The start of each new year is a time to reflect on the year just past and make plans for the future. It holds a special magic, with a promise of new opportunities and the possibility to change our lives for the better. Lawley Publishing presents The Top 10 New Year Books with special messages that will fill your year with joy, happiness, encouragement, and hope as you honor your new year's resolution(s).
Amari and the Night Brothers
by B. B. Alston
The first in a trilogy, Amari and the Night Brothers, is a middle-grade fantasy that will surely cause you to keep flipping pages. After the mysterious disappearance of her brother, Amari receives an invitation to a secret supernatural bureau. Very quickly, her world gets turned upside down. She goes from a normal life to a world full of dragons, talking elevators, and supernatural creatures. She also finds that every part of who she is, is considered illegal in this new world.
A Wrinkle in Time Hardcover
by Madeleine L'Engle
A Wrinkle in Time is both a sci-fi story and a coming-of-age story. Meg,
an awkward and insecure girl, finds the courage and resourcefulness to
travel through space and time and learns about the importance of family
and love. L'Engle uses fantastic imagery. This excellent book teaches figurative language and is a fun read. A Wrinkle in Time will remind you to say yes to life, be brave even when frightened, not make decisions based on fear, and accept people as they are.
The Cat Man of Aleppo
by Karim Shamsi-Basha and Irene Latham
The Cat Man of Aleppo is a beautiful story about an amazing man doing heroic work with compassion, love, hope, and humanity in the very worst of conditions. This beautiful story shows not only the devastation of war but also the humanity that leads us to care for animals and each other. What a great way to introduce kids to a difficult topic like war, through the story of a hero who does what he can to make the world better.
Curious World of Dandy-Lion
by Lorraine Hawley
Meredith Smart, a gifted and curious fifth-grader, has some imaginary friends. Meredith is on a mission to help her widow neighbor who's been trapped in his house since his wife passed away. This lovely tale honors the importance of showing kindness and compassion to the sad and lonely people around us. It teaches children to believe in themselves, embrace their uniqueness, and the importance of friendship.
Use Your Words
by Kim Bushman Aguilar
When you are talking mindfully, you are conscious of the words you choose. You think before you speak and make a conscious decision to use your best communication in a respectful manner, even if it is a difficult situation. Use Your Words by Kim Bushman Aguilar delivers a unique and fun book with an important message that words carry meaning, so we must choose our words wisely. This word etiquette book is great for families, teachers, and social workers.
Child of the Sea
by Maxine Rose Schur
Coming this month, Child of the Sea will sweep you into a sea of love. Through lyrics, this poetic folktaleartfully creates a story experience of the fisherman and his wife who long for a child of their own and their journey of love and letting go. Their dreams come true when the fisherman discovers a baby girl in his fishing net. Though their family is happy and united, their daughter, Merella, longs to return to the sea. Look for this book coming mid-January!
Memory Jars
by Vera Brosgol
After learning that her favorite blueberries can be preserved in a jar as jam, Freda takes preserving to a whole new level as she saves all her favorite things. But it turns out that saving everything also means she can't enjoy anything, and Freda realizes that some things are best saved as memories. As you create more memories this new year, savor the moments, and look forward to the time when you can "open your memory jars" and experience the wave of emotions that come when remembering.
Most Marshmallows
by Rowboat Watkins
With cooler weather comes time for roasting marshmallows. What a fun book to read while sitting around eating smores! Most marshmallows live normal marshmallow lives, from going to school to celebrating birthdays. This sweet and silly book is an inspiring reminder to everyone that by being true to ourselves, each of us has the power to be extraordinary.
Because
by Mo Willems
Magic and transformation take time, energy, passion, team effort, and hard work. This book lays those things out as the reason for accomplishing something big that changes lives. Because has an important lesson: magic doesn't happen overnight, but it is worth the work. Readers can make the connections to music and cause and effect and, on the whole, how one person can do something that affects others.
Wintercake
by Lynne Rae Perkins
This story seems simple at first but continues to add layers of meaning, dealing deftly with concepts like learning from our habits of misjudging people, setting things right, and the hard (but rewarding) work it takes to build a friendship. And it's all in a sweet book that is accessible for young readers. Added bonuses are vocabulary-building words that are fun to say, like "jubilant," "nimble," and "stupendous!" A lovely, meaningful book!
We are grateful for these spotlighted authors who contribute to the reading community through their book's special messages. 2022 is the beginning of a new chapter; a year to embrace your uniqueness, open your memory jars, be true to yourself, strengthen family relations, and much, much more. This is your year. Happy New Year from Lawley Publishing!
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