A few weeks back I chattered a little about adult book trends. We read about women in WWII novels, chuckled at cranky old men stories, and opened our hearts to orphan books. I stand by the prediction made back then - the next trend will be mysteries, especially locked door mysteries. Remakes of of the good old Sunday afternoon standard haunted house mysteries are turning up everywhere - Netflix, BritBox, Acorn. The books are beginning to show up as well, Watch for them.
There are trends in kids' books, too, one the the strongest being picture books with characters that will have adults nodding in recognition and yelling "Hey Harriet, this guy in Sean's book is just like your crazy uncle Bob. No kidding, You gotta rad this."
There's Bruce, from the Mother Bruce series by Ryan T. Higgins. Bruce the bear hates everyone. When his intended breakfast eggs hatch and the goslings imprint on him, trouble follows. The babies love their Mother Bruce so much they want to share him with other forest dwellers and before long, Bruce's life of honey and hibernation gives way to a manic hotel occupied by a collection of wildlife that would make Noah jealous
Tim Egan's Dodsworth books star a little duck with a major bad habit. He is a stalker. Poor Dodsworth does everything possible to escape the duck, including taking international vacations. Doesn't work,; the duck always finds his "friend".
While both the Bruce and Dodsworth are aimed at the picture book crowd - with winks and nods to adults - Amy Timberlake's first in the series story, Skunk and Badger, will keep mid-kids in stitches. Badger lives a happy solitary life. His important rock work keeps him so busy that he neglects to read the many letters sent by his benefactor, Aunt Lula, telling him to anticipate the arrival of his new roommate, Skunk. Skunk's arrival not only surprises Badger, it annoys him. Skunk is a cheery little guy with off the charts energy, and massive social skills. In no time, Badger finds his home and his life turned upside down. And where did all the chickens some from? Although this is a book that 8-11 year olds can rad alone, it would be great fun reading with a partner, finding voices for each character and laughing together.
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