Month: April 2021

Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2020

| Tasha

The American Library Association has released their annual list of the most challenged books of the previous year. These are the top titles among the 273 books that were challenged in 2020. It’s fascinating and saddening to see racism and anti-racism books take over more of the list this year.

George by Alex Gino

Challenged, banned, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, conflicting with a religious viewpoint, and not reflecting “the values of our community”

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds

Banned and challenged because of the author’s public statements, and because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents” and does not encompass racism against all people

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Banned and challenged for profanity, drug use, and alcoholism, and because it was thought to promote anti-police views, contain divisive topics, and be “too much of a sensitive matter right now”

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Banned, challenged, and restricted because it was thought to contain a political viewpoint, it was claimed to be biased against male students, and for the novel’s inclusion of rape and profanity

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and allegations of sexual misconduct by the author

Something Happened in Our Town: A Child’s Story about Racial Injustice by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins, and Ann Hazzard, illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin

Challenged for “divisive language” and because it was thought to promote anti-police views

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Banned and challenged for racial slurs and their negative effect on students, featuring a “white savior” character, and its perception of the Black experience

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Banned and challenged for racial slurs and racist stereotypes, and their negative effect on students

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and depicts child sexual abuse

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Challenged for profanity, and it was thought to promote an anti-police message

The Wisdom of Trees: How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom by Lita Judge

| Tasha
Cover image

The Wisdom of Trees: How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom by Lita Judge (9781250237071)

Through a combination of poetry and science facts, this nonfiction picture book invites readers into the amazing things that trees can do. The book starts with a young beech tree in the Ruhe Forest in Germany, starting to show readers that trees have a language with one another and live much longer than humans do. The roots of the trees act like an instant message web, sending chemical and electrical signals to one another. Trees also have amazing ways to protect themselves from predators, or over-grazing from giraffes. They create our climate, processing carbon dioxide and offering shelter and cool in their ecosystems. They can ask for help from their neighbor trees, who will send them extra nutrients via their root systems. They offer shelter and food to animals. They can tell time via the light, knowing when seasons are changing. The list goes on and on, creating a sense of wonder about the trees that surround us all.

Judge’s poems capture the world from the perspective of the trees themselves. They show what it feels like to be someone’s home, how they continue to live even after they have fallen, how it feels to nurture baby trees, and how it feels to soar high into the sky with your branches. Judge shares facts that truly elevate children’s understanding of trees and how they communicate with one another. The information is fascinating, offering a glimpse into a hidden world. The book ends with an extensive Author’s Note sharing more information, a glossary of terms and a list of sources and websites.

As always, Judge’s illustrations are marvelous. She captures the depths of the forest, the sunbeams kissing the younger trees. She invites us underground to see a den and the roots communicating. She shows us a variety of seasons, from the mellow tones of fall to the cool greens of spring to the ice of winter and the sun of summer. She is a master of light and movement, showing us perspectives that also amaze.

A great nonfiction read that will have young scientists fascinated by their own backyards. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Roaring Brook Press.

Where Wonder Grows by Xelena Gonzalez

| Tasha
Cover image for Where Wonder Grows

Where Wonder Grows by Xelena Gonzalez, illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia (9781947627468)

When grandmother heads to her garden, her granddaughters know to follow her. They spread blankets on the ground and get their magic rocks. Grandma taught them that the rocks are alive with wisdom from the long time they have spent on earth, so they respectfully call them grandmothers and grandfathers. The rocks are used in the sweat lodge where they help send songs and prayers into the air and to ancestors. The girls ask about the rocks that can heal. Grandma shows the colorful crystals and shares stories about them. They look at rocks worn by the water and others that fell from the sky. The rocks remind them of their place in the world, of their brief time on earth, their connection to the stars.

Gonzalez writes in beautiful short sentences, showing the connection between the generations of a Native American family, between the group of granddaughters and their grandmother. It’s a book that slows down, lingering over the various rocks, telling their stories, explaining their importance and making space for some dreams too. There is joy here, a delight in time spent together in a lovely garden and in the rocks themselves and what they mean.

Garcia’s illustrations are unique and creative. She lights each illustration as if the family and rocks glow from outside and within. The colors are deep and evocative. The book moves from the brightness of daylight to night with its purples and more subtle light. It is beautiful and filled with portraits of the family members.

An inviting look at rocks, their mystical qualities and how they connect us all. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Cinco Puntos Press.

Starfish by Lisa Fipps

| Tasha
Cover image

Starfish by Lisa Fipps (9781984814500)

Ellie loves to swim in the pool in her backyard. It makes her feel weightless and strong. It’s kind of ironic, since a swimming pool is where she was first bullied about her weight, earning her the enduring nicknames of “Splash” and “Whale.” Her mother has made it clear that she hates how Ellie looks, constantly posting articles on the fridge in the kitchen about calories and weight loss. She portions Ellie’s food, forces her to weigh herself every day, and is the source of all of Ellie’s Fat Girl Rules that Ellie tries to live by. Ellie is about the collapse under all of the expectations in middle school, from her mother, and from the entire society about how fat people should be invisible and yet easily mocked. When Ellie starts to see a therapist with the help of her supportive father, she begins to see that she has every right to take up space in this world. She may not be able to fix everything all at once, but she can start with what she says to herself and what she allows others to say about her.

In her verse novel, Fipps achingly captures the experience of being a fat person in today’s society, and even harder, a fat middle-school girl. She writes the bullying words from classmates, showing how each one takes aim and tries to hurt. Yet Fipps also shows beyond the bullies to the pain they are hiding too. Ellie’s family is beautifully contrasted with that of her new best friend, where no one tells Ellie to stop eating or to be ashamed. Her own family experience is one of drastic differences with her mother and older brother unable to even look at Ellie while her father adores her and supports her exactly the way she is.

Ellie is a great character, full doubts about herself and in need of real help to negotiate her family and society. Her internalization of all of the negative messages is deftly shown by the author and then transformed into a platform for advocacy and self respect. The entire book is full of truth about how fat people are treated and then an honest look at moving beyond that into fighting back.

A middle-grade novel that shows how self worth is created despite what others may think. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from copy provided by Nancy Paulsen Books.

18 Amazing New YA Books Coming in April

| Tasha

Here are 18 of the upcoming titles for teens that have gotten lots of buzz this spring. Lots of favorite authors along with new authors to love.

Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve

The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris

Dustborn by Erin Bowman

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement by Paula Yoo

The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O’Neal

The Power of Style: How Fashion and Beauty Are Being Used to Reclaim Cultures by Christian Allaire

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen

Slingshot by Mercedes Helnwein

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp

Thirty Talks Weird Love by Alessandra Narvaez Varela

Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders

What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson

Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan

News to Wake Your Brain Cells – April 2

| Tasha

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

8 fun facts about The Monster at the End of This Book – Mental Floss

10 extraordinary children’s books that inspire the best in all of us – Booktrib

18 books to help grieving children and teens heal – KQED

Children’s books roundup – the best new picture books and novels – The Guardian

Chris Van Dusen talks about the process illustrating children’s books (video) – News Center Maine

Jason Reynolds, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, embarks on second virtual tour this spring – CBC

Joan Walsh Anglund obituary: Her children’s books captured the innocence of youth – The Irish Times

Judy Blume shares the advice Beverly Cleary gave her, even though they never met – Today

Remembering the first Indian author who won America’s top children’s literature prize – Scroll.in

Scholastic halts distribution of book by ‘Captain Underpants’ author – The New York Times

LIBRARIES

Build America’s Libraries – Intellectual Freedom Blog

Libraries are key tools for people getting out of prison, even during a pandemic – Maine Public

Readers rejoice: Madison’s public libraries could reopen next month – Wisconsin State Journal

YA BOOKS

5 new YA books to pick up for Trans Day of Visibility – Book Riot

10 of the most notable YA books of 2021 (so far) – Forbes

March 2021’s 12 best YA books, including Leigh Bardugo’s latest – PopSugar

Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses is headed to Hulu – Tor

To All the Boys spinoff series in development at Netflix – ComingSoon.net

VIZ originals take manga mainstream – Publishers Weekly

18 Great New Books for Children Coming in April

| Tasha

Here are some of the top new books for children coming out in April. There is a delightful mix of returning characters. well-known authors and new voices. No fooling!

Aven Green Sleuthing Machine by Dusti Bowling

Billy Miller Makes a Wish by Kevin Henkes

Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera

Girl Warriors: How 25 Young Activists Are Saving the Earth by Rachel Sarah

It Doesn’t Take a Genius by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

Leonard, My Life as a Cat by Carlie Sorosiak

Listening to the Stars: Jocelyn Bell Burnell Discovers Pulsars by Jodie Parachini, illustrated by Alexandra Badiu

Merci Suarez Can’t Dance by Meg Medina

Middletown by Sarah Moon

A Peacemaker for Warring Nations: The Founding of the Iroquois League by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by David Kanietakeron Fadden

River Magic by Ellen Booraem

Sugar and Spite by Gail D. Villanueva

The Story of Bodri by Hedi Fried, illustrated by Stina Wirsen

Thornwood by Leah Cypress

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

War and Millie McGonigle by Karen Cushman

The Way of the Hive by Jay Hosler

Ways to Grow Love by Renee Watson, illustrated by Nina Mata

The Snail with the Right Heart by Maria Popova

| Tasha
Cover image

The Snail with the Right Heart by Maria Popova, illustrated by Ping Zhu (9781592703494)

Beginning with the mutations and evolution that brought life to Earth, this picture book soon focuses on snails as they climb out of the water and onto land. Mutations continued to happen, including to one specific snail who was discovered by a retired scientist. It was a smaller snail than normal, with a darker shell and a tentacle that had trouble unspooling, and a shell that spiraled in the opposite direction than other snails’. The scientist sent the unique snail to a snail laboratory where it was named Jeremy. It turned out that Jeremy’s body was a mirror image of most other snail’s and he also had inverted internal organs. Because of that, Jeremy could only mate with another mirror image snail, another one in a million. So the snail laboratory made a plea for the entire world to look for another “lefty” snail. Amazingly, in only a few weeks, two potential mates were found and sent to the snail laboratory. When eventually Jeremy had offspring, he was so old that he didn’t live to see them arrive. Sadly, none of the new snails had a left-spiraling shell. The mutation was once again dormant, but it will return again.

Inspired by a true story, this picture book is a touching mix of poetic description and scientific facts. Popova’s language embraces the reader, showing them the beauty and wonder in mutation, genetics and evolution. She marvels at finding two potential mates in the world for Jeremy and then delicately celebrates Jeremy’s life at the end. She writes with real intention both to reveal the amazing nature around us but also to describe the science, including Jeremy’s mirror image body, the way that snails mate, and the work of the scientists who cared enough to explore his mutation.

Zhu’s illustrations are awash in colors, from the blues of the original waters of life to the rich green of English gardens. Done in watercolor swirls and drips, the illustrations are a mix of close ups from a snail’s view and the bustle of humans transporting Jeremy and the other snails. There is even a lovely foldout page that invites readers to even more fully enter the depths of the garden.

Full of wonder and science. Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy provided by Enchanted Lion.