Cosmo is an older dog and all he wants is to make his boy Max happy. But lately, things have not been all that happy in his family’s home. Max’s parents are yelling a lot and Max and his sister seem sad and worried. So when Max decides to enter Cosmo in a dance competition in an attempt to save his parent’s marriage, Cosmo tries to ignore his aches and pains and jump right in. Will Cosmo’s dancing be good enough to restore his happy family? This is a sweet, heartwarming story about a loyal golden retriever who will not give up. You can hear the author introducing I, Cosmohere, or reading an excerpt from the book here. If you liked this one, the author is writing a similar story from the point of view of a cat that will be published in April 2021.
Roll With It By Jamie Sumner MFIC SUMNER
Ellie has cerebral palsy, but she is not about to let being in a wheelchair stop her from being a professional baker. She knows she’s disadvantaged and refuses to sugar coat things, but she also won’t give up on her dreams. Then her grandfather starts getting into trouble because of his Alzheimer’s and Ellie and her mom move into her grandparents’ trailer park to help out. Moving comes with a lot of challenges for Ellie. Trying to make friends in a new middle school can be hard for anyone, but is especially hard for someone in a wheelchair. Will she ever be able to roll with her new life? You can learn more about cerebral palsy at Brittanica’s website. If you would like to explore some recipes from Ellie’s favorite show, you can head to The Great British Bake Off’s website. Jamie Sumner has new book, Tune it Out, coming out on September 1st, so keep checking the library catalog for that one!
Stand Up, Yumi Chung By Jessica Kim NEW MFIC KIM
On the outside, Yumi Chung suffers from #shygirlproblems, a perm-gone-wrong, and kids calling her "Yu-MEAT" because she smells like her family's Korean barbecue restaurant. On the inside, Yumi is ready for her Netflix stand-up special. Her notebook is filled with mortifying memories that she's reworked into comedy gold. All she needs is a stage and courage. Instead of spending the summer studying her favorite YouTube comedians, Yumi is enrolled in test-prep tutoring to qualify for a private school scholarship, which will help in a time of hardship at the restaurant. One day after class, Yumi stumbles on an opportunity that will change her life: a comedy camp for kids taught by one of her favorite YouTube stars. The only problem is that the instructor and all the students think she's a girl named Kay Nakamura--and Yumi doesn't correct them. As this case of mistaken identity unravels, Yumi must decide to stand up and reveal the truth or risk losing her dreams and disappointing everyone she cares about. (from Amazon.com) You can head to Jessica Kim’s website to learn 10 facts about her, see some photos, and hear her tell a few jokes. She also has some fun book-related activities on this page.
Midsummer’s Mayhem By RajaniLaRocca MFIC LAROCCA
In this contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, eleven-year-old Mimi comes from a big Indian American family: Dad's a renowned food writer, Mom's a successful businesswoman, and her three older siblings all have their own respective accomplishments. It's easy to feel invisible in such an impressive family! Mimi's dream of proving she's not the least-talented member of her family seems possible when she discovers a contest at the new bakery in town. Then, drawn into the woods behind her house by a strangely familiar song, Mimi meets Vik, a boy who brings her to parts of the forest she's never seen. Who knew there were banyan trees and wild boars in Massachusetts? Together they discover exotic ingredients and bake them into delectable and enchanting treats. But as her dad acts stranger every day, and her siblings' romantic entanglements cause trouble in their town, Mimi begins to wonder whether the ingredients she and Vik found are somehow the cause of it all. She needs to use her skills, deductive and epicurean, to uncover what's happened. In the process, she learns that in life, as in baking, not everything is sweet. . . . (from Amazon.com) The author of this book, RajaniLaRocca, is also a doctor. You can find out more about her at her website.
We're Not from Here By Geoff Rodkey MFIC RODKEY
The first time I heard about Planet Choom, we'd been on Mars for almost a year. But life on the Mars station was grim, and since Earth was no longer an option (we may have blown it up), it was time to find a new home. That's how we ended up on Choom with the Zhuri. They're very smart. They also look like giant mosquitos. But that's not why it's so hard to live here. There's a lot that the Zhuri don't like: singing (just ask my sister, Ila), comedy (one joke got me sent to the principal's office), or any kind of emotion. The biggest problem, though? The Zhuri don't like us. And if humankind is going to survive, it's up to my family to change their minds. No pressure. (from Amazon.com) The author also wrote two other series, The Tapper Twins and The Chronicles of Eggwhich are hilarious and worth checking out.