Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Balzer + Bray

Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations, 1): Alston, B. B.: 9780062975164: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Amari’s had a tough year after her beloved older brother has gone missing and she’s had to put up with constant bullying from being the only poor Black girl at her elite private school.  So when she receives a mysterious invitation to a summer camp at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she thinks she may have found a way to solve her school problems and, more importantly, find her brother.  Things take an unexpected turn when Amari learns she possesses a powerful magic that’s looked upon with suspicion by almost everyone at the Bureau.  Fortunately, she finds a few friends and allies who help her to channel her powers and help her uncover what’s happened to her brother.  Some unexpected twists toward the end leave things hanging enough for readers to be breathlessly anticipating book 2.  408 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Harry Potter and Rick Riordan fans will love this new series opener about another unlikely outsider who discovers her stronger-than-average magical powers at a school specializing in the supernatural.  

Cons:  Fantasy’s always kind of a slog for me, so I’m probably not be the best person to promote this book. Judging from the starred reviews in professional journals and on Amazon, though, I would say this series is a hit with fans of the genre.

How to Make a Bird by Meg McKinlay, illustrated by Matt Ottley

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Published by Candlewick

How to Make a Bird by Meg McKinlay: 9781536215267 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
Matt Ottley | Matt Ottley

Summary:  A young artist creates a bird: tiny hollow bones, feathers, a rapidly-beating  heart.  But a statue of a bird isn’t a bird, so the artist stands at the window and lets her creation go.  As it rises into the air, the bird comes to life and flies off, disappearing into the sky without ever looking back.  “And feel your slowly beating heart fill with a kind of sadness, a kind of happiness.  For this is when you will know that you have really made a bird.”  32 pages; ages 4-10.

Pros:  With its beautifully written spare text and gorgeous illustrations, this haunting meditation on the creative process perfectly captures the bittersweet nature of letting a creation go out into the world.

Cons:  The central message may be a bit over the heads of the intended audience.

The Museum of Everything by Lynne Rae Perkins

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Published by Greenwillow Books

The Museum of Everything: Perkins, Lynne Rae, Perkins, Lynne Rae: 9780062986306: Amazon.com: Books
The Museum of Everything: Perkins, Lynne Rae, Perkins, Lynne Rae: 9780062986306: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  “When the world gets too big and too loud and too busy, I like to look at all pieces of it one at a time.”  The child narrator proceeds to do that, imagining museum exhibits for a Museum of Islands, a Museum of Bushes, a Museum of Hiding Places, and more.  In each one, they slowly savor the different objects that could be on display, wondering about various aspects of each one.  After they’re done spending time in their museums, they are ready to go back into the busy, big, and sometimes noisy world.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  An author’s note reads “If you like to be in a quiet place sometimes [even if it’s only in your mind], or if there is a lot that you wonder about, or if you like to make things, I made this book for you.”  It’s a book to invite wonder and slowing down and noticing things.  The illustrations (described by Perkins as being “the most fun ever”) to create could definitely be considered for a Caldecott.

Cons:  Personally, I prefer more of a story, so, while I could admire and appreciate this book, I didn’t really love it.

Wilbur Wright Meets Lady Liberty by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Wendell Minor

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Published by Henry Holt and Co.

Wilbur Wright Meets Lady Liberty | Robert Burleigh | Macmillan
Wilbur Wright Meets Lady Liberty | Robert Burleigh | Macmillan

Summary:  On September 29, 1909, Wilbur Wright flew for six and a half minutes around the Statue of Liberty, the first time either of the Wright Brothers had flown over a body of water.  His feat was witnessed by a large crowd of New Yorkers, including 10-year-old Juan Trippe, whose conversation with his father bookends the main narrative of this story; Trippe would grow up to found Pan Am Airways.  The story is supplemented by extensive back matter, including an author’s note with additional information about the Wright Brothers and their New York flights (a few days later, Wilbur took a longer flight down the Hudson River).  There’s also a list of facts about other aspects of the story, an illustrator’s note, and a bibliography.  Front end papers show a newspaper article reporting the event, and back papers show a map of the flight.  40 pages; grades K-5.

Pros:  This veteran author-illustrator team has created a picture book that perfectly captures the tension and excitement of Wilbur Wright’s flight, while also conveying the peacefulness of flying.  The extensive back matter adds a lot of information, and is written in a way that is accessible to younger readers.

Cons:  I wish the back matter had included a few photos.

If You Go Down to the Woods Today by Rachel Piercey, illustrated by Freya Hartas

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Published by Magic Cat Publishing

Amazon.com: If You Go Down to the Woods Today (Brown Bear Wood) (9781419751585): Piercey, Rachel, Freya Hartas: Books
Amazon.com: If You Go Down to the Woods Today (Brown Bear Wood) (9781419751585): Piercey, Rachel, Freya Hartas: Books

Summary:  Bear takes readers through a tour of his forest, beginning in the early spring and traveling through the year until he settles in for a long winter’s nap.  Each spread features a poem and a list of about 12-15 items (mostly other animals) to find in the illustration.  The last few pages are a “nature trail”, with a dotted line connecting circular pictures taken from the main illustrations; kids can turn back to find where they came from on the previous pages.  Also includes a list of nature resources and poetry resources (all websites).  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  This utterly charming book feels like a throwback to an earlier era.  It made me want to brew a cup of tea, wrap up in a cozy afghan, and snuggle in with small children on either side of me to read some poems and hunt through the illustrations for the hidden objects.  

Cons:  At a little over a foot tall, this book may not fit on every library’s shelves.

Fifth Quarter by Mike Dawson

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Published by First Second

The Fifth Quarter: Dawson, Mike: 9781250244178: Amazon.com: Books
The Fifth Quarter | Mike Dawson | Macmillan

Summary:  Lori’s just starting out in basketball, but she’s determined to become better.  Although her play is mostly limited to the exhibition “Fifth Quarter”, she has a pretty good shot and is interested in improving all her skills.  Extra lessons and a summer camp program pay off when she gets chosen for the fifth grade travel team.  She learns some valuable personal lessons through ups and downs with teammates and friends.  A subplot about her mom’s run for town council teaches her about determination and a willingness to keep going in the face of loss. The story ends in the middle of a game and will be continued in The Fifth Quarter: Hard Court, release date not yet announced.  240 pages; grades 3-6.  

Pros:  One can hardly go wrong with the sports/graphic novel combination, and this is sure to find a big following.  I’m always happy to find a book with a fourth grade protagonist, as they are vastly outnumbered in the middle-grade universe by fifth, sixth, and seventh graders. And Lori is very much a fourth-grader who doesn’t always understand the consequences of her actions (and that it’s not always all about her), but who tries hard to learn from her mistakes.

Cons:  I was fine with Lori’s thick black eyebrows, but her dad’s looked like he had two pieces of black duct tape stuck to his forehead.

This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth by Sean Rubin

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Henry Holt and Co.

Amazon.com: This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth (Audible Audio Edition): Sean Rubin, Jennifer Ceci, Macmillan Young Listeners: Audible Audiobooks
This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth: Rubin, Sean: 9781250788504: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  A Callery pear tree narrates its experiences, beginning with its earliest days in a plaza near the World Trade Center.  It was buried on 9/11, and near death when discovered in the rubble several weeks later.  Moved to a different location, it survived against expectations, and in December 2010, it was dug up and replanted in a new plaza near its former location.  Surrounded by other trees that give it strength, the Survivor Tree helps the people who come to see it by giving them peace, hope, and the promise that spring will always come again.  Includes an author’s note; a two-page history of the World Trade Center, 9/11, and the Survivor Tree; a note on the illustrations; and a list of six sources.  48 pages; grades K-5.

Pros:  A beautifully written and illustrated story that makes a unique introduction to the events of 9/11 and also speaks to anyone who has survived a traumatic event.

Cons:  The events of 9/11 are not described at all (“It was an ordinary morning.  Until it wasn’t”), so kids will definitely need an introduction before reading this book.

Upstaged by Diana Harmon Asher

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Published by Harry N. Abrams

Amazon.com: Upstaged (9781419740817): Asher, Diana Harmon: Books

Summary:  Shira gets pushed by her friend Cassie into auditioning for her middle school’s production of The Music Man, and she’s not sure she wants the role she gets: Jacey Squires, a member of the barbershop quartet.  No one is surprised when eighth-grade diva Monica gets the part of Marian the Librarian, but it comes as a shock when Shira is asked to be her understudy.  Cassie has been Shira’s only friend for the last couple of years, but as the play gets underway, her confidence slowly increases and she finds herself with some new friends…and a crush or two.  There’s plenty of drama outside the play itself, and a surprise or two in the final production, all of which leads to a heartfelt and satisfying conclusion.  288 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Middle school musical fans get two excellent new books this year: The Chance to Fly and now Upstaged.  This one has a much more low-key cast of characters who are all dealing with some insecurities that many middle school kids will relate to.  There’s plenty of humor, too, and the middle school boys especially rang true for me.

Cons:  It would have been nice to give Monica and Ms. Channing, the ditzy director, a little more substance.

Fearless World Traveler: Adventures of Marianne North, Botanical Artist by Laurie Lawlor, illustrated by Becca Stadtlander

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Published by Holiday House

Fearless World Traveler: Adventures of Marianne North, Botanical Artist: Lawlor, Laurie, Stadtlander, Becca: 9780823439591: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Growing up in Victorian England, Marianne North was never encouraged in her passions for art and botany.  Self-taught in both, she stayed home and cared for her “irritable, demanding” father until his death when she was 40.  When an elderly widow invited her to be a traveling companion to North America, Marianne jumped at the chance.  This trip led her to Jamaica and the tropics she had long dreamed of seeing.  She eventually circumnavigated the world several times, seeking out exotic plant species that she could paint.  When her paintings crowded her London flat, she arranged to have a gallery built for them as part of the Royal Botanic Gardens.  The Marianne North Gallery opened in 1882 with 627 paintings on display.  She spent the last few years of her life at home in the English countryside, gardening, painting, and writing her memoirs before her death in 1890 at the age of 59.  Includes additional information on her legacy and writings, as well as sources and a who’s who of people Marianne encountered throughout her life.  44 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  This fascinating account of a woman who defied social expectations to lead an adventurous life makes for an inspiring read.  Her single-minded passions, preference for being alone, and discomfort with social situations made me wonder if she was neurodivergent.  The brilliant illustrations capture the spirit of North’s work, and make sure to check out the endpapers for reproductions of some of her paintings (identified in the back matter).

Cons:  The small font of the text.

Strange Nature: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss by Gregory Mone, photographs by Levon Biss

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Published by Harry N. Abrams

Strange Nature: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss: Mone, Gregory, Biss, Levon: 9781419731662: Amazon.com: Books
Bound To Stay Bound Books, Inc. - Bookstore

Summary:  Levon Biss is a photographer whose work was mostly focused on celebrities and political leaders until the day his son Sebastian brought a beetle into the kitchen.  When the two of them looked at it under a microscope, Levon was captivated by the beauty and complexity of the insect.  Since then, he’s created amazing photos of all kinds of creatures, taking thousands of photos of each one, then piecing them together on his computer.  This book includes 16 insects, with the photos as the main attraction, but also including some information about where each one lives, its size, a description, and a few facts.  Includes a glossary.  40 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Anyone with the slightest interest in insects will be amazed by these photos and enriched by the information; anyone without that interest may be surprised to find out how beautiful and complex insects can be.

Cons:  The author has a note at the end that begins, “Normally an author wouldn’t send his or her readers to the Internet.  Not when there are shelves and shelves stacked with wonderful printed books….”  It’s okay, here in the 21st century, it is actually okay to unapologetically send readers to the Internet.