I’ve been book blogging in my little corner of the Internet for 18 years now! Thank you all so much for being here, for reading and for sharing your love of reading and books for youth. May your year be filled with access to vaccinations, great reads and wonderful library visits.
Here are 13 YA books coming out this month that have gotten starred reviews and praise.
Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis
Both Sides Now by Peyton Thomas
Call and Response: The Story of Black Lives Matter by Veronica Chambers
Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier, illustrated by Val Wise
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin
Me (Moth) by Amber McBride
Rainbow in the Dark by Sean McGinty
Run: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, L. Fury and Nate Powell
Vampires, Hearts, & Other Dead Things by Margie Fuston
Josephine Against the Sea by Shakirah Bourne (9781338642087)
After her mother’s death, Josephine knows that she wants to keep her Daddy’s attention on her. So she manages to chase off any woman looking to be his new girlfriend, using pranks and fish guts. Her father used to love watching cricket matches with her on the weekends, and she is desperate to get him back to doing that again. When one of her pranks goes wrong though, she is forced to use the money she’d been saving to take him to a real match in person to pay for the damages. Josephine also loves to play cricket herself, but at her school only boys play. After being disappointed about the team, Josephine also finds that her father has a new girlfriend. But Mariss isn’t like the other women and doesn’t scare off easily. As strange things start to happen around Mariss, Josephine realizes that she be very different from everyone else and may not even be human!
Full of Caribbean magic, this novel starts out as a story about the loss of a mother and steadily turns into a fantasy about a sea monster who is both kind and vengeful. The author’s own Bajan heritage is reflected throughout the book in the lilt of the dialogue. She also shares Caribbean folktales about a variety of beings and creatures.
Josephine is a grand protagonist. She is hot headed and determined to get what she wants, something that causes both problems and also creates opportunities. She is also willing to reconsider and learn from others, including members of her community and her best friend. Mariss is a complicated villain and monster, which is great to see in a children’s book. She is a mix of kindness and control, a being who wants humans to belong to her and who will destroy them if they don’t obey.
A book of Black girl magic and monsters. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
Reviewed from ARC provided by Scholastic.
Here are 12 children’s books coming out in August that have gotten starred reviews and praise. Lots of familiar names and some new ones too.
Bad Sister by Charise Mericle Harper, illustrated by Rory Lucey
Being Clem by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Black Boy Joy edited by Kwame Mbalia
Dead Wednesday by Jerry Spinelli
Elvis and the World as It Stands by Lisa Frenkel Riddiough, illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller
Erik vs. Everything by Christina Uss
Fast Pitch by Nic Stone
Indiana Bones by Harry Heape, illustrated by Rebecca Bagley
Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai by Debbi Michiko Florence
The Lost Things Club by J. S. Puller
One Kid’s Trash by Jamie Sumner
Why Longfellow Lied: The Truth about Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride by Jeff Lantos
A Song of Frutas by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Sara Palacios (9781534444898)
A little girl tells of visiting her Abuelo in Cuba. When she is there, she helps him sell fruit from his small cart on the street. Together they sing the names of the fruits they have for sale, walking in beat to the song and shaking their hands like maracas. Their voices reach up the tall buildings around them and some people purchase fruit using a basket they lower down on a rope. There are other vendors on the street shouting or singing about their wares too, and that’s when Abuelo has to sing even louder to be heard. It’s most special to visit Abuelo at the new year when everyone wants to purchase 12 grapes per person to have good luck when they eat them at midnight. If only visiting Cuba was simpler and they could go more often!
Engle is an award-winning author of books for all ages of children. This picture book uses a mix of English and Spanish called Spanglish that is used both in the United States and Cuba. The songs that the girl and her grandfather sing together are done in rhyme while the rest of the picture book displays Engle’s skills with verse in a different way. Her paragraphs of free verse still play with rhythm and form, inviting readers to experience Cuba and their lively street vendors.
Palacios’ illustrations are bright and merry. They show the dynamic urban Cuban street scene that is full of colorful buildings and equally colorful people. The illustrations share that same inherent happiness as the words.
Bright and energetic, this picture book offers a glimpse of Cuba. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Here are 11 upcoming picture books this month that have gotten starred reviews. There are some lovely treats from established authors, ones newly published in the U.S., and hopefully some nice surprises too.
Anteaters, Bats, and Boas: The Amazon Rainforest from the Forest Floor to the Treetops by Roxie Munro
Be Strong by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jen Hill
Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua by Gloria Amescua, illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh
The Fastest Girl on Earth!: Meet Kitty O’Neil, Daredevil Driver! by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley
The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld
Moon Pops by Heena Baek
Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall
New in Town by Kevin Cornell
Poultrygeist by Eric Geron, illustrated by Pete Oswald
A Song of Frutas by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Sara Palacios
Survivor Tree by Marcie Colleen, illustrated by Aaron Becker
To Tell You the Truth by Beth Vrabel (9781534478596)
Gran told Trixy stories from the time she was born. No one else believed Gran’s stories were true, but Trixy knew they were. After Gran’s death, Trixy holds on to her stories, particularly the one she promised to never tell. Gran told Trixy that stories weren’t meant for everyone, because sometimes they can’t be heard. When her teacher tells her that she needs to write down a true story, Trixy borrows one from Gran. It’s a story that is unbelievable, combining cake, theft and Liberace. Soon Trixy is telling lots of people Gran’s stories and submitting some for publication. Deep down she knows the stories are real, but can she prove it? It’s going to take telling some lies, doing some sneaking, and traveling across the state to meet people who knew Gran and can tell Trixy the real truth.
Vrabel has created a novel wrapped around a series of delightful short stories told in Gran’s voice. Through those stories and Trixy’s memories, readers gain a deep sense of who Gran was. The novel is an exploration of the power of stories that are shared, a question of what truth really is, and then an ending that will require a few tissues. The writing is marvelous with just the right amount of Southern charm. The play between the novel itself and the stories works amazingly well, combining richly together.
Trixy is a character who is holding not only stories but also secrets. Her relationships with others are difficult thanks to her prickly way with others. Trixy regularly believes that she is right, doesn’t listen to others, and in the process speaks hurtfully to them. At the same time, her pain over losing her beloved Gran is evident as is her need to connect with other people. She manages to transform those around her with her stories while at the same time also changing herself too.
A charming Southern novel about stories, loss, love and truth. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
Reviewed from copy provided by Atheneum.
Waking Brain Cells 