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Category: Book Lists (Page 1 of 10)

Book List: Books to Read if You Loved Harry Potter

Books to Read if you Loved Harry Potter

It has to be the question I get most as a teacher librarian. What should I read after Harry Potter? After students discover their love for Harry Potter and have re read it a few times, worked their way through all the accompanying companion books, information books about how the movies were made, History of Magic, short stories, screen plays and novelty books (the ones with working wands have to be the top favourites), they finally reach a point of wanting something similar but different.

What to read if you liked Harry Potter is also something I deal with for older students. The Harry Potter books might have been the only books they have read. Or maybe the enjoyed the movies, don’t want to read the books but would be open to reading something similar. Having a few titles on hand to suggest is always handing. But searching the web, there must be a million suggestions for Harry Potter readalikes out there. Or, maybe you are a parent with a child who wants to read Harry Potter but you’d like to steer them towards something similar.

There are lots of lists with suggestions out there, so I am not going to recommend the usual suspects, like the Percy Jackson series. While these are perfect for Harry Potter lovers, you’ve probably already seen them in reading suggestion lists, so I am going to chose some of my favourite and more obscure recommendations, as well as books by Australian authors.

Middle Grade Readers

Rise of the Dragons – Angie Sage

I adored The Magyk series by Angie Sage and it remains a perennial favourite with our library’s young readers, and so I jumped at the chance to read and review the first book in her newest fantasy series, Rise of the Dragons. With the promise of game cards and a matching online game, Rise of the Dragons promised to be an exciting release. The new world Sage has created and her daring plot of intrigue, dragon battles and family bonds is both thrilling and thoroughly enjoyable. It is sure to be a hit with our middle-grade readers. After all, everything is better with dragons.

The other books in the series have different authors.

I would also highly recommend Angie Sage’s Magyk series for Harry Potter fans.

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New Book Releases April 2020 – Young Adult Fiction

New Book Releases for April 2020 – Young Adult Fiction

Isolating? Need something new to read? Look no further than the new releases of April 2020. Support your local bookstore and authors in this difficult time. What’s on your reading list? Click on covers for more details.

Children’s Fiction/Non-fiction

The Boreal Forest: A Year in the World’s Largest Land Biome – L.E. Carmichael and Josee Bisaillon (ill) – Kids Can Press – Published 7 April 2020

The vast boreal forest spans a dozen countries in the northern regions like “a scarf around the neck of the world,” making it the planet’s largest land biome. Besides providing homes for a diversity of species, this spectacular forest is also vitally important to the planet: its trees clean our air, its wetlands clean our water and its existence plays an important role in slowing global climate change. In this beautifully written book, award-winning author L. E. Carmichael explores this special wilderness on a tour of the forest throughout the four seasons, from one country to another. Evocative watercolor and collage artwork by award-winning illustrator Josée Bisaillon provides a rare glimpse of one of the world’s most magnificent places.

Children’s non-fiction – Animals, environment


A Stopwatch from Grampa – Loretta Garbutt and Carmen Mok (ill.) – Hachette Book Group – Published 7 April 2020

“When summer started, I got Grampa’s stopwatch,” a small child says. “I don’t want his stopwatch. I want him.” Grampa used to time everything. A race to the end of the street and back: 24 seconds. Eating bubblegum ice cream: 1 minute, 58 seconds. But now, Grampa’s gone. “There are no more Grampa minutes, Grampa seconds,” the child says. “Time just stops.” As the seasons come and go, the stopwatch becomes a cherished symbol of remembrance, and the child uses it to carry on Grampa’s favorite pastimes and traditions.

Children’s fiction – Family


What Grew in Larry’s Garden – Laura Alary and Kass Reich (ill.) – Hachette Book Group – Published 7 April 2020

Grace thinks Larry’s garden is one of the wonders of the world. In his tiny backyard next door to hers, Larry grows the most extraordinary vegetables. Grace loves helping him – watering and weeding, planting and pruning, hoeing and harvesting. And whenever there’s a problem – like bugs burrowing into the carrots or slugs chewing the lettuce – Grace and Larry solve it together. Grace soon learns that Larry has big plans for the vegetables in his special garden. And when that garden faces its biggest problem yet, Grace follows Larry’s example to find the perfect solution.

Children’s fiction – Gardening


Young Adult Fiction

The Truth About Keeping Secrets – Savannah Brown – Sourcebooks Fire – Published 7 April 2020

Sydney’s dad is the only psychiatrist for miles in their small Ohio town. He knows everybody’s secrets. He is also dead.

Grief-stricken Sydney can’t understand why the police have no explanation for what happened the night of her dad’s car crash. And when June Copeland, the homecoming queen whose life seems perfect, shows up at the funeral, Sydney’s confusion grows.

Sydney and June grow closer in the wake of the accident, but it’s clear that not everyone is happy about their new friendship.

Young adult fiction: Thriller.


The Perfect Escape – Suzanne Park – The Perfect Escape #1 – Sourcebooks Fire – Published 7 April 2020

Nate Jae-Woo Kim wants to be rich. When one of his classmates offers Nate a ridiculous amount of money to commit grade fraud, he knows that taking the windfall would help support his prideful Korean family, but is compromising his integrity worth it?

Luck comes in the form of Kate Anderson, Nate’s colleague at the zombie-themed escape room where he works. She approaches Nate with a plan: a local tech company is hosting a weekend-long survivalist competition with a huge cash prize. It could solve all of Nate’s problems, and Kate needs the money too.

Young adult fiction: Contemporary

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New Book Releases March 2020 – Christian Fiction

New Book Releases for March 2020

Here is my list of top picks of new releases for March 2020. There are lots to choose from, so enjoy. Click on the covers for more details.

 

Christian Fiction

Out of the Embers – Amanda Cabot – Mesquite Springs #1 – Revell – Published 3 March 2020

Ten years after her parents were killed, Evelyn Radcliffe is once more homeless. The orphanage that was her refuge and later her workplace has burned to the ground, and only she and a young orphan girl have escaped. Convinced this must be related to her parents’ murders, Evelyn flees with the girl to Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country and finds refuge in the home of Wyatt Clark, a talented horse rancher whose plans don’t include a family of his own.

Christian fiction: Historical.

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New Book Releases March 2020 – Young Adult Fiction

New Book Releases for March 2020 – Young Adult Fiction

Just in case you were about to run out of books (yes, yes, I know, highly unlikely, but you never know), March 2020 has arrived with so many fantastic books to tempt us. So. Many. Here’s my list of top picks for March 2020 new releases. What’s on your reading list? Click on covers for more details.

Children’s Fiction/Non-fiction

Bringing Back the Wolves: How a Predator Restored An Ecosystem – Jude Isabella and Kim Smith (ill) – Kids Can Press – Published 3 March 2020

In the 1800s, hunters were paid by the American government to eliminate threats to livestock on cattle ranches near Yellowstone National Park. They did such a good job that, by 1926, no gray wolf packs were left in the park. Over the following decades, virtually every other part of the park’s ecosystem was affected by the loss of the wolves — from the animals who were their prey, to the plants that were the food for that prey, to the streams that were sheltered by those plants — and the landscape was in distress. So, starting in 1995, in an attempt to reverse course, the government reintroduced gray wolves to the park. Over time, animal populations stabilized, waterways were restored and a healthy ecosystem was recreated across the land. It’s a striking transformation, and a fascinating tale of life’s complicated interdependencies.

Children’s non-fiction – Animals, environment


The Lost Lands – Jessica Khoury – Rise of the Dragons #2 – Scholastic Press – Published 3 March 2020

Sirin, Allie, and Joss have joined forces with the legendary silver dragon Lysander, the only creature capable of opening portals between the two worlds. But the powerful Lennix clan is following the children’s every move and will stop at nothing to capture Lysander. After generations of plotting, the Lennixes —and their bloodthirsty dragon allies, the Raptors — are terrifyingly close to establishing a brutal dragon regime on Earth, just like they did centuries ago.

Children’s fiction – Fantasy


Young Adult Fiction

Moment of Truth – Kasie West – Egmont USA – Published 3 March 2020

At sixteen, Hadley Moore knows exactly who she is—a swimmer who will earn a scholarship to college. Totally worth all the hard work, even if her aching shoulders don’t agree. So when a guy dressed as Hollywood’s latest action hero, Heath Hall, crashes her swim meet, she isn’t amused. Instead, she’s determined to make sure he doesn’t bother her again. Only she’s not sure exactly who he is.

Young adult fiction: Contemporary.


The June Boys – Court Stevens (AKA Courtney C. Stevens) – Thomas Nelson – Published 3 March 2020

The Gemini Thief could be anyone. Your father, your mother, your best friend’s crazy uncle. Some country music star’s deranged sister. Anyone.

The Gemini Thief is a serial kidnapper, who takes three boys and holds them captive from June 1st to June 30th of the following year. The June Boys endure thirteen months of being stolen, hidden, observed, and fed before they are released, unharmed, by their masked captor. The Thief is a pro, having eluded authorities for nearly a decade and taken at least twelve boys.

Now Thea Delacroix has reason to believe the Gemini Thief took a thirteenth victim: her cousin, Aulus McClaghen.

Young adult fiction: Mystery/Thriller

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New Book Releases February 2020 – Young Adult Fiction

New Book Releases for February 2020 – Young Adult Fiction

Here’s my list of top picks for February 2020 new releases. What’s on your reading list? Click on covers for more details.

Children’s Fiction

A Galaxy of Sea Stars – Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo – Farrar Straus and Giroux – Published 4 February 2020

At a time when everything in her small town of Seaside, Rhode Island, seems like it’s changing, eleven-year-old Izzy Vitale wants things to stay the same. She wants her dad to start acting like he did before he was deployed to Afghanistan, she wants her mom to move back to the marina where they live, but most of all, she wants best friends – Piper and Zelda (dubbed the Sea Star Posse by their kindergarten teacher) – to stay best friends as they begin sixth grade at the regional middle school.

Then, Izzy’s father invites his former Army interpreter from Afghanistan and his whole family – including eleven-year-old Sitara — to move into the upstairs apartment at the marina.

Children’s fiction – Contemporary

Young Adult Fiction

Yes No Maybe So – Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed – Balzer + Bray – Published 4 February 2020

YES: Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. No: Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her. MAYBE SO
Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world.

Young adult fiction: Contemporary.


What I Want You To See – Catherine Linka – Disney-Hyperion – Published 4 February 2020

Winning a scholarship to California’s most prestigious art school seems like a fairy tale ending to Sabine Reye’s awful senior year. After losing both her mother and her home, Sabine longs for a place where she belongs.

But the cutthroat world of visual arts is nothing like what Sabine had imagined.

Young adult fiction: Contemporary

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New Book Releases February 2020 – Christian Fiction

New Book Releases for February 2020

Here is my list of top picks of new releases for February 2020. Click on the covers for more details.

 

Christian Fiction

If For Any Reason – Courtney Walsh – Tyndale – Published 3 February 2020

Emily Ackerman has traveled the world, her constant compass and companion a book of letters her mother left for her when she died. With no father in the picture, her mom’s advice has been her only true north. But when professional failure leads Emily back to Nantucket to renovate and sell the family cottage she inherited, she wonders if her mom left advice to cover this . . . especially when her grandmother arrives to “supervise.” And especially when her heart becomes entangled with Hollis McGuire, the boy next door-turned-baseball star who’s back on the island after a career-ending injury.

Christian fiction: Contemporary.

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New Book Releases January 2020 – Young Adult Fiction

New Book Releases for January 2020 – Young Adult Fiction

Happy New Year!! Welcome to 2020. What better way to start the year than with a massive list of new books!?! Here’s my list of top picks for January 2020 new releases. Prepare yourself – it’s a big one. What’s on your reading list? Click on covers for more details.

Young Adult Fiction

A Love Hate Thing – Whitney D. Grandison – Inkyard Press – Published 7 January 2020

When Tyson Trice finds himself tossed into the wealthy coastal community of Pacific Hills, he’s ready for the questions, the stares and the feeling of not belonging. Golden girl Nandy Smith has spent most of her life building the pristine image that it takes to fit in when it comes to her hometown Pacific Hills where image is everything. After learning that her parents are taking in a troubled teen boy, Nandy fears her summer plans, as well as her reputation, will go up in flames.

Young adult fiction: Contemporary.


Just Breathe – Cammie McGovern – HarperTeen – Published 7 January 2020

David Sheinman is the popular president of his senior class, battling cystic fibrosis. Jamie Turner is a quiet sophomore, struggling with depression. The pair soon realizes that they can be their true selves with each other, and their unlikely friendship develops into something so much more. But neither Jamie nor David can bring themselves to reveal the secrets that weigh most heavily on their hearts—and their time for honesty may be running out.

Young adult fiction: Contemporary

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New Book Releases January 2020 – Christian Fiction

New Book Releases for January 2020

Welcome 2020!!! Here is my list of top picks of new releases for January 2020. Click on the covers for more details.

 

Christian Fiction

End Game – Rachel Dylan – Capital Intrigue #1 – Bethany House Publishers – Published 7 January 2020

When elite members of the military are murdered on the streets of Washington, DC, FBI Special Agent Bailey Ryan and NCIS Special Agent Marco Agostini must work together to bring the perpetrator to justice. Unfortunately, all evidence points to a Navy SEAL sniper whom Bailey refuses to believe is guilty.

Christian fiction: Suspense.

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New Book Releases December 2019 – Children’s and Young Adult Fiction

New Book Releases for December 2019 – Children’s and Young Adult Fiction

Here’s my list of top picks for December 2019 new releases. It’s a very lean month, with not many books that appealed to me, but just wait until January 2020!!! So many books coming our way. What’s on your reading list? Click on covers for more details.

Children’s Fiction

Love From The Crayons – Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers – Penguin Workshop – Published 16 December 2019 

Love is yellow and orange. Because love is sunny and warm.
Love is purple. Because it’s okay to love outside the lines.

This special gift book, featuring all the The Crayons from The Day the Crayons Quit, explores the bright colors and subtle shades of love. This is a must-have for fans of The Crayons, and the perfect gift for that special someone.

Children’s fiction: Picture Book

New Book Releases December 2019 – Christian Fiction

New Book Releases for December 2019

Here is my list of top picks of new releases for December 2019. It’s a lean month, with not many books appealing to me, but just wait until you see the releases for January 2020!! Click on the covers for more details.

 

Christian Fiction

 

The Dating Charade – Melissa Ferguson – Thomas Nelson – Published 3 December 2019

Cassie Everson is an expert at escaping bad first dates. And, after years of meeting, greeting, and running from the men who try to woo her, Cassie is almost ready to retire her hopes for a husband—and children—altogether.

But fate has other plans, and Cassie’s online dating profile catches the eye of firefighter Jett Bentley. In Jett’s memory, Cassie Everson is the unreachable girl-of-legend from their high school days. Nervously, he messages her, setting off a chain of events that forces a reluctant Cassie back into the dating game.

No one is more surprised than Cassie when her first date with Jett is a knockout. But when they both go home and find three children dropped in their laps—each—they independently decide to do the right and mature thing: hide the kids from each other while sorting it all out. What could go wrong?

Christian fiction: Contemporary.


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