SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Pearl's & Ruby's
  • Politics in Practice
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • *Best New Books*
    • Annual Best Lists
  • Reviews
    • One Star Review
    • Nonfiction
    • Toon Reviews
  • Articles
    • Authors
    • Link Du Jour
  • Covers
    • Covering the Newbery
    • Cover Curiosity
    • Unfortunate Covers
  • News
    • Books on Film
    • Morning Notes
  • Newsletter

December 2, 2016 by Travis Jonker

10 to Note: Winter Preview 2017

December 2, 2016 by Travis Jonker   Leave a Comment

winter-preview

Here’s how I come up with these 10 to Note lists:

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  1. I go through every publisher catalog I can find.
  2. I mark any book that catches my eye (this could be for one of a bunch of different reasons)
  3. This usually results in a list of around 50-130 books.
  4. Now the listmaking happens. I start plugging things into my five categories (picture books, chapter books, middle grade, nonfiction, graphic novels)
  5. I try to balance books you’ve heard about with ones you might not’ve.
  6. I try to balance critical acclaim and fun (and no, the two aren’t mutually exclusive of course).
  7. I work until late in the night and agonize over which books to include right up until I run out of gas and hit “publish” while putting the lid back on the Chex Mix container.
  8. I emerge from my blogging cave to hit the hay.

Is this list made up of books I’ve read you ask? NO! How dare you ask that¹? It’s made up of books that I’m looking forward to getting a good look at A.S.A.P. Let’s get started.

¹Kidding, kidding.

Picture Books

this-house-once

th-1

This House, Once by Deborah Freedman

February 28, 2017 | Atheneum Books (Simon & Schuster) | Grades K-3

Deborah Freedman makes some of the most destinctive and mezmerizing picture books around. This story, a poetic meditation on the meaning of home, looks to be another stunning affair.

xo-ox

xo-1

XO, Ox: A Love Story by Adam Rex, illustrated by Scott Campbell

January 3, 2017 | Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan) | Grades K-3

A Rex and Campbell collaboration? Sign me up. An epistolatory² tale of unrequited love/celebrity gazelle worship, this book is already getting love, including a starred review in Publishers Weekly.

²Fancy for “the story is told through correspondence³ between the main characters”.

³Not very fancy way of saying “communicating by letters sent back and forth”.

wolf-in-the-snow

ws-1

Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell

January 3, 2017 | Feiwel & Friends | Grades K-2

Here’s something I find cool about social media. I haven’t yet read Wolf in the Snow, but it already feels familiar. Why? Matthew Cordell has been sharing images from this mostly wordless book-in-progress for a couple years now. It’s a story of bravery and kindness as a girl decides to return a lost wolf pup to its pack. I’m looking forward to it, and Wolf in the Snow‘s four (and counting) starred reviews support the notion that this will be a book to keep an eye out for once the new year hits.

fox-in-the-forest

ff-1

Little Fox in the Forest by Stephanie Graegin

February 28, 2017 | Schwartz & Wade (Random House) | Grades K-3

A wordless story about two friends who discover a hidden world deep in the forest. Check out that spread – are you digging how it’s a picture book that isn’t afraid to break out the graphic novel-like panels? Me too.

Chapter Books

Spy Next Door

SND 1

 

Mutant Rat Attack (The Spy Next Door #1) by Jay Cooper

February 28, 2017 | Scholastic Press | Grades 2-5

Illustrated novels are the most popular novels in my K-4 school library. I’m always keeping an eye out for new stuff. This is the first book in a new series with hopes to appeal to Captain Underpants fans. A boy with a boring life has his world turned upside down by a radioactive rat. Sounds appropriately Underpants-y.

Middle Grade

bland-sisters

The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters (#1): The Jolly Regina by Kara LaReau, illustrated by Jen Hill

January 10, 2017 | Amulet Books (Abrams) | Grades 3-6

It has to be said. The original title of this book was The Booty Myth. Any book that even tries to attempt that title gets a red check on my “I Like What You’re Trying Here” checklist. The title didn’t make the final cut, but this first book in a series about sisters who try their best to avoid excitement (but don’t succeed), still is high in the ol’ to-read pile.

flying-lessons

Flying Lessons & Other Stories edited by Ellen Oh

January 3, 2017 | Crown Books (Random House) | Grades 3-7

You see that lineup on the cover? Yep. This is a book I can’t wait to read.

Nonfiction

secret-project

sp-1

The Secret Project by Jonah Winter and Jeanette Winter

February 7, 2017 | Beach Lane Books (Simon & Schuster) | Grades K-3

A picture book about the Manhattan Project. This book is on this list just for the fact that I’m very curious about how the mother-son team of Winter and Winter handle this topic in a book for the lower elementary crowd.

keith-haring

kh-1

Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing by Kay A. Haring, illustrated by Robert Neubecker

February 14, 2017 | Dial Books (Penguin) | Grades K-3

2016 brought an excellent bio of an artist: Jean-Michel Basquiat in Radiant Child, so why shouldn’t 2017 do the same? Come on, 2017 – you need to live up to the standards set by previous years. It’s written by Kieth Haring’s younger sister, which should provide more insight into the man than your standard bio.

Graphic Novels

time-museum

tm-1

Time Museum by Matthew Loux

February 21, 2017 | First Second Books (Macmillan) | Grades 4-8

A girl is sent on time-travelling missions with a team of kids assembled from different periods of human history. Sounds fun. Sounds action-packed. Sounds like a graphic novel that young readers might be into.

10 to Note will return in February with books for spring 2017.

Filed under: Previews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

A Fuse #8 Production

Review of the Day: Freya and the Snake by Fredrik Sonck, ill. Jenny Lucander

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Love in the Palm of His Hand, vol. 1 | Review

by Renee Scott

Heavy Medal

July Suggestions: Looking for Mock Newbery Contenders

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Politics in Practice

When Book Bans are a Form of Discrimination, What is the Path to Justice?

by John Chrastka

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Book Review: The Dead of Summer by Ryan La Sala

by Riley Jensen

The Yarn

How Colby Sharp Celebrates Reading with Students

by Colby Sharp

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Calista Brill and Nilah Magruder Tell All About 'Creaky Acres,' Their New Middle Grade Graphic Novel

My School Visit was Cancelled. I Fought Back and Won. | Opinion

Tiffany D. Jackson Empowers Teens Through Gripping Page-Turners

Author A. A. Vacharat on YA Debut ‘This Moth Saw Brightness’ | 5 Questions and a Rec

Author Leon Egan on YA Debut ‘Lover Birds’ | 5 Questions and a Rec

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • Author/Illustrator Blogs

    • Erin Stead Illustration
    • Hey, Rabbit!
    • James Preller's Blog
    • MATTHEWCORDELLBLOGS
    • Mo Willems Doodles
    • The Scop
  • Book Blogs I Like

    • A Book and a Hug
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • A Kids Book a Day
    • A Year of Reading
    • Abby (the) Librarian
    • Awful Library Books
    • Becky’s Book Reviews
    • Better Book Titles
    • Book-A-Day Almanac
    • Bookends
    • books4yourkids.com
    • bookshelves of doom
    • Bottom Shelf Books
    • Calling Caldecott
    • Caustic Cover Critic
    • Chad C. Beckerman
    • Charlotte’s Library
    • Cheryl Rainfield
    • Chicken Spaghetti
    • CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION
    • Collecting Children’s Books
    • Cybils
    • EarlyWord
    • educating alice
    • Finding Wonderland
    • For Those About to Mock
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Good Show Sir
    • GottaBook
    • Great Kid Books
    • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
    • Hi Miss Julie!
    • Jen Robinson’s Book Page
    • Kidsmomo
    • Maria T. Middleton Design
    • Nerdy Book Club
    • Neverending Search
    • Nine Kinds of Pie
    • One Book, Two Books, Old Books, New Books
    • Out of the Box
    • Oz and Ends
    • PlanetEsme
    • Read Roger
    • Reading Rants!
    • Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
    • sharpread
    • ShelfTalker
    • so tomorrow
    • The Children's Book Review
    • The Miss Rumphius Effect
    • Uncovered Cover Art
    • Waking Brain Cells
    • Watch. Connect. Read.
  • Library Blogs

    • ALSC Blog
    • Blue Skunk Blog
    • librarian.net
    • LISNews
    • Stephen's Lighthouse
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Unshelved
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books 2024
    • 2024 Stars So Far
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Pearls & Rubys
    • Politics in Practice
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • Reasons to Love Libraries
    • 2025 Youth Media Awards
    • Defending the Canon:SLJ & NCTE Review 15 Banned Classics
    • Refreshing the Canon Booklist
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Read Free Poster
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2025


    COPYRIGHT © 2025