This Week’s Tweets and Pins

| Tasha

Here are the links I shared on my Twitter and Pinterest accounts this week that I hope you find interesting:

ELC. Places that encourage exploration, thinking, reflection about the wide, wide, world.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

8-Year-Old Gets Sexist ‘How To Survive Almost Anything’ Books Pulled Off The Shelf http://buff.ly/GCKuEa #kidlit

"As a child is born, it’s important that child learns about books" http://buff.ly/GHJSxI #reading

Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman: ‘Children should be encouraged to read electronic books’ – Telegraph http://buff.ly/192W06H #kidlit

Free Technology for Teachers: Download The Chronicles of Narnia as Free Audiobooks http://buff.ly/GCybZH #kidlit

Great Beginnings | Books for Emergent Readers | School Library Journal http://buff.ly/19gRu2I #kidlit

Horn BOO! – The Horn Book http://buff.ly/19aejF3 #kidlit

Lucy Christopher’s top 10 literary woods | Children’s books http://buff.ly/GPr1Bh #kidlit

PW KidsCast: A Conversation with Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall http://buff.ly/18KoUrt #kidlit"

Reading aloud is the single most important thing that anybody can do with a child." http://buff.ly/1a1Zt2g #kidlit #reading

EBOOKS

Bloomsbury Children’s Sets December Launch for E-book Imprint http://buff.ly/192X5LN #ebooks

E-book sales are leveling off. Here’s why. http://buff.ly/GHEx9Q #ebooks

More gadgets, more reading: Survey suggests e-reader and tablet owners read more books – http://buff.ly/15RTgtY #ebooks

Community Living Room, Whistler Public Library

LIBRARIES

10 Reasons To Become A Library Addict | Laura Grace Weldon http://buff.ly/1acojNg #libraries

After Floods, Colorado Libraries Assess the Damage, Step in With Services http://buff.ly/1csIbS8 #libraries

Full STEAM Ahead: Injecting Art and Creativity into STEM | School Library Journal http://buff.ly/1cryiEm #libraries #stem

Libraries and Librarians in Horror Movies http://buff.ly/1acodoB #libraries

Melding Minds to Make a Library | American Libraries Magazine http://buff.ly/19hxjSm #libraries

Next Time, Libraries Could Be Our Shelters From the Storm http://buff.ly/GCOpSt #libraries

10 Interesting Ways to Use Instagram for Your Library http://buff.ly/GCDOXQ #libraries

TECHNOLOGY

Brilliant Maps Reveal Age of the World’s Buildings – Wired Science http://buff.ly/GJcrdI

Mountain View Is Installing Wi-Fi Because Google’s Free Service Stinks http://buff.ly/19odxqf

Most of the teen book collection occupies the wave wall, which has seating built in to encourage teens to stay and get lost in a book. An adjacent lounge with vending machines allows teens to socialize without bothering other patrons.

TEEN READS

An Adult YA Addict Comes Clean — Vulture http://buff.ly/1crgxFp #yalit

Divergent Author Veronica Roth Builds Her Empire — Vulture http://buff.ly/1e62VgF #yalit

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS Movie Set for June Release » EarlyWord – http://buff.ly/1e6c8Wo #yalit

Five questions for Holly Black – The Horn Book http://buff.ly/19aedNR #yalit

From the Guide: Slightly Spooky Middle-Grade Tales – The Horn Book http://buff.ly/1gkPtYv #yalit

Gary Wasdin: Teens need books, and bans don’t change that http://buff.ly/192VWnl #yalit

Lois Duncan on reaching a new generation of teen readers http://buff.ly/15ThDaH #yalit

Maggie Stiefvater: ‘I navigate readers’ emotions like a small ship through a rocky strait’ | Books http://buff.ly/1cr4mIv #yalit

New Trends in YA: The Agents’ Perspective http://buff.ly/19odDhx #yalit

Watch the First Official ENDER’S GAME Movie Clip http://buff.ly/18PVsAq #yalit Mixed feelings on this one because of the author.

Young adult books that changed our lives http://buff.ly/15ThzYt #yalit

Review: March by John Lewis

| Tasha

march

March: Book One by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell

This is the first book in a planned series of graphic novels that follow the life of Congressman John Lewis and his work in the civil rights struggle.  This first book opens with President Obama’s inauguration day and then flashes back to critical points throughout Lewis’ life.  It tells the story of his connection to animals on the farm, particularly chickens.  It also shows him as a young minister and his determination to stay in school and then to attend college.  Readers get to witness the violence of the opposition to the Civil Rights Movement including many pivotal moments in history like the sit-ins at Nashville lunch counters. 

This is one powerful graphic novel.  The writing is sterling and strong.  It shines with an honest portrayal of historical events from someone who did not just witness them, but fought the battles personally.  The book clearly explains the world of the 1950s and 1960s, making sure that modern readers understand the dangers of the times and the differences.  It is both a historical book but also one that is important for modern teens to understand how far we have come and how far we have to go.

Powell’s art is stellar.  It is stirring art that evokes history with a fresh eye.  He creatively uses light and dark, playing with words across it at times, other times allowing the darkness to take control.  There is a sense of witnessing history throughout the book in both the words and the art. 

An impressive graphic novel for teens, this book shines light on the Civil Rights Movement.  Appropriate for ages 12-15.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig

| Tasha

invisible boy

The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig, illustrated by Patrice Barton

Brian is invisible.  His teacher never notices him in the classroom.  He doesn’t take up much space.  He never gets picked when kids choose kickball teams.  He isn’t invited to any parties.  Brian spends his time drawing dragons, pirates, aliens and superheroes.  Then Justin joins Brian’s class.  Justin uses chopsticks at lunch and eats different food than everyone else.  The other kids laugh at him and Brian feels happy being invisible.  Brian leaves Justin a drawing that says that Justin’s food looked yummy.  Justin talks with Brian about his art, but is quickly called away to play games with the others.  When a chance comes for them to work together on a class project, Brian starts to feel a lot more visible.

Ludwig paints a vivid picture of an isolated child here.  The true success on these pages is the capturing of very subtle forms of bullying rather than the overt type seen in so many picture books.  This is the type that involves exclusion from the group rather than physical violence.  Ludwig not only captures it, she also shows just how damaging being alone can be for a child.  At the same time, Brian is bright and creative and willing to connect.  Ludwig also shows how a single child can make a difference and bring someone who is invisible into the group.

Barton’s illustrations have a beautiful softness to them.  She incorporates paper art in her digitally painted work adding another dimension.  Brian starts out almost transparent and only done in pencil with no color at all.  As he starts to reach out to others, color comes to him and eventually he is just as fully colored as everyone else.  This visual transformation nicely captures what is happening emotionally.

A superb book about bullying and exclusion, this can be used to start discussions in a classroom or with a single child.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House Children’s Books.

Review: Line 135 by Germano Zullo

| Tasha

line 135

Line 135 by Germano Zullo, illustrated by Albertine

The duo that created Little Bird have returned with another lovely and fanciful story.  A little girl travels by train to her grandmother’s house.  The train starts out in the towering city and we are told at the beginning that her grandmother lives in the country.  The train travels from crowded cityscapes into more residential areas.  The little girl talks about all of the traveling she wants to do when she gets older.  As the pages turn, the landscape changes and eventually becomes very odd.  Flowers grow as tall as the train, strange creatures stand near a pond, then the pond itself looks very much like a beast of some sort and readers will know that they are on a surprising trip too.

Imported from Switzerland, this book starts out as a quiet thoughtful book about being comfortable living in both the city and the country and a love of travel.  Zullo’s text never changes from that musing tone, but it does speak to the right of a child to have opinions about how they want to live their lives. 

The girl’s dreams and imagination come to life in the illustrations.  The train is the sole zip of color on each page, while the surroundings are entirely in black and white fine-lined drawings.  They are detailed and lovely and the change from reality to dream world is done slowly and with deft pacing. 

This is a book that makes you want to start back at the beginning the minute you finish it so that you can see even more in the drawings.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: All the Truth That’s in Me by Julie Berry

| Tasha

all the truth thats in me

All the Truth That’s in Me by Julie Berry

Judith has returned to her family and her small Puritan town after being missing for two years but she is unable to speak because her tongue has been cut out.  Without speech, the entire community ignores Judith and treats her as if she is less than a person.  Her own mother reviles her, never saying her name and ordering her around as “you” instead.  In her silence, Judith has many secrets that she keeps close.  She sees everything and moves through the town as if she is a ghost.  But inside herself, Judith is smart, caring and dutiful.  When her mother refuses to hear her attempts at speech, Judith stops trying altogether.  When the boy she loves takes another as a fiancé, Judith is only kind to the girl.  Secrets though have a way of getting out and one dangerous secret may just be able to save their community.

The first thing I have to say is that the cover is lovely but very misleading.  This is a book set in an unnamed historical setting and the cover reads entirely modern.  Reading the book I was astonished to find it was historical fiction and kept turning back to the cover in confusion.  The paperback cover is no better since it also conveys a modern feel. 

With the cover aside, this is one incredible read.  One might think the lack of real historical context would be an issue, but it works well here.  The focus is on the people rather than the setting, though the world of Puritanical thought is an important element throughout.  The book is a real mystery novel with the questions of what really happened to Judith swirling throughout the book.  The reveal is tantalizingly written, making for one compelling novel.

Berry writes with a lyrical voice throughout, capturing the loneliness and longing of Judith.  The beauty of the writing serves as a way for readers to see the thoughts of Judith and understand that she is rich with thinking inside.  Berry is also masterful at pacing and how she reveals the details.  It is entirely on her terms and readers may guess what is coming but can never be sure until it is revealed.  It is a book where the ending is crucial, exciting and immensely satisfying.

A great pick to book talk for teens, the premise of this historical novel should be more than enough to get teens to pick it up.  The writing and the mystery will keep them reading.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: My Blue Is Happy by Jessica Young

| Tasha

my blue is happy

My Blue Is Happy by Jessica Young, illustrated by Catia Chien

Colors can be seen in many different ways and the little girl in this picture book tends to see them very differently than her family and friends.  Her sister says that blue is sad, but for her blue is happy like favorite jeans or the swimming pool.  Her mother says yellow is cheery, but for her yellow is worried like a wilting flower.  Her father says brown is ordinary, but it is also the color of chocolate syrup so it’s special too.  Useful for color identifying, this book takes it a level deeper to the feelings that colors evoke in each of us.

Young has created something of a poem here in her prose.  She uses a format with repetitive structures, each new person and their reactions to colors a stanza and also a set of pages.  Within this strong format, the exploration of feelings is done with a confidence that will allow young readers to voice their own.  Young takes unusual reactions to colors and makes them concrete with her examples too. 

Chien’s illustrations have a wonderful softness to them that frees the imagination.  Filled with the color that is being discussed, the illustrations celebrate each color and invite thoughts from children listening to the book. 

A lovely take on colors, this picture book will lead to plenty of discussion and would be a great jumping off point for craft and art projects.  Appropriate for ages 4-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: A Moose That Says Moo by Jennifer Hamburg

| Tasha

moose that says moo

A Moose That Says Moo! by Jennifer Hamburg, illustrated by Sue Truesdell

Sitting near the laundry drying on the line, a little girl is reading books about animals.  She starts to think about having a zoo of her very own and what sorts of animals it would have.  It’s guaranteed that no other zoo has animals like hers!  There is a moose that says “moo,” bears that drive cars, tigers that swing in the trees, and sharks that read books.  At night, the animals have a big pillow fight that turns into one silly brawl with awakened goats, tap-dancing pigs that startle easily, tripping turtles, and even groundhogs that protest.  It will take one smart young girl to get everything put back together again even in this imaginary zoo.

Written in a rollicking rhyme, this book really celebrates the ridiculous and the silly.  Hamburg manages to create zoo animals with wild qualities that make the book a surprise on each page.  The result is a book that dances on the edge of losing control, but the firm hand Hamburg takes with the rhyme and rhythm keeps it within control and makes for a book that begs to be shared aloud.

Truesdell does an amazing job of managing to take all of the wild chaotic silliness of the book and turn it into illustrations that help it all make sense.  At the same time, she too revels in the silliness on the page and adds to it with small touches like a reading shark accidentally eating a book, the offer of many tissues to a sneezing tiger, and goggled bears in cars. 

Pure silliness, this book could merrily be wedged into many storytime themes.  Use it as a finisher since even antsy children will sit still for this wild ride.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Review: Max and the Tag-Along Moon

| Tasha

max and the tag along moon

Max and the Tag-Along Moon by Floyd Cooper

When it’s time for Max to head home from his Granpa’s house, Max is very sad.  But his grandfather reassures him by saying “That ol’ moon will always shine for you…on and on!”  All the way home in the car, Max watches the moon as it travels along with them.  When they get home though, the moon has disappeared and Max once again feels sad and misses his grandfather.  As Max is alone in his bed that night, he looks out at the dark night with no moon.  As he watches, the moon returns from behind the clouds and Max once again feels connected to his Granpa. 

Cooper takes a very simple story of grandfather and grandson and makes it memorable with his amazing illustrations.  The story resonates with the connection of the two main characters and their love for one another.  The symbol of the moon and its light connecting them makes the book luminous and almost magical.  I appreciate a children’s picture book that is not just about an African-American child and family, but one that shows a loving male figure.

A large part of that magic are the illustrations that glow with the white-gold light of the moon.  Cooper plays with light and dark throughout the book.  Even on the pages without the moon shining, there are sources of light and shadow that are expressive and lovely. 

A strong African-American family is celebrated in this picture book that would add another level to any moon-centered storytime.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Philomel Books.

Review: Serafina’s Promise by Ann E. Burg

| Tasha

seraphinas promise

Serafina’s Promise by Ann E. Burg

The author of All the Broken Pieces returns with a new verse novel.  Serafina lives with her mother and father in Haiti.  She and her best friend dream of becoming doctors in order to help save people like her baby brother who died.  But Serafina’s family cannot afford for her to even attend school.  Instead she has to work hard to help her mother who is pregnant with another baby.  Serafina carries water for her family, empties chamber pots, sweeps the floor, and keeps the family fire burning.Her father is one of the lucky ones who has a steady job in the nearby city that he walks to every day.  There is no extra money for anything though, even with his work.  When a large storm comes, their small village is ruined and Serafina’s family moves to higher ground.  It is there that Serafina’s dreams start to come true with her new garden and the money it brings.  Then the earthquake strikes.

Burg tells a gripping story of  a young girl with huge dreams living in abject poverty.  Her family is strong and loving, just unable to lift themselves out of the poverty that surrounds them everywhere.  Burg shares small details of life in Haiti, nicely weaving them into the poetry so that it is revealed in a rich and natural way.  The Creole language is also used throughout the book, offering a rhythm and sound that enlivens the entire setting.

Serafina is a well-developed character.  Many of the poems show her own inner feelings in all of their complex beauty.  She is not a perfect character, sometimes showing stubbornness and jealousy, but that just makes her all the more compellingly human.  And the verse throughout the book is lovely, evocative and very effective.  Readers will know that the earthquake is coming and that also creates a tension that makes the book riveting.

This is a powerful look at the Haitian earthquake through the eyes of one extraordinary young woman.  Appropriate for ages 10-13.

Reviewed from ARC received from Scholastic.