The shortlist for the 2016 Branford Boase Children’s Book Award has been announced. The UK award celebrates the best debut novels for children. Here are the titles on the shortlist:
The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson
Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot by Horatio Clare, illustrated by Jane Matthews
My Brother Is a Superhero by David Solomons
Stone Rider by David Hofmeyr
Time Travelling with a Hamster by Ross Welford
The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones by Will Mabbitt
This Is Not a Picture Book by Sergio Ruzzier (InfoSoup)
Duck discovers a book that doesn’t have any pictures in it. He takes a look at it but kicks it away. When his friend Bug asks if he can read it, Ducks starts to try. But words can be difficult to read. He does see some words that he knows and keeps on trying. Soon Duck is finding that words can take him special places, on wild adventures or into quiet calmness. Words can be funny or sad. And words return you home again in the end, where they stay with you. Even in a book with no pictures!
Ruzzier has created a picture book that proudly sends children on their way to harder reads where they won’t have pictures to ease the way. The way that Duck deals with it, first to be frustrated and then to work hard at it speaks volumes about the way that children work to learn to read better and better. There is also a strong and soaring message about the power of words themselves and how they can convey emotions and meaning.
The book design here is wonderful. The end pages are filled with words that are just jumbled enough to be confusing, but if readers work like Duck did, they can puzzle their way into making sense of them. Ruzzier’s illustrations are always a bit wacky with strange landscapes and bright colors. The settings match what Duck is reading, showing through pictures what the words are conveying.
An inspirational book that will encourage reading, this book certainly IS a picture book that belongs in all libraries. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.
The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry (InfoSoup)
The author of All the Truth That’s in Me returns with another historical novel that once again speaks to the role of women in history. Here we follow the story of two very different young women in medieval France. There is Dolssa, born to wealth who speaks directly with Jesus and who gains the attention of the Church who brands her as a heretic and sentences her to death. There is Botille, who is a matchmaker and who owns a tavern along with her two sisters in a small seaside town. When their two stories collide, Botille discovers a person who both brings miracles and doom along with her.
Berry has created a novel that shows how power worked in the Middle Ages with two young women who are both products of their society and also find themselves outside of it some of the time. The two young women are as different as can be, both in their backgrounds and in their beliefs, but still between them there is a sisterhood that cannot be denied and a love that is transcendent.
Each of the women is fully formed on the page, shown in all of their questioning, their doubts and their beliefs. While Dolssa is certainly a different creature than Botille, it is the two of them together that is so brilliant it can be painful to read, particularly because there is no doubt that they are risking everything to support one another. Berry makes sure that readers understand the way that the Crusades and then the Inquisition worked, the holy people left to starve due to their heresy and the flames and torture that accompanied their work in France. It is a world of cruelty, particularly for two young women who have the audacity to think for themselves.
Brilliantly crafted, well researched and filled with the darkness of impending doom yet lit brightly with faith and miracles, this is a wrenching historical read. Appropriate for ages 14-18.
Reviewed from ARC received from Viking.
Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley, illustrated by Lauren Castillo (InfoSoup)
Lucy spent a long time playing at the beach with her mother and father. The three of them played in the waves, dug holes in the sand, and rolled down the dunes. Soon they were all yawning and Mom declared it was a day for early bedtime! As they got ready for bed, everyone was yawning and Lucy’s mom even fell asleep reading the bedtime book. In the middle of the night the moon shone brightly through Lucy’s window and she was suddenly wide awake. She tiptoed out of bed and through the living room where her father was asleep in a chair. Lucy was looking for Molasses, her bear. She found not only Molasses but all of her stuffed animals who all wanted to come with her to bed. Once again everyone was yawning, even the pictures on the wall, as Lucy fell asleep with her bed full of stuffed friends.
Smiley has done a brilliant job of capturing a day at the beach and then the wonder of being awake at night as a small child. She keeps the language simple, so this book can be shared successfully with very small children who will relate to the joy of playing at a beach, the quiet of early bedtime and then the pure loveliness of moonlight, tiptoeing to find a treasured toy and the imagination at play.
Castillo’s illustrations are glorious. She captures the brilliant light of summer sun at a sandy beach, the hours of play, and the languid sleepiness that rolls over you after a day like that. Her illustrations keep the dark night from being dangerous or frightening, instead keeping the house dimly lit and easily navigated. It is much more a delight than a fright to be alone and awake.
A lovely book of celebrating the warmth of both family togetherness and then the joy of being little and awake alone. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
Reviewed from copy received from Two Lions.
This Is My Dollhouse by Giselle Potter (InfoSoup)
Released on May 10, 2016.
A little girl shows readers the dollhouse she has made from a cardboard box. It is filled with inventive furniture, food made from string and paper, and a set of dolls that don’t all match. The house has an elevator on the side and even a swimming pool on the roof. Then she sees her friend Sophie’s dollhouse where everything matches. The dolls all look the same, all of the rooms match with furniture that is all perfect. But when the girls play a little with the dollhouse, it doesn’t really work. When Sophie comes over, the girl is very nervous about showing her the handmade dollhouse, but soon the two girls are playing together in a way that they never did with Sophie’s perfect dollhouse.
I absolutely adored this book. It captures the wonder of creating your own toys and your own world of play. The cardboard dollhouse and all of the art supplies allows a little girl’s imagination to really soar. The book does include instructions for making your own dollhouse out of a box. And the story also shows how to make furniture from blocks and a TV from a small silver box. Children will be inspired to make their own.
The illustrations here are such an important part of the story. They clearly show that there is a warmth and homeyness to the handmade dollhouse. When the girls play with the perfect purchased one, readers will immediately feel the chill of that dollhouse and realize all that it is missing. This plays so beautifully against children’s own expectations too.
A grand picture book that will inspire creative play and the building of a place for adventures of your own. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
Reviewed from digital galley received from Schwartz & Wade and Edelweiss.
Hector and Hummingbird by Nicholas John Frith (InfoSoup)
A bear named Hector was best friends with Hummingbird. But sometimes Hector wanted to just eat a snack in peace and Hummingbird would not stop talking. He wanted to scratch his back on a tree, but Hummingbird kept chatting. He wanted a nap and Hummingbird wanted to tell a story. One day Hector had had enough and stormed away from Hummingbird and into the jungle. Hummingbird let him go, kind of. But having complete quiet was not what Hector expected and soon he was missing Hummingbird. Luckily, Hummingbird was right there when Hector needed him.
Frith captures the dynamics of friendship in a very clear and clever way in this picture book. You have a rather quiet bear and a very talkative bird and the two of them may be best friends but sometimes it’s too much. Seeing an existing and strong friendship run into problems is a good set up for a picture book where often you are seeing new, budding friendships instead. The choice of animal for each of the characters makes the book a joy to share aloud, from the fast high Hummingbird to the slower and grumpier Hector.
The art in this picture book shines. Filled with lovely tropical colors of bright pinks, greens and teal blues, the illustrations have a vintage feel but a modern zing and energy. The color palette changes when the friends are reunited, becoming even more pink and filled with the energy of their friendship. It’s a clever transition that shows visually what is happening emotionally.
A great pick for friendship story times, this book is a winner as a read aloud. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
Reviewed from copy received from Arthur A. Levine Books.
Ask Me How I Got Here by Christine Heppermann
The author of Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty returns with a powerful verse novel. Addie is one of the stars of her Catholic high school’s cross country team and dating a popular boy in a band. Then after having unprotected sex, Addie ends up pregnant and decides to have an abortion. After that everything changes as Addie keeps her pregnancy and decision secret from everyone except her parents and her boyfriend. Addie tries to keep on running, but she has lost her drive to excel at it. She quits the team but doesn’t tell anyone about her decision. Spending time in a coffee shop away from school, she runs into Juliana, an old friend who is having her own troubles.
Heppermann writes superb poetry. I enjoyed the fact that she incorporates the title of the each poem right into the poem itself or makes the title turn the poem a new direction for the reader. She uses each word in the same way, creating tightly crafted verse that is distinct for its powerful message. Addie’s own voice in these poems is consistent, aching at times with pain and defiant as hell in others. It is the voice of a teenager struggling with huge decisions and their repercussions as they lead her to really be true to herself.
Throughout the book, the Virgin Mary is used as a symbol but also as a figure of worship. She is seen as intensely human as well as a religious figure. It is the poems about her that really shine in this novel, each one stunningly fierce and unrepentant. Religion is part of Addie’s life and a large part of the novel. Heppermann demonstrates in her poetry how one’s faith is complex and personal and can get one through dark times.
A great verse novel that takes on big topics like pregnancy, abortion and what happens afterwards. Appropriate for ages 14-18.
Reviewed from digital galley received from Edelweiss and Greenwillow.
Gordon and Tapir by Sebastian Meschenmoser (InfoSoup)
Gordon is a very tidy penguin who lives with a very untidy tapir. The two of them simply can’t get along together. Tapir takes all of the toilet paper to make a hammock in his room and a hat to go with it. He doesn’t do the dishes and the living room has started to look like a jungle. Tapir has complaints about Gordon too. Gordon is too orderly and won’t let Tapir join his club of penguins. Finally Gordon has had enough, particularly when Tapir’s friend moves in and lives in the bathroom. So Gordon moves out. Tapir misses him dreadfully, but Gordon soon reaches out and the two discover that sometimes friendships work best when you don’t share the same space.
Shortlisted for the German Children’s Book of the Year, this picture book is entirely delightful. A large part of that comes from the skillful mix of anthropomorphic animals but also keeping them very realistic as well. These are real-feeling animals who just happen to have couches, dishes and bathrooms. The art is beautifully and detailed, allowing the text to fade into the background for much of the book. My favorite pages are actually free of text as the two of them struggle to make living together work.
The use of the odd-couple dynamics in the book doesn’t feel stale at all and is further freshened by the unique animals chosen as the protagonists. Young readers will want to discover more about Tapirs even if they are slovenly. The book has a lovely story arc that gives a satisfying ending to the book, one that young readers will appreciate as they navigate their own friendships whether they are the tidy or messy one.
A clever look at friendships that gives new life to an old trope. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
Reviewed from library copy.
Here are the links I shared on my Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr accounts this week that I think are cool:
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Children’s Lit Community Launches Auction to Help Refugees in Europe http://buff.ly/215sNBr #kidlit #refugees
Fresh Graphic Novel Picks – ALSC Blog http://buff.ly/1pLp8Lu #kidlit #graphicnovels
From school books to publishing, black girls deserve better representation http://buff.ly/1SBmIwt #kidlit
‘I pinch myself everyday’ says children’s book author and illustrator Ashley Spires http://buff.ly/1WRm0LB #kidlit
Jackie Carter, Who Pushed for Racial Diversity in Children’s Books, Dies at 62 http://buff.ly/1U8XtAN #kidlit
Why children and teens need funny books http://buff.ly/1QAp7QC #kidlit #yalit #humor
Why it’s time to take children’s books seriously http://buff.ly/1T3SuMM #kidlit
EBOOKS
How Amazon Kindle Unlimited Scammers Wring Big Money From Phony Books http://buff.ly/1SMMWco #ebooks #kindle
LIBRARIES
Beyond books: Eight things you may not know about libraries http://buff.ly/1U8Xg0y #libraries
Boulder Public Library aims to empower parents with new early literacy app http://buff.ly/1SBmDZy #libraries
Community celebrates Billings Public Library’s recent awards http://buff.ly/1Qxj7bd #libraries
In praise of the Library of Congress http://buff.ly/1UcMTss #libraries
Is your local library a bestseller? — Mass. circulation rates tell an interesting tale – The Boston Globe http://buff.ly/23W3Ayy #libraries
L.A. Public Library unveils new card designed by Shepard Fairey http://buff.ly/1NFQwAE #libraries
Lending a Library a Hand in Colorado http://buff.ly/1pEJy8P #libraries
Library director reflects on dramatic changes as retirement draws near http://buff.ly/1SwbUxK #libraries #librarians
The once and future library http://buff.ly/1TqkmO5 #libraries #future
Open libraries: Self service libraries – The Danish way. http://buff.ly/1NG5IO5 #libraries
The Rise of Pirate Libraries http://buff.ly/1SlCHNb #libraries
Toronto library workers say they’re heading for strike | Toronto Star http://buff.ly/1Tx9b6e #libraries #canada
Weeding the Worst Library Books – The New Yorker http://buff.ly/1SN0ozX #libraries
TEEN READS
The best starter graphic novels for YA readers http://buff.ly/1SxIcF3 #yalit #graphicnovels
Waking Brain Cells 