Author: Janet Dawson

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Katherine Tegen Books

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Summary:  When Zoe gets a letter from her father on her 12th birthday, she is stunned.  Marcus has been in prison all her life, and she has never had any contact with him.  She begins to secretly correspond with him, and learns that he has written her many letters that she’s never received.  When he tells her he didn’t commit the crime he’s imprisoned for, Zoe wonders if she can find the alibi witness from so many years ago who might be able to verify Marcus’s story.  With the help of her friend Trevor and her grandmother, Zoe sets out to discover the truth about her family and learns that even a 12-year-old can make a difference in the world. 304 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Readers will be happy to get to know Zoe, an aspiring baker who hopes to win a spot on a Food Network show for kids.  The messages about racism in the justice system come through but are woven into a story full of love and friendship that would be perfect for starting some interesting discussions.

Cons:  I wished Zoe’s Froot Loops cupcake recipe had been included somewhere.

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

Lizzie Demands A Seat! Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights by Beth Anderson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis

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Published by Calkins Creek

Image result for lizzie demands a seat

Image result for lizzie demands a seat

Summary:  When Lizzie Jennings was denied admission onto a New York City “Whites Only” streetcar in 1854, she stood her ground, refusing to leave until she was forcibly thrown off by the driver and conductor.  Lizzie was a teacher whose parents were abolitionists. When she told the people of her church what had happened, they hired a lawyer and formed a committee to make sure she had plenty of support. Her case became Elizabeth Jennings v. The Third Avenue Railroad Company, and she was represented by Chester A. Arthur, who went on to become President of the United States.  Lizzie won her case, and the “Colored People Allowed on This Car” came off the Third Avenue streetcars.  Others were inspired by her courage, and continued the fight against segregated public transportation, including, a century later, Rosa Parks.  Includes a lengthy author’s note with additional information and photos; and an extensive bibliography. 32 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  A fascinating and little-known story about an ordinary person whose courageous deeds led to real change.  Caldecott honoree E. B. Lewis’s colorful paintings complement the story perfectly.  

Cons:  It would have been nice to tie this to the more familiar story of Rosa Parks, either through the text or the illustrations.

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

Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki Grimes, pictures by Elizabeth Zunon

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Sourcebooks Jaberwocky

Image result for bedtime for sweet creatures grimes

Image result for bedtime for sweet creatures grimes

Summary:  As a mother tries to corral her unwilling child into bed, she uses all kinds of animal comparisons to get him interested.  The child’s eyes are as wide as an owl’s; he coils under his blankets like a snake, then clings to his mother like a koala.  After the lights are out, he bounds out of bed like a wolf to get a glass of water, then lopes back like an antelope. Inevitably, the child appears at his parents’ bedside in the middle of the night, and they welcome the owl, snake, koala, etc.–and one small child–into bed with them.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A fun bedtime story–what little kid doesn’t love pretending to be an animal?–with large, eye-catching collage and acrylic illustrations.

Cons:  Dad seems to be a pretty passive parent, leaving all the bedtime struggles to Mom.

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

A Voice Named Aretha by Katheryn Russell-Brown, illustrated by Laura Freeman

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

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Summary:  From her early days singing in her father’s church, Aretha Franklin had a powerful voice and the ability to express her emotions through her singing.  At age 18, she moved to New York to try to make it in the music world. She recorded and performed throughout the 1960’s, always making certain that her performances were in venues open to all races.  She hit the big time with her gold album “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)”; the song “Respect” from that album became her signature song, and she was crowned the Queen of Soul. Her voice continued to move and inspire people for many years, until it was finally silenced with her death in 2018.  Includes a lengthy note with additional information on Franklin; a list of her songs; a list of sources; and two photos. 40 pages; grades 1-5.  

Pros:  This gorgeously illustrated picture book biography will introduce a new generation to the amazing voice of Aretha Franklin.

Cons:  Although there’s a list of sources, there’s no kid-friendly listing of resources for additional research.

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

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Cub by Cynthia L. Copeland

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Published by Algonquin Young Readers

Image result for cub copeland

Image result for cub copeland

Summary:  On the first pages, Cindy is watching Wild Kingdom with her family and comparing the predators and prey she sees with her situation in seventh grade.  The predators are the mean girls, and she and her best friend Katie are they prey–at least until Katie starts sitting with the “predators” at lunch.  Cindy’s self-confidence needs a boost, and that’s just what she gets when a caring teacher notices her flair for writing and puts her in touch with a young woman reporter on the local paper.  Before long, Cindy is traveling around town, shadowing her hip young mentor, and occasionally writing her own articles. With Watergate and the Equal Rights Amendment shaking up institutions from the free press to her own family, Cindy can’t help feeling like she’s on a roller coaster as she navigates a seventh grade year that includes a new boyfriend and some pretty empowered new friends.  By the end of the year, she’s no longer skulking around the halls like a hunted animal, but has claimed her rightful place in middle school as she heads into eighth grade. Includes an author’s note and four pages of drawings showing the fun and games of the 1970’s. 240 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Readers of a certain age (me) will enjoy this fond look back to what now seems like the naively innocent age of the 1970’s.  Current kids will be treated to another fun and relatable graphic novel memoir that will inspire them to follow their own dreams.

Cons:  One of the mean seventh graders is introduced as having French kissed an eighth grade boy, which is enough to raise eyebrows with teachers and parents in my elementary school.  Believe me, I’d be the last person to champion censorship, but I kind of wish writers would leave out those casual references (that don’t further the plot line) that make me hesitate to buy their books.  I acknowledge I’m a bit conflict-averse, so feel free to add your own differing opinion in the comments.

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

Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James Ransome

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Published by Holiday House

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Summary: Ruth Ellen tells the story of traveling by train from North Carolina to New York City with her parents during the Great Migration.  They’ve left their lives as sharecroppers secretly, without telling the boss. After traveling to Baltimore, Maryland, the “Whites Only” sign is removed, and Ruth Ellen and her family can leave the colored car and explore the rest of the train.  They pass the time by playing cards, eating from a shoebox (they’re not allowed in the dining car until the sign comes down), and reading a book by Frederick Douglass. Finally, they arrive at Penn Station in New York, where the city lights and bright stars seem to offer promise for the future.  Includes an author’s note with additional information on the Overground Railroad. 48 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  This husband-and-wife team has produced a beautiful historical fiction picture book about a time not often written about in children’s literature.

Cons:  There were no dates given for Ruth Ellen’s journey or the Great Migration in general.

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

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard, illustrated by Oge Mora

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Schwartz and Wade

Image result for oldest student how mary walker

Image result for oldest student how mary walker

Summary:  Mary Walker was born into slavery in 1848.  As a child, she learned to work hard, but she never learned to read and write.  She continued to work throughout her life, marrying twice and raising three sons.  She received a Bible as a young woman, but didn’t know how to read it, and needed someone else to record the births of her children inside of it.  Finally, 114 years old and the last surviving member of her family, Mary heard about a literacy class and decided to enroll. Over the next year, she learned to read, write, add, and subtract, and was eventually certified as the oldest student in the United States.  She continued to enjoy reading until her death on December 1, 1969 at age 121. Includes an author’s note and several photos on the endpapers. 40 pages; ages 4-10.

Pros:  An inspiring story that ends with a picture of Mary telling readers, “You’re never too old to learn,” a sentiment that may mean more to readers like myself than its intended audience.  Oge Mora’s illustrations make the story come alive. I particularly liked how the scribbles Mary sees everywhere have transformed into letters and words by the end.

Cons:  I was a little disappointed to read in the author’s note that little is known of Mary’s life before she learned to read well past 100, and that much of the story was Hubbard’s imagining of what her life was like.

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

Notorious by Gordon Korman

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Published by Balzer + Bray

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Summary:  Keenan’s recovering at his dad’s house on Centerlight Island after contracting TB while living with his mom and stepfather in Shanghai.  There are some pretty unique features to Centerlight: the U.S.-Canadian border that runs through the middle of it; the crumbling lighthouse; the gangsters who are rumored to have hidden treasure there; and Zarabeth, a.k.a. ZeeBee, the neighbor girl who befriends Keenan.  As the only Canadian girl her age on the island, ZeeBee doesn’t have any friends, but she does have a wild imagination. She’s sure Tommy-Gun Ferguson, the gangster who once lived in her house, buried gold somewhere on the island and she’s equally sure that her beloved dog, Barney, was murdered.  As Keenan learns more about his new home, he discovers that almost every resident had reason to want ferocious, destructive Barney dead. After a rocky start to their friendship, Keenan and ZeeBee agree to join forces and end up discovering more about Centerlight than they originally bargained for.  320 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  It would hardly be a new year without a new offering from perennial favorite Gordon Korman.  Told in his trademark alternate points of view–mostly Keenan and ZeeBee, with a few other Centerlight residents occasionally chiming in–there’s enough humor, friendship, and mystery to keep Korman’s many fans happy for another year.  Whoops, make that six months–there’s another Gordon Korman book due out in July.

Cons:  It was a bit difficult to fathom ZeeBee’s love for and her family’s patience with Barney.

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

Wrapping up 2019

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You might think I’d welcome a few weeks off from this blog.  I did, but, in a strange way, I missed it, too.  It’s become such a daily part of my life to read and review books that it felt a little empty to not be posting each day.

But before you start feeling too sorry for me, let me add that I found a few more books from 2019 to read, and am sharing them below.  And we’ll return to our regularly scheduled reviews of the first books of 2020 tomorrow.

 

Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson

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Full disclosure: I only read the first chapter of this book, but I believe Terry Lynn Johnson should be better known.  I loved her Ice Dogs and the Survivor Diaries series.  This one is about a girl with a degenerative vision disorder who goes on a sled dog race for her sister who has a more advanced case of the same disorder.  Looks like lots of adventure!  (240 pages; grades 4-7)

 

More to the Story by Hena Khan

Published by Salaam Reads/Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

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With Little Women in the news once again, this modern-day interpretation should be relatively easy to book talk.  Maryam, Jameela, Bisma, and Aleeza are four Pakistani-American girls who must deal with their father’s job overseas, a new boy in their lives, and Bisma’s life-threatening illness. (272 pages; grades 4-7)

 

M Is for Movement: A.K.A. Humans Can’t Eat Golf Balls by Innosanto Nagara

Published by Triangle Square

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This unique book is called a “fictionalized memoir”, but much of it seems true to Nagara’s life.  The narrator tells of his childhood growing up in Indonesia, where he witnessed small protests being carried out by friends and family against an unjust government.  As an adult, he was part of the movement that eventually ousted that government.  With the 2020 election just around the corner, this may inspire you to strap on your activist shoes and get to work. (96 pages; grades 3-7)

 

Diary of an Ice Princess: Snow Place Like Home by Christina Soontornvat

Published by Scholastic (but then, you probably guessed that already)

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Yes, folks, this is what I read on my time off.  The diary format, the hot pink illustrations, a cool princess with a hidden superpower…Scholastic certainly does have its finger firmly on the pulse of today’s Disney-saturated youth.  Yet despite my cynicism, I found the story well-done, and honestly, kind of a page-turner. (128 pages; grades 1-4)

Five Favorite Nonfiction Books

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

I may have saved the best for last, since I love a good nonfiction book.  This is my final wrap-up of 2019 books.  Now I’ll take a “break” for a few weeks, but don’t worry: I already have ten 2020 books on hold at the library.

 

Pluto Gets the Call by Adam Rex, illustrated by Laurie Keller

Published by Beach Lane Books

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This is kind of nonfiction lite.  Sure, you’ll learn a bit about the planets, but the information is well-disguised in this hilarious picture book about Pluto’s search for meaning after being downgraded from a planet.

 

Free Lunch by Rex Ogle

Published by Norton Young Readers

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Politicians everywhere should read Rex Ogle’s disturbing memoir of his first few months of middle school for a real-life taste of how poverty affects kids and families.

 

Nine Months: Before a Baby Is Born by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Jason Chin

Published by Neal Porter Books

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I love pretty much everything both Miranda Paul and Jason Chin do, so this was a perfect pairing to show kids of all ages what’s going on during those nine months before a baby is born.

 

Born to Fly: The First Women’s Air Race Across America by Steve Sheinkin

Published by Roaring Brook Press

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And speaking of authors who can do no wrong, Steve Sheinkin gave us another compelling nonfiction book to read this year, as hard to put down as any novel I can think of.

 

Manhattan: Mapping the Story of an Island by Jennifer Thermes

Published by Harry N. Abrams

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If maps are your thing, you’ll want to reserve a good chunk of time to see how the island of Manhattan has changed over time.  A celebration of all things New York.