New Books: Curriculum

Angela is six years old and worries for the baby Jesus on the altar of St. Joseph's church in Limerick, Ireland. December nights are damp and cold, and the church is dark at night. How can the baby Jesus's mother leave him in the manger without even a blanket to cover him? The baby Jesus surely needs Angela's help, even if she is not allowed to go on the altar, especially by herself.

It's been a year since Manny was cast out of his family and driven into the wilderness of the American Southwest. He has survived by following some hard-learned rules. Now, he's taking a chance on a traveling situation with the Varela family. Eli abides by the rules of his family, living in a secluded community that raised him to believe his obedience will be rewarded. But an unsettling question slowly eats away at Eli's once unwavering faith in Reconciliation: Why can't he remember his past? The reported discovery of an unidentified body found in the hills of California will draw both of these young men into facing their biggest fears and confronting their own identity.

On a snowy Christmas Eve, a young man realizes that the candle in his lantern is about to expire. A mysterious old chandler sells him a special Christmas candle that tricks him before he reaches home, leaving him cold and penniless, but richer for his newfound realization that we are all part of one family.

Newbery Honor Book. As his family prepares for winter, a young, skilled Iñupiaq hunter must travel up the mountain to collect obsidian for knapping--the same mountain where his two older brothers died. When he reaches the mountaintop, he is immediately confronted by a terrifying eagle god named Savik. Savik gives the boy a choice: follow me or die like your brothers. Eagle Drums is part cultural folklore, part origin myth about the Messenger's Feast, which is still celebrated in times of bounty among the Iñupiaq. It's the story of how Iñupiaq people were given the gift of music, song, dance, community, and everlasting tradition.

Three boys in Armenia join an after-school club only to learn lessons about envy, sharing, and goodwill when one of them receives a calf as a gift.

A mysterious voice has been speaking to Louise in her dreams. She and her brother Merwin are Sycamore seeds, who hope to one day set down roots and become big trees. But when a fire forces them to leave their mama tree prematurely, they find themselves catapulted into the unknown, far from home. Alone and unprepared, they must use their wits and imagination to navigate a dangerous world--filled with dinosaurs, meteors, and volcanoes!--and the fear of never finding a safe place to grow up. As the mysterious voice gets louder, Louise comes to realize their mission in life may be much bigger than either of them ever could have imagined!

2023 Caldecott Winner. Once there was a girl. She had a big heart and very big dreams. And it was good. Until it wasn't. The first picture book written and illustrated by award-winning and bestselling creator Vashti Harrison traces a child's journey to self-love and shows the power of words to both hurt and heal.

After an action-packed American vacation, Feng-Li's parents deliver shocking news: They are returning to Taiwan and leaving Feng-Li and her older siblings in California on their own. Suddenly, the three kids must fend for themselves in a strange new world. Starting a new school, learning a new language, and trying to make new friends while managing a household is hard enough, but Bro and Sis's constant bickering makes everything worse. Thankfully, there are some hilarious moments to balance the stress and loneliness. But as tensions escalate--and all three kids get tangled in a web of bad choices--can Feng-Li keep her family together?

Newbery Honor Book. A global plague has brought the world to a screeching halt, and with little to look forward to but a summer of video-calling friends and vying with annoying sisters for the family computer, Clay is only too happy to retreat to the woods. From the moment the elegant little dog with the ornate collar appears like an apparition among the trees, Clay sees something uncanny in her. With this mysterious Elphinore as guide, he'll glimpse ancient secrets folded all but invisibly into the forest.

National Book Award for Young Adults Winner. Dan is used to feeling invisible. After being bullied in middle school, Dan has low expectations about everything, including the class trip to Europe with the same girls who love to make fun of him. But during his travels, a series of firsts begin to change him -- first Fanta, first fondue, and maybe even... first girlfriend? Funny, heartfelt, and embarrassingly true, this graphic novel memoir is based on Caldecott Medal Winner Dan Santat's most awkward middle school memories.