BOOK MARKED
New Year, New Books
12 Books To Inspire Your Kids To
Develop A Reading Habit
BY THERESA WANG, EARLY LITERACY
COORDINATOR, D.C. PUBLIC LIBRARY
PICTURE BOOKS
‘The Undefeated’
By Kwame Alexander,
illustrated by Kadir Nelson
A love letter to black life in the United
States, this poem highlights the unspeak-
able trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of
the civil rights movement as well as the grit,
passion and perseverance of some of the
world’s greatest heroes.

‘A Stone Sat Still’
about friendship and taking care of pets.

When Dragon finds a stray cat, he brings it
home and learns to take care of it through
many silly mishaps.

‘Harold & Hog Pretend for Real’
By Mo Willems and Dan Santat
Can the friendship of Harold and Hog, a
carefree elephant and a careful hog, survive
a game of pretending to be Mo Willems’s
Elephant and Piggie?
By Brendan Wenzel
In this brilliant companion to the
Caldecott Honor-winning “They All Saw
a Cat,” the author tells a moving story
about how different perspectives and
the passage of time can turn a seemingly
ordinary rock into a site of infinite pos-
sibility. Young children are introduced
to concepts like color, size and time in
easy-to-understand ways.

‘Ariba: An Old Tale
About New Shoes’
By Masha Manapov
Marcus’s joy over his new pair of shoes
reminds his grandfather of an old story
about a boy named Ariba who has the most
unusual relationship with an extraordinary
pair of shoes.

YOUNG READERS
‘King & Kayla and the
Case of the Found Fred’
By Dori Hillestad Butler,
illustrated by Nancy Meyers
Trying to communicate with his human
owner (and detective partner) can be frus-
trating for King, a golden retriever, as he
uncovers clues in a missing dog case.

‘Dragon’s Fat Cat’
By Dav Pilkey
The endearing blue Dragon is back in best-
selling author Dav Pilkey’s humorous story
44 Washington FAMILY JANUARY 2020
MIDDLE GRADE
‘Mighty Jack and
Zita the Spacegirl’
By Ben Hatke
Jack and Lilly have befriended dragons,
battled giants and even earned the loyalty
of a goblin army. So when they meet Zita
the Spacegirl, fresh from her interplane-
tary travels and seeking their help to face
a new threat, they’re more than ready for
another adventure.

‘Look Both Ways:
A Tale Told in
Ten Blocks’
By Jason Reynolds
A National Book Award finalist, this wick-
edly funny yet poignant novel weaves
together 10 stories (one per block) about
the different directions a walk home from
school can take.

‘Twinchantment’ By Elise Allen
In a kingdom where potentially-magi-
cal beings are outlawed, princesses Flissa
and Sara have had to pretend to be one
person since they were born, trading off
royal duties like attending balls and mak-
ing friends with other nobles. But when a
magical attack puts their mother’s life in
danger, they must break the rules to save
her with the help of a brave servant boy
and his kitten.




BOOK MARKED
YOUNG ADULT
‘Thirteen Doorways,
Wolves Behind
Them All’
By Laura Ruby
From the author of Printz Medal-winner
“Bone Gap” comes the unforgettable story
of two young women — one living, one
dead — dealing with loss, desire and the
fragility of the American dream during
WWII. ‘Call Down the Hawk’
By Maggie Stiefvater
The first book in a spin-off series from
Stiefvater’s best-selling Raven Cycle quar-
tet, this mesmerizing story follows a
dreamer, a thief and a hunter with com-
petiting priorities as the end of the world
approaches. ‘I Am the Night Sky
& Other Relections
by Muslim American Youth’
By Next Wave
Muslim Initiative Writers
ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS/CHOREOGRAPH
During an era characterized by both hijabi
fashion models and enduring post-9/11 ste-
reotypes, 10 Muslim American teenagers
came together to explore what it means
to be young and Muslim in America today.

These teens represent the tremendous
diversity within the American Muslim
community, and their book, like them,
contains multitudes. T
IF READING FOR
PLEASURE ISN’T
A HABIT IN YOUR
HOUSE, HERE ARE
SOME TRICKS TO
MOTIVATING KIDS TO
READ FOR FUN.

• Let your children choose
their next great read.

Graphic novels, books
about sports and fantasy
are all great forms of
reading. • Read together and to each
other. Even big kids like
being read to! Encourage
older children to read to
their younger siblings or
the family pet. Reading
together also gives parents
an opportunity to talk with
their kids about a book or
its themes.

• Focus on fun. A good story
at any level can motivate
kids to read more.

• Make it easy for kids to
find books. Put them in the
rooms kids frequent. If they
keep seeing books around
the house, they just might
pick one up!
Not sure where to begin or
what books will interest your
children? Many libraries offer
book lists by topic online. Or
visit your local library, where
librarians can help you find
the right book. T
WashingtonFAMILY.com 45