Monday Reading - Books for Summer

 

        

    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! After all our cooler-than-usual May and June, we had our first real summer day yesterday, 82! Welcome to summer on Wednesday! And, Happy Juneteenth today!

        From those who brought you Illegal, a graphic novel that shows two children, Yuki from far Northern Canada and Sami, from a village along the Indian Ocean. Yuki goes out to capture a photo in order to help the bears, whose habitat is melting. Sami, with his grandfather, has lost his home to rising waters. They rebuild but another storm is threatening again. They fish for a living but bring back fewer fish. It's an adventure for both kids that through harrowing scenes show both in peril, both trying so hard to do their best. The story focuses on these two, among millions, who are affected by climate change. It's an adventure like no other with an added graphic explanation of "climate change", a few pages of character sketches, and short bios of the two authors and the illustrator. It's a terrific and terrifying read. 

        Elaine Dimopoulos gives readers this wonder of a tale of a young rabbit, Butternut, and her siblings who are protected by Grandmother Sage's experiences from her own life when she made her escape from being caged. It's Butternut's strong voice that tells this heartfelt story of her own "brambles" of worry. She knows that the family's power, termed "milkweed" like butterflies eat, is their brainpower. They must follow certain rules to stay safe. But when the bully Bluejay eats one of the robin's eggs, Butternut becomes a true friend to Piper, a later baby that hatched, and they find ways to overcome fear and the old rules to both help a baby fawn who broke its leg and eventually realize that all the forest animals working together makes their world a better place to live. Butternut is one who tells stories to her family and her voice telling of this specific adventure is strong and delightful, especially with energetic Piper adding in her own opinion of how the world could (should) be. Other characters enter into the plot, too, which deepens the story of a rescue that Butternut would previously never imagined possible, including a human girl. It's a book that will be special to read aloud, to talk of connections to our own human experiences. A map and a few other illustrations by Doug Salati enhance the story!

         Thanks to Charlesbridge for this copy! 

 

           More from the happy people from Cubby Hill. It's the day of the "Great Giving Festival' and everyone brings something to share, to play, generously giving all they can. There's a Bounce House and pumpkins to paint, hairstyling (called 'Fairstyles') and face painting, for example. Cooper Cub is old enough to help hand out the last of the honey for Grammy Bea. Though Cooper is helpful to everyone, mishaps occur and he is left feeling he can't do anything right. He does find that he's not correct, and everyone in town lets him know it. He's "Super Cooper"! Cori Doerrfel again fills the illustrations with a crowd full of happy animals having a grand time "giving". Sweet story and illustrations!