Author: Tasha

Review: A Story about Cancer (With a Happy Ending) by India Desjardins

| Tasha

A Story about Cancer (With a Happy Ending) by India Desjardins

A Story about Cancer (With a Happy Ending) by India Desjardins, illustrated by Marianne Ferrer, translated by Solange Ouellet (9781786039774)

As a teen heads to her doctor appointment to find out how much time she has left to live, she thinks about her path to this moment. Diagnosed with leukemia at age 10, she didn’t know anyone who had cancer. She thinks about the awful hospital decor done in colors meant to calm and soothe. She thinks about the hospital smell that seeps into her clothes and skin after a time there and how she begs for lavender to be sprayed all over when she gets back home. She thinks of her parents and their support for her, but also the difficult conversations she has had to have with them about losing her battle with cancer. As the book promises, it does have a happy ending, one that will be greatly appreciated by teens with cancer and those who love them.

Originally published in French in Canada, this graphic novel for teens has a unique feel. Not done in panels, but in more of a free-flowing form, this novel is a quick read that speaks about the process of fighting cancer, the deep emotions that come with your life being at risk, and the importance of family and hope to keep you afloat in the dark times. The voice telling the story is written with a ringing clarity that cuts through any sentimentality and speaks honestly to the reader.

The art in the book is touching and emotional. It captures what the narrator is feeling and their view at the time, often making the words all the more powerful as it gives an image to the emotion. There is a beautiful translucent nature to the illustrations, an ethereal feeling made all the more effective given the subject.

A vital book filled with hope and a happy ending. Appropriate for ages 12-16.

Reviewed from library copy.

 

 

This Week’s Tweets

| Tasha

Here are the posts I shared on Twitter this week:

CHILDREN’S LIT

8 St. Patrick’s Day books for your little leprechaun buff.ly/2BTEjLL #kidlit
Children’s literature as a natural wonder: How books introduce young readers to the environment buff.ly/2U1lU6U #kidlit
Obituary: Paul B. Janeczko buff.ly/2GEMyj4 #kidlit

Read Aloud Books for 5th Grade imaginationsoup.net/read-aloud-boo… #kidlit #5th #readalouds #middlegrade

LIBRARIES

Billings Public Library works to improve selection of diverse children’s books buff.ly/2BNTiqH #kidlit #Diversity #libraries
The Myriad Futures of Libraries – Publisher’s Weekly buff.ly/2tA30IJ #libraries

YA LIT

February 2019 Debut YA Novels buff.ly/2tBU05O #yalit

Sourcebooks Cancels Kosoko Jackson’s YA Debut buff.ly/2Sv2HJ7 #yalit

2019 Audie Award Finalists

| Tasha

The finalists for the 2019 Audi Awards have been announced by the Audio Publishers Association. The awards are given in a variety of categories with three categories focused on children and teens.

It is also of note that Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, narrated by Bahni Turpin is a finalist in the Audiobook of the Year category. Additionally, Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham, narrated by Pyeng Threadgill and Luke Slattery, Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales narrated by F. Murray Abraham and an ensemble cast, and Sadie by Courtney Summers, narrated by Dan Bittner, Rebecca Soler, Gabra Zackman, and Fred Berman are finalists in the Multi-Voiced Performance Category. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo and The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange are finalists in the Narration by the Author category.

Here are the finalists in the youth categories:

YOUNG LISTENERS

Before She Was Harriet Dreamers

Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome, narrated by SiSi Aisha Johnson, January LaVoy, Lisa Renee Pitts, and Bahni Turpin

Dreamers by Yuyi Morales, narrated by Adriana Sananes

Esquivel! Space-Age Sound Artist Her Right Foot

Esquivel!: Space-Age Sound Artist by Susan Wood, narrated by Brian Amador

Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers, narrated by Dion Graham

We Found A Hat

We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen, narrated by Johnny Heller and Christopher Curry

 

MIDDLE GRADE

Finding Langston Grenade

Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome, narrated by Dion Graham

Grenade by Alan Gratz, narrated by Todd Haberkorn and Andrew Eiden

The Long-Lost Home Louisiana's Way Home

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book VI by Maryrose Wood, narrated by Fiona Hardingham

Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo, narrated by Cassandra Morris

The Secret of Nightingale Wood Sunny

The Secret of Nightingale Wood written and narrated by Lucy Strange

Sunny by Jason Reynolds, narrated by Guy Lockard

 

YOUNG ADULT

Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orïsha, #1) Far from the Tree

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, narrated by Bahni Turpin

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway, narrated by Julia Whelan

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (Montague Siblings, #2) The Poet X

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee, narrated by Moira Quirk

The Poet X written and narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo

41433334 The Stars at Oktober Bend

Sadie by Courtney Summers, narrated by Dan Bittner, Rebecca Soler, Gabra Zackman, and Fred Berman

The Stars at Oktober Bend by Glenda Millard, narrated by Candice Moll and Ron Butler

 

2019 Irma Black Award Semi-Finalists

| Tasha

The Center for Children’s Literature at the Bank Street College of Education has announced the semi-finalists for the 2019 Irma Black Award. The award is given annually to “an outstanding book for young children—a book in which text and illustrations are inseparable, each enhancing and enlarging on the other to produce a singular whole.” Here are the semi-finalists:

Stumpkin Cover Sun! One in a Billion (Our Universe #2) Cover

Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins

Sun! One in a Billion by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Stevie Lewis

The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

 

Review: I Am Small by Qin Leng

| Tasha

I Am Small by Qin Leng

I Am Small by Qin Leng (9781525301155)

Mimi is very small for her age. She’s the shortest in her class at school and the shortest in her family too. Mimi thinks about all of the problems with being the shortest, like viewing pastries in the bakery or being unable to write higher on the blackboard. Her friends see it differently. They point out that she wins at hide-and-seek, that she gets to be first in line at lunch and gets the biggest piece of cake. At home there are advantages too. Mimi can fit between Mom and Dad in their bed, she can swim in the bathtub, and she can even ride on the back of their dog! So when someone even small than Mimi joins the family, Mimi knows just what to say.

Leng has illustrated many several books for children and this is her first time authoring a book. She has created an ode to the challenges and beauty of being small that children on the small side will easily relate to. As the book progresses, Mimi’s tone about her size changes to a much more positive one, just in time for her new little brother to appear. There is a focus on self-acceptance in this picture book that will shine no matter what your size.

Leng’s illustrations are whimsical and fresh. In Mimi, she has created a wonderfully androgynous little girl grappling with her size. Leng populates her pages with small touches and details that bring her scenes to life. Just the feel of characters clothing and the play of movement on the page are special.

A book about self-esteem that proves that size doesn’t matter. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Children’s Book Award Shortlist

| Tasha

The shortlist for the 2019 Children’s Book Award in the UK has been announced. The award is done in two stages with the Top 50 voted on by Federation Children’s Book Group members to create a Top Ten List. The books in the top ten are then voted on by children across the UK. Here is the Top Ten:

YOUNGER CHILDREN

Mixed: A Colorful Story The Last Chip

Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung

The Last Chip by Duncan Beedie

The Wondrous Dinosaurium What Do You Do If Your House Is a Zoo?

The Wondrous Dinosaurium by John Condon, illustrated by Steve Brown

What Do You Do If Your House Is a Zoo? by John Kelly, illustrated by Steph Laberis

 

YOUNGER READERS

Funny Kid Stand Up (Funny Kid, #2) Mr Penguin and the Fortress of Secrets: Book 2

Funny Kid Stand Up by Matt Stanton

Mr. Penguin and the Fortress of Secrets by Alex T. Smith

The Dog Who Lost His Bark

The Dog Who Lost His Bark by Eoin Colfer

 

OLDER READERS

Armistice Runner The Light Jar

Armistice Runner by Tom Palmer

The Light Jar by Lisa Thompson

The Storm Keeper's Island (Storm Keeper, #1)

The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle

Review: Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan

| Tasha

Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan

Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan (9781547600083)

Even though they attend a high school focused on social justice, best friends Chelsea and Jasmine are sick and tired of the way that women are treated there. The two decide to start a Women’s Rights Club that focuses on girls, race, and speaking out. They convince a teacher to be their advisor and are given a school club blog to post to. They post all sorts of things online. Chelsea is a poet who loves to perform in front of audiences. Jasmine writes essays and short pieces on intersectionality and being a black girl of size. Their club starts getting attention both in and outside of their school. But the principal has some issues with their approach and the response of other students to their message. When the club is shut down, the two friends continue to raise their voices together.

Watson and Hagan have created an incredible feminist book for teens. They have incorporated the names and stories of feminists whose writing is worth checking out too, so young people inspired by this book can look further and learn more. The writing is exceptional, particularly the poetry and essays attributed to the two main characters. They cry out for justice on so many fronts that it is entirely inspiring to read.

The authors created two inspiring young women. There is Jasmine, who is grappling with being a large black girl and the constant microaggressions she faces for both her race and size. Her father is dying of cancer while she may be falling for her best male friend. Chelsea is a white girl who stands up for others, calls out for justice, but also makes big mistakes along the way. She is struggling with being a feminist but also being attracted to a boy who is paying attention to her while dating another girl officially. The two grapple with the ideals they hold dear and not being able to attain them, allowing readers to see two human teens doing their best.

Powerful and engaging, this feminist read is written with strength and conviction. Appropriate for ages 12-18.

Reviewed from ARC provided by Bloomsbury.

Review: A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey

| Tasha

A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey

A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey, illustrated by Mika Song (9781452167916)

In his classroom, Henry is looking to make a new friend. It can’t be the class pet, because Gilly the fish can’t play on the swings. It can’t be his teacher. As Henry considers different children in his class, he realizes that some of them are too colorful even when you try to do something nice for them. Others don’t listen very well, like a friend would. Other kids break the rules or play with worms. Henry found himself watching Gilly in her fishbowl. Katie is watching Gilly too. Henry thinks about Katie. The two play blocks together quietly and Katie listens to Henry and he listens to her. They play together but each in their own way. It’s just right.

Bailey has written a captivating story about a boy with particular needs and wants in a friend. Henry has strong opinions about friends, ones that make him angry when they are dismissed. When Henry gets too frustrated he ends up in a bit of trouble at school. It is great to see a book embrace the deep emotions of children and not label any of them as wrong. Henry doesn’t have to change at all to find a friend, he just needs some patience.

Song’s illustrations are simple and warm. They depict a diverse classroom of children, all possible friends for Henry to consider. Done in ink and watercolor, they show everyone’s emotions throughout the day very clearly through body language and facial expressions.

A lovely look at the emotions of finding a friend. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Chronicle Books.

Review: Good Morning, Snowplow! by Deborah Bruss

| Tasha

Good Morning Snowplow by Deborah Bruss

Good Morning, Snowplow! by Deborah Bruss, illlustrated by Lou Rancher and Steve Johnson (9781338089493)

When the snow starts to fall, a snowplow driver and his dog head out into the night to clear the roads. They do safety checks and get the hopper filled with salt and sand. Then they are off into the dark to clear the snow from the roads. Giant drifts are formed as they plow past while branches grow heavy with snow. When a car goes by too fast and ends up in the ditch, the plow calls dispatch for a tow for them. At the railroad tracks, the plow driver also stops, stepping out of the cab of his truck into into the hush of the night. The train goes by, creating a cloud of white. The driver heads home just as others start to wake and falls asleep in bed as the sun rises.

Bruss captures the quiet beauty of a snowstorm as she tells about the night work of clearing the roads. She writes with a poetic touch, creating dramatic moments in the story like the train going past and the car skidding into the ditch, but also embracing the silent work of the plow and the hush of the storm.

The illustrations are wonderful, offering looks at the big truck that will appeal to youngsters who love heavy machinery but also beautifully capturing the storm. One double-spread in particular has just the right light as the truck goes through town. Anyone living in a northern state will recognize that light and the quiet moment before the plow comes through.

Ideal for winter reading, curl up with this one before being plowed out yourself. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy provided by Scholastic.