Here are seven books for teens that will be released this month. They have plenty of buzz with a mix of starred reviews and large print runs.
Glass Town by Isabel Greenberg
A Phoenix Must First Burn by Patrice Caldwell
Seven Endless Forests by April Genevieve Tucholke
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi & Jason Reynolds
Thorn by Intisar Khanani
When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk
Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco
Lizzie Demands a Seat: Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights by Beth Anderson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (9781629799391)
In 1854, Lizzie Jennings boarded a streetcar in New York City. In that time, there was segregation on public transportation which was a custom not a law. Certain cars were marked for “colored people” and others were for white people who could allow people of color to ride, or not. So Lizzie didn’t know if she would be allowed to ride the car she boarded. No passengers disputed her right to ride, but the conductor did. He forced her off the car and when she argued and boarded again, the police were called. Lizzie was educated as a teacher and her family had fought for their civil rights, so she decided to fight back in court and sued the streetcar company. She even had a white passenger who offered to be a witness to the way she was treated that day. In the end, Jennings won a landmark case for civil rights in public transportation. It didn’t fix every streetcar in New York right away, but led to other people fighting for their rights to ride too.
Anderson takes one of the first legal victories against segregation and creates a dynamic look at a critical moment in our national history. This little-known event, particularly compared to Rosa Parks, helps set the stage for the civil rights movement that followed. Lizzie also breaks stereotypes of African Americans on her time period with her level of education and wealth.
The illustrations are done in watercolor with amazing backgrounds that illuminate the scenes with their inspiring colors. Lizzie and her battle are surrounded by swirls of peach, lavenders, pinks and blues with her at the center, calm and composed.
A stirring picture book that captures early civil rights efforts. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
Reviewed from library copy.
Black Is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy, illustrated by Ekua Holmes (9781626726314)
Inspired by a comment from her daughter, Joy celebrates being Black in this picture book that definitively places the color black in the rainbow of the world. In poetic verse, she looks at a myriad of lovely things in life that are black like her friend’s braids, bicycle tires, Thurman’s robes, ink on a page. The images come from children’s own lives but also are inspiring, speaking to figures in African-American history and culture. The color black and being Black mean so many different positive and powerful things, that black itself is a rainbow to celebrate.
Joy’s writing is powerful, singing on the page like a hymn. She writes simply but with great imagery and drawing in references to powerful African-Americans along the way. She also takes lines of songs and weaves them into her poem. At the end of the book, she writes of the inspiration for her book, the songs included in her poem, and the use of various ethnonyms to refer to the Black community over time. A bibliography of titles is also appended.
The art by Holmes is exceptional. Much of the art in the book pays homage to stained glass windows with thick black lines and strong colors. Other pages use a lighter line, more details and allow colors to swirl and dance. The entire work is one of graphic power and color.
An important book for all library collections. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
Reviewed from copy provided by Roaring Brook Press.
Here are nine middle-grade titles releasing in March that caught my eye. They have lots of buzz with a mix of starred reviews and large print runs.
Aster and the Accidental Magic by Thom Pico, illustrated by Karensac
Bloom by Keith Oppel
Enchanter’s Child: Twilight Hauntings by Angie Sage
Mananaland by Pam Munoz Ryan
The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert
Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim
Wink by Rob Harrell
Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally Carter
A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat
A Girl Like Me by Angela Johnson, illustrated by Nina Crews (9781541557772)
A group of girls share their dreams with the reader in this picture book. Sometimes when girls dream big, people say that they shouldn’t be doing that. Girls shouldn’t be flying, they shouldn’t walk tall, and they need to stay out of the water. They should just be like everyone else. But instead of listening to the critics, in this picture book they embrace wearing costumes and head to the beach together where they created something even better than their dreams. The book ends with each of the girls in the photographs sharing a bit about themselves and their personal dreams for their futures.
Told in very simple lines, this picture book talks frankly about the limitations placed on girls in our society and the pressures they feel to conform. This book does a great job countering those messages, showing girls who stretch the limits as happy, confident and part of a larger group. Crews has illustrated the book in her signature photograph collages. They depict a diverse group of girls who stand together and create their own community for change and dreams.
Dynamic and inclusive, this book offers inspiration for girls to just be themselves. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Millbrook Press.
The Girl Who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson (9781338580839)
The author of The House with Chicken Legs returns with another clever novel based on Russian folklore. Yanka is a girl who hasn’t stopped growing, even though she is much taller than her Mamochka and her best friend, Sasha. She loves the stories Anatoly brings from the Snow Forest, tales of greed, transformation, magical trees, and a fiery dragon. After falling from an ice fort, Yanka is carried back home and awakens to discover that she has grown bear legs overnight. While her Mamochka wants to take her to a doctor, Yanka is certain that the answer lies in the stories she loves and the Snow Forest itself. So she sets off into the woods to find out how she fits into the tales and how they fit her. She is accompanied by Mousetrap, a house weasel, who she can now understand when he speaks. Along the way, she gathers new friends including an elk, a wolf, and even a house with chicken legs! Now she just has to find her grandmother, a Bear Tsarina, who may have the answers Yanka needs.
This novel is so satisfying to read, rather like sipping on sbiten around the fire. The settings are beautifully captured without lingering on too much description: from the lovely village that Yanka and her adopted mother live in, to the glory of the Snow Forest. Fans of the first book will cheer when the Yaga and her house appear in the story, nicely pairing the two novels together. The lessons of working together to solve problems, accepting help when it’s offered, and depending on others in a community (or herd) are graciously offered to readers and shown effectively in the story itself.
Yanka herself is a heroine worth championing. Her struggles with fitting in at the village, even before her bear legs appeared, make sense to her, but from the beginning readers will see the truth of how she is adored and appreciated in her community. Numerous tales are woven throughout the book, told aloud by different characters. They become more than just tales as elements are shown to be true as Yanka’s adventures continue. She is always brave, willing to sacrifice herself, but also independent to a fault with lots to learn about friendship and community.
Deep, fascinating and warming, this children’s novel is honey and an herbal salve for its readers. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
Reviewed from ARC provided by Scholastic.
Here are 15 new picture books releasing this month that have lots of buzz with starred reviews or large print runs!
Vamos! Let’s Go Eat! by Raul the Third
Amphibian Acrobats by Leslie Bulion, illustrated by Robert Meganck
Hello World! by Ethan Long
Hike by Pete Oswald
I Go Quiet by David Ouimet
Letters from Bear by Gauthier David, illustrated by Marie Caudry
Mama Baby by Chris Raschka
My Best Friend by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
The Nest that Wren Built by Randi Sonenshine, illustrated by Anne Hunter
Nesting by Henry Cole
An Ordinary Day by Elana K. Arnold, illustrated by Elizabet Vukovic
Southwest Sunrise by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Wendell Minor
Things That Go Away by Beatrice Alemagna
The Three Billy Goats Buenos by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade
The Old Truck by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey (9781324005193)
This picture book celebrates the hard work on a farm, whether you are a human or a truck. The old truck worked hard on the farm hauling things. But it grew tired and unable to be fixed. So it rested near the barn, dreaming of being a boat, a blimp or even a space rover. It got older and older sitting there, weeds growing up around it. Until a new farmer, who had grown up on the farm, decided to try again to fix it. It took a lot of determination and trying, just like farming, but the old truck eventually came to life again, woke up and started working.
Told in the simplest of phrases, this picture book is really about the illustrations. Done with over 250 handcrafted stamps, the illustrations have a wonderful retro look with modern colors. They show an African-American family on a small family farm, working hard. The little girl goes from being born all the way through to owning the farm herself and having a child of her own. The time process is slow and steady, marked by the growing of the weeds as well.
Delightfully modern and retro, this picture book is very special. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
Reviewed from library copy.
The longlists for the 2020 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) have been announced. There are several categories for books for youth. Here are those longlists:
BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR OLDER CHILDREN (Ages 13+)
Detention by Tristan Bancks
How It Feels to Float by Helena Fox
It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood
Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories edited by Michael Earp
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim
This Is How We Change the Ending by Vikki Wakefield
Welcome to Country Youth Edition by Marcia Langton
Welcome to Your Period by Yumi Stynes & Melissa Kang
BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN (Ages 7-12)
The 117-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Explore Your World: Weird, Wild, Amazing! by Tim Flannery, illustrated by Sam Caldwell
Funny Bones edited by Kate Temple, Jol Temple & Oliver Phommavanh
How to Make a Movie in 12 Days by Fiona Hardy
The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals by Sami Bayly
Real Pigeons Nest Hard by Andrew McDonald, illustrated by Ben Wood
Under the Stars by Lisa Harvey-Smith, illustrated by Mel Matthews
Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR
All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors by Davina Bell, illustrated by Jenny Lovlie
Bluey: The Beach by Ludo Studio
Kindness Makes Us Strong by Sophie Beer
Lottie and Walter by Anna Walker
Mr Chicken All Over Australia by Leigh Hobbs
The Painted Ponies by Alison Lester
The Tiny Star by Mem Fox, illustrated by Freya Blackwood
Tilly by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Anna Walker
Wilam: A Birrarung Story by Andrew Kelly and Aunty Joy Murphy, illustrated by Lisa Kennedy
Waking Brain Cells 