Author: Janet Dawson

Brother’s Keeper by Julie Lee

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Holiday House (Released July 21)

Brother's Keeper - Kindle edition by Lee, Julie. Children Kindle ...

Summary:  12-year-old Sora lives under the oppressive Communist regime of 1950 North Korea, and the stiflingly low expectations for girls in her traditional Korean family.  When war breaks out between North and South Korea, her father wants to escape to the south, while her mother is sure they won’t survive.  When it finally becomes clear that their lives are in danger at home, the family leaves, racing the Red army through the cold winter weather.  A bombing separates Sora and her 8-year-old brother from their parents and 2-year-old brother, and the two must travel alone, hoping to reunite with the rest of the family at their uncle’s house in Busan on the southern coast.  Sickness, hunger, predatory strangers, and other harrowing obstacles make this a page-turning survival story.  Includes a lengthy author’s note with additional information and photos on whom Sora is based; a glossary of Korean words; and a timeline of the Korean War.  320 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Anyone laboring under the delusion that historical fiction is dull will be disabused of that notion after reading this book.  There is plenty of action and suspense.  Sora is a fascinating protagonist: she’s smart and dreams of a future as a teacher or writer, yet still wants her parents’ approval and tries to be a good daughter (which means giving up school to take care of her brothers).  There’s also lots of interesting information about the “Forgotten War” woven into the plot and in the back matter.

Cons:  Just when you think you’re heading for a happy ending…well, I don’t want to give too much away.

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Rick by Alex Gino

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Published by Scholastic

Rick - Kindle edition by Gino, Alex. Children Kindle eBooks ...

Summary:  Rick and his best friend Jeff (from Gino’s 2015 book George) take the center stage in this book as they start middle school.  Rick is starting to be more aware of the fact that Jeff is kind of a jerk, and also that kids around him are starting to be interested in dating.  Rick’s not sure if he’s straight or gay, since he doesn’t feel particularly attracted to either boys or girls.  Although he feels uncomfortable and worried that Jeff might find out, Rick attends a Rainbow Spectrum meeting for kids exploring their genders and sexualities.  When he learns about asexuality, he thinks that might be the right identity for him.  He finds support through new relationships with kids in the group and a closer bond with his grandfather who turns out to have some secrets of his own.  Rick’s newfound confidence helps him to stand up to Jeff and feel more comfortable about expressing himself in public.  240 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Rick’s search for an identity he feels comfortable with feels like an authentic middle school experience.  The Rainbow Spectrum cast of characters provides a vehicle to introduce readers to different genders, sexualities, and pronouns.  Kids who have read George will enjoy catching up with the kids from that story a few years later, and will be happy to find out that George is entering middle school as Melissa.

Cons:  Like another book of Alex’s, You Don’t Know Everything, Jilly P., this one felt very agenda-driven.  Too often the characters tell instead of show, and appear unusually “woke” for middle school kids as young as 11, e.g., this from a sixth grade boy: “Rick, if we’re gonna be friends, you’ve got to share how you’re feeling.  Otherwise I’ll never know you.”  

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Sharuko: El Arqueólogo Peruano Julio C. Tello/Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello by Monica Brown, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri

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Published by Children’s Book Press (Released August 18)

Sharuko: El Arqueólogo Peruano Julio C. Tello / Peruvian ...

Summary:  Born in Peru in 1880, Julio Tello grew up in an indigenous community, speaking Quecha, the language of the Inca Empire.  His adventurous nature earned him the Quecha nickname Sharuko, meaning “brave”.  He and his brother discovered bones, pottery, and even some human skulls as they explored the foothills of the Andes.  At 12, he went to live with his aunt and study in Lima, eventually graduating from medical school.  After getting a degree in anthropology and archaeology from Harvard, he worked as an archaeologist at the Museum of Natural History in Lima.  His archaeological discoveries showed that indigenous cultures had existed in Peru more than 3,000 years ago, refuting the theories that these cultures originated in Mexico or Central America.  He became director of the new Museum of Anthropology, where he was able to share his discoveries with Peruvians, transforming their understanding of their history.  Includes maps; an afterword, illustrator’s note, and list of sources.  40 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  Written in both Spanish and English, this story shines a light on Peruvian history and a man who single-handedly helped rewrite it.  The colorful illustrations feature some of the art and artifacts Tello helped discover.

Cons:  Readers will need some background knowledge to appreciate the story; although the format is a picture book, this will probably appeal more to older elementary and even middle school kids.

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Girl Versus Squirrel by Hayley Barrett, illustrated by Renée Andriani

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Published by Margaret Ferguson Books (Released August 11, 2020)

Girl Versus Squirrel: Barrett, Hayley, Andriani, Renée ...

Summary:  Pearl is proud of her three bird feeders: one looks like a house, one looks like a tube, and one looks like a teacup, because it actually is a teacup.  She fills the house one with suet, the tube one with seeds, and the teacup with peanuts.  Birds are soon flocking to the first two, but the peanuts attract a squirrel.  Annoyed, Pearl builds increasingly complicated obstacle courses to try to deter the squirrel, but to no avail.  Finally, Pearl sees the squirrel in a nest with kits, and realizes it’s a mother.  At that point, she gives up and admits that the squirrel is amazingly clever, and will teach her babies how to do all the things she does.  Pearl gets to work creating and filling more bird feeders for her backyard…and some squirrel feeders as well.  Includes a page of facts about squirrels.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Many will relate to the problem of squirrels attacking the bird feeders, and Pearl is a persistent and ingenious girl who uses her engineering skills to try to solve this problem.  She’s also a good sport, knowing when she’s been bested and celebrating her opponent.  Kids will enjoy reading about her efforts and maybe be inspired to try some backyard projects themselves.

Cons:  From the squirrelly facts:  National Squirrel Appreciation Day is January 21, which seems like the completely wrong time of year.  Or maybe we appreciate squirrels more when they’re a bit less omnipresent.

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The Prettiest by Brigit Young

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Roaring Brook Press

The Prettiest - Kindle edition by Brigit Young. Children Kindle ...

Summary:  A shock wave travels through the eighth grade when an anonymous list appears on social media ranking the top 50 prettiest girls in the class.  The story is told from alternating points of view of three characters:  Eve, a shy introvert who’s uncomfortable with her body’s sudden changes and is in the #1 spot; Eve’s best friend Nessa, a theater kid who doesn’t make the list and has been teased about her weight; and Sophie, a girl from the wrong side of town striving to be best at everything who is dismayed to be ranked #2.  Although Sophie’s never hung around with Eve and Nessa, the fallout from the list brings them together, and they plot to bring down the boy they think created the list.  Several plot twists reveal to the girls that appearances can be deceiving, especially in middle school, and that everyone, including the three of them, has something to hide.  320 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This seems to be the year of the middle school sexual harassment book, and this has been one of my favorites.  Too often, stories that take place in middle school have the good kids versus the mean kids, but this showed that all kids are struggling with their identities as they enter adolescence.  The question of who created the list creates a page turner that will keep readers engaged to the very end.

Cons:  Trying not to make this a spoiler, but after learning so much about many of the characters, we never really get to know the one who actually created the list.

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All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick Press (released October 30)

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer ...

Summary:  In the summer of 2018, the entire world watched as rescue teams struggled to save the twelve members of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach who were stuck inside the flooded Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Thailand.  This book tells the story from the beginning, when this close-knit group of boys ranging in age from 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach decided to take a trip to the cave one day after practice.  After the cave unexpectedly flooded, an international team of cavers and divers were called in to figure out the best rescue strategy: pump out the water, drill into the side of the cave, or dive and swim the team out.  In the end, the dive and swim strategy was used, and as the story unfolds, the reader finds out it was nothing short of a miracle that all thirteen were rescued (although a Thai Navy SEAL died delivering oxygen tanks a couple days before the rescue procedure began).  Sidebars give more information about Thailand, caves, and Buddhism (the coach spent much of his life in Buddhist monasteries, and his teachings on meditation helped everyone stay calm inside the cave).  Includes an author’s note that tells of her connection to the story (she was visiting family in Thailand during the rescue); extensive source notes, a bibliography, and an index.  288 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  I didn’t think anything could compel me to read a 288-page book on my phone, but once I started reading this story, I couldn’t stop.  The boys and especially their coach are likeable from page 1, and the rescuers endure hunger, sleep deprivation, and what sounded like a really disgusting foot fungus condition to accomplish something that seemed impossible from beginning to end.  The numerous photos draw the reader in, and the sidebars add to the content, and remind me that I’d really like to visit Thailand someday.

Cons:  This book appears to be retailing for almost $25.00.

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King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Scholastic

King and the Dragonflies: Callender, Kacen: 9781338129335: Amazon ...

Summary:  King and his parents are barely able to function as they try to deal with the grief over the sudden death of King’s older brother Khalid.  King is also starting to recognize his feelings for Sandy, a boy he used to be friends with until they had a fight.  Sandy had confided in King that he is gay, and King told him he might be too.  Khalid overheard the conversation, and told King that he couldn’t be gay, that dealing with being Black was enough.  When Sandy runs away from his abusive father, King is the only one who knows where he is, and ends up lying to his friends and family to protect him.  As King slowly works through his anger, grief, and shame, he realizes that it’s time to speak the truth about Sandy, Khalid, and himself, even if it means risking losing the people he loves.  272 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  In the acknowledgements, Kacen Callender writes of a conversation they had with their editor, Andrea Davis Pinkney, about the fact that Pinkney had never seen a middle-grade novel about a gay Black boy.  Well, now she has, and it is beautifully written, with a dreamy quality appropriate for the Louisiana bayou in which it’s set.  This book just won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for fiction, and I’m sure it will be a contender for other awards.

Cons:  That dreamy quality made the beginning kind of slow, and it took me awhile to get into the story.

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Cannonball by Sacha Cotter, illustrated by Josh Morgan

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Cannonball: Cotter, Sacha, Morgan, Josh: 9781728217567: Amazon.com ...

Cannonball: Cotter, Sacha, Morgan, Josh: 9781728217567: Amazon.com ...

Summary:  A young boy dreams of doing a cannonball off the diving board, but his attempts find him clinging fearfully to the diving board or entering the water with barely a splash.  He gets lots of advice from friends and family (“More weight.  More height.  More hair.  Bigger shorts”), but nothing seems to work.  Finally, everyone gives up on him except for his Nan, who knows he can do the perfect cannonball if he listens to his own heart and mind.  Encouraged, the boy finds his own way to do his clothing, hair, and makeup before climbing onto the diving board once again.  Not surprisingly, this time he meets with success and a gigantic splash.  Includes a glossary with four diving terms and two Maori words.  40 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  A fun summertime read with a message about being yourself and listening to your own inner voice.  The illustrations are bright and colorful.  Nan is a superstar.

Cons:  Other than the glossary and a tiny note on the verso page that this was originally published in New Zealand, there was no reference to the Maori culture.  I had to read reviews to learn that the characters in the story are Maori.  Since this is a culture likely to be unfamiliar to American readers, it would have been nice to have an introductory note, somewhere.

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I’m Trying to Love Rocks by Bethany Barton

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Published by Viking Books for Young Readers

I'm Trying to Love Rocks: Barton, Bethany: 9780451480958: Amazon ...

I'm Trying to Love Rocks by Barton, Bethany - Amazon.ae

Summary:  The author of three other I’m Trying to Love… books makes seemingly dull, boring rocks come alive with a spirited girl narrator who corrects the off-the-page speaker by showing how rocks tell interesting stories.  She identifies the three types of rocks, explaining how each kind is formed, and goes on to show examples of work geologists do that kids will relate to.  She makes a brief plug for scientists in general, “Science isn’t about having the answers–it’s about asking questions.”  A careful examination of the end papers indicates that her mission has been accomplished: the front papers show a bunch of rocks, each one labeled “rock”, while the end ones have each rock correctly labeled.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Another lively, informative entry in this series, with plenty of humor, bright cartoon-style illustrations and comic bubble dialogue. This would make a perfect introduction to a unit on rocks for preschool and primary grades.

Cons:  No back matter. 

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Ocean Speaks: How Marie Tharp Revealed the Ocean’s Biggest Secret by Jess Keating, illustrated by Katie Hickey

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Published by Tundra Books (Released June 30)

Ocean Speaks: How Marie Tharp Revealed the Ocean's Biggest Secret ...

Ocean Speaks: Marie Tharp and the Map That Moved the Earth by Jess ...

Summary:  Growing up in the 1920’s and 1930’s, Marie Tharp wasn’t encouraged to pursue her interests in science.  During World War II, however, she was able to study geology and got a job in a lab in New York.  When the men came back from war, they were the ones who went out on research ships to study the ocean, while Marie stayed back in the lab.  She began using the data collected from this research to create a map of the ocean.  Her map revealed a rift valley and mountain ranges under the ocean.  When her work was called into question, she did it over again, coming up with the same results.  Eventually, her mapping was accepted by the scientific world, changing the way scientists think about the geology of the earth.  Includes an author’s note, photo, list of questions and answers, and resources for further reading.  34 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  An excellent introduction to the life of a little-known woman scientist that could be used alongside Robert Burleigh’s Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea (2016).  The illustrations complement the text nicely; I particularly like the ones that show Marie sailing on an ocean of ink in a paper boat as she pursues her explorations of the ocean back in the lab.

Cons:  This doesn’t offer as much of the science of continental drift that Tharp helped discover as Burleigh’s book does.

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