The Popper Penguin Rescue by Eliot Schrefer

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing me with a free digital review copy of this book.  This book is scheduled for release October 13, 2020.

The Popper Penguin Rescue by Eliot Schrefer

Summary:  Many years have passed since Mr. Popper and his family raised their penguins in Stillwater, and the town still celebrates his feats.  In the neighboring town of Hilltop, these celebrations have taken on a tackier, more commercial look. Distant relatives Joel and Nina Popper, along with their mother, move into the town’s abandoned petting zoo and discover two penguin eggs hidden in the basement.  When the eggs hatch, the family decides to take the chicks to the Arctic island where the descendants of the original Popper penguins live. They discover that penguins don’t belong in the Arctic, and decide an expedition to Antarctica–with all the Popper penguins–is in order.  Life with penguins has its share of surprises, and Nina and Joel prove themselves to be worthy successors to their penguin-loving ancestor. 176 pages; grades 3-5.

Pros:  Fans of the original Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater will get a kick out of finding out what’s happened to the penguins over the years.  With plenty of illustrations (not seen by me), this would make a good read-aloud or first “real” chapter book. Schrefer introduces some environmental concepts (climate change, invasive species) in a subtle way that is mixed in with plenty of penguin fun.

Cons:  Readers will appreciate this book a lot more if they read the original first.

Mr. Popper's Penguins: Atwater, Richard, Atwater, Florence ...

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The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert

~ Janet Dawson ~ 5 Comments

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for giving me a free digital copy of this book to review.

The Only Black Girls in Town: Colbert, Brandy: 9780316456388 ...

Summary:  Alberta has long been the only black girl in her seventh grade class.  It’s as much a part of who she is as having two dads and loving surfing.  So when Edie and her mom buy the bed and breakfast across the street, Alberta is surprised to learn that they are black…and that Edie is just her age.  The two become friends, causing a rift between Alberta and her best friend Laramie, who starts hanging out with the cool eighth graders. When Edie discovers some old journals in the attic of the B&B, she and Alberta get drawn into a mystery involving the identity of a young woman who moved to California in the 1950’s.  What they discover about her ends up revealing the racism that has persisted in their town to the present day. Seventh grade is never easy, but Albert comes through the first half of it with a greater appreciation for her friends, family, and community. 369 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  This was one of the most enjoyable middle grade novels I’ve read this year.  The characters, middle school angst, and dialogue were spot on, and the mystery was a fun way to explore the past and how it influences the present.  

Cons:  I like it when there’s a little depth to the mean girl, but in this case, she seemed to just be a horrible person.

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All the Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything by Annette Bay Pimentel, pictures by Nabi H. Ali, foreword by Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Sourcebooks

All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with ...

All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with ...

Summary:  From the time she was a young girl, Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins realized her cerebral palsy kept her from doing everything her sister could–and she was determined to change that.  She and her family became activists, joining protests for disability rights all over America. Upon hearing that members of Congress didn’t want to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), they decided to go to Washington, D.C. to join the protest there.  When Jennifer saw some of the adults sliding from their wheelchairs to crawl up the steps to the Capitol building, she wanted to join them. Photos of her climb were shown around the world and helped get the ADA into the news, and finally, passed by Congress. Includes two pages with additional information about disabilities, accessibility, and activism; a page on life before and after the ADA; a timeline of the Disability Rights Movement; the photo of Jennifer; and a bibliography.  32 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  This excellent resource tells Jennifer’s story in a way that’s accessible to all readers.  Her determination and activism from such a young age may inspire others to get involved in causes they feel passionate about.  If they do, the back matter will give them a good start.

Cons:  It seemed like a photo and biography of the adult Jennifer belonged on the back flap with the author and illustration information.

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Village of Scoundrels by Margi Preus

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Published by Amulet Books

Village of Scoundrels: Margi Preus: 9781419708978: Amazon.com: Books

Summary:  Inspired by real people, places, and events, this book tells the story of a group of teenagers who helped save Jews in their French village by forging documents, passing secret messages, and leading groups to safety in Switzerland.  Young police officer Perdant has been sent to keep an eye on this “village of scoundrels” for the Nazis, but as he gets to know some of the kids, he begins to question whether or not he is on the side of right. The characters, including Perdant, all come together in a finale at a ruined chalet where the teens are hiding some of their friends, hoping to help them escape before the Gestapo raids begin.  Readers will be kept guessing until the end as to what the final outcome will be. Includes a 24-page epilogue with stories and photos of the real people on whom the story is based; a timeline covering events from 1934 until 1945; and a bibliography. 320 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  One can never have too much WWII historical fiction, and middle schoolers will be inspired by the courage of these kids who risked their lives to save others.

Cons:  There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and their stories were only loosely connected.

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Finding Treasure: A Collection of Collections by Michelle Schaub, illustrated by Carmen Saldaña

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Published by Charlesbridge

Finding Treasure: A Collection of Collections: Michelle Schaub ...

review + giveaway] Finding Treasure: A Collection of Collections ...

Summary:  A school assignment to share a collection leaves the narrator wondering what she should bring.  Her classmates seem excited about their showing their arrowheads, marbles, and teddy bears, but she doesn’t collect anything.  She interviews family members and friends, creating poems about each of them: her mother’s buttons, her brother’s baseball cards, an aunt’s license plates–even the mail carrier’s collection of smiling faces.  The last page shows her back at school, surrounded by kids with samples of their collections on their desks. She’s not worried now, though, because she has a collection of her own–a book of poems. 32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A charming first poetry book for primary grade kids by the author of Fresh-Picked Poetry.  Readers may be inspired to start a collection, write a poem, or do both.

Cons:  This book actually came out in 2019.  

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Nesting by Henry Cole

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Katherine Tegen Books

Nesting: Cole, Henry, Cole, Henry: 9780062885920: Amazon.com: Books

Summary: Step by step, readers are taken through the early part of a robin’s life cycle, starting when two robins mate and build a nest together.  Soon there are four blue eggs in the nest. After the babies hatch out of the eggs, the parents are busy providing them with food and protection, including a dramatic battle with a snake that crawls up the tree.  Eventually the young robins learn to fly and leave the nest. They’ll survive the winter together, the old nest covered in snow. Includes an author’s note with additional information about robins. 40 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  A perfect introduction to robins, with just the right amount of information for picture book readers.  The illustrations are outstanding, showing lots of details in black and white with occasional splashes of blue for the sky and eggs.

Cons:  As is so often the case, there wasn’t quite enough back matter to satisfy me.

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Breaking Through: How Female Athletes Shattered Stereotypes in the Roaring Twenties by Sue Macy

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Published by National Geographic

Breaking Through by Sue Macy: 9781426336768 | PenguinRandomHouse ...

Summary:  While few women athletes from the 1920’s are widely remembered today, it was an important decade for women’s sports.  In chapter one, we meet Olympic diving gold medalist 14-year-old Aileen Riggin, one of the first American women to compete in the Olympics, held in 1920, the same year U.S. women finally got the right to vote.  Subsequent chapters look at each year in the decade, profiling women athletes, and also looking at the men (and sometimes women) who tried to discourage them from competing. There are plenty of photos and sidebars, and each chapter ends with two pages of other events that occurred during the year, offering a big of historical perspective.  An epilogue summarizes what has happened in women’s sports since the end of the 1920’s, with brief profiles of women athletes from 1930 until the present. Includes an author’s note, additional resources, source notes, and an index. 96 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A fresh and interesting look at sports, written in an engaging style that will draw readers in.  Boys and girls alike will be inspired by these women who competed, often in multiple sports, against a backdrop of criticism and naysaying, opening up opportunities that continue to this day.

Cons:  The font seemed unnecessarily small, and a high-powered microscope may be needed to decipher the source notes and index.

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Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom by Louis Sachar, illustrated by Tim Heitz

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Published by HarperCollins

Image result for wayside school beneath the cloud of doom

Summary:  After a 25-year hiatus, Louis Sachar has produced another installment in the Wayside School series, this one dealing with a large cloud that’s rolled in over the school, bringing with it a sense of doom.  Of course, the plot is secondary to all the weird goings-on at the school. Familiar characters like Mrs. Jewls, Maurecia, Calvin, and yard teacher Louis are all here, with the same mix of silly supernatural happenings and ordinary school events.  Each of the thirty short chapters starts with an illustration and tells a complete story, making this a natural choice for a read-aloud. 186 pages; grades 3-5.

Pros:  Louis Sachar’s still got it, as I found myself chuckling aloud at some of the stories.  It looks like the other Wayside School books are being reissued with covers similar to this one, so we can look forward to introducing a new generation to the fun on the thirtieth story.

Cons:  Mrs. Gorf was nowhere to be found, even in ghostly form, although Miss Zarves finally made an appearance.

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Support independent bookstores!

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

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!

 

The Candy Caper (Trouble at Table 5 book 1) by Tom Watson

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Published by HarperCollins

Image result for trouble at table 5 candy

Summary:  Narrator Molly is a third grader who sometimes “gets things stuck in her head”.  When she sees a jar of Skittles on the principal’s desk, she can’t rest until she knows how many are in the jar.  Fortunately, her friends Simon and Rosie understand her, and they offer to figure out a way to count the candies.  After a few false starts, the three of them hatch a plan to get Molly sent to the principal’s office, then to distract the principal while Molly replaces the original jar with one she’s brought from home.  The plan works, Molly gets her answer, and even her understanding parents don’t punish her for getting sent to the principal’s office. Includes three activities that connect to the story. 96 pages; grades 1-3.

Pros:  A fun school story for emergent readers, showing the progress made in reading the book at the end of each chapter.  Kids with anxiety or OCD may make some connections to Molly, who is portrayed sympathetically and surrounded by supportive friends and family (although I wish the principal had caught her so they could have had a conversation about Molly asking how many Skittles were in the jar instead of having to sneak them).

Cons:  This is part of a new HarperChapters imprint which seems to be Harper’s answer to the Scholastic Branches series.  Their website even compare one of the new series (13th Street) to Eerie Elementary and Notebook of Doom. Sure, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I think Harper would be better served by coming up with something a bit more original.

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