Take a deep breath and enjoy the tiny moments that enrich life in this poignant story that takes readers through bittersweet celebrations. The last day of school, the pause before blowing out birthday candles, and the closeness of gathering around a campfire are just some of the moments mentioned in How to Make a Memory by Elaine Vikers and Ana Aranda. 

To remember means to keep something in your mind.
To hold it safe in your memory, like a small, smooth egg in your hand.
How do you make a memory? And how do you remember?

Check it out along with other picture books and nonfiction books we got last week below!

Butt or Face?
Written by Kari Lavelle
Published by Sourcebooks eXplore
Available July 11th!

How To Make a Memory
Written by Elaine Vikers & illustrated by Ana Aranda
Published by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Available Now!

The Girl Who Heard the Music: How One Pianist and 85,000 Bottles and Cans Brought New Hope to an Island
Written by Mahani Teave and Marni Fogelson & illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens
Published by Sourcebooks eXplore
Available Now!

Mermaid Day
Written by Diana Murray & Illustrated by Luke Flowers
Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Available May 2nd!

Into the Deep! (Super Gross)
Written by Maria Le & illustrated by Alison Hawkins
Published by Simon Spotlight
Available Now!

The Glow Show
Written & illustrated by Susi Schaefer 
Published by Sourcebooks eXplore
Available Now!

Who’s ready for sidekick training, friendship drama, and trying to save the city from giant robots? Katie, her super sidekick BFFs, and 217 super-unusual cats are on it! In this third installment of the Katie the Catsitter graphic novels, Katie must navigate her friendship with Beth, Marie, and Jess so she can successfully get through seventh grade. So get ready for growing up, friendship, heroes, and cats (lots of cats)!

Check it out along with other children’s fiction books we got last week below!

Back to the Bright Before
Written by Katherin Notle
Published by Random House Children’s Books
Available May 30th!

Evil Genius (The Smartest Kid in the Universe #3)
Written by Chris Grabenstein
Published by Random House Children’s Books
Available May 16th!

The Eyes & the Impossible
Written by Dave Eggers
Published by Alfred A. Knopf
Available May 9th!

Lo & Behold
Written by Wendy Mass & Illustrated by Gabby Mendez
Published by RH Graphic
Available May 2nd!

Menacing Manor (Sinister Summer #4)
Written by Kiersten White
Published by Delacorte Press
Available May 2nd!

Secrets and Sidekicks (Katie the Catsitter #3)
Written by Colleen AF Venable & Illustrated by Stephanie Yue
Published by RH Graphic
Available May 2nd!

Have you ever wondered what could be on the ocean’s floor? From Shore to Ocean Floor: The Human Journey to the Deep gives a deep dive into what mysterious creatures could be down in the inky depth of the big blue and the animals that live near it. This story explores the history of how humans went from building boats to finally taking a step into the world’s most unexplored region with fantastical creatures and new exciting discoveries. 

Check it out along with other books we got last week below!

Borderless
Written by Jennifer De Leon
Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Available Today!

Counting Our Blessings
Written & Illustrated by Emma Dodd
Published by Templar Books
Available May 2nd!

Dakota Crumb and the Secret Bookshop (A Tiny Treasure Hunt)
Written by Jamie Michalak & Illustrated by Kelly Murphy
Published by Candlewick
Available May 2nd!

A Day in the Life of an Astronaut, Mars, and the Distant Star
Written by Mike Barfield & Illustrated by Jess Bradley
Published by Aladdin
Available Today!

Far Out!
Written by Anne Bustard
Published by Simon & Schuster For Young Readers
Available Now!

From Shore to Ocean Floor: The Human Journey to the Deep
Written by Gill Arbuthnott & Illustrated by Christopher Nielsen 
Published by Big Picture Press
Available May 2nd!

Jack Wong draws from his lived experience growing up with his grandmother and mother, who spent her childhood in China forbidden to learn how to swim. Including a diverse cast of children and families, When You Can Swim delivers an empowering journey inviting children to discover their confidence and the joy in the natural world. 

Check it out along with other ARCs featured below!

Carina Felina
Written by Carmen Agra Deedy & Illustrated by Henry Cole
Published by Scholastic Press
Available August 15th!

Mixed Up
Written by Gordon Korman 
Published by Scholastic Press
Available July 17th!

Sometimes I Kaploom (A Big Feeling Book)
Written by Rachel Vail & Illustrated by Hyewon Yum
Published by Orchard Books
Available August 1st!

What a Desi Girl Wants
Written by Sabina Khan
Published by Scholastic Press
Available July 18th!

When You Can Swim
Written & Illustrated by Jack Wong
Published by Orchard Books
Available May 2nd!

Why Did the Monster Cross the Road?
Written by R.L. Stine & Illustrated by Marc Brown
Published by Orchard Books
Available August 1st!

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!

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!

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.

Arrivederci Italia! (Goodbye Italy!)