Of her “many, many favorites” of the season, Beth Phelps, co-owner of Tuesday Books in Williamston, Mich., chose a few books that she and her colleagues are especially pleased to be selling this fall.
The first book that pops into my mind is The Splendid Spotted Snake by Betty Ann Schwartz and Alexander Wilensky. It’s a fantastic board book for very young kids. Every time you turn a page, there’s a different ribbon as the snake grows and accumulates different colored spots. It rhymes and moves quickly. I love, love, love this book and I know kids will too. Yesterday I showed it to a girl who was only two years old, but she was fascinated by it and kept touching the ribbons over and over.
One of my favorite picture books this fall is I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen. It’s a simple story about a bear looking for his hat, and I really like the fact that he is so polite. He goes from one animal to another asking if they’ve seen his hat. When they say no, he thanks them anyway. It’s kind of silly but very sweet. It just came in and I can’t wait to sell it.
Cars Galore by Peter Stein, illustrated by Bob Staake, is a very cool book that’s all about cars and other vehicles, some of which are imaginary. The text is a lot like Dr. Seuss and flows very well. It’s perfect for kids who like cars. I’m going to bring it to a school book fair that we’re getting ready to do, and I know it’s going to sell well there.
Another picture book that we love here is My Farm Friends by Wendell Minor. It is absolutely gorgeous—his artwork is just incredible, and the story is very sweet. Books with farm themes sell well at our store, since there are lots of farms in our area.
A novel that I highly recommend for fourth- or fifth-grade kids who aren’t quite ready for The Hunger Games is The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann. I picked it up at GLiBA on a Sunday and my 12-year-old daughter finished it by Tuesday. It’s a fantasy that is not quite as intense as The Hunger Games, but still has all the excitement of that story. It has a neat concept—people who have any kind of imagination are being punished. I’m really in love with this book, and in fact I handsold one last night at my daughter’s parent-teacher conference!
And for older teens—and I mean older teens—I like Ashfall by Mike Mullin. After a supervolcano explodes in Yellowstone, a boy journeys to another state to find his family. Some of it is a little violent and disturbing, but it’s an incredible read. My niece, who’s a junior in high school, and my 15-year-old son both loved it, so it’s a good choice for both girls and boys. I am definitely handselling this book. I just know teens are going to love it.
