How crazy has weather been this June? After months of almost no rainfall, we’ve been getting inches of rain daily for about 10 days now. With more rain expected today. We are flooded and muddy over here! Our house has multiple leaks, too. This is one of those times I’m thankful to be a renter!
This is the last Spotlight of June, so all three Canva presentations are complete. I will not add any more titles to the June presentations. Next week, I’ll start three new presentations for July!
For the second week in a row, picture books are my favorites! I’ve got one on my Caldecott 2025 watch list, and another on my Sibert 2025 watchlist. Go picture books!
My top picks this week:
All three presentations are in Canva and editable! Just click below, then go to File-Make a Copy in your Canva account. If you do not have a Canva account, you can get a free educator account here (must be verified).
I will add titles to the Canva presentations throughout June 2024. These are now complete for June 2024.
YA Presentation Link – Grades 7+
Middle Grades Presentation Link – Grades 3-8
Picture Book Presentation Link – PreS-Grade 5+
This week’s Spotlight titles are #4151 – #4163 on The Ginormous Booklist.
This YA romance reminds me a little of the Lurlene McDaniel books I loved as a middle schooler. Or maybe the Miranda Kenneally YA books I've enjoyed as an adult.
We have a 16-17 year old female whose mother died years ago. Practically raised by her older brother, the girl loves street racing.
Then she meets a boy. A Russian and autistic boy who also loves street racing.
Seventeen-year-old Leti Rivera dreams of becoming a famous female street racer. Her brother taught her how to drive so fast that nothing can catch her.
But when Jacob Fleckenstein crashes into her life, Leti starts to think that running isn’t always the answer. Together, inside her car, they both feel like they’re flying, and Jacob’s gentleness and honesty threaten Leti’s vow to keep her heart tight in her fist and her grief locked away.
Yet after tragedy strikes following a race, Leti blames herself and swears an oath, a juramento, to give up driving. But will she be able to keep her promise when racing could be the very thing that saves Jacob . . . and herself?
Students reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? If so, they may remember Huck was smitten with a "red-haired girl" named Mary Jane.
In Huck Finn, we don't know much about Mary Jane or why Huck is so enamored by her. This book is the all-new story of the lovely Mary Jane.
Three starred reviews!
In his classic work Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain briefly introduces “Mary Jane, the red-headed one.” In no time Mary Jane becomes the girl Huck thinks about “a many and a many million times.”
Now author Hope Jahren has created for Mary Jane a life as vivid and compelling as Huck’s.
These pages will show you the real Mary Jane. A girl on her own dangerous, unpredictable journey down the Mississippi River in pre-Civil War America.
Equipped with an uncanny ability for mathematics, a talent for sewing, and a bale of beaver skins, Mary Jane navigates deadly illnesses, angry mobs, treacherous landowners, outright thieves and swindlers, and more than a thousand miles of muddy water.
What’s more, she thrives in the face of these challenges, thanks to support from strangers who become friends.
Traveling solo requires Mary Jane to grow up fast, but it ultimately leads her to a new resilience, a love of adventure, deep and enduring sisterhood, and a blue-eyed, ponytailed boy she can’t stop thinking about.
This supernatural horror story is based on Indian mythology. It involves necromancy, raising the dead, and carnage.
Readers need to be aware that body horror is part of the story.
Give this to fans of The Spirit Bears Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White.
Kajal knows she is not a good person. If she were, she wouldn’t selfishly be risking her sister’s soul in a dangerous bid to bring her back to life. She would let Lasya rest in peace—but Kajal cannot stand the horror of living without her.
As Kajal prepares for the resurrection, the worst happens: Her sister’s soul warps into a bhuta—a murderous, wraith-like spirit—and Kajal gets sentenced to death for her sister’s rampage. There seems little hope of escape until two strangers offer to free her.
The catch: She must resurrect the kingdom’s fallen crown prince to aid a growing rebellion against a tyrannical usurper. Desperate, Kajal rushes to complete her end of the deal…only to discover that the boy she’s resurrected, Tav, is not the crown prince.
Now Kajal—prickly, proud, admirer of the scientific method—must team up with Tav—stubborn, reticent, and fonder of swords than of books—to find the real crown prince.
With only a scalpel and her undead dog, Kutaa, at her side, Kajal must work fast before her mistake is exposed or Lasya’s bhuta turns its murderous fury on the person truly responsible for her death: Kajal herself.
This is a horror retelling of Snow White! The "Snow White" of the story is Eve, daughter to two queens.
One of the queens, Sanaa, made a wish to a tricky sorcerer called The Knight. She wished to be able to sing beautifully to her love (Queen Regina) and their young daughter. Granting her wish, The Knight turned her into a nightingale.
Enter Eve, who is destined to slay The Knight and become queen herself.
Readers should be aware of some gruesome descriptions.
Princess Eve was raised with one purpose: to destroy the Knight. Far too many of subjects of Queen’s Bridge have been devastated by this evil sorcerer’s trickery. Eve’s own unique magic–the ability to conjure weapons from nature–makes her a worthy adversary.
As she approaches her seventeenth birthday, Eve is ready to battle. But her mother, Queen Regina, has been acting bizarrely, talking to a strange mirror alone every night.
Then a young man claiming to be the Knight’s messenger appears and shares a shocking truth about Eve’s past.
Unsure of who to trust, Eve must find the courage to do what she’s always done: fight. But will it be enough to save her family and her queendom?
Got Karen McManus fans? Of course you do!
Give this mystery/thriller to anyone who loves a good horror movie. Two Sides to Every Murder features creepy forests, old and dark buildings, and plenty of twists!
Most people’s births aren’t immortalized in a police report—but Olivia was born during the infamous Camp Lost Lake murders. Seventeen years later, Olivia’s life looks pretty perfect…until she discovers the man she calls dad is not her biological father. Now she wants answers about her bloodline, and the only place she knows to look is Camp Lost Lake.
Most people don’t spend their formative years on the run with an alleged murderer—but Reagan did. In the court of public opinion, her mom was found guilty of the deaths at Camp Lost Lake, and both of them have been in hiding ever since. But Reagan believes in her mother’s innocence and is determined to clear her name.
Luckily for Olivia and Reagan, Camp Lost Lake is finally reopening, providing the perfect opportunity to find answers. But someone else is dead set on keeping the past hidden, even if it means committing murder.
I love that middle grade title is only 208 pages! We really need shorter-length middle grade titles. I'd honestly love to see more middle grade titles in the 150-page range. There needs to be a half-step between 100-page chapter books and 300+ page middle grade books.
This book is a great choice for students who love cooking and books about kids with jobs.
Tacoma Jones loves working at her family’s roadside diner, the Brake Fast, pouring coffee and serving eggs and muffins to truckers all day long. But tonight, she is finally going to break out her collection of cookbooks and prepare the best dinner the state of Washington has ever seen.
But her excitement is dampened when she learns that today is one of Dad’s bad days, when his depression makes it hard for him to get out of bed.
Tacoma knows she can’t fix her dad’s depression. But what she can do is steal back his prized photograph of his second-best day from her nemesis, the nasty Crocodile Kyle—while also planning a dinner that is sure to brighten up his bad day.
She just might need an accomplice or two to pull off the heist…
Comparisons with Jumanji, Inkheart, and Wreck-It-Ralph will be difficult to miss here!
This is an adventure story about a family descended from a board game character that escaped his game and lived in the real world. When two twin boys' mother gets sucked into a game, it is up to the twins to find their mother, who is being held hostage by an old enemy.
Rhett and his brother, Nash, have never been allowed to play board games. It’s their mom’s most important rule; the twins don’t know why, but they know not to push her on it.
When their mom suddenly disappears, they’re reunited with Ace, their long-lost grandfather, who reveals that their family is descended from a board game character who escaped his game and lived in the real world.
Their family now has the ability to enter the world of any game they want—but this gift also comes with a price.
A game character who’s wanted revenge against their mom for decades has finally caught her and is holding her hostage in the world of a game.
Which game? That’s up to Rhett and Nash to figure out, even if it means breaking Mom’s most important rule.
But as they learn to use their newly discovered ability, exploring new worlds and facing new challenges and risks, the brothers quickly realize that saving Mom won’t be all fun and games. It’s game on…or game over.
This one is about a 12-year old boy who has been a 4-foot rat nearly all his life. He can walk on two legs, he talks, and he wears a jogging suit. But life as a giant rat is oh-so-lonely.
I love this author! She has lots of modern fairy tale books for middle graders. I read Selfors' novel The Sweetest Spell several years ago, and it was a sweet (as advertised in the title), clean romance for middle graders.
Ratty Barclay wasn’t supposed to be born a four-foot-tall, walking, talking rodent, but thanks to the Barclay family curse, he’s had to live in hiding from the rest of the world.
All he wants for his thirteenth birthday is to return to his family’s abandoned estate on Fairweather Island to somehow break the curse. Then he’ll finally get to live his life as a four-foot-tall, walking, talking, human boy.
Edweena Gup, the granddaughter of the Barclays’ groundskeeper, has dedicated her life to being a Rat-Catcher Extraordinaire like her great-great-great grandmother before her. It doesn’t matter that Fairweather Island has been rat-free for over a hundred years—she’s determined to make sure everyone is prepared for their imminent return.
And when she spots a human-sized rat lurking on the Barclay grounds, her worst fears are confirmed.
Though it seems like Ratty and Edweena are destined to be enemies, they have a lot in common—they’re both lonely and misunderstood. But will they be able to overcome their fears of each other and maybe even become . . . friends?
Aww, this one is giving me The Little House vibes (Virginia Hamilton)! This will be such a cute read-aloud for the first week of school.
Those illustrations look so beautiful that I have added this one to my possible Caldecott 2025 watch list. I will release my Top 12 picks in late-December. Will The Yellow Bus be one of them?
There is a bright yellow bus who spends her days driving. She loves carrying children from one important place to another. Every morning they climb in… Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, giggle, giggle-patter. And they fill her with joy.
As time passes, things change. The Yellow Bus gets a new driver, a new route, and new passengers, young and old. Until one day the driving stops for good, and the Yellow Bus is left on her own.
And yet, no matter where she is, the Yellow Bus still finds joy and discovery in the world around her.
I read the generous sample of this on Amazon. How cute is this story? I love all the little thoughts and dialogue of the young classmates, teacher, and even the class pet. There is much to enjoy here.
This is another title that would make a great read-aloud for the first week of school. The pictures are somewhat small and detailed, so if you have a way to project the images, you will want to do that.
It’s the first day of school.
An artist wonders if her drawings are good enough to show.
An inventor is excited for show and tell.
A group of competitive friends call themselves the Sport Kings (but nobody else does).
Pat, the class pet, listens to the weird sounds humans make.
The teacher is ready to start.
When the new student gets to class, things take a turn for the unusual. There’s something a little strange about the visitor—maybe even something out-of-this-world.
This book only has one professional review (Booklist starred), so it does not technically meet my Spotlight standard of two positive professional reviews. I added it to the Spotlight on Saturday, when Titlewave was down. I was not able to check reviews except on Amazon. Anyway, it looks cute and is already done anyway, so it stays on the Spotlight!
Owls in Our Yard! is a bit text-heavy, but the photos are so cute! Readers who love nature stories - particularly those about baby animals - will find lots to love here.
Due to text-heaviness, I would not personally use this as a solo read-aloud. I would, however, pair it with another read-aloud, such as Owl Babies by Martin Waddell (1992).
In the spring of 2019, ecologist Carl Safina and his wife, Patricia, took in little Alfie, a bedraggled Eastern Screech Owl chick who quickly became part of their family.
With the Safinas’ care and expertise, the little owl grew, learned to hunt on her own, and eventually found her own family in a mate and chicks. As time passed, Carl realized that his bond with Alfie was greater than just saving her life―it offered wisdom, joy, and magic to him in return.
Carl Safina lends an insightful and expert voice to Alfie’s tale, providing readers with a perspective that is simultaneously informative and deeply personal.
With eye-catching, intimate photographs chronicling Alfie’s healing and growth, Owls in Our Yard is the heartfelt story of an animal/human friendship rooted in trust, care, and respect for the natural world.
This is on my Sibert Medal 2025 watchlist! We have leafcutter ants in my area, and they are truly fascinating to watch. Even my dog likes to watch them carrying their leaves.
Apparently they clip and carry those leaves to fertilize a collective fungus crop. The fungus serves as food for the ants and their larvae. Absolutely incredible!
Leafcutter ants are masters at building and running their city. With a population to rival NYC, they employ builders, farmers, nannies, cleaners, and even pharmacists!
Brave foragers venture into the trees to bring back slices of leaf to keep the fungus crops growing, while those at home expand the city’s tunnel network and tend to the young—and the queen, the city’s founder.
Whether already fascinated by bugs or just discovering them, young readers will be captivated by Amy Hevron’s colorful, inviting illustrations and accessible language. The City of Leafcutter Ants is both informative and fun, robustly researched and approachable, with backmatter for further learning.
In walking us through this sprawling ant society, Hevron reminds us that as different as we may feel from a tiny six-legged insect, humans are neither the only nor the first creatures of Earth to organize ourselves into ingenious collective living.
This is the true story of an Indigenous Mexican ultramarathon runner.
An ultramarathon is a race that is even longer than a 26-mile long marathon. In this story, Lorena Ramírez runs 60-mile races! And she does it without fancy running clothing or pricey running shoes. In fact, she wears a traditional long skirt and huaraches (Mexican sandals) when she runs her races. WOW.
From the copper canyons of Mexico, her swift footsteps echo. Clip clap, clip clap.
Experience a sixty-mile run with Indigenous athlete Lorena Ramírez.
She runs in the traditional clothes of the Rarámuri, “the light-footed people,” to show that her people and their way of life are alive and thriving—outpacing runners in modern, high-tech gear and capturing the world’s attention.
Lorena’s career as an athlete is an inspiring real-life example of the power of perseverance that will encourage young readers to follow their own dreams.
The New Release Spotlight began in May 2016 as a way to help librarians keep up with the many new children’s and YA books that are released each week.
Each week, school librarian Leigh Collazo compiles the New Release Spotlight using a combination of Follett’s Titlewave, Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble. Recommended grade levels represent the range of grade levels recommended by professional book reviewers. See the full selection criteria here.
Inevitably, there are far more books that meet my criteria than can make it on the Spotlight. When I have to make the tough decisions on what to include, I just use my “librarian judgment.” Would I buy this book for my own library? Would my students want to read this book? Is the cover appealing? Does it fill a need?
