May Reading Recommendations from Ms. Moore

I always have at least two books going; one at home and one in the car. I read a ton of new releases to plan for Mock Caldecott, Mock Newbery, and our general collection wish list. Here are some of the ones I liked the most from the past couple of months. All book covers and plot summaries are from Goodreads:

Picture books

Flowers blooming in sheets of snow make way for happy frogs dancing in the rain. Summer swims move over for autumn sweaters until the snow comes back again. In Julie Fogliano's skilled hand and illustrated by Julie Morstad's charming pictures, the seasons come to life in this gorgeous and comprehensive book of poetry.

A comic visual exploration of opposites, from prize-winning, internationally best-selling picture book maker, Oliver Jeffers. In this 4th title in the series, the Hueys explore the concept of opposites in their characteristically quirky way. Starting out with some easy ones like ‘up’ and ‘down’, they move on to ever more wildy imaginative examples, guaranteed to raise a smile! Packed full of visual humour, this book will be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

Nonfiction

Mary Garber was a pioneering sports journalist in a time where women were rarely a part of the newspaper business. Women weren’t even allowed to sit in the press boxes at sporting events, so Mary was forced to sit with the coaches’ wives. But that didn’t stop her. ...  And now, every year the Association of Women in Sports Media presents the Mary Garber Pioneer Award in her honor to a role model for women in sports media. ... Sure to inspire future journalists, athletes, and any child who has a dream ...

Why be afraid of the dark when there is so much to see? Whether it’s used to hunt, hide, find a friend, or escape an enemy, bioluminescence—the ability to glow—is a unique adaptation in nature. In this fun and fascinating nonfiction picture book, join world-renowned photographers and biologists on their close encounters with the curious creatures that make their own light. Author’s note and bibliography included.

It was 1904 and St. Louis was proud to host the World’s Fair and America’s First Olympics. Hundreds of thousands of people came by car, by train, by boat. Part of the Olympics was a wild, wacky marathon. Forty-two racers registered, thirty-two showed up, and of the three racers vying for the finish line: one drove part way, one was helped by his trainers over the line, and one was a postman who travelled from Cuba and ran in street clothes that he cut off to look like shorts. How they ran and who won is a story of twists and turns that wouldn’t be believed if it weren’t true! And it is!  

Middle grade fiction

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. Why is she there? Where did she come from? And, most important, how will she survive in her harsh surroundings? Roz's only hope is to learn from the island's hostile animal inhabitants. When she tries to care for an orphaned gosling, the other animals finally decide to help, and the island starts to feel like home. Until one day, the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her....