Review: Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt

February 11, 2019January 22, 2019 | Tasha

Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt (9780544790858)

Carter’s family is a bit of a mess. On their first day of school, there are lunches to pack, socks to find, ribbons to tie, and dog vomit to clean up. So when an English butler appears on the doorstep just as Carter is heading out to buy milk, it solves a lot of immediate problems. Still, there are other issues that Carter is still grappling with, including grief and loss. As the story continues, readers learn more about the darkness in Carter’s family and his role as the oldest to be strong for everyone. As Carter matches wits with the butler who seeks to control all of Carter’s free time, the two become a team and along the way start a cricket league at Carter’s new school. As the past becomes too much for Carter to bear alone, he learns about the power of sports, teams and a good butler.

Schmidt takes the spirit of Nanny McPhee and Mary Poppins and gives us a male version in Mr. Bowles-Fitzpatrick. The book demands a certain amount of setting aside of disbelief for things like cricket being embraced by an entire middle school and a twelve-year-old driving a car. It is mix of lighthearted storytelling and deeper subjects, moving from eliciting laughter into moments of real tragedy with skill. Readers may not fully understand cricket by the end, but will know what a sticky wicket actually is and how the basics work.

Carter is a protagonist who is dealing with a lot. As the book progresses, he learns how vital he is for his little sisters and how his interacting in their lives is powerful. He steadily builds confidence as the story continues with the final scenes fully demonstrating not only his person growth but also the depth of his struggles. As the tragedies of his family are revealed, readers will be amazed that Carter continues on as he does despite it all. He is a figure of resilience and humor.

Another winner from a master storyteller, this novel for middle graders introduces cricket and one amazing butler. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC provided by Clarion Books.

2019 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize Shortlists

February 8, 2019February 8, 2019 | Tasha

The shortlists for the 2019 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize have been announced. The UK book prize focuses on identifying rising talent in the world of literature for children and teens. Category winners and the overall winner will be announced on March 21.

ILLUSTRATED BOOK SHORTLIST

100 Dogs The Girls

100 Dogs by Michael Whaite

The Girls by Lauren Ace

Julián Is a Mermaid The King Who Banned the Dark

Julian Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

The King Who Banned the Dark by Emily Haworth-Booth

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History Mini Rabbit Not Lost (Mini Rabbit)

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black by Vashti Harrison

Mini Rabbit Not Lost by John Bond

YOUNGER FICTION SHORTLIST

The Boy At the Back of the Class The Boy Who Grew Dragons

The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf

The Boy Who Grew Dragons by Andy Shepherd

Brightstorm The House with Chicken Legs

Brightstorm: A Sky-Ship Adventure by Vashti Hardy

The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson

The Mystery of the Colour Thief The Train to Impossible Places: A Cursed Delivery

The Mystery of the Colour Thief by Ewa Jozefkowicz

The Train to Impossible Places by P. G. Bell

OLDER FICTION SHORTLIST

Boy 87 Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha, #1)

Boy 87 by Ele Fountain

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Me Mam. Me Dad. Me. The Poet X

Me Mam, Me Dad, Me by Malcolm Duffy

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Truth About Lies A Winter's Promise (The Mirror Visitor)

The Truth about Lies by Tracy Darnton

A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos

This Week’s Tweets

February 8, 2019February 8, 2019 | Tasha

Here are the items I shared on Twitter this week:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Ah, Love: 18 Children’s Books About Love https://buff.ly/2TykOiM #kidlit

ALSC’s Notable Children’s Books – 2019 https://buff.ly/H8rDef #kidlit

‘The Grimm Legacy’ YA Books In Works As Disney+ Film; David Gleeson To Adapt https://buff.ly/2DeGTvX #kidlit

Jane Goodall’s Lovely Letter to Children About How Reading Shaped Her Life https://buff.ly/2Rvs7Wv #libraries

LIBRARIES & READING

Librarians abroad: ‘None of us thought we’d grow up to be one’ https://buff.ly/2RDLSv0 #libraries

New Study: Reading Fiction Really Will Make You Nicer and More Empathetic – https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/reading-fiction-really-will-make-you-nicer-more-empathetic-new-study-says.html

YA LIT

#ALAMW19 Recap: Interviewing John Hendrix, author of The Faithful Spy, 2019 Nonfiction Award Finalist – The Hub https://buff.ly/2RIHElX #yalit

68 LGBT YA Books to Get Excited for in 2019 https://buff.ly/2Bojisj #yalit #LGBTQ

Angie Thomas’ ON THE COME UP is Gonna Be a Movie! https://buff.ly/2WJz6yX #yalit

Author Angie Thomas On Colorism and Black Girl Representation in YA Books https://buff.ly/2BmUS2C #yalit

‘Havenfall’: Bloomsbury Locks In New YA Fantasy From ‘Everless’ Author Sara Holland https://buff.ly/2BlAqPF #yalit

How TLC’s Left Eye Helped Save ‘The Hate U Give’ Author Angie Thomas’ Life https://buff.ly/2SbkYA6 #yalit

Penguin Mini Format Expands with More Kids’ Books https://pwne.ws/2RHkuMH

Review: There Are No Bears in This Bakery by Julia Sarcone-Roach

February 7, 2019January 23, 2019 | Tasha

There Are No Bears in This Bakery by Julia Sarcone-Roach (9780399556661)

The author of The Bear Ate Your Sandwich has returned with a second book about a hungry bear (or two.) Muffin is a bakery cat who solves cases when night falls. He knows all of the night sounds until one night when he hears a “grrrrrrrr” noise. At first he can’t locate the noise, but when he returns to the bakery he discovers the largest mouse he has ever seen! Or perhaps it’s the smallest bear. The sound is coming from the little bear’s stomach. Muffin knows just what to do to solve the problem: he feeds the little bear the bakery treats. Then a second bear shows up, much larger than the first. Could Muffin be in a bear-load of trouble?

Sarcone-Roach writes with exceptional tone and turns of phrase in this picture book. She uses bakery metaphors such as “I slipped into the darkness like icing melting down a hot cake.” The metaphors continue when Muffin meets the bears, giving readers a sense of what they smell like, sound like and even feel like. The story here is clever with a cat whose job might be to solve issues but most likely not by feeding wild creatures.

The art is full of colors with yellows and blues playing against deeper blacks in the shadows. Muffin pops with his orange coat against these colors. There is a playfulness in the illustrations that is particularly effective even with their dark colors and nighttime vibe.

A perfect combination of cat and bears that will leave readers craving sprinkles. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Knopf.

2019 Sydney Taylor Book Awards

February 7, 2019February 5, 2019 | Tasha

The winners of the 2019 Sydney Taylor Book Awards were announced at the ALA Youth Media Awards in January. The awards recognize “books for children and teens that exemplify high literary standards will authentically portraying the Jewish experience.” The gold medalists were announced at the YMAs, but the silver medalists were not. Here is the full list of medalists:

GOLD MEDALISTS

All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster

All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul Zelinsky

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

What the Night Sings

What the Night Sings by Vesper Stamper

SILVER MEDALISTS

32143782 Through the Window: Views of Marc Chagall's Life and Art

A Moon for Moe and Mo by Jane Breskin Zalben, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini

Through the Window: Views of Marc Chagall’s Life and Art by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mary Grandpre

All Three Stooges The Length of a String

All Three Stooges by Erica S. Perl

The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman

You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone

You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon

2019 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature

February 6, 2019February 5, 2019 | Tasha

At the ALA Youth Media Awards, the 2019 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature in youth categories were announced. However, those announcements did not include the book given honor awards. Here is the full list of medal and honor recipients:

YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE WINNER

Darius the Great Is Not Okay

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE HONOR BOOK

The Astonishing Color of After

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE WINNER

Front Desk

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE HONOR BOOK

The House That Lou Built

The House That Lou Built by Mae Respicio

PICTURE BOOK WINNER

Drawn Together

Drawn Together by Minh Lê, illustrated by Dan Santat

PICTURE BOOK HONOR BOOK

Grandmother’s Visit

Grandmother’s Visit by Betty Quan, illustrated by Carmen Mok

Review: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

February 6, 2019January 16, 2019 | Tasha

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (9781681195087)

Prince Rhen has been cursed along with his entire kingdom into repeating the same season over and over again until a girl falls in love with him. At the end of each season, he fails and turns into a monster who slays his own people. Now he is left with a single guardsman, Grey, who has pledged to stay at his side. Each season, Grey transports himself to Washington, D.C. and steals a girl to try to break the curse. Then one year, he steals Harper, a girl who was not his chosen one but instead one who tried to attack Grey and save the girl he was attempting to kidnap. Harper may not have been Grey’s choice, but now she is the only chance they have at breaking the curse since the sorceress who placed the curse has declared this the final season. As Harper steps into the role of princess, she refuses to conform to expectations. She is intent on making a difference to the suffering people of the kingdom even if they underestimate her due to her cerebral palsy. But will it be enough to end the curse? Will love come?

I approach every retelling of a fairy tale with trepidation. There are few that can really transform the tale into something new and fresh. Kemmerer does exactly that with her retelling of Beauty and the Beast. She creates two amazing male characters, each compelling in their own way and with their own special bond with one another too. She adds one of the nastiest sorceresses around, Lilith, who is willing to provide endless pain to Rhen, Grey and anyone else she can. Kemmerer then laces this story with the psychology of reliving the same year again and again, with immense failure, slaughter, remorse and despair. The result is a dark rather than dreamy story, filled with pain, blood, battles and strategy.

Harper is an incredible heroine. Her having cerebral palsy is interwoven into the story, not as an aside but as a part of her life experience that gives her context for helping others and seeing beyond the surface to their potential. She is honest and forthright, and yet willing to use subterfuge and lies to make a positive difference for those she cares about. She is entirely complicated and every inch a princess and heroine.

A great retelling of Beauty and the Beast, this book stands on its own merits. Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from ARC provided by Bloomsbury.

Review: The Bell Rang by James E. Ransome

February 5, 2019January 29, 2019 | Tasha

The Bell Rang by James E. Ransome (9781442421134)

This new book from a Coretta Scott King Award winner is a stunning look at slavery and freedom. Told over the course of a week, the book depicts the monotony and toll of the grueling work that never changes or abates. On each day, the bell rings to wake them and the narrator’s older brother indicates that he is going to leave and run away to freedom. Each touch of his hands says it, he says it aloud and he leaves her a gift. When he does run, the days become even harder, being unable to eat and unable to stop crying because he is missed and he is in danger. When the other boys who ran away with him are brought back and whipped, he is still free. And another week begins.

Ransome is a master storyteller and his skill is evident the verse in this picture book. Told with a spareness that allows readers no ability to look away or take solace in niceties, the book lays bare the human cost of slavery and what it takes to escape to freedom. The book is abundant in family love with all of the family taking time to be kind to one another and love one another through difficult and impossible situations.

The illustrations are just as powerful as the text. They illuminate the lives of this family, focusing on the people who are enslaved. Many of the scenes are filled with love and grace. But they are all shadowed by slavery and lack of freedom.

A harrowing look at slavery and freedom, this picture book reveals the truth of our American history. Appropriate for ages 6-8.

Reviewed from copy provided by Atheneum.

2019 USBBY Outstanding International Books

February 5, 2019January 31, 2019 | Tasha

The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) has announced their annual list of the most outstanding international books for young people published during the calendar year. Here is their 2019 list:

GRADES PreK-2

Africville Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings