Month: June 2019

Review: Ordinary Girls by Blair Thornburgh

| Tasha

Ordinary Girls by Blair Thornburgh

Ordinary Girls by Blair Thornburgh (9780062447814)

Plum could not be more different than her excitable sister, Ginny. Ginny has a group of friends at their private school, while Plum doesn’t have any at all. She’d much prefer to do advance reading for her classes than engage with others her age. Ginny is about to graduate from high school and longs to get accepted into her university of choice, but it’s not that simple. First, she has to be accepted and then she needs enough financial aid to attend. While they may live in a large home, it’s filled with clutter and day-to-day life rather than being a show piece. Feeling more and more distant from her ever-more-agitated sister, Plum finds herself in a position to help, but only because of a secret romance. Now Plum has her own life, but it may take her away from her family right when they need her.

This is a contemporary tale with a classic heart. Riffing on Sense and Sensibility, this  novel for teens takes one rather old-fashioned young lady and her sister who is her opposite and flings at them the trials of modern life. There are the costs of living when their mother loses her royalty payments, the grueling college application and financial aid process, bullying, and of course, kissing too. It’s a book that offers two great female characters. Plum is introverted, wildly funny and wise. Ginny is anxiety-ridden, loud, dramatic and loving. The two together make an ideal look at sisterhood.

Thornburgh writes with a specific style here. It even more tightly ties the story to classic literature and also reveals Plum’s thoughts and her own way of thinking. The story never drags, instead it is filled with drama and disasters large and small. The writing is a delightful mix of classic and modern with plenty of humor too.

A deep look at sisterhood that is funny and rich. Appropriate for ages 12-15.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by HarperTeen.

Review: My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero

| Tasha

My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero

My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero, illustrated by Zeke Pena (9780525553410)

Daisy loves to ride with her father on his motorcycle. After he finishes his work in construction, he always has time for an evening ride with her. They ride like a comet on the hot asphalt, zigzagging through the streets. Together they rumble through their Southern California town and visit all of the sites that Daisy loves. There is Joy’s Market where they see their librarian shopping. Murals on the walls tell the story of their history as Mexican-Americans. They plan to stop for a sweet treat, but the store has closed. They pass her grandparent’s home with happy waves and a plan to visit tomorrow. Their ride ends with a visit to her father’s workplace and then a curving race around Grand Boulevard. They return home to find that the owner of the closed shop has is running a food cart instead.

Quintero’s text is lush and beautiful. It’s remarkable for a picture book to use language the way that she does, yet she manages it without leaving small children behind. It is particularly evident in the places where Daisy’s imagination soars. As Daisy pictures them as a comet flying, Quintero’s prose flies alongside her imagination lifting it with colors, and sentences like “We become a spectacular celestial thing soaring on asphalt.” What more could a reader want?

The illustrations are a true celebration of the community Daisy and her Papi right through. The murals are shown in bright colors, the city itself bathed in the heat and sunshine of a summer day. Perspectives are done playfully at times with chasing dogs and narrow streets.

A summer treat of a book, this one is worth the ride. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from ARC provided by Kokila.

This Week’s Tweets

| Tasha

Here are the items I shared on Twitter this week:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Beat Bedtime Story Burnout With These 15 Lesser-Known Kid Books buff.ly/2Wxy5hf #kidlit

Children’s book author and illustrator Ashley Bryan on the advice he’d give his younger self buff.ly/2MnhM1H #kidlit

Children’s picture book reviews round-up – to the moon and back – The Guardian – buff.ly/2wwLyWX

Fox/Disney Lands ‘The Garden Of Abdul Gasazi’ By ‘Jumanji’ Author Chris Van Allsburg buff.ly/2wBhKIL #kidlit

I looked at 100 best-selling picture books: female protagonists were largely invisible buff.ly/2ERtjQD #kidlit

Jennings presented with CBCA Lifetime Achievement award | Books+Publishing buff.ly/2EQyu37 #kidlit

Trapped in the Annex – Enough with Children’s Books about Anne Frank – https://t.co/uZI2xnWHrf

What’s Going on in Your Child’s Brain When You Read Them a Story? – https://t.co/7nM33bKr6x

When Childhood Books Should Not Be Revisited buff.ly/2Z5oOtl #kidlit

Why The Very Hungry Caterpillar eats its way into every book lover’s heart buff.ly/310CVC3 #kidlit

William Steig’s Books Explored the Reality That Adults Don’t Want Children to Know About buff.ly/2wAhGJk #kidlit

LIBRARIES

Libraries without Librarians? Twin Cities Systems try it – https://t.co/MxrT5krvXy

READING

The Comeback of the Century – The Book! buff.ly/2W8Wv0l #reading

YA LIT

50+ YA Paperbacks For Summer 2019 Reading buff.ly/2Xm64W5 #yalit

Review: Camp Tiger by Susan Choi

| Tasha

Camp Tiger by Susan Choi

Camp Tiger by Susan Choi, illustrated by John Rocco (9780399173295)

A remarkable picture book about saying goodbye to summer with one final September camping trip that just happens to involve a tiger. A boy heads out on a camping trip with his older brother and his parents. He is dreading the end of summer and going to first grade. They arrive at Mountain Pond, filled with lots of quiet and nature. But as they are setting up the tents, a tiger enters their camp. It’s a real tiger who talks. The tiger asks if they have another tent that he could use as he feels cold now even in his cave. The family sets it up and the boy climbs in along with the tiger. They nestle together for a time. The tiger stays all weekend with the family, going on hikes, heading out in the canoe, even helping with the fishing. But then, the tiger is gone. The family heads back home, but it’s a trip that no one will ever forget.

I am trying not to simply gush in superlatives about this book. Choi captures the tension of growing up, of wishing time would stand still, of hating the new responsibilities of chores, and longing for kindergarten again. She writes of that with a clarity and ease that honors the child’s feelings. Then the tiger enters, realistic and bold, and at first readers try to puzzle out if the talking tiger is real or not. By the end of the book, it doesn’t matter. Just knowing the tiger, experiencing the tiger was enough. It doesn’t have to be answered as they head back to school and home.

Rocco’s illustrations are just as well done as the text. His illustrations make the tiger almost more realistic than the humans in the story. The tiger swims, sits in firelight, snuggles close, and weighs down the canoe. The final night they have together is filled with starlight and quiet that Rocco captures so beautifully.

Surreal and realistic in the best possible mash-up. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from ARC provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers.

Review: The Second Sky by Patrick Guest

| Tasha

The Second Sky by Patrick Guest

The Second Sky by Patrick Guest, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley (9780802855206)

A little penguin wants to learn to fly, but he is more fuzz than feathers and doesn’t have very long wings. So when he tries to flap and fly, he ends up falling onto his bottom. His parents try to explain that he is a penguin and not a goose, but Gilbert won’t give up. He wants to reach the stars and fly above mountains. When Gilbert’s feathers come in, he tries some more to fly, but still can’t leave the ground. Inspired by an albatross flying above him, he heads to a cliff and jumps off. Instead of flying though, he tumbles down the side and into the sea. It is there, in the deep water, the Gilbert realizes that penguins can fly too, just in their own way.

Shortlisted for the 2018 Early Childhood Book of the Year by the Children’s Book Council of Australia, this picture book combines incredible illustrations with a strong story of finding your own way to reach your dreams. Gilbert is a hardy and fearless little fellow, determined to fly. The moment when he is at the top of the cliff is a huge turning point in his story and readers will be holding their breath to see what happens. The result is exceptionally satisfying.

Bentley’s illustrations are lovely. They capture the vistas of the frozen landscape, have the solid black figures of the other penguins. Yet they also soften around Gilbert and his fuzz, showing a rotund little penguin with big dreams. That softness plays nicely against the ice and snow. When Gilbert enters the water and the pages fill with blues and greens, the colors seem even more intense and vivid.

A little penguin with big dreams whose story is worth reading. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy provided by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Review: The Great Gran Plan by Elli Woollard

| Tasha

The Great Gran Plan by Elli Woollard

The Great Gran Plan by Elli Woollard, illustrated by Steven Lenton (9781250186034)

Reviewed June 18, 2019.

This fractured fairy tale mixes the story of the Three Little Pigs together with Little Red Riding Hood into one wild caper. When the wolf is unable to blow down the house of bricks, the pig finds the wolf’s next plot: to gobble down Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother! So pig sets off to save her. But first, he must gather supplies. He shops for a superhero cape, but all they have is a shawl. He puts that on and tries to find binoculars, but all they have are red eyeglasses on a chain. He wears those with the shawl and finds a lack of rope, which he substitutes yarn for. So when he heads into the woods to save Granny, he looks rather like a grandmother himself!

Woollard has managed to create a rhyming picture book that avoids being too sing-songy or stilted. Instead she merrily plays with rhymes both internal and at the ends of lines, creating a jaunty feel that reads aloud beautifully. Her fractured tale is filled with plenty of action and readers will realize that pig is starting to look like a grandmother long before he does in the book. That adds to the merriment factor immensely. Add in the anything-but-frail Granny and this book is a lot of fun.

Lenton’s illustrations are bright and bold. Filled with touches like the pig-shaped vehicle that pig drives, the three bears selling items in three different sizes, and even a store called “Rope-unzel’s.” This is a world filled with other stories that are hinted at in the illustrations and are entirely delightful.

A fun fractured fairy tale with one big bad wolf, who is sure to lose. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Henry Holt & Co.

Review: Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

| Tasha

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (9781524720964)

Just as Tyler Jones is about to recruit the perfect squad, having been the top student at Aurora Academy, it all goes sideways. Hoping to burn off some of his nerves, he takes a short ride into The Fold where he discovers a girl, Aurora, who has been asleep for over 200 years. Rescuing her, means he loses his ability to recruit his squad. He is left with the dregs of the academy plus his sister and her best friend who refused to join any other squad. Their first mission is dull and boring, until suddenly they discover that Aurora has stowed away with them and brought the attention of ruthless forces bearing down on them all. As Aurora starts to show her powers, they realize she is not what she seems and that the future of the galaxy may be in their hands.

This novel is pure science fiction joy. The cast is quirky and very funny, the plot is fast moving and cleverly built, and the aliens are believable. As I read it, I kept on thinking of the first time I read a Miles Vorkosigan novel with their mix of humor and space drama that was intoxicating. This novel has that same feel, that same bubbling humor, wildly dramatic space battles, and enough character development to make it all worthwhile. Kaufman and Kristoff have created a great space opera for teens.

The wit and humor of the book is particularly noteworthy. A large part of that success is in the crew and the way they all interact together. There is the warrior with a huge heart and a grief-stricken past. The diplomat who charms but also cuts with sarcasm. The pilot who is the best around but who can’t keep her eyes off the captain. The scientist who loves firing guns a bit too much. The technician whose big brain can’t match the size of his attitude. Put them all together with a captain who loves to lead and a girl who is still coming into her own, and you have an incredible story.

One of the best science fiction novels for teens, you will not be able to put it down. Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Review: It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book about Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn

| Tasha

It Feels Good to Be Yourself A Book about Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn

It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book about Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn, illustrated by Noah Grigni (9781250302953)

With a diverse cast of children, this picture book deftly explains gender identity. Ruthie, the first character we meet, is a transgender girl. Identified as a boy at birth, she explained to everyone that she was actually a girl. Her little brother is a cisgender boy, and the book explains that term as well. Transgender and cisgender are explained frankly with neither given extra weight in the text. The term non-binary is then explained with two of its variants shown by characters in the text. There is Alex, who is both a boy and a girl, and JJ, who is neither boy nor girl. The book goes on to explain that even with all of these terms, some people don’t feel they fit in any of them, and that feeling that way is just fine.

The emphasis here is on children being allowed to be themselves, no matter what that means. Feelings about gender are real and valid. Families shown in the book are accepting and supportive of their children, no matter what gender they may identify as. The tone of the text is frank and friendly, explaining the terms and offering immense support for all children. It is positive through and through.

The art is great with skies filled with watercolor washes of blue. The cast is diverse in many ways including race, faith, sexuality, and a person who uses a wheelchair. The art is filled with color, evoking the same positive feel as the text.

A great book to use to explore children’s own gender identity or introduce gender identity concepts to young children. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy provided by Henry Holt & Co.

Review: Great Job, Mom! by Holman Wang

| Tasha

Great Job, Mom! by Holman Wang

Great Job, Mom! by Holman Wang (9780735264083)

The co-creator of Cozy Classics returns with a felted family. The three-person family has a mom who almost a hero for her children. As the story progresses, she is given different jobs in the family. She is a carpenter when she repairs things. She’s a general when the troops get marched to bed. She is a doctor when the children are sick. She’s an actor when they pretend together. This charmer of a picture book offers a glimpse of the many roles that mothers play in families, celebrating their myriad skills.

Wang’s text is simple and straight forward. Done in rhymes, they have a jaunty rhythm that makes the book great to share aloud. But the real winner here are the illustrations that life the book to new heights. At the end of the book, the process for creating the felted characters and their scenes is shown, not taking away any of the immense skill that Wang has as an illustrator. The small touches and the lifelike characters are delightful, making each image worth looking at closely.

A celebration of mothers, this picture book is a joy. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.