Love the non-PC touches — Mama smokes Lucky Strikes, and Bones swabs her face with a rag dipped in a can of DDT kept by the door before she heads out to the swamp.  –Trish Brown, Hooray for Books!

Shift by Em Bailey

What a perfectly creepy Summer read this book is. Imagine the new girl comes to town, she has a bit of a sketchy background and seems to have an ability to transform herself chameleon-like into the spitting image of her BFF of the moment. Then imagine that she wants to be your BFF. Nothing wrong here, right? You’ll stay up late with the lights on reading this one. Don’t miss it. –Kate

Jersey Angel by Beth Ann Bauman

It’s the Summer before her senior year and Angel plans to just have fun, but things don’t go as planned when she finds herself growing away from her best friend Inggy and possibly growing closer to Inggy’s boyfriend. A sexy Summer read from the author of Rosie and Skate and the adult short story collection Beautiful Girls, Jersey Angel is perfect for older teens. –Kate

Thanks for joining us today–please share your thoughts in our comments section and happy reading!