Month: August 2020

I Hate Reading by Beth Bacon

| Tasha

I Hate Reading by Beth Bacon

I Hate Reading by Beth Bacon (9780062962522)

Exactly the right book to pick up when a child has to read for 20 minutes but doesn’t want to. Filled with humor and plenty of empathy for their plight, this book will have the pages turning quickly. Done with very little text on each page and large graphic elements, the book first looks at the rules of reading: Eyes on book. Butt on chair. Easy words are then offered in a list, and then a handful of hard words too, though you are encouraged to just skip words like “plutonium” and “photosynthesis.” Ways to escape your reading exile are also suggested like going to the bathroom or getting a bloody nose. A few blank pages make them turn even faster. Still, in the end, the book actually will get reluctant readers to not only open it up but to read!

The tone of this book is exactly right. There is a wonderful sneakiness to it, inviting children to scheme along with the narrating voice about how to stop reading. And yet, in order to play that naughty game, they have to read. The humor is broad and inviting, while still offering real tips for readers that actually work.

The book design plays a huge role here too. With minimal text on the pages done in large fonts, the rest of the page is designed to be bright and lively with large graphical elements like zippers, flashlight beams, movie film, and the play of black pages and white.

Funny and effective, get this into the hands of reluctant readers. Appropriate for ages 6-8.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by HarperCollins.

Claude by Emma Bland Smith

| Tasha

Claude by Emma Bland Smith

Claude: The True Story of a White Alligator by Emma Bland Smith, illustrated by Jennifer M. Potter (9781632172693)

Claude hatched out of an egg in a Louisiana swamp with his siblings. Unlike them though, he was white rather than green. His different color made him easy prey for predators in the swamp and his siblings also were uneasy around him. The owner of the alligator farm gave the little alligator to a special zoo in Florida. At that zoo, he was safe but all alone. He lived that way for 13 years until a museum in California wanted him to come and live with them. They had another alligator name Bonnie, but Bonnie did not get along with Claude and bit him in the foot. Afterwards, Claude had to have surgery to remove one of his toes and took weeks to recover. When he returned, he was alone again in his pen except for the snapping turtles, and then something wonderful happened.

This nonfiction picture book tells the story of the beloved white alligator who charmed museum-goers in San Francisco at the California Academy of Sciences. The focus of the book is on Claude’s well-being and the care he received throughout his life to keep him safe. The need for him to have contact with other animals is also a feature as zookeepers struggle to provide that full life for him. Written in frank and simple language, this book nicely balances the amount of text per page, making it a book that can be shared aloud with preschoolers.

Potter’s illustrations offer a cartoon-like look at Claude and his life. Some pages like Bonnie eying up Claude before attacking him are menacing, while others are filled with a gentle joy as Claude finds animals he can live with. Claude pops on the page as a white creature, showing just how special and unique he was.

A friendly look at an interesting animal who found a home that was safe and supportive. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Little Bigfoot.

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

| Tasha

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (9781646140053)

Elatsoe has the ability to raise the dead, though raising human dead is dangerous and filled with too much risk. She has though raised her dog back from the dead and he goes everywhere with her. Now Elatsoe’s cousin has been murdered. He came to her in a dream to tell her who killed him. Elatsoe and her family travel to Willowbee, a picture-perfect town where the man who killed her cousin reigns as the owner of the medical clinic and wealthy citizen. Elatsoe and her best friend begin to investigate Willowbee and this man, uncovering a sinister world of medical procedures, greed and the undead. They just have to stay alive long enough to figure out how everything fits together.

The author has created a debut fantasy novel that features a familiar American landscape that is imbued with magic of several varieties. The main character and her family use skills that come from their Lipan Apache heritage. Others use fey magic and travel via rings of mushrooms. Still others are vampires or psychics. It’s a rich tapestry of fantasy, centered on Native American culture. That tapestry is impressive on its own but adding to the appeal is a deep murder mystery as well as a facade that must fall. It’s a gripping mystery solved via sleuthing and magic.

The characters are marvelously drawn. Ellie is the main character, a girl deeply connected to her Lipan Apache heritage and who longs to explore her powers further. She is brave, determined and resilient in the face of a favorite cousin being murdered. Her best friend helps with research, showering her with texts as he learns more. The two of them together are funny and warm, just what the book needs to offset the grim mystery at times.

An incredible new voice in fantasy. Here’s hoping she writes many more! Appropriate for ages 12-15.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Levine Querido.

Dinosong by Tim McCanna

| Tasha

Dinosong by Tim McCanna

Dinosong by Tim McCanna, illustrated by Richard Smythe (9781534430020)

A little ankylosaur is heading down a steep slope, other dinosaurs walk and fly near him. After tripping on a rock, he rolls downhill clanking and clacking, crinkle crackle, finally landing with a clunk. Soon he meets two other dinosaurs, seeking shelter from the rumbling thunderstorm and the smoky volcanoes. After lightning hits a nearby stone formation, the volcano starts to spill lava. The three dinosaurs run to shelter in a cave where they find fresh water to drink. Then they glimpse light on the other side and emerge to find a safer and quieter landscape full of other dinosaurs.

Told in rhyming words, this simple picture book uses those words to create a merry prehistoric soundscape. There is the sound of the tromping dinosaurs, the storm, the volcano, and the quiet of the cave. The pace is brisk and the tale has plenty of action to keep things moving ahead. People looking for a great read-aloud dinosaur book should look no farther, they don’t even have to try to pronounce dinosaur names!

Smythe’s illustrations are filled with jewel-colored dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are friendly and funny, whether happily joining together on an adventure or wildly rolling or dashing across the scenes. The scenes move nicely from pastel humor to dangerous orange to the deep black of the cave.

A winning dinosaur read aloud sure to please the youngest dinosaur fans. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

News to Wake Your Brain Cells – August 21

| Tasha

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

25 books about simple outdoor adventures – Colorado Parent

Beverly Cleary turned 104 this year — glimpse into the iconic children’s book author’s life – AmoMama

Writer makes beloved children’s books less co-dependent and weird – Yahoo

LIBRARIES

Anne Arundel library system scales back indoor operations after customers refuse to wear masks – Capital Gazette

Hawaii State Public Libraries are suspending computer time – KHON

With coronavirus lockdowns may libraries (and librarians) have been more fabulous than ever – The Guardian

YA LIT

Our Chemical Hearts author Krystal Sutherland on why the film adaptation is ‘different tonally’ – Entertainment Weekly

Renee Watson’s ‘Piecing Me Together’ novel lands film adaptation at Warner Horizon – Variety

Zoning out of reading: most 15-year-olds now ‘only read if I have to’ – NZ Herald

Love Your Body by Jessica Sanders

| Tasha

Love Your Body by Jessica Sanders

Love Your Body by Jessica Sanders, illustrated by Carol Rossetti (9780711252424)

With a clear focus on self-acceptance and body positivity, this nonfiction picture book celebrates all girls and young women. The book is filled with images of girls of all sizes, races, religions and abilities. Readers are told to start loving their bodies now, not waiting. Bodies are more than just there to be admired: they are strong and active no matter their size or shape. The book encourages readers to make a list of what they appreciate about their body, offering help and ideas. The book then recommends that if that did not help it might be a good idea to seek help from an adult or organization. Self care is also emphasized along with dressing your body the way it feels best to you. Self-love is a process, and this book shows a clear way forward.

Sanders’ text is clear and fierce. She demands that readers take action, not see themselves as objects, and deeply understand that no matter our size, race or ability that our bodies are ours to treasure and celebrate. The focus on self kindness and self care is an important one, nicely moving readers away from perfectionism towards habits that will serve them well for their entire lives.

The illustrations are tremendous. I particularly love the groups of girls and young women gathered together in their underwear and fully clothed. It’s a visual sisterhood, a commitment to loving ourselves and one another. The girls throughout the book are diverse and active. I particularly appreciate that it is often the larger girls as well as those of different abilities who are doing the activities.

Fierce, kind and compassionate, this book insists that all girls are valued. Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Frances Lincoln.

If You Want a Friend in Washington by Erin McGill

| Tasha

If You Want a Friend in Washington by Erin McGill

If You Want a Friend in Washington by Erin McGill (9780593122693)

Based on the famous quote from President Truman, this nonfiction picture book explores the many different pets that presidents have had over the years. The book begins with dogs and cats, though some cats were of the more exotic type like tiger cubs! Horses were also popular, but barnyard pets didn’t stop there with some presidents having goats, sheep, roosters and cows, including Miss Wayne who grazed on the White House lawn and had her milk stolen. The pets just kept getting larger though with bear cubs, elephants, hippos, a wallaby and alligators! Some presidents had birds, though Jackson’s parrot swore a lot. Some had quite small pets like guinea pigs or even silkworms. Almost all presidents had some sort of pet, though Jackson found his friendly mice waiting for him while he faced impeachment.

Fast-paced and funny, this picture book is a wry look at presidential pets. The book first groups types of pets together then offers interesting anecdotes about a few of the pets in that grouping. Readers get the tales of Lincoln’s, FDR’s, George H.W. Bush’s, Obama’s and Truman’s dogs, for example. The stories throughout the book celebrate the president’s connection to these animals and how they found solace in their time together.

The art is marvelously silly, using cut paper drawings against pops of color or line drawings on white backgrounds. The spread of all of the dogs alone is an impressive two pages of quite small pooches, each labeled with their name. The illustrations have a peppy merriness to them that invites readers in and sets a jolly tone.

Humorous and historical, this glimpse of president’s best friend is a treat. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Schwartz & Wade.

Girl Versus Squirrel by Hayley Barrett

| Tasha

Girl Versus Squirrel by Hayley Barrett

Girl Versus Squirrel by Hayley Barrett, illustrated by Renee Andriani (9780823442515)

Pearl built three bird feeders for her backyard. She filled one with suet, one with seeds, and the third with nuts. But no birds wanted the nuts! Instead, she attracted a squirrel. The squirrel took all the nuts. Peal extended the pole for the feeder, but the squirrel just ran right up it. Then the feeder fell to the ground and broke. But Peal had a new plan, a network of obstacles to keep the squirrel at bay. But that too didn’t work as the squirrel bested each obstacle with ease. Pearl was very impressed and noticed that this was a mother squirrel caring for her kits. Now Pearl has a backyard of bird feeders plus one amazing squirrel obstacle course!

Playful in tone, this picture book shows the power and potential of invention even if it ends up being foiled by a squirrel. Children will love seeing a girl who invents things do something as dynamic and interesting as a squirrel obstacle course. Even better, the course elements make sense as objects you would find in a garage and repurpose.

The art is simple and inviting, showing both the serene backyard of Pearl’s home and also the wild antics of the squirrel. Pearl’s tenacity and trying to beat the squirrel is shown in the various ways she tries to keep the nuts out the the squirrel’s reach, wiggling and eventually toppling over.

This picture book takes nature plus STEM and invents something fresh. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Holiday House.

Accidental by Alex Richards

| Tasha

Accidental by Alex Richards

Accidental by Alex Richards (9781547603589)

Johanna lives with her maternal grandparents after her mother’s tragic death in a car accident when Johanna was a toddler. Now at age sixteen, she is starting to resent how dull and stifling her life is. Even worse, her grandparents don’t have any pictures of her mother out and never speak about her. So when Johanna gets contacted by her father for the first time, she decides to meet with him. He shares pictures of her mother, who looks like just like Johanna. More importantly, he shares the truth of how Joanna’s mother died, something that her grandparents lied to her about. As a toddler, Johanna found a gun in the house and accidentally shot and killed her mother. Now Johanna must find a way to cope with her grandparents’ lies, her relationship with her father, and her newfound guilt and responsibility around her mother’s death.

This timely novel deals with gun violence from a unique and fascinating perspective, that of an unsecured gun left to be found by a child. The novel wrestles with responsibility for the tragedy as well as the importance of truth to allow families to heal. Richards gives Johanna a robust support system that gives Johanna and the reader hope to move forward through the situation. The strain of discovering her own role in the tragedy is made worse by it being discovered by everyone at her school and online bullying.

Johanna is a strong and resilient protagonist navigating one of the most terrible situations. Richards doesn’t let up, putting her character through horrible times in the novel, revealing who truly loves her in the end but also showing Johanna’s incredible tenacity and growth along the way.

A gripping look at gun violence that is ultimately full of hope. Appropriate for ages 14-18.

Reviewed from ARC provided by Bloomsbury.