I Voted: Making a Choice Makes a Difference by Mark Shulman, illustrated by Serge Bloch

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Neal Porter Books

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Summary:  Apples or oranges? Markers or crayons? Ice cream or cupcakes? Any time you make a choice, you are casting a vote.  When people vote together, the majority wins (at least theoretically, but we won’t go there). Talking to people about what you want can help them understand, and maybe they will change their minds.  It’s also a good idea to listen to others so you can make an informed decision. If you don’t vote, you don’t get to choose, so learn all you can about voting now, and exercise that right when you turn 18!  Includes additional information on voting and how the U.S. government works, as well as a list of books and online sites with additional information. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Kids are sure to hear a lot about voting and elections this year, and this is a great resource that explains the process in terms that even preschoolers will understand.

Cons:  Some may say the picture showing a red brick wall with a sign reading “No kids allowed!” and a blue brick wall saying “Free for kids” reflects a bit of partisan bias.

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Clean Getaway by Nic Stone

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Crown Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  Scoob has had some troubles at school, so he’s only too happy when his grandmother shows up with an RV, announcing that she’s sold her house, and takes him on an impromptu road trip across the southern U.S.  Along the way, she shares stories with Scoob about his grandfather, their interracial marriage in the 1960’s, and how Grandpa ended up in jail. Scoob learns about racism past and present when he discovers a well-worn copy of the Green Book in the RV and notices some people’s discomfort at seeing a black kid with a white woman.  G’ma’s behavior gets stranger as the trip progresses, and Scoob tries to figure out her frequent license plate changes on the RV, the large pile of money he discovers, and the reason why she refuses to take his dad’s increasingly frantic phone calls. The ending isn’t entirely happy, but Scoob finds he has grown and changed during the trip and gained a greater understanding of his family and their history.  240 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Scoob and G’ma are fun characters and readers will find plenty of humor in their adventures, while learning about civil rights history and race issues from the past and present.  The light tone, fairly short text, and plentiful illustrations would make this a good choice for reluctant readers.

Cons:  This book has been reviewed positively everywhere, but I was not a big fan.  The revelations about G’ma’s character were hard for me to understand and made her unlikeable to me.

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Consent (For Kids!): Boundaries, Respect, and Being In Charge of YOU by Rachel Brian

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  With chapters on such topics as “You Rule”, “Trust Your Gut”, and “Giving and Getting Consent”, this short graphic book uses a light tone to help kids understand inappropriate behavior and how to maintain boundaries.  Without getting into explicit details, the author covers inappropriate touching, whether it’s tickling or something more sexual, and helps kids understand what they should do in such situations. The comic panels explore different scenarios to allow kids to see their roles in making sure they stay safe and happy.  For a sample of Rachel Brian’s adult work (contains the f-word and is about consensual sex), take a look at her Youtube video Tea Consent.  240 pages; grades 1-7.

Pros:  This is an amazing resource for anyone who works with kids.  The tone is light and fun, the messages are clear, and the graphic format will appeal to children of all ages.  

Cons:  A list of additional resources would have been a great addition.

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Big Papa and the Time Machine by Daniel Bernstrom, pictures by Shane W. Evans

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Published by HarperCollins

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Summary:  It’s the first day of school, and the narrator is scared as his grandfather drives him to school.  Big Papa turns his car into a time machine, and the two of them travel back in time: to 1952 Little Rock where Big Papa is leaving home for the first time; 1986 Chicago where his daughter leaves her baby with him, then disappears; a 1941 cotton field where a man tears up the young Papa’s schoolwork and tells him the field is his only school.  Each time, Big Papa explains to the boy how scared he was, but that he had to be brave to move forward. By the time they reach school, the boy has gotten the message and is ready to hug his grandfather good-bye and courageously head toward school. Includes an author’s note about his grandfather who inspired this book and an illustrator’s note. 40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  An interesting twist on a first-day-of-school book, or any other situation that requires courage.  This could inspire some good inter-generational discussions about what it’s like to be scared and/or brave.

Cons:  The intended audience of first-time school attenders may need some extra help to understand the different circumstances of Big Papa’s life.

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Normal: One Kid’s Extraordinary Journey by Magdalena and Nathaniel Newman

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Published by HMH Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  When Nathaniel Newman was born with the craniofacial condition called Treacher Collins, his parents were overwhelmed.  Magda tells how she and her husband struggled to keep Nathaniel alive in his early days when he had to to breathe through a tracheostomy tube and be fed through another tube in his stomach.  She and her husband Russel struggled to give Nathaniel and his younger brother Jacob as normal a childhood as possible. Their lives were affected by the publication of R. J. Palacio’s book Wonder, about a boy much like Nathaniel.  Not only did they get to meet Palacio (who had been influenced in her creation of Auggie by photos of Nathaniel), but they found a greater acceptance from people after the publication of the book.  Despite over 60 surgeries for Nathaniel and two cancer diagnoses for Magda, their family has emerged stronger and with a new definition of the word “normal”. 336 pages; grades 4-8.

Pros:  Those who have read Wonder or seen the movie (which Nathaniel auditioned for) will gain a much greater appreciation for all that Augie and his family had to go through before the opening scene of the story.  Nathaniel’s upbeat, matter-of-fact tone about his life is pretty impressive, and Magda’s honesty about her emotions throughout Nathaniel’s childhood make her a mom many will connect with.  The black-and-white cartoon-style illustrations make a fun addition to the story.

Cons:  The structure of the narrative is a bit disjointed; for instance, Magda alludes to her cancer about halfway through the book, but the story of it (which happened when Nathaniel was 2) doesn’t come until almost the end.

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The Amazing Life of Azaleah Lane by Nikki Shannon Smith, illustrated by Mari Lobo

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Published by Picture Window Books (Capstone)

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Summary:  After a trip to the National Zoo, Azaleah is excited to start working on her extra-credit animal habitat diorama.  But when she gets home, she discovers that her little sister has lost her stuffed frog Greenie. At first Azaleah’s excited to work with Tiana to solve a mystery, but when Tiana’s demands start getting in the way of work on the diorama, Azaleah gets frustrated.  Older sister Nia has just gotten a big part in the school play and is acting like a bit of a diva. As family tensions start to mount, Azaleah realizes it’s up to her to get things back on track. Includes a glossary, discussion questions, writing prompts, and instructions for making a diorama.  112 pages; grades 1-3.

Pros:  This early chapter book had an engaging mystery–I was genuinely curious as to what had happened to Greenie–as well as a likeable protagonist with realistic family issues.  The full-color illustrations add to the appeal. This is billed as book 1, so we can hope for more adventures of Azaleah.

Cons:  Dad sending everyone to bed at 6 o’clock–including middle schooler Nia–seemed a bit draconian.

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Bear Goes Sugaring by Maxwell Eaton III

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Published by Neal Porter Books

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Summary:  As late-winter temperatures start to slowly rise, Bear begins her plans to make maple syrup.  Her sidekicks, Dog and Squirrel, are only interested for the pancakes they hope to eat. The process of making syrup is shown step by step, as Bear drills holes in her sugar maples, then sets the containers to collect the sap.  Readers learn pertinent information, such as how to identify a sugar maple (versus a red or silver maple) and how the sap forms inside the tree. After the sap starts to flow, Bear builds an evaporator to boil it down to syrup, all the while accompanied by the wisecracking Dog and Squirrel.  It’s a long process, but finally the syrup is bottled and ready to go. Dog and Squirrel enjoy maple syrup splendor as Bear flips pancakes on the stove. Includes a brief author’s note and three additional resources. 32 pages; ages 4-10.

Pros:  My love of maple syrup is well-known amongst my family and friends, so I’m delighted to have found two new picture books on the topic before the end of January.  This one is fun for the whole family, with surprisingly detailed information on the whole process and lots of humor from the goofy sidekicks.  

Cons:  No pancake recipe.

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Almost Time by Gary D. Schmidt and Elizabeth Stickney, illustrated by G. Brian Karas

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Clarion

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Summary:  When Ethan’s dad serves him his pancakes with applesauce, Ethan knows they’ve run out of maple syrup.  Dad tells him that they’ll have to wait for the days to get warmer and longer before they can make more.  In the meantime, Ethan discovers a loose tooth, and waiting for the tooth to fall out and sugaring season to begin get tied together in a mood of anticipation.  One day, at long last, the tooth falls out, and when Ethan gets off the school bus to show his dad, he realizes that the buckets are on the maple trees as well. For the next week, father and son work to collect and boil sap, and on Sunday morning, Ethan enjoys his reward–pancakes with maple syrup.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A perfect late winter book to start conversations about making maple syrup and the difficulty of waiting for exciting events.  The charming illustrations and warm father-son relationship make this a perfect book for sharing.

Cons:  Seems like dad could have sprung for a bottle of maple syrup to tide them over until sugaring season.  No one in this day and age should have to eat pancakes without maple syrup.

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From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Katherine Tegen Books

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Summary:  When Zoe gets a letter from her father on her 12th birthday, she is stunned.  Marcus has been in prison all her life, and she has never had any contact with him.  She begins to secretly correspond with him, and learns that he has written her many letters that she’s never received.  When he tells her he didn’t commit the crime he’s imprisoned for, Zoe wonders if she can find the alibi witness from so many years ago who might be able to verify Marcus’s story.  With the help of her friend Trevor and her grandmother, Zoe sets out to discover the truth about her family and learns that even a 12-year-old can make a difference in the world. 304 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Readers will be happy to get to know Zoe, an aspiring baker who hopes to win a spot on a Food Network show for kids.  The messages about racism in the justice system come through but are woven into a story full of love and friendship that would be perfect for starting some interesting discussions.

Cons:  I wished Zoe’s Froot Loops cupcake recipe had been included somewhere.

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Lizzie Demands A Seat! Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights by Beth Anderson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Calkins Creek

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Summary:  When Lizzie Jennings was denied admission onto a New York City “Whites Only” streetcar in 1854, she stood her ground, refusing to leave until she was forcibly thrown off by the driver and conductor.  Lizzie was a teacher whose parents were abolitionists. When she told the people of her church what had happened, they hired a lawyer and formed a committee to make sure she had plenty of support. Her case became Elizabeth Jennings v. The Third Avenue Railroad Company, and she was represented by Chester A. Arthur, who went on to become President of the United States.  Lizzie won her case, and the “Colored People Allowed on This Car” came off the Third Avenue streetcars.  Others were inspired by her courage, and continued the fight against segregated public transportation, including, a century later, Rosa Parks.  Includes a lengthy author’s note with additional information and photos; and an extensive bibliography. 32 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  A fascinating and little-known story about an ordinary person whose courageous deeds led to real change.  Caldecott honoree E. B. Lewis’s colorful paintings complement the story perfectly.  

Cons:  It would have been nice to tie this to the more familiar story of Rosa Parks, either through the text or the illustrations.

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