The Best Children’s and YA Books of May 2018
by the Brightly Editors
With bright flowers, blooming trees, and plenty of new reads, the month of May is certainly the bee’s knees! From a beloved llama learning to read to a fractured fairy tale about a very grumpy dwarf to a deeply haunting YA story, there are so many new stories to dive into this month. Here’s a look at a few of our favorite children’s and teen books of May.
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Picture Books
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A House That Once Was
In her signature quiet and contemplative style, Fogliano tells the story of two children exploring an abandoned house in the woods. The children use the objects left behind to take guesses as to the lives of the home’s former occupants. Smith’s beautiful illustrations pair perfectly with the text, seamlessly separating the children’s explorations from imagination.
(On Sale: 5/1/18)Preorder from: -
How to Be an Engineer
Available from:The engaging projects and experiments in this book, like building a robot arm out of rulers and learning about jet propulsion with balloons, will help kids learn useful engineering skills while still having fun! How to Be an Engineer encourages children to use their imaginations every day and inspire them to be problem-solvers in the real world.
Also available from: -
Llama Llama Loves to Read
Available from:Llama Llama learns at school that letters make words and words together make stories. Sometimes he stumbles, but at the end of the day Llama Llama is so excited to be able to read to Mama! A lovely tribute to Anna Dewdney and her mission to spread the joy of reading.
(On Sale: 5/1/18)Also available from: -
Counting with a Ladybug
Available from:This fun, interactive board book guides pre-K readers on a rhyme-filled journey as they count from one to ten. Keep a lookout for tactile finger trails and cutouts, plus lots of cute creatures like butterflies, grasshoppers, bunnies, and, of course, ladybugs!
(On Sale: 5/8/18)Also available from: -
Dinosaur Rescue! (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom)
Available from:Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a Step 3 level reader that features the most exciting dinosaurs from the acclaimed blockbuster film. It’s a wonderful way for 5- to 8-year-old beginning readers to learn about their favorite dinosaurs, from the Velociraptor to the Tyrannosaurus rex.
(On Sale: 5/8/18)Also available from: -
I am a Kitten
Experience a day in the life of Kate the kitten as she plays, explores, and learns. Ole Risom’s simple yet sweet board book gets a fresh look with this edition, including eye-catching new illustrations from Olivia Chin Mueller. (Dog-lovers should also check out the new edition of I am a Puppy!)
(On Sale: 5/8/18)Available from: -
Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible Alvin
Available from:Read this highly accessible nonfiction book and imagine yourself inside Alvin, the famous deep-sea submersible. Engaging descriptions and detailed illustrations take readers on an 8-hour voyage to the ocean floor, revealing scenes and creatures few people get to observe.
(On Sale: 5/22/18)Also available from:
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Middle Grade
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Bob
Bestselling authors Mass and Stead team up with illustrator Gannon to depict this charming story of a tween girl, Livy, who visits her grandmother for the first time in five years and reunites with Bob, the loyal, magical creature who wears a chicken costume and lives in her grandmother’s closet. Livy once made a long-forgotten promise to help Bob find his way home and this time around she’s determined to fulfill his wish.
(On Sale: 5/1/18)Preorder from: -
The Length of a String
Available from:This heartwarming novel centers on Imani, a young black girl who was adopted into a Jewish American family. Imani longs to search for her birth parents and find out where she came from, but when she uncovers her great-grandmother’s diary from 1941, she begins to see her family and her place in their lives in a new light.
(On Sale: 5/1/18)Also available from: -
Out of Left Field
It’s 1957 and all the boys on the sandlot know Katy is the best pitcher around, but that doesn’t mean Little League will let her play. Armed with a wealth of information about women in baseball, she sets out to convince Little League that baseball hasn’t always just been for boys. Both informative and inspirational, Katy’s fight is an empowering story about speaking out against injustice.
(On Sale: 5/1/18)Preorder from: -
Grump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Available from:Once again, New York Times-bestselling author Liesl Shurtliff takes a familiar fairy tale and gives it an irresistible twist. Grump is different from other dwarves, longing to explore The Surface rather than dig deeper into the ground. When a trip above ground goes awry, adventure ensues in this hilarious and heartfelt take on “Snow White.”
(On Sale: 5/29/18)Also available from:
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YA
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The Way You Make Me Feel
When prank-loving Clara gets in a fight with her classmate Rose at prom, they’re both forced to spend their summer working together in Clara’s father’s food truck. YA readers will find themselves rooting for Clara as she navigates the unlikely pairing and begins to discover who she really wants to be in this super entertaining tale of friendship, family, and food.
(On Sale: 5/8/18)Preorder from: -
The Gone Away Place
Stonewall Honor author Christopher Barzak tugs at our heartstrings with this breathtaking novel about love and loss. The story follows a girl named Ellie, who suffered tremendous loss after a series of powerful tornadoes touched down in her town. When Ellie begins to see the ghosts of her loved ones, she discovers a way to set their souls free once and for all.
(On Sale: 5/15/18)Preorder from: -
My So-Called Bollywood Life
Winnie Mehta is convinced that Raj is the one … until she returns from film camp and abruptly discovers he spent the whole summer with Jenny Dickens. As she reconsiders what she once thought was destiny, she grows closer to her old friend Dev. A delightful debut novel, My So-Called Bollywood Life is packed with humor, drama, and swoon-worthy romance.
(On Sale: 5/15/18)Preorder from: -
We Are All That’s Left
Available from:As a refugee of the Bosnian War, Nadja’s past has left her emotionally distant from her daughter Zara. When a terrorist attack in present-day New England leaves Nadja in a coma, Zara feels pressed to better understand her family history. A timely and deeply compelling novel about faith, history, and hope.
(On Sale: 5/15/18)Also available from: -
Lies You Never Told Me
Available from:This thrilling page-turner is filled with twists and turns that will keep you up all night. It follows the intertwined lives of two teenagers, Gabe and Elyse, both of whom fall for the wrong person, keep secrets, and make choices that reap deadly consequences.
(On Sale: 5/22/18)Also available from: -
Aftermath
Skye returns to her hometown three years after a deadly school shooting — in which her brother was a shooter. Her former best friend and crush Jesse lost his own brother that day and is unsure of how to deal with Skye’s return. When Skye receives threatening notes, she grows frightned that more violence is to come. A thoughtful, poignant, page-turning portrayal of the aftermath of tragedy.
(On Sale: 5/22/18)Available from:
