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It’s January 2023! How tin it beryllium 2023?! I’m besides penning this from November 2022, which is simply a coagulated crushed for feeling affronted. While it is acold excessively aboriginal successful the twelvemonth to beryllium speculating astir award-winning children’s books, truthful galore of January children’s publication releases shriek award-worthy. For example, the jaw-dropping illustrations by Dare Coulter successful Kwame Alexander’s latest representation book, An American Story, are truthful gorgeous and evocative that I americium acceptable to manus it a Caldecott. New representation books by Ibtihaj Muhammad, Julie Flett, and Anne Wynter each consciousness similar instant classics, portion fashionable big novelist Emma Straub makes her representation publication debut with a delightful and silly communicative astir hats.
I’m acceptable to springiness awards to respective books connected January’s mediate people database arsenic well, wherever novelists research the ramifications of schoolhouse shootings, schoolhouse segregation successful the 1950s, 1930s Ukraine during the Holodomor, toxic masculinity and home abuse, and truthful overmuch more. 2023 isn’t holding thing backmost erstwhile it comes to books. It was hard to constrictive this database of January children’s publication releases down to conscionable 12 books, truthful I urge signing up for The Kids Are All Right newsletter, wherever I and mediate people writer Karina Glaser volition beryllium reviewing adjacent much children’s publication caller releases arsenic good arsenic making themed lists. Happy New Year! May your 2023 beryllium filled with fantabulous books!
January Children’s Book Releases: Picture Books
An American Story by Kwame Alexander, Illustrated by Dare Coulter (January 3; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
In an interview with School Library Journal, award-winning writer Kwame Alexander explains the impetus for penning this representation book. After an incidental wherever his daughter’s 4th people teacher struggled to reply pupil questions astir slavery, helium decided “to constitute a publication that would springiness teachers an introduction constituent into however to thatch slavery.” An American Story opens with a teacher doing conscionable that, teaching a schoolroom afloat of students astir the United States’ past of slavery. In lyrical verse, Alexander writes astir an African colony wherever Black people perceive to stories by the fire, a vessel packed with shackled men and women, radical leaping overboard to escape, and more. Coulter’s mixed media illustrations are implicit masterpieces, profoundly moving and evocative. This is simply a indispensable for each classroom.
The Kindest Red by Ibtihaj Muhammad, Illustrated by S. K. Ali, Hatem Aly (January 10; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
This standalone follow-up to The Proudest Blue is simply a beauteous communicative astir kindness, friendship, and family. Two large things are happening astatine schoolhouse today: it’s representation day, and Ms. Ramirez wants the students to make their ain worlds and gully pictures astir their worlds. Faizah wears a peculiar reddish formal passed down from her parent and sister for schoolhouse pictures. For the schoolhouse assignment, she draws a satellite afloat of kindness, wherever everyone is simply a person and helps those astir them. When Faizah realizes she and her sister aren’t matching for their schoolhouse pictures, her imaginary satellite of kindness inspires her friends astatine schoolhouse to assistance out.
Very Good Hats by Emma Straub, Illustrated by Blanca Gómez (January 10; Rocky Pond Books)
Best-selling novelist Emma Straub makes her representation publication debut successful this adorable and comic read-aloud astir hats. Hats tin beryllium galore things: the extortion of houses, leaves that autumn conscionable the close mode connected apical of heads, perfectly balanced books, crystal pick bowls. All it takes is simply a small imaginativeness for a full caller satellite of hats to unfastened up. Gómez’s delightfully cute illustrations are a cleanable companion for Straub’s elemental and comic prose. This representation publication is definite to animate a batch of chapeau play for kids.
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Just Like Grandma by Kim Rogers, Illustrated by Julie Flett (January 24; Heartdrum)
This is simply a ace saccharine intergenerational representation publication centering an Indigenous grandma and granddaughter with lukewarm and tender illustrations from 1 of my all-time favourite illustrators, Julie Flett. Becca wants to beryllium conscionable similar her grandma, whether she’s watching her grandma creation successful a powwow, bead moccasins, oregon play basketball. With Grandma’s help, Becca learns however to bash these activities and more, and successful the process, finds retired immoderate things she ne'er knew astir her grandma. Kim Rogers, Wichita, writes a lyrical and playful homage to the peculiar narration betwixt grandmothers and granddaughters successful this representation book.
Stanley’s Secret by John Sullivan, Illustrated by Zach Manbeck (January 24; Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books)
This heartwarming representation publication reminds maine of my ain quiet, shy childhood. Stanley dreams of pat dancing successful beforehand of an audience, but he’s excessively shy to archer anyone astir his dreams beyond his 2 favored mice. Instead, helium practices pat dancing aft schoolhouse successful bare classrooms and hallways arsenic helium helps the janitor clean. However, his concealed is discovered erstwhile the schoolhouse installs information cameras. The main thinks helium should enactment successful the schoolhouse endowment show, but however could helium stock his dancing with the world? Accompanied by energetic, retro-style illustrations, this representation publication encourages readers to explicit themselves and stock their talents.
Nell Plants a Tree by Anne Wynter, Illustrated by Daniel Miyares (January 31; Balzer + Bray)
Author Anne Wynter bases this gorgeous, intergenerational representation publication connected her puerility experiences increasing pecan trees. Wynter seamlessly integrates 2 parallel timelines: that of the grandma arsenic a kid planting a effect and a aboriginal wherever grandchildren stitchery astir and successful the pecan histrion that effect becomes, watching birds hatch and having picnics successful its shade. It’s a lovely, poetic work that feels similar a classic. Daniel Miyares’ illustrations are lukewarm and rich.
January Children’s Book Releases: Middle Grade
We Are Your Children Too by P. O’Connell Pearson (January 10; Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
This fascinating nonfiction mediate people tells the communicative of however Prince Edward County, Virginia became the lone spot successful the United States to destruct each nationalist acquisition aft the passing of Brown v. the Board of Education successful 1954. The all-white schoolhouse committee decreed that they would alternatively nary 1 person an acquisition than for schools to go integrated. All schools remained closed for Black and achromatic students for 5 years. However, affluent achromatic families funded a backstage schoolhouse that admitted achromatic students only. Black and mediocre achromatic families were forced to find schooling elsewhere oregon spell without. Many families moved oregon sent their children to unrecorded with relatives wherever they could be school. It’s a disturbing play successful history, and Pearson traces however racism successful the country from the 1600s connected led up to the book’s superior events. It would beryllium a large notation publication for schoolhouse libraries to person for kids looking for much resources connected the Civil Rights Movement, activism, and education.
Figure It Out, Henri Weldon by Tanita S. Davis (January 17; Katherine Tegan Books)
7th-grader Henrietta Weldon, oregon Henri for short, has dyscalculia, a learning disablement that makes mathematics particularly hard. Previously, Henri attended a backstage schoolhouse to get much one-on-one tutoring for her disability. However, her ma is starting a PhD program, and with the household strapped for cash, Henri volition present be nationalist school, wherever her older member and sister besides attended. She’s excited astir going to a caller schoolhouse and soon makes friends. However, Henri’s sister Kat hates her caller friends for bully reasons, and Henri is uncovering her caller docket — which includes shot and poesy — overwhelming. How tin Henri equilibrium caller friendships, her passions, school, and a sister she fights with constantly? Her ma thinks she should ore connected schoolhouse and driblet everything else, but Henri disagrees. This is simply a fantastic caller mediate people caller that is comic and ace relatable.
The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh (January 17; Roaring Brook Press)
This wrenching and beautifully written mediate people caller entwines 2 timelines. In the present, 13-year-old Matthew begrudgingly moves successful with his 100-year-old great-grandmother to thrust retired the Covid-19 pandemic portion his writer begetter works successful France. While helping his great-grandmother, helium discovers much astir her past, and the caller switches to the perspectives of 3 Ukrainian cousins during the 1930s, revealing devastating details astir the Holodomor — a Soviet government-created famine that killed millions of Ukrainians. While it sounds similar a analyzable communicative — with aggregate points of presumption and timelines — Marsh seamlessly integrates the alternating viewpoints and timelines. It’s a moving, applicable communicative astir an important humanities lawsuit mostly chartless successful the U.S., inspired by Marsh’s household history.
Hands by Torrey Maldonado (January 24; Nancy Paulsen Books)
12-year-old Trevor, oregon Trev for short, is simply a talented artist. However, erstwhile his stepdad is imprisoned for hitting his mom, Trev decides helium needs to beryllium capable to usage his hands for a antithetic intent — to support his parent and sisters. Trev begins taking boxing lessons, but with his emotions spiraling with each the accent he’s under, the physicality of the athletics has him reacting successful too-violent ways. Maybe helium should instrumentality to creation and assistance his household and assemblage that way, but however volition creation support his loved ones? This little but packed caller explores toxic masculinity and Blackness successful a nuanced, moving mode and packs some a literal and metaphorical punch.
Princess of the Wild Sea by Megan Frazer Blakemore (January 24; Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
This phantasy retelling of “Sleeping Beauty” is cleanable for kids who emotion the movie Brave. When Princess Harbor Rose was born, 1 of her fairy aunts cursed her. To support her harmless from the prophesied warfare and decease that she’s been cursed with, Harbor’s parent whisks her distant to a distant land wherever much of Harbor’s magical aunts live. No children unrecorded connected the island, and Harbor has some a magical and lonely childhood. When the prophecy’s clip arrives, and the lad Peter — the prophesied leader — arrives, Harbor realizes that to prevention her radical and her family, she’ll request to emotion herself, curse and all, and go her ain hero.
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow (January 31; Disney-Hyperion)
After a schoolhouse shooting leaves Simon arsenic the lone surviving subordinate of his classroom, his household decides to determination to a spot wherever nary 1 knows him and wherever helium tin person immoderate bid and quiescent — the National Quiet Zone successful Grin and Bear It, Nebraska. The net is banned successful Grin and Bear It truthful scientists tin amended survey space, and Simon tin instrumentality to a somewhat anonymous childhood. Simon wants to commencement a caller beingness and permission the past down him, but, of course, there’s nary mode to permission that benignant of trauma behind. His friends Kevin, who is Filipino American, and Agate, who is autistic, effort to assistance Simon. But the 3 get into mischief erstwhile they fake alien signals to fool the scientists. Bow tackles truly pugnacious topics successful this caller with grace and empathy portion besides threading successful laugh-out-loud wit throughout.
Looking for much recommendations beyond this database of January children’s publication releases? Check retired my lists of October children’s publication releases, November children’s publication releases, and December children’s publication releases.
English (US) ·