It’s that time of year again! We are so thrilled to share that four new titles – including one available in Spanish – have arrived at Read to Them. From summer vacations, to nail-biting mysteries, to the hallways of a middle school with all kinds of heart, dive into the new books below:
Cody and the Fountain of Happiness by Tricia Springstubb
Cody is a young girl stuck at home for summer vacation. But she brings a winsome sensibility to her family and her neighborhood. She plays with ants. She helps her friend Spencer find his cat Mew Mew. She teases her brother about his girlfriend Payton Underwood. She comforts her mother, nervous about a job promotion, suffering from the whim whams. She attempts to hypnotize animals and humans. She trades handwritten notes with her family members.
One morning she sees a baby skunk: “A vine of tenderness climbed up inside Cody. Oh, how she longed to pet that pointy little head! But inside her, the wise voice spoke. Put your hand in your pocket, said the voice. Pet that sweet stink-machine with your eyes alone.”
Spend the summer with Cody and discover alongside her how, “In this life, so many things can twang your heart.”
To Catch a Thief by Martha Brockenbrough
Amelia MacGuffin isn’t a master detective. She’s an eleven-year-old girl worried about changing the part in her hair…and the fate of her town. Urchin Beach’s lucky dragonfly staff – the main attraction for the upcoming Dragonfly Day Festival – has been stolen. A thief is on the loose, willing to steal blankets from babies and staffs from sasquatch statues. Could it be the spooky mystery writer in her mansion? Or perhaps the mysterious new neighbors? The clues will unravel within the pages of To Catch a Thief. Readers will become amateur detectives, learn a little about luck, and a lot about love.
7th grader Ross Maloy is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer of the eye gland – and yet somehow cartoonist Rob Harrell has taken this premise and crafted the funniest cancer novel you’ll ever read (based on his own experiences as youth).
Wry, wise-cracking Ross is graced with three terrific friends who help him navigate this challenging ordeal: his best friend, Abby, who is still willing to joke with him; a fellow radiation patient, 70-year-old Jerry, who tells him “Why be normal? Different is what moves the needle!”; and Frank, the radiation tech, who introduces him to the guitar and helps him form a band. Learning the guitar and collaborating in a band, reveling in the back and forth he acknowledges as a dance, proves the perfect cathartic release as he manages the regular feelings of 7th grade along with the grander life fears which attend his diagnosis and treatment.
Readers will be moved, when they finish wiping away the tears of laughter, by Ross’s attitude towards his challenges: “I’m gonna master that F chord if it kills me. Oh, and life is a precious wonderful gift from above.”
Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring by Angela Cervantes
Paloma Marquez is spending the summer in Mexico City with her mother, who has received a prestigious fellowship opportunity. As the birthplace of Paloma’s father, Mexico is incredibly important to her – and soon, it becomes the stage for an irresistible mystery. Paloma is approached by siblings, Gael and Lizzie, to find a peacock ring that once belonged to Frida Kahlo. The search very quickly unspools into something much larger and more dangerous than Paloma anticipated, especially when her two closest allies seem to be hiding a major secret of their own. This fast-paced mystery is perfect for schools seeking a unique adventure, a touch of art history, and a story that highlights the value of teamwork.
Which of these titles are you most excited to share with your school? Let us know in the comments below!
