February New Releases I'm Jazzed About

One of the best ways to beat the post-holiday, winter blues are all of the new releases that come out in the spring--starting as early as February!  While there are many, many books coming out this month, I've chosen a few that I'm really excited to read and share with my students.  If I left off any you're excited about, please share below; bookish friends are the BEST for giving recommendations!

1. The Girl Who Lost Her Shadow by Emily Ilett
When Gale's shadow goes missing, she's surprised but not concerned--until her older sister's also disappears.  Gale is determined to find her Kay's shadow, convinced that doing so will finally get Kay out of bed, where she's spent all of her time since their dad left.  But there are many places on their Scottish island for a shadow to hide, and not everyone there is friendly to a lost shadow.  Subplots are the marine life on the island, including an interesting one about pearl poaching, support Gale's journey and add dazzling visual layers to an already strong, fresh story. 

Age recommendation: 10 and up.

Release date: February 11, 2020

2. Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring by Kenard Pak
The latest installment in Pak's series about changing seasons, Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring not only pays homage to winter, but showcases the wonders of spring: fresh greenery, animals waking up, birds singing.  I love the gentle style and be, autiful watercolors in Pak's other books, and this one, following a boy and his husky exploring spring, looks like an excellent addition to the series.

Age recommendation: 3 and up

Release date: February 18, 2020

3. Don't Feed the Coos! by Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox
When you see a pigeon, you want to feed it, right?  But a little girl is about to find out that this seemingly harmless, friendly action can lead to, um, a LOT of pigeons (aka "coos").  What's a girl to do?  Fortunately, she's got a lot of spunk and grit to solve this problem!  Stutzman and Fox's first joint effort, Llama Destroys the World, has been hugely popular with my students for the past year, and this newest book of theirs, in the tradition of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, is sure to excite readers.

Age recommendation: 4 and up

Release date: February 25, 2020

4. Mulan: Before the Sword by Grace Lin
This is the awkward moment where I have to confess I still haven't read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, but the fifth grade teachers I work with--who I would trust with my life when it comes to book recommendations--adore this book and read it every year with their students, who also love it.  So I feel pretty confident in recommending her latest book.  This story takes place before the events in the movie Mulan, where we see Mulan struggling with some familiar ideas: honoring her family, fitting in, and finding how to be true to herself.  In this story, Mulan's sister is bit by a poisonous spider, and Mulan goes on a quest to save her.  Along the way, she encounters obstacles, amazing events, and we get to learn a lot more about the gods in Mulan's world.

Age recommendation: 9 and up

Release date: February 11, 2020

5. The Box Turtle by Vanessa Roeder
I love the cover of this book, showing Terrance the Turtle in his special shell--a cardboard box! Terrance was born without a shell, so he uses a cardboard box instead.  He loves his cardboard box: it keeps him safe and dry and warm, and he can even share with a friend.  But then another turtle tells him that his shell is not exactly normal, and Terrance starts to doubt his special shell.  By the end of the story, Terrance will learn that it's okay to be different--and your differences might just make you special.  The illustrations in this book are so sweet and share Terrance's journey with the simple text.

Age recommendation: 3 and up

Release date: February 11, 2020