Get here soon 2020, we’ve got some reading to do! It’s time for us to share some of the exciting new books coming out in 2020. Librarians everywhere are filling their shopping carts with these up-and-coming reads, so feel free to add them to your holds list!
Picture books
“No More Naps” written by Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Leo Espinsoa (Publication date: February)
It’s time for a nap, but, just like stubborn toddlers everywhere, Annalise Devin McFleece won’t have anything to do with bedtime. Dad tries to encourage sleepiness by pushing her around the park in her stroller. Along the way, they pass a man sitting on a bench, dog walkers, a boy on a skateboard, kids playing ball, a girl practicing her juggling and others. Each of them thinks that taking a nap is a great idea, and if Annalise Devin McFleece doesn’t want hers, they’ll happily take it. And one by one, everyone falls asleep…except Annalise Devin McFleece. But when she’s finally ready for her nap, all the naps are taken! Is there anyone who has an extra nap to spare? With every turn of the page, the busy city scene becomes more and more quiet…except for Annalise Devin McFleece. Will she ever take a nap?
“Just Like Me” by Vanessa Brantley-Newton (Publication date: January)
From the author of “Grandma’s Purse,” comes a collection of poetry filled with engaging mini-stories about girls of all kinds: girls who feel happy, sad, scared, powerful; girls who love their bodies and girls who don’t; country girls, city girls; girls who love their mother and girls who wish they had a father. With bright portraits in Vanessa’s signature style of vibrant colors and unique patterns and fabrics, this book invites readers to find themselves and each other within its pages.
“Bedtime for Sweet Creatures” written by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by (Publication Date: January)
Mommy needs to wrangle her sweet creature into bed so that the whole family can sleep. From tigers to squirrels to snakes, the little boy dodges around his bedtime, until he is tired enough to finally sleep. His imaginative animal friends weave their way through the illustrations, eventually joining him in curling up for the night.
For many, this time of year signifies the beginning of the holiday season—a time for gathering with family and friends, sampling special foods and giving gifts. But for others, especially young children just learning to express themselves, the holidays can be anything but joyful. Excitement is on overdrive, while expectations are high that everyone will get along and be polite. Is it any wonder that the season of holiday cheer often goes hand-in-hand with an increase in stress and anxiety, for both children as well as their adults?
Every October, a friend of mine sets aside one weekend to make apple butter. This event, which has been a part of her family for generations, draws relatives from across the nation. Processing bushels of apples into apple butter is hard work that requires many hands. But overall, everyone returns each year because apple butter weekend is a wonderful opportunity to create family memories.
Books provide windows into the lives and worlds of others, so what better genre to provide that experience than memoirs and biographies? Finding accessible and approachable biographies for younger children can be a bit tricky, however. Tough topics, unfamiliar dates in history and text-heavy pages pose big barriers for young people to comprehend and learn. Thanks to Isabel Sanchez Vegara, author of the 
