SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • 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

April 27, 2021 by Travis Jonker

10 to Note: Spring Preview 2021

April 27, 2021 by Travis Jonker   Leave a Comment

Better late than never. Is that true? Do you agree with that statement? Because I’m a little late with this spring preview. When I look out the window here in Michigan, I’m seeing a lot of green. It’s more like a spring view.

For this spring view I looked at over 2000 books and hand-picked 10 that I’m excited about.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Picture Books

The Sorry Life of Timothy Shmoe by Stephanie Simpson McLellan, illustrated by Zoe Si

April 15 | Owlkids | Grades K-4

If you’re like me, then you saw this cover and read this title and laughed. A mistake-prone kid tells this story through a series of apology letters. Looks to be clever, quirky, and funny – perhaps my favorite combo.

Have You Ever Seen a Flower? by Shawn Harris

May 4 | Chronicle Books | Grades K-2

Shawn Harris is literally a chameleon. Yes, he’s the famous color-changing lizard known for it’s amazing adaptive qualities. In this book, Shawn “Chameleon” Harris takes us out of the city, to a glorious flower-filled wonderland created with colored pencil and stencil (or “Spencil” as lizards disguised as humans might call it).

Amira’s Picture Day by Reem Faruqi, illustrated by Fahmida Azim

April 13 | Holiday House | Grades K-3

Amira is planning to stay home from school to celebrate Eid, but soon realizes it is also school picture day. How to be two places at once? Amira keeps her wits about her and comes up with a solution.

Early Reader

Training Day (El Toro & Friends) by Raul the Third

May 4 | Versify | Grades K-2

Raul the Third continues his march toward children’s literature domination and I’m good with that. After releasing great graphic novels (Low Riders in Space, written by Cathy Camper) and picture books (the Vamos! series), Raul enters the early reader realm with this comics-inspired new series. Can’t wait.

Middle Grade Fiction

A Thousand Minutes to Sunlight by Jen White

April 20 |  Farrar, Straus and Giroux | Grades 3-7

Cora is consumed with worry, but what happens when real danger actually shows up? I don’t usually do this, but I have to shout out the cover of this book. That’s a cool cover.

Billy Miller Makes a Wish by Kevin Henkes

April 6 | Greenwillow | Grades 3-5

I love an unplanned companion book. Kevin Henkes had no intention of writing a follow-up to his Newbery Honor-winning The Year of Billy Miller, but Billy stuck around. In this book Billy wishes for something exciting to happen, but may get more than he bargained for.

Graphic Novels

In a Nutshell (Scaredy Squirrel Graphic Novel Book 1) by Melanie Watt

May 4 | Kids Can Press | Grades 1-4

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

I never considered the possibility of a Scaredy Squirrel graphic novel, and it’s a great idea. The picture books are already quite comic like. In this first installment, we get reacquainted with the world’s most worrisome squirrel.

Dinosaurs Before Dark: Magic Treehouse Graphic Novel #1 by Mary Pope Osborn, Adapted by Jenny Laird, illustrated by Kelly Matthews

May 18 | Random House | Grades 1-4

Okay, who didn’t tell me these were coming? Was it you? You should have told me. Not a whole lot to say here, other than I think these new versions will open up this series to a bunch of new readers.

Nonfiction

Flip! How the Frisbee Took Flight by Margaret Muirhead, illustrated by Adam Gustavson

April 27 | Charlesbridge | Grades K-3

Any time a book tells how a favorite toy was invented, I’m interested. It happened with the Super Soaker. It happened with the Slinky. And it looks like it’s about to happen with the Frisbee.

Before They Were Artists: Famous Illustrators as Kids by Elizabeth Haidle

April 20 | Etch (HMH) | Grades 3-7

There is a section of the young reader population who is head over heels for biography. They’ve read every Who Was and bio collection they can find. Those kids will be happy to see this book, which recounts the lives of famous illustrator when they were young.

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

June 2022

10 to Note: Summer Preview 2022

by Travis Jonker

February 2022

10 to Note: Spring Preview 2022

by Travis Jonker

December 2021

10 to Note: Winter Preview 2022

by Travis Jonker

September 2021

10 to Note: Fall Preview 2021

by Travis Jonker

May 2021

10 to Note: Summer Preview 2021

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Your 2023 Caldecott Comment Card

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Poems As Picture Books: Zetta Elliott Discusses the Upcoming A Song for Juneteenth

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Evil Secret Society of Cats | This Week’s Comics

by Lori Henderson

Heavy Medal

FREEWATER wins the Newbery Medal, live reactions from Heavy Medal bloggers

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

A Conversation with Kendare Blake about BUFFY, THE NEXT GENERATION

by Amanda MacGregor

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Luminous Review, Twitter Exodus, and a Thoughtful Airport Encounter | Readers Respond

The hOle Story: Kids’ Books Come to Life on a Giant Scale at a New Kansas City Venue

Truth Teller, A. S. King | The Year in SLJ Covers

Changing the Narrative | The Year in SLJ Covers

Ellen Oh, Linda Sue Park, and Ami Polonsky Speak Out Against Censorship at Florida School Board Meeting

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
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • 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
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    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 © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023