Historical fiction

Immigrant kids

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Don’t Cause Trouble by Arree Chung (Henry Holt and Co., 256 pages, grades 4-7). Things don’t look good for Ming on his first day of middle school: his mom has given him his usual bowl haircut, and he’s dressed in the thrift store clothes she insists on buying. Ming’s accidentally placed in an ESL class, even though he only speaks English, but with his parents’ injunction, “Don’t make trouble” ringing in his ears, he goes along with it. Eventually, the teacher figures things out, and he’s moved to honors English, where he finds a couple of new friends,. When Ming’s desire to fit in lands the three of them in some serious trouble, he’s forced to reconsider what’s really important to him and try to make amends with his parents and his friends. Sixth grade ends on a high note, with the possibility of summer basketball, a new family business making egg rolls, and a new girl in the picture who may or may not a crush on him. Includes an author’s note and family photo telling how his own childhood inspired this story and several pages of instructions on making a graphic novel.

The story and art in this graphic novel are fairly simple and straightforward but really capture the feeling of being torn between two worlds: the Chinese one at home and the American one at school, as well as the pressure Ming feels as his parents, whose own dreams have been deferred, pin all their hopes on his success.

Outsider Kids by Betty C. Tang (Graphix, 288 pages, grades 5-8). In this sequel to Parachute Kids, the three Li kids are still living on their own in California while their parents try to supervise them from Taiwan. The burden falls on oldest daughter Jessie, who is trying to get into Harvard while working at a job where her boss knows he can cheat her because she’s in the country illegally. Meanwhile, middle brother Jason falls in love and must deal with his sisters finding out that he is gay. When cousin Josephine comes to stay, 10-year-old Ann’s excitement turns to dismay as Josephine is constantly mean to Ann and tries to steal her new friends at school. When Ann’s attempt at revenge on her cousin results in Josephine calling the police on them, the three siblings have a panicky scramble trying to figure out what to do next. They wind up at a new home in San Francisco, which I hope sets things up for a possible third installment. Includes an author’s note about her own life as a Parachute Kid from Taiwan.

I was excited to discover a sequel to Parachute Kids, and it didn’t disappoint. The Li kids are incredibly resourceful and supportive of each other despite their constant squabbling. The tension of their undocumented status is particularly relatable today. The book tackles subjects like Jason’s coming out and Josephine’s father’s adultery that made this feel like it was geared for a slightly older audience than the first one.

Some of Us: A Story of Citizenship and the United States by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated byHuy Voun Lee (Christy Ottaviano Books, 32 pages, grades K-4). “Some of us are born American. Some choose.” With just a sentence or two of text to accompany the vibrant illustrations on each page, the book shows people from all over the world, of all ages, in all sorts of circumstances, who choose to leave their homes, families, and native countries to come to America. They may come seeking jobs or education, or to escape poverty, war, or oppression, and they bring music, languages, food, and stories that enrich their new country. There’s a description of the process involved in becoming a naturalized citizen, including the rights and responsibilities that come with citizenship. An author’s note traces the history of US immigration and citizenship and tells her own story of becoming a naturalized citizen at age 15. Includes the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a bibliography.

This book celebrating immigration and U.S. citizenship could hardly be more timely and important to share with kids right now. LaRocca does a masterful job of conveying lots of information and emotion in spare, simple language that’s easy to understand. Her text is illuminated by the beautiful illustrations that celebrate the many different cultures of people immigrating to the U.S. and that capture the pride of becoming a citizen.

Life during wartime

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The Enemy’s Daughter by Anne Blankman (Viking Books for Young Readers, 288 pages, grades 4-7). Marta and her papa are traveling aboard the Lusitania, trying to get back to Germany with falsified documents. Just as her father’s true identity is discovered, the Lusitania is torpedoed, and the two must fight for their lives. Although they both survive, Papa is arrested immediately upon their arrival in England, while Marta manages to slip away. Hiding in a barn, she’s befriended by an Irish girl named Claire, whose family is poor but manages to find food and shelter for Marta. Marta’s talent for acting and imitating accents comes in handy to conceal her German identity and impersonate a Dutch girl. The two girls work together in a chocolate factory, and Marta saves her earnings for a train ticket to Amsterdam, where she hopes she can book passage back to Berlin. Despite having been taught to hate the British, Marta can’t help but respond to Claire’s friendship and the loving kindness of her family. When Marta’s true identity is discovered by a factory employee, Claire is horrified at first, but eventually she too realizes that their friendship is real and helps Marta escape. The last pages see Marta getting ready to travel to Amsterdam, worried but hopeful that her family will be reunited at last in Germany.

Readers will be drawn into this book right away with the tragic sinking of the Lusitania in the early chapters, followed by Marta’s struggle to survive and find her way home. I was hoping for a bit more resolution to her story, as well as finding out what happened to her father, but it’s a realistic ending given the time and place. The reflections on humanity and who is an enemy occasionally felt a little didactic but could definitely engender some interesting discussions.

Revolutionary Mary: The True Story of One Woman, The Declaration of Independence, and America’s Fight for Freedom by Karen Blumenthal and Jen McCartney, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley (Roaring Brook Press, 40 pages, grades 2-5). Mary Katharine Goddard didn’t get to go to school like her younger brother William did, but her mother taught her reading and math at home. When William decided to pursue bigger ambitions, Mary and her mother took over his print shop. After her mother died, Mary took charge, running a successful business until her brother asked her to move to Baltimore to help him with another shop. Once again, he left to pursue other interests, and Mary took over. As news of a revolution made its way through the colonies, Mary engaged in the risky business of publishing news and opinions about independence. After the Declaration of Independence was signed, the Continental Congress moved from Philadelphia to Baltimore, where they made the bold decision to send a copy of the document to each of the thirteen colonies. Mary was chosen as the printer, and she included her name on the declaration, using her full name, Mary Katharine Goddard instead of her usual M. K. Goddard signature. Includes additional information about Mary Katharine Goddard, the Declaration of Independence, and printing and publishing in colonial times; also a bibliography and an author’s note from Jen McCartney that tells how she completed this book after her mother (Karen Blumenthal) died in 2020.

This engaging story of a courageous woman deserves a place in any study of the American Revolution. The text and illustrations are lively, with action words like crank, whoosh, pound, and revolution woven into the pictures. The author’s note about completing the book after her mother passed away unexpectedly at the age of 61 adds a poignant note to the story of a woman who was inspired by her own strong mother.

Skywalkers, buffalo hunters, and ribbon dancers: three books about Indigenous Americans

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

To Walk the Sky: How Iroquois Steelworkers Helped Build Towering Cities by Patricia Morris Buckley, illustrated by E. B. Lewis (Heartdrum, 40 pages, grades 1-5). For more than a century, members of the Mohawk tribe from Canada’s Caughnawaga reserve have worked construction as “skywalkers,” balancing on beams high above the ground. Many of them were working on a bridge across the St. Lawrence River near Quebec City that collapsed in August, 1907, killing 75, including 33 from Caughnawaga. Beginning in the 1920’s, Mohawk skywalkers from New York and Canada traveled to New York City to build skyscrapers, including the World Trade Center. After the towers’ destruction on September 11, 2001, skywalkers helped dismantle broken beams and later were an important part of building One World Trade Center. Today, skywalkers continue their work across North America, including Native women who have entered the profession. Includes an author’s note about her family’s connection to the story, additional information about the Quebec bridge collapse and the Kahnawà:ke reserve (formerly Caughnawaga), a glossary, and a list of some of the buildings constructed by skywalkers.

Kids will be fascinated by the story of these skilled, courageous workers who have helped build some of the most famous structures in North America. The Mohawks originally worked as unskilled laborers in exchange for some of their reserve land, but soon proved their fearless skill as skywalkers and have continued the tradition for over a century. Look for YouTube clips to supplement the book with heart-pounding visuals.

The Gift of the Great Buffalo by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Aly McKnight (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 40 pages, grades K-3). Rose is excited to be at the semi-annual Métis buffalo hunt. Pa is a captain for the first time, in command of ten other hunters. After several days of scouting, no buffalo have been seen, and Rose hears Pa saying they’re scarce because of the settlers and their iron horse. Rose is sure she could find the herd, but Pa says she’s too young to help. But Rose is determined, and with the help of a wolf skin, she finds the buffalo, and the men hunt what they need for their people. At the end of the day, she tells Pa she wishes he would take her with him on the next hunt. “I just might,” he replies. Includes an author’s note relating how she enjoyed the Laura Ingalls Wilder books but felt alienated by their portrayal of Native Americans as savages, and how that led her to write this story about the same time and place; also includes additional information about the buffalo hunt and a bibliography.

This is a fascinating parallel story to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books. Rose has Laura’s same independent spirit and desire to help her family, and she even calls her parents Ma and Pa. It’s a much-needed portrayal of the indigenous people of the plains who are often marginalized in the Little House books.

Raven’s Ribbons by Tasha Spillett, illustrated by Daniel Ramirez (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Raven loves participating in round dances with his family and friends, and his favorite part is watching the ribbon skirts. His grandmother is famous for making these colorful garments that are created with just the right ribbons for each dancer. When Raven asks if he can have a ribbon skirt, Grandma says, “I’ve lived for a long time, Nosesim, and have never seen a boy in a ribbon skirt.” While Raven sleeps, however, she works late into the night, and by morning there is a beautiful ribbon skirt that looks just like a rainbow. “I’ve lived for a long time, Nosesim,” she tells him, “And I’m lucky to see beautiful things that I’ve never seen before.” Includes notes from the author and the illustrator with additional information about the Round Dance and Two-Spirit people.

This simple story celebrates Indigenous dancing as well as offering a gentle, empowering message about being yourself and affirming gender differences. I loved how Grandmother was able to acknowledge both that a boy wearing a ribbon skirt was new to her and that there can be beauty in doing things in a new way.

And two final 2024 novels in verse

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Black Star by Kwame Alexander (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 384 pages, grades 5-8). In this sequel to The Door of No Return, Kofi is now Nana Kofi, grandfather to Charlene, a.k.a. Charley, who dreams of being the first Black female baseball player. She and her best friend Willie Green get tricked into a bet with a local bully, forcing them to quickly organize a baseball team and play a game at the church picnic. When the picnic grounds are being used for other activities, the team sneaks over the bridge to the whites-only field, where an encounter with a group of white kids ends with Willie accidentally hitting one of the boys with a baseball. Back home, Charley can’t figure out what’s going on, but the adults start talking in hushed tones and seem to be preparing for a journey. In the final pages, the family flees in Uncle Albert’s car, except for Daddy who stays behind to defend their home, while Willie Green and his brother Johnnie run from their burning home to join them after the Klan has done something unspeakable to their father. Those in the car are heading north, with Charley wracked by guilt over her actions that have led to this moment. Readers will have to wait for the third book of the trilogy to find out what happens next in the family saga.

This incredibly rich novel has so many elements woven together: Nana Kofi’s stories that fill in some of the details between books 1 and 2, appearances by real-life people like Marcus Garvey and Mary McLeod Bethune, and everyday descriptions of the life of a Black family living on the 1920’s South. I do think most readers will need some guidance with this book, particularly with the historical context, and they will understand and appreciate it much more if they have read book 1.

Unsinkable Cayenne by Jessica Vitalis (Greenwillow Books, 304 pages, grades 4-7). It’s 1985, and 12-year-old Cayenne is excited at the prospect of finally settling down. She and her free-spirited parents have always l lived in a van, but with the addition of twins to the family, they’re feeling the need for a home and some money. Cayenne loves seventh grade, making a few new friends and developing a crush on the new boy Beau, but when there are layoffs at the local sawmill, her dad loses his job, and she learns that Beau’s father was responsible. As food gets leaner and her parents start fighting more, Cayenne fears that her days in a real home may be numbered. By the end of the story, her hunch proves correct, and the family takes to the road again, although Cayenne feels a bit wiser about appreciating herself and her family and about questioning the importance of “fitting in.” An ongoing school project about the Titanic offers additional insights about class, and the author includes additional information at the end, as well as the connections to her own family, and Cayenne’s dad’s PTSD from Vietnam which he self-medicates by smoking weed.

While not exactly an upbeat story, Cayenne is an endearing protagonist who learns some important life lessons, and the focus on class and poverty is one that’s often not explored much in children’s books. I was kind of surprised when Dad was smoking a joint on page 1, but the author’s note gave his marijuana use some good context.

A couple of courageous kids

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Monster Locker by Jorge Aguirre, illustrated by Andrés Vera Martínez (First Second, 256 pages, grades 4-7). Pablo Ortiz is as about as unlikely a hero as any sixth grader at Garfield Middle School. Basically friendless after an embarrassing incident at his ex-best friend’s house, he winds up with one of the worst lockers, in the school basement. What he doesn’t know is that a dangerous (if slightly goofy) monster named Obie the Evil lurks inside. When Pablo accidentally releases Obie, it sets off a chain events that culminates with Aztec earth goddess Coatlicue setting up her throne on the roof of the school and preparing to destroy humanity, starting with Pablo’s school. Assisted by his fierce abuela, Pablo discovers resources he didn’t know he had, and he and two new friends find a way to not only defeat Coatlicue but befriend her. He and his friends give her a quinceañera, paying their respects by promising to take care of the earth in a variety of ways. Things seem to be getting back to normal, but an appearance by Obie all but guarantees that book 2 is on its way. Includes an introduction to Aztec mythology by Pablo at the end.

With plenty of humor and non-stop adventure, this is sure to be a big hit with upper elementary and middle school readers. Try it out on fans of Rick Riordan and the Last Kids on Earth series. I hope there will be many installments to come, and I could see a Netflix series for Pablo and his friends in the future.

Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell (Holiday House, 208 pages, grades 3-7). Halle has a pretty happy life until Mama is diagnosed with tuberculosis. It’s 1935, when TB means an indefinite stay in a sanatorium. Halle misses her mother terribly, especially when Papa becomes difficult and demanding. One day, Halle decides to walk to the sanatorium to visit her mother, a day’s trip on a route she’s only traveled by car before. As the day goes on, she becomes increasingly exhausted until she finally collapses. After being rescued, she’s diagnosed with pneumonia and sent to the children’s wing of the sanatorium. Although they don’t have symptoms, both Halle and Papa test positive for TB, and it’s decided that it will be easier for both of them to have Halle stay. She’s placed in a room with three other girls, and soon becomes accustomed to the routine of the TB ward: good food, rest, and plenty of fresh air. The death of one of her roommates brings the reality of the disease home, and Halle launches a plan to help her mother get better. Although her good intentions are somewhat misguided, in the end her courage and determination help heal herself and her family, both physically and emotionally. Includes an author’s note with additional information about the J. N. Adam Memorial Hospital in Perrysburg, NY, where the story takes place.

I do enjoy a good hospital story, and it was interesting to learn more about sanatorium life in the 1930’s. The good food, extended periods of rest, and plentiful fresh air honestly sounded a bit like a spa, except for the constant coughing, occasional lung hemorrhages, and possibility of death. Halle’s struggles with family and friends felt genuine, and her perseverance in helping both her parents was inspiring.

Family secrets

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Wrong Way Home by Kate O’Shaughnessy (Knopf Books, 336 pages, grades 5-8). Fern loves the community she and her mother moved to six years ago. Although her memories of her first six years of life are vague, she knows that she and her mom moved a lot and didn’t have much stability. At the Ranch, Dr. Ben teaches them his ideals and how to do the things they need to survive when the world inevitably falls apart. There are signs that things aren’t as rosy as Fern sees them, such as her recollections of a teenage boy who died during a coming of age ritual that she herself is slated to go through soon, but she’s sure if she trusts Dr. Ben, all will be well. So it comes as a shock when her mother wakes her in the middle of the night and sneaks the two of them away from the Ranch to a new home in California, on the other side of the country. At first, all Fern can think about is getting back, but as time goes on and she starts to learn more about the world outside of the Ranch, she begins to have doubts. Ultimately, when Fern is forced to make a difficult and dangerous decision, she realizes she must trust her own instincts about what is right and wrong.

I’ll admit that I find cults fascinating, so I was swept into this book from the very beginning. There are lots of interesting characters and subplots, and once you reach the final 100 pages, it’s difficult to put the book down. I’d love to see this considered for a Newbery. It’s a pretty complex story with a less than totally reliable narrator, so it may be a better choice for middle school than elementary, which is kind of unfortunate since Fern is 12. It would make a great book club selection with lots of interesting topics to discuss.

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin (Viking Books for Young Readers, 400 pages, grades 5-9). 19-year-old Jakob and his 14-year-old sister Lizzie wind up together at Bletchley Park in 1940. Jakob has been recruited from his mathematical studies in London, while Lizzie escaped a trip forcing her to stay with her American grandmother. Their mother, Willa, is missing, presumed to have been killed during a mysterious trip to Poland that took place on the eve of the Nazi invasion. Both siblings have inherited their mother’s courage, sense of duty, and knack for breaking codes, and as the story unfolds, they start to suspect that their mother may still be alive. When a series of mysterious letters arrives for them, Jakob and Lizzie piece together a message from their mother to meet her in London. Jakob knows from his work with Enigma, the German code breaking machine, that Germany could invade England at any minute. As the truth about Willa unfolds, the siblings find themselves in danger as fighter jets roar overhead. Includes an author’s note and photos of people and places from the story.

Two young adult masters of nonfiction and historical fiction have combined their research and storytelling talents to produce an amazing adventure story that will appeal to World War II fans as well as those who enjoy elaborate codes. There are many characters, but each one is drawn so memorably that I had no trouble remembering who was who. I did find Lizzie’s unwavering feistiness a bit unbelievable given the circumstances, but ultimately I was won over by her courage and sense of humor. Sure to be a contender for some awards, add this to the list of outstanding World War II books published this year.

War

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A Star Shines Through by Anna Desnitskaya (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, grades 1-5). “We used to live in a big city,” the narrator begins. Her family kept a star-shaped lamp in their apartment window, which would welcome her home at night. But then war came, and she and her mother (the father disappears without explanation) flee to another country. Everything is new: the language, the food, the apartment, even her mom and her. One night, Mom brings home a package with cardboard, scissors, and glue, and together they make a cardboard star with a light inside. Putting the lamp in the window marks a turning point, and soon their new country is feeling more like home. Includes an author’s note telling how a one-week family vacation in Cyprus turned into a refugee situation when Russia invaded Ukraine.

The author packs a big punch with just a few words on the beautifully illustrated pages of this book. It felt a little optimistic that making a lamp would turn things around so quickly, especially with the loss of the father, whether he was killed or had to stay behind. But the story offers hope to kids forced to move due to wars and other difficulties that make them and their families refugees.

The Night War by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Dial Books, 288 pages, grades 4-7). When there’s a roundup of Jews living in Paris, Miriam (Miri) is captured and separated from her parents. A neighbor helps her escape, on the condition the Miri take the woman’s two-year-old daughter Nora with her. Helped by a nun, Miri and Nora are sent to a town near Tours, where an old castle stands on the border of occupied France and Vichy France. En route to the town, Miriam falls asleep and awakens to find that Nora has been taken away and sent to live with another family. Miri is placed in a convent school, joining the nuns and a few students who have stayed for the summer, and is renamed Marie to hide her Jewish identity. While there, she gets involved in a secret operation to help escaping Jews cross the border, aided by a mysterious old woman who turns out to be the ghost of former castle owner Catherine de Medici. Miriam/Marie’s last mission is to save herself and Nora, which she is able to do with the help of the friends she has made at the convent, in an exciting and daring escape. Includes a lengthy author’s note with additional historical information.

I’m on a mission to read some of the Newbery contenders, so I finally got around to this one, written by the author of some of my favorite World War II historical fiction books, The War That Saved My Life and its sequel. While it’s currently at number 3 on the Goodreads Newbery list, I confess I did not much care for it. I’m sure the circumstances of 1942 France made kids grow up fast, but Miri and her friend Beatrice were way too wise beyond their years. Their other friend Jacqueline seemed to exist mostly to show how oblivious many French people were to the suffering of their Jewish neighbors. I had kind of mixed feelings about the ghost plot twist; it was cool in some ways and made for an interesting subplot, but also felt somewhat jarring. Finally, the epilogue wrapped things up WAY too neatly for a book about the Holocaust. This book has gotten glowing reviews, though, and the history is super interesting, so take a look for yourself!

A pair of award contenders

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Barrio Rising: The Protest That Built Chicano Park by María Dolores Águila, illustrated by Magdalena Mora (Dial Books, 40 pages, grades 1-4). The narrator lives in a neighborhood called Barrio Logan, one of San Diego’s oldest Chicano neighborhoods, where residents have been looking forward to finally getting the park they’ve been promised for years. When they find out that the new construction being done is for a police station, they’ve had enough. Neighbors band together to take over the land and protest, despite orders from the police to disperse. For twelve days, the crowd grows, drawing protesters from nearby barrios. Finally, the city council holds a meeting, led by Leon Williams, San Diego’s first Black councilman, and announces they’ve changed the plan from a police station to a park. Everyone celebrates and pitches in to create Chicano Park. Includes additional information about the park, which is now a National Historic Landmark. Also available in a Spanish language edition, El barrio se levanta: La protesta que construyó el Parque Chicano.

Keep this book in mind when Hispanic Heritage kicks off on September 15. The story about this 1970 event is inspiring, and the illustrations juxtapose birds, butterflies, and purple flowers with the gritty urban setting. I’d love to see it get some Belpré Award recognition for either the story or the illustrations.

Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence by Maisha Oso, illustrated by Candice Bradley (Orchard Books, 40 pages, grades K-5). Instead of starting with the slave trade, as is often the case with Black history in America, this book begins “before the ships” when civilizations flourished across Africa. There were kings and queens, doctors, scribes, artisans, and merchants. Impressive buildings were created, as were stories and music, while scientists and mathematicians studied the world. A wordless page showing a slave ship sailing through the darkness divides the book between the past and the present, “after the ships.” The descendants of those Africans now live different lives, but they are still warriors, scholars, and leaders, or, as the final page says, “We are the light.” Includes an author’s note telling how her time in Africa showed her the cultures of Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria.

I’ll be surprised if this doesn’t get a Coretta Scott King award or honor. I love the focus, all too rare, on the civilizations that existed before African people were captured and sold into slavery, and I will definitely be sharing this book with teachers at my school. I would have enjoyed even more back matter, including a map or two.

Caldecott contenders?

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Ahoy! by Sophie Blackall (Anne Schwartz Books, 48 pages, ages 4-8). As a parent gets ready to vacuum, a child is ready to set sail. “What are you playing?” asks the parent. “I’m not playing!” is the response. “Why are you shouting?” “Because there’s a storm coming!” Before long, the parent, despite protests of too much to do, is drawn into the game. Readers will enjoy watching everyday objects transform into part of the seascape then change back again when the two sailors are interrupted by an important adult phone call. There’s a storm, a shipwreck, and a daring rescue at sea that takes them to a lighthouse. Another adult appears at the lighthouse door with the question, “What are you two playing?” The answer (in unison): “We’re not playing!!” And the game continues.

Would I read it to a class? Probably, I think they would enjoy all the details from the illustrations and it’s a fun tale about using your imagination that could potentially be extended into some writing. Caldecott contender? I would never count Sophie Blackall out, but although the illustrations are amazing (of course), I don’t think it’s one of her strongest.

The House Before Falling Into the Sea by Ann Suk Wang, illustrated by Hanna Cha (Dial Books, 40 pages, grades 1-4). Kyung lives with her parents in a house near the sea in Busan, Korea. One day some strangers appear at the door, and Kyung’s parents welcome them as guests. Each day, more and more guests arrive. It’s fun when she makes a new friend, frustrating when she has to share and do extra chores, and scary when sirens sound and everyone has to hide underground. Kyung hears one of the guests tell her father that their house is the last before falling into the sea. When she asks what that means, he explains that if her parents didn’t let them into their house, the soldiers would have chased them into the sea. This makes the hardships easier, and the last page shows two older women holding hands in a modern Korean city, their friendship having endured through the years. The author’s and illustrator’s notes share stories of a mother and grandmother who lived through this time in Korea in the 1950’s.

Would I read it to a class? Not without giving a lot of historical context first. It’s a fascinating story, but one that might be appreciated more by older elementary kids. Caldecott contender? I certainly think so. Hanna Cha won a Caldecott Honor in January for The Truth About Dragons.

All That Grows by Jack Wong (Groundwood Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). A boy explores neighborhood plants with his knowledgeable sister, who points out various fruits and flowers before getting to work in her own garden. The boy tries to help with weeding, but telling the plants from the weeds is confusing. Sometimes even the weeds are edible, like dandelion greens and the cooked fiddleheads from the market that the family eats for dinner last night. The next day, the boy discovers a plant in the garden that his sister can’t identify, and they make a plan to research it later on.

Would I read it to a class? I loved the illustrations, with their close-up and aerial perspectives, but the sister felt like an annoying walking botany textbook, and I don’t think kids would be all that interested in the facts she shares. Caldecott contender? Unfortunately, from a Caldecott perspective, Jack Wong lives in Canada.

One of these things is not like the other, take 2

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Warrior on the Mound by Sandra W. Headen (Holiday House, 272 pages, grades 4-7). Cato loves baseball more than just about anything and aspires to join the Negro Leagues like his father, Daddy Mo, and his older brother Isaac. Daddy Mo died suddenly four years ago, and Cato is being raised by his grandparents, who have never told him the circumstances around his dad’s death. When white store owner Luke Blackburn builds a new baseball field for his son’s team, Cato and his friends sneak over to try it out themselves. When they’re caught, it’s the beginning of a chain of events that results in not only a baseball game between Cato’s team and the white team, but the revelation of Daddy Mo’s death, his friendship with Luke, and the guilt Luke carries about his role in the murder.

In the middle of all this, Isaac is brought home bloodied and unconscious, having been beaten as he tried to travel home during a break in the baseball season. As Isaac slowly recovers, he coaches Cato, not only in the finer points of baseball, but in surviving as a young Black man in the Jim Crow south of the 1930’s. There’s plenty of back matter to add historical context to this story, and readers will enjoy both the sports action and the history lessons. I did question if a friendship like Daddy Mo’s and Luke’s would have really survived to adulthood in that environment, but I’d like to think that it was possible.

One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome (Holiday House, 304 pages, grades 4-7). Just as I was finishing reading Warrior on the Mound, this book arrived for me at the library. It’s a novel in verse told by three female narrators: 11-year-old Lettie; her mother, Sylvia; and 18-year-old Philomena, an orphan with plans to be a teacher. They’re all traveling west, along with Lettie’s dad, who hopes to find a better life in Nebraska than the one they have in Mississippi. I know I would enjoy this book, but the font was tiny, and then I got distracted by another action-packed book.

And what was that book? I was looking through the most recent Scholastic flyer, and this book caught my eye: The Liars Society by Alyson Gerber (Scholastic, 304 pages, grades 4-7). Much of what is in Scholastic these days is pretty much trash, even in my low brow opinion, but this looked good, and I’ve enjoyed other books by Alyson Gerber. This one is a series opener featuring Weatherby and Jack, who take turns narrating the story. They meet at a sailing regatta, which Weatherby wins, gaining her a surprise scholarship to the prestigious Boston School, a private academy where her dad went and was part of the sailing team.

Weatherby has never met her dad, and as she gets involved with Boston and starts to learn more about her classmates, she begins to suspect that her mom has not been completely honest with her about her father. There’s a web of deception surrounding the school, and Weatherby is no exception. When she and her friends get recruited to join a powerful secret society, some of the lies begin to come to light. The twist at the end reveals an unexpected connection between Jack and Weatherby and leaves plenty of loose ends to investigate in book 2.

This book is a lot less likely to receive starred reviews or awards than One Big Open Sky, but it was a lot of fun! I did think Weatherby’s guilty secret was pretty lame, but she seemed tortured enough about it, and it got her admission into the Liars Society. It’s a promising opening for a series, with plenty of kid appeal for upper elementary and middle school readers.