New Books!

1. New Books! Find them at the Sunny Hills Library

2. Hungry Johnny by Cheryl Minneman Johnny watches Grandma at work, cooking in the kitchen. In no time, he'll be digging in with everyone else. But wait. First there is the long drive to the community center. And then an even longer Ojibwe prayer. And then—well, young boys know to follow the rules: elders eat first, no matter how hungry the youngsters are. As Johnny watches anxiously, Grandma gently teaches. By the time her friend Katherine arrives late to the gathering, Johnny knows just what to do. He understands, that gratitude, patience, and respect are rewarded by a place at the table—and plenty to eat, eat, eat.

3. Whoosh! by Chris Barton You know the Super Soaker. It’s one of top twenty toys of all time. And it was invented entirely by accident. Trying to create a new cooling system for rockets, impressive inventor Lonnie Johnson instead created the mechanics for the iconic toy.

4. Alfie by ThryraHeder Nia loves Alfie, her pet turtle. But he’s not very soft, he doesn’t do tricks, and he’s pretty quiet. Sometimes she forgets he’s even there! That is until the night before Nia’s seventh birthday, when Alfie disappears! Then, in an innovative switch in point of view, we hear Alfie’s side of the story. He didn’t leave Nia—he’s actually searching for the perfect birthday present for his dear friend. Can he find a gift and make it back in time for the big birthday party?

5. We Sang You Home by Richard Van Camp In this sweet and lyrical book from the creators of the bestselling Little You, gentle rhythmic text captures the wonder parents feel as they welcome baby into the world. A celebration of the bond between parent and child, this is the perfect song to share. Told in both English and Plains Cree.

6. How To Code A Sandcastleby Josh Funk All summer, Pearl has been trying to build the perfect sandcastle, but out-of-control Frisbees and mischievous puppies keep getting in the way! Pearl and her robot friend Pascal have one last chance, and this time, they’re going to use code to get the job done. Using fundamental computer coding concepts like sequences and loops, Pearl and Pascal are able to break down their sandcastle problem into small, manageable steps. If they can create working code, this could turn out to be the best beach day ever!

7. Unstoppable by Art Coulson In the autumn of 1912, the football team from Carlisle Indian Industrial School took the field at the U.S. Military Academy, home to the bigger, stronger, and better-equipped West Points Cadets. Sportswriters billed the game as a sort of rematch, pitting against each other the descendants of U.S. soldiers and American Indians who fought on the battlefield only 20 years earlier. But for lightning-fast Jim Thorpe and the other Carlisle players, that day’s game was about skill, strategy, and determination.

8. Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters by Andrea Beaty Rosie Revere is no stranger to flops and fails, kerfuffles and catastrophes. After all, engineering is all about perseverance! But this time, Rosie has a really important project to tackle—one that feels much bigger than herself.

9. Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker The bold story of Katherine Johnson, an African-American mathematician who worked for NASA during the space race and was depicted in the film Hidden Figures.

10. Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith The affirming story of how a contemporary Native American girl turns to her family and community to help her dance find a voice.

11. What do you do with a Voice Like that? by Ekua Holmes Congresswoman Barbara Jordan had a big, bold, confident voice—and she knew how to use it! Learn all about her amazing career in this illuminating and inspiring picture book biography of the lawyer, educator, politician, and civil rights leader.

12. Adventures to School Kids around the world get to school in unique ways. Take a peek inside this book and see how they reach their destinations!

13. The Secret Kingdom by Barb Rosenstock The incredible story of the world’s largest visionary environment: the Rock Garden of Chandigarh, kept secret by outsider artist Nek Chand for fifteen years.

14. Hip-Hop Lollipop by Susan Montanari In this lyrical read-aloud filled with rhythm and rhyme and illustrated by Caldecott Honor winner Brian Pinkney, follow a little girl as she dances her way to bedtime. 

15. Ganesha’s Sweet Thoothby Sanjay Patel The bold, bright colors of India leap right off the page in this fresh and funny picture book retelling (with a twist) of how Ganesha came to help write the epic poem of Hindu literature, the Mahabharata. Ganesha is just like any other kid, except that he has the head of an elephant and rides around on a magical mouse. And he loves sweets, especially the traditional dessert laddoo.

16. Neema’s Reason to Smile by Patricia Newman Neema's Reason to Smile is the story of Neema, a young Kenyan girl who dreams of one day being able to afford to go to school. Slowly, and with great purpose, Neema makes a plan to save money in her dream basket and make her dream come true. One day, a mysterious young girl skips down the street wearing a red skirt and white shirt. Soon, she guides Neema all the way to a new school.

17. Tomorrow I’ll Be Braveby Jessica Hische Journey through the beautifully hand-lettered messages by award-winning illustrator Jessica Hische. This uplifting and positive book - now a New York Times best seller - encourages kids to promise that tomorrow, they will try new things, do their best, and be brave.

18. Skin Again by Bell hooks Celebrating all that makes us unique and different, Skin Again offers new ways to talk about race and identity. Race matters, but only so much--what's most important is who we are on the inside. Looking beyond skin, going straight to the heart, we find in each other the treasures stored down deep. Learning to cherish those treasures, to be all we imagine ourselves to be, makes us free.

19. Draw the Line by Kathryn Otoshi Draw the Line is a powerful picture book about forgiveness from Kathryn Otoshi, author of the bestselling book One.

20. Lovely Beasts by Kate Gardner A stunning debut picture book that encourages kids to look beyond first impressions by sharing unexpected details about seemingly scary wild animals like gorillas, rhinoceroses, and more.

21. Shawn Love Sharksby Curtis Manley Shawn loves sharks.He loves their dark, blank eyes.He loves their big mouths full of sharp teeth.And he loves pretending to be a shark and chasing Stacy around the playground.Shawn loves sharks more than anything else in the world. But Predator Day at school is on Monday and Great White Shark isn't assigned to Shawn.It's assigned to...Stacy.

22. Florette by Anna Walker When Mae’s family moves to a new home, she wishes she could bring her garden with her. She’ll miss the apple trees, the daffodils, and chasing butterflies in the wavy grass. But there’s no room for a garden in the city. Or is there?

23. Pies from Nowhere This stunning picture book looks into the life of Georgia Gilmore, a hidden figure of history who played a critical role in the civil rights movement and used her passion for baking to help the Montgomery Bus Boycott achieve its goal.

24. I Love You More Thanby Taye Diggs I Love You More Than ... by Taye Diggs, illustrated by Shane W. Evans, is perfect for families who are separated, whatever the circumstances. Its message of love underscores the bond between parent and child in ways that little ones will understand.

25. Found.By Jeff Newman & Larry Day Jenn’s beloved dog was lost sometime ago. Long enough that she has given up the search. But she still misses her friend. One day she finds a lost dog. She takes him in and despite a rocky start, she grows to love him. Until she spots his picture on a missing poster. His name is Roscoe, and he’s someone else’s best friend. Jenn knows she should return Roscoe, but she really doesn’t want to. Will Jenn do the right thing? Or will she keep this new dog she’s grown to love so much?