Here’s the link to this year’s winners. The Newbery winner was a total surprise to me! What do you think of the selections?
Month: January 2016
My Seneca Village by Marilyn Nelson
Published by Namelos 
Summary: From 1825 to 1857, Seneca Village in Manhattan was populated by newly-freed African American slaves and immigrants from Ireland and Germany. The people were poor and life was hard, but there was also celebration, hard work, and hope for the future. This collection of poems tells the story of those years through the people who lived there. Each facing page introduces the poem and creates a picture of the person at the moment it is spoken. Characters are referenced in others’ poems, or come back with their own several years later. The second to last poem, “The Law of Eminent Domain” quotes the law that ordered the eviction of Seneca Village residents so their land could be used to create Central Park. The author’s introduction gives the history of Seneca Village; she uses the last few pages to describe the different poetic forms in the book. 87 pages; grades 5 and up.
Pros: These moving, beautifully crafted poems introduce a little-known chapter in American history. Footnotes give additional historical context. The final lines of the last poem bring the inhabitants of Seneca Village into the present: “I am one who knows that time and we are mist/hiding Light’s ever-changing panorama,/where the future holds a President Obama.”
Cons: The drab colors of the cover could make this less appealing for young readers to pick up and try.
In! Over! And On! (The Farm) by Ethan Long
Published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Summary: A pig, chicken, goat, and cow explore the concepts of in, out, over, under, around, on, and off in three very short cartoon-style stories. Each story includes one lift-the-flap. 40 pages; ages 3-6.
Pros: This would be a fun read-aloud to young children as well as a good first book for emergent readers to try on their own. The cartoon illustrations are sure to be enjoyed, and lifting the flaps is always fun. Also a good introduction to the concepts listed above.
Cons: Those flaps may not survive long if this is a library purchase.
In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van, illustrated by April Chur
Published by Creston Books
Summary: In a village by the sea, a woman and her child wait for their fisherman husband/father to return. Near the baby’s cradle is a hole in the wall. Inside that hole is a cricket who is painting a picture of a fisherman on the sea. The fisherman in the painting is dreaming about his family at home, waiting for his return. An author’s note tells about her father, a Vietnamese refugee, who made his living as a fisherman, and her mother, who raised their nine children while he was away. Ages 4-8.
Pros: A deceptively simple tale that moves inward from the sea to the tiny cricket in the hole then back out again. The illustrations are gorgeous and evoke a feeling of home, while showing details of the Vietnamese culture. Each picture presents a unique perspective. The author’s note adds an interesting dimension to the text and illustrations.
Cons: I didn’t find the cover as appealing as the illustrations, so it took me awhile to get around to reading this book.
Breakthrough! How Three People Saved “Blue Babies” and Changed Medicine Forever by Jim Murphy
Published by Clarion Books
Summary: In November, 1944, Dr. Alfred Blalock made history by performing delicate cardiac surgery on 18-month-old Eileen Saxon, repairing heart defects that had caused her “blue baby syndrome”. Standing beside him was Dr. Helen Taussig, a pediatrician who had worked with blue baby patients for many years before recruiting Dr. Blalock to help her. Although Blalock received most of the fame and celebrity from this groundbreaking operation, the procedure had been developed and refined by his research assistant, Vivien Thomas. It would be years before Thomas, who was African American, received any credit for his contributions. Whether this was because of racism or his position as a research assistant instead of a doctor is unclear, but despite this, Thomas continued his hard work and dedication for many years, training many other surgeons at Johns Hopkins. In 1971, his work there was recognized when his portrait was hung in Blalock Building alongside other great surgeons from that institution. Back matter includes extensive source notes, a bibliography, and an index. 130 pages; grades 5-8.
Pros: A fascinating look at medical history and the contributions of three unique and interesting individuals.
Cons: This could be a hard sell in the middle school community.
Lola Levine Is Not Mean! By Monica Brown, illustrated by Angela Dominguez
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 
Summary: Dolores “Lola” Levine is an athletic second grader who loves playing soccer, writing in her diary, and hanging out with her best friend, Josh, who is also the school principal’s son. When she makes an aggressive play during a recess soccer game, a boy in her class gets hurt, and she is banned from playing soccer. Worst of all, some of the girls in her class start calling her Mean Lola Levine. After suffering a few days in silence, Lola confides in her family, and together they figure out a way for Lola to resolve her problems. 96 pages; grades 1-3.
Pros: With a Jewish father and Peruvian mother, Lola is a multicultural successor to Judy Moody and Junie B. Jones. She incorporates aspects of both cultures into her strong, feisty personality.
Cons: Not a particularly groundbreaking entry into the early chapter book genre.
Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin
Published by Roaring Brook Press 
Summary: Many strands of U.S. history from the 1960’s and 1970’s are woven together here. The main focus is Daniel Ellsburg, who started working at the Pentagon the same day as the Gulf of Tonkin incident that escalated the Vietnam War. The history of Vietnam is detailed, starting from the country’s last days as a French colony, to the division of North Vietnam and South Vietnam and the Cold War struggle over Communism in each part of the country. As Ellsburg learned more about this history and the lies told to the American people about it by each U.S. President going back to Eisenhower, he became more disillusioned with the United States government. This culminated in his theft of the Pentagon Papers, a report prepared by former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara documenting the secret history of the Vietnam War. McNamara was hoping to use this report to help future politicians avoid the mistakes of the past; instead, it was leaked by Ellsburg to the press. An infuriated Richard Nixon tried to destroy Ellsburg’s credibility by arranging a break-in at his psychiatrist’s office. The team in charge bungled the job, then tried to make up for it a few weeks later with a covert operation at the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. The book ends with Nixon’s resignation; an epilogue includes Daniel Ellsburg’s positive commentary on a contemporary case: Edward Snowden’s leaks about the NSA’s domestic spying. Back matter includes extensive works cited, source notes, and an index. 360 pages; grades 6-9.
Pros: Liberally interspersed with black and white photos, this book lays out an incredibly complex web of events in an understandable and engaging manner. Although I lived through this period of history, I wasn’t aware of many of the events and how they all fit together, connecting the Vietnam War, the Pentagon Papers, Watergate, and Nixon’s resignation.
Cons: This will not be of interest to every middle school reader. Get it into the hands of the history buffs.
If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson
Published by HarperCollins
Summary: If you plant carrot, tomato, and cabbage seeds, Bunny and Mouse discover, you get carrots, tomatoes, and cabbage. They’re just about to enjoy the fruits of their labor when a flock of birds shows up, clearly wanting to sample the veggies. If you plant the seeds of selfishness, they grow, too…into a heap of trouble. And, in this case, a food fight. Ready for a different approach, Bunny and Mouse try sharing, planting seeds of kindness. The birds reciprocate by flying overhead, dumping bags of seeds. The resultant garden makes everybody happy. 32 pages; ages 4-8.
Pros: The big, beautiful pictures of really, really cute animals complement the simple text and message.
Cons: The message may be a bit heavy-handed.
In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall
Published by Harry N. Abrams 
Summary: 11-year-old Jimmy gets teased at his reservation school for having light skin and blue eyes, not looking like a real Lakota. His grandfather decides to help him one summer by taking him on a journey through Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana to learn about the famous Lakota warrior Crazy Horse. Through the places they visit and his grandfather’s stories, Jimmy learns about Crazy Horse’s life, his courage in battle, and his wisdom in knowing when not to fight. Grandpa’s stories, in italics, make up the majority of the narrative. When Jimmy returns to school and faces the boys who have bullied him, it’s clear he has absorbed the lessons Grandpa was trying to teach him. 176 pages; grades 4-7.
Pros: History buffs will enjoy this recounting of various battles between Native Americans and the “Long Knives” who gradually took over their lands in the nineteenth century. The stories are told from the Lakota perspective, undoubtedly a bit different from what appears in a lot of history textbooks. Ultimately, there’s no getting around the sadness of this part of American history, but the courage and strength of the Native Americans are what is emphasized.
Cons: Jimmy seemed a little young for an 11-year-old, hanging on his grandfather’s every word, and frequently asking, “For reals?”. It would have been interesting to get a more detailed look at his life on the reservation.
The 50 States written and researched by Gabrielle Balkan, illustrated by Sol Linero
Published by Wide Eyed Editions
Summary: Each two-page spread in this oversized book is teeming with information about one of the fifty states. A large map is covered with small illustrations showing interesting, occasionally offbeat, places to visit. Sidebars give introductory information, key facts such as state symbols and where the state name comes from, and moments to remember in the state’s history. Famous people from the state are given head shots around the map, with women and minorities well-represented. Back matter includes state flags; pictures of all the U.S. Presidents with the years of their terms, birthplaces, and wives’ names; and an enormous index. 112 pages; ages 8 and up.
Pros: Great fun for browsing, this book offers much standard state information, as well as unique trivia. Readers will be ready to set off on a cross-country trip.
Cons: It’s a difficult book to put down…or to wrest from your teenager when you’re ready to write a review of it.
A Kids Book A Day 