The nominees have been announced for this year’s Harvey Awards that celebrate the best of the comics and graphic novels of the year. The awards will be given online this year in early October as part of New York Comic Con Metaverse. Here are the nominees in the youth category:
BEST CHILDREN OR YOUNG ADULT BOOK
Almost American Girl by Robin Ha
Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
Stargazing by Jen Wang
Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru
Here are 17 books for teens that are being released this month! They have all gotten starred reviews and plenty of buzz. Enjoy!
Beauty Mark: A Verse Novel of Marilyn Monroe by Carole Boston Weatherford
Blood Moon by Lucy Cuthew
The Bridge by Bill Konisgberg
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
The Crossroads at Midnight by Abby Howard
Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Last Halloween: Children by Abby Howard
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher
The Scapegracers by Hannah Abigail Clarke
The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi
Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour
The Way Back by Gavriel Savit
We Are Not Free by Traci Chee
Me & Mama by Cozbi A. Cabrera (9781534454217)
Mama greets the little girl who narrates this story when she comes down early in the morning. The others are still sleeping on the rainy morning. They decide to head outside into the rain together. First they must get ready with drinks from their cups, teeth brushing, showers and hair combing. Then it’s time for breakfast and barrettes in their hair. They head out into the rainy morning with boots, umbrellas and raincoats. Max, the dog, doesn’t need any of those things. Together they sing and splash. In the evening, there are stories, laughter and cozy blankets that lead to dreams filled with moments from their day together.
My summary above skims the surface of this picture book that deeply explores the relationship of mother and daughter. Cabrera deftly uses language to explain the connection between these two: “I want to be everywhere Mama is.” She also uses lovely comparisons by the little girl who looks at their boots, hair, laugh and other elements of their day and sees how similar and different they are. It’s a beautiful look at the small pieces of our days that create such deep connectivity.
Cabrera’s art is done in acrylics, illustrations that are filled with deep bright colors that glow on the page. They too reveal the connections between the characters, deepening them even further than the words can.
A marvelous mother and daughter book. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Here are 12 upcoming children’s books being released this month. They have all gotten starred reviews and plenty of buzz. Enjoy!
Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson
The Canyon’s Edge by Dusti Bowling
Fly on the Wall by Remy Lai
The Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar
Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron
Pea, Bee, & Jay: Stuck Together by Brian “Smitty” Smith
The Radium Girls: The Scary but True Story of the Poison that Made People Glow in the Dark by Kate Moore
The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman
Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake, illustrated by Jon Klassen
Spindlefish and Stars by Christiane M. Andrews
Three Keys by Kelly Yang
Tune It Out by Jamie Sumner
Summer We Found the Baby by Amy Hest (9780763660079)
Bruno and Julie aren’t really friends anymore, but in the small town of Belle Beach, Long Island, they still see one another. That’s how Bruno sees Julie discover the baby that was left on the steps of the new children’s library. Julie carries the baby off, leaving Bruno to discover the note that Julie never found. Bruno though is on a mission for his brother who is overseas fighting in World War II, and he must decide if he will miss the train to New York or not. Told through flashbacks that show the story of Bruno, Julie and Julie’s little sister, Martha, this book explores the impact of the war on families and also how one complicated situation can somehow tie their entire summer together.
Hest creates a marvelous story told in brief chapters by each of the three characters. Their perspectives are beautifully individual, filled with misunderstandings about one another, views that are entirely their own, and opinions that they form along the way. The book is almost a puzzle, where one must figure out what is actually happening through these independent lenses that show a fractured image of the truth.
Each of the three characters has their own personality, deftly created and shown by Hest. Her writing is brief and clear, allowing each character’s words to stand strong as their own. It is the quality of her writing and the profound respect she shows her young characters that really let this delight of a novel work, revealing the moments and experiences of a single sun-drenched summer on the beach.
Ideal for summer reading, this work of historical fiction is masterful. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
Reviewed from copy provided by Candlewick.
Little Fox by Edward van de Vendel & Marije Tolman (9781646140077)
Little fox is chasing two butterflies because they are purple. He runs so quickly that he doesn’t notice the ground falling away and takes a horrible tumble. He lands hard and starts to dream. It’s a dream about his life from when he was a very small baby to growing up with his brothers and sisters. It’s a dream of smells, of mice and deer, of wind and water. Daddy Fox warns Little Fox not to be so curious but he can’t help but wonder about the little human with the camera. It turns out that that little human saves Little Fox from getting his head stuck in a jar. Then after his terrible fall, the little human arrives just in time to save Little Fox one more time.
While some might read the description above as a cautionary tale, this book doesn’t take that tone at all. Instead it celebrates the small things in life, a mother’s love, a father’s attention, siblings, food, and exploration. Throughout there is a feeling of joy and marvel, such as the memory of licking drops of water off of a deer’s nose. The book is also peppered with smaller moments, blackberries, birds, and orange balls.
The illustrations are unique and ethereal. Using photographs to create her landscapes, which are then depicted in vibrant orange or cool teal, Tolman places her characters in them with precision. Other pages are done on creamy paper where the landscapes and characters are drawn. Still others play on the white background of the pages.
This European import is quiet and profound. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Reviewed from egalley provided by Chronicle Books.
Here are 12 great picture books getting lots of buzz. They are all coming out in September! Enjoy!
The Barnabus Project by The Fan Brothers
Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina, illustrated by Sonia Sanchez
Grow: Secrets of Our DNA by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Emily Sutton
I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James
If You Come to Earth by Sophie Blackall
Lights on Wonder Rock by David Litchfield
Our Little Kitchen by Jillian Tamaki
RoboBaby by David Wiesner
The Suitcase by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
The International Day of the Girl: Celebrating Girls Around the World by Jessica Dee Humphreys and Rona Ambrose, illustrated by Simone Shin
The Paper Boat: A Refugee Story by Thao Lam
Your Place in the Universe by Jason Chin
Waking Brain Cells 