Another new series for young readers

Captain Awesome to the Rescue! by Stan Kirby, illustrated by George O'Connor
Simon & Schuster, April 2012

Captain Awesome has flown onto the shelves of beginning readers. With his sidekick hamster, he just might be able to defeat Queen Stinkypants (his baby sister), but what about school? Eugene (Captain Awesome) is new in town, and new in school, and on the first day of school he's already found a nemesis- Meredith. Captain Awesome may not be able to survive school alone, so when he runs into another superhero, it might be time to form a squad. For readers of The Magic Tree House comes a brand new super-awesome series complete with fun illustrations. The large text and generous spacing will make young readers feel secure in their new reading powers.

A new series for beginning readers

Heidi Heckelbeck Has a Secret by Wanda Coven
Simon & Schuster, March 2012

Junie B. Jones, scoot over, there's a new girl on your shelf. Heidi Heckelbeck has been home-schooled her entire life and is not looking forward to real school. Even her favorite outfit can't give her the courage she needs, especially when Melanie decides to pick on her on her first day! But Heidi Heckelbeck has a secret, a special talent that could help rid her of all her school problems, and it has to do with a spell book hidden under her bed. The first in a new series, Heidi Heckelbeck is sure to win fans. It's great to see a book that deals with the transition from homeschooling to public school, too!

Zorro & Mr. Bud Return

Zorro Gets an Outfit by Carter Goodrich

The delightful doggy duo of Zorro and Mister Bud are back, and this time Zorro has a superhero costume. Unfortunately, Zorro doesn't want a superhero costume. As a good friend, Mister Bud does all he can to cheer up Zorro, but only another outfitted dog will do the trick. Like Say Hello to Zorro, children will see their own friend and sibling relationships mirrored by Zorro and Mister Bud. Carter Goodrich's characters are wonderfully expressive and his dynamic compositions will pull readers from page to page much like a dog eager to get to the park.

Adult Graphic Memoir

Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel

The follow up to Bechdel's Fun Home, Are You My Mother? focuses on Bechdel's relationship with her mother, a woman who was raised to believe that boys were more valuable than girls, and who stopped kissing her daughter goodnight at the age of seven. Bechdel combines the work of psychoanalysts with memories of her mother, conversations, and moments from her own therapy sessions. The psychoanalytic passages, and (one is lead to believe) the fact that Bechdel's mother is alive, makes this a denser, more layered book than Fun Home. The reader must wade in and pull apart the many strands of Bechdel's story, piecing together chronology and figuring out terminology. The work is inevitably worth it, and the time spent meditating on the book only increases the reader's emotional experience.

NEW Jasper Fforde!

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde

I have loved Jasper Fforde's books since I first discovered The Eyre Affair in high school. I've since gone on to read, and reread, all his novels, not to mention listen to them all on audio book at least a dozen times each. Fforde has the ability to write intelligent humor that feels at once comforting and fun while still intellectual. His books cross genre boundaries, and with The Last Dragonslayer, I'm sure he'll cross age boundaries as well.

16 year-old Jennifer Strange is a foundling now working for Kazam Mystical Arts Managment- actually, since the disappearance of the owner, she's running it, which means taking care of a dozen-odd wizards and all the dull (but vital) paperwork doing magic now requires. But when wizards begin foreseeing the death of the last dragon, Jennifer tries to figure out what's going on. Her investigations thrust her into the spotlight, and a new job that plays a vital role in life and death of the last dragon. Jennifer is intelligent and resourceful, able to navigate strange situations and ever-changing roles. Funny, intelligent, mysterious, and fantastical, Fforde has once again created a bizarre yet believable world just far enough removed from our own that we can laugh at his social and political critiques. Intelligent middle-grade readers who enjoyed The Mysterious Benedict Society will delight in this novel, savvy teens will enjoy Fforde's cultural critiques and fast plot, and adult fans of Fforde's books will not be disappointed. A brilliant book, The Last Dragonslayer should spark conversation and laughs from readers of all ages.

Simple & well-designed

More by I.C. Springman, illustrated by Brian Lies

Spare text and intricate illustrations are artfully designed in this stunning picturebook. When a magpie with nothing is given a marble, he begins to collect things. But collecting soon turns to hoarding and a fateful fall that causes him to realize that maybe he only needs a few things. Though a simple concept, Brian Lies' illustrations expand upon Springman's concise text. The magpie, and the mice he interacts with, are expressive and the myriad of objects the magpie collects are astonishing. Readers will pour over this book as they pick out objects from legos to hairclips, pacifiers to guitar picks. The details and dynamism bring to mind Wiesner's Art and Max, and like Wiesner's books, I wouldn't be surprised to see More considered for a Caldecott.

Beautiful picturebook using panels....

Laundry Day by Maurie J. Manning
Clarion, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 2012

When a little shoe-shine boy finds a red scarf, he tries to return it to its' owner, climbing higher and higher up the fire escape of an apartment building in his search. On his way he meets immigrants from all over the world, and receives a friendly "hello" from each. Manning's use of graphic novel panels perfectly captures the movement of her busy story while dynamic angles allow readers to take in every aspect of the overwhelming city. Young reader's will be charmed by Manning's characters while a helpful "laundry List of Words" in the back of the book will introduce them to words from seven languages. Laundry Day is a wonderful exploration of American people and a celebration of a neighborhood.