The Atrium

Here are some great additions to the Children's books area!

Leaves
Written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein

Bear's first year is full of new things, and he enjoys every part of his tiny island home. Then a leaf falls, and he wonders, “Are you okay?” More and more leaves fall, and Bear tries to put them back, but it's just not the same. Eventually, Bear uses the leaves to make a bed in a small cave, because he's suddenly so sleepy. Waking in the spring brings new joy, as he welcomes the tiny new leaves unfolding on the trees. A wonderfully simple and innocent tale to share.

Available now in the New Picture Book area.
Picture Book Stein

Darkwing
Written by Kenneth Oppel and illustrated by Keith Thompson

The author of the Silverwing series takes a 65 million year leap backward in time to tell the story of Dusk, the world's first bat. Dusk's colony are a group of 'chiropters,' tree-dwelling flightless creatures who regard him as a mutant. Only his father, the colony's leader, sees Dusk's talents of flight and echo vision as gifts and trusts him with relocating the colony when they suddenly find themselves in danger. The whole world is poised on the brink of change, and below them stalks a brand new carnivore.

Available now in the New Juvenile Fiction area.
jFiction Oppel

Nothing But Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson
Written by Sue Stauffacher and illustrated by Greg Couch

“It took time, a good long time, but slowly Althea learned that wanting to slug her opponent as soon as she started losing her match made her a worse tennis player than if she kept her cool.” Local author Stauffacher takes the first African American tennis player to win at Wimbledon from her wild child street life in Harlem to a champion who can “dress up in white and act like a lady.” Also appearing are her many supporters, including Buddy Walker, who first put a tennis racket in Althea's hand.

Available now in the New Juvenile Nonfiction area.
jBiography Gibson, Althea

Numero Uno
Written by Alex and Arthur Dorros and illustrated by Susan Guevara

Hercules believes that his strength makes him the most needed person in the village. Socrates knows that his intelligence makes him the most needed. When a young boy suggests a sort of competition, and sends both men away to see who will be more missed, the stubborn men return to find that neither of them is 'Numero Uno.' This humorous and bilingual tale of brains versus brawn proves that neither quality is more important than the other, and that constant squabbling only makes one annoying.

Available now in the New Picture Book area.
Picture Book Dorros

Nightmare Academy
Written by Dean Lorey and illustrated by Brandon Dorman

Thirteen-year-old Charlie lives a sheltered lonely life, at least during the daytime. At night, however, Charlie's gift for connecting to the netherworld puts himself and the rest of the world in grave danger from the nasty beasties and monsters striving to escape into the real world. Charlie must learn to face his nightmares and control his powers, so he becomes a student at the wildly eccentric and strange Nightmare Academy, an organization dedicated to fighting the forces of Hell.

Available now in the New Juvenile Fiction area.
jFiction Lorey

Pssst!
Written and illustrated by Adam Rex

A quiet whisper grabs the attention of a little girl visiting the zoo. She's quite surprised to find it's the gorilla, who casually requests she bring him a new tire to swing on. As she continues, she soon discovers that all the animals are in need of something. The pig wants trash cans, the sloths demand bicycle helmets. What's going on here? Are the animals sprucing up their cages, or plotting something more intricate? Rex's unusual comic-like graphics and eccentric characters create a very funny story.

Available now in the New Picture Book area.
Picture Book Rex

Piper Reed, Navy Brat
Written by Kimberly Willis Holt and illustrated by Christine Davenier

Fourth-grader Piper Reed is used to moving around. But when her father, a Navy aircraft mechanic, announces their next move right after school starts, Piper is distressed. Starting over is hard, especially for Piper, who struggles with dyslexia and as the middle child. Florida, however, holds some pleasant surprises as Piper finds some new friends, gets a puppy, discovers the Blue Angels flight team (which she can watch practice during recess), and makes a connection with her very different sisters.

Available now in the New Juvenile Fiction area.
jFiction Holt

Keep Your Cool
Written by Kelly Doudna

Controlling your emotions can be difficult, especially for children, and it can be hard to understand the importance of self-control. This easy reader provides examples of situations kids can relate to, and gives realistic suggestions about behavior. For instance, "Paige doesn't yell when she finds a toy she likes; she asks for it calmly." The second part of the book tells a longer story illustrating the trait. Full color photographs and large print text are attractive, and the message will generate discussion.

Available now in the New Easy Readers area.
Easy Reader Doudna