Check out these beautiful new books and celebrate the special kids in your life!

Although the titles are separated by gender, both titles have inspiring messages for all children and families.

Ruth Doyle's Songs for our Sons and Dreams for our Daughters are books that are both written with the steadfast belief that children are already equipped to make a valuable contribution to the world simply by being in it. The poetic messages inside the books about inner beauty, accepting and acknowledging feelings, kindness, and inclusivity are paired with Ashling Lindsay's artwork, rich in soft, colorful palettes and whimsical designs. 

Read this alone as a gorgeous primer in caring for this amazing generation, give it to the children you love so they can see how powerful they are, or read it together and be awe-inspired.

Songs for our Sons written by Ruth Doyle and illustrated by Ashling Lindsay

This has a few great spreads highlighting the importance of emotional intelligence.

Dreams for our Daughters written by Ruth Doyle and illustrated by Ashling Lindsay

Check out the stunning page in the book comparing a child to the pearl inside an oyster shell.

-Cara

Graphic novels are for kids of all ages but lately there have been more and more published for those in early elementary grades (bigger kids are welcome to love these too). 

A great series to read if you like Elephant and Piggy.

Narwhal and Jelly are great friends and you can read all about their adventures as superheroes, making new friends, trying new foods, and more!

Here are the different books in the series:

Narwhal Unicorn of the Sea-Book 1

Narwhal and Jelly Jolt-Book 2

Peanut Butter and Jelly (and if you're curious, Narwhal thinks that "Pea-nut" is a very funny-sounding word!)-Book 3

Narwhal and his Otter Friend-Book 4

Happy Narwhalidays-Book 5

Narwhal Unicorn of the Sea (Narval Unicornio Marino) and Narwhal and his Otter Friend (Narval y Medu Nutry) are also available in Spanish

Books 1-3 (Narwhal Unicorn of the Sea, Narwhal and Jelly Jolt, and Narwhal and his Otter Friend) are all available in eBook format

Mac and Mac are two noodleheads (macaroni and cheese noodles) who have nothing in their heads (get it?!) but never run out of larger-than-life ideas.

Here are some of the different books in the series:

*Noodlehead Nightmares 

Noodleheads See the Future 

Noodleheads and the Fortress of Doom

*Noodlehead Nightmares also available in eBook format 

Other Noodlehead books (Noodleheads Find Something Fishy, and Noodleheads Lucky Day) are available to request in libraries outside of Worcester.

These last three picks are brand new to the library:

Go on some adventures with Arlo (a crow) and Pips (a chick) and learn all about crows at the same time!

If you like this comic check out Elise Gravel's other illustrated animal (most of them creepy and crawly) fact books such as: The Worm, The Slug, and The Spider.

Wanna get fancy? Come along for a sweet and hop-tastic ride with friends Bunbun (a bunny) and Bonbon (a piece of candy). Can you say Bunbun and Bonbon three times fast?

Bunbun & Bonbon Hoppy Go Lucky (Book 2) coming soon!

Highly reviewed by Dav Pilkey (Dog Man and Captain Underpants).

Meet best friends (well- Krabbit may think otherwise) Baloney, Peanut, Bizz, and Krabbit on their fun-filled adventures with a magic show, going swimming, and simply being there for each other (although again- Krabbit would disagree;)

-Cara

Grace Lin, celebrated author of children’s picture books and grade school books such as the Caldecott honor A Big Mooncake for Little Star and the Newbery honor Where the Mountain Meets the Moon has written and illustrated a quartet of board books in the Storytelling Math board books series. These books not only have great stories with diverse characters, but they also introduce your youngest readers to math concepts such as measurement, geometry, spatial sense, numbers, counting, and shapes.

What Will Fit? 

Up to My Knees! 

Program Name: 5-ingredient Cooking with Kids!

Description: Kids can cook! Practice your kitchen skills with simple, yummy recipes using mostly pantry staples. 

Ages: Recommended for ages 7-11

A new cooking video will be posted on our website in December, January and February. 

Do you love cooking? Check out all the awesome cookbooks we have at the library!

Kitchen Science Lab for Kids Edible Edition: 52 Mouth-Watering Recipes and the Everyday Science That Makes Them Taste Amazing by Liz Lee Heinecke

Healthy Snacks by Claudia Martin

Cooking Step by Step: More than 50 Delicious Recipes for Young Cooks by DK Publishing

Cooking Class: 57 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Make (and Eat!) by Deanna F. Cook

This month’s *Take and Make Craft is a Cotton ball Snowperson!

As the weather starts to get cold outside, let’s stay inside where it’s nice and warm and get crafting! Grab a cup of hot chocolate, turn on some music and have fun making your very own cotton ball snowperson. Don’t forget to check out this month’s video of our children’s librarian, Ms. Katherine, putting together her snowperson and then reading the book Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright. Craft kits will be available to pick up starting December 5th from all seven of our Worcester Public Library locations. Check out our website for the most up to date information on branch hours.  

*Click here to find out more about our monthly Take and Make crafts and how you can get yours! 

Looking for books on winter and snow to take home from the library? Check out our list below:

-Kat

If you liked Jerry Craft's New Kid, Class Act (New Kid #2) gives you more of what you liked about that book and more! If you like books by Raina Telgemeier, Jarett Krosoczka’s Hey, Kiddo, and works by Jason Reynolds, Jerry Craft is an author to read, admire, and follow!  

Recommended for kids ages 11 and up

Parents/Caregivers (and curious kids): 

Like many readers, I was quite taken with Jerry Craft’s award-winning breakout graphic novel New Kid from last year. This book endeared itself to so many people with its ability to blend complex social commentary with coming-of-age themes in a way that felt honest, pure, and real. We followed that book’s main character Jordan Banks as he navigates his first year at a private middle school while feeling like a complete outsider. When the next book set in Craft’s New Kid world arrived for me, I was very excited. So, how does it stack up next to New Kid? I am happy to report that Craft avoided the sophomore slump and delivered what is perhaps an even better book! 

This book takes what Craft accomplished in New Kid and builds on it in ways that are even more clever, nuanced, insightful, and charming. In Class Act, which takes place a year later, Jordan’s friend Drew is the de facto protagonist this time around, and we get to see more day-to-day life at Riverdale Academy Day School through his eyes. Shifting the focus to a different character in Jordan’s circle of friends was a smart move, as it allows the thematic heart of this series to be tempered by different perspectives as it continues and its world gradually expands. With Drew as our leading man for this story, we see him grapple with his lack of privilege and matters of race, class, feelings of isolation, loneliness, and more. It all gets worked into the mix organically and believably, and Craft is able to immerse the reader into what feels like an authentic middle school experience. 

The beauty of books like New Kid and Class Act is their ability to weave challenging themes into their stories while remaining fun and engaging throughout. People of all ages can learn something from these pages, such as the effect of microaggressions on people, and how to consider intersectionality and its influence on how we live and interact with each other. I also appreciated Craft’s artistic nod to other middle grade book series at the beginning of each chapter (I won’t spoil it here – let’s see how many references you can spot while you read!). 

All and all, there’s plenty to admire and ponder, as Class Act truly has something to offer for readers of all ages. It seems like Jerry Craft is on a hot streak with this new series, and I’m excited to read the next installment! Definitely recommended. 

New Kid and Hey Kiddo also available in eBook format