Author: Tasha

Review: Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris

| Tasha

Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris

Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris, illustrated by LeUyen Pham (9780316464475)

A river flowed through the forest. The river had no idea it could have adventures until a big bear came along. As the curious bear toppled into the river, the adventure began. Soon Bear was joined by Froggy and they both climbed onto a log which headed down the river. Along the way, others joined them too. There was the beaver who could captain, the turtles who were worried about disaster, the raccoons who didn’t know how to be careful, and the duck they crashed into. Then came the waterfall…

Morris has written a book that begs to be shared aloud. From the various personalities of all of the creatures to the shared adventure that is filled with twists and turns, this book is full of fun. Morris uses an interesting turn of phrase throughout the book, with each additional animal and the river itself not knowing what they are capable of. It’s a great lens as each of the animals learns that they are not alone but instead part of a larger community and world.

Pham’s illustrations are zany and ever so funny. He completely captures the personalities of each of the characters as they head down the river. From their body language to their expressions, these creatures are in for a lot of adventure together. The added joy of the maps of the river as the endpages are great. Grayed-out at first, they are full color at the end.

A wild ride of a book that is really all about shared fun and community. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Amazon’s Best Books of 2019 So Far

| Tasha

Amazon has created a list of the top books for the first half of 2019. They have a top 20 list for both children’s books and teen lit. Some of the books included are sure to surprise. Here they are:

TOP 20 CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Because Destination Moon: The Remarkable and Improbable Voyage of Apollo 11

Because by Mo Willems, illustrated by Amber Ren

Destination Moon by Richard Maurer

Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal Don't Let Them Disappear

Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal by Jeff Kinney

Don’t Let Them Disappear by Chelsea Clinton, illustrated by Gianna Marino

Dragon Pearl The Good Egg

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee

The Good Egg by Jory John, illustrated by Pete Oswald

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat #1 The Last Last-Day-of-Summer

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth

The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles, illustrated by Dapo Adeola

The Neighbors Pay Attention, Carter Jones

The Neighbors by Einat Tsarfati

Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt

Pie in the Sky The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

Rumple Buttercup: A Story of Bananas, Belonging, and Being Yourself The Strangers (Greystone Secrets, #1)

Rumple Buttercup by Matthew Gray Gubler

The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Sweety To Night Owl from Dogfish

Sweety by Andrea Zuill

To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer

The Undefeated Waiting for Chicken Smith

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Waiting for Chicken Smith by David Mackintosh

We Are the Gardeners You Are My Happy

We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines, illustrated by Julianna Swaney

You Are My Happy by Hoda Kotb, illustrated by Suzie Mason

 

TOP 20 YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

Birthday Courting Darkness (Courting Darkness Duology, #1)

Birthday by Meredith Russo

Courting Darkness by Robin LeFevers

Dissenter on the Bench: Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Life and Work Enchantée

Dissenter on the Bench: Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Life & Work by Victoria Ortiz

Enchantee by Gita Trelease

Finale (Caraval, #3) Heroine

Finale by Stephanie Garber

Heroine by Mindy McGinnis

In the Neighborhood of True King of Scars (Nikolai Duology, #1)

In the Neighborhood of True by Susan Kaplan Carlton

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali On the Come Up

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Patron Saints of Nothing Queen of the Sea

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis

Ship of Smoke and Steel (The Wells of Sorcery, #1) Shout

Ship of Smoke and Steel by Django Wexler

Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson

Stepsister The Things She's Seen

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina

Two Can Keep a Secret The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2)

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

The Wicked King by Holly Black

With the Fire on High The Wizenard Series: Training Camp

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Wizenard Series: Training Camp by Wesley King and Kobe Bryant

Review: A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata

| Tasha

A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata

A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata, illustrated by Julia Kuo (9781481446648)

Award-winning author Kadohata tells the story of a Japanese-American family forced to return to Japan after World War II because of their Japanese ancestry. After spending years in an internment camp in the United States, twelve-year-old Hanako and her family move to Japan to live with her paternal grandparents. They travel by ship first and then train until they reach the decimated city of Hiroshima, where her grandparents’ farm lies outside. All of Japan is poor and hungry, with black markets and children begging on the streets. Hanako meets her grandparents for the first time, discovering that her grandfather is very like her little brother who is five years old. Her grandmother is stooped over from the hard work in the fields. Hanako must face learning a new language, attending a new school in a different country, and trying to find a way forward for her entire family. It’s a lot of pressure, but Hanako learns steadily to adjust and change.

Kadohata’s novel for children tells the untold story of Japanese Americans forced to repatriate to their country of origin and renounce their American citizenship. It also gives an unflinching look at the aftermath of World War II in Japan, particularly with its setting near Hiroshima. That dark setting is juxtaposed against the warmth and beauty of discovering loving grandparents and building a new relationship. Yet there is a constant sense of loss in the book and a teetering feeling that things may suddenly change at any moment.

As always, Kadohata’s prose is beautiful. She vividly depicts Japanese life during the 1940’s and the unending work of being a tenant farmer. In the midst of all of the sorrow, loss and confusion, she places a loving family who are willing to sacrifice for one another and for brighter futures for the next generation. Through this family, there is intense hope broadcast on the page.

An important and vital book about the horrors of war and its aftermath on individual families. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from copy provided by Atheneum.

Review: The Little Green Girl by Lisa Anchin

| Tasha

The Little Green Girl by Lisa Anchin

The Little Green Girl by Lisa Anchin (9780735230736)

Mr. Aster likes his normal routine. He cares for his garden, keeping it neat and clean. Then a new seed blows in on the wind. He plants the seed in his greenhouse and takes good care of the plant that emerges. Eventually, he moves the plant out into the garden. The plant looks like a little girl, and at first she is content to be at the center of the garden, always watching Mr. Aster as he works. But then the birds arrive and tell her stories of the wide world. Little Green Girl tries to move herself using vines and lifting her roots, but each day Mr. Aster tucks her back into her bed in the garden and repairs any damage she has done. Finally, Little Green Girl has an idea and makes sure that Mr. Aster allows her to travel. It may just be what Mr. Aster needs too.

Anchin has written a lovely, magical book that takes the idea of a plant and gives her plenty of personality. The book looks at both the pleasures of home and also the delights of experiencing something new. It also speaks to the power of a new friend and spreading your branches to include new experiences.

The artwork is completely charming. In particular, Little Green Girl, is a masterpiece of greenery. She is firmly rooted to the ground but manages to have plenty of emotional expression through body language despite that. Her readiness to travel could not be more clear when she manages to re-pot herself into a traveling form, sunglasses and all.

A book that will expand your horizons and get you thinking of taking a trip. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

This Week’s Tweets

| Tasha

Here are the items I shared on Twitter this week:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Ekua Holmes #CSK acceptance for The Stuff of Stars: “This story reminds us that we all come from the same place and are made from the same stuff, no matter how divided the world may seem” ow.ly/kjQj50uPj2Z

Gene Luen Yang gets personal in new graphic novel Dragon Hoops – https://t.co/3D0Wxjy8rC

Harry Potter Prequel Series Coming to TV – BookRiot – https://t.co/6hWbLeQtWb

How Gyo Fujikawa Drew Freedom in Children’s Books – https://t.co/F6yIx4rDPN

Knuffle Bunny Gets a Permanent Home at Park Slope Library – https://t.co/BwJP28KSST

What We Know About 2018 Graphic Novel Sales | https://t.co/jUlvrh24ay

LIBRARIES

Beautiful Libraries Around the World Every Booklover Should Visit (Video) buff.ly/2IZsEik #libraries

Church holds LGBT prom for teens after library cancels it – https://t.co/S3rkCtAxEG

In rural Stanley, ID, the library’s Wi-Fi is such a draw that the librarian installed a router outside and added benches and power outlets so people can get online even when the library is closed. ow.ly/jSmu50uOCY6

YA LIT

The 16 Most Anticipated YA Books to Read in July bit.ly/2NpoLrj via @EpicReads

Cover Controversy: The Poet X — @100scopenotes 100 Scope Notes buff.ly/2FQ3zEF #yalit

For a wave of Korean American young adult novelists, Korean pop culture is a touchstone – https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/wave-korean-american-young-adult-novelists-korean-pop-culture-touchstone-n1021516

A new month means a NEW #TBRexplosion! We’ve gathered up 22 new must-reads hitting shelves in July, including debuts – https://t.co/YMmlEhqHqT

Summer 2019 YA Books: 150+ New Titles Hitting Shelves Between July and September buff.ly/2KYsYAv #yalit

Why should authors read your bad reviews? buff.ly/2KVPDgI #yalit #bookreviews #authors

 

Review: Our Flag Was Still There by Jessie Hartland

| Tasha

Our Flag Was Still There by Jessie Hartland

Our Flag Was Still There by Jessie Hartland (9781534402331)

Explore the history of the Star-Spangled Banner in this nonfiction picture book that celebrates the women who created the flag. The story begins in 1813, when the nation was once again at war with the British. Major George Armistead wanted to send a message to the British that declared that this land belonged to America. Nearby was a shop owned by Mary Pickersgill, who had been taught to make flags by her mother. The fact that a woman owned her own shop and had a staff of other women was very unusual in the 1800s. Mary agreed to make the enormous flag. They worked on it day and night, running out of fabric at times and then running out of room. They moved to a nearby brewery to be able to continue their work with enough space. The flag was finished in six week and then the war began. The flag flew throughout the naval battles, inspiring the song that we still sing as our national anthem.

Hartland tells a fast-paced and lively tale here that never gets bogged down in historical details. The book includes final pages with more information on the war and the battles. The emphasis here though is on how inspiring the flag was and continues to be and how one industrious woman managed to create a symbol that carries on to this day. The art is done in a folk-art style that suits the book well. The size of the flag is emphasized at times to humorous effect. It’s so very large and still able to be viewed at the Smithsonian.

A dynamic look at American history. Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

| Tasha

The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen (9781250191922)

Released July 30, 2019.

Fie is one of the Crow class, despised and ignored by all of the other classes. Denied the right to have a home other than the open road or any weapons to defend themselves with, they are hated because their class alone is immune to the plague. They serve to come into villages and homes, remove the plague dead and cleanse the space, firing up a funeral pyre away from town. So when Fie’s clan finds themselves caught up in royal court intrigue with the crown prince and his double, who faked their own deaths, Fie is not amused. The only people she cares about are her clan, so the two interlopers despite their charm, mean nothing to her. When an offer is made to save the Crows and give them protection though, Fie knows that she must make it truly stick and gets the prince himself to swear a Covenant oath on it. Now she just has to get them to safety in time before they are all killed.

Owen has woven an incredible world in her debut novel, which is the first in a series. I’m always impressed when an author can toss readers directly into the story with almost no exposition to help and it all works and makes sense. The world building is unique and fascinating, creating both a wide world to explore but also a microcosm of several people as they navigate their fractured and magical society. The magic too is interesting, using bones and teeth to create witchery is wonderfully gruesome and delightfully in keeping with the entire book’s themes. Particularly welcome is a deft use of LGBTQIA+ throughout the novel in the society and several characters.

The character of Fie is also compelling. She is a young woman haunted by the loss of her mother by killers on the open road. She has powers but they are in their infancy and her destiny is to become a chieftain among her people. She is armed with a biting sarcasm that lights up the story like flames, and a deep understanding of what is wrong with the world. Her connection with Tavin grows organically throughout the story and adds its own heat to the book.

A great new voice in YA fantasy, this novel is dark, bloody and compelling. Appropriate for ages 15-18.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Henry Holt.

 

Review: Hummingbird by Nicola Davies

| Tasha

Hummingbird by Nicola Davies

Hummingbird by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Jane Ray (9781536205381)

In a grandmother’s garden in Central America, a granddaughter watches the zooming hummingbirds. The birds will soon be heading north for the summer to their nesting grounds. The tiny birds must cross the Gulf of Mexico, stopping for a bit of rest on boats along the way. They continue on, following the blooming flowers as they stretch northward. When they reach their nesting grounds, the male hummingbirds defend their nearby flowers. There, the same girl, now in New York City, finds an eggshell on the ground and realizes that she has seen both the beginning and end of the hummingbird’s migration.

Davies, a zoologist, beautifully frames the story of the hummingbird with one little girl’s own travels from Central America to her home in New York City. She makes sure that readers have plenty of facts about the hummingbird, from how light they are to what their diets need to how they nest and migrate. Davies has a real skill for sharing just enough facts with young readers and still telling a compelling story that is not derailed by too many factoids.

The illustrations by Ray are phenomenal. Her delicate lines are exactly the right format for these tiny birds. She captures the beauty of their feathers and their coloring. She also shows them in mid-air but still manages to convey their speed and dexterity.

A beautiful nonfiction picture book about an amazing tiny bird. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Bear Out There by Jacob Grant

| Tasha

Bear Out There by Jacob Grant

Bear Out There by Jacob Grant (9781681197456)

This second book about Bear and his friend Spider follows Bear’s Scare. Bear is happy staying at home all day, being cozy and warm. Spider though has a kite that he wants to fly, and he loves to be outdoors. When Spider’s kite gets away from him, Spider asks Bear for help finding it. So Bear heads out into the itchy, bug-filled, dirty woods along with his friend. The two search for a long time, Bear completely missing the charm of the woods. When it starts to rain though, the entire adventure gets bleak and disheartening. The two friends though, never quit. They eventually find the kite tangled in the trees. Now can they find a way of compromising and finding some indoor/outdoor fun together?

Grant writes with a great wry sense of humor that really allows Bear to be just as grumpy as he likes without the book ever becoming too filled with complaints. Spider helps in that way too, without saying a word, keeping spirits high and trying to show Bear how lovely the outdoors actually are. The text is simple and the pace is just right for a walk in the woods.

As with the first book, Grant’s art is perfect for sharing with a group. He fills the pages with color and large shapes. Even small Spider can be easily viewed by children seated on the floor. The art is welcoming and simple.

A look at the wonders of nature through the lens of a friendship. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from ARC provided by Bloomsbury Children’s Books.