Lights on Wonder Rock by David Litchfield

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Clarion Books

Lights on Wonder Rock: Litchfield, David: 9780358359531: Amazon.com: Books
David Litchfield Illustration | Lights On Cotton Rock

Summary:  Heather sneaks out of her house and climbs on top of Wonder Rock, hoping to contact the aliens she’s read about.  She turns her flashlight on and off repeatedly until she’s surprised by colorful lights and a spaceship.  An alien invites her aboard, and she has a great time until she sees her parents on one of the computer screens, searching for her in the woods.  Off she goes to reunite with them.  The years pass, and Heather keeps returning to Wonder Rock, trying to reconnect with her alien friend.  Finally, an old woman now, she returns to Wonder Rock with her flashlight.  Lo and behold, the spaceship returns, and she is reunited with her alien friend.  They go off to explore space, but Heather realizes she misses her family.  She draws a picture to communicate, and her friend immediately understands.  The whole family gets to see her return, as Heather realizes “that the magic and wonder that she had been trying to find…had been on Earth all along.”  40 pages; grades K-3.

Pros:  Kids will love these gorgeous and imaginative illustrations that may get some Caldecott consideration, and who doesn’t enjoy a good
“close encounters” tale?

Cons:  I almost wished this were a wordless book, as the text seemed a bit clunky compared to the illustrations.

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Brick by Brick by Heidi Woodward Sheffield

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Published by Nancy Paulsen Books

Brick by Brick - Kindle edition by Sheffield, Heidi Woodward, Sheffield, Heidi Woodward. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Brick by Brick: Sheffield, Heidi Woodward, Sheffield, Heidi Woodward: 9780525517306: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  A young boy tells about his father’s work as a bricklayer.  “Mi papi es fuerte–my papi is strong,” he says, as he describes the way his father uses bricks and mortar to build.  As Papi works with bricks, the boy works with books at school.  Both of them dream about having “nuestra casa para siempre”–an always house.  One Saturday, Papi says he has a surprise, and the two of them go off in his truck.  They arrive at a new house made of his dad’s bricks.  The story ends with him going to bed, dreaming of life in their new house.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A heartwarming family tale with colorful collage illustrations.  The Spanish words and sound effect words (WHIRRRRRRR, WHOOSH) bring the story to life.

Cons:  It seemed like the house was built in a week, or at least a very short period of time.

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Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Crown Books for Young Readers

Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero: Baptist, Kelly J.: 9780593121368: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Isaiah, his mother, and 4-year-old sister are living in what he has dubbed the Smoky Inn, a run-down motel that they’ve moved to after losing their apartment. Ever since Isaiah’s dad died suddenly from a heart attack, his mother has been spiraling: drinking more, not working, and often neglecting her children.  Isaiah tries to help out by starting a candy-selling business with his friend Sneaky and getting a job at a barbershop.  But when the family is evicted from the hotel and ends up sleeping in their car, Isaiah begins to realize he has a problem that’s too big for him to solve.  Fortunately, he has some caring adults in his life, a talent for writing, and his dad’s notebooks full of stories about superhero Isaiah Dunn.  His mom is smart enough to finally seek help, and the end sees the family reunited at a surprise event Isaiah has planned to honor his dad.  208 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Based on an award-winning story that was included in Flying Lessons and Other Stories, this book would make an excellent choice for an elementary book club, due to its relatively short length and 10-year-old protagonist with a humorous take on his difficult circumstances.  He really does turn out to be a hero and is instrumental in keeping his family together during a pretty dark time for all of them.  

Cons:  Isaiah’s frenemy Angel seems like she has an interesting story to tell, and I wanted to know more about her.  Maybe a sequel?

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Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood by Tony Hillery, illustrated by Jessie Hartland

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books

Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood - Kindle edition by Hillery, Tony, Hartland, Jessie. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood: Hillery, Tony, Hartland, Jessie: 9781534402317: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  The story begins with an empty lot filled with trash, across the street from a school, P.S. 175.  A man named Mr. Tony came to their school.  When he saw the lot across the street, he had an idea.  He and the kids cleared the lot, then filled it with clean soil and started to plant.  They grew vegetables, fruit, and herbs.  When some plants died, they planted new ones.  Mr. Tony built raised beds.  They watered and weeded, and finally had tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, berries, and more to take home and enjoy.  Includes a note from the author, who is Mr. Tony, about how this single lot has grown to twelve sites around Harlem with 22 full time staff; a photo of him standing outside one of the gardens; instructions on how to start a garden; and additional resources.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  An inspiring true-life story of how one man moved from a difficult situation (he started volunteering at P.S. 175 when he had to close his business in 2010) to create something that benefits many people in his community.

Cons:  I would have loved more photos.

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Sun Flower Lion by Kevin Henkes

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Published by Greenwillow Books

Sun Flower Lion - Kindle edition by Henkes, Kevin, Henkes, Kevin. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Summary:  Divided into six chapters, each one only a page or two, this book introduces the sun, which is as bright as a flower; a flower which looks a little like a lion; and finally, the lion.  The lion falls asleep and dreams that the flowers are cookies.  When he wakes up, he is hungry and runs home to his family.  The final page shows him resting, happy and well-fed, with his parents and siblings.  40 pages; ages 2-5.

Pros:  There’s a lot to look at in this simple story, and kids will have fun comparing the shapes of the sun, flowers, and lion (and maybe trying to draw them themselves).  The simple text and yellow, gray, and black palette make this a perfect choice as a first picture book or a first reader.

Cons:  The plot’s a little thin…

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A Thousand Glass Flowers: Marietta Barovier and the Invention of the Rosetta Bead by Evan Turk

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Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

A Thousand Glass Flowers: Marietta Barovier and the Invention of the Rosetta Bead - Kindle edition by Turk, Evan, Turk, Evan. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
A Thousand Glass Flowers: Marietta Barovier and the Invention of the Rosetta Bead: Turk, Evan, Turk, Evan: 9781534410343: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Marietta Barovier grew up in fifteenth-century Murano, an island near Venice, where her father and brothers worked as glassblowers.  She wanted to learn the craft, but it wasn’t something girls did.  She persisted, though, hanging around the shop, and finally her father showed her how.  One day, she and her father took a trip to Venice to visit a wealthy patron.  Marietta discovered a small glass bowl covered with flowers, and was told that the technique for making such glass had been lost.  Years later, she remembered the bowl when she tried a new technique, layering different colors of glass together to make beads.  These rosetta beads became valuable currency and spread throughout the world. Includes an author’s note with additional information about Barovier and her beads, and a note about the art. 48 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Evan Turk’s dazzling illustrations were inspired by Renaissance and Impressionist artists, with hues of yellow, gold, and orange that capture the fiery heat of glassblowing and the light and energy of Venice.  The story of Marietta is fascinating (although slightly fictionalized, since records about her are sparse), and could make a nice addition to an art curriculum.

Cons:  Although there are a couple photos of Evan Turk learning to blow glass and sketching in Italy, I would have liked to have seen some of the beads.

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Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns: A Mesoamerican Creation Myth by Duncan Tonatiuh

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Published by Harry N. Abrams

Feathered Serpent and the Five Suns: A Mesoamerican Creation Myth - Kindle edition by Tonatiuh, Duncan. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Summary: Before the present time, there were four tonatiuhs or suns.  During each one, the gods created humans, but something always went wrong.  First, the humans were too big, so they were turned into mountains.  Then they were too small, so they became fish.  Finally, after the fourth tonatiuh, the gods gave up, and handed off the sacred bones to the lord of the underworld.  But one of the gods, Quetzalcóatl, or Feathered Serpent, didn’t want to give up.  He decided to travel to the underworld in search of the bones.  His journey was long and dangerous, but his cleverness and strength helped him to overcome all the obstacles, and to recover the bones once again.  He and the other gods created humans that are still alive today, the time of the fifth tonatiuh.  Includes an author’s note, glossary, and bibliography.  40 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Award winner Duncan Tonatiuh uses his distinctive style of illustration to bring to life this Mesoamerican tale filled with interesting mythological creatures and plenty of adventure.  The author’s note gives more details about the story, making this an excellent resource for older readers.

Cons:  You will definitely want to do a practice run-through before trying to read this aloud and encountering words like Itzcuintlán and Mictlantecuhtli.

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Agent Moose by Mo O’Hara, illustrated by Jess Bradley

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Published by Feiwel and Friends

Agent Moose - Kindle edition by O'Hara, Mo, Bradley, Jess. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Agent Moose | Mo O'Hara | Macmillan

Summary:  Agent Anonymoose is recovering from the failure of what would have been his 100th case (he thought the moon was missing, but it was really a lunar eclipse).  When he hears that his rival Camo Chameleon has just solved his 100th case, it just rubs salt in the wound.  But then a chipmunk arrives with an important message: a key witness in Camo’s last case has disappeared.  Agent Moose and his wise sidekick Owlfred head to the chameleon’s 100th-case celebration to investigate.  There are adventures and red herrings a-plenty before the two of them manage to crack the case.  The mystery is solved, but the villains make a last-minute escape, setting up a second adventure for Agent Moose and Owlfred.  128 pages; grades 1-3.

Pros:  Fans of Dog Man and Inspector Flytrap, rejoice!  This is sure to be a hit with the many readers who love graphic novels with plenty of action and zany humor.  

Cons: There were a lot of characters to keep track of.

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Your Place in the Universe by Jason Chin

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Neal Porter Books

Your Place in the Universe - Kindle edition by Chin, Jason. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Summary:  An eight-year-old is about five times as tall as this book…but only half as tall as an ostrich.  The ostrich is half as tall as the tallest land animal, the giraffe, but the giraffe is 20 times shorter than the tallest living thing, a redwood tree.  The journey continues outward: skyscrapers, mountains, outer space, all the way to the very edges of the universe.  It then comes back to Earth, and that group of eight-year-olds, who are capable of looking into the sky and imagining their place in the universe.  Includes additional information on Earth, the solar system, the universe, and making maps and models, as well as notes on the text and the illustrations, and a list of selected sources.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Although this sort of journey has been shown before (Cosmic View: The Universe in 40 Jumps or Powers of Ten), Jason Chin brings his own deft touch to it.  As always, Chin’s illustrations are amazing in their details, colors, and realistic renderings (I was particularly awed by the panoramic view of Mount Everest showing a juxtaposition with the tallest skyscrapers).  The simple comparisons make this accessible to early elementary kids, but the back matter makes it hefty enough for older readers.  Sure to be a contender for another Sibert award.

Cons:  I’m feeling pretty insignificant right now.

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The Brave by James Bird

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Published by Feiwel and Friends

The Brave - Kindle edition by Bird, James. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

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.

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