I've taken some time away from my blog, and have recently returned from a family trip to Costa Rica, on the beach, having a fabulous time in and out of the waves! Now it's time to look ahead. I actually didn't read very much on the trip. Too much was happening all the time, especially outside by the sea. But through the weeks I haven't posted, I have read, a lot! Here's a small pic of what I want to share. I've shared the more recent ones below with a few exceptions, like Gary Paulsen's last book. In this collage, note Canoe Days, an older picture book by Paulsen, a wonderful 'find' at the used bookstore where I volunteer!
Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they and others have been reading! Your TBR lists will grow!
I shared On A Gold-Blooming Day: Finding Fall Treasures, a new book by Buffy Silverman last week for Poetry Friday here. It's great!
It was bittersweet reading Gary Paulsen's final book, perhaps a fitting end, an adventure of a twelve-year-old boy, Leif, who had to flee his ship's camp because everyone had some disease, were dying. He was a foundling, raised by the crew but still a prisoner on board. One kind seaman sent him with a dugout canoe, a blanket bundle, a handaxe, a knife, flint and steel, and a metal point for making a spear. His journey along the north coasts, among islands, shows his survival instincts and skills. Interactions with whales and ravens, eagles and bears, plus observations about nature and life itself are beautifully written as Paulsen allows Leif to tell his story. When you read an author's note from him, you'll find it has a personal connection that feels very real. It's a lovely ending story from this special author.
Dan Santat's art and stories amaze and satisfy. This time, with underlying grief over the loss of her father, Sophia is struggling to meet a teacher's expectations for a science fair project, is sad that her uncle has little time to see her, and hangs out at Aqualand that her dad and uncle created, but her uncle still has no time. Her world changes drastically when an "aquanaut" breaks into the research lab. Where else but in Santat's books can sea creatures like an octopus and a crab learn to use an old diving suit and manage a daring rescue? There's love here and a message about what's most important in our lives. It's terrific!
A story we might not ever know without this telling by Stephen Briseño in his debut picture book. At the San Ysidro border in Mexico, Noemi and her mother are told to find the "notebook keeper" to be sure to add their names. They are given a number. That way, every day, the border patrol allows a few to cross the border to apply for asylum. Some stay; some are turned away. It's not a happy book, but one that tells the story of the kind notebook keeper who keeps hope in her heart to offer to everyone. "Tengan fe", she says, "Have faith." Magdalena Mora's illustrations are filled with color and poignant in her portrayal of the worry and sadness as so many wait, then wait some more. Briseño shares that no one knows how this notebook idea started but it ended at the beginning of the Pandemic and has not returned. There is one 'real' photo of one notebook keeper included at the end.
A young boy tells about his family's preparation for the important Pride parade he and his moms and now little brother Sammy will participate in. With color-filled illustrations by Juana Medina showing all kinds of diverse people, it explains what happens and a brief history of "why" and "how" it started, going back to the Stonewall riots of 1969. The joyous tone invites a happy read-aloud for young readers.
What's Next! Weeks ago I put on Goodreads that I was reading Emily St. John Mandel's Sea of Tranquility but I've just started it! Like her others, it's already intriguing.
Happy Reading!
I missed learning about new books from each of you!
