Ladybug Nominee Profile and more...

In This Issue... Ladybug Nominee Profile 2026 National Book Festival & Great Reads Selections! Book of the Week (8/3/2026) 3 on a Theme: Monadnock Stories Ladybug Nominee Profile

Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson and Dan Santat (Dial Books, 2025)

Why, dear reader, must you NEVER EVER trust fish?

1) They spend all their time in the water where we can’t see them.
2) Some are as big as a bus—that is not okay.
3) We don't know what they're teaching in their "schools."
4) They are likely plotting our doom.

This nature-guide-gone-wrong is a hilarious, off-the-rails exploration of the seemingly innocent animals that live in the water.

About Neil Sharpson

Neil Sharpson lives in Dublin with his wife and their two children. Having written for theater since his teens, Neil transitioned to writing novels in 2017, adapting his play The Caspian Sea into When The Sparrow Falls. A huge fan of animation, Neil writes Unshaved Mouse, a comedic review blog mostly focusing on animated film and comic book movies. His website is: https://unshavedmouse.com/

About Dan Santat

Dan Santat is the National Book Award-winning, Caldecott Medal–winning, and New York Times–bestselling author and illustrator of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend and the road trip/time travel adventure Are We There Yet? His artwork is also featured in numerous picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade novels, including Dav Pilkey's Ricky Ricotta series. Dan lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and many, many pets. His website is: https://sites.google.com/g.risd.org/dansantat/home

Activities & Links

• Check out this Read Aloud with the author: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq5p9R1FVWI
• Here's an interview with Dan Santat, illustrator of "Don't Trust Fish": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZS6SmqNRsg
• Check out these activity sheets with facts about fish: https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Fish-Facts-Coloring-Pages.pdf 
• Writing exercise: Have students write a funny paragraph convincing others why fish cannot be trusted based on the book's silly premise.
• Here's a link to free fish coloring pages: https://mondaymandala.com/fish-coloring-pages/

Suggestions for Further Reading

• Check out the other 2026 Ladybug Longlist titles featuring Swimming Creatures at: https://nhbookcenter.blogspot.com/2026/02/ladybug-longlist-swimming-creatures.html 
• Parrotfish Has a Superpower by Jill Esbaum, a 2025 Ladybug Longlist title and Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian and Tim Bowers, a 2011 Ladybug winning title are both fun books about fish that you can count on. 
• For more books written or illustrated by Dan Santat, consider Built to Last by Minh Lê and Dan Santat, a 2025 Ladybug Longlist title, A New Day by Brad Meltzer and Dan Santat, a 2024 Ladybug Longlist title and After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat, a 2018 Ladybug Nominee Finalist. 

This is one of nine titles nominated for the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award.
We will be posting information about a different nominee each Friday throughout the summer and will issue a pdf voters guide featuring all the titles by Labor Day.

For a link to the author lineup of more than 80 authors at the festival, click here.

The Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library has selected the book, Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor by Emily Arnold McCully as our 2026 selection for Young Readers. 

Mattie could make almost anything – toys, sleds, kites, and a foot warmer. When she was just twelve years old, Mattie designed a metal guard to prevent shuttles from shooting off textile looms and injuring workers at the mills in Manchester, New Hampshire. Later, as an adult at the Columbia Paper Bag Company in Springfield, Massachusetts, Mattie invented the machine that makes the square-bottom paper bags we still use today. Over the course of her life, Marvelous Mattie earned the title of "the Lady Edison." This is the incredible story of the first woman to receive a U.S. patent.

The Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library has selected the book, Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving as our 2026 selection for Adult Readers.

The Old Scarecrow by Tabatha Jean D'Agata (Hb Publishing House, 2025)

Farmer Fred faces a tough choice. His old scarecrow, Tom, has stood guard over the cornfield for years. But now, a relentless flock of crows threatens to devour his crops.

As the crows invade, Fred's bond with Tom is tested. It's not just about the corn; it's about tradition, loyalty, and what it means to protect.

Farmer Fred scratched his head as the crows swarmed the cornfield. Tom the scarecrow had been a loyal guardian for years. But with the corn disappearing faster than ever, Fred began to think it might be time for a change.

Will Goose, Cow, and a particularly shaggy Sheep (who desperately needs a shave) rally together to save their cherished scarecrow, Tom, from possible replacement?

However, help can often come in mysterious shapes and sizes.

Join Fred on this heartfelt journey. Will he choose practicality or sentiment? Dive into The Old Scarecrow and find out. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Tabatha Jean D’Agata is a writer who has authored several books for children. As a dedicated literacy columnist for the Parent Express Newspaper, she advocates for the importance of reading and writing in children's lives. D’Agata shares her love for writing by conducting workshops for children in schools and libraries, inspiring the next generation of storytellers. D’Agata resides in Hooksett, NH where she enjoys making memories with her family, tucking a penny in her shoe for good luck, sending wishes with dandelion fluff, and indulging in chocolate—because she believes chocolate fixes everything! 

Monadnock Originals: Colorful Characters from New Hampshire’s Quiet Corner by Alan F. Rumrill

Written in Granite: Monadnock Poems & Stories by Sebastian Lockwood

Murder on Mount Monadnock by J. S. Winter

The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2025)

Roz is not where she’s supposed to be.
 
You see, the robot wasn’t designed to live in the wilderness. But when she washes up on an island, she must learn from the animal inhabitants and adapt to her new, natural surroundings, and before long, the island begins to feel like home.
 
Filled with bestselling creator and award-winning artist Peter Brown’s stunning artwork, this moving picture book is the perfect gift for readers new to The Wild Robot or for longtime fans of the series that sparked a global phenomenon.

Note: This is NOT a continuation of the series. It is a picture book adaptation of the first book in the series, The Wild Robot.

About Peter Brown

Peter Brown is a writer and illustrator, known for his children's picture books. Brown was awarded the Caldecott Medal for his illustration of Creepy Carrots! Six books that he authored & illustrated have been New York Times bestsellers, including Children Make Terrible Pets, The Curious Garden, The Wild Robot, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, You Will Be My Friend!, and The Wild Robot Escapes. Peter lives in Maine with his wife, Susan (X. Fang), and their dog, Pam. His website is: https://www.peterbrownstudio.com/

Activities & Links

• Check out this animated Read aloud at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkjMO0ppSOY
• Here's an interview with Peter Brown about "The Wild Robot on the Island": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCpdGf4i-80
• Check out this activity kit for the animated film, "The Wild Robot" based off of the book series: https://www.dreamworks.com/downloads/WRB_Activity_Kit_HomeEnt_Complete.pdf 
• Design activity: Have students create a model of the island using text clues for the meadows, forests, and beaver pond.
• Here's a fun cut & color robot worksheet: https://rosiereader.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/robot-diy-rosie-reader.pdf

Suggestions for Further Reading

• Check out the other 2026 Ladybug Longlist titles featuring Nature at: https://nhbookcenter.blogspot.com/2026/02/ladybug-longlist-nature.html 
• Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots by Michael Rex, a 2022 Ladybug Longlist title is another book about robots that you can count on. 
• For another book illustrated by Peter Brown, consider Creepy Carrots!, a 2013 Ladybug Nominee Finalist title. 

This is one of nine titles nominated for the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award.
We will be posting information about a different nominee each Friday throughout the summer and will issue a pdf voters guide featuring all the titles by Labor Day.