Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever

by Jeff Kinney

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Book Description
Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the prime suspect. But the crazy thing is, he’s innocent. Or at least sort of.

The authorities are closing in, but when a surprise blizzard hits, the Heffley family is trapped indoors. Greg knows that when the snow melts he’s going to have to face the music, but could any punishment be worse than being stuck inside with your family for the holidays?

About the Author
Jeff Kinney is an online game developer and designer, and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. Jeff was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C., area and moved to New England in 1995. Jeff lives in southern Massachusetts with his wife and their two sons.

The House in the Night

The House in the Night

by Susan Marie Swanson, Beth Krommes

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Book Description
A spare, patterned text and glowing pictures explore the origins of light that make a house a home in this bedtime book for young children. Naming nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing to preschoolers—a key, a bed, the moon—this timeless book illuminates a reassuring order to the universe.

About the Author
Susan Marie Swanson is an award-winning poet and the author of several children's books. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Beth Krommes is the illustrator of several award-winning books, including The Lamp, the Ice, and a Boat Called Fish and Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow. She lives in Peterborough, New Hampshire, with her family.

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature

by Joyce Sidman, Beth Krommes

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Book Description
A Caldecott medalist and a Newbery Honor-winning poet celebrate the beauty and value of spirals.What makes the tiny snail shell so beautiful? Why does that shape occur in nature over and over again in rushing rivers, in a flower bud, even inside your ear?

With simplicity and grace, Krommes and Sidman not only reveal the many spirals in nature from fiddleheads to elephant tusks, from crashing waves to spiraling galaxies but also celebrate the beauty and usefulness of this fascinating shape.

About the Author
Joyce Sidman lives in Minnesota, where she looks for shapes in nature every day. joycesidman.com

Miss Lina's Ballerinas and the Prince

Miss Lina's Ballerinas and the Prince

by Grace Maccarone, Christine Davenier

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Book Description
Miss Lina’s ballerinas have all learned how to dance as a group. But now Miss Lina has a new surprise for them – a boy will be joining their class and performing in their end-of-year show.

The girls have grand visions of dancing their first pas de deux with a prince. But when he finds himself surrounded by so much pink and so many girls, he turns quite shy, and dances his way out the door!

About the Author
Grace Maccarone is a children’s book editor and the author of many books for young readers, including Miss Lina’s Ballerinas, also illustrated by Christine Davenier, and the First Grade Friends series, illustrated by Betsy Lewin. She lives in Westchester, New York.

Christine Davenier has illustrated numerous children’s books, and won a New York Times Best Illustrated Award for The First Thing My Mama Told Me. She lives in Paris, France.

Review
“An appealing picture book, infused with the joy of dance.” -- Booklist

"Welcome Tony Farina to Miss Lina's, and join the applause for a lovely and lively story." -- Kirkus Reviews

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse

by Eric Carle

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Book Description
Every child has an artist inside them, and this vibrant new picture book from Eric Carle will help let it out. The artist in this book paints the world as he sees it, just like a child. There's a red crocodile, an orange elephant, a purple fox and a polka-dotted donkey. More than anything, there's imagination. Filled with some of the most magnificently colorful animals of Eric Carle's career, this tribute to the creative life celebrates the power of art.

Review
The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse is a joyous celebration of art and creativity. As a young man, Carle was influenced by the work of Franz Marc, an Expressionist artist famous for his paintings of blue horses, and this book is a fitting tribute to his legacy. Carle’s brilliant, unusual, color pairings, a red crocodile, a polka-dotted donkey, capture the limitless imagination of children and the brief text is simple, yet memorable. The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse is destined to become a well-worn classic, inspiring readers of all ages to embrace their inner artist. -- Seira Wilson

About the Author
Eric Carle (www.eric-carle.com) divides his time between the Florida Keys and the hills of North Carolina. Visit the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (www.carlemuseum.org) in Amherst, Massachusetts.

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman

by Meg Wolitzer

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Book Description
At first glance, Duncan Dorfman, April Blunt, and Nate Saviano don't seem to have much in common. Duncan is trying to look after his single mom and adjust to life in a new town while managing his newfound Scrabble superpower - he can feel words and pictures beneath his fingers and tell what they are without looking. April is pining for a mystery boy she met years ago and striving to be seen as more than a nerd in her family of jocks. And homeschooled Nate is struggling to meet his father's high expectations for success.

When these three unique kids are brought together at the national Youth Scrabble Tournament, each with a very different drive to win, their paths cross and stories intertwine . . . and the journey is made extraordinary with a perfect touch of magic. Readers will fly through the pages, anxious to discover who will take home the grand prize, but there's much more at stake than winning and losing.

With shrewd observations, wry humor, and a touch of whimsy, bestselling author Meg Wolitzer's classic storytelling will delight readers of all ages.

About the Author
Meg Wolitzer is a New York Times bestselling, critically acclaimed novelist, as well as a voracious Scrabble player. She lives in New York with her husband and sons.