The Children’s Book Review | February 1, 2014
Hot New Releases & Popular Kids Stories
Check out some of the best new kids books that release this month. Wildwood Imperium by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis, the latest title in the “Lunar Chronicles” from Marissa Meyer, Shel Silverstein’s 30th Anniversary edition of Where the Sidewalk Ends, and more from Jennifer A. Nielsen and James Dean.
Ages 12-17 | Publisher: Feiwel & Friends | February 4, 2014 | ISBN-13: 978-0312642976
If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer,
A wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er,
A magic bean buyer . . .
Come in . . . for where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein’s world begins. You’ll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist.
Shel Silverstein’s masterful collection of poems and drawings is at once outrageously funny and profound.
Ages 6-8 | Publisher: HarperCollins | Feb. 18, 2014 | ISBN-13: 978-0060572341
Jennifer A. Nielsen takes readers on an extraordinary journey in this final installment of the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling Ascendance Trilogy.
War is coming. . . . Join Jaron as he embarks on his final adventure!
Ages 10-14 | Publisher: Scholastic | Feb. 25, 2014 | ISBN-13: 978-0545284172
By James Dean
Join Pete, from New York Times bestselling author James Dean’s Pete the Cat picture-book series, as he visits a farm in this groovy version of the classic children’s song “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.” Children will love singing along—e-i-e-i-o!—with Pete the Cat.
Ages 4-8 | Publisher: HarperCollins | Feb. 18, 2014 | ISBN-13: 978-0062198730
By Colin Meloy; Illustrated by Carson Ellis
From Colin Meloy, lead singer of the Decemberists, and Carson Ellis, acclaimed illustrator of The Mysterious Benedict Society, comes the stunning third book in the New York Times bestselling fantasy-adventure series the Wildwood Chronicles.
A young girl’s midnight séance awakens a long-slumbering malevolent spirit. . . . A band of runaway orphans allies with an underground collective of saboteurs and plans a daring rescue of their friends, imprisoned in the belly of an industrial wasteland. . . . Two old friends draw closer to their goal of bringing together a pair of exiled toy makers in order to reanimate a mechanical boy prince. . . . As the fate of Wildwood hangs in the balance.
The Wildwood Chronicles is a mesmerizing and epic tale, at once firmly steeped in the classics of children’s literature and completely fresh at the same time. In this book, Colin Meloy continues to expand and enrich the magical world and cast of characters he created in Wildwood, while Carson Ellis once again brings that world to life with her gorgeous artwork, including six full-color plates.
Ages 8 and up | Publisher: Blazer + Bray | Feb. 4, 2014 | ISBN-13: 978-0062024749
We hope you find something that piques your interest from our list of best new kids books and popular kids stories! Which book sounds the most exciting to you? Wildwood Imperium by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis, Cress (Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer, Shel Silverstein’s 30th Anniversary edition of Where the Sidewalk Ends, Jennifer A. Nielsen’s The Shadow Throne, or the new “Pete the Cat” book from James Dean? If you happen to be looking for more picture book titles, take a look at our bestselling picture books list from January, 2014.