Tag Archives: Butler Bookshelf

Butler Bookshelf

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Part of our nonfiction collection highlights extraordinary people that made their mark on the world. This week we at the Butler Center are highlighting the books that spotlight extraordinary black people who created an impact that made the world a better place, in celebration of Juneteenth. Our feature pick is A Doctor at Heart: The Story of Groundbreaking Scientist and Teacher Vivien Thomas by Joan Schoettler and illustrated by Steffi Walthall. In spite of poverty and racial injustice, scientist and professor Vivien Thomas revolutionized the field of heart surgery and paved the way for other aspiring medical professionals to follow.

A Doctor at Heart: The Story of Groundbreaking Scientist and Teacher Vivien Thomas
Joan Schoettler
Steffi Walthall
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Beach Lane Books
Available now!

Outspoken: Paul Robeson Ahead of His Time: A One-Man Show
Carole Boston Weatherford
Eric Velasquez
Candlewick Press
Available now!

Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis
Lesa Cline-Ransome
James E. Ransome
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Beach Lane Books/A Paula Wiseman Book
Available now!

Black Lives Great Minds of Science
Tonya Bolden
David Wilkerson
ABRAMS/Abrams Fanfare
Available on September 9, 2026!

Little People, BIG DREAMS: Oprah Winfrey
Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Sera Latterell
The Quarto Group/Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Available now!

Butler Bookshelf

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Pride month is here again, and what better way to celebrate than to peruse some LGBTQ-related literature! This week on Butler’s Bookshelf we’re featuring LGBTQ YA novels from our Teen Fiction collection! Our featured pick is Sweet Clarity by Rhiannon Richardson. When Clarity Jones returns home from summer camp, she vows to hide her sexuality from a world that might not accept her to please her parents and not lose any more friends, but when her relationship with Hannah Fitzpatrick, who Clarity had her first kiss with at the summer camp, is threatened, Clarity must come to terms with who she’s pretending to be vs. who she really is deep inside.

Check out more YA LGBTQ Romance below!

Sweet Clarity
Rhiannon Richardson
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Charmed and Dangerous
Shelly Page
Random House Children’s Books/Joy Revolution
Available now!

Marisol Acts the Part
Elle Gonzalez Rose
Random House Children’s Books/Joy Revolution
Available now!

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

I Can’t Even Think Straight
Dean Atta
HarperCollins Publishers/Quill Tree Books
Available now!

Butler Bookshelf

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Our picture book collection feature colorful illustrations and even some copies written in other languages. This week on Butler’s Bookshelf, all these picture books have a creature that live however they want: cats. Here in the Butler Center, we love cats so much we want to be them! However, since we can’t, spotlighting (and reading) picture books about them will suit us just fine. Our feature pick is I Really Want to Be a Cat, written and illustrated by Helen Hancocks. This entertaining picture book presents a case to why cats are awesome, and after reading it, perhaps you would really want to be a cat, too!

Check out more books that feature cats below:

I Really Want to Be a Cat
Helen Hancocks
Sourcebooks Kids/Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Available now!

Nani and the Lion
Alicia D. Williams
Illustrated by Anna Cunha
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Tate’s Wild Rescue
Jenny Turnbull
Illustrated by Izzy Burton
Random House Children’s Books/Crown Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Luigi the Spider who Wanted to Be a Kitten
Michelle Knudsen
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Candlewick Press
Available now!

No Cats in the Library
Lauren Emmons
Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing Division/Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Butler Bookshelf

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Happy Tuesday! Today is all about the silly, so from hand puppet shark attacks, farm animal shenanigans, to pepperoni prehistoric creatures, there’s a little bit of goofiness for everyone here; giggle-enducing storytime guaranteed. Our feature pick this week is Loops, written and illustrated by Jashar Awan. Tying shoes can be a big deal! But with a little help & encouragement from one very determined friend, you too can learn to bunny-ear and loop and pull like a pro.

Check out some more silly picture books below!

Loops
Jashar Awan
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available now!

No, I’m a… Shark!
Mike Henson
Illustrated by Ana Gomez
The Quarto Group / Happy Yak
Available now!

Sorry, Sammy
Scott Rothman
Illustrated by Tom Tinn-Disbury
The Quarto Group / Happy Yak
Available now!

Pizzasaurus
Tammi Sauer
Illustrated by Kyle Beckett
Random House Children’s Books / Doubleday Books for Young Readers
Available now!

The Case of Old MacDonald and His Farm
Mark Teague
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Beach Lane Books
Available now!

Butler Bookshelf

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Whether you’re planning on celebrating Easter this Sunday or just really love those chocolate candied eggs, the spring season is in full bloom (pun intended)… and hopefully sunny skies are to follow! This week’s Butler Bookshelf is full of spring-themed & seasonal reads to get you ready for April’s showers and May’s flowers. From nature-themed non-fiction reads to picture books of landscaping lawns and baby animals galore, there’s a little bit of everything for everyone here. Our feature pick is Goldfinches, a poem by the late, great Mary Oliver, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. The finches dazzle in color as they lay their eggs and weave their baskets, with a sweet and tender song. “Have you heard them singing in the wind, above the final fields? / Have you ever been so happy in your life?”

Check out some more springtime reads below:

How to Hatch: A Gosling’s Guide to Breaking Free
Sara Holly Ackerman
Illustrated by Galia Bernstein
Random House Children’s Books / Alfred A. Knopf
Available now!

Lawn-Mowing Day!
Breanna Carzoo
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Little Simon
Available now!

Goldfinches
Mary Oliver
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Random House Children’s Books / Viking Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Our Green Planet
Leisa Stewart-Sharpe
Illustrated by Kim Smith
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Beach Lane Books
Available now!

Welcome, Spring!
Apryl Stott
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Beach Lane Books
Available now!

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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!

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With all the current uncertainty & hurt in the world, sometimes you just need a pick-me-up. It’s snowy and slushy and super duper cold outside, so here’s to warming up… your insides! This week’s Butler Bookshelf is chock-full of feel-good picture books to inspire, encourage, and help you feel all things warm and fuzzy. Our feature pick this week is When I Redraw the World, written by Audrey Vernick and illustrated by Heather Fox. One little girl is on a mission to redraw the world, and she’s got big plans: lion & zebra tea parties, dogs everywhere (complete with tennis ball confetti!), and enough love and magic to go around. Complete with adorably charming illustrations inked in bright color, When I Redraw the World is a perfect feel-good read for dreamers & drawers alike.

Check out some more warm & fuzzy picture books below!

Crouton
Kristine A. Lombardi
Random House Children’s Books / Random House Books for Young Readers
Available January 27th, 2026 (today!)

Two Artists, Grandad and Me
Charnelle Pinkney Barlow
Random House Children’s Books / Doubleday Books for Young Readers
Available now!

When I Redraw the World
Audrey Vernick
Illustrated Heather Fox
Random House Children’s Books / Random House Studio
Available now!

Let It Shine! A Celebration of You
Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated by Tequitia Andrews
Random House Children’s Books / Crown Books for Young Readers
Available now!

The Wildest Thing
Emily Winfield Martin
Random House Children’s Books / Random House Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Butler Bookshelf

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For fans of fast-paced, nail-biting, whodunit thrillers, this week’s Butler Bookshelf is definitely for you. From a mysterious party drug plaguing schools with Stepford Wives-esque effects to a football team massacre that’s left one religious town reeling, these five books are cocktails of crime, thriller, mystery, and horror in all the right ways. Our feature pick this week is Lost Girls of Hollow Lake by Rebekah Faubion, set to be released on January 27th. In a sapphic, Yellowjackets meets Lord of the Flies way, Lost Girls of Hollow Lake tells the story of eight girls abandoned on a mysterious island after a school field trip goes south. When the group is miraculously—supernaturally, even—able to make it back to shore, there’s only one problem: just five girls remain. The town wants answers about the missing three, and someone out there is determined to pick off the rest. Can these girls ever truly make it off the island?

Read Lost Girls of Hollow Lake to find out & check out some more thriller YA books below!

Better the Devil
Erik J. Brown
HarperCollins / Storytide
Available January 20th, 2026!

Gaslit
Megan Davidhizar
Random House Children’s Books / Delacorte Press
Available January 13th, 2026 (today!)

I Don’t Wish You Well
Jumata Emill
Random House Children’s Books / Delacorte Press
Available January 20th, 2026!

Lost Girls of Hollow Lake
Rebekah Faubion
Random House Children’s Books / Delacorte Press
Available January 27th, 2026!

Shiny Happy People
Clay McLeod Chapman
Random House Children’s Books / Delacorte Press
Available now!

Butler Bookshelf

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Happy New Year! What better way to kick off 2026 than with a Butler Bookshelf all about rom-coms?! From fake relationships, enemies to lovers, and a Groundhog Day meets Sixteen Candles situation, there’s a little bit of every trope here for everyone. Our feature pick this week is Love Goes Viral, by Camille Stochitch, Alexander Berman, and Estelle Laure. Aspiring pop star and small-town Texan Love Thompson is thrown into the spotlight after a video of her dancing blows up overnight. Sweet & simple Austin Grey, with no social media whatsoever, is trying to save his father’s decrepit diner in the Chicagoland suburbs. (Shoutout to Highland Park!) When their worlds collide, thanks to a viral video, chaos quickly ensues as feelings emerge & the two’s PR relationship begins to feel very, very real. Can a Hollywood budding starlet and an off-grid amateur chef make it after all? Pick up Love Goes Viral for that perfect, banter-y rom-com feel.

Check out some more young adult rom-com books below!

We’ve Hit Turbulence
Jessica L. Cozzi
Random House Children’s Books / Delacorte Romance
Available January 13th, 2026

16 Forever
Lance Rubin
HarperCollins
Available January 6th, 2026 (that’s today!)

Love Goes Viral
Camille Stochitch, Alexander Berman, Estelle Laure
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available January 6th, 2026 (today!)

You Had Me @ Hello World
Rona Wang
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Reel Love
Addie Woolridge
Random House Children’s Books / Delacorte Romance
Available now!

Butler Bookshelf

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Whether you’re the kind that wakes up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on January 1st, ready to hit the gym, or perhaps someone who likes to go more with the flow and forgo a resolution list, a new year means new beginnings. And with new beginnings come hope, positivity, and all those warm & fuzzy feelings. To celebrate the new year, this week’s Butler Bookshelf is full of inspiring tales, ranging from sibling bonds to finding beauty in imperfection, complete with rich color & wonderful illustrations. Our feature pick this week is The Story and Science of Hope, written by Andrea Curtis and illustrated by Ana Suárez. Hope is more than just a feeling; it’s an essential part of our well-being. According to science. Packed with ancient history, new scientific research, and beautiful illustrations, The Story and Science of Hope is the perfect, awe-inspiring read to combat the uneasiness & anxiety that comes with an ever-changing, scary world. Hope’s scientifically found in the brain, so what better way to activate that feeling than with a cozy read?

Check out some more feel-good books to ring in 2026 below:

The Story and Science of Hope
Andrea Curtis
Illustrated by Ana Suárez
Anansi Press / Groundwood Books
Available now!

A Knot Is Not a Tangle
Daniel Nayeri
Illustrated by Vesper Stamper
Random House Children’s Books / Knopf Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Shaped By Love: An Ode to Mom Bods
Nikki Powers
Illustrated by Amanda Calatzis
Candlewick Press
Available now!

Together We Are Sunshine
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
Illustrated by Raissa Figueroa
Random House Children’s Books / Random House Studio
Available now!

The Wonderful Things You Will Be (Special Edition)
Emily Winfield Martin
Random House Children’s Books / Random House Books for Young Readers
Available now!