Review: The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten

December 7, 2015November 24, 2015 | Tasha

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten (InfoSoup)

Adam isn’t looking for romance at his OCD group therapy session but when Robyn walks in, everything changes. Adam has enough going on in his life with his divorced parents, a stepmother, and a little brother who needs Adam all the time. As Adam starts to teach Robyn about Catholicism, the others in his group become intrigued too. Soon Adam finds himself showing them all the church that he and his mother left years ago. Adam reassures himself that everyone lies, but his lies seem to be increasing each day, from lying to Robyn about where he lives to lying about his mother’s escalating condition. Adam wants to feel in control of his life and to get better, but it is all getting out of control, especially his OCD.

This teen novel won the Governor General’s Award in Canada. It speaks to the OCD condition and the difficult journey towards a healthier mental state. It also has a huge heart and a large dose of humor. Adam’s entire life could be seen as a tragedy but thanks to the writing here that keeps it from becoming morose, the book is triumphant and so is Adam. This is not a book that minimizes the impact of mental illness, instead it embraces the difficulties and concerns, showing how each and every day, each threshold and each twist of panic can change what is happening.

Adam and Robyn are beautiful foils for one another. Adam begins the book as the person with it mostly together while Robyn is freshly released from a residential program. But as the book and their relationship progresses, that changes in a realistic and heart-wrenching way. Throughout, readers see the depth of Adam’s issues and the strength it will take to stop lying to everyone, but mostly to himself.

Funny, deep and immensely satisfying, this novel deals with teens with OCD and how life just keeps on happening no matter how many lies you tell. Appropriate for ages 14-18.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House Children’s Books.

Review: Thank You and Good Night by Patrick McDonnell

December 4, 2015December 4, 2015 | Tasha

Thank You and Good Night by Patrick McDonnell (InfoSoup)

Clement, Jean and Alan Alexander were having a pajama party at Clement’s house. The three bounce on the bed together, do the chicken dance, and have a funny-face contest. They played hide-and-seek, had a snack and watched the stars. They all started to get sleepy, so they got ready for bed but still had enough energy to listen to a bedtime story. They ended their party with a list of the things they were thankful for, a very long list.

McDonnell channels the energy and feel of every great classic bedtime read in this new book. He lets us in on the fun of a sleepover, focusing on all of the small things that make for a wonderful night with friends. His recap of the day with gratitude is something that many families can incorporate into their days, whether they are having a pajama party or not. It again returned the focus to those simple joys of life and time spent with one another.

The art has a gorgeous dreamy quality to it at times and other times has a zesty playfulness. The pleasure of the small animals playing with one another and not being sleepy at all transitions beautifully to sleepy creatures headed for bed. The final scene where they are revealed to be stuffed animals belonging to a little girl is particularly lovely.

A gentle bedtime story filled with lots of play and then bedtime for everyone. Yawn! Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

This Week’s Tweets, Pins and Tumbls

December 4, 2015 | Tasha

Here are the links I shared on my Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr accounts this week that I think are cool:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Best Middle-Grade Books of 2015 by Category | Kirkus Reviews http://buff.ly/1QSyT63 #kidlit

Everything You Need to Know About Reading Levels, in One Image — @100scopenotes 100 Scope Notes http://buff.ly/1QeQJ1B

Fanfare! 2015 – The Horn Book http://buff.ly/1YEkLyG #kidlit #yalit

J.K. Rowling Fuels a Twitter Debate on Severus Snape http://buff.ly/1Qf36dS #kidlit #rowling

Kevin Henkes Talks with Roger – The Horn Book http://buff.ly/1ltFoPv #kidlit

Lucy Maud Montgomery Gets a Google Doodle for Her Birthday http://buff.ly/1lqI5kO #kidlit

New York Times Notable Children’s Books of 2015 http://buff.ly/1XvJMPe #kidlit #yalit

School Cancels Reading After Parents Threaten to Sue http://buff.ly/1ToY7qV #lgbt #kidlit

LIBRARIES

New Study Finds Low Levels of Digital Library Borrowing http://buff.ly/1LJFhog #ebooks #libraries

TEEN READS

8 of the Most Overlooked (Yet Completely Awesome) Series for Young Adults http://buff.ly/1HEUT1x #kidlit

Chernin Dives In for YA Book ‘Challenger Deep’ (Exclusive) http://buff.ly/1Rq7PKE #yalit

A Song for Ella Grey is a children’s book – and a great one http://buff.ly/21sCdsc #yalit

Review: This Is My Home, This Is My School by Jonathan Bean

December 3, 2015December 3, 2015 | Tasha

This Is My Home, This Is My School by Jonathan Bean (InfoSoup)

Based on his own experience being home-schooled as a child, Jonathan Bean shows the creative and structured chaos of a home schooling family. There are his siblings who are his classmates, his mother who is his teacher, and his father who comes in as a substitute teacher too. They have the playground of their yard and go on field trips to places like the library. Their art classes are outside and there are lots of other kids who join in those and phy ed too. Dinner is the place for show-and-tell and bedtime is an English class. It’s a busy day for everyone because home is school too.

I love the wild energy of this book, showing that homeschooling can be just as engaging and social as any other type of schooling, probably more so! The book is filled with a warmth built from the family itself and their cozy home. Home-schooled children will see themselves on the pages here, something that is very important. The book ends with family snapshots and an Author’s Note that also speak to the joy of being home-schooled.

Bean’s artwork adds to the zingy energy of the book. His loose lines don’t contain the watercolors, letting them wash freely and blend dynamically on the page. The pages are filled with loving detail from the crowded home filled with projects going on to the huge backyard.

A critical item for public libraries, this book will help support home-schooled children in communities and will show others what they are missing. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

Mixed Me! by Taye Diggs

December 3, 2015 | Tasha

Mixed Me! by Taye Diggs, illustrated by Shane W. Evans (InfoSoup)

The author of Chocolate Me! returns with his second picture book. Mike is a boy with wild curls whose skin doesn’t match that either his mother or his father. His father has dark skin and his mother light, and Mike is somewhere in between. Mike loves to run and dash with a cape on his back. He knows exactly who he is and is proud to be a mix of both of his parents. He’s not mixed up at all, he just wants to do his own thing, wear his hair the way he likes it, choose his own clothes, and be exactly who he is.

Taye Diggs, the well-known actor, keeps his book fast moving and filled with rhythm. The character of Mike is a joy to find on the page, a creative boy who has a look and personality all his own. The frank look at skin color is also very welcome as is the exuberant acceptance of being mixed race and the beauty that brings.

Evans’ illustrations are a dynamic collage of fabrics, printed paper and skilled drawing. The way that Mike’s hair is shown gives it its own personality, often moving ahead of Mike himself as he zips through life. The art celebrates different races and colors and the way that Mike stands out for all sorts of reasons from the crowd.

A celebration of self-acceptance, children of all backgrounds will enjoy this book. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Feiwel and Friends.

A New The Little Prince Trailer

December 2, 2015 | Tasha

Wowza. I continue to be impressed.

Review: The Plan by Alison Paul

December 2, 2015 | Tasha

The Plan by Alison Paul, illustrated by Barbara Lehman (InfoSoup)

Told in words that shift by one letter from page to page, this picture book is a lesson in imagination from its structure to its subject matter. A little girl makes a plan to take a plane up into space to Saturn. She lives on a farm with her dog who accompanies her everywhere. As they work on the farm, she discovers a key that unlocks her father’s photo album. There she discovers that he and her mother were pilots on The Mighty Comet. So the girl shares her plan with her father. They all work together to restore the airplane, allowing themselves time to grieve for the loss of her mother, and then all take off into the air together.

Paul demonstrates incredible restraint and control in the text of this book. Changing just one letter from page to page could result in a book that is stagnant, but instead this book explores and the story develops in a natural way. The simple text allows readers to fill in the story, to discover the key and what it unlocks, and to participate in the shared adventure. The component of the mother’s death is deftly handled, subtle and quiet.

With such simple text, the illustrations by Lehman really tell the full story. Done in watercolor, gouache and ink, they too share the quiet wonder of the text. They are done in deep colors that shimmer on the page, inviting the reader to look closely and explore.

A brilliant picture book filled with word play that is easy to read and a story with beauty and depth. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

December 2, 2015November 16, 2015 | Tasha

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely (InfoSoup)

Rashad is just minding his own business, getting chips after school, when he is suddenly accused of shoplifting after a white woman trips over him. He ends up being brutally beaten by the police officer in the store and has to be hospitalized. At the same time, Quinn is heading out to a party with his friends from school and witnesses the beating first hand. Quinn considers the officer involved and his younger brother close personal friends and struggles with what he has seen. A video of the incident goes viral and Rashad finds himself at the center of the Black Lives Matter discussion. Both Rashad and Quinn have to figure out whether they are willing to stand up for change and what that means for each of them.

I have heard incredible praise for this book and it is all completely true. Reynolds and Kiely tell their story in alternating chapters, each narrated by one of the two teens. The book is so strong, the voices of each of the narrators are distinct and clear. The book fights stereotypes over and over again. It is done with care and consideration, each choice that is made fights against what our culture believes to be true. It is done though with such certainty too that the reader doesn’t notice that the very structure of the story itself is part of its message.

This is a stunning read. The authors do not duck away from the complexity of the questions being asked, instead adding nuance in some instances. Rashad’s father is a police officer and the story of why he left the force will resonate and show just how insidious societal racism is even in the African-American community itself. The two main characters also face difficult decisions but very different ones. The book is difficult, challenging and vital.

This is a must-read book for teens. It would make a great platform for important discussions that need to continue in America. Brave, incredible and riveting. Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from library copy.

Goodreads Choice Awards

December 1, 2015 | Tasha

Goodreads has announced the results of their Best Books of the Year where over 3 million votes were cast. Here are the winners for the youth categories:

Debut Goodreads Author