KINGSTON AND THE MAGICIAN’S LOST AND FOUND By Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi (G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR; $17.99, Ages 10+)       ★Starred Review - Publishers Weekly   This middle-grade book interested me because there are two authors and I find cowriting interesting—but, wait!, one of the co-authors is a pen name for two people writing together making Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found a collaboration of three writers! (To read more about that, check out their interview on SCBWI’s Kite Tales blog in a link below.) Yet, the story reads seamlessly—what a feat! Twelve-year-old Kingston hasn’t been…

THE MAGICAL IMPERFECT by Chris Baron (Feiwel & Friends; $16.99, Ages 9-12)   A Book Review, and Interview with Author Chris Baron by Karol Silverstein       ★Starred Review - Booklist   REVIEW: In The Magical Imperfect, Etan has had trouble speaking since his mother checked into a hospital to get well, and his friends at school don’t know what to make of his silence. Baseball is about the only thing he can share with his father, but luckily, 1989 is looking like a good year for their Giants. Spending time with his immigrant grandfather, a shopkeeper in the…

      CHILDREN'S BOOKS FOR FATHER'S DAY ∼A ROUNDUP∼         #1 DAD: A Lift-the-Tie Book Written by Cindy Jin Illustrated by Dawn M Cardona (Little Simon; $7.99, Ages 1-5) A fun spin on the classic Father's Day gift of a dress shirt and/or tie, this unique rhyming board book invites little ones to lift the tie (flap) and reveal which trophy goes to dad for the things he's so good at. Whether a father excels at making repairs, cooking, styling hair, or reading bedtime stories, #1 Dad probably covers something a father can claim is his…

  HAPPILY FOR NOW Written by Kelly Jones Illustrated by Kelly Murphy (Knopf Books for Young Readers; $16.99, Ages 8-12)         Happily for Now written by Kelly Jones and illustrated by Kelly Murphy follows Fiona who is sent away for the summer to live with relatives she’s never met because her mother is entering a treatment program for an unspecified addiction. In addition to her mother, Fiona is leaving behind Ms. Davis, who is like a guidance counselor to her (although the text doesn’t state that) but whom Fiona describes as her fairy godmother and whom she…

BRAVE IN THE WATER Written by Stephanie Wildman Illustrated by Jenni Feidler-Aguilar (Lawley Publishing; $16.99, Ages 2-8)         Swimming season is upon us so I've invited author Stephanie Wildman to talk about her new picture book, Brave in the Water, for parents and caregivers of reluctant swimmers to share with children.   Intro: Thank you so much, Ronna, for having me on your blog. I’m excited to tell your readers about my debut picture group Brave in the Water and to encourage them to get in the water! Learning to swim can be daunting. I should know…

BRAVE AS A MOUSE Written and Illustrated by Nicolò Carozzi  (Random House Studio; $17.99, Ages 3-7)   ★Starred Review - Booklist   A brave hero doesn’t always mean a big hero in Nicolò Carozzi’s beautifully worded and illustrated picture book Brave as a Mouse, his debut picture book in the US.  Through simple text and stunning art, Carozzi draws our attention to Mouse’s new friendship with the homeowner’s fish. Mouse asks the fish, “Would you like to play?” and with a simple “YES!” both creatures enjoy each other’s company, swimming together. Mouse blows through a straw, and the fish enjoys jacuzzi-style…

  WATERCRESS Written by Andrea Wang Illustrated by Jason Chin (Neal Porter Books; $18.99, Ages 4-8)          A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection ★Starred Reviews - BookPage, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, The Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Shelf Awareness   Andrea Wang and Jason Chin’s new picture book, Watercress, tells a story with that one word alone. This vegetable embodies a family’s experiences from the great famine years until today in the US. Wang’s spare, lyrical text shows us the range of emotions felt by the girl whose…

    AN INTERVIEW WITH  ANNA CROWLEY REDDING AUTHOR OF THE GRAVITY TREE: THE TRUE STORY OF A TREE THAT INSPIRED THE WORLD Illustrated By Yas Imamura (HarperCollins; $17.99, Ages 4 to 8)     ★Starred Review - Kirkus Reviews      SHORT SUMMARY: The Gravity Tree: The True Story of a Tree That Inspired the World Written by Anna Crowley Redding and illustrated by Yas Imamura From Emmy Award-winning journalist Anna Crowley Redding comes a captivating nonfiction picture book that explores the fabled apple tree that inspired Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity. From a minor seed to a monumental…