New Releases {July/August 2016}

This last month was a fun month for new releases in children's books for us!  Here are a few that we enjoyed!

  Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln?

Written by Kate DiCamillo

Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen

Released August 2, 2016

Both the Mercy Watson series and the continued Tales from Deckawoo Drive have been hits at our house, so I was excited to try this latest book in the series.  Baby Lincoln is probably the most timid of all of the characters in the Deckawoo Drive clan, so I wasn't quite certain how much energy was going to be in the book, or how some of my children were going to respond, but they all enjoyed it and we finished it in one sitting.

Baby Lincoln gets tired of being told what to do by Eugenia all of the time, and decides to go on a "necessary journey".  

Baby packs her bags, buys a train ticket, and sets out on her journey.  Throughout her train ride, she sits by a number of interesting characters that are true to Kate DiCamillo's style.  A man in a fur hat introduces her to the joys of comics (which Eugenia says are a waste of time!), a girl shares her flavored jelly beans, and a little boy traveling alone brings out an unknown talent of storytelling.  By the end of her journey, Baby has discovered a few things about herself, and Eugenia has, as well.  This latest edition is on the sweet and side, which probably won't suit all crowds, but it worked for ours.  Once again, Chris Van Dusen's illustrations do not disappoint.

Coding Projects in Scratch

Written by Jon Woodcock

Published July 5, 2016

I've been on the hunt for STEM activities for my six year old, and this one caught my eye.  Scratch is an online website developed by MIT that allows kids to learn computer coding processes to create their own games and projects.  I had gotten on the website a couple of times to see if I could figure it out enough to get my son started, but felt overwhelmed both times.  

As soon as this book arrived in the mail, my son started poring over it and getting excited about the projects inside.  They are incredibly engaging projects for the ages that the book is geared towards, and have allowed him to learn the program without a problem.  He's had the time of his life, and I love how much he is learning.  This has been an excellent resource, and I highly recommend it!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Written by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne

Published July 31, 2016

I've been excited to read this one since it was announced months ago.  The main differences between this book and the original seven in the series are that this one is written in play script and that it takes place when all of the main characters (Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco) are older and have children of their own. The main character is Albus Severus Potter, Harry's second son.  

I had a hard time with this one due to the fact that it is written as a play, and doesn't have the same flow as the previous books in the series.  This, along with a few other quirks in the story, caused it to not have the same magic as the original seven for me.  However, I still enjoyed the story, and am glad that I read it.  Out of five stars, I would give it a 3 1/2.  Have you read it?  What are your thoughts?

Follow the Trail: Trucks

July 5, 2016

I am always on the lookout for interactive and sturdy board books to put in my diaper bag.  This series is new to me, but I am glad I found it.  Each page has textured trails for little fingers to follow trucks as they go about their duties, along with nonfiction text describing the different trucks.  All in all, the book has nineteen trails and shapes for fingers to trace and outline.  These are great for practicing pre-writing skills.  I have caught my toddler going through this book multiple times.  I'd like to add the rest of the books in the series to our collection, as well!

What have you been reading?  Have you found a new book that your family has enjoyed?  Please share!

Happy Reading!

Emily