Author: Janet Dawson

The cat’s meow

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Picture Purrfect (Bodega Cats, book 1) by Hilda Eunice Burgos (Henry Holt and Company, 144 pages, grades 2-5). Told in the alternating voices of Miguel, a human boy, and Lolo, a cat, this story unfolds in Miguel’s parents’ New York City bodega. When Miguel finds a stray cat outside, he brings it into the bodega and convinces his parents to let him keep it. Lolo’s nervous at first, but eventually he feels comfortable enough in the bodega to head upstairs to the family’s apartment. He tries to be a good friend to Miguel, who’s having issues with his parents. They want him to excel in math and science, while real passion is art. Meanwhile, Lolo has worries of his own about a yellow stray cat who starts coming around the bodega. One memorable day, Miguel lies to his parents so he can go on a field trip to the Cloisters, and Lolo rescues the yellow cat right before she’s due to have kittens. After narrowly escaping disaster, Miguel finally has an honest conversation with his parents that results in a happy ending for all.

With a relatively low page count and plenty of illustrations–including Miguel’s comic book art–this is an engaging start to a new series for kids moving up to chapter books. Miguel’s family issues are relatable, with his hardworking Dominican immigrant parents and some interesting extended family members. Some kids may struggle with the alternating points of view, but it’s fun to get things from a cat’s perspective. A bodega full of newborn kittens in the last chapter should make for an interesting segue to book 2, due out in the spring.

Rescue Cat by Stephen Savage (Roaring Brook Press, 32 pages, ages 3-7). Butterscotch lives a cushy life, but it wasn’t always that way. Before she became a rescue cat, she lived on the streets, alone and scared. Now she finds new meaning in the term rescue cat: when she sees a lion cub being hunted by a hungry crocodile on TV, she jumps through the screen and roars at the crocodile. He chases Butterscotch and the cub, but they leap back to the safety of the living room. The cub plays there for a few minutes before returning to his TV family. Butterscotch knows that she is a brave rescue cat as she settles down for a nap with her toy crocodile.

Young readers will enjoy this cute story and be inspired by Butterscotch’s courage, even when she’s feeling scared. The “rescue cat” double meaning makes for some fun wordplay.

Finding their voices

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Ida B. Wells Marches for the Vote by Dinah Johnson, illustrated by Jerry Jordan (Christy Ottaviano Books, 48 pages, grades 1-5). Although this book tells the story of Ida B. Wells’s life, starting with her birth in Mississippi and continuing with some of her activism in Tennessee and Chicago, the main event is a march in Washington DC in 1913 for women’s right to vote. Many of the organizers felt that this march should be for white women only, or at least segregated (Alice Paul is specifically mentioned as expressing that view). Despite these protests and the suggestions that Ida march at the back of the line with her sorority, she made her way to the Illinois delegation and joined the white women in that group to march for their right to vote. Includes an author’s note, photos, a timeline of Ida B. Wells-Barnett’s life, and a list of sources.

The author does a masterful job of giving readers an overview of Ida’s life but focusing on one specific event that demonstrates the way she stood up for herself and other Black people. The back matter adds a lot and makes this a great resource for research.

Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice by Kari Lavelle, illustrated by Bryan Collier (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, grades 1-5). Young James loved words, especially poetry, but when asked to read in front of the class or to say hello to a visitor at home, the words stuck in his throat. He finally stopped talking and just listened, paying close attention to his teachers, especially Professor Crouch who taught him poetry. James recited the poetry when he was alone, and sometimes he tried writing his own, but sharing it with the class was out of the question for him. One day, a shipment of grapefruit to his house inspired him to write a poem, and with Professor Crouch’s encouragement, James read “Ode to Grapefruit” to the class. This recitation opened the door for him, and he began performing on stage, as a debater and an actor, and eventually the distinctive voice of James Earl Jones became known around the world. Includes notes from the author (a speech pathologist) and the illustrator, as well as information and resources on stuttering and a list of sources.

This would make an excellent read-aloud, since the text is pretty short, and James’s issues are something most kids would relate to. I did wonder about the illustrations with all the kids having a slice of grapefruit in their mouths–did James hand them out, or was he just imagining them? But it would be fun to reveal at the end that the story is about the man who became the voice of both Darth Vader and The Lion King’s Mufasa.

Seeker of Truth: Kailash Satyarthi’s Fight to End Child Labor by Srividhya Venkat, illustrated by Danica da Silva Pereira (little bee books, 40 pages, grades 2-5). As a child in India, Kailash Satyarthi was inspired by the story of how a hummingbird stopped a forest fire by carrying drops of water in its beak. When he saw a boy working as a cobbler by the side of the road, Kailash wondered how he could help him go to school. Like the hummingbird, Kailash started with small deeds to make a difference–raising money and collecting books to help kids who couldn’t afford to go to school. As an adult, Kailash started his career as a teacher, but he wanted to do more. He quit his job and began rescue missions to free children forced to work in factories, mines, and quarries. His work gained international recognition, including the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with Malala Yousafzi, and resulted in worldwide changes to child labor laws. Includes an author’s note with additional information and a couple of photos, and a list for further reading.

This excellent picture book biography tells the story of Kailash Satyarthi’s life in a way that will easily be understandable to kids and will show them the power of a single individual to make a difference in the world. I liked that it tells the story of his entire life, so the reader can see how his ideas evolved, yet keeps the text brief enough for a good read-aloud.

Halloween is coming!

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Trick or Treat on Scary Street by Lance Bass, illustrated by Roland Garrigue (Union Square Kids, 40 pages, ages 4-8). A kid dressed in a wolf costume leads a pack of trick-or-treaters down Scary Street. Although he assures them that, “You’re safe and sound on Scary Street,” the houses all seem to be occupied by monsters like a vampire, witch, and ghost. The last house is a doghouse, and the narrator appears to transform into a real wolf by the light of the full moon. Just when thinks are getting really creepy, he opens the door to reveal a rocking Halloween Disco, with monsters and kids alike enjoying the chance to dance together.

I don’t usually review celebrity authors, but due to the fact that I was particularly uncool through the 1990’s, I didn’t recognize the name of former NSYNC member Lance Bass. I give him credit, though, he’s put together a fun Halloween book with some bouncy rhymes and a creepy parade down Scary Street. The illustrations are just the right combination of scary and funny, and kids are sure to enjoy this Halloween book.

Into the Goblin Market by Vikki VanSickle, illustrated by Jensine Eckwall (Tundra Books, 48 pages grades 1-5). While Millie is happy staying home on the farm with her books, her sister Mina is bored and longs for adventure. One night, Mina sneaks out to the goblin market in town. When Millie discovers her sister is missing, she studies up on how to outwit goblins, packs a few things, and heads to the market. There, the wily goblins try to ensnare her, but Millie is prepared and manages to escape their tricks. When the sun is about to rise, she tries to leave, but the goblins tell her she has to buy something before they’ll let her go. She decides on the wolf that’s been guarding them, even though the goblins scream at her that it’s not for sale. Returning home, the wolf gradually changes shape into Mina, and the two sisters prepare to live happily ever after.

I’m excited to try this book out on my fourth and fifth graders, having already read Jon Klassen’s The Skull to most of them at Halloween last year. The rhyming text (inspired by the Christina Rossetti poem “The Goblin Market”) is catchy, and the gothic-style black and white illustrations with just a touch of red are delightfully creepy. Most reviewers are recommending this for ages 4-8, but personally I think it would be better received by a slightly older audience.

Book list updates

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As usual, one of my summer projects has been updating my book lists. I’ve added books that I’ve reviewed since last year’s update, which included these lists:

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage

Back to school

Book clubs for early elementary

Covid pandemic (which, happily, is starting to feel dated)

Fall

Grief and loss

Hispanic Heritage

Indigenous Americans

Kindness and Community

Labor Day

People with physical disabilities

Persistence

Pride: books featuring LGBTQ+ characters

I always update my Black history list in January in preparation for my school’s Black history schoolwide read-aloud, so you can see what I added eight months ago. If you want to see all my lists, just go to A Kids Book a Day, move your cursor to Book Lists on the bar at the top (don’t click on it), and the list should appear.

And while you’re there, remember there’s a link right next to the book list link for supporting me on Patreon!

Time travelers

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Countdown to Yesterday by Shirley Marr (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 272 pages, grades 4-7). James is shocked to learn that his mom is moving out into her own apartment. As he struggles to navigate his new custody arrangements, he recalls “Things That Will Never Happen Now That My Parents Are Not Together”: six happy memories of his family that he wishes he could go back to and never leave. When he meets a slightly mysterious girl named Yan who claims she has a time machine, he’s ready to travel back to the way things were. At first, it seems like she can’t make good on the claim, but one day, she and James travel into an old photo of his dad’s. From there, they make plans for James to visit all six of his happy memories and decide which one he wants to stay in. But when he arrives at each one, he discovers details he had forgotten that reveal how unhappy his parents were before their breakup. Ultimately, James decides that the present moment is the only one where he–and everyone else–truly belongs.

I’m leaving out quite a few fun details in my summary: there’s an intense cake competition/school fundraiser, a class bully whose mother is James’s mom’s best friend, some interesting controversy over the David Bowie song “Space Oddity” and the fate of Major Tom, and the touching friendship between Yan and James, which explores the Chinese immigration experience in Australia. This book is by an Australian author, so there may be a few words or situations that are unfamiliar to American readers.

The Things We Miss by Leah Stecher (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 288 pages, grades 4-7). J.P. heads to her neighbor’s tree house after her first day of seventh grade, looking for a refuge after enduring fat-shaming from some of the other girls and her gym teacher. What she finds there is a portal that allows her to skip over three days of her life. When she walks through the door, she emerges three days later, having been present to others but with no memories of anything that happened. She confides to her best friend Kevin, a fellow sci-fi enthusiast, about her time-travel adventure. At first he’s enthusiastic and works with J.P. to test various theories about the portal, but it doesn’t work for him, and as J.P. starts using it more to get through tough times in her life, Kevin pulls away, telling her that she’s not there for him the way a friend should be. Not only that, but J.P. starts discovering there are good and important parts of her life that she is missing out on. When she misses out on a crucial interaction with her sick grandfather, J.P. realizes that each moment in life is too important to give up, even if that means having to deal with the difficult times.

This story is thought provoking and will resonate with anyone going through difficult times. It raises interesting questions about life and would make a great book discussion read. I do always find myself poking holes in time-travel theories, and I also felt like a little humor would have been nice to mix in with some of the heavier topics. Takeaway for time travelers from both of these books: there’s no time like the present.

Adorable anthropomorphism from around the world

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Mouse on the River by Alice Melvin (Thames and Hudson, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Mouse embarks on a two-day journey in a rowboat on the river from his house in the woods to his friend’s home by the sea. Rhyming text and busy, colorful, lift-the-flap illustrations show all the sights he sees along the way: trees that hide several different birds, a lock with a lock keeper who helps Mouse keep his boat on the river, a town with a cafe and shops. After a happy night camping on the boat, Mouse reaches his friend’s house, and the two enjoy gazing out to sea. This book, a Scottish import, could not be any cozier, although by page two I was pretty sure I would never buy it for my library due to the many flaps. One-on-one sharing would be delightful, though, and kids will want to revisit the book many times to find all the details. A map in the front, and lists in the back of some of the sights Mouse sees and what he packs complete this magical picture book. Read more about Mouse in his first book, Mouse’s Wood: A Year in Nature (2022).

Little Shrew by Akiko Miyakoshi (Kids Can Press, 72 pages, grades K-3). In this early chapter book originally published in Japan, readers get to follow Little Shrew’s somewhat mundane life as he cooks his meals, takes the train to his job at the Exchange, and works hard all day before coming home to a variety of leisure activities like exercising or doing his Rubik’s cube. In two other chapters, he buys a TV at a yard sale and sees images that make him dream of taking a trip some day, and he gets a visit from a couple of friends who come to see him every year. Like Mouse, Little Shrew notices and enjoys small details from everyday life, and early chapter book readers may enjoy the slow, quiet pace of the writing and illustrations.

Summer camp

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Gamerville by Johnnie Christmas (HarperAlley, 256 pages, grades 3-7). Max feels like he doesn’t need friends when he immerses himself in the world of video games, and he’s excited to qualify for the big Gamerville championship. In some unfortunate timing, his mother signs Max up for Camp Reset, a monthlong summer camp designed to get kids unplugged and back to nature, which takes place the same time as Gamerville. The gaming venue is right across the lake from the camp, and Max spends his days plotting an escape. His nemesis is a girl named Zanzi, great-great-granddaughter of the camp’s founder, who eschews all technology. Surprisingly, the two eventually become friends, along with a third boy, Dylan, who has anger issues and has been shunned for being a bully. When they finally succeed in getting Max to Gamerville, he ends up using the lessons he’s learned about teamwork and friendship to make some surprising decisions at the competition.

Although this lacked the interesting historical flashbacks that made Johnnie Christmas’s Swim Team one of my favorites, it’s an engaging story with interesting characters and some good messages about friendship and finding a balance with technology. I’m sure you can introduce this as “a graphic novel about a gamer,” and kids will be clamoring for it.

Camp Prodigy by Caroline Palmer (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 256 pages, grades 4-7). Tate is just starting viola, and they’re feeling unsure about their musical talents as well as their nonbinary identity, which is still a secret. Their original inspiration for learning viola was another nonbinary violist named Eli; when Tate went to see Eli’s debut concert, Eli got stage fright and never performed. The two meet at a summer music camp, Camp Prodigy, where they both struggle to find a balance between a love of music and a quest for perfection. Other campers help them to have fun or to perfect their playing. By the end of camp, they’ve both come a long way toward discovering what works for them, Tate has come out to friends and family, and Eli has loosened up on their perfectionism. Several pages at the end show how Caroline Palmer created the art for the book.

Kids are going to be begging their parents to go to camp after a handful of graphic novels this summer that portray it as a middle school paradise for making friends and experiencing personal growth. This one is an excellent addition, with two loveable nonbinary characters and a host of other interesting kids (I had a little trouble keeping track of them all) that make Camp Prodigy a fun and rewarding time for everyone.

A couple of nonfiction picture books

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Clever Crow by Chris Butterworth, illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill (Candlewick, 32 pages, ages 4-8). “Wherever you are right now, there’s sure to be a crow or two nearby.” Crows are easy to spot, but also easy to miss. They tend to be plain, not particularly fancy fliers, and have a hoarse caw instead of a melodious song. But they’re smart enough to use tools and store food, and sometimes you can see them acting playfully. To summarize, they are “smart, clever, crafty and playful…just like you!” Includes a list of suggestions for learning more about crows and a short index.

The illustrations in this book are stunning, beginning with the endpapers, which show various crow eggs in the front and the birds that hatch out of them in the back. The text is quirky but interesting, although it left me wanting to know a lot more…for instance, is a crow a specific bird or a family of birds? I was surprised by the inclusion of a blue jay on the back endpapers, since I don’t think of it as a crow, but a quick Google search revealed that it’s part of the crow family. This is an eye-catching introduction, but curious readers will want to dig deeper for more information.

Sleepy: Surprising Ways Animals Snooze by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Robin Page (Beach Lane Books, 32 pages, grades K-3). Whether it’s the half-sleeping brain of the dolphin, the deep torpor of the hummingbird, or the eyes-wide-open slumber of a snake, animals get their rest in a variety of fascinating ways. Each page features a close-up illustration of the animal with four lines of rhyming text describing its sleep, with a paragraph of additional information giving more details. The last page features a human child experiencing what scientists call “monophasic sleep.” Includes a list of the types of sleep in the book, a list of sources, and pie charts showing sleeping and waking times for all 16 animals and five more showing humans at different developmental stages.

As much as I mourn the loss of Steve Jenkins, his talented wife Robin Page has found an able partner with Jennifer Ward, whose rhyming text and fascinating facts reminded me of many a Jenkins book. The pie charts were very similar to some in his Animals by the Numbers (and the fact that I know that is a testament to how many times I’ve shared that book with classes.) The rhyming text and pictures will appeal to younger readers, and older ones will enjoy the additional information about each animal.

Cultivate your own garden

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Prunella by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Claire Keane (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Prunella’s green-thumbed parents are surprised when their new daughter is born with a purple thumb. Turns out Prunella’s just as good at growing things as they are, but her talents lie with plants like Venus flytraps, bladderworts, and corpse flowers. Her parents are completely supportive of their daughter’s passions, but other kids are not, and Prunella’s only friends are her plants. One day a little boy appears and starts asking her about her garden. Much to Prunella’s surprise, he not only isn’t repelled by them, but tells her his aspiring-mycologist sister would be interested as well. Before long, other botanists have found them, and Prunella finds herself surrounded by a group of like-minded–and purple-thumbed–friends. The plants from Prunella’s garden (“Prunella’s Persnickety Plants”) are described on the front and back endpapers.

Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden by Christy Mandin (Orchard Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). When Millie Fleur La Fae and her mother arrive in Garden Glen (“A Picture-Perfect Place”), they move into the one rundown house, located on the edge of town. Millie starts a garden with seeds from her old home, and before long plants like fanged fairy moss, sore toothwort, and glowing Jack-in-the-bush are flourishing there. The local garden club is not happy, and they try to root out this unconventional garden from their pristine town. Millie doesn’t understand, but her mother tells her, “Some people are scared of things that are different.” Millie decides to share her garden with the kids in her class, bringing in a plant for show and tell and inviting the whole class over to her house. The kids are amazed (if occasionally grossed out) by Millie’s wild collection, but slowly things start to change in Garden Glen. While it retains some of its original perfect charm, many people incorporate Millie’s plants into their gardens, adding a weird and wonderful dimension to the community. Includes additional information about snapdragons, spider plants, and a real-life garden like Millie’s in England.

These two books came out within a couple of weeks of each other and are remarkably similar with their stories involving girls who love unusual plants and themes of how being true to yourself can enhance a community. They would make a great story time combination, perhaps paired with a study of plants or an activity of planting something from Prunella’s or Millie’s garden.

Mystery, fantasy…it must be summer

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Mystery and fantasy aren’t my favorite genres, so I usually hold off on reading them until I have a little extra mental energy to devote to reading…which, not surprisingly is during summer vacation.

Medusa (Myth of Monsters, book 1) by Katherine Marsh (Clarion Books, 288 pages, grades 4-7). Ava tries to control her anger using the techniques that her mother has taught her, but when class bully Owen goes too far, she loses her temper, and Owen mysteriously freezes. The next day, Ava and her older brother Jax are suddenly told they’ll be starting immediately at their mother’s alma mater, the Accademia del Forte in Venice. It’s a startling enough change, but things really get weird when Ava learns on the first day that the Greek myths she loves are all true, gods and goddesses still exist, and that the students are all descended from monsters, sent to the school to be taught to control their powers. With her curly hair and freezing power, Ava soon discovers, to her dismay, that her ancestor is Medusa. But a group of faithful friends help her to discover the misogyny of Greek mythology and that many monsters and other mythological beings–especially the female ones–have been misrepresented. When Ava and her friends stand up to the gods, chaos ensues, and they find themselves one step ahead of angry deities, looking to discover the truth about Medusa and Ava’s family.

Fans of Rick Riordan will love this Greek mythology-inspired fantasy, which features engaging kid characters, each with an emerging superpower, and plenty of white-knuckle adventures. I loved the feminist message and the reimagining of many of the myths, although it occasionally felt a little heavy-handed. Nevertheless, it’s a fast-paced and inspiring story, and it appears that readers can look forward to at least one sequel.

The Cookie Crumbles by Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow (Quill Tree Books, 320 pages, grades 4-7). Best friends Lucy and Laila dream of attending high school at Sunderland, a private school where Lucy hopes to hone her journalistic skills while Laila gets to explore her passion for baking. When Laila’s given the chance to compete in the Golden Cookie Competition with a grand prize of a free ride at Sunderland, Lucy goes along to write about the contest with the hope of improving her scholarship chances. Five competitors, two chefs, and the one of the chef’s assistants are the only occupants of Sunderland as the contest begins. Laila’s in the lead when Chef Remi takes a bite of her cookie and collapses. He ends up in a coma in a nearby hospital, with Laila the prime suspect in his attempted murder. As Lucy and Laila investigate, they learn that everyone had a reason for wanting to get rid of Chef Remi. When a storm strands them at the school, it soon becomes obvious that unless they can identify the would-be killer, the two of them may be in danger as well.

This is a classic mystery setup: a group of strangers is brought together in an unfamiliar location, a crime is committed, and the detective(s) must figure out who that criminal is before it’s too late. Laila and Lucy’s alternate-chapter narrations keep things moving along, and the reality show-style baking competition adds to the fun.