New Children’s Books for September

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Picture books

The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles by Michelle Cuevas. Illustrated by Erin E. Stead.

The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles has a job of the utmost importance. It is his task to open any bottle found at sea and make sure that the message is delivered. He loves his job, although he always wishes that one of the letters would someday be addressed to him.

Then one day he finds a bottle with the most intriguing note inside, and no name attached. As he devotes himself to solving the mystery, he ends up finding what his heart wanted all along.

They All Saw a Cat  by Brendan Wenzel.

In this glorious celebration of observation, curiosity, and imagination, Brendan Wenzel shows us the many lives of one cat, and how perspective shapes what we see.

The Mixed-Up Truck by Stephen Savage.

It’s the cement mixer’s first day on the job, and he doesn’t want to make any mistakes. How can he help the other trucks on the construction site?  By mixing some powdery white cement, of course.

When he mixes it up and adds a little water things don’t quite turn out as planned. But he keeps trying and eventually learns that making mistakes isn’t always a bad thing.

This is the story of some extremely cute animals who faced some extremely mean bullies with some extremely heavy machinery.

As trees sway in the cool breeze, blue jays head south, and leaves change colors, everyone knows-autumn is on its way!

Join a young girl as she takes a walk through forest and town, greeting all the signs of the coming season. In a series of conversations with every flower and creature and gust of wind, she says goodbye to summer and welcomes autumn.

NanoBots by Chris Gall.

Imagine a robot the size of a dot or even smaller! It’s for real: microscopic machines called Nanobots may someday be able to save the world! But first, they have a few smaller problems to tackle.

These bots and their high-tech friends sure make the inventor’s life easier-but when the most awesome robot in town is in danger, these tiny taskmasters learn that sometimes the smallest helpers can make the biggest difference!

Graphic Novels

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey.

When Greg the police dog and his cop companion are injured on the job, a life-saving surgery changes the course of history, and Dog Man is born. With the head of a dog and the body of a human, this heroic hound has a real nose for justice. But can he resist the call of the wild to answer the call of duty?

HiLo: Saving the Whole Wide World by Judd Winick.

HiLo and his friends must save the world from monsters from another dimension.

Chapter Books

Moo by Sharon Creech.

When twelve-year-old Reena, her little brother, Luke, and their parents move to Maine, Reena doesn’t know what to expect. She’s ready for beaches, blueberries, and all the lobster she can eat. Instead, her parents “volunteer” Reena and Luke to work for an eccentric neighbor named Mrs. Falala, who has a pig named Paulie, a cat named China, a snake named Edna and one very ornery cow named Zora.

From Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech comes a lovely and uplifting story of how a little kindness can change lives, reminding us that if you’re open to new experiences, life offers surprises.
The Best Worst Thing by Kathleen Lane.
Front door locked, kitchen door locked, living room windows closed. Nobody in the closet, nobody under the beds. Still, Maggie is worried. Ever since she started middle school, she sees injustice and danger everywhere-on the news, in her textbooks, in her own neighborhood. Even her best friend seems to be changing.
Maggie believes it is up to her, and only her, to make everything all right. Can she come up with a plan to keep everyone safe?
“The Best Worst Thing” is a perceptive novel about learning the limits of what you can control, and the good-sometimes even best-things that can come of finally letting go.
Makoons by Louise Erdrich.
Born in the thaw of late winter, when steam ravels from the dens of bears to signal their birth, Makoons in named for the Ojibwe word for little bear. He and his twin,
Chickadee, have moved with their family to the Great Plains of Dakota Territory, leaving behind the reservations-leftover land that the US government tried to give them. The plains belong to the buffalo, and Makoons and Chickadee are eager to learn the ways of the hunters and help their people make a home in this new land.
But Makoons has had a vision, one that tells him that he and his family will never return east to the lake and to the woods. The vision also tells him that his family will face great challenges-challenges that they may not be able to overcome.
The sequel to “Chickadee”,” Makoons” continues the story that began with “The Birchbark House”, one Ojibwe family’s journey through a hundred years of American history.
Inspector Flytrap by Tom Angleberger & Cece Bell.
Hoping to become the greatest detective that ever grew, Inspector Flytrap, a Venus Flytrap, and his assistant, Nina the Goat, investigate “big deal” mysteries at an art museum, a cookie shop, and a garden.
Reviews have been copied from book flaps or from item records.
Ginni Nichols, Children’s Librarian