New releases: July 2017 - children's books - Owlish Books

I’ve just come back from a family vacation in France that included my two-year-old niece Amélie. Naturally, that means I’ve recently read a bunch of children’s books. So this week I’ll be looking at the new releases in children’s book. I know I usually write about the new releases on Wednesday, but this Wednesday I am part of a blog tour for a very fun and interesting romance novel, so I’m two days early with my overview. Other new releases of July 2017 can be found by genre right here on Goodreads.

  • Walking with Miss Millie by Tamara Bundy
    Publication date: July 4th 2017
    Alice is angry at having to move to Rainbow, Georgia—a too small, too hot, dried-up place she’s sure will never feel like home. Then she gets put in charge of walking her elderly neighbour’s dog. But Clarence won’t budge without Miss Millie, so Alice and Miss Millie walk him together. Strolling with Miss Millie quickly becomes the highlight of Alice’s day, as she learns about the town’s past and meets a mix of its catty and kind residents. As the two become confidantes, Alice is finally able to express her heartache over her father’s desertion; and when Miss Millie tells her family story, Alice begins to understand the shameful history of Segregation, and recognize the racism they need to fight against. Navigating the neighbourhood with Miss Millie gives Alice new perspective, the wisdom to move on from her anger, and even enables her to laugh again. Tamara Bundy’s beautifully written story reminds readers that there is nothing like friendship to lighten one’s load, and make anyplace a home.
  • The Apprentice Witch by James Nicol
    Publication date: July 25th 2017
    Arianwyn has flunked her witch’s assessment: She’s doomed. Declared an apprentice and sent to the town of Lull in disgrace, she may never become a real witch– much to the glee of her arch-rival, Gimma. But remote Lull is not as boring as it seems. Strange things are sighted in the woods, a dangerous infestation of hex creeps throughout the town, and a mysterious magical visitor arrives with his eye on her. With every spirit banished, creature helped, and spell cast, Arianwyn starts to get the hang of being a witch–even if she’s only an apprentice. But the worst still lies ahead. For a sinister darkness has begun to haunt her spells, and there may be much more at stake than just her pride . . . for Arianwyn and the entire land.
  • Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls by Beth McMullen
    Publication date: July 4th 2017
    A girl discovers her boarding school is actually an elite spy-training program, and she must learn the skills of the trade in order to find her mother in this action-packed middle-grade debut. After a botched escape plan from her boarding school, Abigail is stunned to discover the school is actually a cover for an elite spy ring called The Center, along with being training grounds for future spies. Even more shocking? Abigail’s mother is a top agent for The Center and she has gone MIA, with valuable information that many people would like to have—at any cost. Along with a former nemesis and charming boy from her grade, Abigail goes through a crash course in Spy Training 101, often with hilarious—and sometimes painful—results. But Abigail realizes she might be a better spy-in-training than she thought—and the answers to her mother’s whereabouts are a lot closer than she thinks…
  • Now by Antoinette Portis
    Publication date: July 11th 2017
    This is my favourite cloud… because it’s the one I am watching. This is my favourite tree… because it’s the one where I’m swinging. This is my favourite tooth… because it’s the one that is missing. Follow a little girl as she takes you on a tour through all of her favourite things, from the holes she digs to the hugs she gives.
  • Black Belt Bunny by Jacky Davis and Jay Fleck
    Publication date: July 11th 2017
    Black Belt Bunny is fast and strong and has seriously awesome moves from front-kicks to back-flips to air-chops. Then he’s faced with something new, something every bunny must learn, something he might not be as good at: He has to make… a salad. Black Belt Bunny tries to escape. He even disguises himself with a fake moustache. But when he finally hops to it, he discovers that his seriously awesome moves come in pretty handy. 
  • I actually like three of these children’s books. The story about the witch sounds like a great alternative to your typical princess story. It’s about a girl who’s failed at something and is now trying to make the best of her situation, helping who and where she can. The main character in the spy novel also isn’t let anything defeat her. She does everything she can to cope with her new reality and find her mother. And I also think the fourth book sounds interesting, about a girl living in the now who describes everything around her. Two books about strong little girls who don’t back down, which I think can be very good role models for little girls. The fourth book is probably more for a younger audience, but I like the idea behind it. To-read list: + 3.

    Happy reading,

    Loes M.

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