Month: July 2022

My Own Lightning by Lauren Wolk

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Dutton Books for Young Readers

Summary:  In this sequel to Wolf Hollow, Annabelle is still trying to recover from the events of that story when she experiences another life-changing event: she is struck by lightning.  In the aftermath, she makes two discoveries: her senses are heightened, including an ability to understand animals, particularly dogs; and the bruises on her chest show that someone brought her back to life before she was discovered by her father.  Her empathic connection to animals proves useful when dogs in the neighborhood start to go missing.  Dogs seem easier to understand than some of the humans around her, including new neighbors Mr. Edelman and his daughter Nora, and Andy, the boy who was partly responsible for the tragic events of Wolf Hollow.  As Annabelle’s new powers start to fade, she realizes that they’ve led her to discover some abilities to understand people that she’s had all along.  311 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Like all of Lauren Wolk’s other books, this story is a luminous look at human nature with beautiful poetic writing and interesting, well-developed characters.  Also, the descriptions of every single meal were mouth-watering.

Cons:  I was surprised at how little World War II figured into the story in this book set in 1944.

Growing an Artist: The Story of a Landscaper and His Son/Cultivando a un artista: la historia de un jardinero paisajista y su hijo by John Parra

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Published by Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Summary:  The narrator spends the day helping his father with his landscaping business.  It’s hard work, and one of his classmates snubs the boy when he sees him working in his yard.  But visiting the dump and choosing plants from the nursery is fun, and his dad’s enthusiasm about his business is contagious. Everywhere they go, the boy pulls out his sketchbook and draws what he sees.  Their last visit is to a couple who want to transform their overgrown yard.  When the boy gets home, he begins to create a design for the new yard.  His dad agrees to use his plans.  “You have a gift,” says his mother, as he looks at all the sketches he’s made of his day.  Includes an author’s note about his father’s landscape business and how he helped his dad as a child.  Available in English and Spanish. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This would make a great mentor text for memoir/narrative writing. Belpré honoree John Parra brings to life a story which is clearly close to his heart.

Cons:  I would have enjoyed seeing a side-by-side illustration of the boy’s blueprint and the finished yard he helped design.

A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Neal Porter Books

Summary:  A bird with a seed in its beak is on the title page, apparently the source for the seed that falls on page 1.  That seed settles into the soil, and sun and rain help it turn into a sprout, growing to at last become a sunflower (big enough to need a foldout page).  The flower is filled with seeds, which birds feed on when the plant droops to the ground.  When one bird drops the seed from the top of a tree, the cycle begins again.  Includes two pages of additional information and a list of resources.  40 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  I am already excited to read this book to preschoolers when they start learning about seeds next spring.  I like how key words like seed, sprout, and bud are written in a large colorful font to emphasize them, and kids always enjoy a foldout page.  Another great early science resource from Antoinette Portis to go with her award-winning Hey, Water!

Cons:  Those foldout pages get torn a lot in library books.

Honeybee Rescue: A Backyard Drama by Loree Griffin Burns, photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz

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Published by Charlesbridge

Summary:  Mr. Connery keeps bees in hive boxes in his yard.  One day he discovers that some of the honeybees have swarmed and built a hive in a dilapidated garage where they may not survive the winter.  He calls Mr. Nelson, a beekeeper who specializes in relocating honeybee hives.  The text and photographs show the many careful steps needed to move the hives into a box.  For the next several days, Mr. Connery slowly transitions the box from its garage location to his yard where the bees can join the other hives he keeps there.  Everyone celebrates with a little taste of honey.  Includes an interview with Jon Nelson, a glossary, an author’s note, and lists of sources and books for further reading.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  An outstanding nonfiction book for elementary kids, with a large font, plenty of photos, and clear descriptions of what is going on.

Cons:  Anyone with apiphobia may get a little freaked out.

Building by Henry Cole

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Published by Katherine Tegen Books

Summary:  “Building, building.  That is what beavers do best.”  This is the repeated refrain in a story that follows a pair of beavers through a year beginning in late winter.  They pick a spot to live by a stream and build a dam and a lodge.  The dam creates a pond, and the lodge provides a safe place for babies.  As the seasons progress, the beavers face a coyote and a heavy rainstorm, but their defenses protect them from these dangers.  They gather enough twigs and branches to survive the winter, then settle down in the lodge as the snow begins to fall.  Includes an author’s note with additional information about beavers.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  As he did with robins in Nesting, Henry Cole tells a gentle story about beavers as they journey through the seasons.  The detailed illustrations are mostly in black and white with highlights of seasonal colors (green grass, red leaves).  The author’s note invites wonder by contemplating the beavers’ amazing engineering feats.

Cons:  The interaction with the coyote wasn’t quite as dramatic and exciting as the snake attack in Nesting.

Crab & Snail: The Invisible Whale (Crab & Snail book 1) by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Jared Chapman

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Published by HarperAlley

Summary:  Crab and Snail are BBF’s (best beach friends), who hang out with a couple of barnacle sidekicks named Drip and Grip.  When a mysterious rain shower starts following Crab and Snail around, they can’t figure out what’s happening until a know-it-all gull tells them an invisible whale is following them around.  They send their friendliest smiles out to the ocean and are rewarded with a new friendship with Isabel who is, in fact, an invisible whale.  She ends the book by serenading them with a lullaby as the sun goes down.  Look for book 2 in November.  64 pages; grades 1-3.

Pros:  There are plenty of laughs and celebrations of friendships in this graphic series starter that will definitely be a hit with Narwhal and Jelly fans and other beginning readers. 

Cons:  I would have preferred the structure of a chapter book.

My Hands Tell a Story by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Tonya Engel

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Published by Reycraft

Summary:  As Zoe and her grandmother make bread together, the girl marvels at her grandmother’s hands and thinks of the stories they tell.  Grandma tells of her young adulthood working in an office and dancing on stage, later on getting married and creating a home and garden.  When Zoe looks at Grandma’s hands, she sees words on them like “mother”, “planter”, and “nurturer.”  She wonders what stories her own hands will tell someday, then realizes that she can already see some there: building, baking, playing clapping games with friends.  Back home, she uses her hands to tap out some of her stories on her computer.  Includes a recipe for Zoe and Grandma’s Cinnamon Bread.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This quiet intergenerational story invites contemplation and could lead to discussions or writings about the stories told by a child’s or an adult’s hands.  The vibrant illustrations perfectly capture the characters, their hands, and their stories.

Cons:  Be careful not to drool on the recipe page.

Caprice by Coe Booth

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Scholastic

Summary:  Caprice has just finished a summer program at the prestigious Ainsley International School and has done well enough there to be offered a full scholarship for eighth grade through high school.  Returning home to her friends and family in Newark for the last few days of summer, she’s torn between taking this amazing opportunity or finishing middle school with the people she loves.  Complicating her decision are flashbacks of memories from when she was four years old that are increasingly difficult to ignore.  When Caprice’s grandmother in Baltimore gets sick, her family returns to the house where she spent her first few years, and she is forced to confront the trauma that happened there.  As the week draws to a close, Caprice is finally able to admit to her parents that she was molested by her uncle and can begin the healing process that will allow her to make the right decisions about her future.  Includes a note about resources for survivors of abuse.  256 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  This compelling story drew me in right from the beginning.  The main narrative takes place over the course of a week, with the author skillfully weaving in Caprice’s poetry and flashbacks of memory to lead to a satisfying ending.  The topic of sexual abuse is handled in a way that’s appropriate for middle grade readers.

Cons:  The end note about resources was pretty short.

Out of this World: Star-Studded Haiku by Sally M. Walker, illustrated by Matthew Trueman

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Published by Candlewick

Summary:  This collection of haiku looks at different aspects of the universe including constellations, astronomers, stars, the sun, all the planets (even Pluto!), moons, comets, and asteroids.  Each poem is supported with mixed media art to show various spacescapes.  Includes additional information for each section, a glossary, a reading list, and a list of online resources.  48 pages; grades 2-6.  

Pros:  This book will appeal to many different types of readers: poets (a great intro to haiku), scientists, and artists.  The illustrations are awe-inspiring and will fire up kids’ imaginations about the wonders of space.

Cons:  I wish someone had come up with a slightly more imaginative title than the hackneyed “Out of This World”.