Check out these March 2024 youth titles you may have missed!
Keeping up with new book releases is an extremely difficult task. Even as a voracious reader, I'm unable to keep up with every single youth title that releases each week. "Did You Miss It" is a new review based series that takes time to explore and highlight youth titles that may have gone unnoticed. Each month, I will showcase a few titles from the previous month providing both a summary and my own personal thoughts. This month's post features a few of my favorite reads from March! I hope you enjoy!
Butterfly on the Wind by Adam Pottle, illus. by Ziyue Chen (Released March 12th)
Summary: On the day of the talent show, Aurora's hands tremble. No matter how hard she tries to sign, her fingers stumble over one another and the words just won't come. But as she’s about to give up, she spots a butterfly. Using her hands to sign the ASL word for "butterfly," Aurora sends a magical butterfly of her own into the world, inspiring Deaf people across the globe to add their own. The butterflies grow in numbers and strength as they circle back to Aurora, bolstering her with the love and support of her worldwide Deaf community.
My Thoughts: Created by a deaf writer and illustrator, Butterfly on the Wind showcases the power that comes from the unity of a community. The illustrations were beautiful and captured the impact of the butterflies connecting with people from all around the globe. I highly recommend checking out the author's note to learn more about the importance of butterflies to deaf and hard of hearing communities.
The Mochi Makers by Saron Fujimto-Johnson (Released March 19th)
Summary: A girl and her grandmother spend the day making mochi together in this gentle and joyous picture book celebrating family, tradition, and the memories that matter most. Emi and Obaachan are making mochi. It’s a recipe that’s been passed down for generations. Obaachan brought it with her when she first came to America from Japan and now, Emi is about to become her family’s newest mochi maker! They mix and pound and twist and wrap. The Japanese rice cakes are sticky and chewy, colorful and tasty, and—most importantly—made with love. For Emi and Obaachan, making mochi becomes a way to remember those they’ve lost, make lots of new memories, and have a fun and family-filled day.
My Thoughts: I'm a huge fan of children's books that explore the intergenerational relationships/bonds that exist between grandparents and grandchildren. The Mochi Makers not only highlights the process of making mochi, but it also illustrates the cultural impact and importance/connection of mochi to the author and the main character's family. This was a quick read, but proved to be both calming and relaxing. A fun mochi recipe is included in the back matter.
The Wonderful Wisdom of Ants by Philip Bunting (Released March 19th)
Summary: There are ten quadrillion ants in the world, and yet I bet you never thought they could teach you anything. But these tiny creatures can do big things when they work together--just like people!
My Thoughts: As a human that often considers ants to be a nuisance, this informational picture book gave me more insight to the inner workings of ants and how similar they are to humans (i.e. ants like to take micro naps). Philip Bunting adds fun illustrations with humor that make this particular read both engaging and fun. This is the perfect read for those with an interest in all things bug related.
Change Is in the Air: carbon, Climate, Earth, and Us by Debbie Levy illus. by Alex Boersma (Released March 5th)
Summary: The Earth has a there's too much carbon in the air. Luckily, the Earth also has amazing powers to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere-like the power of kelp, mangroves, and dirt. Although these powers alone cannot get us out of the climate crisis we're facing, the Earth has another important the power of people! People have the power to change, protect, innovate, and invent.
Thoughts: If you're looking for another book to add to your Earth Day reading list, look no further than this title. It's an accessible book that perfectly describes carbon, what causes excess carbon, how that excess impacts the Earth, and what we can do to fix it. Levy beautifully captures the ability of the Earth to cleanse itself, but also the responsibility that we have to help the Earth in this process. With beautiful, breathtaking illustrations, Change Is in the Air is both hopeful and insightful. In my opinion, this is currently one of the best climate change books on the market for younger readers.
Gigi Shin Is Not a Nerd by Lyla Lee (Released March 5th)
Summary: Jiyoung “Gigi” Shin loves to create, from her zany outfits to self-executed haircuts. She dreams of becoming an artist and doodles every chance she gets—at school instead of taking notes, in choir instead of singing, and at home instead of homework. Art is her way of escaping her boring life in suburban Middle of Nowhere, Texas. Unfortunately, her working class, immigrant parents want her to focus on her studies and pursue something more “practical.” Gigi only really feels like herself in art class and at lunch with her best friends, Carolina and Zeina. When Gigi learns about an elite art camp on the east coast, she’s determined to go. But she knows her parents won’t let her, much less pay for it. After overhearing her little brother Tommy complain about how hard math is and how his teacher goes too fast for him, Gigi has a brilliant forming a tutoring club with her friends to make enough money for the art camp. With Carolina, Zeina, and Carolina’s friend, Emma, the girls go all in, each with a reason for wanting the business to succeed. But the first few sessions with their classmates are a little chaotic, and Gigi wonders if she will end up sacrificing more than she bargained for to achieve her dreams.
My Thoughts: As a huge fan of Lyla Lee, I was excited to see that she had a new book coming out this year that focused on a main character that had a passion and love for art. Lee effectively balanced a number of themes in this title including friendship, familial expectations, effective communication, and societal expectations. Though things don't always work out well for Gigi, the book showcases the importance of following one's dreams. This is a quick read and perfect for those who are looking for shorter, quality chapter books.
The Great Puptective by Alina Tysoe (Released March 19th)
Summary: Truffles the cat is the only pet in the house and reigns in peace and quiet, only exerting himself to find the best place to take a nice, long nap—preferably in a spot of warm sunshine. Then Poppy the puppy bursts onto the scene.
Poppy is loud, enthusiastic, excitable, and—worst of all—a puptective! She’s got an eye for crime and a nose to solve all mysteries that come her way…even though she’s not completely sure what a mystery is.
Truffles cannot let this intrusion stand. Poppy won’t be able to continue disrupting his precious me-time if she’s shipped to the North Pole! But could this irrepressible new companion be just what this grumpy cat needs?
My Thoughts: This is an adorable early graphic novel that follows the dynamics between two rescue pets: one cat and one dog. The puppy yearns to be a detective and the cat just wants the house to himself. What follows is a series of hilarious moments between the two characters as they figure out how to share a living space. The story comes full circle with a cute conclusion. I adored the artwork and I’m excited to see if we get any future installments.