Welcome to the online presence of the Butler Children's Literature Center, housed within Dominican's School of Information Studies, Crown Library room 214. Here, we celebrate the best in books for youth and those who delight in sharing them. For Fall 2026, BCLC will offer collection access to the Dominican community and general public during posted open hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 9am-4pm, and by appointment with the Curator. Contact Jen Clemons at butler@dom.edu or jclemons@dom.edu to make arrangements.
In this second installment of the Spy School series, Stuart Gibbs and Anjan Sarkar bring adrenaline-fueled spy adventures as a middle schooler attends the famous top-secret training school in Spy Camp: The Graphic Novel (Spy School #2). Ben Ripley just wants a break after training the last year to be a top-level spy, but his summer break turns into a need to survive when the enemy spy organization, SPYDER, infiltrates his wilderness camp.
For more amazing titles, check out the list below!
Don’t Worry, Little Crab Written & Illustrated by Chris Haughton Published by Candlewick Press Available Now!
Let’s Go Puddling! Written by Emma Perry & Illustrated by Claire Alexander Published by Candlewick Press Available April 25th!
Once There Was Written by Kiyash Monsef Published by Simon & Schuster For Young Available Now!
So You Want to Be a Frog Written by Jane Porter & Illustrated by Neil Clark Published by Candlewick Press Available April 25th!
Spy Camp: The Graphic Novel (Spy School #2) Written by Stuart Gibbs & Illustrated by Anjan Sarkar Published by Simon & Schuster For Young Available Now!
Time to Roll Written by Jamie Sumner Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers Available Now!
Book Bonding: Building Connections Through Family Reading Megan Dowd Lambert Illustrated by Mia Saine Imagine! Adult Audience/Professional Reading April 18, 2023
In this collection of 21 essays, Megan Dowd Lambert divides her essays into four categories that touch upon her own experiences and perspective of being a parent of seven children, four of whom are adopted. Her evolving focus around the categories of parenting, adoption, race, and healing reveal an evolution of thinking and encourage parents and educators to try connecting with their children through a variety of literature.
Lambert discusses her nerve-wracking search for children’s books that have characters that mirror her “multiracial, foster-adoptive, queer, blended family” (pg. 9). Her search proved difficult as she found topics surrounding LGBTQA+, mental health, and disabilities have only been recently, and slowly, integrated into children’s books. With the limited number of books she was able to find on those topics, Lambert made sure to introduce them to her kids to show representation and a reflection of who they are and who they can be. Revealing her faults as a parent, and the mistakes that she’s made with her kids, provides an example of an imperfect parent, but one trying to do better for her kids. Lambert brings lightheartedness in the face of hard issues she’s had to face through humor and tear-jerking stories. This book would be useful for parents looking to find a way to connect to their child and would be great recommendation from librarians or other educational professionals. Children’s and other educational literature are mentioned with limited context, but Lambert later expands on the moral of each story to illustrate personal lessons learned about parenting and the importance of spending quality time with kids. Created digitally and primarily using darker colors, the limited illustrations represent a variety of skin colors and realistic actions happening in each scene, matching Lambert and her messages about parenting her children through a variety of literature. Connecting adults through heartfelt stories about parenting and healing, Book Bonding: Building Connections Through Family Reading inspires readers to bond with children through books, as they will teach kids the value of connection and maybe learn something themselves along the way.
In her love letter to the Philippines and to grandmothers everywhere, Lynnor Bontigao brings us an endearing picture book about intergenerational relationships with soft illustrations in her book, Sari Sari Summers. Nora, a young girl, loves spending summers with Lola, her grandmother, at her sari-sari store, but when a heat wave strikes and customers no longer want to come in, Nora must find a way to attract new customers to help her grandmother.
For more amazing picture books coming out in April, check out the list below!
Nuestro Techo es Azul Written by Sara E. Echenique & illustrated by Ashley Vargas Published by Charlesbridge Available April 11th!
Tyson, El Pequenito/Too-Small Tyson (Storytelling Math) Written by JaNay Brown-Wood & illustrated by Anastasia Magloire Williams Published by Charlesbridge Available April 11th!
I Want to Be Big! Written by Tiffany Golden & Sawyer Cloud Published by Page Street Kids Available April 11th!
Cloud Babies Written by Eoin Colfer & illustrated by Chris Judge Published by Candlewick Press Available April 11th!
The Fastest Tortoise in Town Written by Howard Calvert & illustrated by Karen Obuhanych Published by Candlewick Press Available April 11th!
Sari Sari Summers Written & illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao Published by Candlewick Press Available April 11th!
I Kick and I Fly Ruchira Gupta Scholastic April 18, 2023 Age 12+
Fourteen-year-old Heera’s life in Girls Bazaar is one of poverty, degradation, and eventual prostitution. But Heera knows she’s meant for something more than the struggles of the Nat caste she was born to. Fights at school and home lead her to safety, and kung fu, at a local hostel for at risk girls. Through king fu practice and competition, she builds skill and confidence that start a domino effect of changes in her life, her family, and her community.
Inspired by her experiences with an anti-trafficking NGO in India, Ruchira Gupta’s novel, the hostel, character ideas, and martial arts influence all spring from the community she serves. Gupta tells their inspiring story from Heera’s no nonsense point of view, making the brutal setting and secondary characters even more heartbreaking. Stark descriptions of Girls Bazaar, from the filth, to the substance abuse, to the organized crime, paint a harsh picture of Heera’s world. Her struggles with hunger, school, and family expectations to contribute focus her motivation and reveal her guilt about trying to break free. Innately independent, but committed to her family, Heera builds a confidence and self-worth through kung fu that push her through fear and doubt, and to succeed for all their benefit. Moments of triumph, like kung fu wins and rescuing a friend, help to balance darker themes of human trafficking, abuse, and deprivation, and keep the plot from veering too dismal.
What may feel like small steps—and kicks, and blocks, and punches—move Heera and her family toward independence in an empowering story of perseverance and self-worth.
The Memory Jar Debra Daugherty Illustrated by Victoria Marble Young Dragons Press April 11, 2023 Ages 4 to 8
As Amelia grapples with her grandmother’s dementia, she starts a project to help save the memories that are slowly slipping away. Amelia writes her grandmother’s stories—memories of her husband, stories of her children, and adventures shared with Amelia. The project helps her grandmother to laugh, smile, and ultimately remember the granddaughter that loves her. Overjoyed with this, Amelia writes a fresh memory for the jar, so that when her Grammy forgets who she is, or about her past, she can look at this memory, and all the other memories in the jar, and remember.
The tone of the story is hopeful and empathetic, though it deals with a serious and often heartbreaking topic. Events from the author’s life inspired TheMemory Jar, and she writes from a place of knowing what it’s like to have a close family member diagnosed with dementia. This story inspires by using the power of a child’s imagination to help a family member who has no control over losing their memories. Amelia is an innovative protagonist who draws you in, prompting you to root for her as she deals with her grandmother’s diagnosis as she devises a plan to design a jar system where she writes and stores her favorite memories with her grandma and about her grandma’s life. Through Amelia’s story, young readers can learn about processing when someone they love is dealing with dementia.
For young readers familiar with The Giver and The List, comes a thoughtful exploration of self-image in The Town With No Mirrors by Christina Collins. Zailey lives in a modern-day utopia community where mirrors, photos, and even words like beautiful and ugly are forbidden, but Zailey harbors a guilty curiosity of what its like to see yourself. She knows her notebook filled with secret portraits of her classmates and neighbors could get her in trouble, but struggles with the idea of why its bad and the truth about the outside world.
Check it out along with our other children’s fiction titles featured below!
A Breath of Mischief Written by MarcyKate Connolly Published by Sourcebooks Young Reader Available April 4th!
The Girl From Earth’s End Written by Tara Dairman Published by Candlewick Press Available Now!
Simon Sort of Says Written by Erin Bow Published by Disney Hyperion Available Now!
The Missing Jewel (The Hayley Mysteries #2) Written by Hayley Leblanc Published by Sourcebooks Young Reader Available Now!
The Shimmer (Kingdom Keeper: Inheritance) Written by Ridley Pearson Published by Alfred A Knopf Available March 21st!
The Town With No Mirrors Written by Christina Collins Published by Sourcebooks Young Reader Available Now!
What a wild—but educational—trip I had to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Bologna, Italy! This past week I traveled with other students in the Dominican University SOIS graduate program to discover a worldwide view of children’s literature and explore Italian culture.
Walking through the giant conference center, I was immediately bombarded with multiple white walls that, as I walked, filled with illustrators putting up pieces of their work, business cards, and small drawings. Viewing all the diverse art and culture first thing in the morning made me understand that I was going to get the experience of a lifetime in the two days we had to explore. Thank goodness for the gelato stand that provided a delicious break between programs, and which I might have visited more than once each day.
This year, Bologna Children’s Book Fair honored the critically acclaimed Korean artist and illustrator, Suzy Lee. Known specifically for her work on wordless, or silent, picture books, Lee is the winner of the 2022 H.C. Andersen Award for her work on Mirror, Wave, and Shadow, known as ‘The Border Trilogy.’ These books are creatively refreshing as Lee uses the book gutter, the center of the open book where the pages are bound together, to act as a barrier between fantasy and reality in each story. It was eye-opening to see how authors and illustrators from around the world are using outside-the-box techniques to depict their stories, which are very different from those in America.
Unfortunately, many of the books present at the fair will never be released in the States, as there need to be publishers open to the book and translators, editors, and booksellers to complete the transition. Discovering the business and political side of publishing during this fair was something I was quite interested in, and was a focus of many programs I attended. Getting to see these diverse books push the boundaries of what we—Americans—think of as children’s books, was astounding, and I’m very lucky that I got to see them.
Not only did I get to discover the fair, but I also got to explore Italy! Visiting Ravenna with my classmates, Verona and Florence with friends, and touring Bologna outside the fair took up most of my trip. I took great advantage of my stay in Italy to see everything, and getting to be a librarian by day and a tourist by night was the best of both worlds. Waking up with the sun in Italy to walk over to a children’s book fair will be one of the best moments that I have as a DU graduate student, and I highly encourage other MLIS graduate students to take the opportunity to travel with one of the study abroad courses.
Celebrating Women’s History Month with some of these amazing titles written by women! Zeba Shahnaz creates an explosive fantasy debut with her book Midnight Strikes, where a provincial girl must work with an infuriatingly handsome prince to escape a nightmarish curse that forces them to relive the same night over and over. A twisty young adult story that combines angsty romance and political intrigue, perfect for readers who like Cinderella and A Groundhogs Day.
Check it out along with our other titles written by women below!
Birds Everywhere Written by Camilla de la Bedoyere & Illustrated by Britta Teckentrup Published by Big Picture Press Available Now!
Dear Medusa Written by Olivia A. Cole Published by Labyrinth Road Available Now!
Eb & Flow Written by Kelly J. Baptist Published by Crown Books For Young Readers Available Now!
How Old is a Whale?: Animal Life Spans from the Mayfly to the Immortal Jellyfish Written by Lily Murray & Illustrated by Jesse Hodgson Published by Big Picture Press Available Now!
Meesh the Bad Demon Written by Michelle Lam Published by Alfred A Knopf Available March 21st!
Midnight Strikes Written by Zeba Shahnaz Published by Delacorte Press Available Now!
Have you registered for the March 23rd Butler Lecture yet? What are you waiting for? Find out more.
Now that you’re in, it’s time to get to know this year’s speaker.
Pablo Cartaya is an internationally acclaimed author, screenwriter, speaker, and educator. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, NBC, and on Oprah’s Booklist. He has received multiple starred reviews from Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal, and Audiofile Magazine for his novels and audiobook narrations. Pablo has worked with Disney, Apple+, and Sesame Street on projects adapted from television series and features. His novels have been published by Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Disney Publishing Worldwide.
In 2021, Pablo served as a judge for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature, selecting a longlist, shortlist, and winner for the nation’s most prestigious literary award. Over the past decade, Pablo has facilitated approximately over one hundred and fifty writing workshops and lectures. Most have taken place at colleges, universities, libraries, and a variety of community organizations, and K-12 schools throughout the U.S., and in countries across the globe including Sweden, Canada, Jamaica, and Mexico.
Additionally, Pablo served as director of literary arts programming and community engagement at the prestigious four-star, four-diamond boutique hotel, The Betsy-South Beach. During his tenure he led the first literary festival celebrating and highlighting Latinx authors and creators; created the first hybrid literary and visual arts program for Art Basel Miami at The Betsy; helped secure seed funding and performance spaces for the first TransArt Festival in Miami, FL; created the first Writers for Young Readers authors program in Miami, FL; and received a grant for The Betsy Writer’s Room, a dedicated space in the luxury hotel to host writers and creators gratis for up to four days of residency. During his tenure, he oversaw the development of over twenty creative arts initiatives and over four hundred residencies for writers and creatives.
Most recent novels include: The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora, Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish, EachTiny Spark, the climate dystopia The Last Beekeeper, and the collection of essays Hope Wins: ACollection of Inspiring Stories for Young Readers. Pablo’s writing has been a featured in VOICES, a National Council of Teachers of English periodical, the literary magazine, Miami Rail; the Spanish language editorial, Suburbano Ediciones; as a translator for the poetry chapbook, Cinco Poemas/Five Poems based on the work of the poet Hyam Plutzik; and several award-winning podcasts. Notable Awards and Honors include: 2020 Schneider Family Book Award Honor, 2019 ALSC Notable Book, 2018 American Library Association’s Pura Belpré Honor, 2018 Audie Award Finalist, and 2018 E.B. White Read Aloud Book Award Finalist as well as being on over forty state book award lists. Since 2016, he has served as Lead Faculty for the Writing for Children and Young Adult track at Sierra Nevada University’s MFA (now part of the University of Nevada-Reno) Creative Writing program.
Where to find Pablo:
His website is full of book info, photos, tools for teachers and librarians, and some fantastic FAQ info.
Publisher sites are full of funny and informative interviews. Check out a few favorites:
And, of course, his books are available all over the place. Might I recommend some favorite independent book sellers?
The Book Cellar in Chicago (many thanks to them for hosting the lecture night book sale!), The Book Table in Oak Park, Books and Books in the Miami area (Pablo’s favorite), or Sundog Books in Seaside, FL (my favorite vacation book spot).
Full Lecture Details:
11th Annual Butler Lecture featuring Pablo Cartaya March 23, 2023 6:00 p.m. Free with registration required Martin Recital Hall– Dominican University Fine Arts Building, 7900 W. Division St. River Forest, IL 60305 Online (link will be sent to online registrations the day of the event) A book signing and reception will follow the lecture.
Rosewood: A Midsummer Meet Cute Sayantani Dasgupta Scholastic Press March 7, 2023 Age: 12+
Eila Das, a Bengali American teen who prefers Shakespeare to Jane Austen, is known by her family and peers as the “sensible one.” Though she has a passion for acting, she pushes that away when her father dies to focus on what she thinks will be a more profitable career. Eila compares her love of acting and Shakespeare to how her father loved Shakespearean theater but indicates how he chose a career as an engineer to help support his family. Eila wants to become a lawyer and likes it that way, so she can help support her sister and her mother now that her father is gone. Her plans to pursue law are derailed when she agrees to attend a theater camp with her sister, Mallika, who submitted applications for both of them without Eila’s permission.
Much to Eila’s annoyance, the theater camp is no longer focused on Shakespeare but is instead hosting a casting competition for Rosewood, Mallika’s favorite regency era romance TV show. Eila reluctantly attends the new camp with her sister and ends up with the opportunity to be cast on Rosewood, but only as a minor character, due to that being the only option at the time for people of color.
The supporting cast of characters in this story complement Eila well, with one essential supporting character being Mallika, who is the opposite of the “sensible one.” She is a beautiful, free-spirited, emotional being who is obsessed with theater, drama, and romance. Mallika would be the obvious choice to be cast as the main love interest on a popular TV show because of her superstar looks and her lively personality, but she does not outshine the usually shy and rigid Eila. Instead, Mallika is a support system for Eila as they both process losing their father and as Eila learns to embrace her love of theater again as her priorities shift.
Eila blossoms out of her normal reserved nature as she begins to think more with her heart than her head and she even makes the casting team rethink who they want to see as one of the lead love interests on the TV show. Swept into a meet cute of her own, Eila begins to fall for Rahul Lee, a Bangladeshi Chinese Singaporean British boy who loves both Shakespeare and Jane Austen. With a budding new romance and a streak of rebelling against expectations on her mind, Eila becomes the new “it” girl when she lands the role of the love interest on Rosewood.
This face-paced, multicultural, young adult romance is a refreshing take on regency era love stories like Sense and Sensibility and comes with the dramatic tension of the well-loved book series and TV show Bridgerton. Rosewood: A Midsummer Meet Cute is a must-read for theater kids and the hopeless romantics who love an empowering story about a young woman of color who defies expectations, paired with the sweetest meet cute and an exciting conclusion that leaves you wanting more stories that challenge genre stereotypes for characters of color.
Arrivederci Italia! (Goodbye Italy!)
