Pax: Journey Home
Sara Pennypacker  

It has been a year since Peter and Pax, the fox he raised as a pet, last saw each other. Peter, left orphaned by war, has moved on from his adoptive home. He joins the Water Warriors, intending to return home and, hopefully, to reunite with Pax. Meanwhile, Pax is living in the wild with a family of his own. Peter and Pax have never forgotten each other. Readers will come to care about all of the characters in the story as they become more knowledgeable about the lives and habits of foxes in the wild. Pax: Journey Home powerfully addresses the themes of friendship, trust, and caring for the environment. The characters in this story will surely work their way into the hearts of readers, especially those in the middle grades.

Our Table
Peter Reynolds

Violet had fond memories of spending time with her family around the table preparing and sharing meals while enjoying each other’s company. Then things changed. Violet’s family disappeared! She found her father watching TV, her mother sitting on the steps texting a friend, and her brother in his room playing games on his tablet. Even the family table got smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared. Violet missed the good times spent around the family table, so she came up with a plan. With the help of technology, the family rebuilt the table and once again enjoyed sharing meals and spending time together. Our Table is a simple fable with an important message; connecting to devices can be exciting and fun, but human connection is even better.

This book will be released November 2, just in time for Thanksgiving!

Ten Ways to Hear Snow
Cathy Camper

This thoughtful, lovely book will set you up for a “listening walk” with the children in your life.

The Beatryce Prophecy
Kate DiCamillo
A goat, a wild-eyed monk, a boy who ran as his parents were killed by a robber, a man who once was king, and a girl who remembers only her name.

This is not a book where, in the end, all things broken have been restored and all evil has been banished forever. Cruel people exist and bad things happen, and some things cannot be fixed, but love, kindness, and hope can make the world a better place.

And all heroes are reluctant but must set aside their fears as best they can. (The innkeeper’s wife demonstrates that even a little bit of courage from one person with only the smallest role might make all the difference.)

I think that "middle-grades" is probably the correct target age for this book, but I found it worth reading, too. There is much to digest in terms of fear, courage, guilt, retribution, and forgiveness.