Loan Stars is the readers’ advisory tool that allows libraries across Canada to indicate popular upcoming titles every month. Loan Stars lists are now produced using On Order numbers from LibraryData. The forthcoming titles with the most orders become Loan Stars top picks!
We would like to congratulate Reed Duncan, JT Morrow, Candace Fleming, Eric Rohmann, Jon Klassen, Karen M. McManus, and Lane Smith on being selected for Loan Stars’ Junior Top 10 lists for July and August 2023.
Llama Llama’s Little Lie
By Anna Dewdney and Reed Duncan
Illustrated by JT Morrow
40 Pages | Ages 2-5 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593352489 | Viking BFYR
When Llama Llama accidentally breaks Mama Llama’s favorite picture frame, he decides to tell a little lie about how it happened. In the end, Llama Llama learns a powerful lesson about telling the truth, even if it’s hard to say. Told with Anna Dewdney’s signature sweet rhyme, this newest installment of the Llama Llama series is timeless and can be used as a tool to educate readers in social and emotional learning.
Mine!
By Candace Fleming
Illustrated by Eric Rohmann
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593181669 | Anne Schwartz Books
In a tall, tall tree, at the tip-tippy top, hangs a single red apple . . . Along skirts Mouse. “An apple!” she squeaks, “How divine! When it tumbles to the ground, it’ll all be mine!”
And so it goes, for Hare, Fox, Deer, and Bear, who each can’t wait to get their hands on the apple. Soon the wind huffs and puffs, the branch snips and snaps, and down the apple falls. Only one shiny red apple for five furry creatures? What are they to do?! Here is a read-aloud picture book, perfect for story time, that will have kids repeating the refrain “Mine!”. . . complete with an ending that celebrates sharing and is sure to surprise!
One of Us is Back
By Karen M. McManus
368 Pages | Ages 14+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593485019 | Delacorte Press
The third time’s a charm. It’s been almost two years since Simon died in detention, and the aftermath has been hard to shake. First the Bayview Four had to prove they weren’t killers. Then a new generation outwitted a vengeful copycat. Now the entire Bayview Crew is back home for the summer, and everyone is trying to move on. Only, this is Bayview, and life is never that simple. At first the mysterious billboard seems like a bad joke: Time for a new game, Bayview. But when a member of the Bayview Crew disappears, it’s clear this “game” is serious – and whoever’s in charge isn’t sharing the rules. Or maybe there aren’t any. Bronwyn. Cooper. Addy. Nate. Maeve. Phoebe. Knox. Luis. Kris. Everyone’s a target. And now that someone unexpected has returned to Bayview, things could start getting deadly. The thing is, Simon was right about secrets – they all come out, eventually. And Bayview has a lot it’s still hiding.
Stickler Loves the World
By Lane Smith
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593649831 | Random House Studio
And just think of the wonders we must pass every day without even noticing! Stickler, an original character covered in sticks and with multiple ever-changing eyes, loves its little world. With best friend Crow, it shares the wonders of all the amazing things the world has to offer. Stickler is astonished by the ordinary, such as the sun and the stars, as well as fascinated by those things in nature that are often overlooked, such as swirling seed pods falling from the sky. The two pals wander about the world, stopping to appreciate the many marvels along the way, especially its beloved sticks, each one unique. Stickler Loves the World encourages awareness and mindfulness with a joyous and lighthearted touch. The award-winning illustrator of bestsellers including Penguin Problems and Giraffe Problems brings imagination and humor to a story that features a delightful and original character.
The Skull
By Jon Klassen
112 Pages | Ages 6-9 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781536223378 | Candlewick
Jon Klassen’s signature wry humor takes a turn for the ghostly in this thrilling retelling of a traditional Tyrolean folktale. In a big abandoned house, on a barren hill, lives a skull. A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and run away, and when she finds herself lost in the dark forest, the lonely house beckons. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too, something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both? Steeped in shadows and threaded with subtle wit – with rich, monochromatic artwork and an illuminating author’s note – The Skull is as empowering as it is mysterious and foreboding.