Monday Reading - Something for Everyone!

 

    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!    

        Congratulations are in order because last Monday, at the ALA awards, this book won the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. I imagine many readers want to tell all about a book that they loved, like me for this new, winning, graphic story. Yet, then again, I don't wish to give very much of it away! It's wonderful, filled to the brim with anger, tears and smiles. That's no surprise given that it's a coming-of-age story of almost 15-year-old Almudena, who's about to spend her summer with Xavier, the father she's never met. Her mother has the chance to star (and tour) in an international dance show, so Almudena is definitely stuck in an awkward, bound-to-fail situation. What's even worse. She knows very little Spanish, and her dad, only a bit of English. There are many grumpy looks from Almudena and other young ones she meets. There's a jealous girlfriend of Xavier and other young people who manage to name Almudena 'off-brand' because of her mixed heritage. Does she belong anywhere? Yet, as the story slides to the end, people begin to thaw on both sides and form a group we readers would also be happy to become a part of. When readers see how these characters navigate with who and what they don't understand, they may also learn and grow. Mar Julia's way of showing the ups and downs of emotions in her illustrations captures Samuel Teer's story with so much heart. I enjoyed reading his acknowledgments, too. 

        If you love complexity and learning about past historical events, this book by Henning Mankell is the one to find. Published in the early 90's, as Nelson Mandela was rising in popularity, predicted to become the 1st black president of South Africa. You may wonder how Mankell spectacular Detective Kurt Wallander fits into this. That's the intrigue! Wallander is struggling with depression and just returned to his apartment to find all his stereo equipment, and special albums are gone to some dirty thief. He goes to work to be confronted by a sobbing husband whose wife has gone missing. It seems like an ordinary case, but the connection to his wife, who is found dead eventually, broadens the case to a heinous plot to assassinate someone in South Africa, thought to be de Klerk, the current President. There are more, then even more, people to know (including Wallander's family), to love, and to hate. It's mind-blowing to see what happens to Wallander and his colleagues, the regular ones and new ones he must depend on to help. I raced through this one, and I'm now sad it's over. However, I will read more from this writer, sadly gone years ago.

Thanks to Candlewick Press for this copy!

         In a poem of love, Emma Dodd shows that love in beautiful illustrations , too, as a wee dolphin and its mother swim all kinds of ocean waves. She shows her young one that each day is a new beginning, ready to be brave. "When you follow your heart,/you cannot go wrong." The book will be a wonderful gift for a young child on special occasions. 

Thanks to Candlewick Press 
for my copy!

         This is a bit different from the books I've enjoyed from Patrick Ness, and the illustrations throughout the story by Tim Miller will surely make middle-grade readers love it. Those monitor lizards, Zeke, Daniel, and Alicia, are mostly ignored by the other animals, but this time, they've been chosen as hall monitors, a not-so-easy way to make friends, right? They must face not only a few bullies, but one that is worse, a supervillain pelican! I imagine readers will think they've found some comparisons from their own experiences, and perhaps some help! It's the first in a new series by Ness!

Thanks to Candlewick Press for
my copy! 

            For everyone, for Valentine's Day, for teachers who want a fantastic time of writing with students, Joseph Coelho and 21 artist friends create 21 double-page incredible pages, each with a tiny tale full of love and each artist's dream interpretation. There are suggestions for educators at the end for using the tiny tales for inspiration. It is a gorgeous book, and it would also be fun to read aloud with just one or two.

Now reading: The Booklover's Library – Madeline Martin

Monday Reading - Find A Special Book!

        

    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!

           It's the National Book Award winner this year, and oh, so great a story! From the cover: "If Kareen could throw a penalty flag on the fouls of his school and home life, it would be for unnecessary roughness." Yes, for each chapter, Shifa Saltagi Safadi has offered a football definition, bringing the poetry of Kareen's life to football in a verse novel of both sad and happy changes. Even being born in the US isn't enough. Kareen is born to a Syrian family, cruelly called "Cereals" by those who ignore or tease them just because of who he is. He loves football but ends up in a moral dilemma because one enemy, Austin, lures him into doing work for him with a promise to help him get on the team. His father promises that Kareen will help a new refugee get settled into school. His only friend has moved away! More and more pile-ons bring no touchdowns, only penalties. Kareem's actions gain nothing but what football calls "sacks". Safadi shows the hidden emotional tolls of what it is like for kids "between". I loved her honest portrayal and wish it wasn't so true for them. Readers will give Kareem hope all through the story and keep wondering if he will bring a win at the end of this "game" called middle-school life.

       This is a wonderful, full-of-heart, story by Stephanie Ellen Sy, with enticing, colorful illustrations by Daniel Tingcungco. After a stormy night, young Maya looks out her window and sees a roof! The Philippines experience many storms, typhoons, and more. Their homes are easily torn apart, and most put their names and addresses on the roofs so they can be returned! Through this journey, Maya and her father take the rolled-up roof and go on a search for the owners. Along the way, Sy shows the obstacles, and readers see all the people who help them on the way, like a farmer with his carabao (a draft animal) helps clear a blocked path, and fishers take them across a raging river because the road has been swept away. The examples show the gathering of a Bayanihan, which means "being in a community."  A note at the back shares this spirit "when ordinary Filipinos turn into a bayani, someone who does something courageous for their community." This is Maya and her father's story, but I imagine there are many like this in real life, perhaps recently in the wake of the recent hurricanes in Florida and North Carolina! With the note at the back, Tingcungco creates the line of people in this Bayanihan and names them with their English and Filipino names, like "Farmer (Magsasaka) and Shoemaker (Sapatero).  I enjoyed it very much! 

      Bit by bit, Kyle Lukoff shares the journey that young Jack needs to learn when saying "Sorry" to a classmate for pushing down her castle. Simple words in the notes and Julie Kwon's beautifully emotional illustrations bring the classroom to readers as day by day, Jack tries, with his teacher gently guiding him to arrive at the three things that must be written in his apology to succeed! The text is written entirely in notes, simple and powerful words! Watching Jack's expressions while reading his notes tells all that's needed to know! It may be written for young readers, but everyone needs to know these steps for apologies! 

       I did not know this inspiring story of Junko Tabei by debut author Anita Yasuda, and now I'm glad I do and happy to share the book. It's filled with her life, from the early love of climbing to her triumphant accomplishment of being the first woman to conquer Everest. Before, women were denied permits. It wasn't easy; she and her team (the first all-women's team) nearly died from an avalanche on the way up. Thanks to Sherpas, who rescued her! And, she carried on! Anita Yasuda tells Junko's story from beginning to end, with the choices to keep going "Up, Up, Ever Up! in both mountain-climbing and starting other nature-related work. Showing her adventurous spirit in her desire for climbing for women are the fabulous illustrations of Junko who is ever on the move by Yuki Shimizu. She also illustrated The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Latham, which won a Caldecott Honor. 

         There is a timeline at the back, along with a glossary, source notes, and a bibliography filled with both books about her and about Everest and its climbers. A final note: Junko was also the first woman to conquer all seven summits! (Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Vinson, and Puncak Jaya). It's a terrific biography that will undoubtedly be loved here in the Colorado Rockies! 

         Eighteen poems celebrate these eighteen dogs, written by David Elliott, accompanied by eighteen marvelous illustrations by eighteen different illustrators. Each page is interesting because Elliott adds some extra notes to his poems, and delightful the varied way the illustrators create "their" dogs. Do you know the tallest dog, one bred for hunting rats, or one who never wants to stop working? Those answers and more are in the book! The ending includes "Mutt": "A little this./A little that./A little everything but cat." And bios of the artists with memories of their own special dogs. Endpapers stretch across both pages with "Anatomy of a Dog". It's a gem for pulling out memories as readers laugh along with the humor and enjoy all the facts! 

         I've loved other books by Lesa Cline-Ransome, like Finding Langston, her debut novel, and Before She Was Harriet, another picture book. This time, she's taken the days in the week and placed this young slave doing something both admirable and frightening, helping his people learn to read! It was a forbidden act and punishable by either whippings or sometimes death! In gorgeous warm-feeling illustrations, James E. Ransome illuminates Cline-Ransome's tale of brave people who are working hard to learn, even late at night after a long day at their other work. As you see from the title, they call him Teach (a secret name.) He learned because he grew up as a companion to his master's son, learning what that boy learned. Now, he works at his master's general store, writing receipts, keeping notes, and delivering packages. When he's caught looking at his master's newspaper, he realizes he must care more about what he's seen doing. The rest of the times are his own. Mondays, he's teaching kids at night in a stable, each with a slate he keeps hidden, letter sounds in quiet whispers. Tuesdays find him delivering to his master's cook who has a secret note, asks what it says. He tells her of the words, North, Yankees, soldiers (whispers of a war coming). As he tells her, he also teaches her some of the letters! That's how his days continue, learning and helping people learn. He is Teach! 

       There's an Author's Note and a list of additional books on Resistance at the back. 

Now reading: A YA sci-fi titled Predestined by Rachel Byrne, trying to find time to read has been a challenge this past busy week, but soon, I'll finish! It's quite intriguing so far, about a prestigious private school with scary secrets! And, I just started Pete Hautman's Answers to Dog!

It's Monday! Ready for Winter Reading!

          

    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 hope you had a nice Thanksgiving, if you celebrated. And, if you're in that eastern over-the-top snow fall, hope you've managed to stay safe! Pictures of the amounts are hard to believe! Have a nice week ahead! 

Thanks to Candlewick Press
for my copy!

       Cousins Owen, 12, with Vivian, almost 12, and little sister, Amy, 8, are on a camping trip with parents and finally have talked them into camping further on the trail and by a lake, alone, for a night and a day! They're certainly excited and have experience, are ready! But in that night, an earthquake happened, pushing huge rocks into the lake, awakening them up wet, and destroying the trail back to their parents. What to do, what they did, and how they managed is an adventure of accomplishment for these young kids. Anne Nesbet shows the characters face fears, not because they want to, but because they must, to help themselves make it, and to help each other! It's a treasure of a story to watch them travel "The Long Way Around"! 

   from Goodreads: "A celebratory and empowering story from young trans activist Gavin Grimm, two-time Stonewall Award-winning and Newbery Honor-winning author Kyle Lukoff, and illustrator J Yang follows the true story of how a young boy stood up for himself--and made history along the way."

             When a kid, named Gavin this time, grows up and realizes he has a choice to make, he does, first told to his mother, and supported. Gavin, as written above, with trans author, Kyle Lukoff and trans illustrator, J Yang, shows readers all about the choices for trans people, those supporting and what's supported, and by whom. This time, it's a focus on his school. It's the journey that led Gavin to choose to stand for what he thought was his right, to use the bathroom as himself! He has continued his fight, working for everyone's choices, and working with the ACLU.
Notes from Gavin and Kyle are at the back! I wish this book could be accessible to all kids. It's new to me, but out in 2022. I'm so glad to have found it!

       I've had the pleasure of working with David L. Harrison at the Highlights Foundation and admire his poetic abilities very much. He writes a blog post every day and has published many, many picture books of poetry in his life, plus numerous books about teaching poetry in the classroom. Each of his books for children will enhance studies about poetry and often are science-based, like double learning for the writers! He is currently the Poet Laureate of Missouri. 

       This time, having collaborated on two other books, David and Kate Cosgrove celebrate trees, from their beginnings to that time of taking a break in winter, then back starting again, a tree's all around the year with David's poetic voice and Kate's charming illustrations. A few favorite moments are these: "the rain/SHOUTS,/"Wake up,/you lazy roots!" And they do, welcoming the water and the "Leaves UNFOLD/like a/new dress." Pages of springtime fill with green welcoming ants and bees, beetles and butterflies. I think you can imagine the rest of the journey, except it's much better to read, perhaps "hear" David's words and see Kate's art! For those who want to start a study with young readers, perhaps in autumn to view the end, then the start in the spring, this book will be terrific for studying again and again! 

        At the back, David tells of a hackberry tree in his yard, "his" tree, that he watches day by day, all the year. Perhaps a class or a parent and child would like to find their own tree. Maybe it's already there, waiting for a friend? It's a beautiful book! 

     It's fun to discover an older book published by McSweeney's. George Sanders tells of hree neighbors, whose small houses are by the sea and whose children are tasked constantly to brush the Gappers (something like larger cockleburs) from their goats. Otherwise, the goats would stop giving milk, thus no milk or cheese to sell, and no money after selling. It may seem like a ridiculous tale, yet the lessons come home when the main character, a young girl named Capable, tries so hard when ALL the Gappers move to her goats. She cannot keep up, finally begging the neighbors for help. How that goes, and then the later action will bring readers to discuss and wonder at the attitude of not helping because it's not one's problem. Lane Smith's thoughtful illustrations bring the story's emotions to the page wonderfully!
This is Saunders' first children's book!

Nearly Finished: The National Award Winner, Kareem Between, by Shifa Saltagi Safadi, so good! Then, next, a book by a former student's parent, a sci-fi titled Predestined, by Rachel Byrne. 

It's Monday - New Books & Old

 

         

    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 have quite a lot to share but the snowstorm in Denver, south and north and east, kept me busy. We had about a foot, and it'll be around fifty degrees all week, the melting time! It was very wet and heavy, did a lot of damage to trees, thus some lost electricity. My area was fine. Our lines are underground!

        I finally found time to finish the new Richard Osman mystery, We Solve Murders. What a delightful group of the good and the bad, a complicated plot that takes readers all over the world. The many-layered characters, even the ones Osman indicates we'll meet again, are not always perfect, yet bring new ways to look at lives being lived, whether honest or dishonest. If you've enjoyed the Thursday Murder Club books, you'll enjoy this fresh group who do "solve murders"! In the acknowledgment, there is a promise for a return to the older group, too, AND more from this new one! 

        I am laughing at myself because I grabbed this book from my library's shelf, loving Blue-Footed Boobies, and wanted to see what Nancy Vo had to say! No, I didn't know until I read it that it isn't about them at all but about mammary glands and other related things. It's an enticing picture book for younger readers that will entertain, educate, and delight. Nancy Vo keeps the information clear and the child-friendly illustrations close to reality. She starts with the fun fact that Blue-Footed Boobies don't have boobies at all. They're avian, not mammalian, thus begins the explanations of where and why, and how many, all about "boobies" or none. Children wondering about their bodies and changes that will happen with growing older will have an excellent first look at them, in addition to learning about various other animals and plants, with or without boobies! I enjoyed it, but I will have to discover another book about those Blue-Footed Boobies I love!

          Cary Fagan, the author, grew up in Belgium, but his journey of escape during the Nazi invasion kept him out of school, fleeing with his family to Paris, through Spain to Portugal, then, fortunately, across the ocean to a refugee camp in Jamaica. He's created HIS story by telling of a boy named Maurice who has a goal to become a lawyer, but he is not getting to be in school and is very worried about his learning. He finds a professor to teach him and eventually becomes a fine student who is accepted to a college in Canada. His English dictionary that you see him holding on the cover illustration becomes a tool for his life.

         It's a powerful graphic novel illustrated by Enzo Lord Mariano, who uses lights and darks with subtle changes of emotion and scenery to show times spent both happily and in danger. Maurice is courageous and does not quit learning and pushing for better. 

          There is a poignant author's note at the back about Cary Fagan's family, with pictures of them and that fabulous, special dictionary! 

        

It's Monday! - Three Special Books

     

        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've been on vacation, a wonderful time in Costa Rica, and I wrote these days ago, yet don't want to miss sharing these three marvelous books! 

       Trapped in a world where 'beautiful' is everything, Vera Brosgol offers a new look at a heroine, "Plain Jane," who cannot inherit her family's fortune because she's female but also cannot get anyone to marry her (to get that fortune) because she's, well, "plain."  Magic helps Jane begin to look for a friend, who receives a lot of attention because he's cute but now is lost at sea. She has the capacity to breathe underwater for only three days, and what an exciting and perilous time she has. The visual art captured me as Jane swirls through the sea with mermaids, terrifying sea monsters, selkies, and more! Take time to immerse yourself in this fantastic adventure of a young girl who is not afraid to take risks by choosing to do right. It's a wonderful new graphic novel. Vera Brosgol writes a special author's note about her connection to the challenges of body image. 

         Hank Hooperman is such a wonderful "almost" twelve-year-old. When readers learn about him from page one and on, they will be shocked at all that he manages to do, especially for his three-year-old sister, Bridget (Boo is her nickname).  He's used to his mother not showing up for a day or two, yet this time, it's been a week! His dear grandmother passed away a year ago and he cannot rely on her anymore. They're out of money so they cannot go to the corner store for Cheetoes. The lights just went out; no more TV! And, the landlord is yelling and banging on their door, saying they're about to be evicted. Hank finds his permission slip where his mom has written a name, Lou Ann Adler, in case of emergency and her address. And, he finds a bus pass! Off they go into the unknown, because it has to be better than home, right? Gennifer Choldenko gives readers a character who will not be forgotten for his love and hope, for showing us his thoughts on the mistakes made, mistakes overcome, and mistakes allowed, especially for Boo. Don't miss learning the story of Hank and learn what kindness is about when someone needs it so very much. 

         Loren Long runs along a bike trail where he sees an abandoned yellow bus. More than once he imagines where, when, and who had been on that bus. That becomes this story of an object we all recognize, a vehicle that's been around for many years. Long, through his imagination for just the right words and sounds, plus his beautifully drawn illustrations, has given us a story that will never grow old. I imagine readers who will read this many years from now. After all, we all hold dear memories of our own "yellow bus"! Those in the future will, too!

Next? Reading two books for adults right now, and Harvest House by Cynthia Leitich Smith is next!

It's Monday, Time to Share Good Books!

    

        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'm going on a family vacation soon and need to take a break, but will certainly keep reading! Hope each of you is doing great!

        This must be the week for "blue" books, except for the adult one. Enjoy!

      I've read other fiction books that relate the top-secret work at Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire) England, like The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. However, I had no idea of the background of its beginnings and the extraordinary details as shown in this new non-fiction book by Denise Fleming. As told in the book flap, World War II raged, and a telegram was sent to thousands of young women throughout the British Isles. It read, "You are to report to Station X, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire in four days time." When many arrived, they had no idea who had recommended them, what kind of work they would be doing, and why they were chosen. Until about thirty years later, most would never know all that went on during that time, only the one part they did!

        Fleming follows ten specific girls as they arrive, find challenges in their billets and in their work, some working in codes and ciphers, some working with the later "bombe" machines, and well into the war, the newly created "colossus" machines. Each one is young, twenty or younger. One is a debutante who took the invitation as a chance to skip her debutante coming out! One young woman, through constant work beside another worker, a man, eventually married him, though each never revealed all of their secret work. The workers may have become good friends but were never to know what the "friend" did in the huts. There are amazing moments, like when Churchill suddenly appeared walking from the nearby cliffs. Something was happening! While focusing on one girl, Denise stops periodically to show the readers exactly how one of the tasks works. For example, if you were a code and cipher breaker, how to decipher a message. And she adds practice! I enjoyed trying and know that young and older readers will, too!

       The book is tension-filled as the workers rushed as quickly as possible to solve messages and to help those in power improve their plans of attack when learning about the enemies' plans, right up to Hitler's orders! Although all were proud to be helpful, they often realized that any attack, even successful, meant lives lost. Parts of the London Blitz felt especially sad to read about.  Many photos are added within the text that illuminate the telling.

        A thoughtful author's note, a brief bio, and an extended bibliography and index are added at the back. It's a great book that fills in details for me about this place that was set up for secrecy to help many in World War II. And, both this place and the book succeeded masterfully! 

Thanks to Candlewick Press for my copy!

        First published by Walker Books Australia in 2023. Raewyn Caisley tells a story of a young girl who (sometimes) feels a little different because she likes things that others don't always enjoy. For example, she loves making pointy hats from CONES for her dolls and stuffies, while two of her buddies prefer just pretending with her dolls. If only some friends liked PARALLEL lines, CYLINDERS, AND TESSELATIONS! Maddie just wished she had a friend who also loved math things. She really loved learning music (because of the half notes, etc.). Then one day there was a new girl at school, Priya. Soon, she, her mother, Maddie, and Maddie's father went to an extraordinary place together: an observatory! They learned quite a lot about the stars, and Maddie dreamed of "counting them"! In our world, all kinds of kids (people) are good at different things and love different things. They travel and live in different places. But they shouldn't feel strange about it, just love it all the more! Gabriel Evans helps tell the tale with lovely color and pen and ink illustrations. It's a good book to share with kids who might also love sharing that they need a friend who has the same passion. The book will bring up helpful conversations with children! 

Thanks to Candlewick Press for my copy!

       You must know Nikki McClure's usual and gorgeous, cut-paper art! Here it is from her, but in a long and artfully-written author's note, Nikki explains her process when she had to figure out how to illustrate Rachel Carson's forgotten, (and in a long process, the entire text was finally found) words about clouds. Orion Magazine wrote to Nikki to ask if she was willing to illustrate some words by Carson. Nikki, without reading them, said, "Yes."  And here is that final book, years in the making, ready for every cloud lover to allow Rachel Carson to teach them more and for Nikki McClure to show that teaching. Some words I loved: "They are the writing of the wind on the sky." And, "Without clouds and rain, the continents would have remained barren and uninhabited, and perhaps life would never have evolved beyond the fishes." There is so much more to revel in and to learn. Nikki has included people, animals, machines and of course, clouds!  
     

      Sanae Ishida writes the story of Young Sashiko who struggles with her very big feelings, yet when she learns about sashiko, the Japanese practice from where she got her name, she finds a way to clear the tangled emotions. Stitching the knots in her stomach or the tangles deep down in her heart helped to mend, just as the fisherman of long ago mended the tears in their clothes. The art of sashiko came from when those workers fished for long days, and the wind, water, and fish scales pulled at the clothes and tore them. They had to mend them and soon those menders began to make designs which solved the problem and made the clothes beautiful. 

      In this story, as Sashiko makes her own stitches, she feels better and braver and page by page, Sanae Ishida's illustrations fill out her story, just as the sewing creates the designs, piece by piece and page by beautiful page. 

      It's a special story of an art I've never known about. Ishida offers two pages at the back explaining how to do the indigo dyeing for those who changed this needed skill into a form of creativity. There are named patterns, too! 

adult book

          This is quite a thriller. Earlier I enjoyed S.A. Cosby's other books, like Blacktop Wasteland, but this time, I nearly stopped because it's even more violent than the others. Yet, there was something, a bit of sympathy that I felt for the two main characters that kept me going. They are two ex-cons, Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee, Ike who has fought and worked tirelessly to create a good business since his time in prison ended; and Buddy Lee, who really is trailer trash, lying low and drinking his way to his end. Sadly, they find common ground when their gay, and married, sons are murdered. They loved them but were not good fathers to them, never finding ways to understand their choices. Now, Ike and Buddy Lee are filled with regret and begin to work harder than the police to find the killer and show love, even when it feels too late. Despite the violence, I found that these two characters became interesting, in their thoughts of their sons' choices, their memories of so many lost times when anger won over emotions. Reading Cosby's words that show how someone changes their minds about their previous actions feels important. Physical violence lurks near the surface of these two men, yet there is a part of each revealed that readers will admire, their ability to change and show love. It's a thoughtful book that includes the challenges for many concerning new life choices. 

Next: The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Jennifer Choldenko

It's Monday - Books I Loved

               

        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'm back from a lovely visit with my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson where we saw Yo Yo Ma in concert! It was very special! 

         If you like thrillers, I've finished the third in Don Winslow's trilogy, a saga of the illusive and conflicted Danny Ryan, coming from the mob back east and settling in Las Vegas. The outcome will both dismay and thrill readers and those close to Winslow.  It's been quite a journey Winslow took us on, from 2022 to 2024. I imagine he might be sad it's complete. Yet, as Dr. Seuss wrote, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

     It took a while for me to get into this. It felt rather repetitive and I was confused about the characters, who was who, etc. But as it kept going and becoming more intriguing, I started to like the attitude of Olive Cobin Zang, the main young one who's found herself dropped off at a new school, like no other, while her parents go on still another business trip. As the story deepens, Olive ends up in a small (secret) group set to solve some mysteries. Each group member has unique qualities, but they learn as a team and to "work" as a team, despite some who are a bit more negative than others. The story, and the mystery of "Who stole the jewels?" deepens and becomes more exciting, not too scary, but just intriguing enough for middle readers. Dan Santat adds just the right amount of illustration to heighten the excitement. Seeing kids do some dangerous things will entertain the readers! It's a satisfying and surprise ending I didn't imagine at all, too!

 

Thanks to Charlesbridge for the following two special picture books!

It's Monday! Preparing for Earth Day! And More!

         

        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! 

         You know I've been taking a long time reading The Many Assassinations of Samar, The Seller of Dreams. It hasn't called me to hurry up, so this week, because of having to return it soon, I started and finished Heroes by Alan Gratz.

         I know a lot about Pearl Harbor. My father was a WWII pilot and was shot down later in the war in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Thus, as I grew up I learned so much from all my family, and have read quite a bit of this time of history, too. But I don't remember the ground-shaking details of that attack by the Japanese that Gratz tells in this new history, the horrible scenes, and the aftermath, too. In this, two upper-middle-school-age boys, Frank and Stanley, whose dads are pilots, have cemented their friendship because Frank loves to write and Stanley loves to draw. They have exciting plans to do comic books with their own "superhero"! Caught in what they thought would be an awesome tour of the Utah battleship from Frank's sister's boyfriend, Brooks, the Japanese attack began. It's a terrifying account that, if you like historical fiction, is a must-read. The story is compounded by the fact that Stanley is half-Japanese, not a good thing at all. And, throughout the story, nothing is easy for Frank because in his previous school and neighborhood, he was bullied continuously, learning to hide with as little confrontation as possible, imagining every tiny thing in varying circumstances that could go wrong. Their friendship is not always easy, but it is one to look at and admire. It's another special book of history for middle school, with a sweet surprise at the end and added information from Gratz, including a glossary.

         I'm writing and posting a poem every day for April, Poetry Month. I hope you will visit when you can! Today, I'm connecting my poetry post here, too, with a wonderful new book by Charles Ghigna. 

         Next Monday is Earth Day, and I'll share a few more books then, too. Meanwhile, here are some recent ones I've loved, some of my own, some from the library, and others from Candlewick Press!

Thanks to Candlewick Press for this copy!

         I've loved other books by Liz Garton Scanlon, especially one from years ago titled All The World! There, like this new one just out, Liz shows us the beauty of our natural world. Oh, my, Liz gives us readers a loving message with the help of the gorgeous illustrations by Dominique Ramsey. This time, she tells how everything is connected, the smallest start to the biggest growth, trees and seeds, water and clouds. All are a part of the earth. I love the story, including humor, like when she writes, "and Cloud cannot contain herself." And the unique way the story lets the 'growing' characters in the story are sometimes allowed to share their own opinion of things that grow. "But wind... / (Whoa! says Tree.)/Wind grows stronger." Fire is there, too, some sadness and something helpful. The ending, along with all the rest, is powerful. What a lovely book to have for starting Earth Day celebrations. 

Thanks to Candlewick Press for this copy!

           No surprise! Emily Sutton's illustrations fill this new book by Nicola Davies with GREEN! Pages of abundant landscapes help Davies explain how photosynthesis works, from the tiniest chloroplasts in leaves that process sunshine into sugar and oxygen to those tiny tubes in the veins that bring water from the roots. The opposite, and needed, process, is respiration, giving living things needed oxygen. One wonderful page shows the path from animals' eating habits to their dependence on plants "for the food they make and the oxygen they breathe out". A history of the earth, including a tiny timeline, explains this need while starting at the very beginning when there was no oxygen and the journey to the creation of what we now call 'fossil fuels', both useful and detrimental. There are ways to change and scientists know them. It's a useful journey of our Earth wonderfully explained for use in classrooms or at home and the need, the dire need, for GREEN!

Thanks to Candlewick Press for this copy!

       The creators of Step Gently Out and other books, too, Helen Frost and Rick Lieder, write and photograph, The Mighty Pollinators. These early words start us off:  "Here come the pollinators,/small and mighty,/holding the world together." Rick's exquisite photographs accompany Helen's poems from bees to bats, and wasps to butterflies. If you sneeze when outside in the spring, Helen writes" "You may not see me,/but you know I'm here/when I brush past your skin./Strong and fierce/or soft and gentle, I'm pollen's good friend–/I'm the wind."        

        Even humans play a part! The back includes information about pollen, including "what it is" and "how we humans can help." What a lovely and just-right book for now!

        

        I still have this book, published in 1998. I hope you can find a copy if you would like a wonderful book of poems and stories telling both the special things about our earth and the destructive things that are hurting it. Ready for Earth Day, hoping everyone can find it. It came out many years ago, still a treasure to share about our earth! Here's a partial list of those whose writings are included: Steinbeck, Leopold, Muir, Schweitzer, Ovid, Tolstoy, Cather, Attenborough, Kipling, Hardy, Douglas Adams, Edward O. Wilson, Chekov, Lorenz, Julian Huxley and Paton are included (among others). 

It's Monday! For the holidays and more!

     

        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! 

         Well, we've had the biggest snowstorm in years, and filled with moisture. Now, it's melting fast and spring in here tomorrow! I'm sharing some varied books this time, some important for varied issues and some for the littles for Easter. I have been so busy that I'm still reading Eggers' The Eyes & The Impossible, and started The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin, about a young girl in occupied Poland in World War II.

I shared this sweet book last week for Poetry Friday. Go here if you'd like to read about it. It's a lovely book illustrating a Langston Hughes poem about spring. 

Thanks to Candlewick Press 
for this copy!

        It's the sequel to Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen, as Victorine, whom everyone believes is missing, is going incognito as Bella Mae Goodwin, living with her friend, Darleen Darling, already a big star. If young readers love mysteries, this is another fun one, full of older Hollywood names, believable daring heroines, and adventure that's just a bit scary. 

       Gorgeous full-color illustrations by the Pumphrey brothers help Antwan Eady tell this story of a grandfather and his grandson and their farm stand, the last one when all the others shown beside theirs say "out of business. The young boy tells the story of helping harvest, then gathering the pumpkins and peppers, plums and eggs, and placing them in the sweetgrass baskets woven by his Granny. Week after week they go, until one day, Papa (his grandpa) is too tired, and the boy must take over. It's poetic and poignant, with a long author's note by Eady telling of the discrimination years ago by the FDA toward black and native farmers, the confiscation of their lands they had made fertile, and more. He writes: "I've taken heartbreak and turned it into a story about a boy and his grandfather who now have the last stand at a farmer's market in a community that can't afford to lose it." There's more from him to know, and a book to read and love.

       It's wonderful to read another biography picture book that children will love and learn from, too. This is Aida Salazar's debut picture book. Jovita's wish is pictured below, wanting the 'freedom' her brothers had when wearing pants. She got her wish and went on to lead the fight for religious freedom long ago. The illustrations by Molly Mendoza (also her debut picture book) fill with celebration for Jovita's inspiring life, one of many women years ago who inspired others through their actions.