Shaking off the Winter Blues... with New Books!

BACKYARD FAIRIES 
by Phoebe Wahl
Knopf/PRH, 3/6

Fairies are real, and they're all around us! Award-winning author-illustrator Phoebe Wahl offers a fanciful and beautifully illustrated peek into the hidden world of fairies, sprites, and other magical creatures. A girl searches for fairies in her backyard and the woods beyond, following little clues and traces of magic. Fairies and other magical creatures can be found on every page, hidden among the flowers, trees and pebbles. But although readers can see them, the girl keeps searching, just one step behind... In the end, it is clear (both to the girl and readers) that there is magic all around, even when it's hidden in plain sight.

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A POSSIBILITY OF WHALES
by Karen Rivers
Algonquin Young Readers, 3/13

A ROUND OF ROBINS
by Katie Hesterman,
illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier
Nancy Paulsen Books/PRH, 3/27

Sixteen fresh and funny poems welcome a new batch of robins to the world! Mama's a skillful architect, constructing a sturdy nest, while Dad's a champion turf defender. And those hatchlings! Such fluffs of plump perfection! Katie Hesterman's vibrant verse celebrates this awesome circle of bird life, as we follow a pair of robin parents from nest-building and egg-laying, to raising their hungry hatchlings, and finally sending off their flying fledglings. Sergio Ruzzier's brilliant, candy-colored art pays tribute to all these stages of a robin's life cycle, reminding us that while robins may be common, they are also extraordinary!

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GwC #3: LIGHTS, MUSIC, CODE! 
by Jo Whittemore
Penguin Workshop/PRH, 3/13

Twelve-year-old Natalia Rose Baleine Gallagher loves possibilities: the possibility that she'll see whales on the beach near her new home, that the boy she just met will be her new best friend, that the photographers chasing her actor father won't force Nat and her dad to move again. Most of all, Nat dreams of the possibility that her faraway mother misses and loves Nat--and is waiting for Nat to find her. The thing is, Nat doesn't even know who her mother is. She left Nat as a baby, and Nat's dad refuses to talk about it. Nat knows she shouldn't need a mom, but she still feels like something is missing. In this heartfelt story about family, friendship, and growing up, Nat's questions lead her on a journey of self-discovery that will change her life forever.

Perfect for fans of The Babysitters Club and anyone interested in computer science, this series is published in partnership with the organization Girls Who Code! Maya and her friends from coding club have an exciting new project: they're coding lights and music for the winter dance! But when Maya's old troublemaking friend Maddie moves to town, Maya starts spending a lot of time with her, and less time with her coding friends. Maddie just gets her in a way that her other friends don't. Will Maya get swayed by Maddie's wayward ways, or will she stay true to her "permanent group" from coding club? And will she come through on her part for the light and music coding project? Maybe coding--like friendship--is about being there for your friends when they need you the most.