Nonfiction

Rethink the Internet: How to Make the Digital World a Lot Less Sucky by Trisha Prabhu

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Published by Philomel Books

Summary: After experiencing cyberbullying in middle school, Trisha Prabhu has dedicated herself to stopping online hate.  She offers several stories here of kids’ experiences with the Internet and social media, both bad and good.  Yes, people can post cruel messages online, but they also can use the wide reach of social media to make the world a better place.  At the end of each chapter is an Internet Challenge for kids to practice the skills they’ve learned.  Includes a Digital Citizen Code for kids to sign and a section for educators that has a recap of each chapter and challenge along with lists of skills taught and discussion questions.  175 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  An excellent resource for those working with upper elementary and middle school kids to communicate the perils and promises of online life.  The stories are engaging, and the resources at the end will help teachers, parents, and others who work with kids get the most out of them.

Cons:  The tone sometimes made me feel like the author, who is only 21 years old, was trying a little too hard to sound middle-school cool.

The Stonewall Riots: Making a Stand for LGBTQ Rights by Archie Bongiovanni, illustrated by A. Andrews and The National Parks: Preserving America’s Wild Places by Falynn Koch

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by First Second

Summary: These two entries into the History Comics series tell the story of the 1969 Stonewall Riots that helped bring gay rights into the national spotlight and the history of the National Parks System that helped preserve natural wonders and historical artifacts in the United States.  In The Stonewall Riots, Natalia’s abuela takes teen Natalia and her friends Jax and Rashad back in time to the night of the first protest.  Abuela had a girlfriend at the time, and the three kids, all part of the LGBTQIA+ community, get some lessons about the people and events of that time.  The National Parks features two narrators, a bigfoot and an eagle, who look at the patchwork history of the National Parks System, going all the way back to the early 19th century.  Each book starts with a foreword and includes an author’s note with additional information and resources at the end.  128 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  Both books make history accessible through the graphic format and the fun narrators (abuela and Bigfoot).  The additional resources at the end make these a good introduction that could lead to further research.

Cons:  I thought this format worked better for a specific incident (Stonewall Riots) than a longer period of time (National Parks).  I could see kids losing interest in such a sprawling history that included so many different people and places.

Free At Last: A Juneteenth Poem written by Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, illustrated by Alex Bostic

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Published by Union Square Kids

Summary:  This free verse poem begins with the news arriving in Galveston, Texas: the war is over, and “all who live in bondage here shall from now until be free.”  The words and oil paintings depict Black people’s reactions.  Some head for their shacks, which they now declare home; some go to another farm to work “for a pittance and a little plot of space.”  Others pray, dance, or head farther away.  The last few pages depict their descendants celebrating that freedom, right up to the present day.  An author’s note tells how she was introduced to Juneteenth in the 1980’s and wrote this poem, originally published in 2004, and how Juneteenth has gained wider recognition, eventually becoming a national holiday in 2021.  32 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  The beautiful words and pictures in this book make it an excellent addition to Juneteenth literature, and a perfect way to observe the holiday.

Cons:  It would have been interesting to get more information about the fate of the different people portrayed in the book, and how their decisions to stay close to home or travel affected their futures.

My Big Book of Outdoors by Tim Hopgood

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Published by Candlewick Studio

Summary:  Each of the four seasons is explored with poetry, crafts, and science and nature information.  For instance, here is a sample of the section on spring includes: poems called “Splish-Splash!” and “Rainbow, Rainbow”; what you might find under a rock (illustrated); how to make a chocolate nest; constructing a bug hotel; different types of eggs and feathers; and how to tell a frog and a toad apart.  Everything is illustrated with collage-style illustrations.  128 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  A delightful mishmash of seasonal facts, poetry, and crafts with plenty of big, bold, colorful illustrations.  Parents and preschool teachers will find lots of ideas here, but the craft instructions and scientific information are simple and straightforward enough for early elementary kids to enjoy on their own.

Cons:  It’s kind of a big book to haul along on your outdoor explorations.

Who’s Looking? How Animals See the World by Carol Matas, illustrated by Cornelia Li

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Published by Orca Book Publishers

Summary:  As two sisters walk through various landscapes, the text and illustrations show how they are seen by different animals.  The first pages show how the younger sister saw the world as a baby and how the nearsighted older sister sees it without her glasses.  Other animals see fewer or more colors than humans, can see things from a greater distance, or have 360-degree vision.  Animals are shown on land, in the water, and flying in the sky.  The author’s note tells how a walk with her grandson inspired the book.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  It’s very cool to see the world as other animals see it, and the illustrations bring this to life, particularly the ones that contrast what the animal sees with what the humans are seeing.  Kids are sure to find this fascinating.

Cons:  Some concepts, like seeing more colors than humans, were a little tricky to show in the illustrations.

Time to Shine: Celebrating the World’s Iridescent Animals by Karen Jameson, illustrated by Dave Murray

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Published by Groundwood Books

Summary: The first page defines iridescence as “the rainbow-like shimmer seen on some bird feathers, fish scales, insect bodies and more.”  Each two-page spread after that shows a brilliantly-colored illustration of the iridescent animal with a rhyming couplet and a paragraph of additional information.  The final two pages show all the animals.  Includes additional information about iridescence (including the recent discovery of a dinosaur with iridescent feathers) and a list of sources.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The gorgeous illustrations are sure to catch kids’ eyes, and the brief but informative text will have them looking for iridescent animals wherever they go.

Cons:  Apparently there are no iridescent mammals.

Hilde on the Record: Memoir of a Kid Crime Reporter by Hilde Lysiak

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Published by Chicago Review Press

Summary:  Readers familiar with the Hilde Cracks the Case series will already be acquainted with Hilde Lysiak, who wrote this memoir at the age of 14.  The daughter of a New York Daily News reporter, she started tagging along with her dad when she was 4.  When the family moved to suburban Pennsylvania, Hilde knew enough about journalism to start her own newspaper.  She started off with human interest stories, but was soon reporting on more serious issues, including a local murder that she got an exclusive on (and also described how police were trying to cover up the crime).  Hilde and her somewhat unconventional family were targeted by social media critics, and she has dealt with depression and an eating disorder.  Ultimately, she opted to discontinue her journalism career, but has continued to speak out about the importance of a free press.  163 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  This book came to me via interlibrary loan right before I came down with Covid, and it was a perfect read while I was home.  Hilde is an engaging writer who doesn’t shy away from difficult times she’s had, and I found her determination and hard work inspiring.  I also admired her family’s do-your-own-thing approach to raising their kids, which seems to have been successful.

Cons:  I was a little sad to learn that Hilde has discontinued her journalism career and look forward to hearing about what she does next.

The Adventures of Dr. Sloth: Rebecca Cliffe and Her Quest to Protect Sloths by Suzi Eszterhas

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Published by Millbrook Press

Summary:  Wildlife photographer Suzi Eszterhas teams with Dr. Rebecca Cliffe (a.k.a. Dr. Sloth or Becky) to introduce kids to sloths, including different sloth species, their habitats, diets, behavior, and babies.  Readers learn about dangers to sloth, which mostly come from their interactions with the human world.  Becky’s work is described, from her childhood interest in nature and biology to the groundbreaking techniques she has used to observe sloths, becoming one of the first scientists to study these animals in-depth.  The organization she founded, Sloth Conservation Foundation, focuses on saving sloths in the wild, and readers get some tips on how they can help.  Includes a glossary and additional resources.  40 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  I’m a big Suzi Eszterhas fan because her books are so appealing to young readers.  Her wildlife photography is amazing, and she tends to write about animals with a lot of kid appeal.  This book is no exception, and I look forward to adding it to my library.

Cons:  Can’t wait for the first kid to learn the fascinating facts about sloths’ elimination:  they only pee and poop once a week and lose about 30 percent of their body weight when they do.

Mushroom Rain by Laura Zimmerman, illustrated by Jamie Green

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Sleeping Bear Press

Summary:  Mushrooms can suddenly pop up anywhere, especially after a rain.  With a wide variety of colors and scents, the mushrooms are often used as food, including by humans.  The mushrooms may seem to disappear, but they continue to grow underground, the largest stretching for miles after growing for thousands of years.  Mushrooms reproduce by spores, which can even seed clouds and produce the rain that encourages the growth of new mushrooms.  Includes four pages of information about mushrooms, including a craft and additional resources.  32 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  A fascinating look at something many of us may take for granted, with gorgeous close-up illustrations of a wide variety of mushrooms.

Cons:  Is it just me, or are mushrooms just a little bit creepy?

Surviving the Wild (series) by Remy Lai

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Published by Henry Holt and Company

Summary:  Each book in this new graphic novel series tells a true story of survival from an animal’s perspective.  Star and her mother and aunt seek a new home due to deforestation.  They swim to an island where they’re captured by humans and sent to an elephant sanctuary.  Rainbow survives a wildfire in the Australian bush country and is taken to a koala hospital before being released back into the wild.  Both books include several pages at the end that tell more about the animals, their story, and what kids can do to help the environment.  108 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  A perfect trifecta of cute and funny animals, graphic novel format, and important environmental information.  Book 3, Sunny the Shark, will be available in August.

Cons:  The ways to take action feel like such tiny drops in the whole climate change bucket.