Big Papa and the Time Machine by Daniel Bernstrom

April 6, 2020February 26, 2020 | Tasha

Big Papa and the Time Machine by Daniel Bernstrom, illustrated by Shane W. Evans (9780062463319)

When a child doesn’t want to go to school because he’s scared and nervous, he talks with his grandfather. His grandfather understands exactly how his grandchild is feeling and takes him on a ride in his car which is also a time machine. It takes them both to see when he left his mother back in 1952 and had to be brave himself. They stop in 1955 to see him working up high on buildings, needing to get beyond being so scared. In 1957, Big Papa had to get over his fears to ask a lovely girl to dance, a girl who would eventually marry him. They then head to 1986 when the child was left with Big Papa. He wasn’t sure if he could take care of a baby all on his own. All about bravery in spite of being scared and nervous, this book shows that it is those moments that define a life.

Bernstrom takes readers on a real ride through history through the eyes of this African-American family. Generations appear and their clear love for one another is evident. Even with a baby being left behind for a grandparent to raise is shown as a chance to save a life and find a new way forward. Children in smaller non-nuclear families will recognize the connection between a sole adult and their child in these pages. It’s particularly lovely to see an African-American man in this role.

Evans makes the pages shine with light as he uses bright yellows and mystical swirls and stars to show the passing of time. Every page is saturated in color, glowing with the connection of the two characters. The child is never declared to be a specific gender in either the text or illustrations, making the book all the more inclusive.

A bright and vibrant look at why to be brave. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

The Deep Dark Blue by Niki Smith

April 6, 2020February 25, 2020 | Tasha

The Deep Dark Blue by Niki Smith (9780316485982)

When their family is killed in front of them in a political coup, twin brothers Hawke and Grayson are forced into hiding. They become initiates into the Communion of Blue, a society of women who weave the blue thread of reality and can control the strings of power. Disguised as girls, the two must learn new ways of life, including battling unarmed rather than with swords and learning the spinning skills that girls are taught by their mothers. The siblings create their own plan to take back their royal home, using old and new skills. But Grayson, who has hidden as Grayce, is unwilling to leave the first place she’s been allowed to live as a girl.

Smith’s graphic novel has a wonderful edge to it in both story and imagery. The tale is timeless as is the need for vengeance. Yet Smith makes it modern with her art but also the inclusion of a transgender character as one of the main protagonists. Grayce’s identity is handled clearly and with sensitivity, allowing her to become fully herself as the story unfolds.

The art is spectacular, using a palette of blues, purples and pinks, this kingdom comes alive. The Communion of Blue is fascinating to learn more about, visually as well as in the story. The cast of characters is racially diverse as well.

A graphic novel full of magic, familial honor and LGBTQ representation. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from library copy.

April 2020 New YA Books to Wake Your Brain Cells

April 3, 2020March 24, 2020 | Tasha

Here are some of the new teen titles being published in April. These all have received praise and starred reviews:

Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder

The Dark Matter of Mona Starr by Laura Lee Gulledge

Deeplight by Frances Hardinge

Heads Up: Changing Minds on Mental Health by Melanie Siebert, illustrated by Belle Wuthrich

Kent State by Deborah Wiles

Lightness of Hands by Jeff Garvin

Little Universes by Heather Demetrios

The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson

They Went Left by Monica Hesse

This Is My Brain in Love by I. W. Gregorio

We Are Power: How Nonviolent Activism Changed the World by Todd Hasak-Lowy

We Didn’t Ask for This by Adi Alsaid

News to Wake Your Brain Cells – April 3

April 3, 2020April 2, 2020 | Tasha

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

10 empowering books to read to your children in honor of Women’s History Month – Simplemost

15 picture books for comfort – This Picture Book Life

Baek Heena wins 2020 Astrid Lindgren Award – Publishers Weekly

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

Favorite children’s books about art – MoMA

‘One big virtual love-in’: how children’s book authors are creating online sanctuaries – The Guardian

These digitized collections let you read thousands of historic children’s books for free – My Modern Met

Why the Judy Blume renaissance can’t come soon enough – Vogue

LIBRARIES

Libraries get creative with e-books and other online offerings – NPR

The magic of libraries: where fantasy meets reality – Tor

Need wi-fi during the coronavirus social distancing limits? Try a library’s parking lot. It’s OK. – Syracuse.com

Virtually visit 8 world-class libraries – Library Journal

TEEN LIT

12 great YA reads for Trans Day of Visibility – Buzzfeed

14 April YA book releases to TBR – Book Riot

All the new young adult SFF books arriving in April – Tor

The Hate U Give author Angie Thomas announces new novel, Concrete Rose: ‘I expect it to get banned’ – People

Jason Reynolds is the bard of black YA fiction. Now he’s written a totally different kind of book. – Washingtonian

So many free books from Simon Teen to read right now! – Book Riot

April 2020 Middle-Grade Books to Wake Your Brain Cells

April 2, 2020March 24, 2020 | Tasha

Here are a bunch of new middle-grade books coming out in April that have gotten praise and starred reviews:

Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen by Anne Nesbet

Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk

A Game of Fox and Squirrels by Jenn Reese

In the Role of Brie Hutchens by Nicole Melleby

The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter by Aaron Reynolds

Into the Tall, Tall Grass by Loriel Ryon

The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead

On the Horizon by Lois Lowry, illustrated by Kenard Pak

Rick by Alex Gino

The Water Bears by Kimberly Baker

What Lane? by Torrey Maldonado

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson

Almost Time by Gary D. Schmidt

April 2, 2020March 2, 2020 | Tasha

Almost Time by Gary D. Schmidt and Elizabeth Stickney, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (9780544785816)

Ethan finds it really hard to wait for the maple sap to start running in the late winter. He knows the signs of the time approaching. It’s when he doesn’t have maple syrup for pancakes or oatmeal. His father explains that the days have to get warmer for the syrup to run as well as the nights getting shorter. Ethan thinks he notices it changing, but sometimes gets too eager like not wearing his winter coat anymore. When Ethan’s tooth gets loose, his father tells him that it should fall out around the same time as the sap starts running. Now Ethan has two things to wait for, but one that he can perhaps make happen a bit faster by wiggling it. Still, it takes some time for his tooth to loosen and for the weather to change. Then one day, it’s finally time both for maple syrup and for his tooth to fall out.

Schmidt and Stickney have created a classic tale about patience and waiting for things to happen. Ethan is wonderfully impatient and yet also able to wait, though not really without asking again and again about it. As the darkness refuses to lessen and the days refuse to warm, readers will understand his anticipation. The use of breakfasts to mark a lack of syrup is clever and homey, just to add even more warmth and love to the book. It’s great to see a book with a caretaker father which is not about the lack of a mother or being in a unique family. It’s particularly wonderful to see such a skillful and loving dad.

Karas’ illustrations capture the dark days of winter, the snow that refuses to disappear, and the slow process of the arrival of early spring. The darkness lurks against the warm yellow of the interior of the home, offering real contrast as the pages turn.

A sweet but not syrupy picture book about fathers, patience and food. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

April 2020 Picture Books to Wake Your Brain Cells

April 1, 2020March 23, 2020 | Tasha

Here are some fiction and nonfiction picture books to look forward to in April!

Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Michele Wood

The Boy Who Dreamed of Infinity: A Tale of the Genius Ramanujan by Amy Alznauer, illustrated by Daniel Miyares

Cat Dog Dog by Nelly Buchet, illustrated by Andrea Zuill

Don’t Worry Little Crab by Chris Haughton

Exquisite: the Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera

How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion by Ashima Shiraishi, illustrated by Yao Xiao

In My Anaana’s Amautik by Nadia Sammurtok, illustrated by Lenny Lishchenko

In the Woods by David Elliott, illustrated by Rob Dunlavey

Madame Badobedah by Sophie Dahl, illustrated by Lauren O’Hara

One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey by Henry Cole

Outside In by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Cindy Derby

Rosie: Stronger Than Steel by Lindsay Ward

Sorry (Really Sorry) by Joanna Cutler, illustrated by Harry Bliss

Summer Song by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek

The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Latham and Karim Shamsi-Basha, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu

The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America’s Presidents by Kate Messner and Adam Rex

Why Do We Cry? by Fran Pintadera, illustrated by Ana Sender

William Shakespeare’s The Tempest by Georghia Ellinas, illustrated by Jane Ray

Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry

April 1, 2020February 25, 2020 | Tasha

Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry (9781616208967)

San Antonio is not a comfortable place for the Torres sisters. Their mother died giving birth to Rosa, the youngest sister, and their father never recovered from her death, drowning his feelings in drink. When the oldest sister, Ana falls from her window and dies, it takes a great toll on the entire family. A year later, the cracks are beginning to become even larger. Their father is rarely home and when he is he is verbally abusive, demanding, and drunk. Jessica, who got Ana’s bedroom and clothes, mourns her sister by dating the same boy she did. The relationship is violent and controlling, but Jessica can’t seem to move on. Iridian has stopped going to school, reads the same book over and over again, and writes her own stories. She finds herself caught indoors, unwilling to leave their horrible house. Rosa seeks the hyena that is loose in their neighborhood, wondering what special gift she might have and searching for it outside and in religion. The girls all want to escape, and it may just take Ana returning as a ghost to get them free.

Mabry’s novel is exceptional. Her writing is achingly beautiful, telling a story of profound grief and pain. Yet throughout, each of the sisters has bursts of hope, their own unique way forward potentially, if they could just take it. It’s tantalizing writing that creates its own unique emotional tug and writing that offers gem-like moments of clarity before succumbing under the weight of grief once more. The flashes of anger are like lightning on the page, bursts where one thinks things are about to change.

The sisters are all wonderfully crafted and unique from one another. The interplay of their relationships feels like sisterhood, lifting one another up unexpectedly, injuring each other inadvertently and fighting like hell to save the others.

A great teen novel about sisterhood, grief and ghosts. Appropriate for ages 14-18.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Algonquin.

YA Book Prize 2020 Shortlist

March 31, 2020March 30, 2020 | Tasha

The shortlist for the 2020 YA Book Prize has been announced. The prize celebrates the best of YA literature from the UK and Ireland. The judge panel includes librarians, authors, and teens. Here are the short-listed titles: