The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko, illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Arthur A. Levine Books

Summary:  Yes, the couple who took their fight for legalizing interracial marriage all the way to the Supreme Court was named Loving.  Richard Loving and Mildred “String Bean” Jeter were both from Central Point, Virginia.  When they decided to get married in 1958, they had to travel to Washington, D.C., because Richard was white and Mildred was part African-American and part Cherokee.  They moved back to Central Point, but a few weeks later they were jailed for “unlawful cohabitation”.  Eventually, they made a home in Washington, D.C., but they took their case to the Supreme Court.  In 1967, the Court decided it was unconstitutional to make marriage illegal based on race, and the Lovings were finally able to move back to Virginia.

Pros:  This is a fascinating story, particularly in light of recent changes in laws around gay marriage.  The illustrators are also an interracial couple, and the author’s notes about their marriage and the blending of their artwork are interesting as well.

Cons:  There’s only one photograph of the Loving family at the end of the book, and it’s kind of hard to see their faces.

Catch You Later, Traitor by Avi

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Published by Algonquin Young Readers

Summary:  Pete finds himself suddenly ostracized from his seventh grade classmates when his teacher, Mr. Donavan, denounces Pete’s father as a Communist.  It’s 1951, and the Red Scare is in full swing.  Pete doesn’t believe that his dad, a history professor who loves America, could possibly be a Communist, but he decides to emulate his hero Sam Spade and do a little investigating.  He’s unprepared for what he finds as he digs deep into his family’s history.  When an FBI agent starts following Pete around his Brooklyn neighborhood, danger moves frighteningly close.  There seems to be a secret informant, possibly right in the family.  Will Pete be able to solve all the mysteries before his father loses his job or ends up in jail?

Pros:  A combination historical fiction and mystery, this story is a page turner from beginning to end.

Cons:  With 293 pages, lots of plot twists, and multiple historical references, the suggested audience of 8-12 seems a little young.  Grades 5-8 is probably more appropriate.  Also, do NOT judge this book by its cover, which features what looks to be a forlorn alien.

Growing Up Pedro: How the Martinez Brothers Made It from the Dominican Republic All the Way to the Major Leagues by Matt Tavares

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Published by Candlewick

In honor of Opening Day at Fenway Park!

Summary:  The book opens with this 1998 quote from Pedro Martinez: “Ramon is the biggest reason I have gotten where I am.  He is the great one in this family.  I am still Ramon’s little brother.”  Tavares then relates the story not only of pitching great Pedro Martinez, but of his older brother Ramon, also an MLB player, who inspired Pedro to work as hard as he did.  Growing up in poverty in the Dominican Republic, the brothers dreamed of playing professional baseball.  When Pedro was 12, his brother began his pro career training at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dominican academy.  Pedro tagged along and learned alongside Ramon.  Eight years later, both of them were playing in Los Angeles.  Pedro went on to a legendary career, including leading the Red Sox to a World Series victory in 2004, but his ties to his brother and his home in the Dominican Republic remain strong.

Pros:  Add this to Matt Tavares’ list of great baseball biographies, along with Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Ted Williams.  Sports fans will be inspired by the brothers’ rags-to-riches story and will enjoy the large, vivid illustrations.

Cons:  It would be interesting to know more about what Pedro and Ramon are doing now via the author’s note.

Glamourpuss by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by David Small

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  Unlike other cats, Glamourpuss isn’t expected to catch mice or rid the closets of moths.  Her one and only job is to be glamourous, and she excels at it.  She’s shortened her “Meow” down to a single syllable, “Me”, which works nicely when she asks her mirror, “Who is the most glamourous of us all?”  Glamourpuss’s reign over the household comes to an abrupt end one day when her owner’s sister comes for a visit and brings her dog, Bluebelle.  Bluebelle’s tricks and adorable outfits charm everyone until the day Glamourpuss discovers Bluebelle in her room, devouring her cute clothes. Glamourpuss realizes Bluebelle hates these clothes and really only wants to be…glamourous.  A friendship ensues and harmony is restored for all.

Pros:  A fun and funny story with a good message about misleading first impressions.

Cons:  The glittery pink cover will probably turn off boy readers, many of whom would actually enjoy this story

The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects by Paul B. Janeczko, illustrated by Chris Raschka

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Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Veteran poetry anthologist Paul B. Janeczko has collected 50 poems about objects from nine periods in history, starting with the early Middle Ages and going to the present.  There are familiar selections such as “My Shadow” by Robert Louis Stevenson and “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams, as well as lesser-known writers like Chinese poet Bai Juyi and Vietnamese emperor Le Thanh Tong.  The introduction gives the reader a brief overview of the different historical periods.

Pros:  This reminded me of my college Norton anthologies, traveling through time with literature.  Except that I actually enjoyed reading this book.  Norton would also benefit greatly by adding Raschka’s illustrations.  Kids will be motivated to look for objects in their world that can serve as inspiration for their own poems.

Cons:  With the exception of Pablo Neruda, all the poets after the Renaissance are British or American.

Fatal Fever: Tracking Down Typhoid Mary by Gail Jarrow

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Published by Calkins Creek

Summary:  Everyone’s heard of Typhoid Mary, but who was she really?  Uncovering her identity was a medical mystery that began in the summer of 1906.  The detective was Dr. George Soper, a sanitation engineer who helped control a typhoid epidemic that swept through the town of Ithaca and Cornell University.  When a wealthy family on Long Island was sickened with typhoid, they hired Soper to figure out what had caused the outbreak.  He eventually tracked it to Mary Mellon, their former cook.  Not only that, but he was able to trace several other outbreaks to her.  The book chronicles her capture and confinement on an island off of Manhattan for most of the rest of her life. The reader will also learn about typhoid, its role in history, and how it has gradually been eliminated from most of the western world.

Pros:  I had heard of typhoid and Typhoid Mary but knew nothing about it.  The lack of sanitation in the U.S. less than a century ago was pretty appalling.  Celebrities like Abigail Adams, Wilbur Wright, and Stephen Douglas all died of typhoid.  Although this book is nonfiction, it reads like a novel.

Cons:  You may find yourself looking askance at your tap water.  And you will surely nag your children more to wash their hands.

A New Friend (The Adventures of Sophie Mouse, Book 1) by Poppy Green

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Published by Little Simon

Summary:  Spring has arrived, and Sophie’s mouse family is ready to leave the house.  She and her little brother Winston are starting school, along with Sophie’s best friend Hattie the frog.  On the first day, the students are startled to learn that their newest classmate is a snake.  Owen seems nice enough, but none of the others have met a snake before.  They’re so unfriendly to him that he decides not to come back to school.  A few days later, Sophie and Hattie are playing in the woods when Sophie falls down a hole. Owen is nearby and his long tail proves just the thing for rescuing Sophie.  Their new friendship is enough to get Owen to give school another try.

Pros:  This is a charmingly illustrated series perfect for beginning chapter book readers.  I felt as though I had landed in a 117-page Marjolein Bastin greeting card.

Cons:  I worry about Owen functioning in a classroom full of bipeds.  Even a simple act like taking off his baseball cap seemed like it would be a challenge.

Cat and Bunny by Mary Lundquist

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Published by Balzer and Bray

Summary:  Cat and Bunny have been friends since birth.  They love playing together, especially their Made-Up Game, which has rules only the two of them know.  But one day other kids want to join in, and Bunny lets them.  Cat is hurt, and goes off by herself.  A kitten comes along, and the two of them start a new Made-Up Game.  When Giraffe finds them and asks to join, Cat says, “Of course!” and before long all the kids, even Bunny, are enjoying the new game.

Pros:  This is a great introduction to friendship that is simple enough for preschoolers to understand.

Cons:  All the characters look like kids dressed up as animals except for the kitten which is…well, a kitten.  What’s up with that?

Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayre

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Published by Beach Lane Books

Summary:  Gorgeous photographs illustrate simple text about the rain.  First a storm is brewing and tiny animals take cover.  Then the rain begins (“Rain plops/It drops/It patters/It spatters), and finally, it stops.  But even after the rain storm is over, the drops remain, magnifying, reflecting, revealing, until slowly they dry up in the sun.  The last two pages offer “A Splash of Science”, explaining more about some of the photographs.

Pros:  This is a fabulous introduction to rain and water.  It’s also a book that encourages the reader to slow down and observe the natural world.

Cons:  Keep a towel and umbrella handy while reading.

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper

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Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary:  In the opening scene, Stella and her younger brother Jojo see nine members of the Ku Klux Klan burning a cross in the distance.  The reader is immediately drawn into Stella’s world, the segregated town of 1932 Bumblebee, North Carolina.  She is part of a loving family and tight-knit community who endure many hardships.  The KKK burns a neighbor’s house down, her friend Tony is beaten by two white men, and her mother is permanently crippled by a snakebite that the white doctor refuses to treat.  But there are happy times, too, like the visit from a traveling storyteller and the day the entire town escorts Stella’s father and his two friends to vote in their first election.  Through it all, Stella works hard on her writing as she struggles to record what she sees and hears.

Pros:  Based on the lives of the author’s father and grandmother, this is a fascinating historical novel about the harsh realities of the segregated South during the Depression.  The love and community spirit are every bit as powerful as the difficulties Stella and her friends and family encounter.

Cons:  Be sure to discuss this book with kids as they read it.  Some of the events could be disturbing.