What's New? Stacking the Shelves ALAMW Edition

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

I put in a half day at school Friday morning, then hit the road with the audio of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunshine, which is getting a lot of Newbery buzz. I can see why. I checked in, got my badge, got acclimated, did some work and went out to two events. First, was the Holiday House Cocktail Party, which is always in a fun place. I got to have a conversation with Neal Porter about my love for A Place to Land and Jerry Pinkney. I chose three titles I was particularly looking forward to reading plus one that caught my eye.

I had to leave for a Simon & Schuster dinner and was wondering where to catch a cab as I waited for my coat. Another librarian was online, so I asked where she was headed. She was headed there and already ordered her ride. In the ride over, we happily chatted and by the time we got there, we were best friends. I sat diagonally across from Cassandra Clare and next to my new best friend. Near the end of the dinner, we decided to become FB friends and discovered that we already were! Great way to kick off conference!

For Review:
From Holiday House:

Image: Holiday House

Blue Daisy by Helen Frost. 96 p. Margaret Ferguson Books/ Holiday House, March 17, 2020. 9780823444144.

Publisher synopsis:Sam and Katie find a stray dog and make a big mistake, but it's hard to make amends—how can you apologize to a dog?

A dirty, skinny, dog shows up in Sam and Katie's neighborhood. They start to follow it, and they don't like what they see: The Wilson sisters yell at it because it goes in their garden and the Tracy twins chase it on their bikes and throw things at it.

Sam and Katie want the dog to know they'll be its friends. They think it should have a name. Most of all, they want it to like them. But then they do something thoughtless, and after that, it's hard to make things right, especially because the dog now won't come near them.

How they earn the dog's trust, help it find its place in their town and how it gets its name, makes for a heartwarming story told in two voices using prose and poetry. Blue Daisy is illustrated with 20 black-and-white illustrations and includes recipes for dog biscuits and snickerdoodles.

Image: Holiday House

After the Worst Thing Happens by Audrey Vernick. 240 p. Margaret Ferguson Books/ Holiday House, May 5, 2020. 9780823444908.

Publisher synopsis:  Left reeling after her thoughtless mistake causes a terrible accident, 12-year-old Army Morand channels her grief to help someone in need.

Army Morand feels like her life has been blown to bits when the worst thing imaginable happens—her beloved dog dies. It was an accident, but it was also Army's fault. She can't seem to stop hiding from everything and everybody including her best friend JennaLouise.

But then Army sees Madison, the little girl who moved in across the way, climbing a tree and walking down the street unsupervised. Her family is not neglectful, just overwhelmed. Army finds herself overcome with the need to help Madison's family to make sure another worst thing doesn't happen—which becomes even more challenging when a big storm threatens her town.

After the Worst Thing Happens is a bittersweet story about a girl surprised by the force of a growing need inside her to reach out and lend a hand while trying to escape the swirling sadness of her own sudden loss. In the end, it is about finding love and hope and friendship in very surprising places.

Image: Holiday House

Leaving Lymon by Lesa Cline-Ransome. 208 p. Holiday House, January, 2020. 9800823444427.

Publisher synopsis: Behind every bad boy is a story worth hearing and at least one chance for redemption. It's 1946 and Lymon, uprooted from his life in the Deep South and moved up North, needs that chance.

Lymon's father is, for the time being, at Parchman Farm—the Mississippi State Penitentiary—and his mother, whom he doesn't remember all that much, has moved North. Fortunately, Lymon is being raised by his loving grandparents. Together, Lymon and his grandpops share a love of music, spending late summer nights playing the guitar.

But Lymon's world as he knows it is about to dissolve. He will be sent on a journey to two Northern cities far from the country life he loves—and the version of himself he knows. In this companion novel to the Coretta Scott King Honor wining Finding Langston, readers will see a new side of the bully Lymon in this story of an angry boy whose raw talent, resilience, and devotion to music help point him in a new direction.

Image: Holiday House

The Colossus of Roads by Christina Uss. 208 p. Margaret Ferguson Books/ Holiday House, May 5, 2020. 9780923444502. 

Publisher synopsis: Eleven-year-old Rick Rusek is determined to improve the traffic conditions in Los Angeles— his parent's failing delivery catering service, Smotch, depends on it.

Rick Rusek's stomach has a lot to say. It's got opinions on tasty foods, not-so-tasty foods, and how driving in traffic-jammed Los Angeles makes it roil, boil, gurgle, and howl. It never meant to earn its owner the nickname Carsick Rick or make him change schools for fifth grade. It's doing the best it can.

Rick has a lot to say back to his stomach. In fact, his stomach is the only one he can talk to about his favorite subject: the mighty power of road signs. Rick sees how shifting these bold, beautiful signs announcing STOP, LEFT TURN ONLY, SPEED LIMIT 35, and ROAD WORK AHEAD could improve all the traffic problems in Los Angeles. Too bad his talent for sketching maps that show how to fix everything doesn't seem to interest or impress anyone else.

When his parents' catering business teeters on the verge of ruin, Rick wants to prove his talent for noticing small details can make a big difference. He'll need help from his unicorn-loving Girl Scout neighbor, the Department of Transportation, a renowned street artist, plus the best driver in LA. He'll have to fight back against snarled streets, graffiti vandals, and other people's very wrong ideas about traffic.

From Simon & Schuster:

Image: Simon & Schuster

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare. The Last Hours Book One. 581 p. Margaret McElderry Books/ Simon & Schuster, March 3, 2020. 9781481431873.

Publisher synopsis: Cordelia Carstairs is a Shadowhunter, a warrior trained since childhood to battle demons. When her father is accused of a terrible crime, she and her brother travel to London in hopes of preventing the family’s ruin. Cordelia’s mother wants to marry her off, but Cordelia is determined to be a hero rather than a bride. Soon Cordelia encounters childhood friends James and Lucie Herondale and is drawn into their world of glittering ballrooms, secret assignations, and supernatural salons, where vampires and warlocks mingle with mermaids and magicians. All the while, she must hide her secret love for James, who is sworn to marry someone else.

But Cordelia’s new life is blown apart when a shocking series of demon attacks devastate London. These monsters are nothing like those Shadowhunters have fought before—these demons walk in daylight, strike down the unwary with incurable poison, and seem impossible to kill. London is immediately quarantined. Trapped in the city, Cordelia and her friends discover that their own connection to a dark legacy has gifted them with incredible powers—and forced a brutal choice that will reveal the true cruel price of being a hero.

Purchased: Nothing, but I must sit down next week and spend the AZ gift certificates I received from students!

What's new with you?

If you leave a comment, leave the link to your stack. I will pop by and to check out your stack!