Welcome to the online presence of the Butler Children's Literature Center, housed in Dominican's SOIS (Crown Library room 214). Here, we celebrate the best in books for youth and those who delight in sharing them. For Summer 2026, BCLC will offer collection access to the Dominican community and general public during posted open hours: Monday 9am-noon, Tuesday through Friday 9am-4pm, and by appointment with the Curator. Contact Jen Clemons at jclemons@dom.edu to make arrangements or you can still reach us at butler@dom.edu.
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.
This multigenerational celebration of grandmas, moms, and granddaughters provides a heartwarming story about the importance of family and will reassure all children preparing for a visit from a faraway relative. In Lola’s Nana-Bibi Comes to Visit, Lola gets a surprise visit from her grandmother, Nana-Bibi, and spends the week doing special family activities with her.
Check it out along with other titles this month featured below!
A Beautiful House for Birds Written & Illustrated by Grace Lin Published by Charlesbridge Available March 14th!
Book Bonding: Building Connections Through Family Reading Written by Megan Dowd Lambert & Illustrated by Mia Saine Published by Imagine! Available April 18th!
Captain Skidmark Dances with Destiny Written by Jennifer A, Irwin Published by Charlesbridge Available April 4th!
The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejia Written by Alexandra Alessandri Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers Available Today!
Lia & Luis: Puzzled! Written by Ana Crespo & Illustrated by Giovana Medeiros, Published by Charlesbridge Available March 7th!
Lola’s Nana-Bibi Comes to Visit Written by Anna McQuinn & Illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw Published by Charlesbridge Available April 11th!
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.
Little People, BIG DREAMS provides inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats, by exploring the lives of outstanding people through stylish illustrations. In Hedy Lamarr, we discover how Hedy Lamarr’s love of machines and scientific curiosity never got in the way of her career as an actress, and she actually used her scientific theories to blaze a trail for women in science. Her technology formed the basis for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as we know today.
Check it out along with other nonfiction titles featured below!
The Gentle Genius of Trees Written & Illustrated by Philip Bunting Published by Crown Books For Young Readers Available Today!
Hedy Lamarr (Little People, BIG DREAMS) Written by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara & Illustrated by Maggie Cole Published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books Available Today!
The Monkey Trials: John Scopes and the Battle Over Teaching Evolution Written by Anita Sanchez Published by Clarion Books Available March 21st!
One Tiny Treefrog: A Countdown to Survival Written & Illustrated by Tony Piedra and Mackenzie Joy Published by Candlewick Press Available Today!
Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius: A True Story About an Amazing Swimmer Written by Lynne Cox & Illustrated by Richard Jones Published by Anne Schwartz Books Available Today!
Celebrate the power of music, family, and legacies our loved ones leave behind in Bravo, Little Bird!. Written by Annie Silvestro and illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, this picture book tells the special friendship between an old man and a little bird.
“The old man played joyful, jolly music. Sad, soulful music. Beautiful, bountiful, breathtaking music. Little Bird listened…until she couldn’t stay quiet any longer. Then, she sang. “Bravo, Little Bird!” cheered the old man.“
Check it out along with other picture books featured below!
All About Nothing Written by Elizabeth Rusch & Illustrated by Elizabeth Goss Published by Charlesbridge Available April 4th!
Border Crossings Written by Sneed B. Collard III & Illustrated by Howard Gray Published by Charlesbridge Available Today!
Bravo, Little Bird! Written by Annie Silvestro & Illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki Published by Simon & Schuster For Young Readers Available Today!
Everyone Loves Lunchtime but Zia Written by Jenny Liao & Illustrated by Dream Chen Published by Alfred A Knopf Available Today!
Find Your Brave (A Coco and Bear Story) Written and Illustrated by Apryl Stott Published by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers Available Today!
I Am Not an Octopus Written by Eoin McLaughlin & Marc Boutavant Published by Candlewick Press Available Today!
Sisters in Science: Marie Curie, Bronia Dluska, and the Atomic Power of Sisterhood Linda Elovitz Marshall Illustrated by Anna and Elena Balbusso Knopf February 14, 2023 Age 5-9
Marie and Bronia grew up in a home surrounded by love, learning, and tragedy. Losing their mother and sister when they were quite young inspired the sisters to discover ways to help others. They supported each other through school and beyond in their journey to become a doctor and scholar in search of medical miracles. Each grew to make significant impacts on their chosen field, and on each other’s lives, through their curiosity, determination, and courage. This picture book biography of Marie Curie and Bronia Dluska explores the lives of the brave and brilliant sisters as they broke gender boundaries and cultural norms in late 1800s Poland to educate themselves and others in their quest to save the world. Marshall tells the story of their progress from young students to scientific trailblazers in a factual, often bleak, manner, broken by moments of whimsy. She describes the struggles between work and family obligations, accompanied by a moody-toned illustration of the conflict, leading into a spring-like spread of Marie and her husband Pierre on their bicycling honeymoon (p. 10-13). She balances moments from their personal biographies with their professional accomplishments, crafting an example of strong, but well-rounded women in science as role models for young readers, developing scientists, and sisters of all ages. Sisters Anna and Elena Balbusso’s geometric, sepia-toned, mixed media illustrations capture the STEM focus and historic setting to perfection. Utilizing imagery of atomic bonds, equations, and lab equipment against poignant images of the family, they reinforce the conflicting priorities that must have been a constant struggle for the women during that time period (and often still are). A time line and reading list (for children and adults) adds weight to this inspirational addition to STEM and Women’s History Month collections and programming.
A story of sisterhood and intellectual curiosity that lead to some of the great medical and scientific discoveries of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Myers Grant 2015, Angie Thomas makes her middle grade debut in Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy. Inspired by African American history and folklore, this contemporary fantasy will take readers on a hunt with Nic Blake and her two friends as they try to search for a lost magical tool that can save her father from imprisonment and clear his name.
Check it out along with the other children’s fiction novels featured below!
Gina and the Last City on Earth (Hilo #9) Written by Judd Winick Published by Random House Graphic Available February 28th!
Hope’s Path to Glory: The Story of a Family’s Journey on the Overland Trail Written by Jerdine Nolen Published by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers Available Today!
Lasagna Means I Love You Written by Kate O’Shaughnessy Published by Alfred A Knopf Available February 21st!
Momo Arashima: Steals The Sword Of The Wind Written by Misa Sugiura Published by Labyrinth Road Available February 28th!
Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy Written by Angie Thomas Published by Balzer + Bray Available April 4th!
Sugar Pancake Written by Megan Wagner Lloyd & Illustrated by Abhi Alwar Published by Random House Graphic Available Today!
Follow Carlotta Walls LaNier’s courageous story in A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School as one of nine black students who integrated the all-white Little Rock Central High School and became known as the Little Rock Nine. Adapted for young readers, this historical memoir journeys through traumatic and life-changing events that influenced the Little Rock Nine in individual ways.
Check it out along with the other titles written by black authors featured below!
All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown Jackson Written by Carole Boston Weatherford & Illustrated by Ashley Evans Published by Crown Books For Young Readers Available February 28th!
The Black Queen Written by Jumata Emill Published by Delacorte Press Available Today!
The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music Written by Roberta Flack and Tonya Bolden & Illustrated by Hayden Goodman Published by Anne Schwartz Books Available Now!
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute Written by Talia Hibbert Published by Joy Revolution Available Now!
Ice Cream Man: How Augustus Jackson Made a Sweet Treat Better Written by Glenda Armand & Kim Freeman & Illustrated by Keith Mallett Published by Crown Books For Young Readers Available Today!
A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School Written Carlotta Walls LaNier & Lisa Frazier Page Published by Delacorte Press Available Today!
Luminously illustrated by Catherine Rayner, Emperor of the Ice: How a Changing Climate Affects a Penguin Colony provides young readers a peek into the journeys and challenges that penguins now face in the heat of climate change. Facing displacement due to climate change, follow an empress penguin and her mate as they try to search for food, find shelter, and care for their young penguin chick. Back matter is provided that describes the real story of the loss of many emperor chicks at Halley Bay that tries to encourages readers to help protect the environment so these extraordinary survivors will continue to be found in the Antarctic for generations to come.
Check it out along with the other picture books we received this week below!
Emperor of the Ice: How a Changing Climate Affects a Penguin Colony Written by Nicola Davies & Illustrated by Catherine Rayner Published by Candlewick Press Available February 14th!
Pick a Perfect Egg Written by Patricia Toht & Illustrated by Jarvis Published by Candlewick Press Available February 14th!
This Book is My Best Friend Written & Illustrated by Robin Robinson Published by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers Available January 31st!
Together With You Written by Patricia Toht & Illustrated by Jarvis Published by Candlewick Press Available February 14th!
Watch Out For the Lion Written by Brook Hartman & Illustrated by Anna Süßbauer Published by Page Street Kids Available Now!
Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike Written by Dashka Slater & Illustrated by Laura Hughes Published by Candlewick Press Available February 14th!
Butler's Pantry 