As I wrote about in March, my position as the K-8 district librarian for the Hampden-Wilbraham school district was eliminated for the 2020-2021 school year. I was fortunate to get hired a few months later as the librarian for the Rebecca Johnson Elementary School in Springfield. It’s been an exciting challenge for me, because the school hasn’t had a librarian or new books for quite a few years, but the principal is committed to having an excellent library and has been generous with funding.

Springfield schools are remote through April 8, and I’ve been working hard to bring the library back to life so that students will be excited to visit when they return. Rebecca Johnson is one of the largest schools in Springfield, with almost 800 students, and is located in one of the lowest-income parts of the city.

Following the example of other teachers and librarians I’ve met in my new job, I’ve started two Donors Choose projects. Hooked on Books is to get funding for some of the books that I know will be in high demand by our students, and Bring Dr. Seuss to Our Library! will allow me to purchase a new set of books by Dr. Seuss, who is especially beloved by our students since he grew up in Springfield.

As readers of this blog, you know how much I love to promote books to kids, and I am excited to start reading and book talking the new books to Rebecca Johnson students. I admit to feeling quite uncomfortable asking for money, so please do not feel under any obligation to donate! I appreciate the support of all those who read and follow this blog, and thank you for reading and considering my requests.

Due to ethical considerations, I’ve decided to end my association with Amazon. I will no longer put a link to Amazon at the end of my posts, and I’ve closed my affiliate account so the links on previous posts won’t result in a commission for me. Support your local bookstores!

Published by Neal Porter Books

Summary:  A deer tells her experience surviving a wildfire.  The forest has always been her home, and when the fire gets close, she doesn’t notice it at first.  But soon it is roaring in, and she and other animals are running for their lives.  She sees a fierce mountain lion’s fur burning, and realizes he is as fragile as she is.  After the fire is gone, the forest is blackened and smoky, but soon the animals return, rain falls, and green shoots start growing.  The conclusion? “We will live in this forest again.” Includes an author’s note on her experience of the 2017 California wildfire, wildfire facts, and books and websites for further reading.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Marino’s beautiful watercolors give an impressionistic view of the fire, with the colors changing from green to yellow, orange, and red, to black, and back to green again.  The extra information at the end ups its value to older kids.

Cons:  The picture of the mountain lion with a small flame on its head and the implication that it died in the fire was a little disturbing (although obviously realistic).

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

Published by Feiwel and Friends

Summary:  Collin has never met his mother, but when he gets in a fight at school, his father is frustrated enough to send him away to live with her.  Collin has a disorder that compels him to count up and say the number of letters in anything anyone says to him.  This has resulted in bullying and misery for him that his dad doesn’t know how to deal with.  When Collin moves in with his mother on the Ojibwe reservation in Minnesota, he slowly begins a journey of discovery about his past and who he is.  He becomes close with Orenda, the girl next door, and is crushed to learn about her terminal illness.  He discovers his own strength and spirituality as he falls in love with Orenda, learns about his late older brother, and comes to terms with his own disability.  When his father reaches out to him a few months later, Collin is able to tell him that he has found happiness and peace in his new home.  320 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  This beautifully-written debut novel explores the mysticism of the Ojibwe people while keeping the story firmly rooted in reality with a down-to-earth narrator who is reluctant to believe in magic.  Filled with memorable characters, romance, and heartbreak, this will undoubtedly appeal to many middle school readers.

Cons:  I’m not a fan of the Fault In Our Stars/Bridge to Terabithia ill-fated romance with the amazingly wise doomed teen (as I may have mentioned once or twice before…maybe even three times), so I didn’t love the Orenda storyline.

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

Whatever plan your school is going with this year, it’s going to be unfamiliar territory.  It seems impossible to escape the first-day jitters this year, even if you’re a 30-year veteran.  Here are ten of my favorite back-to-school books from this blog to help get you through those first few days.

Our Favorite Day of the Year by A. E. Ali, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell

Published by Salaam Reads

Musa’s teacher tells the class that the first day of school is her favorite day of the year. She invites them to share their favorites as they go through kindergarten, resulting in a celebration of holidays, foods and cultures all year long.  Click here to buy on Amazon

 

Mae’s First Day of School by Kate Berube

Published by Abrams

Mae would rather sit up in a tree all day than face the uncertainties of the first day of school.  When others join her, including her new teacher, she realizes she’s not the only one feeling nervous.  Click here to buy on Amazon.

 

Monkey Not Ready for Kindergarten by Marc Brown

Published by Alfred A. Knopf

Monkey worries about all the ways he might not be ready for kindergarten.  A simple tale with a reassuring ending.  Click here to buy on Amazon.

 

Lena’s Shoes Are Nervous by Keith Calabrese, illustrated by Juana Medina

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Lena’s shoes are nervous about starting school.  So are her socks.  It’s up to her headband to remind them that they’ve tried out new things before that turned out well.  By the end, the shoes are joined by the friendly sneakers, shoes, and boots of the other kids.  Click here to buy on Amazon.

 

Camp Tiger by Susan Choi, illustrated by John Rocco

Published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

A boy who’s worried about starting first grade meets a tiger on an end-of-summer camping trip with his family.  Is the tiger real or imaginary?  Either way, he helps the boy to find courage for a new beginning.  Click here to buy on Amazon.

 

A New School Year by Sally Derby, illustrated by Mika Song

Published by Charlesbridge

Six kids from grades K-5 tell about their first day of school in a series of poems that takes from the night before to the end of the first day.  Click here to buy on Amazon.

 

School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex, illustrated by Christian Robinson

Published by Roaring Brook Press

Even though the janitor assures him that he’ll do fine, the new school building is worried about school starting.  The first day brings its share of ups and downs, but overall, School is pretty happy and ready to move on to the rest of the school year.  Click here to buy on Amazon.

 

Butterflies on the First Day of School by Annie Silvestro, illustrated by Dream Chen

Published by Sterling Children’s Books

Mom calls Rosie’s nerves on the first day of school “butterflies in your stomach”.  Whenever something good happens at school that day, a butterfly flies out of her mouth.  She even sees one come out of another girl’s mouth!  By the end of the day, the butterflies are all gone.  Click here to buy on Amazon.

 

Nana Akua Goes to School by Tricia Elam Walker, illustrated by April Harrison

Published by Schwartz and Wade

Zura’s worried about bringing her Ghanaian grandmother to school for Grandparents’ Day, because she’s seen people stare at Nana Akua’s facial tattoo.  But Nana knows the secret for helping people feel comfortable, and the visit is a huge success.  Click here to buy on Amazon.

 

The Pigeon HAS to Go to School by Mo Willems

Published by Hyperion Books for Children

The pigeon has a long list of reasons why he shouldn’t have to go to school…until he sees that he gets to ride there on a bus.  Click here to buy on Amazon.

 

What do Donald Trump and I have in common?  That’s right, we’re both on Twitter!  This week, I started a new account as a companion to this blog.  It’s taken me just a little more than 14 years to catch up with exciting new social media platform.  Not for nothing do my kids describe me as “technologically cutting edge” (just kidding).  Anyway, if you want to take a look, go on over to @kidsbookaday.  If you are a more sophisticated Twitter user than I am–and really, just about everyone on Twitter is–feel free to offer feedback on how I can improve my account.

In the early stay-at-home days of Covid-19, I heard people saying they were having trouble focusing enough to read a book.  I was grateful not to have that problem.  Sure, it’s a stressful time, but I feel like it’s finite.  A vaccine, herd immunity…eventually life will get back to normal.  (That’s just my experience; I am not invalidating anyone else’s!).

But in the last week, I haven’t been able to read for more than a few minutes at a time.  There’s no vaccine coming for racism.  And it seems like every few years, that racism leads to explosions of violence and burning cities.  With the pandemic, getting back to normal is my greatest wish.  With racism, it’s my greatest fear.

I’ve been to a couple of protests this week, and one of my biggest takeaways is that white people need to stop talking and listen.  I’m giving myself a few days off of reading and blogging, and I invite you to listen to some authors and illustrators who have taught me a little bit about what it’s like to be Black in America (Based on my blog.  Forgive me for any omissions):

Dapo Adeola, Roda Ahmed, Jacqueline Alcantara, Kwame Alexander, Troy Andrews, Derrick Barnes, Melba Pattillo Beals, Daniel Bernstrom, Becky Birtha, Keturah A. Bobo, Tonya Bolden, Jo Ann Allen Boyce, Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Ashley Bryan, Howard Bryant, Nathan Bryon, Grace Byers, Tami Charles, R. Gregory Christie, Lesa Cline-Ransom, Brandy Colbert, Bryan Collier, Floyd Cooper, Jerry Craft, Nina Crews, Christopher Paul Curtis, Ken Daley, Junot Diaz, Sharon Draper, Erica Armstrong Dunbar, Alice Faye Duncan, Zetta Elliott, Tonya Engel, Shane Evans, Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Laura Freeman, Nikki Giovanni, Ebony Glenn, Xia Gordon, Eloise Greenfield, Nikki Grimes, April Harrison, Ekua Holmes, John Holyfield, Rita Lorraine Hubbard, Gordon C. James, Veronica Miller Jamison, Angela Johnson, Jade Johnson, Varian Johnson, Angela Joy, Vivian Kirkfield, London Ladd, Francie Latour, E. B. Lewis, Mariama Lockington, Kelly Starling Lyons, Kekla Magoon, Torrey Maldonado, Janae Marks, Bre McCoy, Breanna J. McDaniel, Patricia McKissack, Michelle Meadows, Tony Medina, Sharee Miller, Daniel Minter, Oge Mora, Frank Morrison, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Walter Dean Myers, Kadir Nelson, Marilyn Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, Vanessa Brantley Newton, Baptiste Paul, Daria Peoples-Riley, Andrea Davis Pinkney, Brian Pinkney, Jerry Pinkney, Connie Porter, Sean Qualls, Lisa Moore Ramee, James E. Ransome, Jason Reynolds, Jewell Parker Rhodes, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Faith Ringgold, Christian Robinson, Chris Sasaki, Connie Schofield-Morrison, Ilyasah Shabazz, Margot Lee Shetterly, Nikki Shannon Smith, Ronald L. Smith, Javaka Steptoe, Nic Stone, Shadra Strickland, Karen Strong, Don Tate, Quevenzhane Wallace, Charles Walters, Renee Watson, Carole Boston Weatherford, Alicia D. Williams, Rita Williams-Garcia,  Sherri Winston, Brenda Woods, Jacqueline Woodson, Elizabeth Zunon

I’m sure Amazon is thriving during our time at home, and I’ve placed a few orders there myself in the last few weeks.

But let’s remember that there are independent bookstores all over the country that we love and want to stay alive until they can open their doors again.  One of my favorite local bookstores is the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, Massachusetts.  Not only do they have thousands of great titles, but they are an amazing community resource, hosting all sorts of author visits, book clubs, and other programs.  I think their owner, Joan, is a subscriber to my blog, so I hope she is reading this!

To support the Odyssey, I’m going to temporarily stop posting my Amazon Affiliate links, and instead post a link to order from their online bookstore.  They are still filling web orders, complete with free media mail shipping.  If you don’t order through this link, I encourage you to support your local independent bookstore now and in the future.  If you aren’t in the market for any books now, consider ordering a gift certificate from them.

Take a look at The Odyssey Bookshop and give a shout-out to your own favorite bookstore(s) in the comments!

 

Thank you to everyone who commented or emailed about my post yesterday.  I appreciate the supportive words and news of job openings.  In response to a couple messages, I wanted to clarify that I intend to keep this blog going even if I switch jobs.

For the short term, I am going to do my best to keep the daily reviews going during the coronavirus epidemic.  Like many of you, I’m home for two weeks, possibly longer.  Public libraries in this area are closing, cutting off my usual supply of book.  While others have been hoarding pasta and toilet paper, I’ve been visiting as many libraries as I could to stock up on books to review.  I have 28 at the moment, so the blog will continue for at least another four weeks.  This may the motivation I need to learn how to use the Kindle that’s been sitting on my desk for the last year.

Stay well, everyone, and enjoy a silver lining in the COVID-19 cloud: more time to read.

Just a reminder to be sure to wash your hands and sanitize after reading this blog…just kidding.  We’ve all gotten enough of those messages for one week.

All things being equal, I wouldn’t have chosen to lose my job the same week a global pandemic hit, but that’s how things played out for me this week.  I was told that the position of K-8 librarian in our district is being cut for next year, so I’m out of a job as of June 30.

I’m a certified K-12 librarian in Massachusetts with a few decades of experience in school and public libraries, and I’m willing to relocate.  Since I know many of you are in libraries, I thought I’d put the word out.  If you know of any openings, please feel free to email me at jkdawson115@gmail.com.  Thank you!

Oh, and happy Friday the 13th!  Sure hope it’s a lucky day.