Fast Pitch by Nic Stone

| Tasha
Cover image for Fast Pitch.

Fast Pitch by Nic Stone (9781984893017)

Shenice is the captain of the first girls softball team in the league that is entirely girls of color. There’s a lot of pressure on her to perform and to play the role of captain, inspiring others with her belief that they can not only win that single game, but also win the entire championship. As Shenice and the rest of the team put up with microaggressions and outright racism from other teams and their communities, she finds out the reason that her grandfather left professional baseball. Shenice meets her great-uncle Jack, a man savvy enough to not speak about this in front of her parents, but also elderly enough that getting the full story takes some time and effort. As her grandfather’s history is revealed, Shenice realizes that she might have a chance to clear her grandfather’s name for a crime he didn’t commit, and the reason he was pushed out of baseball entirely. Now she just has to keep focused on both finding the proof and also leading her team to victory. It may be too much for one person to handle!

Stone has created a book that speaks at once to both modern racism and then to systemic racism and its impact on Black people in the past and today. This is done in a personal way, so that readers experience the racism that Shenice and her friends are shown at their games. The clever use of family history will lead readers and the characters to explore the past and how it serves as a lens for what is also happening today.

The characters in this book are particularly well drawn. Shenice herself is determined, passionate and skilled. Uncle Jack is fabulous, funny and sly. Then there is the team, the one that stands by their captain, even getting into some trouble along the way as they all work to solve the mystery together.

Game on! Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Crown Books for Young Readers.

A Bunch of Board Books

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Cover for Everyone's Sleepy but the Baby
Cover for Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby.

Everyone’s Sleepy but the Baby by Tracy C. Gold, illustrated by Adele Dafflon (9781641704403)

This honest portrayal of bedtime with a baby may be soothing to parents as much as to the baby it’s being read to. In rhyming text, this board book explores getting a non-sleepy child to bed. The rhymes are fun and manage to be silly while still being able to be read softly and quietly as a bedtime process. The illustrations show the very tired parents trying to get their little one to sleep. In the end, everyone is sleepy. Maybe even your child too!

Cover for My Heart Beats
Cover for My Heart Beats.

My Heart Beats by Rina Singh (9781459825680)

This board book is full of love for children and shares the thump of a heart beat in different languages. Told in rhymes, the languages are explained on the final pages of the book. They include Japanese, Italian, Swedish, Korean, French, and Urdu. The photographs in the book are full of smiling children infants through toddlers, interacting with an adult in their life. The result is a hug of a board book sure to make everyone smile.

Cover for New House
Cover image for New House.

New House by Dave Wheeler (9780593224922)

Very few board books explore moving from the point of view of a toddler. This clever board book fills that gap very nicely. Told in just a few words on each page, the toddler explores his new home. It has a new door, new staircase, new carpet, and new tub. When night comes it has new dark and new shadows until he is reminded that a lot of the same things came along with them, including his parents, blanket, monkey and night light. The illustrations share a story of messiness, bath and bedtime that is sure to enchant little ones who may be making a move themselves.

Cover for The Night Is Deep and Wide
Cover image for The Night Is Deep and Wide.

The Night Is Deep and Wide by Gillian Sze, illustrated by Sue Todd (9781459824812)

A gorgeous bedtime board book, this book uses repeating imagery and lines to soothe little ones to sleep. The structure here is more complex than most board books, written as an Italian villanelle. The cyclic pattern of the book, repeats phrases like “Moonlight falls on eyes that close” and “tulips close, row by row.” The illustrations show a child exploring their nighttime world as the tulips close around them, the songbirds curl up, and a hush settles over everything as the moonlight shines. The illustrations are equally stunning, with a woodblock feel and clever use of pops of color.

All reviewed from library copies.

News to Wake Your Brain Cells – August 27

| Tasha

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Jill Murphy, children’s author and illustrator, dies aged 72 – The Guardian

The long history of Golden Books – Book Riot

The most popular children’s books from every country – Mental Floss

These 11 Japanese children’s books are next-level adorable – Romper

YA LIT

Here are 24 young adult mystery and thriller books you’ll consume in one sitting – BuzzFeed

A realistic list of books you can get young adults to actually finish – Book & Film Globe

These 3 YA novels will transform your summer into something fantastic – NPR

Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Federer

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Cover image for Bodies Are Cool.

Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Federer (9780593112625)

This picture book celebrates bodies in such a positive and inclusive way. The amount of inclusivity is inspiring, offering various races, skin colors, and sizes. The people depicted are also a variety of ages and abilities. Accessibility tools are depicted just as openly and frankly as freckles, body hair and curves. The book shows an urban community full of different people. They move to different settings like dance class, painting a mural, and spending time outside or at the pool. Through those, we see their bodies in various positions, using different assistive aids, and showing LGBT families and people as well.

The text in the book celebrates so much that people sometimes are ashamed of. That includes “soggy tummies” or “scrawny legs” as well as scars, hair, skin, eyes and faces. Every page ends with the line “Bodies are cool!” to remind us all that we are in bodies that may be unique and different but also share qualities with one another and all are equally cool as the others.

The illustrations are key to the success of the book. With the celebratory tone, the illustrations embrace diversity and community. I particularly love the ice cream parlor where all of the people with freckles, moles and patches eat matching ice cream. The entire book is a sweet joy.

Get this one in every public library to celebrate all the bodies in your community. Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

When Grandfather Flew by Patricia MacLachlan

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Cover image for When Grandfather Flew.

When Grandfather Flew by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Chris Sheban (9780823444892)

Grandfather loved to birdwatch. Milo was a quiet child and he listened to Grandfather’s information on birds and what his Grandfather loved most about them. Grandfather liked many birds like the hawks and kestrels, but his favorite was the soaring bald eagle. Grandfather loved the sharp sight of the birds and all they could see from high above. One day, Milo and Grandfather rescued a chickadee that hit the window, releasing it into the air when it had recovered. As Grandfather lost his eyesight, he could still enjoy the birds at the trees since Milo and his nurse could help him identify them. When Grandfather died, it was Milo who called everyone outside to see the eagle that soared high and then circled down low near them with a flash of his eyes.

Told in the voice of Milo’s older sister, this picture book is a look at an aging grandparent and his eventual death. The book offers connectivity to Grandfather through his love of birds, sharing that love with one child in particular who was willing to listen and to see for him. Newbery-Medalist MacLachlan has crafted this story with kindness and gentleness, offering a sibling view that loves both Milo and Grandfather, a voice that marvels at the chickadee release and at the eagle coming so low.

Sheban’s illustrations are done in watercolor, pastel and graphite. They have such depth and texture, the colors extraordinarily layered and light-filled. They share the wonder of birds in flight, the beauty of the farm landscape and the quiet connections of the family.

A quiet and profound look at life, love, birds and death. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from copy provided by Holiday House.

Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima

| Tasha
Cover image for Hardly Haunted.

Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima (9781534441705)

A house stood on a hill. It was worried because it didn’t have a family to live in it. In fact, the house wondered if it might be haunted! But it didn’t want to be haunted, and hoped that if it behaved perfectly no one would notice that it was spooky. Still, there was nothing to be done about the cobwebs and dust, or the squeaky doors and stairs or the rattles in the pipes. The house tried very hard, staying perfectly still and quiet, holding her breath. But when the wind came, she couldn’t stop the scratch of branches on the roof or the groan of the wind through her windows. It let the house relax again, accepting that she was just spooky. Now all she needed was a family looking for a haunted house that rattled, groaned and squeaked.

This picture book reads aloud really nicely, inviting readers into the struggle of a house that dreams of being entirely different than she is. The writing draws out the noises that the house makes, featuring them so that children listening to the story can help make the sounds too. The house itself is a marvelous character, struggling to be different until she accepts herself as she is with all her creaks and scratches.

The art is just the right amount of spooky for preschoolers, full of purple shadows, long green grass and a black cat to enter the house with. The house herself uses her windows to great effect to smile, worry, and eventually come alight in the night.

A little spooky, full of noise and lots of fun. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy provided by Simon and Schuster.

Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba

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Cover image for Temple Alley Summer.

Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba, illustrated by Miho Satake, translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa (9781632063038)

When Kazu sees a strange girl leaving his house in the middle of the night wearing a white kimono, he wonders about it. But things are even stranger at school, when he is the only person who seems not to know Akari, the girl who exited his house that night. Everyone else seems to have known her for years and years. When Kazu follows Akari home, he realizes that her mother is invisible! As Kazu explores the history of his Kimyo Temple neighborhood, which doesn’t have a temple, he finds himself angering some of the older people in his community. Putting the pieces together, Kazu discovers that a small Buddha statue from his family’s home has the power to restore dead people to life! After getting to know Akari and her mother from her previous life, Kazu has a new quest, to give Akari the chance to read the ending of an unfinished story from decades ago. It may be the key to keeping Akari alive this time around and also the answer to the questions about Kazu’s own family and community.

Written by one of Japan’s most well-known and prolific children’s and YA fantasy authors, this book is a marvel. Kashiwaba weaves together multiple layers to create a book that is satisfying and full of magic. There is Kazu’s own life, going to school and having friends, going to the beach and enjoying his summer. There is the mystery of Akari with her empty house and invisible mother. There is the story of Kazu’s own family and the missing temple in his neighborhood to explore. Then the story that Akari loved in her previous life is shared on the pages, giving readers a witch-filled and magical story that is full of danger, cold and heroes. The last is to find the author herself and see if they can get the story finished. By that point, the reader is hoping that they can, because you simply must know how it ends!

Beautifully, Kashiwaba changes the style of her writing from Kazu’s story to the fantasy tale embedded in the novel. Kazu’s story is more modern with shorter lines and more exclamations. The lines lengthen in the witch’s story, becoming more storytelling. It’s very cleverly done. The characters are marvelous from Kazu himself at the heart of this unique zombie story to Akari who is learning to live a new life and loving every moment to the friends, parents and newly met people that Kazu meets along the way.

Unique, fascinating and completely wonderful, this Japanese import is a delight. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from library copy.

2021 CBCA Book of the Year Awards

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The Children’s Book Council of Australia have announced the winners of their annual book awards. The awards are given in a variety of age categories and offer a winner as well as honor books in each category. Here are the winning books:

OLDER READERS

WINNER

The End of the World Is Bigger Than Love by Davina Bell

HONOR BOOKS

Metal Fish, Falling Snow

Metal Fish, Falling Snow by Cath Moore

Where We Begin

Where We Begin by Christie Nieman

YOUNGER READERS

WINNER

Aster's Good, Right Things

Aster’s Good, Right Things by Kate Gordon

HONOR BOOKS

The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty, illustrated by Kelly Canby

Worse Things

Worse Things by Sally Murphy, illustrated by Sarah Davis

EARLY CHILDHOOD

WINNER

No! Never! A Cautionary Tale

No! Never! by Libby Hathorn & Lisa Hathorn-Jarman, illustrated by Mel Pearce

HONOR BOOKS

Anemone is not the Enemy

Anemone Is Not the Enemy by Anna McGregor

We Love You, Magoo

We Love You, Magoo by Briony Stewart

PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR

WINNER

How to Make a Bird

How to Make a Bird illustrated by Matt Ottley, written by Meg McKinlay

HONOR BOOKS

Not Cute

Not Cute by Philip Bunting

Your Birthday was the BEST!

Your Birthday Was the Best! illustrated by Felicita Sala, written by Maggie Hutchings

THE EVE POWNALL AWARD (NONFICTION)

WINNER

Dry to Dry: The Seasons of Kakadu

Dry to Dry: The Seasons of Kakadu by Pamela Freeman, illustrated by Liz Anelli

HONOR BOOKS

The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dangerous Animals by Sami Bayly

Strangers on Country

Strangers on Country by David Hartley & Kirsty Murray, illustrated by Dub Leffler

CBCA AWARD FOR NEW ILLUSTRATOR

This Small Blue Dot

This Small Blue Dot by Zeno Sworder

War by Jose Jorge Letria

| Tasha
Cover image for War.

War by Jose Jorge Letria, illustrated by Andre Letria (9781771647267)

This Portuguese picture book offers a deeply surreal but also honest look at the impact of war. Told in a mixture of wordless pages and pages with only a sentence, war is depicted as spiders and snakes that race across the landscape. They take over a bird, who then flies war over the land “like a whispered, swift disease.” The bird then lands at a building where a leader has been waiting, plotting his attack on the land. War is shown as a force that destroys stories, crushes things under heavy boots, pollutes the air, and erases individuality. Planes take to the sky, bombs fall and the rubble of war is created, leaving silence and more spiders waiting for their next move.

This will be a picture book that will have people questioning whether it is for children. While there is no gore and no violence on the page, the results of the violence are shown, including bodies that fill the page with their fallen pattern. Yet we all serve children who have escaped war-torn nations and have survived. For me, that means this is a book for children that may offer them a way to verbalize the impact of war to those of us who have been lucky enough to not experience it.

The book is haunting. From the wall of masks and helmets that the dictator picks from to the spiders and snakes themselves, there is imagery here that makes emotions real and tangible. The burning of books and the ripping down of towns is shown moments before they happen. This is not a depiction of war wrapped in a flag and full of heroism.

Dark, surreal and incredibly real. Appropriate for ages 6-10.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Greystone Books.