They Lost Their Heads: What Happened to Washington’s Teeth, Einstein’s Brain, and Other Famous Body Parts by Carlyn Beccia

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Bloomsbury

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Summary:  17 chapters recount the fates of the body parts in the title, as well as Sarah Bernhardt’s leg, Vincent Van Gogh’s ear, Elvis’s wart, and more.  Each chapter is followed by several more short tales of relevant anatomy.  20+ pages between the last two chapters go into greater detail about cloning, stealing body parts, and some pretty disgusting food and beverage trivia.  The writing is breezy and irreverent, with lots of humorous footnotes, and there are plenty of illustrations throughout.  Includes an extensive bibliography and index.  192 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  The humor targets the age group perfectly; readers will enjoy grossing out their peers and elders while inadvertently learning some history and science.  The black and white etchings reminded me a little bit of Edward Gorey’s art.

Cons:  Some of the stories, particularly those involving ingesting body parts and fluids, were a little over the top for me.  But then, I am not a 12-year-old boy.

If you would like to buy this book on Amazon, click here.

 

A House That Once Was by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Lane Smith

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Published by Roaring Brook Press

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Summary:  Two children discover an old house in the woods and climb in through a broken window.  As they explore what they find there, they imagine who might have lived there before and what has happened to them.  Finally, they return to their own house, cozy and warm with dinner waiting, remembering that “Deep in the woods/is a house/just a house/that once was/but now isn’t/a home.”  48 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  Award winners Julie Fogliano and Lane Smith combine their talents for a haunting, evocative picture book.  The slightly surreal, detailed illustrations deserve to be savored, and the poetic text flows smoothly.  A perfect read-aloud.

Cons:  Peeling exterior paint and mice peering out of holes in the walls = a little too close to home for me.

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The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Dial Books

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Summary:  Nishal has a relatively happy life in India with her doctor father, twin brother, and grandmother.  Her mother died in childbirth, so when Nishal receives a diary for her twelfth birthday, she uses it to write letters to her mom.  Soon there is plenty to write about; it’s 1947, and India has just won its independence from Great Britain.  The country has been partitioned into two countries: Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India.  Although Nishal’s mother was Muslim, her father is Hindu, and the family lives in the area that has become Pakistan.  They are forced to leave their home with almost nothing, and to undertake a dangerous journey to Jodhpur, India.  Almost dying of thirst along the way, witnessing fighting and killing between the two factions, Nisha draws further into herself, going from being a shy, introverted girl to completely mute.  In their new home, though, she begins to recognize the courage and strength she had to make the journey, and the ending promises a hopeful future for her and her family.  Includes an author’s note with more historical information and a glossary of words used in India and Pakistan that appear in the story.  272 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Excellent historical fiction told by a sympathetic character kids will relate to; I learned quite a bit about 20th-century history of India and Pakistan.  The refugee story is a universal one that is still being lived by millions of people today.

Cons:  The unfamiliar time and place may make this a hard sell to elementary kids.

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What If… by Samantha Berger, illustrated by Mike Curato

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Summary:  A young girl loves to create stories and pictures with her pencil.  But what if the pencil disappeared?  She’d create by folding the paper.  If that was gone?  She’d carve up the table and chair to make something new.  And so it goes, her creativity unstoppable even if her tools aren’t available anymore.  The second to last page reads, “If I had nothing, but still had my mind…” with a close-up of her face on a foldout page that opens to an imaginative spread of her riding a pink unicorn, then continues: “If I know nothing but one bit of fate…As long as I live, I will always create.”  The final page shows her working in her apartment window; other windows portray her neighbors playing music, dancing, decorating a cake, and pursuing other creative endeavors.  A note from the author and illustrator tells how Samantha Berger was inspired to write this book after a flood forced her to evacuate her apartment with only her dog and her sketchbook.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Maybe Mike Curato will finally win a well-deserved Caldecott for this beautiful meditation on creativity and the ability to make something new in any situation.

Cons:  The pink unicorn and rainbow on the foldout page felt a little clichéd.

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Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Candlewick

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Summary:  When Alma Sofia Esperanza Jose Pura Candela complains that her name is too long, her father tells five stories about the different family members for whom she is named.  Each one connects to her in a special way.  Her sixth name, Alma, is just for her.  “You are the one and only Alma,” her father tells her.  “You will make your own story.”  The author’s note tells the story of her own full name, Juana Carlota Martinez Pizarro, and how it reminds her of her roots in Peru.  Also available in a Spanish edition, Alma y Como Obtuvo su Nombre.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A lovely story by award-winning illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal that invites readers to learn and tell the stories of their own names.

Cons:  Alma may struggle with all those names when filling out online forms.

Click to buy on Amazon:  the English edition or the Spanish edition

The Triumphant Tale of the House Sparrow by Jan Thornhill

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Groundwood Books

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Summary:  As she did in The Tragic Tale of the Great Auk, Jan Thornhill tells the story of the interaction between birds and humans.  This one has a happier ending, though, as house sparrows have proven to be incredibly adaptable, often becoming pests that feed on agricultural grains.  The birds have spread around the globe with humans, traveling on ships with Roman soldiers to Great Britain and being introduced to the United States by homesick immigrants.  Despite their peskiness, sparrows also eat a lot of insects, as Chairman Mao discovered in 1958; his campaign against the Eurasian Tree sparrows led to a devastating famine in China. In the early 1980’s, the population of sparrows began to fall, and the author offers several theories–all of them based on human factors–for this decline.  In some places, this is starting to level off, offering hope that the house sparrow’s adaptability is helping it to survive in a changing world. Includes a map showing where the house sparrow lives; its life cycle; a glossary; and additional resources. 44 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros:  Beautifully illustrated and engagingly narrated, this informational book will help students learn more about animal adaptation and the relationship that exists between humans and animal species.

Cons:  I’ve always thought sparrows were kind of cute, and didn’t realize they are considered “the most despised bird in human history.”

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Bigfoot and Little Foot by Ellen Potter, art by Felicita Sala

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Published by Amulet Books

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Summary:  Hugo lives with his Sasquatch family and friends in the North Woods.  He’s curious about the outside world, especially humans, and one day he sends a toy boat into a stream to have an adventure.  When the boat returns with a plastic human figure inside, Hugo can’t resist replacing it with a tiny wooden Sasquatch and sending it back out again.  Before long, he and human boy Boone are exchanging notes.  Finally, against all the Sasquatch rules, Hugo goes in search of Boone, and the two become friends.  Sworn to secrecy, Boone comes back and meets Hugo’s Sasquatch community.  Their adventures will continue in book 2, due out in September.  144 pages; grades 2-4.

Pros:  Beginning chapter book readers will love Hugo, Boone, and the rest of the Sasquatches.  Hugo faces some pretty typical 8- or 9-year-old problems, often with a lot of humor, and there are plenty of illustrations to help those just transitioning to longer books.

Cons:  It’s hard for me to believe Boone won’t ever tell anyone about his Sasquatch sighting.

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Whatshisface by Gordon Korman

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Published by Scholastic Press

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Summary:  Army brat Cooper is used to being the new kid in school, and tries to fade into the background as much as possible.  As consolation for the family’s most recent move, his parents have gotten him a top-of-the-line smartphone, but it seems to have some bugs.  Then one day, an oddly-dressed boy named Roddy appears on the screen and starts talking to Cooper in Shakespeare’s English. Coincidentally, Cooper’s new hometown, Stratford, is crazy about Shakespeare, and every year the seventh grade puts on one of the Bard’s plays.  This year, it’s Romeo and Juliet, and although Cooper would love to be Romeo to his crush Jolie’s Juliet, he’s relegated to the part of second watchman.  But Roddy has some personal knowledge of William Shakespeare, particularly Romeo and Juliet, and he’s not about to let Cooper get sidelined.  The two of them work together to capture Jolie’s heart, reveal the true author of Romeo and Juliet, and make this year’s production the most memorable Stratford has ever seen. 240 pages; grades 3-7.

Pros:  Gordon Korman fans won’t be disappointed by this fast and funny middle school story; Roddy’s old English interpretation of the 21st century is laugh-out-loud funny.

Cons:  The first few chapters were kind of flat.  I like the way Korman often tells stories from different characters’ perspectives, but this was all third person from Cooper’s point of view.

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Eat This! How Fast-Food Marketing Gets You to Buy Junk (and how to fight back) by Andrea Curtis, illustration by Peggy Collins

~ Janet Dawson ~ Leave a comment

Published by Red Deer Press

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Summary:  If you’ve ever chuckled at the antics of Ronald McDonald or felt a kinship when your favorite movie star drank a Diet Coke, you’ve been the target of junk food marketing.  This book explains how kids are a big market and how food companies try to get inside their young heads to persuade them to purchase their products.  From cartoon characters to apps and online games to signs around your favorite stadium, advertising is everywhere.  The author helps kids, parents, and teachers understand the insidious ways of the marketers so that they can have an awareness of what is being sold to them and make informed decisions.  Includes a list of activities, glossary, sources, and an interview with the author.  40 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  Liberally illustrated with photos (ironically, many look mouth-wateringly delicious), this is an effective message for kids and their parents and teachers to use, and gives them tools to make healthier choices when it comes to food.

Cons:  The pages are pretty text-heavy, so this may be used more for research than for browsing or recreational reading.

If you would like to buy this on Amazon, click here.