Author: Janet Dawson

Besties Work It Out (The World of Click) by Kayla Miller and Jeffrey Canino, illustrated by Kristina Luu

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Published by Etch/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Besties: Work It Out (The World of Click): Miller, Kayla, Canino, Jeffrey, Luu, Kristina: 9780358561910: Amazon.com: Books
Besties: Work It Out – AESOP'S FABLE

Summary:  In this spinoff from the Click series, best friends Liz and Chanda are trying to make some money.  When their lemonade stand fails, Liz’s older sister hands over her dog-sitting job to the two girls.  They’re thrilled to get to hang out at the owner’s fancy home, raiding her closet and posting photos of themselves in luxurious surroundings.  When the popular girls see the pictures, they want a piece of the action.  Liz and Chanda invite one of the girls over, but she brings three more; in the ensuing chaos, an expensive lamp gets broken.  As the girls try to make amends, they learn some important lessons about responsibility and friendship and are able to bring about a satisfying conclusion for everyone.  Includes six pages of Q&A with the book’s creators and four pages showing how the illustrations were created.  216 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  There ought to be a name for the Raina Telgemeier/Victoria Jamieson/Shannon Hale/Jennifer Holm genre of graphic novels.  Whatever that name is, this book will have great appeal to fans of it.  It’s a realistic friendship story about irresponsibility and learning to make amends for it.  Hoping to see more books about Liz and Chanda.

Cons:  Chanda’s parents were kind of insufferable with their favoritism toward their older daughter. 

A Little Round Panda on the Big Blue Earth by Tory Christie, illustrated by Luciana Navarro Powell

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Amicus Ink

A A Little Round Panda on the Big Blue Earth: Christie, Tory, Powell, Luciana Navarro: 9781681526546: Amazon.com: Books
A Little Round Panda on the Big Blue Earth - J. Appleseed

Summary:  In this follow-up to A Tiny Brown Monkey on the Big Blue Earth, a little round panda munches bamboo on a hill covered with mist.  A path leads from the hill to a river where people board a boat and travel down the river to a big city.  Lights blink from tall buildings that shine into the sky of the big blue earth.  Endpapers show the panda sitting in the Sichuan Province of China at the center of a map with the Yangtzee River, Indian Ocean, country of China, and continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa all labeled. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  We’ve seen books before that start at a certain geographic point and slowly move out into space.  This one starts with a cute panda and moves to different locations in China with beautiful illustrations that warrant close examination.  This would be a great introduction to maps for younger kids.

Cons:  Except for the endpapers there was no back matter.

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

~ Janet Dawson ~ 5 Comments

Published by Dial Books

Too Bright to See: Lukoff, Kyle: 9780593111154: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Bug’s house has always shown signs of being haunted, and when Uncle Roderick passes away, it seems as though there is one more ghost, this one with a message for Bug.  Bug is also struggling with the idea of starting middle school with an identity that never feels quite right.  Moira, Bug’s best friend, is suddenly interested in clothes, makeup, and new friends, but none of that feels right to Bug.  Possibly guided by the spirit of Uncle Roderick, Bug makes a surprising discovery–he is a transgender boy.  It seems as though Uncle Roderick suspected that this might be the case and has guided Bug to learn his true identity so he can start middle school as himself, taking on Uncle Roderick’s middle name, Thomas, for his own.  192 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  I reviewed Alex Gino’s George (now called Melissa’s Story) back in 2015, and I believe that’s the last time I’ve read a middle grade novel with a transgender main character.  So it’s an understatement to say the need is there, and Kyle Luyken has done a beautiful job with this story that will be embraced by any kid struggling with identity.  It’s also a bit of a spooky ghost story, which is always fun, and which adds an interesting dimension to Bug’s slow realization of who he is.  Currently #16 on the Goodreads Newbery list.

Cons:  I was hoping for at least one middle school girl character who wasn’t interested in clothes, makeup, and hairstyles.

When We Say Black Lives Matter by Maxine Beneba Clarke

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Published by Candlewick

When We Say Black Lives Matter: 9780734420428: Amazon.com: Books
When We Say Black Lives Matter: 9780734420428: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  A couple tells their child the many different meanings of saying Black Lives Matter.  It can be whispered, screamed, sung, or sobbed to celebrate the lives of Black people, to remember what was done to them in the past, and to protest wrongs still being done to them.  The rhyming text highlights words with different fonts and shapes.  The illustrations show the baby growing up until the last page, “We see you, Black-child-magic, your radiant Black shine/We hear your Black Lives Matter, and we know we’ll be all right,” shows him in a cap and gown holding a diploma triumphantly in the air.  32 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  The many different facets of the Black Lives Matter movement are addressed here with beautiful watercolor pencil and collage illustrations filled with colors and shapes.  The rhyming text flows smoothly and is well-integrated into the illustrations. 

Cons:  I’d love to see this considered for the Coretta Scott King Award, but the author is Australian, so I don’t think that it qualifies.

Chez Bob by Bob Shea

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Chez Bob: Shea, Bob: 9780316483117: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Bob is a lazy–but hungry–alligator who hopes that birds will fly into his mouth when he calls to them.  When that plan fails, he notices how much birds like birdseed, and decides to open a seed restaurant on his nose.  Chez Bob attracts its first customer the very next day.  The bird promises to tell all its friends, so Bob decides not to eat it.  Pretty soon, Chez Bob is super popular, and Bob finds himself enjoying the community with a book club, a basketball team (he’s the coach), and a sunset cruise.  When a storm comes up, Bob invites his new friends to take shelter in his mouth.  He can hear them laughing, playing, and cleaning his teeth.  It’s official: these birds have gone from “the birds he was going to eat” to “the birds he was absolutely, without a doubt, definitely not going to eat.”  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Bob Shea (who, according to the back flap, insists that the book’s title has nothing to do with his first and last names) has created another goofy book which, like Who Wet My Pants? is also an unexpectedly sweet friendship story.  The cover is sure to catch the eye of young readers and they won’t be the least disappointed by what’s inside.

Cons:  It’s not clear what Bob will be eating once he befriends the birds.

Florence Griffith Joyner (She Persisted series) by Rita Williams-Garcia, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger

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Published by Philomel Books

She Persisted: Florence Griffith Joyner by Rita Williams-Garcia, Chelsea Clinton: 9780593115954 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

Summary:  This short chapter book is part of the series inspired by Chelsea Clinton’s She Persisted books.  Persistence is definitely a theme, as the story follows Florence from her childhood, growing up in a large family to college, to her struggles to pay her way through college, to her determination to become the world’s fastest woman.  Despite challenges and setbacks, she finally emerged victorious in the 1988 Summer Olympics, where she won three gold medals and one silver.  She was also well-known for her distinctive fashion designs that she wore on the track.  Sadly, the book ends with Flo-Jo’s death in 1998 at the age of 38 from an epileptic seizure in her sleep.  Includes a list of 8 ways you can persist and references.  80 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Normally, I’m not a fan of celebrity-authored children’s literature, so I’ve pretty much steered clear of Chelsea Clinton’s books.  But when I saw the award-winning authors writing these biographies, I finally broke down and read one.  It’s very well done, with plenty of information for both research and inspiration.  The length and illustrations make it an accessible choice for younger elementary kids, and I plan to add many of these books to my library. 

Cons:  I’m not sure I knew about Florence Griffith Joyner’s death, but if I did I had forgotten and was shocked when I got to that part of the book.

The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Kokila

The Legend of Auntie Po: Khor, Shing Yin: 9780525554882: Amazon.com: Books
The Legend of Auntie Po: Khor, Shing Yin: 9780525554882: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  It’s 1885, and 13-year-old Mei is working as an assistant cook, helping her father in a logging camp in the Sierra Nevadas.  The stories she makes up about Auntie Po, a larger-than-life character inspired by Paul Bunyan, entertain the other kids and help her to celebrate her Chinese heritage.  Prejudice against her father and other Chinese workers leads to their dismissal and Mei’s anger at her helplessness.  When the White workers strike to protest their bad food, the boss is forced to hire back Mei’s father.  The two men are friends, as are the boss’s daughter and Mei (who sometimes dreams of something more than a friendship), but Mei and her father frequently have to remind the White man and his daughter of the privileges they have that the Chinese don’t.  A tragedy forces Mei to question her belief in Auntie Po, but eventually brings about a chain of events that give her and her father hope for a brighter future.  Includes an author’s note and bibliography.  304 pages; grades 5-9.

Pros:  It’s not often that I’m actually reading a book when it’s announced as a National Book Award finalist (okay, that has never happened to me before and probably never will again).  There’s so much here: historical fiction, folklore, explorations of racism and privilege, coming of age, LGBTQ issues…plus a great story with outstanding artwork.  I’m guessing this will be considered for a Newbery or maybe a Printz award.  It would definitely have appeal for either age group.

Cons:  There are a lot of characters and storylines to keep track of, and I felt like I missed some of the subtleties in my first reading.

My Two Border Towns/Mis dos pueblos fronterizos by David Bowles, illustrated by Erika Meza

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Published by Kokila

My Two Border Towns: Bowles, David, Meza, Erika: 9780593111048: Amazon.com: Books

Mis dos pueblos fronterizos (Spanish Edition): Bowles, David, Meza, Erika: 9780593325070: Amazon.com: Books

Mis dos pueblos fronterizos (Spanish Edition): Bowles, David, Meza, Erika: 9780593325070: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  A boy and his father take a Saturday morning trip over the border to Mexico, something that is obviously a familiar routine for them.  As they approach the bridge, Dad reminds him that the land once belonged to the Coahuiltecans before it became two countries.  They enjoy coffee and hot chocolate in a restaurant, then head out for their errands, visiting relatives and shopping for friends.  When it’s time to go back home, they have one more stop to make part way across the bridge.  It’s lined with people camping there, refugees from the Caribbean and Central America who can’t get into either Mexico or the U.S.  The boy and his father distribute much of what they’ve bought that day to the people on the bridge: food, medicine, comics.  “All the way home I imagine a wonderful day, when all my friends from the Other Side can go back and forth between my two border towns, just like me.”  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  An uplifting but realistic look at the life of an American boy who still has close ties to his Mexican heritage–and who is being taught empathy and compassion as he and his dad consider the plight of their friends waiting to gain admittance to one country or another. 

Cons:  A little back matter with additional information about the border and/or refugees would have been a nice addition.

Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by 19 artists

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Amazon.com: Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance: 9781681199443: Grimes, Nikki: Books
Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance – EyeSeeMe

Summary:  In this follow-up to One Last Word, Nikki Grimes focuses on the women poets of the Harlem Renaissance.  The book begins with an introduction to the history of the period and to the poetry form Grimes uses called The Golden Shovel, in which she uses the poems of others to inspire her own poetry.  The poems are presented in three sections: “Heritage”, “Earth Mother”, and “Taking Notice”.  They’re bookended with poems in the voice of a middle school girl, skeptical when her teacher hands her books on the women of the Harlem Renaissance, then empowered after she reads them.  Includes biographical information about the poets and the illustrators, sources, and an index.  144 pages; grades 5-9.

Pros:  Like One Last Word, this book is an amazing resource for learning about poets of the Harlem Renaissance, in this case women who have pretty much been forgotten.  The Golden Shovel seems incredibly difficult, but Nikki Grimes proves herself a master of the form. The artwork by so many different illustrators perfectly illuminates the poems.

Cons:  How did One Last Word not win any Coretta Scott King recognition?  I’m rooting for this book to remedy that.

One Kid’s Trash by Jamie Sumner

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Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

One Kid's Trash: Sumner, Jamie: 9781534457034: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Sixth-grader Hugo is dismayed about his father’s decision to quit his corporate job and move the family to become a ski instructor.  Hugo, small for his age, has finally found friends and doesn’t relish the idea of having to start all over again at a new school.  Sure enough, a boy named Chance seems to delight in bullying Hugo about his size.  Fortunately, Hugo’s cool cousin Vijay goes to his new school, and introduces Hugo to his surprisingly uncool but interesting friends.  The group is working on a new school newspaper (or newsletter, since it’s only a single sheet of paper), and Hugo gets drawn into this activity.  When he shows a talent for interpreting people’s trash to get insights into their personalities, he finds himself with a certain middle school celebrity status.  But superpowers must be used for good, and when Hugo uses his to get back at Chance, he finds himself in big trouble with both his family and his new friends.  240 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Familiar middle school concerns of bullying, family tensions, and starting a new school are all explored here with a cast of engaging characters.  From the eye-catching cover to the satisfying conclusion, this book is sure to appeal to a wide range of readers.

Cons:  Hugh’s trashy grand finale felt a little anticlimactic.