Author: Janet Dawson

Gittel’s Journey: An Ellis Island Story by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Amy June Bates

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Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  Gittel and her mother are immigrating to America from Russia, but when Mama gets turned back due to an eye infection, 9-year-old Gittel is on her own.  She has a piece of paper with her cousin Mendel’s address in America to help get her where she is supposed to go. After a long and sometimes lonely journey, Gittel arrives at Ellis Island.  She produces the paper, but after so many weeks of her clutching it, the ink with the address has turned into a big blue blob. While Gittel is waiting for the immigration officers to decide what to do with her, someone takes her picture.  After a night in an Ellis Island dormitory, cousin Mendel shows up. It turns out Gittel’s photo was in a Jewish newspaper, and he recognized her. They go home together, and a few months later Mama is able to join them. Includes an author’s note with information on the two women who inspired Gittel’s story, as well as a glossary and bibliography.  48 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Kids will find Gittel’s story engaging and learn something about early 20th-century immigration and Ellis Island.  The happy ending seems a bit unrealistic, but it’s actually based on a true story.

Cons:  It’s a little long for a read-aloud.

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One-Third Nerd by Gennifer Choldenko, illustrated by Églantine Ceulemans

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Published by Wendy Lamb Books

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Summary:  Fifth-grader Liam has a lot on his plate, what with divorced parents, a third-grade sister, Dakota, who loves science but lacks people skills, a second-grade sister, Izzy, who has Down syndrome and is a champion hugger, and a dog, Cupcake, who has started peeing on the carpet.  The last issue results in their landlord threatening eviction if they don’t get rid of Cupcake. The vet has told them that they need to see a $3,000 specialist, and the kids are determined to raise the money. Dakota tries by entering a science fair and by selling the family’s possessions on eBay (without their permission), but it’s Izzy who comes up with the idea that saves the day.  The ending is happy, if not necessarily happily-ever-after. 224 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Readers will quickly warm up to Liam, who is frustrated by his family members, but ultimately a loyal and protective big brother.  The story is both funny and heartwarming; the illustrations (which channel Hilary Knight) make it a good choice for younger middle-grade readers.

Cons:  Sorry, Cupcake, if I were the mom, you would have probably ended up moving to a farm in the country.

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A Story About Cancer (With a Happy Ending) by India Desjardins, illustrated by Marianne Ferrer, translated by Solange Ouellet

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Published by Lincoln Children’s Books

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Summary:  A 15-year-old girl and her parents are walking through a hospital on their way to a doctor’s visit to learn if she is cancer-free or not.  As they go, she remembers everything that has happened in the five years since she was diagnosed with leukemia. Her friend and hospital roommate Maxine died.  She has met and fallen in love with a boy named Victor. She talks about her relationships with family members–how frustrated she has gotten when her mother calls her strong when she feels weak, and how she feels bad that she has gotten more attention than her younger sister.  Finally, they get to the doctor’s office. The reader doesn’t hear what the doctor says, only the family members’ reactions–the girl and her mother cry, while her father pats her on the shoulder, unable to express his emotions. It’s only when she gets outside and sees Victor waiting that she tells him and the rest of us the good news: “I’m cured!”  Includes an author’s note about the girl who inspired this story. 96 pages; grades 6-9.

Pros:  This illustrated/graphic book is a quick but powerful read.  Despite the spoiler title, you’ll still feel the anxiety of the family as they await the doctor.  Cancer patients and their friends and families will benefit from hearing the perspective of a girl who has been through treatment and encouraged by her happy ending.

Cons:  I wasn’t a big fan of the somewhat surreal illustration style.

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Hats Off to Mr. Pockles! By Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by David Litchfield

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Published by Schwartz and Wade

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Summary:  Mr. Pockles doesn’t have any friends, but he sure has a lot of hats.  “For Mr. Pockles, going without a hat was as unthinkable as going around without any pants on.”  When Hat Day at the PandaPolitan Club rolls around, Mr. Pockles is depressed not to be able to go because he’s not a panda.  Donning his Jaunty Hat With a Friendly Feather, he heads for the Treat House to try to cheer himself up. Unfortunately, panda extraordinaire Lady Coco Fitz-Tulip shows up, wearing a spectacular fruit-laden hat and bragging about her upcoming day at the Club  When a couple of baby bunnies get into the fruit, Mr. Pockles comes to the rescue, bringing not only Lady Coco, but the whole Treat House gang back to his house for some hats. The panda declares them all friends and invites them to join her for the hat soiree at her PandaPolitan. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  It’s a fun story, from that first sentence (quoted above) to Lady Coco’s final cheer of “Hats off to Mr. Pockles!”  The illustrations are sensational, with brilliant colors and a staggering variety of hats.

Cons:  Even with her change of heart, Lady Coco seems pretty obnoxious, and the PandaPolitan club, cruelly exclusive (“And pandas, as everyone knows, are very Black-and-White.  Either you are a panda, or you are not.”).

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Fearless Mary: Mary Fields, American Stagecoach Driver by Tami Charles, illustrated by Claire Almon

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Published by Albert Whitman and Company

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Summary:  When Mary Fields heard about a job opening for a stagecoach driver to make deliveries to a school over the mountains, she was determined to get hired.  She lined up with forty cowboys to apply for the job, but the manager wasn’t interested in considering a black woman. Mary wouldn’t go away, though, and finally she got a chance what she could do.  The manager was so impressed by her skills with horses and driving that he hired her, and she became the first black female stagecoach driver in Cascade, Montana. Traveling with her trained eagle, she fought off thieves and wolves, and never lost a horse or package.  Mary held the job for eight years, into her seventies, and paved the way for other women to become mail deliverers. Includes an author’s note with additional information about Mary. 32 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  A little-known story of a fearless and determined woman, told in a way that will be understandable and interesting to primary-grade kids.

Cons:  So little is known about Mary’s life that the author says some of the scenes and dialogue are made up, making this a cross between biography and historical fiction.

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Perfect by Max Amato

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Published by Scholastic Press

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Summary:  A fastidious eraser likes to keep the page clean, but a fun-loving pencil can’t stop making squiggles and other messes to keep the eraser on his toes.  When the pencil creates a whole pencil army, the eraser flees into a dark forest…which has also been drawn by the pencil. Angry and frustrated, the eraser doesn’t know what to do until he notices that he can make his own drawings by erasing some of the darkness.  He eventually makes a whole solar system and a spaceship for him to fly out. He lands back on a nice, clean piece of paper, but suddenly it all seems a little boring to him. Fortunately, the pencil isn’t far behind, and together they create the word “Perfect” then, pose together beneath it.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The pencil and eraser really come to life in the illustrations, and kids will enjoy their antics; the final page shows how enemies can become friends.

Cons:  I couldn’t quite figure out if this was supposed to be a book about friendship, creativity, or problem-solving.

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Bloom Boom! by April Pulley Sayre

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Published by Beach Lane Books

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Summary:  “Every spring, across the land…Seeds sprout.  Stems pop out.  Bloom boom!” This book celebrates plants as they grow and blossom.  The large, close-up photos show all kinds of flowers, as well as leaves, bulbs, and an occasional animal (caterpillar, bee, lizard).  The phrase “Bloom boom!” is repeated as blossoming flowers are shown in a variety of habitats.  There are several pages of back matter, including information about flowers organized by habitat; additional resources; and thumbnail photos of each page in the book with further information about the plants and animals pictured.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  April Pulley Sayre has produced another beautiful and informative science book for preschoolers on up.  Keep it in mind for a spring read-aloud.  The additional resources and information at the end make it a valuable resource for older kids.

Cons:  I found “Bloom boom” to be a little bit of a tongue-twister.

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Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival by Lindsay Moore

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Greenwillow Books

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Summary:  A polar bear explains how she uses the sea ice to travel and to hunt.  As summer ends, the ice has thinned, and she spends more time swimming.  For much of the story, she is trying to reach land, which entails a long swim past other Arctic creatures like narwhals, walruses, and a whale.  Finally, after an exhausting three-day swim, she reaches land, where she will eat kelp and wait for the ice to thicken again so she can hunt seals.  Includes a page of information on sea ice, polar bears, and the implications of global warming; as well as a page describing some of the other animals shown in the book.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The lovely watercolor and ink illustrations perfectly capture the blues and whites of the Arctic, and the spare text introduces a lot of information about the polar bear.

Cons:  The global warming aspect makes it a sad story.

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This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in the Fight for School Equality by Jo Ann Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy

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Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

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Summary:  Jo Ann Allen Boyce tells the story of her role in integrating Tennessee’s Clinton High School in 1956.  She and other black families lived on “the hill”; blacks and whites had a fairly peaceful relationship, but lived completely separate lives.  When she and 11 other students decided to go to the town’s high school, they became the first to integrate a public high school in the American South.  Their town erupted into protests and violence. After months of escalating harassment, Jo Ann’s family decided to join other relatives in Los Angeles, where she graduated from an integrated school.  A couple of the other Clinton students became the first black male and female to graduate from an integrated school in Tennessee. The book, written in verse, covers the period from January 1955 to December 1956, and ends with Jo Ann and her family driving away from Clinton.  Includes an epilogue that tells what happened to each of the 12 students; several pages of photos; a timeline of school desegregation and civil rights landmarks; a bibliography; and a list of books and websites for further reading. 320 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  A lesser-known story of desegregation, Jo Ann is an inspiring narrator who describes herself as optimistic and felt bad moving away instead of “finishing what she started”.  The verse format works well, and excerpts from news media of the day are scattered throughout the text, providing support for Jo Ann’s narration.

Cons:  It’s unfortunate these history-making teenagers were not as well-known as the Little Rock students.

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What Is Given from the Heart by Patricia C. McKissack, illustrated by April Harrison

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Published by Schwartz and Wade

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Summary:  After James Otis’s father dies, life gets hard for him and his mother.  They are barely making it, but when Reverend Dennis announces that the church will be delivering Valentine’s love boxes to the needy, Mama says they have to contribute.  In particular, a girl named Sarah and her mother need help after losing their home in a fire. As the days go by, James Otis takes stock of his meager possessions as he tries to imagine what Sarah might like.  He thinks about giving her the one book he owns, but then has a better idea…he creates a special book just for Sarah called From My Heart to Your Heart.  At the church on Valentine’s Day, he gives her the book in person, and she is thrilled.  James Otis feels good that he has given something from his heart, and is rewarded with his own love box waiting on the doorstep when he and Mama return home.  40 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  A final story by the late Patricia McKissack would make a touching read-aloud for Valentine’s Day, with maybe a follow-up activity about giving from the heart.  The collage illustrations by newcomer April Harrison add interest to the story with plenty of colors and textures.

Cons:  I couldn’t tell from the pictures if this was a contemporary story or historical fiction.

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