The incomparable and incredible MotherReader and Lee Wind will be hosting the 2010 Comment Challenge. Just head here to sign yourself up. If you manage to post 100 comments by Thursday, January 28th there are even prizes! Suh-weet!
Plus it’s a great way to get conversations started, build a stronger kids lit community online, and just plain have a ball.
We Troubled the Waters by Ntozake Shange, illustrated by Rod Brown
It takes a very special picture book to leave you with tears standing in your eyes. This is that book.
This book of poems takes readers from slavery through Jim Crow to the KKK and the battles of the Civil Rights Movement. It is a visual and poetic trip through African-American history, a journey that evokes the emotions, the cruelty, the hate and the oppression. It lifts only at the end speaking of modern life in America with a hopeful tone and a unity that sees beyond color.
Shange’s poems are powerful, unflinching looks at historical moments. They celebrate victories while continuing to honor the slain and victimized of the past. She writes with an honesty that elevates these poems beyond simple historical facts, creating emotional and honest portrayals of what people felt and experienced during those times.
Brown’s art is equally powerful. His portraits of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks speak to the people themselves and their message even more than their outward appearance. They are beautifully rendered in deep colors, a tribute to the history and the people.
Highly recommended, this is a book that is ideal for February’s Black History Month but should be used all year long. This is our history no matter our color. It is a history we should all be aware of so that it never repeats itself. Appropriate for ages 8-12.
Reviewed from library copy.
Also reviewed by TheHappyNappyBookseller.
The Duck and the Kangaroo by Edward Lear, illustrated by Jane Wattenberg
Combine Lear’s classic poem with funky, modern collages and you get a winner of a picture book! Duck is bored living in his pond. He wishes that he could travel the world the way Kangaroo does so he asks Kangaroo to carry him on his back. But Kangaroo has one major concern about the plan, Duck’s wet, cold feet would be awfully uncomfortable. Duck has already solved this problem by getting knitted socks and a cape to keep himself warm. So off they hop, the two friends around the world three times.
Lear’s poem would make a great pairing with his other more famous The Owl and the Pussycat. This poem is silly, wild and rather surreal, which matches well with Wattenberg’s illustrations. Her collages incorporate Lear’s own art and that of others, creating a cohesive and fascinating blend of old and new, all in vibrant color. Duck’s wide-eyed view of the world enhances the humor of the poem, as do other small touches like the rainbow of knitted socks perfect for webbed feet.
A wild and funny book that will find a niche of eager readers looking for something joyous and surreal. Just hop along with the story and you will find a real treasure of a friendship by the end. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
Reviewed from library copy.
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This award is given for excellence in science books. Here are the winners:
PICTURE BOOK
Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm
MIDDLE GRADES
The Frog Scientist by Pamela S. Turner
YOUNG ADULT
Invisible Kingdom: From the Tips of Our Fingers to the Tops of Our Trash, Inside the Curious World of Microbes by Idah Ben-Barak
I’ve read the first two and they are amazing! I’m sure the third is too. Great choices.
Thanks to The Miss Rumphius Effect for the news.
I am so pleased to have a great relationship with publishers who generously send me books to be reviewed. In 2009, I was able to donate over 1200 books to my library and other local libraries that I received from publishers for review.
I review books from both publisher copies and library copies. What the publisher copies allow me is the ability to see books that my library does not have ordered, read books before they are released, find gems that the libraries have missed, and read books with no overdue fines! 😉
So thank you publishers for another great year of collaboration. I appreciate all you do for me and other bloggers in the kidlitosphere.
Yippee! My part of the Cybils process has arrived. And wonderfully, they created two judging panels for the Fantasy and Science Fiction category. One set for middle grade and one set for YA.
I’ve read over half of the finalists. I have one that I’m not crazy about, three yet to read, and three favorites! It is always exciting to see what comes out the winner!
Here are the YA Fantasy & Science Fiction Finalists
Candor by Pam Bachorz
The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
The Dust of 100 Dogs by A. S. King
Fire by Kristin Cashore
Lips Touch by Laini Taylor
Sacred Scars by Kathleen Duey
Tiger Moon by Antonia Michaelis
And make sure you check out the finalists in the other Cybils categories too!
Easy Readers & Short Chapter Books
Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade)
Fiction Picture Books
Graphic Novels
Middle Grade Fiction
Non-Fiction Middle Grade/YA
Non-Fiction Picture Books
Poetry
Young Adult Fiction
Faith by Maya Ajmera, Magda Nakassis, and Cynthia Pon
Through photographs, this book tells the story of many faiths, allowing glimpses into each of them. The book celebrates the many faiths, tying them together through similarities but also revealing their differences too. Cultures and religions are highlighted here in a book that children will see themselves in and also learn about others too.
The photographs here are clear, vivid and capture moments of prayer and devotion with grace. Each photograph is accompanied by at least the name of the religion and the country the photo was taken in. Other photographs have a brief sentence that explain the image a bit further. This brevity makes the book read simply and easily. Larger text on each page carries the flow of the book, giving each set of pages a theme where we can see our commonalities and differences and celebrate both side by side.
Highly recommended, this is a book about religion that children will innately understand. It is ideal to start discussions or quietly examine on your own. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
Reviewed from library copy.
Google Books offers a preview of the entire book, so you can see the photographs yourself!
Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
Release date February 1, 2010.
Nimira dances for a pittance as a trouser girl until she is hired by Hollin Parry. Parry, a sorcerer, hires her to sing with his newly acquired automaton which plays the piano when wound by a key in its back. Nimira is the last in a line of girls that have been hired to be the singer, but the others fled because they thought the automaton was haunted. Left alone with the automaton, Nimira discovers that it is trying to communicate with her though it cannot speak and cannot move unless wound. Through the use of an alphabet chart on the keyboard, Nimira realizes that the automaton contains the trapped spirit of an elven prince. Though Parry is courting her, Nimira and the fairy prince become closer and fall in love. But more danger is swirling around them, as political intrigue, personal danger, and horrors of the past come together.
This slim volume holds an enticing story of love, betrayal and magic set in an alternate historical world. Nimira is a wonderful character who hails from another land and offers great perspective on the setting. She is feisty, intelligent and caring, just what any heroine of a love story should be. The love triangle of Parry, Nimira and the elven prince is delightfully drawn against the setting of danger and sorcery. To its credit, this book is wonderfully light despite its dark content. It reads quickly and will have readers looking for the next book in the series to find out what happens.
A light fantasy of magic and love that explores dark desires and sinister motives at the same time. Appropriate for ages 13-16.
Reviewed from ARC received from publisher.
Thanks to Read Roger for announcing the winner of the 2010 Scott O’Dell Award:
The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan, which is a brilliant choice!
