Month: June 2017

This Is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe

| Tasha

This Is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe

This Is How We Do It by Matt Lamothe (9781452150185, Amazon)

The lives of seven children from around the world are documented in this engaging nonfiction picture book. A child each from Italy, Japan, Iran, India, Peru, Russia and Uganda share their daily lives. They talk about what they eat, where they live, their schools, how they play and where they sleep. This is an intimate look at these children and their lifestyles that offers a way to look at how cultures are different but also how certain things are universal as well.

Lamothe worked with seven real families to create the book, showing photographs of them at the end of the book. The focus on concrete things that make up our lives offers a tangible way for children to see cultures and explore differences and similarities. It’s a clever way to invite children to explore and learn.

The illustrations are phenomenal and with their fine details offer the same sort of window as photographs. While it is great to see the photographs at the end, they offer a sort of confirmation that the illustrations truly have captured the lives of these children. These are illustrations to pore over and enjoy, allowing them to transport you around the globe.

Wonderful for classrooms and libraries, this nonfiction picture book is exceptional. Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

 

The Gold Leaf by Kirsten Hall

| Tasha

The Gold Leaf by Kirsten Hall

The Gold Leaf by Kirsten Hall, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe (9781592702145, Amazon)

Spring has returned to the forest, filling the woods with all colors of green. In the midst of the new growth, something special sparkled. It was a gold leaf, unique and different. All of the animals wanted to have it. A bird got it first, planning to use it to line its nest. Soon though, other animals grab it and take it for themselves until finally it lays in tatters on the ground and then is swept away by the wind. The animals are so dismayed at what they have done. The seasons change and fall and winter arrive and go. It is spring once again, green and lush. Will the gold leaf return?

Hall dazzles with her prose, offering so many colors of green in a single sentence that it is almost like being in a woods and noting each color. She uses very dynamic pacing in this picture book from the frenzy over the gold leaf itself as it is torn apart to the sadness afterwards and the slow turn of the seasons. That slow consideration continues as the animals wait to see if the gold leaf will ever return to them.

The illustrations take Hall’s considerable list of green colors and convey them to the page. The images are lush and filled with rich colors that have dapples of sunlight, deep shadows and animals that glow against the background. The use of goldleaf for leaf itself is very effectively done, particularly as it is ripped apart and each little piece continues to brighten the page.

A book about wonder, patience and sharing, this picture book is particularly golden. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Enchanted Lion.

 

 

The Adventures of John Blake: Mystery of the Ghost Ship by Philip Pullman

| Tasha

The Adventures of John Blake Mystery of the Ghost Ship by Philip Pullman

The Adventures of John Blake: Mystery of the Ghost Ship by Philip Pullman, illustrated by Fred Fordham (9781910989296, Amazon)

This is Philip Pullman’s first graphic novel and what a way to start! It is the story of the Mary Alice, a ship that is caught traveling through time. Her crew is from all over the world and from all parts of time. But they are in danger as one of the most powerful men in the modern day is searching for them because the boy on board the Mary Alice, John Blake, knows his secret and could ruin him. When an Australian girl falls off of her family’s boat, she is rescued by John and taken aboard the Mary Alice. Now she has a chance to save them in return, if she can.

Pullman’s graphic novel reads like a film script. It is full of guns, explosions, and fights that make it a wild read. Then there is the historical piece to it, something that slows the intense momentum and makes the book warmer and more vital. Add in the touch of ghostly science fiction that moves the ship through time and you have a rich mix of genres that is impossible to stop reading.

Fordham’s art is done in full color, rich and vibrant on the page. His art is clear and precise, offering children reading this book a real feel of adult graphic novels. There is no cuteness here, just a realistic science fiction ghost story that is exactly what will lead young readers to search for more graphic novels and comics to read.

Get this into the hands of children who love super hero comics and they will fall hard for John Blake and the Mary Alice. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.

 

2017 UK Children’s Book Award Winners

| Tasha

An Eagle in the Snow

The winners of the Children’s Book Award have been announced. Michael Morpurgo has won for a record fourth time. His book An Eagle in the Snow won the overall award.

One Oi Dog!

The Older Reader category was won by Sarah Crossan for One.

The Younger Children category was won by Oi Dog! written by Kes and Claire Gray, illustrated by Jim Field.

This Week’s Tweets, Pins and Tumbls

| Tasha

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

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Alex Rider superspy books headed for new TV series

BookExpo 2017: Big New Kids’ Books

Explore Your World: 25 Mighty Girl Books About Outdoor Discovery via

Five most dangerous children’s books ever written (according to Sean Hannity): https://t.co/WI1y0fkiie

Graphic Novels Boost Children’s Engagement and Performance |

It’s ! Teach kids, tweens, and teens to celebrate and respect LGBTQ people with these resources:

Lauren Child: New Children’s Laureate worried about equality in books – BBC News

Obituary: Geoffrey Hayes, author of Benny & Penny series –

Picture Books that Celebrate Fathers – via

Want to Raise Successful Kids? Science Says Read to Them Like This (But Most Parents Don’t)

LIBRARIES

Loving this list of 11 beautiful South American libraries: via:

Margaret Atwood Is Calling on Us to Defend Libraries

TEEN LIT

30 YA titles for PRIDE month!!

Booklist’s 50 Best YA Books of All Time, by Daniel Kraus | Booklist Online

Lauren Graham Picks Up YA Novel ‘Windfall’ and Will Adapt as Feature – https://t.co/X2YNw3IOwi

Sarah Dessen talks ‘Once and For All’ and writing for YA after 13 novels

winner on why representation in YA is important:

2017 New Zealand Book Award Finalists

| Tasha

The finalists for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults have been announced. There are 35 finalists total in seven categories on the shortlist. One category is specifically for Māori books, that category saw a record number of entries for the award this year. If you follow the link above, you can see those titles. Here are the other finalists:

PICTURE BOOK AWARD

Fuzzy Doodle Cover image - Gwendolyn!

Fuzzy Doodle by Melinda Szymanik, illustrated by Donovan Bixley

Gwendolyn! by Juliette MacIver, illustrated by Terri Rose Baynton

My Grandpa Is a Dinosaur The Singing Dolphin/Te Aihe i Waiata

My Grandpa is a Dinosaur by Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones, illustrated by Richard Fairgray

The Singing Dolphin/Te Aihe i Waiata by Mere Whaanga

That's Not a Hippopotamus

That’s Not a Hippopotamus! by Juliette MacIver, illustrated by Sarah Davis

 

ESTHER GLEN AWARD FOR JUNIOR FICTION

Helper and Helper Bastion Point: 507 Days on Takaparawha (My NZ Story)

Helper and Helper by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Gavin Bishop

My New Zealand Story: Bastion Point by Tania Roxborogh

Sunken Forest The Discombobulated Life of Summer Rain

Sunken Forest by Des Hunt

The Discombobulated Life of Summer Rain by Julie Lamb

The Impossible Boy

The Impossible Boy by Leonie Agnew

 

YOUNG ADULT FICTION

Coming Home to Roost 1916: Dig for Victory (Kiwis at War, #3)

Coming Home to Roost by Mary-anne Scott

Kiwis at War 1916: Dig for Victory by David Hair

Like Nobody's Watching Shooting Stars

Like Nobody’s Watching by LJ Ritchie

Shooting Stars by Brian Falkner

The Severed Land

The Severed Land by Maurice Gee

 

ELSIE LOCKE AWARD FOR NON-FICTION

From Moa to Dinosaurs: explore and discover ancient New Zealand Jack and Charlie: Boys of the Bush

From Moa to Dinosaurs: Explore & discover ancient New Zealand by Gillian Candler, illustrated by Ned Barraud

Jack and Charlie: Boys of the Bush by Josh James Marcotte and Jack Marcotte

The Cuckoo and the Warbler: A True New Zealand Story The Genius of Bugs (Activity Book)

The Cuckoo and the Warbler by Kennedy Warne, illustrated by Heather Hunt

The Genius of Bugs by Simon Pollard

Torty and the Soldier

Torty and the Soldier by Jennifer Beck, illustrated by Fifi Colston

 

RUSSELL CLARK AWARD FOR ILLUSTRATION

Fuzzy Doodle Gladys Goes To War

Fuzzy Doodle, illustrated by Donovan Bixley, written by Melinda Szymanik

Gladys Goes to War, illustrated by Jenny Cooper, written by Glyn Harper

If I Was a Banana Snark: Being a True History of the Expedition That Discovered the Snark and the Jabberwock … and Its Tragic Aftermath

If I Was a Banana, illustrated by Kieran Rynhart, written by Alexandra Tylee

Snark: Being a true history of the expedition that discovered the Snark and the Jabberwock . . . and its tragic aftermath, illustrated and written by David Elliot (after Lewis Carroll)

The Day the Costumes Stuck

The Day the Costumes Stuck by Toby Morris

 

BEST FIRST BOOK AWARD

34724862 Like Nobody's Watching

Awatea’s Treasure by Fraser Smith

Like Nobody’s Watching by LJ Ritchie

The Discombobulated Life of Summer Rain 35007631

The Discombobulation of Summer Rain by Julie Lamb

The Mouse and the Octopus by Lisala Halapua

Wars in the Whitecloud: Wairau, 1843 by Matthew H McKinley

Colette’s Lost Pet by Isabelle Arsenault

| Tasha

Colette's Lost Pet by Isabelle Arsenault

Colette’s Lost Pet by Isabelle Arsenault (9781101917596, Amazon)

Colette has moved to a new neighborhood and her parents won’t let her have a pet. She angrily kicks a box over the fence and meets some new kids. Colette wants to be friends but doesn’t have any good answer for them when they ask what she is doing, so she invents a pet that she has lost, a parakeet. The children take her to meet other neighbors who can help her find her pet. One after another the children help and then Colette adds to her fib. Her pet soon has specific colors, a name, a sound it makes, and a poster to help find it. Then Colette’s fib grows into a full-blown story. How will the others react when they realize she’s made the entire thing up?

Done in graphic novel style, this picture book is a delightful mix of a story about moving to a new place, the impact of telling lies and making new friends. Colette’s small fib grows far beyond what she had ever intended as she tries to cover up that she was frustrated and angry. With each new person involved, the lie builds to the find crescendo where it turns into something else entirely, something shared and wonderful despite how it all began.

The illustrations have a unique feel to them. They are done in blues and grays with pops of yellow in Colette’s jacket, small touches in the neighborhood and the color of her imaginary pet. This limited palette is beautifully done, the blues and yellows vibrant against the subtler grays.

A great graphic novel pick for young readers, this book looks at large themes with kindness and grace. Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from e-galley received from Edelweiss and Tundra Books.

 

Waterstones Children’s Laureate

| Tasha

charlie-and-lola-post

Lauren Child has been announced as the 10th Waterstones Children’s Laureate. She is the author and illustrator of the beloved Charlie and Lola book and television series.

Child said: “I want to inspire children to believe in their own creative potential, to make their own stories and drawings and ignite in them the delight of reading for pleasure. In an increasingly fast paced world, children need the freedom to dream and imagine; to enjoy reading, drawing and telling their own stories without value judgement or restraint”.

The Shadow Cipher by Laura Ruby

| Tasha

The Shadow Cipher by Laura Ruby

The Shadow Cipher by Laura Ruby (9780062306937, Amazon)

This first book in a series introduces readers to an alternative New York City, filled with amazing machines built by the Morningstarr twins in the 1800’s. There are servant robots, skyscrapers, elevators that don’t just go up and down, beetle-machines that clean the roads, and many more. The Morningstarrs left behind a cipher to be solved that would lead to treasure, and even though people have worked for cipher for over fifty years, no solution has been found. Tess, Theo and Jaime live in one of the Morningstarr buildings that is unfortunately slated to be torn down. While their families scramble to find somewhere new to live, the three of them discover a potential new cipher that may lead them to the treasure and save the building they love. Now they just have to solve it.

Ruby has beautifully weaved an alternative New York City in this novel. She imagines it filled with amazing technology that has a magical element to it. It’s rather like magic-powered steampunk. She combines this with riddles and ciphers, puzzles to work out and then provides distinct villains to fight as well. The result is a book that is entirely delightful to read and impossible to put down as one new discovery immediately leads to another.

The three main characters are strongly written and offer a diverse cast. Tess keeps up and surpasses the boys at times, offering a strong feminist take on events as she does so. All of them are exceedingly bright in their own way, from being logical and sometimes robotic to looking at the world through art. There is a celebration of different intelligence types here that is great to see.

This mix of magic, technology, mysteries and ciphers is exceptional and just right for summer reading. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from copy received from Walden Pond Press.