Nonfiction that will make you question humanity

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Glenn Burke, Game Changer: The Man Who Invented the High Five by Phil Bildner, illustrated by Daniel J. O’Brien (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 32 pages, grades 2-5). As a kid, Glenn Burke was a five-tool talent: fast runner, powerful and accurate hitter, good catcher, and strong pitcher. So it was no surprise that he got called up to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He made a name for himself there, and was an enthusiastic teammate, greeting runners at home plate by putting up his right hand, which the player would then smack. The high-fiving team made it to the World Series in 1977, but the next year Glenn was traded to the Oakland Athletics, a team at the bottom of the baseball standing. Why? Glenn Burke was gay, and homophobic manager Tommy Lasorda didn’t want him on the team. The trade led Glenn to quit baseball altogether. He enjoyed success playing in the San Francisco Gay Softball League and winning gold in the Gay Olympics, but struggled with drug use and unemployment, shattering his leg in a car accident and dying of AIDS at the age of 42. He lived long enough to see his high five become a universal greeting, but not to see the open acceptance of gay players in the MLB. Includes an author’s note, bibliography, and timeline.

Phil Bildner writes in the author’s note how he originally envisioned Glenn Burke’s story as a picture book, but his editor wanted a middle grade novel, which became A High Five for Glenn Burke, published in 2020. While the origin story of the high five may seem like a perfect choice for younger readers, the MLB’s homophobia and Burke’s death from AIDS may make this a better choice for older kids. It’s a moving and well-told story, ending on a note that is both sad and hopeful.

It Happened in Salem by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Brad Holland (Creative Editions, 32 pages, grades 6 and up). “You know what I’m talking about. You start whispering things about a person–hurtful things you know will get that person in trouble, untrue things you may have convinced yourself are actually true.” This second-person introduction to the Salem Witch Trials situates readers right in the middle of the action. The text is spare, relating the basic events and facts, and illustrated with haunting paintings of people in stocks and hanging from nooses. An author’s note gives more information, including the fact that it took 325 years–until 2017–for Salem to put up a plaque commemorating the individuals who were executed.

I found this book disturbing from the cover to the author’s note, which seems appropriate for the subject. You can generally count on Jonah Winter to put a unique and relevant spin on history that will have readers thinking about their own lives. I saw recommendations for this book starting in fourth grade, but I personally would not get this for an elementary library. It would be an excellent supplement for middle school or high school students learning about this period of American history, no doubt initiating some interesting conversations on gossip and bullying. I wish there had been some additional resources given at the end.

Welcome to the world of reading!

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As the year winds down, I’ll be reviewing two final 2024 books in several categories (middle grade fiction, nonfiction, early chapter books, and picture books). During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, I’ll post my lists of favorites, then take a break for the first few weeks of January.

Words Are Magic! by Zaila Avang-garde, illustrated by Felicia Whaley. (Random House Books for Young Readers, 32 pages, ages 4-6). “Words are magic! Have you heard? Pick a letter. Make a word!” The enthusiastic narrator shows readers all the things that can be done with words: sing them, shout them, draw them, paint them, and more. She goes through her day finding different ways to use words, and concludes “I love words!” As well she might, being the 2021 winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee (the author that is). This is a fun, high-energy introduction to the power of words and reading, written in a format that beginning readers will soon be able to read themselves.

No Cats in the Library by Lauren Emmons (Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Clarisse is a stray cat who loves books. Peering over a child’s shoulder from her perch in a tree, she can’t understand the dark squiggly lines, but she loves the pictures. When she discovers a library, she tries to get inside, but the librarian keeps taking her out again. Finally, Clarisse discovers the book drop, and uses a catlike leap to get inside. A child struggling to learn to read finds Clarisse the perfect read-aloud partner, and Clarisse is happy to oblige. Witnessing the power of a read-aloud cat, the librarian is convinced to change her mind, and Clarisse finds a new home. This lovely story made me want to get a cat for my library, even though I am allergic. Maybe a stuffed one? Kids and librarians alike will love Clarisse, and if a library has a read-aloud program with a dog (I’ve never seen one with a cat, but who knows?), this book will make a perfect introduction.

Middle school drama

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Stand Up! by Tori Sharp (Little, Brown Ink, 336 pages, grades 5-8). Kyle and Clay are best friends who also live together with their moms in an apartment over the local cafe. They’ve both been part of stage crew through middle school, but Clay decides she’s ready for the spotlight and auditions for the last eighth grade show, Gals and Dolls. The performance brings all kinds of new experiences, including Clay’s crush on fellow actress Daria and the creation of a popular podcast by Kyle and Clay. Although Clay enjoys being in the play, her ADHD makes her struggle with focus, and she’s heartbroken when she learns that leading man Nate is asking Daria to the eighth grade dance. But the show must go on, and not only is Gals and Dolls a sold-out hit, but Kyle and Clay’s podcast takes off as well, resulting in them getting to do a live show opening act for their own favorite podcast. Includes an author’s note describing how her own autism (like Kyle) and ADHD (like Clay) influenced the story, and encouraging readers to embrace who they are and find their own people.

Fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Drama will enjoy this graphic novel that offers a behind-the-scenes look at a group of lovable thespians figuring out life, middle school, and how to put on a play. The plot is a bit meandering at times, but the characters carry the story and will have readers turning pages until the end.

Take It From the Top by Claire Swinarski (Quill Tree Books, 256 pages, grades 4-7). For Eowyn and Jules, summers at Lamplighter Lake Summer Camp have always been the best part of the year, a time when they get to live and breathe musical theater. Eowyn’s first summer at camp, when she was 8 years old, was a welcome change of scenery following her mother’s death. There she met Jules, who sees camp as an escape from the poverty of cramped West Virginia apartment and worries about her father’s disability. But their sixth summer, when the girls are 13, is different. Jules has been cool to Eowyn all year, and she remains distant when they get to camp. Eowyn is dealing with crippling stage fright, which has meant smaller parts each year in the big camp production, as well as family issues with her dad and her Broadway star older brother Nick. When it’s announced that this year’s play will be Wicked, a show the girls have always dreamed about co-starring in, Eowyn fears that she will have to put many of her dreams on hold forever.

Told in chapters that alternate between Eowyn’s first-person narrative of the present and Jules’s third-person accounts of past summers, the story slowly reveals the cracks in their friendship, as well as some of the family issues both girls are dealing with. Everything comes to a head during Wicked‘s dress rehearsal week, and some honest communication begins the healing process for everyone. Musical theater fans will love the behind-the-scenes look at putting on a big play, and everyone will enjoy the idyllic summer camp vibes. I was surprised this summer-y book was released in November, but then I realized the release date was well-timed to coordinate with the Wicked movie.

Creature features

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Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Deena So’Oteh (Anne Schwartz Books, 48 pages, grades 1-5). Narrated in second person (“Scientists call you unicorn of the Arctic”), the text tells the story of a narwhal, starting in the Arctic, where he and another male joust with their tusks before slipping under the ice into the sea. When the weather turns warm, the narwhal pod migrates to summer grounds; by September, it’s time to return to the Arctic. Dangers lurk, with orcas and polar bears hunting the narwhals and a sudden blizzard blocking the air hole in the ice. If the narwhal survives, he will make the journey back and forth for fifty years. Includes two pages of additional information and a bibliography.

As she did in Giant Squid, Honeybee, and Polar Bear, Candace Fleming has crafted an exciting nonfiction narrative that teaches kids a lot about a fascinating animal, while keeping the pages turning with plenty of adventure. I was disappointed at first that Eric Rohmann didn’t do the illustrations, but debut illustrator Deena So’Oteh did a magnificent job that deserves both Caldecott and Sibert consideration.

Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock: A Graphic Novel Poetry Collection Full of Suprising Characters! by Vikram Madan (Wordsong, 128 pages, grades 2-5). This madcap collection of poems features a wild and crazy cast of characters, such as ghost guppies, squishosaurs, and the salesmoose. Making multiple appearances throughout the book is the fearsome Nozzlewock, about whom a group of children is repeatedly warned, and from whom they have to ultimately save their teacher. There’s a bunch of crazy science going on, too, from laboratory shenanigans to wormholes, which in the end helps the kids rescue the teacher. Many of the characters reappear from time to time, adding to the fun and continuity of this poetry collection.

This would be a great introduction to poetry for those who may not consider themselves fans of the genre. The poems are hilarious, and the graphic novel format will appeal to all kinds of readers.

Two books about Palestine

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A Map for Falasteen by Maysa Odeh, illustrated by Aliaa Betawi (Henry Holt and Co., 40 pages, ages 4-8). When Falasteen’s teacher invites students to look at a map and share where their families are from, Falasteen can’t find her family’s homeland, Palestine. At home that afternoon, she tells her grandparents what happened and asks why Palestine isn’t on the map. Her grandfather, Jido, draws her a map and tells her that her teacher needs teaching, while Teta tells Falasteen how soldiers forced her and her children from their home and shows her the key to their old house she has kept all these years. When Falasteen asks her mother about it at bedtime, Mama tells her that “sometimes people live in countries and sometimes countries live in people,” and that Palestine lives in each of their hearts. She promises Falasteen that one day they will be able to visit their homeland. Includes an author’s note telling of her own family’s experiences being displaced from their home in Palestine in 1967, as well as a concise history of Palestine from 1948 to the present.

Maysa Odeh tells a compelling story that shows readers the history of Palestine, both through Falasteen’s story and her author’s note. Each of Falasteen’s family members adds a different element to the narrative, and Odeh’s personal story creates another layer. I felt like Mama’s speech could have been edited a bit for length (more power to her for having that much energy at bedtime), but at the same time it is incredibly moving and stirring.

Although it’s not a children’s book, I want to mention another new Palestinian book coming out this week, If I Must Die: Poetry and Prose by Refaat Alareer (OR Books, 288 pages). Refaat Alareer was a Palestinian poet and professor who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza in December 2023 at the age of 44. After his death his poem, “If I Must Die” went viral. There is currently a campaign to make his book a best-seller by pre-ordering it before Tuesday.

Heartbreaking/heartwarming stories

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I Know How to Draw an Owl by Hilary Horder Hippely, illustrated by Matt James (Neal Porter Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Belle’s teacher holds up her picture of an owl for the class to see. “How did Belle make his eyes so wise? Belle’s owl almost looks alive.” Belle doesn’t want to tell the class, but she shows the reader how she learned to draw an owl. She and her mom have been living in their car in a deserted park. At night, they hear an owl hooting, and her mom tells Belle that the owl is keeping an eye on them. One night, there’s no sound, but suddenly the owl appears in a nearby tree and locks its wise eyes with Belle’s. She’s sure she’ll never tell the story to any of her classmates, but one day a new boy gets dropped off in a car that looks just like the one that she and her mom live in, and just like the owl, she vows to keep an eye on him.

This moving story shows a girl and her mom surviving a tough time with courage and resilience, resulting in Belle’s kindness when she sees another child who may be going through something similar. The owl adds an interesting element to the story, which will engage kids and build empathy for others who may be experiencing homelessness.

Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 304 pages, grades 4-7). At age 12, Sharkita has far too many responsibilities weighing on her, often being forced to care for her younger siblings while Mama is out drinking and partying. The family has been split up before, the kids sent to foster care, and Sharkita’s mom has been given a last chance to prove herself. At first, things seem pretty good, and Sharkita is cautiously optimistic that she can lead a normal middle school life, hanging out with friends, being a baton twirler, having her first boyfriend, and maybe even getting help for her hyperdontia (extra teeth). But soon, Mama starts disappearing, leaving Sharkita to take care of 5-year-old Lilli and 8-year-old Lamar, who has fetal alcohol syndrome. When Sharkita defies her mom one night to go out with her friends instead of babysitting, disaster strikes, and the kids are placed in foster care once again. Ultimately, they’re split up, but end up in loving homes. Sharkita begins to receive therapy for her panic attacks and sleep paralysis, learning that it’s okay to take care of herself as well as her siblings, and that the three of them will always be a family no matter what.

I could not put this book down, and I hope it will be considered for awards. Sharkita’s family is, as she learns, in crisis, and the brunt of that has fallen on her. The topics are not easy to read about, and I was on the edge of my seat for most of it. It seems like there have been more middle grade novels this year with terrible mothers, whether they are unrepentant criminals or criminally neglectful. It does make for rewarding reading to watch their resilient kids, like Sharkita, find their own way and manage to connect with loving adults who can actually support and take care of them (which sadly is not always how things turn out in real life). Sharkita’s support all comes from staff at her school, serving as a reminder of how much social work schools are doing these days.

That holiday glow

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Winter Solstice Wish by Kate Allen Fox, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (Beaming Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8).  On the shortest day of the year, a group gathers on a beach to watch the sunset and build a bonfire.  In the darkness, people long for light and the connection to each other.  “Around the globe, other hands reach out, holding hope, holding space, holding one another” is accompanied by people in three different countries reaching out to pass a light from one place to the next.  At the same time as the shortest day, in other places on Earth it is the longest day.  And on the winter solstice, we know that soon the days will start getting longer and daylight will return.  Includes information about both the winter and summer solstices and the winter solstice celebrations that are pictured in the book.

Both the poetic text and the illustrations provide a luminous introduction to the winter solstice, with a nod to the summer one and what causes both solstices.  There are lots of celebrations pictured, and readers may want to think about how they want to observe the shortest day and wishes that they may want to make.  This would be a nice December book to pair with Hanukkah Upside Down, which shows kids celebrating Hanukkah in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy (Feiwel and Friends, 304 pages, grades 4-7).  Aviva and Holly take turns narrating the story of how an unexpected meeting at a holiday pageant audition leads to the discovery that they are identical twins separated at birth.  While Aviva is getting ready for Hanukkah with her parents, brothers, and bubbe, Holly and her single mom and grandfather are preparing for Christmas.  When they decide to do a Parent Trap-style switch, each learns about the other one’s family, personality, and holiday.  They’re able to hold off on a grand reveal to their families until they bring down the house with an original song and the pageant.  Although they don’t get all the answers about their birth and separation, it’s clear that the two families will be connected going forward, especially since there seems to be a budding romance between the grandparents.

This feel-good book has some serious Hallmark vibes and is sure to be a best-seller that will undoubtedly be unwrapped by many tweens by the light of the Christmas tree or Hanukkah menorah.  While a little suspension of disbelief may be needed (the girls figure out they’re twins that were separated at birth in about five minutes–and are immediately fine with it), there are enough hilarious hijinks, cozy winter scenes, and touching family interactions to satisfy readers.

Two novels about Indigenous communities

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The Ribbon Skirt: A Graphic Novel by Cameron Mukwa (Graphix, 192 pages, grades 4-7). Anang is a two-spirit (non-binary) 10-year-old, who wishes to make a ribbon skirt to wear for powwow. Because Anang is perceived as a boy, they have had bullying issues at school, resulting in a decision to homeschool. When Sherry, a former friend turned mean girl, comes to stay at Anang’s house, there’s some tension between the two kids. Anang is afraid they’ll be made fun of for wearing a ribbon skirt, but their kind grandmother offers support and advises them to consult with spirits. Various animals assist Anang in their quest for skirt materials, and as the items seem to magically appear one by one, Anang and Sherry are also able to work out their differences. The skirt is complete in time for powwow day, and Anang joyfully participates in the dancing before inviting Sherry to join them. Includes a glossary of Ojibwe words and additional information about ribbon skirts, two-spirit, powwows, and a recipe for manoomin, a wild rice and berry salad.

This fairly short graphic novel covers a wide range of topics, with a main character who has struggled with others’ acceptance of their gender identity but seems to have emerged stronger from the experience. I loved the supportive community Anang is part of, and readers will enjoy the helper animals who all seem to have pretty healthy senses of humor.

Find Her by Ginger Reno (Holiday House, 224 pages, grades 5-8).  Wren’s Cherokee mother has been missing for the last five years, ever since Wren was seven years old.  Her white father, the local police chief, is a stickler for protocol, frustrating Wren who wants to know all the details of the investigation.  Her grandmother Elisi has lived with the family since Mom’s disappearance, taking care of Wren and her dad, and instilling in Wren pride in her Cherokee heritage.  Wren has a natural instinct for finding lost things, especially animals, and when pets are found dead or tortured, she wants to find out what is going on.  With a new friend Brantley, she starts to investigate the animal crimes and eventually makes a discovery that turns her and Brantley’s worlds upside down.  While Wren and Brantley are able to solve the mystery, her mom remains missing at the end of the book, strengthening Wren’s resolve to find out what has happened.  Includes information on the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls database and Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, the town in Cherokee Nation where the story takes place.

This is a riveting mystery by debut author Ginger Reno (Cherokee), which shines a light on the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women.  There are some pretty heavy issues in the story, including bullying, child abuse, and animal abuse, making it perhaps a better choice for middle school readers.

The magic of friendship

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The Best Friend Bracelet by Nicole D. Collier (HarperCollins, 272 pages, grades 3-6). While Zariah has a booming friendship bracelet business, she herself has been without a best friend since entering middle school. When she realizes one of her bracelets is magic and will cause the wearer to instantly become her best friend, she embarks on a series of experiments to try out different friends. Each relationship teaches her something new about friendship and moves her closer to the real thing. As she gets to know a girl named Theo who claims to have no interest in making friends, Zariah begins to realize that best friendship is based on shared experiences, trust, and having each other’s back. By the time she and Theo realize that they have a real best friendship, Zariah has discovered that she no longer needs the magic bracelet.

I could really relate to Zariah’s obsessive overthinking about friendship from my own middle school days, and I loved how she got to experiment with different types of relationships with her magical bracelet. Both Zariah and Theo are interesting characters with lots of quirks and interesting hobbies. I was hoping they would expand their friendship circle to include Willow, a best friend runner-up who was the last bracelet wearer, and her friend Clara.

Split Second by Janae Marks (Quill Tree Books, 256 pages, grades 4-7). After an evening of fun at the fall carnival, Elise happily falls asleep in her sleeping bag at a slumber party with her two best friends, Ivy and Melinda. She wakes up in bed, with Ivy and Melinda gone, and soon realizes that it’s now spring and six months have passed. No one else seems to notice anything’s amiss, and Elise soon realizes that she’s lived through that time period, even though she has no memory of it. Elise learns that she and Ivy and Melinda are no longer friends, but that she’s reconnected with an old friend, Cora, who she drifted apart from during the pandemic lockdown. Cora’s the one person she confides in about the time jump, and as they try to puzzle out what happened with Ivy and Melinda, it soon becomes clear that Cora has some secrets of her own. After revealing one of those secrets to Elise, Cora takes up the narrative to tell her side of what happened that night and what she knows about the time jump and the magic that made it happen.

I was drawn right into this book by the various mysteries involved in the time travel and enjoyed the way the author wove together middle school friendship issues and magic. Splitting the book between two narrators allowed for interesting shifts in perspective. This is the second book this year where the narrator lives through a time that she subsequently forgets, a premise that I find both intriguing and disconcerting.

‘Tis the season

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Uri and the King of Darkness: A Hanukkah Story by Nati Bait, translated by Ilana Kurshan, illustrated by Carmel Ben Ami (Kalaniot Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Uri, his sister Shir, and their mom are awaiting Dad’s return home as it starts to get dark and rain is falling. Uri begins to worry about what could have happened to Dad: is he stuck in traffic? Did he get a flat tire? As darkness falls, Uri’s imagination kicks into overdrive, envisioning an evil king leading an army to attack their house. When he and Shir rush to fight off the invaders, the door swings open, and Dad is home! His delay was caused by a stop at the bakery for jelly donuts, a Hanukkah treat, and as Uri lights the first candle and the family sings together, the king and his army retreat back into the darkness. Includes the story of Hanukkah and the blessings that are recited when lightning Hanukkah candles, in English and Hebrew.

This Israeli import both celebrates the first night of Hanukkah and shows how a child deals with his anxieties and draws comfort from a loving family. The illustrations look like a kid’s drawings, especially the ones showing the king and his army. The rhyming text (translated from Hebrew) is catchy, although it wouldn’t have been my first choice for telling this story.

Santa’s First Christmas by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Sydney Smith (Viking Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 3-8). Used to be, Santa Claus made toys all year, delivered them on Christmas Eve, and got right back to work on December 25. But when a polar bear learns of this situation, he convinces the elves that Santa deserves a real Christmas. Starting with breakfast in bed, the elves take Santa step by step through Christmas preparations, including a tree, stockings, and colorful outside lights. A white furry creature in a Santa suit stops by to deliver gifts (Santa knows who it is but doesn’t say anything). When everyone sits down to a big Christmas feast, Santa looks around the table and declares, “We should do this every year.”

Beloved author Mac Barnett has another Christmas book this season, teaming with Sydney Smith for a lovely story that touches on many familiar holiday traditions. The illustrations strike a perfect balance of light and darkness to create cozy holiday scenes, and everyone will get a kick out of the polar bear stand-in for Santa Claus.