Really. Who doesn't love books that feature frogs?
Consider the amphibian characters in these children's literature classics: Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham, Frog and Toad early reader series by Arnold Lobel, and Froggy picture book series by Jonathan London.  
Face it. Frogs have delighted generations of young readers.
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​By the way, did you know that biologically speaking,  toads are a subset of frogs?
They're all in the same family!

In 2016, two new books for young readers will join this distinguished cannon of books featuring frogs. Both books have the potential to become classics in their own right. Take a look at what is coming your way.

Acclaimed author Susan Hood joyfully explores the developmental amphibian cycle in Leaps and Bounce, a jazzy riff on the "growing by leaps and bounds" adage. The text's rhythm and rhyme brings "bounce" to each page and invites readers to take the next page turn "leap". 
Award-winning illustrator Matthew Cordell's art perfectly mimics the exhuberant words. He manages to give not just frogs, but also tadpoles and even egg masses personality! He employs a muted palette of aquatic blues and greens, with just the right pop of yellow. The gatefolds are exactly, precisely right.
The underlying theme "just as sure as rivers flow, changes come to all who grow"  gives the book universal appeal.
Destined to become a can't-miss sure-fire hit!

Newbery Award-winning author Kwame Alexander ups the ante with this delightful picture book celebrating the joys of frogs, surfing, reading, friendship and...wait for it... Moby Dick. Who knew that you could include all of that in a picture book with simple dialog between two characters? Alexander makes it work in Surf's Up.
Daniel Miyares expressive frogs are spot on and immediately invite reader's engagement. Readers can relate to the dilemma of the pull of the surf verses the pull of a fascinating tale. The pictures brilliantly illustrate this concept with verve, while simultaneously allowing the brightly colored words to shine. 
Dude. This book is epic!

Is there anything more Texan than finding Julie Murphy's Dumplin' sittin' pretty on a Wal-Mart book display shelf ? 
I think not.
Yes, the story is terrific. Yes, the characters are well-drawn. Yes, the ongoing tension of a mother-daughter relationship is spot-on.  Yes, the details of an evolving friendship are poignant. Yes, the awakening of first love is fraught with uncertainty. Yes, the theme of learning to accept and love oneself is a universal experience.
But this story takes place in Texas. And for me, the setting is an essential element to the story.
I cannot imagine this happening on the East Coast, West Coast, or any place near the Great Lakes. The narrative is dripping with the sass of hot sauce and nutty sweetness of pecan pralines. 
Consider the following:

Names
What is it about classic Southern names? It's the use of double names.  The name often includes a traditional surname combined with a family name.  With a double name, both names are always used together. Willowdean fits right in with Ida Mae, Mary Margaret, and Sue Ellen. It's part of the charm that is The South.

The Pageant
It's not a pageant. It's THE Pageant.
An alphabetical listing of twenty-five local Miss Texas pageants, beginning with Miss Arlington/Miss Mansfield and concluding with Miss White Settlement/Miss Grand Prairie is evidence of the enduring beauty competition phenomenon.

Cadillac Ranch
It's a lineup of classic Cadillacs, buried nose-down off the highway west of Amarillo. The original monument is now a constantly changing canvas for graffiti artists. 
"Tourists are always welcome at Cadillac Ranch. If you bring spray paint, make sure to snap some photos. Because whatever you create at Cadillac Ranch will probably only last a few hours before it's created over by someone else".

In a recent Publishers Weekly article, several authors of books for children and teens revealed a favorite childhood book.
For fun, try matching the following authors with his or her favorite book.
Answers are listed below.

The ten-year-old was searching for a new book to read and asked for advice. He said "No nonfiction books. I don't like nonfiction books."  
No nonfiction. No way! He was pretty adamant.  So... we scanned the display shelves, but nothing seemed quite right.
I spotted this little gem: Human Body Theater by Maris Wicks and casually included the fact that it is nonfiction.  But (and this was a big but) I explained that it was in a graphic novel. Knowing how much he enjoyed graphic novels, I thought there was a chance he might reconsider and foray into Wick's comic.
The cover attracted his interest.  He was willing to actually touch it. (That's a start.) The images grabbed his attention and he began to read, pausing to ask for help with a few words. "How do you say G-O-L-G-I?"  "What about C-O-C-C-Y-X?"

A few days later I caught up with him and asked what he thought of the book.
The verdict:  He loved it!
He especially enjoyed watching the skeleton gradually become a complete person with the addition of each body system.
He decided to write a book review for his teacher.  It is interesting to note that he chose to focus his report on the reproductive system. I wondered if this was because reproduction is not discussed in much detail in the elementary school classroom. Maybe he thought the teacher could use some information. 
He did have a question for the author. He noted that in the chapter on the digestive system that Wicks never explained about "butterflies in the stomach".  He wished that the author had clarified stomach butterflies for him. 

Meet Parker Grant in Eric Lindstrom's Not If I See You First.  She easily wins the "poster teen with problems" award. Consider the following: Her mother wrecked the car after drinking too much wine. The result is that her mother was killed instantly and at age seven Parker completely lost her sight. Her father recently died of a suspected suicide. Her former best friend exposed Parker's deepest feelings to an audience of middle school students. She is now forced to live with her aunt and her aunt's family. Her life is heartbreaking hard with a Capital H. 
Parker copes by defiantly wearing a blindfold over her eyes, jogging alone in the early morning throughout her neighborhood, and refusing to acknowledge her former best friend.
She is whip-smart, brittle, and fiercely independent. She views the world through the eyes of her pain.

Sixteen-year-old Lauren Peak is on a mission. With younger brother she leaves London and heads for New York City in search of her father. Her quest is further complicated by the fact that Lauren is blind. She must search for patterns and clues in a strange world which she cannot see.

Puzzles to solve, a missing person to locate, the truth to discover.
Try She is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick for a completely fresh and unique story about a girl seeking for answers, who just happens to be blind.