I listened to The Good House on audio after it appeared on a list of 10 audiobooks so good you’ll want to fold another load of laundry, finish washing the dishes, or just sit in the driveway for 5 more minutes. This book definitely lived up to that hype for me and it was perfect company for those tasks. The Good House centers on small town life on the North Shore in Massachusetts. Our guide to the ins and outs of this world is self-described townie, Hildy Good–a realtor who makes it her business to know everything about everyone. I sometimes struggle with listening to contemporary adult fiction on audio, but this one is conversational and an addictive read, akin to listening in as your busy body neighbor shares some very intriguing town gossip.

I absolutely love the new Noodleheads early reader series by Tedd Arnold, author of the Fly Guy books. These books will have the littlest readers in your life laughing out loud and begging for more. I read Noodleheads See the Future to some first grade classes during library last week and they all wanted to check the book out. I’m very happy to see that a third book is due out in September 2018! A great read aloud choice.

“If growing up in this house hasn’t taught you all not to care whether you look cool or not, then I’m going to give up and send you all to school”. So says “CardaMom”, one of the moms in the delightful middle-grade book, The Lotterys Plus One by the author of the bestselling adult book Room, Emma Donoghue. This is the kind of boisterous, loving family you want to be a part of. Nine-year-old Sumac lives happily with her four parents, six siblings, and five pets–that is until an estranged grandfather struggling with dementia comes to live with the Lotterys and turns Sumac’s world upside down.  I’m hoping for a sequel so I can visit with these quirky, loveable characters again soon.

I’m a huge fan of the picture books written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen, such as this year’s The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse and the wonderful Extra Yarn. This fantastic read aloud is whimsical and funny, with beautiful illustrations. The story centers around a magical box of yarn that brightens a gloomy town and all of the inhabitants. It’s completely charming and a book that I keep coming back to with my students. If you’re a knitter, it would be wonderful to read the book aloud and then knit with your little ones.

Check out the story behind the story in this video with author Mac Barnett:

I know I’m not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but luckily in this case, Perennials’ gorgeous design did not disappoint. I completely fell into the story of Lovey Sutherland, who is called back to her family’s farm in Oxford, Mississippi and finds it might be time to try to make peace with the past. Compelling and heartfelt, I think this novel is perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Jojo Moyes. Julie Cantrell also brings this lush setting to life and the descriptions of the flower gardens central to this story will make you want to go start planting immediately–a perfect choice for spring. Bonus: Mississippi authors Eudora Welty and William Faulkner are weaved into the story. Highly recommended and I already have my library holds in for more books by Julie Cantrell! Up next, I’ll be sharing the perfect books to pair with this one.