Butler Bookshelf

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For this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we’re taking a look at picture book biographies. From sports to literature to music and activism, these biographies introduce young readers to figures from a wide variety of fields, whether those subjects are household names or relatively unknown. Our feature pick is Talking Books: Audiobook Inventor Dr. Robert B. Irwin and a New Way to Read by Jenny Lacika, illustrated by Ashanti Fortson. This informative picture book with full color illustrations follows Dr. Irwin’s life from his struggles growing up blind with limited ways to learn and read, through to his invention of “talking books” and work to make learning and reading accessible to wider numbers of people.

Check out more picture book biographies below!

Talking Books: Audiobook Inventor Robert B. Irwin and a New Way to Read
Jenny Lacika
Illustrated by Ashanti Fortson
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Louisa Learns to Write: Louisa May Alcott Creates Little Women
Kate Hannigan
Illustrated by Sofia Moore
Astra Books for Young Readers/Calkins Creek
Available now!

Mikaela Shiffrin
Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Illustrated by Anastasia Ryzhkova
The Quarto Group/Frances Lincoln
Available now!

Singing Justice, Singing Peace: The Story of Joan Baez
Monica Brown
Illustrated by Molly Mendoza
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Beach Lane Books
Available now!

Writing Toward Justice: The Life and Reporting of Alice A. Dunnigan
Peggy Thomas
Illustrated by Tonya Engel
Available now!

Can You Survive?: A Review of Dungeon Crawl at the Haunted Mall

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Dungeon Crawl at the Haunted Mall
Jendia Gammon
Illustrated by Elena Dall’Aglio
ChooseCo
Ages 8-12
Available April 21, 2026

The old mall in town has been closed since a toxic spill in the 80’s. It’s totally abandoned, probably haunted, and most likely contaminated with toxic waste, and that makes it the perfect place for you and your friends to explore for your YouTube channel! But when your friend Drea doesn’t show up and your crew is forced to venture inside the mall to look for her, things start getting creepy quickly. Will you survive zombies, popcorn monsters, and the evil warlock Valdraant? Only you can find out, because in this addition to the classic Choose Your Own Adventure series, you make the choices, and you control how the story ends.

Gammon’s Choose Your Own Adventure tale is seeped in 80’s nostalgia, with clear influences from B-Movie horror flicks and Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. Whether the cast of characters is wandering into an old-school arcade or performing synchronized aerobics in neon leotards, the book has an over-the-top campy feel with surprises around every corner. Big moments are accompanied by Dall’Aglio’s illustrations, allowing readers a peek into the wacky world they’re exploring.

With its 80’s aesthetic and D&D influences, Dungeon Crawl at the Haunted Mall is perfectly teed up to appeal to Stranger Things fans looking for a new fix. Fantasy fans will enjoy the magical overtones, while roleplayers will enjoy the engaging Choose Your Own Adventure storytelling format. Fast paced action and plenty of humor give the story wide appeal across young readers.

Butler Bookshelf

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As Black History Month continues, we’re back with the second of our two blog posts highlighting Black authors, characters, and experiences in our New Book Collection. Last week we took a look at picture books, so this week we’re turning our attention to books for older readers. Spanning fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, these titles are just a selection of what we have available in the Butler Center. Our feature pick this week is Twice Enslaved: Liberty and Justice for Henrietta Wood by Selene Castrovilla, illustrated by Erin K. Robinson. This collection of poetry tells the story of Henrietta Woods, an enslaved woman was granted her freedom and was unjustly kidnapped and re-enslaved. Through Castrovilla’s poems and Robinson’s illustrations, Woods’ life is portrayed from her birth through her freedom and kidnapping, to her eventual successful court case against the man who kidnapped her, all while she continues holding on to hope and a desire for justice.

Check out more Black History Month reads for older readers below!

Coming Home (Adapted for Young Adults)
Brittney Griner with Michelle Buford
Random House Children’s Books/Bright Matter Books
Available now!

Hattie Mae Begins Again
Sharon G. Flake
Random House Children’s Books/Alfred A. Knopf
Available now!

Lovely One (Adapted for Young Adults)
Ketanji Brown Jackson
Random House Children’s Books/Bright Matter Books
Available now!

The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay
Ryan Douglass
HarperCollins Publishers/HarperCollins Children’s Books
Available now!

Twice Enslaved: Liberty and Justice for Henrietta Wood
Selene Castrovilla
Illustrated by Erin K. Robinson
Astra Books for Young Readers/Calkins Creek
Available now!

Not a Long Time: A Review of Here for a Good Time

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Here for a Good Time
Kim Spencer
Penguin Random House Canada / Swift Water Books
Ages 14+
Available March 10th, 2026

It’s 1990, and teenage Morgan and her wild-child best friend, Skye, are two Indigenous girls “here for a good time,” drinking, flirting, and partying in Prince Rupert, a small Canadian fishing town. Morgan is no stranger to tragedy: her alcoholic mother abandoned the family years earlier, but her world completely collapses when her father is killed in a boating accident. When Morgan’s mother returns to town, grief—and recklessness—force her into an alternative school, where she falls for Nate Jones, a well-read Indigenous boy with suprisingly worldly taste. As the two grow closer, an unplanned teen pregnancy and an unexpected mother-daughter reunion force Morgan to confront how loss and love can coexist.

Although classified as historical fiction, Spencer—a member of the Gitxaala Nation herself—writes with poignant accuracy, tactfully balancing the turbulence of teenage life, from fake IDs to bad boyfriends, with the enduring impact of intergenerational trauma shaped by Canada’s residential school system. Despite the sparse sentences and short vignette-like scenes, Here for a Good Time delivers an emotional, impactful story that spotlights Indigenous resilience.

Spencer opens the novel with a brief heavy content warning, but doesn’t shy away from exploring difficult issues, including racism, alcoholism, and sexual assault. These honest portrayals have the power to be incredibly important for younger readers, providing a window into aspects of Indigenous life, culture, and tragic systemic abuse that are seldom represented by our history books.

Butler Bookshelf

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February is Black History Month, and we’re celebrating with two weeks of posts highlighting Black authors, characters, and experiences in our New Book Collection here in the Butler Center. This week, we’re looking at picture books, with our feature pick being Baseball for Breakfast: A (Mostly) True Story by Judy Campbell-Smith and illustrated by Maggie Carroll. Jimmy loves watching the Milwaukee Brewers with Ma and Pop. But when Pop leaves to fight in World War II, Ma starts working overnight factory shifts to support herself and Jimmy in his absence, and Jimmy suddenly has no one to go with him to baseball games in the afternoons and evenings. When Brewers owner Bill Veeck hears about the conundrum, he comes up with a new idea to keep baseball accessible to Jimmy’s family and all the others like them — morning baseball games, with free admission for night shift workers.

Check out more picture books for Black History Month below!

Baseball for Breakfast: A (Mostly) True Story
Judy Campbell-Smith
Illustrated by Maggie Carroll
Charlesbridge
Available now!

Do I Love You? Yes I Do!
Ruth Forman
Illustrated by Raissa Figeuroa
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Little Simon
Available now!

Haircut Day with Dad
Monica Mikai
Random House Children’s Books/Crown Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Hairstory
Sope Martins
Illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Love That Baby Hair!
Alliah L. Agostini
Illustrated by Sawyer Cloud
Charlesbridge
Available March 3, 2026

Tough Topics for Kids: Immigration and Social Justice Resources

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LINK TO RESOURCE

Kids are curious…

Whether their questions are for a school project or inspired by something they saw or heard online, kids require thoughtful and accurate information geared to their own age and maturity level. Tough Topics is a web tool developed to assist adults with resources to help them begin tough conversations surrounding social justice and immigration.

This website provides book recommendations for ages 5-13, broken down into 3 groups that could be read at home or in class. Each title has a summary, references to reviews, and an explanation as to why it was chosen. Additionally, each title is rated on a controversy scale to help adults decide if the title is right for their readers. 

Tough Topics was developed as a scholarship project by Vanessa Crisostomo, Dominican University, School of Information Studies graduate. The inspiration in her own words:

“I am half Mexican and half Guatemalan daughter of immigrants who came seeking a better life. I grew up in a predominantly Hispanic community and Spanish was my first language. I learned English in school and from watching shows like Winnie the Pooh. By the time I was in first or second grade, immigration was something I understood to be important but was too complex for me to understand. Our political climate today has brought more attention to the issue of immigration, making it even more important to have resources available.  

As a child of immigrants who grew up hearing many misconceptions, I sought to create a resource that could help increase empathy and understanding about immigration and why people leave their homes. One of the things that makes America so great is all of the different immigrant populations. The inspiration behind this resource was to make tough topics accessible to kids of all ages while encouraging them to be the change they want to see.”

For assistance or questions with Tough Topics: Immigration and Social Justice, please contact The Butler Children’s Literature Center at butler@dom.edu

About Vanessa Crisostomo

Vanessa Crisostomo earned a bachelor’s degree in English Education from Northeastern Illinois University and spent the past seven years teaching in Chicago Public Schools. She completed a master’s degree in library science at Dominican University and was recognized as a Butler Children’s Literature Center Scholar. Throughout a career deeply committed to supporting students’ growth as readers and individuals, a love for both education and literature ultimately inspired study for a master’s degree in library science, allowing expanded impact to help students access information, develop media literacy skills, and find joy in reading. 

Outside of academic and professional goals, she finds balance in spending time outdoors: hiking, kayaking, and exploring nature. She lives in Chicago, Illinois with her husband and two dogs, Cookie-Ann and Henry. Experiences as an educator, graduate student, and lifelong learner continue to shape the values she brings to her work and motivate continued growth within the library and information field. 

Butler Bookshelf

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Love is in the air… and so are good books! In honor of Valentine’s Day this Saturday, our Butler Bookshelf this week is all about… you guessed it: love! From a cherry-blossom-covered Tokyo fling to humanoid coffee-shop meet-cutes, these YA books are full of witty banter, swoony romance, and more than enough butterflies-in-the-stomach to go around. Our feature pick for this week is The Roommate Arrangement by Samantha Markum. Type-A and high-strung Blair’s pre-college coding summer just got a lot more complicated after she finds herself stuck in the same apartment as her older brother’s brooding best friend, Jamie. The two bicker constantly, but it’s no secret that there’s something bubbling beneath the surface. Something that might just be more than platonic.

Check out some more young adult romance reads below!

Steam
Shaenon K. Garrity
Illustrated by Emily Holden
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Margaret K. McElderry Books
Available February 3rd, 2026 (today!)

Love Me Tomorrow
Emiko Jean
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Sarah Barley Books
Available February 3rd, 2026 (today!)

The Roommate Arrangement
Samantha Markum
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Margaret K. McElderry Books
Available now!

Love Makes Mochi
Stefany Valentine
Random House Children’s Books / Joy Revolution
Available now!

Room to Breathe
Kasie West
Random House Children’s Books / Delacorte Romance
Available now!

From Hades and Back: A Review of Styx and Stones

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Styx and Stones
Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge
HarperCollins/Clarion Books
Ages 8-12
Available May 6, 2026

Simon has been 13 for a long time. 2,000 years, in fact — ever since he died protecting his brothers during a Spartan attack on Athens. He’s spent his time since then in Hades, serving Persephone, learning from all the greatest thinkers who ever lived (and died), and trying every day to get out. When he finally makes his escape, he finds himself once again in the land of the living. Specifically, in a middle school boy’s bathroom. Simon is ready to live life to the fullest alongside his new friend Zeke, but Hades isn’t ready to let him go so easily. The Lord of the Underworld and his demons are set on getting him back, even if it means taking out Simon’s new mortal friends along the way.

Schmidt and Koertge mix the ancient and the modern in ways both hilarious and heartwarming. While Simon is confronted by the mysteries of smartphones and middle school, his new friends and classmates are surprised by his sincerity and gentleness. While reveling in his second chance at life, Simon brings a unique outlook and thankfulness that challenges the ways his new friends see and conduct themselves, Themes of loss and grief are present throughout the book, as are the contrasts between life and death.

Styx and Stones has just enough Greek mythology to hook those with a casual interest and fans of similar series such as Percy Jackson, although those with an especially deep interest may be disappointed by a lack of breadth and depth. Young readers with an interest in thrilling escapes and earnest adventures will enjoy reading about Simon and Zeke.

Butler Bookshelf

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This week for our Butler Bookshelf, we’re taking a look at realistic fiction for elementary school. Real-life stories often fly off the shelves in a school library, and with everything from early chapter books to more advanced middle grade books to graphic novels, this selection has something for every young reader. Our feature pick is Sweet Valley Twins: Three’s A Crowd: (A Graphic Novel), written by Francine Pascal, adapted by Nicole Andelfinger, and illustrated by Claudia Aguirre. Elizabeth and Jessica have been entertaining readers across several series in the Sweet Valley universe since 1983. In this graphic adaptation of the seventh book in the Sweet Valley Twins series, the two middle schoolers are put off by their friend Mary, who seems to want to come over to their house just to hang out with the twins’ mom. When the truth about Mary’s past and family situation come to light, Jess and Liz have their previous assumptions challenged and see Mary in a new, more empathetic light.

Check out more realistic fiction for elementary readers below!

A Kid Like Me
Norm Feuti
HarperCollins Publishers/HarperAlley
Available now!

Nadia Islam, On the Record
Adiba Jaigirdar
Illustrated by Avani Dwivedi
HarperCollins Publishers/Quill Tree Books
Available now!

Some of Us Are Brave
Saadia Faruqi
HarperCollins Publishers/HarperCollins Children’s Books
Available February 10, 2026

Sweet Valley Twins: Three’s A Crowd: (A Graphic Novel)
Created and Story by Francine Pascal
Adaptation by Nicole Andelfinger
Illustrated by Claudia Aguirre
Random House Children’s Books/RH Graphic
Available now!

Venus Washington and the Lasagna Drama
Maisha Oso
Illustrated by Courtney Lovett
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Olive You, Too: A Review of The Giant and the Olive

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The Giant and the Olive
Leo Daly
Catalyst Press
Ages 4-10
Available February 3rd, 2026

Once there was a happy giant who did all the usual giant things—scaring cows and “Ho-Ho-Ho”-ing all day long. That is, until he stumbles upon what feels like the most beautiful treasure of all: a tiny, shiny black olive. He proudly shows it off to the town & his friends, kisses it goodnight, and tucks it under the covers each evening. But after one fateful, maybe-too-tight hug ends with a POP!, the giant is devastated by his broken treasure. Through all four seasons, he mourns, weeping over the olive’s grave. Things look bleak until one sunny morning, he discovers that his giant tears might’ve made for the perfect fertilizer; an olive tree has begun to grow!

Through simple dialogue that still effortlessly conveys big emotion, The Giant and the Olive tiptoes between grief and humor with a gentle charm, complemented by Daly’s color-packed, hatched illustrations. With themes that align naturally with social–emotional learning, the story emphasizes the importance of leaning on friends, or even an entire town, during moments of loss. This makes it a thoughtful learning & regulating tool for younger children, as well as older elementary readers who may be encountering heavy, hard feelings for the first time. Daly is careful not to paint grief and sadness as something to simply “get over,” as he makes sure to end with a final, encouraging (and perhaps giant) message: change and loss and olive (all of) one’s love can lead to new, beautiful beginnings.