Thurgood by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Bryan Collier (9781524765347)
From the time he was a small boy, Thurgood Marshall was destined to be a lawyer. He even convinced his parents to have his name legally changed from Thoroughgood to Thurgood at age six. Thurgood faced racism growing up in Baltimore in the 1920’s. He had to attend the overcrowded Colored High School which had no library, gym or cafeteria. His father worked at jobs where he served wealthy white customers, including at a country club that did not allow black people to be members. His father also taught him to debate and argue ideas. When he attended Lincoln University, Thurgood was loud, funny and a great arguer. He went to law school at Howard University where he learned to fight for civil rights in court. His first major legal fight was to force his top pick law school to accept black students. Again and again, Thurgood fought to create laws that focused on equality for all.
A picture book biography that tells the story of the youth and upbringing and early legal cases of the first African American on the Supreme Court, this book really celebrates how he became a weapon for civil rights. Winter makes sure to keep the inherent racism in the society at the forefront, pointing out moments in Thurgood’s life when he was targeted and almost killed. The resilience and determination on display throughout his life is inspiring.
Collier’s art is done in a mix of watercolor and collage. Using patterns and textures, Collier builds entire worlds from paper, from a ruined movie theater to haunting segregated schools. The illustrations are powerful and add much to this story of racism and fighting back.
Strong and compelling, this biography belongs in every library. Appropriate for ages 7-10.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Schwartz & Wade Books.
Grandpa’s Top Threes by Wendy Meddour, illustrated by Daniel Egneus (9781536211252)
Henry’s grandfather is gardening a lot lately. Henry doesn’t understand, and his mother tells him just to give his grandfather time. But Henry isn’t patient enough to leave his grandfather alone. So he tries out their favorite shared game, asking his grandfather what his top three sandwiches are. When his grandfather doesn’t respond at first, Henry offers his top three and then his grandfather shares his own list. The two of them eat their favorite sandwiches together by the pond. Henry keeps asking for his grandfather’s top threes until one day, his grandfather starts the game, asking what Henry’s top three days out are. So they do all three together, one after another.
Meddour’s story is one of a grieving man who was turning away from his family and then his grandson invites him to return to the world and find joy again. The process is slow and steady, Meddour doesn’t rush it at all, allowing it play out naturally on the page. The relationship between grandfather and grandson is shown as vital and life-changing, with the child taking steps to really impact his grandfather’s life for the better.
Egneus’ illustrations glow with an inner light. The bright red hair of Henry and the bushy beard of the grandfather offer a wonderful play against one another on the page. The images echo the text with their focus on connection to one another.
Full of lots of emotion, this one may bring tears to your eyes. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
The author of the award-winning The First Rule of Punk returns with another book about girls expressing themselves and making themselves heard. Four girls are all living their separate lives in a small Florida town. Lane, whose family is facing a divorce, has been sent to live with her very wealthy grandmother at her estate. Lane decides to create her own club, creating invitations that three girls discover. There is Ofelia who longs to be a journalist when she grows up and wants to enter an essay contest to win a trip to New York, but first she has to find her story. There is Aster, who lives with her grandfather and loves to cook. Cat is the third, a girl who loves birds and whose cause against a hat full of bird feathers leads all of the newly found friends to become activists.
Perez’s writing is just as marvelous as in her first book. There is a freshness about it, one that allows readers to quickly enter the world that Perez has created for them. The lightness of the writing belies the depths of the subjects. Perez explores privilege in this book with its cast of girls from different races and backgrounds. She does so explicitly, having the characters speak to one another about it in a natural but also vital way.
The theme of becoming an activist and taking real action to find justice is also beautifully shown in the story. From a grandfather who explains his own activism throughout his life to a woman who serves as a worthy villain in the tale, the actions the girls take are thoughtfully presented and full of good trouble.
Another winner of a read from a great author. Appropriate for ages 8-12.
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre has announced their finalists for their children’s book awards. Here are the finalists for each English-language award:
Growing up is incredibly and inescapably weird. It is weird in its own unique way for every single kid. So graphic novels for middle grade readers might as well be weird too, right?
Beginning in 2020, Scholastic will publish two novels, Shuri: A Black Panther Novel, to be written by Nic Stone, bestselling author of such novels as Dear Martin and Odd One Out; and Avengers Assembly, an original middle grade series to be written by Preeti Chhibber, Spider-Man superfan and author of Spider-Man: Far from Home: Peter and Ned’s Ultimate Travel Journal.
Being a kid swallowed by fear and anxiety felt so isolating. If I had had a book like this, it would have helped me enormously. I make books for the kid I was, knowing there are other kids (and grown-ups) out there who will see themselves in my stories. The more of yourself you share with others, the better.
Seeing representation in media is a powerful tool to make LGBTQ+ kids feel less alone in the world by creating a sense of normalcy around queerness. If queer kids see characters like themselves in the books they read, they’ll feel more like their peers.
“I pick people who represent the values I want to give my own kids. Historical figures who represent kindness, compassion, humility, or in the case of Walt Disney, creativity. Along the way, we learned one thing: We’re not that special. Millions of parents want the same thing for their own kids,” explained Meltzer.
“I think the attitude of publishers towards children’s literature in translation is changing,” says Arabic translator Sawad Hussain. “Having said that, the ‘big five’ publishers need to do more to include translated kid lit on their lists and also make themselves more open to receiving submissions.”
The library system’s project is designed to emphasize “forward-thinking, human-centered design to create functional, efficient library spaces that will benefit the Cleveland community for years to come,’’
Axelsson decided to use googly eyes combined with sound and movement to both show the robot’s intent and express its state of being. Most importantly, the eyes are programmed to indicate the robot’s direction to customers, so they’re not caught unaware when it’s moving around.
Today, the Vatican Library treasures around 75,000 codices, 85000 incunabula (i.e., editions made between the invention of the printing press and the 16th century), for a grand total of more than a million books.
The titles absolutely include books perfect for research and reference, but these titles also serve as more recreational nonfiction reading for teens. This isn’t comprehensive, but it’s a good, solid start.
The Last Kids on Earth is coming in cartoon format to Netflix on September 17th. Here is the first trailer for the show, based on the bestselling series by Max Brallier, illustrated by Douglas Holgate.
The creator of Peanut Butter and Cupcake returns with a new cast of characters in this look at snack food. One afternoon, a cheese doodle, a cookie, and a pretzel stick all escape from their packaging. They had been warned about the monsters who would gobble them up in two bites. But the kitchen seemed like a lot of fun, filled with games to play, bright sprinkles, and even a boat ride in the sudsy sink. But then they found the note on the counter from “Mom” who tells her kid to eat the snacks she left out. That’s them! The three come up with a cunning plan to trick the kid into not eating a snack at all. When the plan works, celebrations begin, but perhaps a bit too soon…
A strong story really makes this book shine along with its winning illustrations. The tale of humans as monsters will be a lot of fun for children. The various concepts of ways that the snacks could be consumed or protected from being eaten are very funny and clever. There is a merriment here that offsets the darkness of being devoured. The illustrations are done in photographs with the eyeglasses and limbs of each character done in wire. The result is entirely captivating, one wants to head home and put wire glasses on all sorts of things.
A delicious snack of a book. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Reviewed from e-galley provided by Philomel Books.
The very short shortlist for the 2020 Scottish Teenage Book Prize has been announced by the Scottish Book Trust. Three books appear on the shortlist, including one graphic novel. This is the first year that comics and graphic novels could be considered for the prize. Teens will vote on the winner and the winner will be named on February 27th, 2020.
Hang has lived with the fact that she was responsible for her little brother being taken away to American in the last days of the Vietnam War. She had hoped for them both to be taken together, but instead he was ripped screaming from her. Now, six years later, Hang has come to the United States herself and is determined to find her little brother by following the only clue she has, an address on a card. Not finding anyone at the address, Hang is helped by an urban cowboy, LeeRoy, who longs to ride in rodeos and follow his dreams. LeeRoy is quickly caught up in Hang’s quest and the two of them discover her brother with some lucky help along the way. But that is just the beginning of a summer spent laboring on a farm together, learning about the work of being a cowboy, and finding ways to connect their pasts and their present.
The first chapters of the this book and many of them throughout are so laced with pain and ache that readers will feel it in their own bones. Lai tells the story of Hang in bursts of memory, escaping from the tight hold Hang has over them. The reader and Hang are powerless as the searing memories escape, glimpses of the truth and eventually the full story of a girl strong enough to survive pirates, parasites, icy water, and war. Lai takes two very unlikely protagonists and creates a love story for them, one that captivates with its honesty and originality.
Hang is one of the most remarkable protagonists I have read in years. Far from being broken by her wartime trauma, she continues to fight back, literally at times. She is raw, sarcastic and not defined by her past, but still continuing to be haunted by what happened. She is complicated and so profoundly human. Lai made a brave and smart choice to write Hang’s accented English with Vietnamese typography, echoing Hang’s own notebook that tells her own English is pronounced. Readers will struggle along with Hang at first, but join LeeRoy in understanding her quickly.
Painful and traumatic, this book is filled with sweat, work and more than a little love. Appropriate for ages 14-18.
Waking Brain Cells 