April Book Recommendations

Book Buzz is a blog produced in collaboration with neighborhood librarians from Houston Public Library, Harris County Public Library and the Bellaire Library.

The Bailey School Kids

April showers . . . mean books for hours! April can be a burst of sunshine followed by gusting winds and ghastly rain. My recommendations for April are kind of . . . scattered. Just like those April showers.

As far as picture books, I couldn’t help but think of bright and colorful books. Hopefully, the consistently sunny books help wade off irritability due to the weather. First is This is Sadie by Sara O’Leary, a beautifully whimsical book with the simple yet poetic story of a little girl and what makes her truly Sadie. Next is the silly story of Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman. The Bunny family has adopted a wolf cub and young Dot, Wolfie’s new older sister, seems to be the only one who feels the family is in imminent danger. Next is Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm by Jerdine Nole, this was one of my absolute favorites growing up! Mr. Potter doesn’t grow fruits or vegetables but fantastical balloons! So imaginative it will be a book you will always remember!

Next I suggest the hilarious picture book It’s Only Stanley by Jon Agee. This has very classic, cartoon-inspired illustrations, which shows a family dumbfounded as to what their beagle Stanley is up to. My great-grandmother and grandfather terrified me with stories of Baba Yaga growing up; luckily my father found my next suggestion, the picture book Babushka Baba Yaga by renowned children's book author Patricia Polacco. In her signature colorful authentic illustrations she shows the story of lonely Baba Yaga who desperately wants to be a Babushka (grandmother) to a child. Another childhood favorite and my last recommendation for picture books is Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Jan Brett. Brett is a famous children’s book author and illustrator; her ornate and detailed illustrations will fascinate young readers as they discover something new each time they read!

For young readers, I’m going to start with suggesting an extensive and hilarious series (also one of my childhood staples) Adventures of The Bailey School Kids by Debbie Dadey. A mismatched gang of friends encounter a vast amount of supernatural entities in their day-to-day lives. From vampires to ghosts, werewolves to mermaids! Such a fun, lighthearted series with just the right amount of spooky. The next suggestion is from famous children’s author Cornelia Funke; Dragon Rider is a mixture of Eragon and Percy Jackson. An epic tale for any young reader! My other dragon must-read is the classic My Father’s Dragon Trilogy by Ruth Stiles Gannett. Macgyver meets The Hobbit in this adventure; talking animals and flourishing islands make this a classic adventure. My last must-read chapter book is sadly a semi-forgotten classic - the Nate the Great series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat. Follows the young detective Nate who solves everyday mysteries that plague his town and friends.

Poet Ogden Nash 

April is National Poetry Month, so to highlight some of my favorite poets first, I recommend you find a copy of any Ogden Nash poetry . . . sadly, my favorite poet is somewhat difficult to come by. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on any of his poems you can relish in the whimsical and nonsensical rhymes he conjured. I never tire of his silly verse. Secondly, any poetry lover must pick up Lang Leav’s first collection of poetry Lullabies. Her dark tone is balanced out by innocent and playful verse. The Tim Burton-esque illustrations are Leav’s own and are a whimsical touch.

I hope you enjoy your April showers and the books that will keep you occupied through those drizzly hours.