Tabla de contenidos para December 2024 en Booklist Reader

Abstract Embroidery: Slow Stitching with Texture, Colour, and Creativity. By Emily Botelho. 2024. Search. Combine the notion of “slow” crafting with aesthetic freedom and you have Botelho’s embrace of abstract embroidery. Essentially, it’s free-form stitching that takes inspiration from nature and art. This is a how-to for experienced needle workers who want to experiment. Colourful Sashiko: Includes 47 Vibrant Designs, Basic Techniques and Stunning Projects. By Sashikonami. 2024. Search. Blue and white dominate traditional Japanese sashiko, a running-stitch embroidery known for its sharp geometric designs, but as artist Sashikonami demonstrates, anything goes as she offers 47 designs, including persimmons, coins, and flowers, applied to small items like coasters, washcloths, and mini-totes. DIY Thrift Flip: Sewing Techniques for Transforming Old Clothes into Fun, Wearable Fashions. By April Yang. 2024. Quarto/Quarry. Upcycling…

The Anti-Social Season. By Adele Buck. 2024. Harlequin/Afterglow. After a decade as a firefighter, Thea Martinelli decides it’s time to quit. As the busy holiday season ramps up, she becomes the social-media coordinator for the Emergency Services Department and is paired with the social-media expert at the library for training. Librarian Simon Osmon had no idea he’d agreed to mentor his high-school crush. Christmas Is All Around. By Martha Waters. 2024. Atria. Twenty years ago, child actor Charlotte Lane starred in a hit movie, Christmas, Truly. Now she just wants to get through her holiday visit with her sister without being recognized. But when she meets Graham Calloway at a Christmas lights ceremony, the ghost of her Christmas-movie past may well return to haunt her. The Christmas Catch. By Toni…

Adult Brooklyn. By Colm Tóibín. Read by Saoirse Ronan. Long Island. By Colm Tóibín. Read by Jessie Buckley. 2024. Simon & Schuster Audio. The Eilis Lacey series began with Brooklyn in 2009, but both books received new audio presentations this year with top-notch Irish actresses, Ronan (Ladybird) and Buckley (Wicked Little Letters). Each brings an authenticity to the characters. How Does That Make You Feel, Magda Eklund? By Anna Montague. Read by Cynthia Nixon. 2024. HarperAudio. Nixon (Sex and the City) creates terrifically nuanced characters for this notable debut novel about a New York therapist who takes one last road trip with the ashes of her best friend, while reckoning with some later-in-life understanding of herself. A Kid from Marlboro Road. By Edward Burns. Read by the author. 2024. Recorded…

Boogie Boogie, Y’all. By C. G. Esperanza. Read by the author. 2021. HarperAudio. K–Gr. 3. How can a picture book as vibrant and visually engaging as Esperanza’s bold love letter to graffiti art work on audio? By turning it into a song that you can’t possibly listen to while sitting still. Five Stories. By Ellen Weinstein. Read by a full cast. 2024. Live Oak. PreS–Gr. 3. The simple story of five generations of immigrant families becomes a vibrant read-along opportunity with a soundscape that helps youngsters notice the fine details in richly rendered neighborhood scenes. I Talk like a River. By Jordan Scott. Read by the author. 2020. Dreamscape. K–Gr. 3. A warm and deeply human interpretation of a gorgeous picture book. This is a rare and valuable audiobook that…

House Finds a Home. By Katy S. Duffield. Illus. by Jen Corace. 2022. Viking. PreS–Gr. 2. A sturdy little house watches many families come and go within his walls over the years, and while he feels sadness when one family leaves, each new resident brings more love to his heart. The House of Grass and Sky. By Mary Lyn Ray. Illus. by E. B. Goodale. 2021. Candlewick. PreS–Gr. 2. After a bustling family moves away, a house in a lovely meadow stands empty. It longs for the warmth of family again, and after many seasons, a new family moves in and loves the house as much as it loves them. The House Next Door. By Claudine Crangle. Illus. by the author. 2021. Groundwood. PreS–Gr. 1. A house used to being…

The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club. By Gil McNeil. 2009. Hyperion/Voice. After her husband is killed in a car accident—just after telling her that he was leaving her—a woman and her two young sons move to a small English town to take over her grandmother’s knitting shop, where she learns more than just purl-one from the clients. Close Knit. By Jenny Colgan. 2024. Avon. In a rugged northern island off the coast of Scotland, a shy woman, raised with help from the local knitting club, slowly comes out of her shell in this delightful, sweet novel for fans of Debbie Macomber. A Dark and Stormy Knit. By Peggy Ehrhart. 2024. Kensington. The latest in a long-running cozy mystery series (which started with Murder, She Knit) features neighborhood sleuths…

A first generation Bengali Canadian, Aurora Palit grew up in rural Alberta, where she was always the only South Asian student in her class. Her love of reading began at age four, but it wasn’t until high school—when she wandered into the romance section of a bookstore—that she realized happily-ever-afters are her jam. Flash forward (an undisclosed number of) years and Aurora is now writing those stories with her own unique brand of humor, perspective, and belief that people of color deserve love stories, too. During her time pursuing a master’s degree in English literature, Aurora was drawn to discourses on diaspora and identity, racism, and multigenerational immigrant experiences—topics she now explores in her writing. When she’s not testing her characters’ patience, Aurora is raising small humans, roasting her spouse,…

Green Heart. By Alice Hoffman. Read by Nora Hunter. 2024. Scholastic. Gr. 7–10. Print published 2012. Green experiences an apocalyptic event that spares her but takes her family. She eventually evolves into a whole new being as she fights to save her new friends. As Green transforms to Ash and then back to Green, Hunter’s clean, crisp narration highlights the melodic nature of Hoffman’s writing. Indian Shoes. By Cynthia Leitich Smith. Read by Shaun Taylor-Corbett. 2022. HarperCollins/Heartdrum. Gr. 3–6. Print published 2002. Ray Halfmoon recounts life in Chicago and Oklahoma, emphasizing the strong link between himself and his grandfather. Taylor-Corbett (Blackfeet) delivers the text in a clear, well-paced voice. This reissue is part of Smith’s (Muscogee) new Heartdrum imprint. One for the Money. By Janet Evanovich. Read by Lorelei King. 2024.…

Older Beyond Words: What Elephants and Whales Think and Feel. By Carl Safina. Illus. by the author. 2019. Roaring Brook. Gr. 5–9. Using emotive writing, Safina brings middle-grade and YA readers a thoughtful adaptation of his adult work on the social structure and emotional intelligence of elephants and whales. Endangered Whales. By Clara MacCarald. 2023. ReferencePoint/BrightPoint. Gr. 6–10. This volume in the high/low Focus on Endangered Species series highlights four endangered whale species: North Atlantic right, sei, blue, and gray. Each species overview is followed by descriptions of threats faced and ongoing conservation efforts. Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth’s Most Awesome Creatures. By Nick Pyenson. Illus. by Alex Boersma. 2018. Viking. Gr. 10–12. In this adult crossover title for teens, Pyenson (paleontologist and curator at the…

Around the World in 80 Plants. By Jonathan Drori. 2021. Laurence King. With Lucille Clerc’s Audubon-like illustrations, Drori’s portrait gallery of 80 key plants is erudite, educational, aesthetically pleasing, and verdant with an abundance of intriguing botanical facts. Chasing Plants: Journeys with a Botanist through Rainforests, Swamps, and Mountains. By Chris Thorogood. 2022. Univ. of Chicago. Botanist Thorogood recounts his journeys over treacherous terrain in search of unusual plants, which he vividly describes, including the parasitic, nightmarish Hydnora africana; the yellow, oblong, mildly disturbing desert hyacinth; and the giant butterbur, native to Japan. Darwin and the Art of Botany: Observations on the Curious World of Plants. By James T. Costa and Bobbi Angell. 2023. Timber. Darwin is renowned for his study of animal evolution, but much of his work focused…

PBS Books Readers Club After years of showcasing book festivals and hosting author and filmmaker interviews, PBS Books launched its PBS Books Readers Club in January 2024. This year, the cohosts (Fred Nahhat, Lauren Smith, Princess Weekes, and Heather-Marie Montilla) read 11 amazing books and watched numerous PBS shows along with book clubbers across the country. We explored numerous genres together—historical fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, dystopia, mystery, literary fiction, and more. If you are not familiar with the PBS Books Readers Club, join a community that celebrates fun content and the joy of reading with friends. Visit pbsbooks.org/readersclub. On Wednesday, December 11 at 8 p.m. ET, PBS Books Readers Club will share its highlights and reflect on a year of speaking with captivating authors who told their stories. In addition,…

Beautifully Me. By Nabela Noor. Illus. by Nabi H. Ali. 2021. Simon & Schuster. K–Gr. 2. On the first day of school, Zubi is excited about her new outfit, made specially in Bangladesh, until comments from family and classmates make her insecure about her size. A powerful message about how early the seeds of prejudice and body insecurity are sown. Big. By Vashti Harrison. Illus. by the author. 2023. Little, Brown. PreS–Gr. 3. When a little girl is growing, being big is something to be proud of. But as she gets older, big becomes a word to hurt. In this Caldecott winner, Harrison’s expressive illustrations make innovative use of the picture-book format to signal the cheerful Black girl’s shifting feelings. The Big Bath House. By Kyo Maclear. Illus. by Gracey Zhang.…

Eight Dates and Nights. By Betsy Aldredge. 2023. Delacorte/Underlined. Gr. 8–11. Hardened New Yorker Hannah isn’t thrilled to spend Hanukkah with her nana in her East Texas community dominated by Christmas. There, a Jewish deli lures her in, but it’s charming Noah who lights her up with his version of Hanukkah. Readers who like a little canoodling with their knishes will melt like grilled cheese on challah over this seasonal romance. Eight Nights of Flirting. By Hannah Reynolds. 2022. Razorbill. Gr. 8–10. This holiday rom-com sets its Hanukkah festivities in a grand house on wintry Nantucket. As Shira’s family gathers, she intends to get a boyfriend. To pursue career-focused Isaac, she enlists former-crush Tyler to help her learn how to flirt—until she realizes she’s not entirely over him, and he’s…