Here Are a Bunch of Great Titles and Why To Read Them From Sourcebooks!

Looking for a holiday gift?

For the perfect bedtime story for your little ones, there is THE SNATCHABOOK, author and illustrator Helen & Thomas Docherty’s enchanting, rhyming tale about an adorable little book thief that is stealing all the stories in Burrow Down. Named #1 on the Autumn 2013 Kids’ Indie Next List, Publishers Weekly calls it a “heartwarming tribute to the essential role of bedtime reading in the lives of families.”

For toddlers who love play-time, there is DON’T PUSH THE BUTTON!, author/illustrator Bill Cotter’s interactive take on the “don’t-do-as-I-say” reverse-psychology approach to storytelling. Named an Atlanta Parent magazine Best Book of 2013, this story book is an absurdly fun concept that really drives home to young readers the power of the page turn.  A great pick for reading to a group, this is a book kids will be begging their parents to read to them again and again.

For kids’ whose love of books is as big as their imagination, get swept away with ISABELLA: STAR OF THE STORY by Jennifer Fosberry and Mike Litwin, where everyone’s favorite purple-haired little girl, discovers that reading is an adventurous and magical journey when her parents take her to the library, which turns into a whimsical dreamland of classic children’s literary scenes. USA Today exclaims, “Isabella gives new meaning to jumping into a book.”

For the budding artist in the family, don’t miss A FUNNY LITTLE BIRD by Jennifer Yerkes. A story about learning to love what’s special about yourself, this critically acclaimed picture book was also awarded the Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators Original Art exhibition. In a starred review, Kirkuscalled is “highly original and thought-provoking,” while Working Mother loved that it “helps kids learn what humility, kindness and selflessness are all about. “

For kids who want to laugh, choose the brand new chapter-book from award-winning Cam Jansen Mysteries author, David A. Adler: DANNY’S DOODLES: THE JELLY BEAN EXPERIMENT. A novel about Danny, the doodler, and his friend Calvin, the quirky new kid obsessed with his experiments on social behavior, and the chance to win the big baseball game, the story is a terrific blend of humor, schoolyard drama and memorable characters. “The novel delivers laughs as well as a clear message about friendship and acceptance,” praised Publishers Weekly.

For kids looking for their magic-fix, reviewers are calling ROSE by Holly Webb, the first book in four-part series about an orphan girl with magical powers set in Victorian England, ‘Downton Abbey with magic.’ Rose journeys from an orphanage to a world of magic and the wealthy upper class,  as she starts her new job as a servant in the house of the king’s magician, and must solve the mystery of why other orphans have gone missing.

For kids who want to adventure in America’s Old West, gallop into the sunset with THE LAST RIDE OF CALEB O’TOOLE by Eric Pierpoint. Caleb and his sisters must travel 1300 miles along the Oregon Trail to their aunt’s ranch in Montana and escape the bloodthirsty outlaws who know that the orphans are witnesses to their murdering misdeeds. A pioneer story that will keep readers on the edge of their seat!

For the girl who loves fashion and friendship, delve into GLITTER GIRL by Toni Runkle and Stephen Webb. Kat Connors must navigate middle-school, the popular crowd, and a controlling junior executive from Glitter Girl Cosmetics who is offering Kat opportunities most tweens can only dream about. But is being a Glitter Girl trendsetter worth losing her BFF?

For the teen who loves guessing games and “didn’t see it coming” twists, grab a copy of BROKEN by bestselling author CJ Lyons., which asks the reader just one question: Would you put your life on the line to be normal?  A teen with a fatal heart condition, Scarlet gets the chance to attend a regular high school and experience all the “normal” things about adolescence. Yet there’s more going on than she knows, and finding out the truth might just kill Scarlet before her heart does. Booklist hails it as a “suspenseful thriller laced with medical intrigue and coming-of-age triumph.”

For the fantasy fan who is missing Game of Thrones, pick up SCORCHED, award-winning author Mari Mancusi’s thrilling tale of a modern-day teen whose newfound dragon egg could either save or devastate the future. Kirkus Reviews declares the series debut to be a “smoking triptych of time traveling, dubious double-crossing and enough dragons to sate the hungriest of gamers and fantasy fiends”.

For everyone who will never stop reaching for their dreams, return to Miranda Kenneally’s Hundred Oaks High in RACING SAVANNAH.  In the tradition of Catching Jordan, Stealing Parker and Things I Can’t Forget, Miranda’s latest novel blends first love, sports, and a teen girl determined to break the rules, earning VOYA’s praise that “Kenneally’s books have quickly become must-reads”.

For your teen guy who likes football, give him I’M WITH STUPID by award-winning author Geoff Herbach. From his first appearance in Stupid Fast, Felton Reinstein, an awkward adolescent with a forthright and funny voice, has resonated with readers. VOYA names the novel a book “that boys will relish,” and School Library Journal says, “as in Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian, Felton’s family problems and personal anxieties are deeply felt but leavened considerably by his wry, self-deprecating narration.”

For your teen who is tired of all the college applications, take a break with SIX MONTHS LATER by Natalie D. Richards, a chilling mystery about a teen who forgets half a year of her life only to “wake-up” and discover the brand new life she’s leading with her popular boyfriend and academic successes may have a sinister side. Kirkus Reviews praises the novel as a “smart, edgy thriller” that “taps into the college-angst zeitgeist, where the price of high achievement might just be your soul”.