Knox County Library Picks for June
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
The Library Fish Learns to Read by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Library Fish, who calls the library her home, decides it is time to learn to do what everyone around her loves doing--read. Ages 3-7
The Many Fortunes of Maya by Nicole D. Collier
Always turning to her Wheel of Fortunes, a cardboard circle covered with wisdom she's collected from fortune cookies, for answers and a dose of luck, 12-year-old Maya must find the courage to write her own fortune to answer her deep-down questions. Ages 7-12
Evergreen by Matthew Cordell
To deliver her mother's delicious soup to her sick Granny Oak, Evergreen the squirrel must face her fears and make the journey, during which she meets other forest dwellers, including some who want to get their hands on her soup! Ages 4-8
May Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
Tiptoe Tiger by Jane Clarke
Help Tara the tiger cub tread quietly through the jungle so that she can make her way home to her mom and settle down for bed. Ages 2-6
Little Red Riding Hood and the Dragon by Ying Chang Compestine
A retelling of the classic story, Little Red lives in a village near the Great Wall, trains in kung fu, and must save her grandmother and village from a mighty dragon. Ages 3-7
Con Pollo: A Bilingual Playtime Adventure by Jimmy Fallon and Jennifer Lopez
Meet Pollo, a friendly little chicken who just wants to play all day in this engaging and hilarious picture book that serves young readers as an introduction to basic Spanish vocabulary. Ages 3-7
April Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
A Library by Nikki Giovanni
This ode to libraries is a celebration for everyone who loves stories, from seasoned readers to those just learning to love words, and it will have kids and parents alike imagining where their library can take them. Ages 3-7
April & Mae and the Tea Party by Megan Dowd Lambert
April and Mae are best friends (and so are their pets), but one day angry words are exchanged and they must find a way to apologize and save their friendship. Ages 5-8
The Real Dada Mother Goose by Jon Scieszka
Mother (Goose) knows best, but sometimes a little nonsense wins the day - classic nursery rhymes we know and love are turned upside-down, backwards, and even into gibberish in this hilarious reimagining inspired by the art movement of Dadaism. Ages 4-10
March Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
The Three Billy Goats Gruff retold by Mac Barnett
A fractured version of the beloved story about three goats trying to cross a bridge that is being guarded by a scary troll. Ages 4-7
Stomp! by Stephanie Calmenson
Friends Ziggy the raccoon and Zak the hippo are on their way to see a show in the big city, but they are running very late. Will they make it to the show in time? Ages 4-7
The Mythics: Marina and the Kraken by Lauren Magaziner
On her tenth birthday, Marina is nervous about being paired with her familiar, a special animal friend, but she becomes even more anxious when she finds out her familiar is actually a mythical beast rather than an ordinary animal. Ages 7-10
February Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
Wake Me Up in 20 Coconuts! by Laurie Keller
Two quirky characters living in an apartment building come together in this picture book that reinforces the importance of asking questions in order to better understand each other and the world around them. Ages 4-7
Miles Lewis: King of the Ice by Kelly Starling Lyons
When his friend RJ bets that Miles will wipe out at the ice rink, he is determined to prove him wrong. Ages 6-10
Bear Has a Belly by Jane Whittingham
Repetitive, rhythmic text celebrates the body parts that humans and animals have in common. Ages 0-3
January Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
Set Sail for Pancakes by Tim Kleyn
When Margot and her grandpa discover they don't have the flour, milk or eggs they need to make pancakes, Grandpa has the perfect solution—they'll get on his boat and go to Chicken Island, Cow Island, and Flour Mill Island to get the ingredients. Ages 3-6
Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd
Twelve-year-old Olive, who suffers from brittle bone disease, is attending school in person for the first time in her life, but when she discovers that fitting in is not easy, she hopes the magical wish-granting hummingbird rumored to live nearby will help her. Ages 7-12
Creepy Crayon! by Aaron Reynolds
When Jasper Rabbit finds a purple crayon willing to do his schoolwork for him, he is elated—at first. Ages 4-8
December Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
Heart Stones by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
When heart-shaped stones begin to wash up on the shore followed by strange magical events in town, young Gale and Celia try to solve the mystery and heal a broken community grieving after a pair of local sailors have been lost at sea. Ages 8-12
Five Hiding Ostriches by Barbara Barbieri McGrath
Told in rhyming text, five little ostriches enjoy running through the bush, but when a lion comes near they hide. Ages 2-6
Frank and Bean: Food Truck Fiasco by Jamie Michalak
At Food Truck Friday, Bean plans to sell donuts, while Frank wants to sell oatmeal—could the donuts and oatmeal work together just like the friends do? Ages 4-7
November Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
High Score by Destiny Howell
When his best friend is tormented by Lucky, a seventh-grade bully, Darius James, a con artist with a heart of gold, comes up with a plan to save his friend--and maybe the whole school--from Lucky. Ages 8-12
School Day! by Candice Ransom
Although they are in different grades, a brother and sister enjoy their first day of school together. Ages 4-7
I Am a Baby by Bob Shea
Repeating the phrase "because I am a baby," a tiny baby narrator leads readers through scenes of exhaustion, grumpiness, squishy diapers, spilled milk, cowering kittens, and chubby overfed pups (oopsie!), in this humorous story. Ages 3-7
October Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
Camp Famous by Jennifer Blecher
When eleven-year-old Abby learns she will be attending summer camp, she is excited at the idea of a fresh start, but when she discovers she is going to Camp Famous, a place exclusively for famous kids like pop stars, princesses, and geniuses, her enthusiasm turns to apprehension. Ages 8-12
Together We Ride by Valerie Bolling
Told in rhyming text, a young African American girl learns to ride a bike, with the help of her father. Ages 2-7
Catastrophe by Sherri Winston
Wednesday and her service dog, Woof, are the best detectives in the whole world--or at least their neighborhood. But can they find Mrs. Winters's missing cat before her big trip? Or will the case of the cat-napped kitty be their first unsolved mystery? Ages 4-8
September Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
A Good Place by Lucy Cousins
Bee, Ladybug, Beetle, and Dragonfly are looking for somewhere to live, but every time they find what seems like the perfect spot, they soon discover it's not quite right, until they finally find a good place. Ages 2-5
Gigi and Ojiji by Melissa Iwai
Gigi can't wait for her Ojiji (Japanese grandpa) to move in, but when her plans don't work out quite the way she'd hoped, she has to find another way to connect with Ojiji. Ages 4-7
Night Frights: The Not-So-Itsy-Bitsy Spider by Joe McGee
Movie night at home turns into a night of terror for twins Tara and Travis when what appears to be a gigantic spider joins the party. Ages 8-12
August Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
Moose's Book Bus by Inga Moore
When Moose runs out of stories to tell his family after dinner, he ventures to the town library for books. No sooner is he settled in at home to read them aloud than Bear, Badger, Fox, Hare, Mole, the Three Wild Pigs, and even the Beavers crowd in to listen. Soon everyone is packed in like sardines. What's a clever Moose to do? Ages 3-7
The Sheep, the Rooster, and the Duck by Matt Phelan
In 1783 France, ten-year-old Emile works as Benjamin Franklin's caretaker, but after he finds himself in the middle of a sinister plot, he helps France's undercover guardians, a sheep, a rooster and a duck save the world. Ages 6-11
It's a Sign by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey
One, Two, Kat, and Four want to form a club so together they figure out how to make a sign saying what their club should be called. Ages 4-8
July Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
Cole Champion Is Not Super by Rebecca J. Allen
Cole Champion's lack of superpowers sticks out like a sore thumb at his school for the superpowered, until an accident puts the school in danger and none of the other students' powers can help. Ages 6-9
I Love You More Than Ice Cream by Becky Davies
An entertaining picture book celebration of the love between a child and her family follows a young girl as she is tucked in each night with smiles, hugs, and plenty of humorous comparisons to unicorns, donuts, and dinosaurs! Ages 2-5
Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee
Eleven-year-old Maizy Chen visits her estranged grandparents, who own and run a Chinese restaurant in Last Chance, Minnesota; as her visit lengthens, she makes unexpected discoveries about her family's history and herself. Ages 8-12
June Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
Once Upon a Tim by Stuart Gibbs
With no knightly experience but plenty of pluck and an impressive vocabulary, a twelve-year-old peasant, hoping to improve his station in life, volunteers to help a cowardly prince and his not very powerful wizard rescue a princess from an evil, foul-smelling monster. Ages 7-10
Room for Everyone by Naaz Khan
Musa and his sister travel to a Zanzibar beach in a shared minibus which, despite Musa's protests, gets loaded with everything from a man and his bicycle to ten swimmers. Ages 3-7
The Great Mathemachicken: Hide and Go Beak by Nancy Krulik
A chicken hops a ride to school to see what the humans do there all day and unlocks the superpowers of math and science, which she uses to save the coop. Ages 5-8
May Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
The Lock-Eater by Zack Loran Clark
Melanie Gate, a foundling with a peculiar talent for opening the unopenable, agrees to accompany a mechanical automaton named Traveler on his quest to find a home, only to be pursued by the most dangerous wizard in the land and, along the way, discover her true powers. Ages 8-12
Busy Street by Edward Miller
Vehicles and automobiles go down the street with places to go and jobs to complete in this brightly colored book created just for beginning readers. Ages 4-7
No Bunnies Here! by Tammi Sauer
A bunny tries to convince a wolf there are no bunnies around, while bunny after bunny hops into the scene. Ages 2-6
April Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
The Think-Ups by Claire Alexander
On a rainy day, two girls with big imaginations come up with the Think-Ups game, but things quickly get out of hand in this fun lift-the-flap picture book. Ages 2-6
Just Right Jillian by Nicole D. Collier
Fifth-grader Jillian must learn to speak up and break free of her shell to enter her school's Mind Bender competition and keep her promise to her grandmother. Ages 8-12
The Puppy Problem by Laura James
Gizmo the city dog moves to the village of Puddle with his journalist human and helps his new neighbor Jilly find homes for her puppies by starting a dog newspaper. Ages 5-9
March Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
Starla Jean: Which Came First: The Chicken or the Friendship? by Elana K. Arnold
When Starla Jean first sees a scrawny chicken wandering around at the park, she just knows they are destined for one another. Ages 4-8
Between the Lighthouse and You by Michelle Lee
Twelve-year-old Alice Jones visits Aviles Island, where her mother disappeared long ago, and forms an unlikely friendship with Leo Mercury, who also wants to use the island's special power to contact a lost loved one. Ages 8-12
The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson
By heeding their wise grandmother's advice, a brother and sister discover the ability to lift themselves up and imagine a better world. Ages 4-8
February Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
I'm Sorry by Michael Ian Black
When Potato hurts his friend Flamingo's feelings, he finds it hard to apologize even though he is very sorry. Ages 3-7
How Beautiful by Antonella Capetti
When a caterpillar is called "beautiful" one day, he wonders what that means, but every animal in the forest he asks has a different answer. Ages 4-8
Stuntboy, in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds
Portico Reeves' secret identity as Stuntboy allows him to use his superpower to keep everybody safe, but when his parents start fighting a lot he feels the responsibility to save them. Ages 8-12
January Book Recommendations
This month, we have recommendations from Erin Nguyen, Library Children's Services Manager with the Knox County Public Library. All titles are new at the Knox County Public Library.
Audrey L and Audrey W: Best Friends-ish by Carter Higgins
This early chapter book provides a fresh take on the joys and traumas of elementary school drama as two Audreys learn how to become friends. Ages 6-9
Let Me Fix You a Plate: A Tale of Two Kitchens by Elizabeth Lilly
A girl describes her family's annual visit with Mamaw and Papaw in West Virginia, then Abuela and Abuelo in Florida, especially the foods and cultural elements that make each kitchen unique. Ages 3-7
Hoop Kings 2: New Royalty by Charles R. Smith, Jr.
With this high-energy collection of poems and dynamic photos celebrating twelve pro basketballers, Charles R. Smith Jr. scores another slam dunk. Ages 6-12