Review: The Yuckiest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine Ever by Brenda A. Ferber

February 13, 2013February 13, 2013 | Tasha

The Yuckiest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine Ever by Brenda A. Ferber, illustrated by Tedd Arnold

Leon has a crush on a girl, so he makes her a construction paper heart for Valentine’s Day. But when he tries to put the valentine into an envelope, the valentine runs away insisting that Leon can’t tell Zoey Maloney that he loves her! In fact, the valentine thinks love is “mushy and gross and just plain YUCKY!” He says that Valentine’s Day is not about love, but about candy. Soon Leon is chasing after the valentine, trying to get him to stop. They pass a group of boys, a group of girls and a group of teens before finally coming to Zoey Maloney herself, and a valentine that she has made for Leon. Maybe Valentine’s Day is about more than candy after all?

Ferber marries Valentine’s Day and the pacing and style of the Gingerbread Man together very successfully in this book. This is a book about crushes and valentines that is far from being too sappy. It is full of humor, action and lots of silliness, mocking the entire idea of love and then in the end turning around and seeing that life (and Valentine’s Day) is sweeter than candy.

Arnold’s style plays perfectly with this story. His swirling lines add to the motion and action. His characters are always clearly showing emotion and the large-headed child characters have an endearing quality to them.

This is one Valentine’s Day book that will appeal to boys and girls alike, those with crushes and those who are just looking for candy. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books.

Review: Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson

February 12, 2013February 12, 2013 | Tasha

Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson

In a way that only Kadir Nelson could capture, this book tells the story of Nelson Mandela’s life, imprisonment and how he became the inspiration he is. This is a very humanizing tale of Mendela, showing his childhood before his father’s death and then his move across South Africa to study under a powerful chief. Mandela attended school and then got involved in fighting apartheid. The book follows him as he is jailed the first time and as he rises to be a threat to those in power and goes into hiding. Mandela returned to South Africa to continue the fight and is then jailed again, doing heavy labor. After being in prison for over 27 years, Mandela was freed. His passion for righting the wrongs of apartheid and speaking for equality of all people shines from every page.

Nelson tells the story of Mandela in verse that is factual but also compelling. He captures the long time spent in prison in a way that children will be able to understand. Cold meals, thin blankets and beating rocks into dust. It shows the futility and the harshness with such clarity. Nelson’s verse also has a great sense of awe for this man and what he has accomplished, that too makes it a very special, honest book.

As always, Nelson’s images are simply wondrous. Here they seem to shine from within whenever Mandela is part of the image. As you can see from the cover illustration, there is all of the human inside his art; it radiates from his work. Shown with detail, interesting perspectives, and ending with a sense of celebration, Nelson’s art is a standout.

This is the story of Nelson Mandela captured fully in a picture book that celebrates all of his accomplishments and what he stands for as a human being. Beautiful. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from copy received from Katherine Tegen Books.

Review: A Pet Named Sneaker by Joan Heilbroner

February 12, 2013February 12, 2013 | Tasha

A Pet Named Sneaker by Joan Heilbroner, illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre

Sneaker was a snake who lived in a pet store and wanted to be taken home. But no one seemed interested in a snake until one day Pete came into the store and noticed how special Sneaker was and decided to take him home. The two invented games together, forming handcuffs and a hat out of Sneakers’ flexible body. Then one day Pete had to go to school. Sneaker didn’t want to be left behind, so he slithered into Pete’s backpack. Once they got to school, Sneaker proved to be a great snake ambassador, quickly proving that snakes are not only no slimy but are quite smart. Sneaker continued to show how amazing he was by saving a drowning toddler at the pool and getting it so that animals were welcome to swim there too. Funny and briskly paced, this book will have great appeal for beginning readers.

Told in very simple and friendly language, this book has a strong storyline for a beginning reader. Sneaker and Pete have several adventures in the course of the book, moving quickly from a tale of new friendship to one of real action, which is sure to please new readers. The art by Lemaitre gives the book a vintage feel, hearkening back to Seuss and Eastman in its simple lines and bold colors. There is also that little zing to the eyes, that feeling that the reader is in on the joke that is conveyed through the illustrations.

This is a book with great humor, a touch of vintage feel, and one cool cold-blooded hero. Appropriate for beginning readers aged 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House.

Review: A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff

February 11, 2013February 11, 2013 | Tasha

A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff

Cady has a Talent for baking cakes and making just the right one for a specific person. Miss Mallory’s Talent is matching children with the perfect home, but she hasn’t been able to find the right fit for Cady for years. Will has a Talent for hiding, passing through walls and disappearing along with his pet ferret. Zach has a Talent for spitting, something just right for a troublemaker. Marigold is desperately searching for her Talent, trying all sorts of things with no luck. Then there is the mysterious man who has a Talent for knots who seems to appear whenever he is needed most. There is even a man who steals Talents and keeps them in jars, as he frantically searches suitcases for a slip of paper he lost over 50 years ago. The stories of all of these characters are just a tangle at first, but slowly the stories come together into one gorgeously designed knot of a tale.

Graff has created a world like ours but with more than a touch of magic infused into it. While most of the characters have Talents, there are some who don’t have any. There are others who only discover their talent late in life like Marigold. But in this book it is not the magical bits that make it special, instead it is the intricate storytelling, the puzzle. Readers who want a straightforward book should not look here. This is a book that hints, it rambles, it invites you in for cake and adventure, then wanders a bit more. But the wandering is rather the point, the cake is particularly important, and one wouldn’t want to miss a ramble.

Give this one to the dreamers, the wanderers, and those who want a hint of magic, sweetness and frosting with their stories. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC received from Philomel.

Review: Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel

February 11, 2013 | Tasha

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Clara Lemlich and her family came to America planning to find jobs, but no one will hire her father. The factories did want girls like Clara though, and so she started working in the garment industry. She worked from dusk to dawn in rows with other young girls, sewing as fast as she could. If they were late at all, they lost half a day’s wages. If they pricked their fingers and bled on the cloth they were fined, if it happened again they were fired. The doors were locked, there was no fresh air, and the girls were inspected when they left to make sure they weren’t stealing anything. But Clara would not be held down, she went to the library and learned English, teaching the other factory girls on their lunch break. Then Clara learned about unions and strikes, though some thought the girls were not tough enough to strike. So began her transformation into a union leader, through beatings and hunger, these girls and Clara are the people we have to thank for fair hours and pay.

Markel tells the story with a strong heart and a certain thrill. Readers get to see a quiet girl get off of the boat and steadily transform through self-education and pure tenacity into an amazing person who had strength and energy enough for several people. Markel manages to tell the story of the times without dedicating much of her brief story to background. Instead she uses the situation at the mill to speak on their own. She ends the book with more information about the garment industry, giving facts and figures about how many girls were working there and the abuses they suffered.

Sweet’s illustrations are a treat. Her paintings are turned into collage with the addition of various textiles and trims. On one page the buildings of New York are painted and then enriched by trimmings, stitches and swatches of material. On another the painting is smaller and then framed by material. Clara herself is often wearing a look of determination on her face, usually with a fist clenched as if ready to do battle at any time.

This is a wonderful picture book biography about a heroine that children can related directly to, since she is so young. It is also a very timely read with labor under such pressure right now. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from library copy.

This Week’s Tweets and Pins

February 8, 2013February 8, 2013 | Tasha

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

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

"6 Tips for Nurturing a Child’s Love of Reading" http://buff.ly/X26fAk

10 Amelia Bedelia-isms | Mental Floss http://buff.ly/WUfGUg

bookshelves of doom: A teacher in Washington State has formally challenged two books in the Prosser School District. http://buff.ly/WMe2nU

Can books teach children to behave badly? | Children’s books http://buff.ly/WTRMbi

Dear Mom, Thanks for Making Me a Reader by Rebecca Dunn « Nerdy Book Club http://buff.ly/WTSqpr

Final Sendak Book A Tribute To His Brother : NPR http://buff.ly/WTREso

First Book’s New Initiative Pledges $500K to Buying Diversity Children’s Books – GalleyCat http://buff.ly/WKs2ys

Jan Ormerod Dies http://wp.me/p1iTZw-1Qd

Joanna Nadin’s top 10 laugh-out-loud reads for 5-8-year-olds | Children’s books http://buff.ly/W0QuKH

We recommend 10 children’s books for Black history month –http://buff.ly/WM72HN

E-BOOKS

Digital Comics Are Getting Cheaper http://buff.ly/WYEmcu

LIBRARIES

Anti-Censorship Group Shushes New Jersey Library for Banning Games From Its Computers http://buff.ly/VR0DcT

Free pole dancing classes at Dalkeith’s Mayfield library ‘a success’ | News|Edinburgh|STV http://buff.ly/WMJqCE

The Future of Librarians in an EBook World – Technology-The Atlantic Cities http://bit.ly/11JTHyJ

Gaby Roslin: Why parents need Britain’s local libraries to be saved – Telegraph http://buff.ly/WTQZro

Hot Off the (Library) Press – Technology-The Chronicle of Higher Education http://buff.ly/XabfCW

How To Save A Public Library: Make It A Seed Bank : The Salt : NPR http://bit.ly/11yCFTZ

It has started already – Kirtsaeng and First Sale – Scholarly Communications @ Duke http://buff.ly/W073q1

Park It! – a summery pop up park at Oak Park Public Library –http://buff.ly/VRvmGP

Recorded Books Rolls Out IndieFlix Movie Streaming Service – The Digital Shift http://buff.ly/11JtEYc

"S.F. library eyes laptop-lending kiosks" http://bit.ly/14M9Ibz

PUBLISHERS

Hachette, Penguin and Simon & Schuster Launch Bookish – GalleyCat http://buff.ly/14C8ZZr

http://Beatrice.com » I Have Nothing to Say About Bookish http://buff.ly/WQgGsJ

Op-ed: Publishers’ fear of e-books is hurting libraries | Opinion|The Seattle Times http://buff.ly/X2KujJ

TECHNOLOGY

For the Internet-Deprived, McDonald’s Is Study Hall –http://on.wsj.com/WutJ35

Government Wants to Create Free Public ‘Super Wi-Fi’http://on.mash.to/Y5GePC

iPad at 81% tablet web share in North America, Kindle Fire grabs 7.7%, and Galaxy line takes 3.9% – The Next Web http://buff.ly/14BV9pW

Love it, Hate it, Twitter Forges On http://mbist.ro/VzyHgS

Maybe Those Chromebooks Weren’t Such A Crazy Idea After All | TechCrunch http://buff.ly/WQO7Ly

TEEN BOOKS

EarlyWord: Neil Gaiman’s Big Year – http://buff.ly/WMSRSB

Locus Online 2012 Recommended Reading List

February 8, 2013February 5, 2013 | Tasha

Locus, the magazine that covers science fiction and fantasy, has put our their 2012 recommended reading list which are this year’s favorite books of the editors and reviewers of Locus. They have a list of their top Young Adult books:

Apollo’s Outcasts by Allen Steele

Be My Enemy by Ian McDonald

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Black Heart by Holly Black

The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan

The Broken Lands by Kate Milford

The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Dodger by Terry Pratchett

The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

Every Day by David Levithan

A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente

Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow

Radiant Days by Elizabeth Hand

Railsea by China Mieville

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Son by Lois Lowry

Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sara Rees Brennan

Zeuglodon by James P. Blaylock

Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

February 7, 2013February 7, 2013 | Tasha

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

This is one of the big winners of the ALA Awards this year. It won the Stonewall Book Award, the Pura Belpre Author Award, a Printz Honor, and was on the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults list. So I’m not sure what I can say about it beyond that it is one incredible read!

Ari has his entire empty summer ahead of him so he one day he heads to the pool even though he can’t swim. There he meets Dante, a confident boy just his age, who offers to teach him to swim. Through that one act, the friendship between these two loners is formed. They have very little in common except that they are both Mexican Americans. Ari tends to be angry, is able and willing to fight, and can’t communicate with his father. Dante, on the other hand, goes to a private school, reads poetry, sketches and actually gives his father kisses. The two boys form a strong bond with one another, able to have long conversations and tell each other everything. Well almost everything.

This book is an interplay of strength and fragility with Ari, the physically strong and more strident one, being actually the more fragile as you see deeper under the surface. It is about the way that friendships form in unlikely places, flourish and potentially fall apart over small things. It is a book of celebration, a book that wonders at the desert night filled with stars. It is a book that explores what it means to be gay, what it means to have a best friend that is gay. It is about being a hero, finding your truth and moving ahead past doubt.

Beautiful, strong and incredibly brave, this book reads like a poem read aloud by a best friend. Appropriate for ages 16-18.

Reviewed from library copy.

2013 Notable Children’s Books–Older Readers & All Ages

February 7, 2013February 4, 2013 | Tasha

Each year the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, selects the best children’s books. Here are the selected lists for Older Readers, grades 6-8, ages 11-14, and All Ages:

OLDER READERS