Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena, illustrated by Christian Robinson

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Summary:  CJ and his nana have a Sunday morning routine.  After church they walk to the bus stop, board the bus, and take a ride.  The book follows them on their bus ride one Sunday.  CJ wishes he didn’t have to go.  He’s envious of his friends who have cars, and who get to go home after church.  But every time he complains, his nana points out all the good parts of their day.  The rain is giving the thirsty trees a drink.  The bus breathes fire and the friendly bus driver can pull a coin out of CJ’s ear.  The dirty city just makes the rainbow in the sky seem more beautiful.  By the time they climb off the bus, CJ is glad to be going to the soup kitchen with Nana to help serve the friends who look forward to seeing them every week.

Pros:  The text is brief, but the writing is beautifully descriptive (“The outside air smelled like freedom, but it also smelled like rain, which freckled CJ’s shirt and dripped down his nose.”).  Nana is an inspiring character who gently points out the good in everything without being annoying.

Cons:  The guy with the tattoos really should give up his seat on the bus to Nana.

My Pen by Christopher Myers

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Disney-Hyperion

Summary:  “All you need is your imagination,” declares the cover of the book.  Christopher Myers then goes on to explain all that his pen can do.  It can ride dinosaurs, put an elephant in a teacup, and tell stories in the margins of the pages.  Sometimes it makes mistakes, but it can draw a new face every morning.  “There are a million pens in the world and each one has a million worlds inside it,” concludes Myers.  “Let those worlds inside your pen out!”

Pros:  A fabulous celebration of creativity and imagination.  The illustrations may be Caldecott-worthy.  Kids will be inspired to get out their pens and see what they can do.

Cons:  If you’re expecting a story with this book, you’ll be disappointed.  It’s more of a creative jumpstart.

Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball by Howard Bryant

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Philomel Books

Summary:  Each chapter of this book stands alone, chronicling the history of a player or team.  The first section, “Spring”, tells the stories of individual players from Babe Ruth to Rickey Henderson.  “Summer” moves on to teams, like the 1914 Boston Braves and the 1998 New York Yankees.  Finally, “Fall” recounts some of the more amazing World Series.  Don’t worry, Boston fans, both the 1975 and 2004 Red Sox made the final cut.

Pros:  Not being a huge baseball fan, I thought I would just read a few of the chapters. I got hooked with the first story of Babe Ruth and ended up reading the book cover to cover.  Even the most avid fan will likely learn something new from this book, and will undoubtedly enjoy reliving favorite baseball memories.

Cons:  It seems like a no-brainer to have lots of pictures in each chapter.  Instead, there are a mere 18 photos, all stuck at the end of the book.

Mr. Pants: Slacks, Camera, Action by Scott McCormick, pictures by R. H. Lazzell

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Published by Dial Books

Summary:  When cool cat Mr. Pants sees a flier for a film contest, he decides he wants to make a movie and win big.  But life keeps interfering: his mom has planned a tea party, there are chores to be done, and the other kids don’t want to take him seriously.  He perseveres, filming what he can, and piecing together snippets on his computer to create a masterpiece.  The excitement builds at the film festival…will Mr. Pants get the $1,000 prize and his trip to Hawaii?

Pros:  This is the second installment in a new graphic novel series, and Mr. Pants is a worthy successor to Babymouse.  With short chapters, lots of action, and plenty of laughs, these books will engage the most reluctant reader.

Cons: The tea party scene was a little confusing to me.  Too many cats.

Counting Crows by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by Rob Dunlavey

~ Janet Dawson ~ 4 Comments

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Crows are counted in groups of three up to twelve in rhyming text. (“One, two, three/crows in a tree/three roly-poly bugs/three ripe mangos/three for the counting crows/three, by jango!”).  When a cat counts the twelve crows tails, it’s time to fly away.

Pros:  The rhymes are very catchy, reminiscent of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.  Simple but striking illustrations, all in black, white, and red.  The groupings of the crows could be used as an introduction to multiplication as well as counting.

Cons:  Crows = kind of annoying.

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

~ Janet Dawson ~ 7 Comments

Published by Dial Books

Summary:  Astrid and her best friend Nicole seem to be drifting apart as they get ready to enter junior high. When her mother takes the two girls to the roller derby, Astrid discovers her passion.  She tries to convince Nicole to sign up for roller derby camp with her, but Nicole prefers ballet.  Astrid goes anyway, and the four weeks of camp turn out to be life-changing for her.  As the youngest and least experienced member of the group, she has the hardest time getting into shape, and spends more time lying on the rink floor than skating.  But she also makes a friend, dyes her hair, and gets a new derby name.  By the time the girls get to do an exhibition bout, Astrid is still the weakest player, but she’s learned enough to be able to contribute to her team at a crucial moment.

Pros:  Middle grade readers will cheer for Astrid as she learns how to be herself and to navigate the tricky waters of girls’ friendships.  Fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Smile and Sisters will love Roller Girl.

Cons:  Graphic novels like this take too long to create…I can’t wait to read the next installment of Astrid’s story

Honey by Sarah Weeks

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Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  Because Melody’s mother died when she was a baby, Melody’s never really missed her.  She and her father are so close that the two of them seem like a complete family.  But one night, the phone rings, and Melody hears her dad call the person on the other end “Honey”.  He tells her it was a wrong number, but she’s sure he has a new girlfriend, and with the help of her best friend Nick, sets off to figure out who it is.  There are a couple teachers at his school, including her awful fifth grade teacher Miss Hogan, plus the new hair salon owner who it turns out was Melody’s mother’s best friend.  The mystery is slowly solved and along the way, Melody learns more about her mother, her father, and herself.

Pros:  Like Sarah Weeks’ Pie, this is an immensely satisfying book with likeable characters and a plot that unfolds at just the right pace to keep the reader guessing to the end.

Cons:  Although plenty of third, fourth, and fifth graders would love this book, there’s no big “hook” to use in a book talk.

New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer, illustrated by Eric Velasquez

~ Janet Dawson ~ 2 Comments

Published by Holiday House

Summary:  When Ella Mae’s family scrapes together enough money to buy her a new pair of shoes, she is dismayed to learn that black people can’t try on shoes at the store.  She watches a white girl try on her shoes, while Ella Mae’s mother has to trace around her foot to figure out her size.  The first day she wears her shoes to school, she feels bad about her experience at the shoe store all day.  Then she and her friend Charlotte come up with a brilliant plan.  For weeks, they do chores for people, asking for payment in used shoes.  Finally, they display all the shoes in their barn, then put a sign up announcing people can buy a pair for ten cents and another used pair of shoes.  The people in their community are thrilled that they’ll never have to use the shoe store again.

Pros:  I loved this powerful story about segregation.  Instead of the girls feeling victimized by it, they come up with a solution and work hard to make it happen.

Cons:  The solution is inspiring but a bit simplistic, and a larger conversation about segregation would be helpful when reading this.

Moonpenny Island by Tricia Springstubb

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Published by Balzer + Bray

Summary:  Flor and Sylvie have always been inseparable friends, the only two girls their age who live year-round on Moonpenny Island.  But at the end of the summer when they are both 11 years old, things start to change.  Sylvie suddenly announces that she is leaving the island to attend private school on the mainland.  Flor’s parents are fighting almost every day, and her older sister Cecelia acts like a stranger.  As Flor starts school as the only sixth grader, she has never felt so alone.  But as summer slowly moves to fall and winter, she begins to discover life on her own terms and to reach out to friends she never knew were there.

Pros:  Beautifully written, with an almost magical island setting and memorable characters.  Give this to fans of Because of Winn-Dixie.

Cons:  Some readers may find the plot slow going.

Home by Carson Ellis

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Published by Candlewick

Summary: With a single sentence on each page, Carson Ellis explores the concept of home.  Some of her homes are real (“Home is an apartment”), and some are fanciful (“Atlantians make their homes underwater”).  Each page is beautifully illustrated with many rich details.

Pros:  This book is a feast for the imagination.  Kids will enjoy poring over the illustrations. There could be many ways to extend this into activities, such as researching homes around the world, or designing homes for different people or creatures.

Cons:  There’s not a straightforward narrative, and kids looking at this book on their own might find it a little confusing.