Month: September 2019

Rachel’s Roses by Ferida Wolff, illustrated by Margeaux Lucas

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Holiday House

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Summary:  Rachel is excited about Rosh Hashanah, but not as thrilled to be wearing last year’s skirt.  When her aspiring dressmaker mother offers to add new buttons, Rachel goes to the store to see what she can find.  The cheapest solution is to get one card of buttons for her and her little sister Hannah, but Rachel wants something of her own.  When she finds three beautiful rose buttons, she arranges with the storekeeper to buy them when she’s earned the money–if she can get it before the holiday.  Rachel’s entrepreneurial spirit works well for her until she gets so busy with her errands that she loses Hannah. Finding her sister and discovering a surprise her mother has created help Rachel to understand what’s really important as she gets ready for a new year.  112 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  The close Jewish family and tenement living reminded me of the All-of-a-Kind Family series that I loved as a child.  There’s not a lot of historical fiction available for third graders, and this would make an excellent and accessible introduction to the genre.

Cons:  I was hoping for more information about Rosh Hashanah.  There’s a brief author’s note at the end, but not much detail about the history and traditions of the holiday or how it is celebrated.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Stay by Bobbie Pyron

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Katherine Tegen Books

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Summary:  Piper’s family has fallen on tough times and winds up in the family shelter of a new city.  While exploring a nearby park one day, Piper meets Jewel, a homeless woman with an adorable dog named Baby.  When Jewel winds up in the hospital with pneumonia, Baby is left behind to fend for himself. Piper and her new friends from the Firefly Girls troop team up with other park residents to figure out who Jewel is, how she wound up in her current situation, and how they can help her and Baby find a new home.  Told in alternate voices, the story switches between Piper’s first-person narrative and Baby’s free verse perspective, with occasional chapters offering the point of view of Jewel and other characters. 304 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Readers will be drawn in by the adorable little dog on the cover, and will find an inspiring and engaging story that spotlights the tenacious love between humans and animals.  Piper and her friends work together to bring about a feel-good ending.

Cons:  As a former Girl Scout leader (I’m not sure why the author felt she had to disguise the Girl Scouts as Firefly Girls), I found the fifth-grade girls’ discipline, maturity, and initiative pretty unrealistic.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh by  Supriya Kelkar, illustrated by Alea Marley

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Sterling Children’s Books

Image result for many colors of harpreet

Image result for many colors of harpreet

Summary:  Harpreet loves to dress according to his moods: yellow when he feels sunny, pink when he wants to celebrate, and red when he needs extra courage.  His head covering, called a patka, is always part of his carefully coordinated outfit. When his family moves across the country, Harpreet finds himself nervously wearing blue, sadly wearing gray, and shyly sporting white.  White becomes his go-to choice as he attempts to fade into the background of his new school. But when a chance encounter involving headgear leads to a new friendship, Harpreet happily begins to wear the colors of the rainbow once again.  Includes a note about Sikhism from Sikh scholar and professor Simran Jeet Singh. 32 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  A touching friendship story that most kids will connect with, while at the same time learning about a culture that may be unfamiliar to them.

Cons:  Harpreet’s pallette seemed a little limited, leading me to wonder where green, purple, orange, black, and brown fit in.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation by Barry Wittenstein, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Neal Porter Books

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Summary:  Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is such an integral part of American history, it’s difficult to believe that it almost didn’t happen.  This book starts the night before the speech, when King sat down with his closest advisors to hash out what he was going to say the next day.  The focus was on jobs and economic justice, and one friend even advised, “Don’t use the line about ‘I have a dream.’ You have used it too many times already.”  King then retired to his room to meditate and pray about what he was going to say. Shortly after 3:00 the next afternoon, he delivered his speech. It went well, but didn’t seem quite powerful enough to him.  So when singer Mahalia Jackson called to him, “Tell them about the dream, Martin!”, he put his notes aside and spoke from his heart. Back at the hotel, he and his friends celebrated the speech, knowing that it was just the beginning of a long struggle ahead. Includes notes from the author and artist; thumbnail sketches of who was in the hotel that night; a list of who spoke at the March on Washington; and a bibliography.  48 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  So many picture books have been written about Martin Luther King, Jr. and “I Have a Dream”, but this one adds to the narrative, giving background to the speech and placing it in the context of the Civil Rights Movement.  Jerry Pinkney’s illustrations not only add beauty and color to the story, but label the different people that were there and who inspired King while writing his speech.

Cons:  There’s no additional information about some of the people labeled in the illustrations.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Guts by Raina Telgemeier

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Graphix

Image result for guts telgemeier amazon

Image result for guts telgemeier

Summary:  After a bout with stomach flu, fourth-grader Raina struggles with anxiety about getting sick again.  Her stomach often feels upset, and she worries about germs when a friend or family member falls ill.  When fifth grade starts,  she starts missing school and being scared to eat.  Raina’s mom takes her to a therapist where she slowly starts to feel comfortable talking about the stresses in her life–not only food and getting sick, but difficulties with friends, a crowded home, and some concerns about going through puberty.  The therapist teaches her some breathing and grounding techniques, and by the end of the school year, Raina has overcome her shyness enough to share them with her class. She also finally admits to some of her friends that she’s seeing a therapist, and learns that this is more common than she thought. A final author’s note reveals adult Raina’s lifelong struggles with anxiety and digestive issues, encouraging kids to talk about their feelings.  224 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Another winning memoir from Raina Telgemeier that will help kids deal with their own insecurities and to see that everyone is struggling with something.  As usual, the art is top-notch, with plenty of shades of green and swirling words to show Raina’s anxieties around getting sick.

Cons:  You could slap Raina Telgemeier’s name on a 1993 Chilton’s car repair manual, and kids would be clamoring to check it out of the library.  Who am I to start finding fault?

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

A Stone Sat Still by Brendan Wenzel

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Chronicle Books

Image result for a stone sat still wenzel amazon

Image result for a stone sat still wenzel amazon

Summary:  “A stone sat still with water, grass, and dirt/and it was as it was where it was in the world.”  While the stone remains constant, perceptions of it change. To a chipmunk, it’s dark, but to an owl, it’s bright.  When a gull uses it to break open a clam, it’s loud, but it’s quiet to the snake resting on top of it. Over time (“And the stone was a blink/and the stone was an age”), the landscape changes and the stone becomes an island, then eventually is submerged underwater.  “Have you ever known such a place? Where with water, grass, and dirt, a stone sits still in the world.” 56 pages; ages 3-300.

Pros:  This is a truly amazing book with so many different levels: it can be read as a nature book for the kiddies, or as a Zen guide to learning to connect with the eternal in a transient world.  I wasn’t a huge fan of Wenzel’s Caldecott honor book They All Saw a Cat, but I sure would love to see this one get some Caldecott recognition.

Cons:  I feel like I need to retreat from the world and just think about this book for awhile.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Not If I Can Help It by Carolyn Mackler

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Scholastic Press

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Summary:  Willa’s having a good year in fifth grade: she’s learned to manage her Sensory Processing Disorder well enough that she doesn’t feel like the weird kid at school anymore, and she and her best friend Ruby are enjoying the second year of their friendship.  But when her dad and Ruby’s mom announce that they’re dating, Willa feels like she’s thrown off balance; when it turns out they’ve decided to get married, she’s not sure she can handle so much change. Willa has never told Ruby about her twice-a-week occupational therapy appointments that help her handle the stress of her disorder, and she worries that their friendship will suffer when Ruby learns about some of the other “weird” things Willa does to manage.  As their families slowly start to blend together, Willa learns that she’s not the only one who worries what others think, and that honesty is the best way to go with true friends. 240 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  I’m always pretty confident that Scholastic will produce books with plenty of kid appeal, and this one proves that this is true.  Willa is a fun and interesting narrator whom readers will relate to, and the facts about her SPD are woven seamlessly into the plot. Lots of kids will connect with the whole blended family stuff as well.

Cons:  When Willa finally gets the dog of her dreams, she names her Gummy.  I know she loves gummy bears, but come on, that is a terrible name.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

Rise! From Caged Bird to Poet of the People by Bethany Hegedus, foreword by Colin Johnson, illustrations by Tonya Engel

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Lee and Low Books

Image result for rise from caged

Image result for rise from caged

Summary:  Beginning with young Maya’s journey south to live with her grandmother in Arkansas, the narrative describes her early experiences of blatant racism in the deep south, and continues as she and her brother went to live with their mother in St. Louis.  Her rape by her mother’s boyfriend is described indirectly: “One day, Maya, left alone with Mr. Freeman, is anything but free. After a visit to the hospital, Maya calls out Mr. Freeman’s name as the one who hurt her.” Soon after, he was murdered, and Maya stopped speaking for several years, burying herself in books until she slowly emerged to become a dancer, actress, cable car driver, mother, and finally, a writer and activist. Ending with her death at age 86, the author assures readers that Maya’s words will “always rise rise rise”.  Includes a foreword by Angelou’s grandson; a timeline; resources for children who have been sexually abused; and a bibliography. 48 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  Gorgeous acrylic illustrations and poetic text detail the many different aspects of Maya Angelou’s incredible life.  Due to the horrific events of her childhood, it can be tricky to share her story with children, but Hegedus does a good job not shying away from Maya’s rape and its aftermath in a way that’s appropriate for the intended audience.  

Cons:  I had no idea Maya Angelou did so many different interesting things in her life.  It’s hard to cram it all into one picture book.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

For Black Girls Like Me by Mariama J. Lockington

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

 Published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

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Summary:  Makeda (Keda for short) is struggling with many different issues after her family moves from Maryland to New Mexico.  She’s left behind Lena, her best friend and the only other black girl she knows who was adopted by white parents. Her parents’ relationship is strained; her father is often away performing with his symphony, and her mother’s behavior is increasingly erratic.  When her mom gets mad at the school over a racist incident involving Keda, she pulls her and her older sister out to homeschool, making both girls feel more isolated than ever. Things finally come to a head when a spontaneous trip to Boulder results in a crisis that forces the whole family to make some significant changes.  The ending is hopeful for all four of the family members, although without any guaranteed happily-ever-after. 336 pages; grades 5-7.

Pros:  Keda’s perspective on race is a unique one in the world of children’s literature, and she deals with all kinds of issues, from skin and hair care to subtle and more blatant racism from her friends and family members.  A good mirror and window for readers to learn more about families that include interracial adoptions.

Cons:  I wanted to love this book more than I did.  The mom was a stereotype of a clueless white liberal, and her mental illness overwhelmed the racial issues as the story went on.  Also, some language and the free verse and unique punctuation styles make this book difficult to recommend for elementary–yet Keda is only 11, so her story may not appeal to older middle school readers.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

My Grandma and Me by Mina Javaherbin, illustrated by Lindsey Yankey

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick Press

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Image result for my grandma and me yankey

Summary:  The narrator describes her beloved grandmother, and how they spent their days together as she grew up in Iran.  Grandma never minded her granddaughter following her around and doing the things she did, even when the little girl climbed on top of her during her morning prayers.  The two often visited their friends next door–the two girls played together while the women drank coffee and talked. The grandmothers would pray for each other, one in a church and one in a mosque.  The narrator concludes, “In this big universe full of many moons, I have traveled and seen many wonders, but I’ve never loved anything or anyone the way I loved my grandma. She was kind, generous, and full of love.  I still want to be just like her.” 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This would be a great mentor text for learning about narrative fiction or writing about a character.  The illustrations are beautiful, and interesting facts about Iran and Islam are woven throughout the story.

Cons:  It would have been nice to see some other family members interacting with Grandma and the little girl.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.