Indie Bound's Summer 2016 List

As I've mentioned before, Indie Bound is one of my go-to places for book recommendations. They have a new list of adult books every month, and a seasonal list of children and YA recommendations. Here are a few books from their Summer 2016 Kids' Indie Next List that I've put on hold at my library:

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo. I would read anything by Kate DiCamillo. I honestly can't choose a favorite. My kids love reading her Mercy Watson series and I love The Tale of Despereaux, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and The Magician's Elephant, among others. You can count on memorable characters, fun stories, beautiful illustrations, and often lovely tales when you read Kate DiCamillo. I'm even more excited to read this book because it is set in Florida, where I live right now. I've been wanting to read more books set here. 

Reviews of Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk have compared it to one of my favorite books of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Though that's a tall order to fill, it intrigues me enough to check it out.

Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes is a middle grade novel that tackles the difficult topic of 9/11. As someone who was an adult when it happened, it's hard for me to make sense of. And as a parent, I have no idea how to talk to my kids about it. This book has been praised for opening up a dialogue about this turning point in American History with children who weren't even born when it happened. It's recommended for teachers to use in their classrooms, but I'm looking forward to reading it as a parent.

These are the books I'm most looking forward to from this summer's list. What new releases would you add to it?

For some adult recommendations, check out this NPR List.

Books About Love to Share With Your Little One

With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought I'd share a list of some of my family's favorite picture books about love and caring. It's nice to have a significant other to share Valentine's Day with, but I also like celebrating the holiday with my kids.

I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt
At bedtime, a young boy asks his mother if she'd still love him if. . . My kids love reading this one with Dad because it makes him say funny words like "stinky face." But it also teaches them that we'll love them no matter what.

Bunnycakes by Rosemary Wells
At first glance, this book might not seem like it's about love. But Max and Ruby show their grandma how much they love and care for her by each making her a cake.

My Friend is Sad by Mo Willems
Another less than obvious choice. But this Elephant & Piggie book demonstrates that spending time with those we love makes us happy.

Penguin and Pinecone: A Friendship Story by Salina Yoon
Another story about friendship, Penguin and Pinecone stories are fun and sweet.

Daddy Hugs by Karen Katz
A board book that's good to share with even your littlest reader. She also wrote Counting Kisses.

You Are My Sunshine by Jimmie Davis
My kids love this board book because I sing the song to them as we turn the pages. The illustrations are bright and, well, sunshiny.

Mommy, Carry Me Please by Jane Cabrera
Baby animals ask their mommies to carry them. My kids love this sweet book about mommies and babies. And the author's dedication page to her unborn baby that she's carrying gets me choked up a little.

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Speaking of getting choked up--okay blubbering like a baby. I love the message in this book, but I literally cannot read it because it makes me cry. So they save it for daddy to read because he's less emotional than mommy.

What are some of your favorite picture books about love that you share with your little ones?
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Your library and your local independent bookstore most likely have Valentine's displays for you to check out this week too. This list contains affiliate links to the books on Amazon.

Where to Find Good Book Recommendations

Instead of a list of best books of 2015, I'm going to share with you some of my sources for finding good book recommendations.

My best source is a couple of friends with similar tastes--if they like it, I'll probably like it. Besides a friend, you can check this blog since I obviously have great taste in books.

Another good source is Indie Bound. It's an association of independent booksellers who put out a monthly list of books they love. They only put out a children's list every quarter, but you can look through past lists as well.

The New York Times Bestsellers List is another obvious list to turn to. There you will find the most well known new books. This one is hit or miss for me. I don't always love what is most popular, but just because it's popular doesn't necessarily mean I won't like it.

Newbery Award Winning Books are the best of the best. Some of the earliest ones are a little strange, but in the last 30 years or so, every single one that's made the list is excellent. The Honor Books are great as well, sometimes better. It's a really good resource for finding good Middle Grade and Young Adult books.

Your school or local librarian reads a lot of books and is up to date on the industry. When I worked in a middle school library, I saw and read the back of hundreds of books every week. A librarian can help you best if you mention a few books you like and ask for something similar.

Do you have any sources you check when you're looking for something new to read?