The Fastest Girl on Earth: Meet Kitty O’Neil, Daredevil Driver! By Dean Robbins, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley

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Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

The Fastest Girl on Earth!: Meet Kitty O'Neil, Daredevil Driver!: Robbins, Dean, Baddeley, Elizabeth: 9780593125717: Amazon.com: Books
The Fastest Girl on Earth!: Meet Kitty O'Neil, Daredevil Driver!: Robbins, Dean, Baddeley, Elizabeth: 9780593125717: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Kitty O’Neil may have lost her hearing as a baby, but she never let it stop her from doing the most daring deeds she could find.  From movie stunts to speed records for water skiing and boat racing, Kitty embraced any challenge.  Her biggest goal was to break the women’s land-speed record of 308 miles per hour in the Motivator, her rocket-powered car.  On December 6, 1976, Kitty drove across the Oregon desert, reaching a speed of 618 miles per hour.  Her fans cheered wildly: “Kitty could not hear their cheering, but she could feel it in her bones.”  Includes an author’s note with additional information about Kitty and her car; a list of her world records; and additional resources.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Focusing mostly on Kitty’s record-breaking drive, the story is exciting and incorporates facts about her early life.  The author’s note provides additional context.  This belongs on any list of books featuring people with disabilities.

Cons:  It seems unfair that Kitty had to average two drives for the world record, so the official speed is 512 mph.

The Lost Things Club by J. S. Puller

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

The Lost Things Club - Kindle edition by Puller, J. S.. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Summary:  Leah usually loves her summer visits to her aunt and uncle’s house in Chicago.  But this year is different: her younger cousin T.J. has been traumatized by a shooting at his school and has stopped talking.  Leah is determined to help him, but is at a loss as to how to do it until one night she sees T.J. sneaking out of the house and follows him.  He goes to a neighborhood laundromat, where she hears him talking and laughing with Michelle, the owner’s daughter who’s about her age.  Eventually, Leah and her new friend Vicki join them, and the four create a world called The Land of Lost Things, using items people have left behind at the laundromat.  When Leah films their creations and puts it on YouTube, their new world suddenly goes viral.  Unexpectedly, with a series of stops and starts, The Land of Lost Things proves to be the key to unlocking T.J.’s secret about what happened the day of the shooting and to help him to move forward with his healing.  304 pages; grades 4-7. 

Pros:  It can’t be easy to write about a school shooting for an elementary audience, but J. S. Puller has found a way to talk about T.J.’s trauma without going into too many details about what actually happened that day.  This is a book that could open up discussions on a wide range of topics, told by a narrator whom many readers will relate to.

Cons:  I thought there was going to be some big reveal about Michelle’s younger brother who lately spends all his time in his room playing video games, but I was disappointed. 

The Longest Storm by Dan Yaccarino

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Published by mineditionUS

The Longest Storm: Yaccarino, Dan: 9781662650475: Amazon.com: Books
Weathering the Storm Together by Dan Yaccarino | Nerdy Book Club

Summary:  A storm comes to town that is unlike any that has ever been seen before, and a family is forced to stay inside.  It feels strange to be indoors together for so long and soon tempers flare.  Everyone is mad at each other and just wants to be alone.  One night, though, a violent thunderstorm and power outage bring them all back together again, and after that things start to get better.  There are still occasional fights, but each day the family bond gets stronger, until one day the storm is gone and the sun is shining again.  When they head outside, there’s a lot of storm damage, but it’s clear from the last picture that the family will be working together to clean it up.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  While this story seems clearly to have been inspired by the pandemic lockdown, it could also be used to show how a family moves through different stages during any sort of difficult time.  The family’s resilience in overcoming anger and learning to pull together during a tough time make this an excellent story for social and emotional learning.  

Cons:  The ending felt a little abrupt.

War by José Jorge Letria

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Published by Greystone Kids

War: Letria, Jose Jorge, Letria, André: 9781771647267: Amazon.com: Books
War – Greystone Books Ltd.

Summary:  “War spreads through the day like a whispered, swift disease.”  The opening pages of this book show spiders, snakes, and a large black bird traveling through a landscape until they land on a uniformed man, alone in a room, studying a large map and selecting a knight’s helmet before he throws a torch on a huge pile of books.  Planes and soldiers gather in armies before bombs are dropped on cities and tanks roll in.  The final pages show a destroyed city and large spiders moving in with the sentence, “War is silence.”  Originally published in Portugal. 64 pages; grades 4 and up.

Pros:  The watercolor illustrations done grays, blacks, and military drabs provide haunting images of the hatred and destruction of war.  Combined with spare but powerful text, this would be an effective way to begin a discussion of war at the upper elementary, middle school or even high school level.

Cons:  I will definitely not be putting this in the picture book section of my library.  It looks like a picture book, but I kept imagining some kindergartener bringing it home to be read as a bedtime story.

A Boy Named Isamu: A Story of Isamu Noguchi by James Yang

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Published by Viking Books for Young Readers

A Boy Named Isamu by James Yang: 9780593203446 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

Amazon.fr - A Boy Named Isamu: A Story of Isamu Noguchi - Yang, James - Livres

Summary:  “If you are a boy named Isamu…at the market with your mother, it can be a crowded and noisy place.  Maybe there is a quiet space that feels more like you.”  Isamu prefers to observe the world by himself, wondering about everything he sees around him: the colors of the fruit at the market, the light through the paper lanterns near his home, the leaves that he finds in the forest.  In the evening, his mother asks him how his day was.  Isamu thinks how he was alone but not lonely, and how the forest and beach were like friends giving him gifts like sticks, pebbles and shells.  Includes an author’s note with additional information about Japanese American artist Isamu Noguchi and two photos of Isamu as a child and as an adult with one of his sculptures.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Introspective children will find a kindred spirit in Isamu Noguchi, and all readers can embrace Isamu’s wonder and appreciation for the natural world.

Cons:  There aren’t many details about Isamu Noguchi or his art, nor are there any additional resources given.

Seen and Unseen: Noguchi's Gateways - The Noguchi Museum

Isabel and Her Colores Go to School by Alexandra Alessandri, illustrated by Courtney Dawson

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Published by Sleeping Bear Press

Isabel and her Colores Go to School (English and Spanish Edition): Alessandri, Alexandra, Dawson, Courtney: 9781534110632: Amazon.com: Books
Isabel and her Colores Go to School (English and Spanish Edition): Alessandri, Alexandra, Dawson, Courtney: 9781534110632: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Isabel’s got the typical first-day-of-school jitters, but she has an additional worry: she doesn’t speak much English.  She begs not to go; her mother is understanding but insistent, offering her this advice: “Al mal tiempo, buena cara.  To bad times, a good face.”  Things are tough at first, and when a girl named Sarah offers to be her friend, Isabel doesn’t understand and shakes her head.  In the afternoon, though, there’s time to draw, and Isabel loves using all the colors.  Remembering Mami’s advice, she draws two faces and shows them to Sarah, along with the word “Amigas”.  The rest of the class enthusiastically admires Isabel’s picture, and Isabel ends up thinking that maybe school won’t be so bad after all.  The story is told in both English and Spanish and includes two pages of Spanish to English translations for the words used in the story.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A perfect back-to-school book for ELL students, particularly those who speak Spanish.  The story captures the worries of learning a new language and fitting in, with a realistically hopeful ending.

Cons:  I hope Isabel can get some good ELL services at school.

Frog and Ball by Kathy Caple and Spring Cakes by Miranda Harmon (I Like to Read Comics series)

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Published by Holiday House

Frog and Ball by Kathy Caple: 9780823443413 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
Bound To Stay Bound Books, Inc. - Bookstore
Amazon.com: Spring Cakes (I Like to Read Comics): 9780823449354: Harmon, Miranda: Books

Summary:  In Frog and Ball, Frog checks out a book about magic from the library.  On the way home, he comes across a deflated ball, and decides to try out the book to bring the ball back to life.  His magic works a little too well when the ball really does come to life and starts chasing him all over town, including a chaotic return to the library.  Frog finally manages to subdue the ball back into deflated submission, but when Rabbit comes along, it looks like things are going to start up again.

A family of cats has big cooking plans in Spring Cakes, but first they have to gather the ingredients: flour, honey, eggs, strawberries, and some magic roses.  Each item requires going to the source, so the kitties get a series of adventures, including a visit to the witch who has the roses.  Finally, it’s time to bake, and everyone who helped out gets to enjoy a picnic with some spring cakes.  Both books are 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  I’ve long been a fan of the I Like to Read books, and was excited to hear that there was a new comic series (and grateful to Holiday House for the free copies!).  These are sure to be a hit with kids learning to read: the comic format is, of course, hugely popular and the stories are well-crafted with cute illustrations.

Cons:  One of the things I love about the I Like to Read series is that it includes books that look like “real books” (not like early readers) that are written at the earliest Fountas and Pinnell levels (A, B, C).  These comic books are at a higher F&P level (Frog and Ball is I and Spring Cakes is L).  I’m hoping Holiday House will come out with some that are for those earlier levels.

Big Apple Diaries by Alyssa Bermudez

~ Janet Dawson ~ 4 Comments

Published by Roaring Brook Press

Amazon.com: Big Apple Diaries: 9781250774279: Bermudez, Alyssa, Bermudez, Alyssa: Books
Big Apple Diaries Book - Comics and Illustration Portfolio — Alyssa Bermudez

Summary:  Alyssa Bermudez used her real diaries from seventh and eighth grade to create this graphic novel that takes place in New York City from 2000 to 2002.  Her main concerns starting seventh grade are dealing with the popular kids, her crush on Alejandro, and owning as many pairs of funky shoes as her parents and Catholic school will allow.  She slowly matures through the next two years, a process that is hastened by 9/11 (her parents both work in the financial district), her father’s illness, and a desire to get into the best high school she can.  By graduation time, it’s clear she’s ready for the new challenges that lie ahead in high school.  Includes a 4-page author’s note with lots more information and photos about her life during those years.  288 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Fans of the Raina Telgemeier graphic novel genre will love the real-life story of Alyssa that includes many light moments (shaving her eyebrows, accidentally dyeing her hair orange), as well as the very serious ones engendered by being so close to the events of 9/11.  

Cons:  The art is all done in blue and black…I prefer the full-color illustration of Telgemeier and Victoria Jamieson.

Book lists

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

I wanted to let you know about a new feature on my blog: lists of books that I’ve reviewed over the years, arranged by topic. I think we can all agree that my blog has a certain amateurish charm, and I’m sure there’s a better way to make these lists accessible there. However, we all have to live with my limited tech skills, so for the moment, here’s how to find the lists: under the “A Kids Book a Day” title, you’ll see three links: Home, About me, and Book lists. If you move your cursor over the book lists one, a drop-down menu will appear with all the lists I’ve created so far.

The ones that are probably of most interest right now are: Back to school, Fall, Kindness and community (for building classroom communities), Labor Day, Persistence and grit, and September 11 (9/11). Other lists are: Book clubs for grades 2-4, Covid pandemic, Fables, and Food and eating.

I have lots of other ideas, and will be adding more as the year goes on; I’ll also update these lists as I review new books.

If you have suggestions of lists that would be helpful to you, please feel free to comment below or email me at akidsbookaday@gmail.com.

I’m hoping to put these on Pinterest, and am just starting to learn about the world of Pinterest and how to create pins. If anyone has any sort of Pinterest expertise, or WordPress expertise to improve the look of my blog, I’d love to talk to you.

What Are Your Words? A Book About Pronouns by Katherine Locke, illustrated by Anne Passchier

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

What Are Your Words?: A Book About Pronouns: Locke, Katherine, Passchier, Anne: 9780316542067: Amazon.com: Books
Andy Passchier Illustrates Children's Book 'What Are Your Words?' | Arts & Culture | Ideastream Public Media

Summary:  Ari is excited that Uncle Lior is coming for a visit.  Uncle Lior uses they/them pronouns, and they always ask Ari, “What are your words?”  Usually Ari knows right away; it may be “Happy! Creative! Funny! He/him” or “Thoughtful! Athletic! Silly! She/her.”  Today, though, nothing quite seems to fit.  Ari worries about it as the day progresses, with more introductions (including pronouns) around the neighborhood, finishing up with a barbecue and fireworks.  As the first ones burst across the sky, Ari suddenly discovers the words for today: “Impatient! Excited! Colorful! They/them.”  Uncle Lior tells them, “That’s definitely you, Ari.”  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This book will be a valuable resource to anyone working with transgender, nonbinary, or gender fluid kids and will help others to understand the importance of pronouns.  The illustrations are cheerful and colorful; I especially liked the endpapers that showed a variety of people and pronouns.

Cons:  The story was definitely secondary to the lessons being taught.