Francine Lucidon, owner of The Voracious Reader in Larchmont, N.Y., spotlights a handful of children’s books that she’s making a point of handselling.
In picture books, Extraordinary Jane by Hannah E. Harrison is a wonderful story about a circus dog who compares herself to her amazingly brave and agile performing siblings. Jane, however, is extra ordinary and, though she attempts to perform like the other circus entertainers, she finds she can only be her ordinary self – which is just perfect. This is a delightful book for those who prefer to let their light shine quietly.
Another new picture book I love to share is Time for Bed, Fred by Yasmeen Ismail, with its beautiful watercolors and endearing bed-avoiding dog. This talented newcomer brings Chris Raschka to mind.
For early readers, I really like The Miniature World of Marvin & James by Elise Broach, illustrated by Kelly Murphy, the first book in the Masterpiece Adventures. This sweet series debut is about the two beloved characters from Broach’s middle-grade novel, Masterpiece: dear friends James, a boy, and Marvin, a beetle, who part for vacation in this story.
For middle graders, there’s Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue by Tom Angleberger, another installment of the popular Origami Yoga series, which continues the story begun in The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett. Honestly, this book doesn’t need too much handselling – the kids’ eyes light up with excitement when they see the display.
And another middle-grade novel I especially enjoy handselling is Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell, which was published last fall. This is an absolutely magical tale of a young girl and her scholarly and quirky caretaker in Victorian London. The book brings readers to Paris, where the two characters search the rooftops for the girl’s missing mother. Reminiscent of the fiction of Kate DiCamillo and Philip Pullman, this is a charming read-aloud for young ones.
