Juana & Lucas by Juana Medina

| Tasha

juana-and-lucas-by-juana-medina

Juana & Lucas by Juana Medina (InfoSoup)

Juana lives in Bogotá, Colombia with her family. She loves things like reading, drawing, Brussels sprouts, and Astroman. She also loves living in Bogotá and in particular having a best friend like Lucas, her dog. Still, there are some things she doesn’t like. She doesn’t like the school uniform she has to wear, doing classwork, and in particular she doesn’t like learning “the English.” When Juana complains about having to learn English and how hard it is, the adults around her encourage her to keep trying. She is also told about a special trip that her grandparents are planning to the United States and Juana will get to meet Astroman there! But in order to be allowed to go, Juana has to do better in her classes, particularly English.

Filled with lots of pictures and even some infographics, this book is particularly approachable for children. With the same humor and heart as series like Clementine, this picture book offers a glimpse into another culture as well as a smart and independent heroine. Spanish words are sprinkled throughout the text, making it just challenging enough that readers will understand how hard it is to decode a different language and yet how rewarding it is too.

The illustrations are bright and cheery. The infographics, used to label different characters with their unique characteristics are funny and nicely designed for clarity. The city of Bogotá and the people in Juana’s life are shown in bright colors with lovely humorous touches.

The first book in a new series that offers diversity, Spanish and lots of heart. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda – The Movie

| Tasha

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Fox acquired film rights for Becky Albertalli’s YA novel last October and will work with Temple Hill, a production company that has been involved in very successful adaptations of teen novels including “The Fault in Our Stars.”

There is now news from Variety that Greg Berlanti is being considered for director. He is known as both a showrunner and the director of “Life As We Know It.” He has also produced and written.

It’s beautiful to see an LGBT title being adapted into a film.

The Best Man by Richard Peck

| Tasha

The Best Man by Richard Peck

The Best Man by Richard Peck (InfoSoup)

Released September 20, 2016.

Archer recounts the two weddings that he has been in, one really bad and the other really good and all of the time in between. The first was a wedding where he was in first grade and the ring bearer. He tried hiding in the bushes and only managed to get his outfit full of mud and to rip a hole in the too-tight cloth. The best that can be said is that it made a popular YouTube clip. Archer also managed to make a new friend that day, a friendship that would carry through his grade school years. As grade school progresses, Archer tries to figure out what type of person he wants to be. He knows that he wants to be like his grandfather, his father and his uncle. He also wants to be like his fifth-grade student teacher too, a handsome veteran who turns school into a media frenzy. It is the wedding of his uncle to his teacher that is the best wedding ever. As Archer matures, he shows the men around him what means to be the best kind of man too.

Peck is a Newbery Medalist and this one of his best ever. Peck takes the hot topic of gay marriage and makes it immensely approachable and personal. Archer is a wonderfully naive narrator, someone who isn’t the first in the room to figure things out. That gives readers space to see things first and to come to their own opinions on things. Then the book offers insight into being human whether gay or straight. There is no pretense here, just a family living their lives together and inspiring one another to be better than they are.

Peck’s lightness throughout the book is to be applauded. This is not a “problem” novel that grapples with the idea of gay marriage and debates it at length. Instead it is a book filled with laugh-out-loud humor and lots of delight. Alongside that is a great deal of poignancy with aging grandparents, the ins and outs of love, and the growth of characters throughout.

Entirely engaging and immensely readable, this is one of the best of the year. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Dial Books.

 

Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards 2016 Shortlist

| Tasha

In its third year, this British children’s book award has four categories that are age specific and the shortlist has three titles in each of those categories. Here are the shortlisted titles:

BABY & TODDLER

Never Touch a Monster, Board book Peekaboo Pals A to Z

My Enormous Book of Colours by Philip Dauncey, illustrated by The Boy Fitzhammond

Never Touch a Monster by Rosie Greening, illustrated by Stuart Lynch

Peekaboo A-Z by Becky Davies, illustrated by Gareth Lucas

 

PICTURE BOOKS

The Bumblebear Oi Dog!

The Bumblebear by Nadia Shireen

Oi Dog! by Kes and Clare Grey

You Must Bring a Hat

You Must Bring a Hat by Kate Hindley

 

FICTION AGES 5-9

Claude Going for Gold! Dave Pigeon (Dave Pigeon, #1)

Claude: Going for Gold by Alex T. Smith

Dave Pigeon by Swapna Haddow, illustrated by Sheena Dempsey

Violet and the Hidden Treasure (Violet #2)

Violet and the Hidden Treasure by Harriet Whitehorn, illustrated by Becka Moor

 

FICTION AGES 9+

The Bubble Boy The Crooked Sixpence (The Uncommoners #1)

The Bubble Boy by Stewart Foster

The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer Bell

Time Travelling with a Hamster

Time Travelling with a Hamster by Ross Welford

This Weeks Tweets, Pins & Tumbls

| Tasha

Here are the links I shared on my Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr accounts this week that I think are cool:

This kid means business. Read 20 minutes, every day!:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

10 Middle Grade Fantasy Novels with Black Girl Leads

13 Children’s Books That Help Kids Understand Divorce

100 Great Translated Children’s Books from Around the World

Ann M. Martin on the Enduring Appeal of The Baby-Sitters Club and Rebooting Another Children’s Series

Beatrix Potter died 73 years ago. Now she has a new book. What to make of it?

A Child of Books: making its mark in children’s literature

Discovered Beatrix Potter tale releases

First Book, NEA Foundation to Bring Thousands of Diverse Books, Resources for Children in Need

Third of parents admit rushing or skipping pages in bedtime stories

This beloved children’s author didn’t want a funeral – she said read to a child instead

National Library Week #NLW:

LIBRARIES

5 Reasons You Should Have a Library Card – BookRiot –

The Case for Preserving the Pleasure of Deep Reading

How to Defend Your Right to Read (with memes) – Intellectual Freedom Blog

Mark the date! Watch as Carla Hayden is sworn in as our new Sep 14

Newspaper: Disappearing Archive Only Temporary for Milwaukee Library patrons –

Annie Dillard Quote Typed on Typewriter on Cardstock by farmnflea, $8.00:

TEEN READS

Funny Book Displays in a High School Library

Women in Comics: Comics For a New School Year – The Hub

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – The Trailers

| Tasha

First, here is the official trailer:

 

Then there is a new trailer focusing on the strength of the female characters:

Brian Wildsmith Dies

| Tasha

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The Bookseller has the news that Brian Wildsmith has died at the age of 86. He was the author and illustrator of more than 80 books.

Author Michael Rosen said of Wildsmith: “Floods of colour exploding across the pages with a name to match: Wildsmith. He was a wild smith. I remember feeling envious: why hadn’t I had books as wild and lush as these?”

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

| Tasha

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (InfoSoup)

Every year, the youngest child in the Protectorate must be left in the woods for the witch. The sacrifice of the child has ensured the survival of their small community for years. Unfortunately, the entire witch story was made up by those in power to keep the population sad and controllable. Still, there is a witch who lives in the woods, but Xan is gentle and kind. She rescues the children who are left in the clearing, taking them to other communities where they are loved and adored. Then one year, Xan accidentally feeds the baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the small child with magic. Xan decides to keep the child, whose magic will need to be controlled. As Luna grows, her magic starts to seep out everywhere, so Xan locks it away deep inside Luna who grows up knowing nothing of magic, despite living with a small dragon and a large swamp monster. As truth starts to appear, those in power struggle to maintain control even as Luna begins to discover what is hidden inside her.

Barnhill has created a brand new classic fairy tale with this book. Her writing is rich and filled with emotion. She allows magic to be incorporated throughout her book with a natural feel and flair. It becomes almost as normal as the trees in the woods, allowing readers to realize that Luna must discover her own magic or not be living at all in this world. The world building is brilliantly done with each piece clicking neatly in, forming a full pattern of the world.

The book does have Luna as a protagonist but it is so filled with rich characters that there are many heroes and heroines. There is Antain, the boy who refused to witness babies die. There is the amazing Xan, elderly and full of life, determined to do good even with her last breath. Glerk and Fyrian the monster and dragon are perfect for both humor and wisdom. Luna herself has to be even more special to stand out against these other characters, and she certainly is!

This book is magical, clever and luminous. Definitely one for young fans of fantasy or for anyone looking for a rich reading experience. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from library copy.

 

Anna Dewdney Dies

| Tasha

Llama Llama Red Pajama Llama Llama Mad at Mama

The author of the popular Llama Llama series, Anna Dewdney, died on September 3rd in her home after a 15-month battle with brain cancer. She was 50 years old.

Her Llama Llama books captured the toddler experience with humor and an engaging rhyme and rhythm.

Publisher’s Weekly has a full obituary.