Class Action by Steven B. Frank

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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Summary:  When sixth-grader Sam Warren gets assigned a practice standardized test to take over Columbus Day weekend, he’s had enough.  Standing on his desk a la Dead Poets’ Society, he declares he is done with homework.  After losing the coveted piano solo in the school concert and being suspended from school, he seeks legal counsel from his elderly retired lawyer neighbor.  Before long, Sam’s friends and sister are involved, too; when they lose in the lower courts, they find themselves appealing to the Supreme Court, cheered on by millions of schoolchildren across America.  Will the highest court in the land rule in favor of saving their childhood?  Includes a glossary of legal terms and a list of the twenty cases referenced in the book.  272 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Kids will root for Sam as he takes a stand against homework, not even realizing they’re getting a civics lesson on how the American judicial system works.  The fictional Supreme Court justices are thinly-disguised copies of the real ones, which adds to the humor for those in the know.

Cons:  The contrast between Sam’s case and others mentioned in the book like Brown v. Board of Education makes his problems seem pretty first-world.

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A Stone for Sascha by Aaron Becker

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick Press

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Image result for stone for sascha becker

Summary:  On the opening page, a family is burying their beloved dog, then leaving for summer vacation.  The girl in the family reaches into the ocean as she watches another girl play with her dog on the beach.  The action suddenly shifts to prehistoric times when a meteor hits the earth.  It lands as a golden slab of rock, which is then used in all kinds of structures and works of art throughout history.  In its final incarnation, it’s carved into a dragon which eventually ends up smashed into pieces at the bottom of the sea.  One of the pieces washes ashore, and the girl from the beginning of the story finds it.  She takes it home and lays it on her dog’s grave, bringing the story full circle.  48 pages; grades K-5.

Pros: Books from Lane Smith, Aaron Becker, and the Fan Brothers all in the same month…what an amazing world we live in.  Like Becker’s Journey trilogy, this wordless book requires multiple “readings” to begin to absorb all that is happening in the illustrations.  Imaginative kids will be fascinated with the idea of traveling back in time through geology and will look at rocks in a whole new way.

Cons:  Younger readers (and possibly older ones too) will likely need some help to understand what is going on.

New Shoes by Chris Raschka

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Published by Greenwillow Books

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Summary:  A child describes a trip to the shoe store.  His shoes have holes in them, so Mommy takes him to the shoe store where his feet are measured.  He tries on yellow shoes and red shoes.  The yellow ones are “pinchy”, but the red ones are “comfy”.  He goes home where he enjoys running, both inside and out, and shows off his new shoes to his friend Emma.  32 pages; ages 2-5.

Pros:  The perspective is entirely of a child looking at his/her feet (the gender is never revealed…I need some new pronouns for writing some of these reviews).  Caldecott medalist Raschka never talks down to young kids in this story of a common, yet exciting experience for the youngest readers.

Cons:  A few sources recommend this for ages 4-8, but 4 is probably pushing the upper limit of the age range for this book.

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Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Scott Magoon

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Orchard Books

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Summary:  A crew of underwater creatures is interviewing Shark to present fun facts to the folks watching back home.  Shark keeps getting doing shark-ish things, like eating a baby seal or going after a human who has a cut on his knee. When caught, he always has an excuse: “I was just helping her find her family!” “I brought boo-boo strips!”  Interspersed with the hi-jinks are some actual facts about sharks. Shark feels so misunderstood that he needs a hug; the squid broadcaster provides one, but then gets eaten…or is Shark really just playing hide and seek? The show signs off with a voice from inside Shark’s stomach.  48 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  Who wouldn’t love a goofy shark story?  There will be plenty of laughs in the audience, both from the text and the illustrations.

Cons:  I can’t help being a bit disturbed by the ending.

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Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead, illustrated by Nicholas Gannon

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Feiwel and Friends

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Summary:  Livy is visiting her Australian grandmother for the first time since she was five.  Bob has been waiting in the closet since Livy told him to five years ago.  Livy has forgotten all about Bob, but as they spend time together, gradually her memories return.  As a five-year-old, she thought Bob was a zombie, but now she doesn’t know what he is.  Adults can’t see Bob, and Livy starts to forget him as soon as she’s away from him.  As the two of them reconstruct what happened the last time Livy visited, they slowly begin to uncover the truth of Bob’s origins, and his importance to Livy and to the drought-stricken community where her grandmother lives.  208 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  When I heard of a collaboration between Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead, I could scarcely contain my glee.  Although this book is shorter and different from their previous work, it is still a masterpiece of storytelling that will appeal to a wide age range, starting as a read-aloud for primary grades.

Cons:  It would have been nice to have more illustrations.

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All Summer Long by Hope Larson

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Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

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Summary:  Bina’s excited that seventh grade is over, but disappointed to learn that her best friend Austin is going to soccer camp for a month.  Summer seems totally boring without him, but then surprising things begin to happen.  She gets to know Austin’s older sister, Charlie, who has always seemed mean, but turns out to be pretty cool.  Bina loves music and has started learning guitar, but over the summer her passion deepens.  She gets the opportunity to meet the guitarist from one of her favorite groups, and dreams of starting her own band in high school.  When Austin gets home and starts acting weird, Bina’s confident enough to stand up to him and get their friendship back on track.  The end of the book suggests there might be a sequel that includes a new high school band for Bina.  170 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  Fans of realistic girl-centered graphic novels (Raina Telgemeier, Victoria Jamieson, Jennifer Holm, et. al.) will embrace this emotionally engaging summer tale with a strong and quirky heroine.

Cons:  Although there is nothing that makes this explicitly inappropriate for elementary grades, it definitely has more of a middle school/teen vibe than some of the authors mentioned above.

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Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea: How a Science Project Helps One Family and the Planet by Elizabeth Suneby, illustrated by Rebecca Green

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Published by Kids Can Press

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Summary:  When Iqbal hears about the science fair at his school in Bangladesh, he is determined to win, and his sister Sadia is determined to help him.  His mother and baby brother are having health issues that result from cooking on a smoky indoor fire.  His father has seen a propane stove that would help them, but can’t afford to buy it.  When Iqbal searches “smokeless cooking” on the school computer, he learns about solar cookers.  He and Sadia create one using foil and an old umbrella, and have their first success cooking an egg.  Iqbal goes on to win the science fair, and uses the money to buy a propane stove so his family can cook without smoke in any kind of weather.  Includes information about clean cookstoves, a glossary, and instructions for building a solar cooker.  32 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  As I’ve said before (more than once!) I’m a big fan of the Citizen Kid series, introducing children from around the world.  Readers will learn a lot about Iqbal’s life as he celebrates Ramadan, endures the monsoon season, and figures out a way to help his family.

Cons: Does finding an science fair project online qualify Iqbal’s idea as “ingenious”?

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Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  Jerome is dead when the story begins, shot by a policeman.  The story then goes back to the morning and unfolds in alternating sections entitled “Dead” and “Alive”.  Jerome’s day, like many before it, includes an encounter with three bullies at his school.  He makes a new friend that day, though, and Carlos defends himself and Jerome with a realistic toy gun.  Later, Carlos lends Jerome the gun; when Jerome is outside playing with it he is shot twice in the back by a policeman.  In death, Jerome encounters another Ghost Boy who turns out to be Emmett Till.  He also finds his way into the police officer’s house, where the man’s daughter, Sarah, turns out to be the only person who can see him.  Together, they slowly learn about Emmett Till and other murdered black boys who appear to them as ghosts.  When Sarah’s father’s case is dismissed, both she and Jerome must deal with their emotions and figure out how to ensure that history doesn’t keep repeating.  A Day of the Dead celebration with both Jerome’s and Carlos’s families marks the beginning of healing for both families and hope that they can find a way to make Jerome’s death lead to a more peaceful world.  Includes an author’s note, discussion questions, and additional resources.  224 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  A powerful story that should lead to a lot of discussion.  Switching between the past and present draws the reader in quickly.  The story itself, as well as the history behind it, are horrible and disturbing, but are presented in ways that are appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students to read (with guidance).

Cons:  The police officer’s family, including Sarah, could have been fleshed out to make a more interesting story.  And it seemed like Sarah and Jerome would have just Googled Emmett Till instead of wondering what his story was and waiting for a librarian to show it to them online.

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Bear and Wolf  by Daniel Salmieri

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Enchanted Lion Books

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Image result for bear wolf daniel salmieri

Summary:  A bear and a wolf meet in the woods on a winter’s night, and go off for a walk together.  They savor the sights, sounds, and smells of the quiet forest, ending up looking at fish beneath the ice of a frozen lake.  They go their separate ways, Wolf to hunt caribou, and Bear to sleep the rest of the winter. In the spring, they meet again, and walk off to explore the “awakening woods”.  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A quiet but beautiful read, gorgeously illustrated with soft colors that capture the winter, both close up and from a more distant perspective.  Readers are led to think about slowing down and enjoying all aspects of nature the way that Bear and Wolf do.

Cons:  If Bear is Bear and Wolf is Wolf, shouldn’t Bird be something more specific, like Falcon?  Otherwise, wouldn’t Bear and Wolf both be called Mammal?

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Ocean Meets Sky by The Fan Brothers

~ Janet Dawson ~ 3 Comments

Published by Simon and Schuster

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Summary:  Finn misses his grandfather, who used to tell him stories about where the sky meets the sea.  To honor him on what would have been his 90th birthday, Finn decides to build a boat.  It’s hard work, and he falls asleep.  When he awakens, he discovers he has set sail, and is led by a huge golden ship to different islands, filled with oversized library books and seashells.  Finally, he reaches the place where the ocean meets the sky, and is carried into the clouds, where he sails among other boats, hot air balloons, and a huge blue whale.  He sees his grandfather’s face in the full moon, before he is gently brought back to reality by his mother’s voice calling him to dinner.  Did he really travel, or was it all a dream?  48 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Oh, those Fan Brothers…one day they will win their Caldecott!  (Or are they Canadian, and ineligible?  Answer in the comments if you know, so I can stop rooting for them if that’s the case.)  The precise, detailed illustrations are beyond imaginative, creating a world for readers to pore over and savor.

Cons:  The story seemed a little stilted compared to the illustrations.

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