This season’s starred reviews have been lighting up our new releases each and every week since May. With Books like Elizabeth Wein’s The Pearl Thief and Ryan T. Higgins Be Quiet continuing to deliver out-of-this-world praise from industry periodicals and fans alike. While many of our upcoming titles like The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding and The Adventurer’s Guild have begun to gather their own star struck followings sure to send readers searching for exciting new reads at your school or library this fall. So with The Dog Days of Summer finally here, let’s take a look the books shining brightly at DBG this summer!
THE DREADFUL TALE OF PROSPER REDDING By Alexandra Bracken
“Bracken’s (Passenger, 2016) new middle-grade offering is an infectious, entertaining series starter. Hapless, dry Prosper is at hilarious odds with his demanding, old-fashioned demon companion, and the thrilling plot twists will keep even the most savvy readers guessing. Clever, occasionally frightening, and always fun, this will hook plenty.” – Booklist
SERAFINA AND THE SPLINTERED HEART By Robert Beatty
“Beatty decidedly keeps readers on the edge of discovery as the plot unfurls. Each character continues to surprise both one another and readers with their emotional complexity. A captivating, edge-of-your-seat, action-packed fantasy.” – Kirkus
SUPER SAURUS SAVES KINDERGARTEN By Deborah Underwood and Illustrator Ned Young
“Young cleverly makes Arnold’s imaginative adventures kid-doable: the Sticky Shoes are smeared with peanut butter, and the Rescue Rocket is a decorated box. Imagination as a coping mechanism equals lots of superpowered fun. (Picture book. 4-8)” – Kirkus
THE PEARL THIEF by Elizabeth Wein (FIFTH STARRED REVIEW FOR THIS TITLE!)
“Verity fans will find this irresistible and return to a reread of that title with this new backstory in mind, while fans of period drama such as Cooper’s A Brief History of Montmaray (BCCB 11/09) will appreciate this as an absorbing read that leads them inexorably to the next book.” Deborah Stevenson, Editor – The Bulletin for The Center of Children’s Books
WELCOME: A MO WILLEMS GUIDE FOR NEW ARRIVALS by Mo Willems
“Along with being a shoe-in for inclusion in every maternity ward’s gift bag, this loving heads-up will continue to resonate with all offspring as they go on to toddle, big-kid, and beyond. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Williams is a reliable best-seller, and love letters from parents to children are always in demand.” — Booklist
“The real audience is new parents, who will revel in having their devotion mirrored back to them and chuckle at the many knowing jokes (“If you have any further questions/ Do not hesitate to call or flail about or scream like a banshee”). And they’ll be grateful that Willems offers a modicum of hope regarding the world that the newborn will inherit: “We are happy to report there are people working day and night on making this a better place to be.” – Publishers Weekly
THE TAKEDOWN By Connie Wang
“Wang has managed to write an exciting, prescient story that brings to mind the unlikely combination of M.T. Anderson’s Feed, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, and Sara Shepard’s “Pretty Little Liars” series, with a little of Libba Bray’s “Gemma Doyle” trilogy and the cult classic film Heathers thrown in the mix. VERDICT Highly recommended for all YA collections” – School Library Journal