Meet the House Kittens (Kitten Construction Company, book 1) by John Patrick Green
Published by First Second
Adorable kitties who do construction? These cats have it all. I can’t wait to introduce this series to my second and third grade students. They are sure to be a hit.
Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis
Published by Walker Books
Part historical fiction, part fantasy, all adventure–better not let your attention wander or you might miss some key detail to the political intrigue underlying this amazing and complex tale. I was on the fence about where this and New Kid should go; this could just have easily been on my Newbery contender list.
White Bird: A Wonder Story by R. J. Palacio
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Even though I wish R. J. Palacio would show us she can do something besides keep building on the Wonder franchise, I can’t deny this is a beautiful and moving story, perfect for kids just a bit older than the Wonder crowd.
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Rey Terciero
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
I was on the fence between this and This Was Our Pact for my fifth choice, but this is a personal favorite due to my love of the original novel. It got a number of one- and two-star reviews on Amazon due to Jo coming out. Come on, did anyone ever think Mr. Bhaer was anything more than a convenient cover for Jo’s real feelings?
Published by First Second
Seems like we can’t have too many realistic fiction/friendship graphic novels these days, and if the blurb on the front cover is by Raina Telgemeier, you know you have a winner. Unique characters and an unexpected twist make this a sure-fire hit with the elementary crowd.
