Books for Ramadan

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Upside-Down Iftar by Maysa Odeh, illustrated by Nadine Issa (Henry Holt and Co., 32 pages, ages 4-8). Malak’s too young to fast for Ramadan, and this year, her grandma, Teta, can’t fast because of a new medication she’s taking. Malak asks Teta if she can help prepare iftar, the meal eaten by the whole family after sunset to break their fast. Malak wants to make makloubeh, a dish with meat, rice, and fried vegetables that’s made in a deep pot and flipped upside down before serving. Each family member requests a favorite vegetable as they pass through the kitchen, and Malak starts to worry that all the different foods won’t go together. But Teta assures her that, “Each makloubeh is unique. Just like each family,” and she’s proven right at the dinner table. Everyone loves the makloubeh, and they tell Malak she should make iftar every night of Ramadan. Includes additional information about the Palestinian dish makloubeh along with a recipe.

This warm family portrayal can serve as an introduction to both Ramadan and a Palestinian dish, with the additional information rounding out the story and giving a recipe for kids to try themselves.

Ramadan Rain by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, illustrated by Aliaa Betawi (Random House Studio, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Haneen and her mother are traveling to the mosque in the rain because they no longer have a car. Haneen grumbles, but Momma tells her that rain brings blessings. At the mosque, while the adults pray, the kids make cards for Eid. Haneen makes pictures of gifts she hopes to receive: shoes, toys, new clothes, but there’s something she wants even more that she can’t quite express. Momma looks sad when she sees Haneen’s card. On Eid, Momma surprises Haneen with a new dress and shoes, and back at the mosque, Haneen makes Momma a new card showing what she wants more than anything else: time spent together. She gives her mother the new card, and they dance through the rain together as they head home.

Another Ramadan story that shows kids to focus on what’s most important in their lives. Haneen and Momma appear to have recently fallen on hard times, but their love for each other is strong, and spending time with their community helps them to focus on that bond. I do wish the publisher had released this book before the beginning of Ramadan instead of so close to the end of it.

History books kids will want to read

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Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game by Kadir Nelson (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 112 pages, grades 4-8). This history of basketball starts with a chapter called Pregame that describes the invention of basketball on a rainy winter’s day in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. In four quarters, Kadir Nelson takes readers through the history of the game from that point, focusing especially on Black contributions. There’s a chapter on the development of the NBA, another called The Revolutionaries that profiles some of the greats of the sport, and one that looks at winning teams over the years. The section labeled Halftime tells about the American Basketball Association (ABA) that only lasted a decade but had an outsized influence on the NBA. A final chapter called Overtime gives a brief history of women’s basketball. Includes an author’s note, timeline, glossary, index, and lists of notes and sources.

This book will fly off the shelves at my school. The cover is eye-catching, and Kadir Nelson’s illustrations capture the speed, motion, and excitement of basketball with plenty of portraits of players many readers idolize. The text is written in an easy conversational tone, perfect for the subject, but there’s a lot of it, and I’m guessing many kids will focus on the illustrations. I’d love to see the final chapter, which felt a little tacked-on, expanded into an entire book about women’s basketball.

My Bicentennial Summer: True Adventures from the Most Epic Family Road Trip of All Time by G. Neri, illustrated by Corban Wilkin (Candlewick, 96 pages, grades 2-6). The summer G. Neri was eight years old, two things happened: America threw itself an epic 200th birthday party and his family decided to take a road trip to from southern California to Washington, D.C. and back again to be part of the celebration. In a 1967 wood-paneled station wagon (10 miles per gallon) and a pop-up tent trailer, Neri and his parents and two older brothers set off. The story is told in a scrapbook style, with illustrations of the family and cartoon bubbles drawn atop photos of the sights they saw. Taking the southern route to head east, they arrived in D.C. in time for a parade on July 3rd, then scrambled to Philadelphia for another one on the Fourth. They somehow got lost and wound up watching the People’s Bicentennial, which was a alternative protest parade, but that proved to be an interesting lesson as well. After catching the fireworks in Philly, they headed back west via the northern route, finishing up with a luxurious stay in Las Vegas before arriving home after seven weeks away. Neri ended up with plenty of material for “What I did over my summer vacation,” as well inspiration to live a life of travel and adventure. Includes an author’s note, facts about the United States, a list of big questions (with partial answers) about American history, additional information about traveling, and a list of recommended reading.

As a veteran of both the Bicentennial (as a child) and some fairly epic family road trips (as an adult), I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book, and it surpassed my expectations. I thought it might be an exercise in nostalgia that wouldn’t be of much interest to 21st-century kids, but it captures the excitement, boredom, mishaps, and ultimately rewards of a long road trip in any era. As a biracial family traveling in the 1970’s, the Neris got into a few sketchy situations, and the author doesn’t shy away from noticing inequalities in the country. Ultimately, though, he celebrates America, the Founding Fathers, and the ideas of democracy, while emphasizing the need to protect and build on those ideals.

Celebrating Black hair

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Hairstory by Sope Martins, illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 48 pages, grades K-5). A young girl looks through a book of hairstyles while getting her hair done at a salon. “My hair is history,” she begins, and the text on the next page gives additional information about hairstyles in Africa that go back 500 years. The book continues with these alternating pages: the girl’s lines form an acrostic poem that spells “hairstory,” while the informational text provides additional facts about the part hair has played in a variety of African cultures. There’s additional information at the end about six of these cultures and their hairstyles, as well as a link to a site with further reading and a bibliography.

The beautiful illustrations in this book capture Black hairstyles old and new, while the text connects them to a wide variety of African cultures. I’ve noticed a positive trend over the last couple years of books on Black history covering more African history instead of starting with slavery. I wish the very cool acrostic poem had been mentioned somewhere at the beginning or end, as I didn’t notice it until I read a review.

Fros Fades and Braids: A Brief History of Black Hair in America by Sean Qualls (HarperCollins, 64 pages, grades 3-7). This history of Black hairstyles begins with Madame C. J. Walker, Annie Malone, and Garrett Morgan (perhaps better known for his traffic light invention), all of whom created hair-straightening products for Black people. These products were popular for the first half of the twentieth century, but in the 1960’s the more natural Afro celebrated Black power and started replacing straight styles. Since then, Jheri curls, locs, fades, and braids have all had–or continue to have–their moments. The significance of barbershops and beauty salons to the Black community is also touched upon, as well as the importance of asking permission before touching anyone’s hair. The final spread shows a wide variety of ‘dos along with the words “Do you!” Includes an author’s note.

Award-winning author and illustrator Sean Qualls brings his unique style of art to this empowering book about different Black hair styles. The text is fairly short but engaging, and is packed with interesting facts and information. I liked how he included famous people with the different types of hairstyles,which helps create a visual image of what that style looks like.

This Hair Belongs by JaNay Brown-Wood, illustrated by Erin K. Robinson (Astra Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). I have had this book on hold for weeks and have been unable to get my hands on it, but it seems like a good one to include with this blog post. Reading the reviews, it appears to be an ode to Black hair with collage illustrations showing how hairstyles connect to Black history, with back matter about history and hair care. Kirkus and School Library Journal gave it starred reviews, I love the cover, and I look forward to reading it eventually!

Magic in the air

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Houdini’s Library: How Books Created the World’s Greatest Magician by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mar Delmar (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, grades 2-5). As the son of a rabbi, Erik Weisz loved poring over his father’s collection of books. After the family moved from Hungary to the U.S., they fell on hard times, and Erik’s dad had to sell off his library. Young Erik (or Ehrie, as he was known in America) used the money he made working in a factory to buy his own books. A ten-cent book by Jean Robert-Houdin, Father of Modern Magic, changed his life, and he started collecting books that taught him how to do magic. The rest is early-twentieth-century-magic history, as Ehrie Weisz became Harry Houdini, master magician and escape artist. He used the money he made from that career to build a vast library of books and other memorabilia related to magic and was a voracious reader all his life. Includes an author’s note with additional information and photos of Houdini and an illustrator’s note about how she made the cut-paper illustrations.

Harry Houdini’s life and career are always fascinating to read about, and this biography really humanizes him, focusing on his early struggles and the way books launched his career and helped lift him out of poverty. The illustrations are truly amazing works of art, magically capturing both Houdini’s amazing stunts and his vast collection of books.

Marie’s Magic Eggs: How Marie Procai Kept the Ukrainian Art of Pysanky Alive by Sandra Neil Wallace, illustrated by Evan Turk (Calkins Creek, 48 pages, grades 2-5). As a child growing up in a Ukrainian village, Marie Procai loved making pysanky eggs with her grandmother every Easter. But when war and famine came to Ukraine, Marie followed her older brothers to North America. She settled in Minneapolis, where she married, raised a family, and learned how to continue the pysanky egg tradition in her Ukrainian community. When her son was killed in World War II, Marie channeled her grief into helping Ukrainian refugees and continuing her art. She and her family went on to open the Ukrainian Gift Shop, first in her living room and later in a Minneapolis store, where she sold pysanky eggs, supplies, and her own books about how to make the eggs. Her art reflects the legend that as long as pysanky are decorated, there will be good in the world. Includes an author’s note about her own connection to pysanky eggs through her Ukrainian heritage, plus additional information about Marie and pysanky, with photos, a pronunciation guide, a playlist, a list of museums and festivals that feature pysanky, and a bibliography.

Just in time for springtime and Easter, this fascinating biography shows how Marie Procai brought her art and love for all things Ukrainian to her adopted homeland, using it to build a community and help other immigrants. Evan Turk’s illustrations bring the eggs in all their colorful glory to rich, vibrant life.

Two books by Mac Barnett

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The Future Book by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Shawn Harris (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). This book comes from the future, and I’m here to tell you we have some goofiness to look forward to. In the future, an orange is called and blorange, a banana is called an apple, and there’s no word for an apple…because there are no apples in the future. When someone sneezes, you say, “Forgive me, Susan!” When someone leaves, you say, “You smell like a baby!” And when you want to thank someone, just gently place a fish on their head. There’s much, much more, and the book ends with an interaction at the supermarket (which is now called a bolly bolly hoo hoo) that shows how things work in the future.

The collaborators who brought you (and continue to bring you) The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza series have created a book so silly it is sure to have kids rolling on the floor and leaving the library repeating “bolly bolly hoo hoo” and “You smell like a baby!” Tons of silly fun for all ages.

Rumpelstiltskin retold by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Carson Ellis (Orchard Books, 48 pages, ages 4-8). This version of the familiar tale of Rumpelstiltskin starts with a girl who loves playing in the woods until she’s forced into an impossible situation by her clueless father and a greedy king who demands that she spin straw into gold. A strange little man helps her out, but there are strings attached. The girl ends up a queen with a baby that’s promised to the little man unless she can guess his name. Her love of the woods helps her to discover that name, and she’s able to send Rumpelstiltskin away empty-handed and (perhaps) live happily ever after with her son.

As he did with The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Mac Barnett writes a charming retelling with plenty of humor. Although the queen doesn’t have a lot of autonomy, she’s spunky and resourceful and wins out in the end. Kids will get a good laugh at the long lists of names she puts together, and the Carson Ellis artwork add a mysterious Renaissance-tinged feel very different from Jon Klassen’s illustrations. This is one of my favorite fairy tales–I have so many questions about it!–and I can’t wait to share this version with kids.

Girl power

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Hattie Mae Begins Again by Sharon G. Flake (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 368 pages, grades 4-7). Hattie Mae is both excited and nervous to be traveling from her home in North Carolina to begin school at Miss Abigail’s School for Exceptional Young Ladies in Philadelphia. Over the course of her school year there, she learns to deal with a bully, make new friends, and to express her truest self. She and Miss Abigail share the secret that Miss Abigail is Hattie Mae’s cousin, and that Hattie Mae is at the school on a full scholarship. When the truth comes out, the school gets some bad publicity, and some of the students leave, a disaster as the school is trying to keep its doors open during the Great Depression. Hattie Mae must draw on her own strength, as well as her friends and family, to undo the damage and make the school a welcoming place for all.

The author draws on her family’s long history in Philadelphia to tell Hattie Mae’s story of discovering the wealthy Black community she finds herself in at Miss Abigail’s school, and how she finds her own way there. This novel in verse is a companion to 2023’s Once In a Blue Moon, the events of which are referenced near the end of the story.

Destiny of the Diamond Princess by Sherri Winston (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 240 pages, grades 4-7). Zahara-Grace Jones has always known she’s adopted, but growing up with a loving mother and grandfather (G-Pop), she’s never really wanted to know about her birth parents. But as she approaches her 12th birthday, she starts to feel some curiosity. On the big day, she receives two gifts: her mom tells her about her birth mom, who had sworn her to secrecy until Zahara-Grace turned 12, and G-Pop gives her a DNA test. The test not only reveals her connection to the (fictional) African nation of Maliwanda, but it also alerts the king of the country that his long-lost granddaughter has been found. Before long, Zahara-Grace’s life has completely changed, as she learns she is a princess and has to balance the demands of two very different families. Not only that, but she learns that she’s the key to breaking an ancient curse that may have lead to her mother’s death. Everything comes to a head the night of the grand opening of a museum G-Pop has been redesigning, when Zahara-Grace is introduced as the princess of Maliwanda…and learns her true strength when cursed beings rise from the dead.

This is a fun Princess Diaries-inspired story that does a good job creating a story of an adoptee who feels torn between her two families. The supernatural stuff at the end was fun, but felt a bit tacked-on and rushed. I was kind of hoping for a more realistic explanation of Zahara-Grace’s friend’s betrayal, but kids will undoubtedly enjoy reading about mummies rising from the dead.

Middle school: the endless inspiration for graphic memoirs

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Run Home: A Graphic Memoir by Alyssa Bermudez (Roaring Book Press, 304 pages, grades 5-8). In this follow-up to Big Apple Diaries, Alyssa Bermudez records her first couple years of high school in diary format: her first uncertain days, her joy at making new friends and discovering a love of running on the cross-country team, adjusting to a new step-family, and her worries about her dad’s health issues. When she experiences an overwhelming tragedy during the summer between her freshman and sophomore years, Alyssa must work her way through grief. She’s helped by family and friends, but ultimately she has to learn how to find her own way to a new normal. Includes an author’s note about this time of her life with four pages of photos of many of the people from the story.

This heartfelt graphic novel makes for compelling reading, and readers will recognize many of Alyssa’s problems, emotions, and triumphs as she navigates a new school, new friends, and family issues. Although this will likely appeal to fans of authors like Raina Telgemeier, Kayla Miller, and Lucy Knisley, the high school setting (the title of this post notwithstanding) and deep dive into grief make it a story that may be more appreciated by middle school kids.

A Kid Like Me by Norm Feuti (HarperAlley, 272 pages, grades 4-7). Ethan and his best friend Ricky navigate the early days of middle school with more than the usual number of bumps in the road, thanks to the fact that they live in poverty with their single moms in a trailer park. They worry that other kids look down on them for their old phones and off-brand clothing, and they’re not always wrong. Ricky makes friends with a couple of boys whose snarky comments and pranks get under Ethan’s skin. Ethan finds more compatible friends in the after-school Bio Battle game club, but his new friend Aiden seems to be avoiding coming over to his house. Eventually, both boys learn a few lessons about what true friendship looks like, and the story ends with Ethan, Ricky, and Aiden trying out a new game at Ethan’s house. Includes an author’s note with photos of him as a kid, telling about the prejudices and microaggressions he experienced as a poor kid growing up in a middle-class community.

I’ve said it before, but there are not enough middle grade books that explore what it’s like to grow up in poverty, especially considering what a common experience that is in America. Norm Feuti does a great job of showing the impacts of this experience on everyday middle school life: adults looking with suspicion at kids from “the wrong side of town,” having to navigate the pressure to have the right phone or sneakers, and insecurities about having friends over to your house. I liked how Ethan learned to speak up for himself and figure out who his true friends were.

Wrong Friend by Charise Mericle Harper, illustrated by Rory Lucey (First Second, 256 pages, grades 3-7). Charise and Casey have had a great friendship for many years. It’s easy to get together since they’re neighbors, and they both enjoy art and adventures. But Casey is two years older than Charise, and when she starts high school, she suddenly starts ignoring Charise, acting like Charise is invisible when they see each other in the neighborhood. Charise is devastated, but eventually realizes that she needs a new best friend and begins reaching out to girls in her grade. Each one has some of the qualities she wants in a best friend (chapter titles list those qualities: “A Best Friend Likes Made-Up Games,” “A Best Friend Keeps Trying,” etc.), but no one has them all. Eventually, Charise realizes that she’s happiest with a bunch of friends, with each one bringing her own special personality traits to the group.

Charise’s graphic memoir will appeal to fans of Raina Telgemeier’s and Shannon Hale’s books about the ups and downs of middle school friendships. Readers will relate to Charise’s gradual realization that no friend is perfect, but that many friendships are still worth pursuing. Pair this with Charise’s first memoir, Bad Sister, also illustrated by Rory Lucey.

Safety in numbers

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The Big Book of Pi: The Famous Number You Can Never Know by Anita Lehmann and Jean-Baptiste Aubin, illustrated by Joonas Sildre (Helvetiq, 88 pages, grades 4 and up). Divide the circumference of a circle by its diameter, and the answer will always be the same: an irrational number beginning with the digits 3.14. Medieval mathematicians called this number “the quantity which when the diameter is multiplied by it, yields the circumference” (only in Latin), but thankfully, an 18th century Welsh mathematician named William Jones changed the name to pi or π, as we like to say in Greek. But enough history, how about some cool pi tricks? Did you know that you can find your six-digit birthdate somewhere in pi’s digits (mine starts at the 172,406th decimal place. Don’t worry, I googled it.). Oh, and there are jokes: what do you get when a bunch of sheep stand in a circle? Shepherd’s pi. The final pages explains how little we still know about pi, despite advances in computer calculations, and reminds readers to stay curious and open-minded about learning about pi and other phenomena. Includes a glossary and a QR code for an educator’s guide.

Well, this was fun! I never expected a book about pi to be even a fraction this entertaining, but the chatty text, comic-style illustrations, and cool activities drew me in from the first page. Some of the math activities required a little too much brain power for me to pursue, but this only proves the wide range of readers that will find something to love about this book. Math teachers from grades 4 through high school (and beyond, really) will want to get their hands on this to add some engaging history and activities to classes.

Twelve Daring Grays: A Whale Migration Adventure by Nora Nickum, illustrated by Elly McKay (Candlewick, 32 pages, grades 1-4). As a pod of 20,000 gray whales migrate from Baja California to the Arctic, a dozen of them make a detour to the Salish Sea off the coast of Washington. There they risk getting stranded in the shallow waters to feast on the ghost shrimp that live in the mud along the bottom of the sea. Since the whales eat almost nothing during their migration, this stop allows them to gain strength. A few weeks later, they rejoin the rest of their pod whose final destination is the Arctic. They spend the summer there before heading back south where their calves will be born. Includes an author’s note about these gray whales known as the Sounders that has grown from a pair that was first spotted in 1990 to larger group in this book.

The whales in this beautiful book look like they are about to pop off the page in the three-dimensional illustrations that portray them swimming and eating in gorgeous blue and gray waters. Readers will be filled with wonder about this small group of whales and the risky but rewarding side trip they take from their migration.

Fan fiction

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Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet (Sarah Barley Books/Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 400 pages, grades 7-12). Set in 21st-century Concord, Massachusetts, the story begins with the discovery of Beth March’s body on the morning after an eventful New Year’s Eve party at Sallie Gardiner’s house. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy take turns telling the story, which shifts between the past and present as one friend or family member after another is suspected of the murder. Was it their father whose recent tell-all book about his daughters (entitled Little Women) has caused such a social media storm that he’s been forced to flee to Vancouver? Amy, who had a violent quarrel with Beth at the party? John Brook, who’s voiced some doubts about Beth going to boarding school at Plumfield Academy to pursue her music dreams? One secret after another is uncovered until the final showdown reveals what really happened that fateful night.

Buckle up, Little Women fans, and prepare for a darkly fun roller coaster ride into the March family as you’ve never seen them before! Fans of the original will love all the allusions to various characters and the way Katie Bernet has updated them for a modern audience, while those not as familiar with the story will still enjoy this fast-paced whodunit with new twists in every chapter.

The Mysterious Magic of Lighthouse Lane by Erin Stewart (Aladdin, 336 pages, grades 4-7). After a meltdown on a class trip, Lucy is haunted by the memory of her best friend turning away from her and is sure she is destined to be friendless forever. Her mom, who tends to want to “fix” Lucy, decides that her daughter should spend the summer on Prince Edward Island, where Mom grew up and where Grandpa still lives. Lucy is reluctant, but she finds herself drawn to the island’s tranquility and curious about her late grandmother. When her grandfather gives her Grandma’s old camera, Lucy is thrilled to be able to hone her photography skills. As she learns to develop her own pictures, she starts to notice magical changes appearing that only she can see, changes that reveal the subject’s deepest wish. Her efforts to grant those wishes, with the help of her new friend Poppy, have mixed results, but as the summer goes on, Lucy discovers what her real gift is. Poppy helps her to see that she’s an empath, someone who feels others’ emotions as deeply as they do. It’s a gift her grandmother also possessed, and with the help of her mother, grandfather, friends, and even a message from her grandma, Lucy learns to use her empathy to help others around her as well as herself.

This charming story has a number of nods to Anne of Green Gables: the PEI setting, of course, as well as Lucy’s first name, Poppy’s last name (Montgomery), and Lucy’s highly sensitive nature, a trait she shares with author Lucy Maud Montgomery. Lucy’s journey from believing her emotions are a burden that needs fixing to embracing them as a gift she can use to help others, particularly Poppy and Grandpa, makes for an engaging story that will be especially appreciated by other empaths.

Lessons in self-reliance

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Mungo on His Own by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Julie Benbassat (Clarion Books, 48 pages, ages 4-8). When Mungo is still hungry after dinner, his mother gives him permission to go out and forage for berries. Alone in the night for the first time, Mungo is scared of cars and owls and other noises he hears. But he remembers his mother’s lessons and safely crosses the road and hides in a hollow tree from the owl. He also recalls how his mother told him that wonders sometimes happen when “we stand inside our fear on four feet, eyes sharp, breathing deep.” So Mungo bravely goes on and is rewarded, not only with a berry feast but with his first experience of snow. When he gets home, his mother is waiting for him, proud of his accomplishments and ready to snuggle up for bedtime.

Not only does this story feature an adorable fox and lush illustrations that portray all different times and seasons, but it’s a great lesson for kids venturing out into the world for the first time and for parents learning to let go. There are lots of good messages about facing your fears and remembering safety rules but having the courage to keep going.

Bored by Felicita Sala (Neal Porter Books, 48 pages, ages 4-8). Rita is so bored, she can’t think of a single thing to do. She can’t read, draw, think, or even look out the window. Heavy sighs and moaning, “I’m so b-o-o-o-red” get no response from her family except for her brother telling her she’s weird. Rita starts wondering how many other bored people there are in the world. She pictures them all boarding a bus, then traveling to Bored Island. A funny thing happens when they get there, though. Everyone is so bored that they start doing things like building with driftwood and starting a band. A high school student’s yawn turns into a yodel, and she accidentally discovers how to talk to whales. A pair of twins stare at their watches for so long that they actually warp space and time. By the time Rita’s mom calls her to dinner, she’s so busy with her imagination that she tells her mom she doesn’t have time to eat.

Although screens are usually the “solution” to boredom these days, this cute and entertaining story shows readers another way to combat it: imagination. The illustrations, including the color palette, do an excellent job of conveying the drabness of a boring afternoon contrasted with the brightness of Boredom Island and the imagination.