I’ve just updated my Black History book list, adding over 20 books from the past year. It’s a very long list at this point, but I can’t bring myself to take any of the books off of it. You can access it by clicking on the link or by going to my home page, moving the cursor over Book Lists, then clicking on Black History from the menu.
Sincerely Sicily by Tamika Burgess
Published by HarperCollins
Summary: Sicily is dismayed to learn she’ll be starting sixth grade at the new middle school, leaving her three best friends behind. School turns out okay, as Sicily reconnects with an old friend from kindergarten, whose cute seventh-grade cousin Michael is living with the family. Things hit a snag, though, when Sicily’s class is assigned a project on their family’s heritage, and some of her classmates question how she can be both Black and Latinx (Panamanian). Sicily begins to explore her culture through research, conversations with family members, and writing, something she has always felt passionate about. She has a chance to write for a new school magazine, but the mean girl editor discourages her. With inspiration from both her late grandfather’s journals and her new friend Michael, Sicily finally decides to persevere with her writing and produces something she can truly be proud of. Includes a glossary and author’s note. 304 pages; grades 4-7.
Pros: Sicily is a smart and sensitive narrator whose passion for writing and curiosity about her culture will educate and inspire readers. Subplots about a fight with her grandmother over her hair and a ruined dress she tries to keep a secret from her mom add to the authenticity of the story.
Cons: Sometimes the story felt a little too much like a vehicle for educating readers about Black Panamanian culture.
An American Story by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Dare Coulter
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Summary: “How do you tell a story that starts in Africa and ends in horror?” Kwame Alexander was moved to write this poem after he realized his daughter’s fourth-grade teacher wasn’t teaching students about slavery, because she was anxious and hadn’t been trained in how to teach that piece of the American story. With distinctive illustrations that combine sculptures and paintings, the book portrays life in Africa, people being captured, the Middle Passage, and the horrors of slavery once they arrived in America. The narrative is interspersed with pictures of a class learning from a teacher who is somewhat hesitant to teach the story, but who is encouraged by her students to tell them the truth. How do you tell the story? “You do it/by being brave enough/to lift your voice,/by holding/history/in one hand/and clenching/hope/in the other.” 56 pages; grades 3-7.
Pros: I have been sharing Kwame Alexander’s The Undefeated with fourth and fifth graders this week, and I think this book is even more powerful. I know I can feel uncomfortable talking to elementary students about racism and slavery, but they are ready to hear about it, and this is an important book for making sure that happens. The illustrations are equally powerful and mark my first Caldecott prediction for 2024.
Cons: I saw recommendations in several places for ages 4-8, but I think it’s more appropriate for older elementary kids.
Chloe’s Lunar New Year by Lily LaMotte, illustrated by Michelle Lee
Published by HarperCollins
Summary: Chloe is excited to celebrate Lunar New Year, as she and her parents and younger brother Noah work all day getting ready for the evening’s reunion dinner with extended family. There are all kinds of food to prepare, as well as a thorough cleaning of the house, sweeping out the old to make room for good luck in the new year. Chloe mentions her grandmother, A-má, several times throughout the day, but when evening falls, only her aunt and uncle come for dinner. Everyone enjoys all the foods they’ve prepared, and the final pages show the family lighting incense and putting food in front of a photograph of A-má, honoring their ancestor. Includes an author’s note about Lunar New Year, with specific information about how it is celebrated in Taiwan, and a recipe for Fortune Cake. 40 pages; ages 4-8.
Pros: Another good resource for Lunar New Year, with a simple story and cheerful illustrations showing a family preparing for and celebrating the holiday. The bit about A-má is left open for interpretation but provides a good way to show the custom of honoring ancestors.
Cons: Like A Sweet New Year for Ren, this was a little light on the plot.
The ones that got away: books that I wish had won a Newbery or Caldecott
Every year I predict the books that I think will win the Newbery and Caldecott. Sometimes I get a few right, and I always get quite a few wrong. There are some that I still feel regrets about not winning. Here are my top three for both awards. How about you? Share your favorites in the comments!
This is my last post before my annual break. I’ll resume with 2023 books in a few weeks.
Caldecott
Wishes by Muợn Thị Văn, illustrated by Victo Ngai
Published by Orchard Books, 2021
“The night wished it was quieter. The bag wished it was deeper. The light wished it was brighter.” The simple text and beautiful illustrations tell a powerful story about refugees escaping with their wishes and hopes for a better life.
After the Fall by Dan Santat
Published by Roaring Brook Press, 2017
Even adults gasp at the final few pages where Humpty Dumpty overcomes his fears and learns to fly. The illustrations are both funny and inspiring.
Small in the City by Sydney Smith
Published by Neal Porter Books, 2019
This was one of my go-to books when I was reading to classes on Zoom. It’s such a great book for teaching inferencing, and Zoom allowed the kids to study the pictures and try to figure out who the child is looking for in the city.
Newbery
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016
With all due respect to The Girl Who Drank the Moon (the 2017 Newbery winner), it has never come close to the kid appeal of this book and its 2018 sequel.
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
Published by Arthur A. Levine Books, 2018
Part mystery, part historical fiction, part family and friendship story, this book dealt with serious issues of racism, bullying, and homophobia without ever losing its light touch. Varlan Johnson got a Coretta Scott King Honor, but no Newbery.
Ghost by Jason Reynolds
Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016
Jason Reynolds went on to write three more books exploring the challenges of members of this resilient middle school track team. This was a National Book Award Finalist but passed over by the Newbery committee.
5 favorite early chapter books
Maddie and Mabel by Kari Allen, illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss
Published by Kind World Publishing
Two independent sisters work, play, fight, and make up without adults around to mess things up.
Cornbread and Poppy by Matthew Cordell
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Cornbread’s careful planning and Poppy’s spur-of-the-moment adventurousness prove to be a good mix for a successful friendship.
The Puppy Problem by Laura James, illustrated by Charlie Alder
Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Gizmo helps his friend solve her puppy problem in this series opener about a dog-run newspaper called The Daily Bark.
Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun by Hena Khan, illustrated by Wastana Haikal
Published by Salaam Reads
Zayd Saeem’s sister Zara gets her own series with a book inspired by Beverly Cleary’s stories about neighborhood kids.
Sir Ladybug by Cory Tabor
Published by Balzer + Bray
Sir Ladybug is a modest knight who likes to hang out with his friends, Pell, a roly poly bug who serves as his herald, and Sterling, his trusty squire, who’s a snail with a shell that’s bigger on the inside than the outside.
5 favorite nonfiction books
Lots of great science books this year! I’d love to see any of these win a Robert F. Sibert award or honor for nonfiction.
Caves by Nell Cross Beckerman, illustrated by Kalen Chock
Published by Orchard Books
The author’s love of caves is evident from the poetic text and the illustrations may inspire readers to try spelunking.
The Universe in You: A Microscopic Journey by Jason Chin
Published by Neal Porter Books
In this follow-up to Your Place in the Universe, Jason Chin goes microscopic to explore the tiniest particles that make up everything in the universe and how they combine to make each one of us unique.
Surviving the Wild series by Remy Lai
Published by Henry Holt and Co.
Each book in this series tells a true story of survival from an animal’s perspective. A perfect trifecta of cute and funny animals, graphic novel format, and important environmental information.
A Seed Grows by Antoinette Portis
Published by Neal Porter Books
A perfect early science resource that I’m already excited to share with preschoolers when they learn about seeds and plants next spring.
If the World Were 100 Animals by Miranda Smith, illustrated by Aaron Cushley
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers
This companion to If the World Were 100 People makes a great interactive read-aloud to share facts about animals in a way that has a big wow factor and is easy to understand.
5 favorite graphic novels
When it comes to graphic novels, I definitely have a “type”.
Scout Is Not a Band Kid by Jade Armstrong
Published by Random House Graphic
And that “type” is middle school realistic fiction. If it takes place in a band room, so much the better. Scout and Merrin learn they have more in common than they thought when Merrin tutors Scout in the fine art of trombone playing.
Isla to Island by Alexis Castellanos
Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
A nearly wordless memoir about the author’s journey from Cuba to the US to live with foster parents as part of Operation Peter Pan.
Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, illustrated by Gabriela Epstein
Published by Graphix
Five kids are in the principal’s office when the story opens, clearly in some kind of trouble, but going back to the beginning shows how they have been unfairly labeled, both for their diverse Latinx roots and their unique personalities.
Ride On by Faith Erin Hicks
Published by First Second
Mean girls and new friendships are at the center of a rivalry between the laid-back Edgewood Stables and the elite Waverly Stables.
The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Joanna Cacao
Published by Graphix
The prolific Christina Soontornvat makes her second appearance on my favorites lists with this memoir of trying out for the seventh-grade cheerleading squad at her Texas middle school.
5 favorite chapter books
The books I couldn’t put down.
The Vanquishers by Kalynn Bayron
Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
A nice blend of humor and creepiness made me glad I broke my vow to never read another book about vampires.
Playing Through the Turnaround by Mylisa Larson
Published by Clarion Books
I do love a good band story, and this one has an empowering message and a great cast of characters with issues that many middle schoolers will relate to. Short chapters and multiple points of view made ut a quick and enjoyable read.
You Only Live Once, David Bravo by Mark Oshiro
Published by HarperCollins
Although this story addresses some serious topics, it is also a ton of fun: a narrator with a great self-deprecating sense of humor, a wisecracking talking dog, and a plot that adeptly handles the intricacies of time travel.
The Way I Say It by Nancy Tandon
Published by Charlesbridge
Rory deals with middle school, bullying, and speech therapy in this realistic and sympathetic debut novel.
A Song Called Home by Sara Zarr
Published by Balzer + Bray
A new home with a new stepfather, an absent father, a rebellious sister…Lou is coping with a lot of upheaval, and Sara Zarr tells her story with empathy and a lot of heart.
5 favorite read-alouds
Kid-tested and approved.
The Three Billy Goats Gruff retold by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
Published by Orchard Books
A gross troll who speaks in funny rhymes and a hilariously oversized billy goat who defeats him. Kids got a big kick out of this, and I think we can all look forward to the future fairy tale retellings that have been promised us from this team.
Puppy Bus by Drew Brockington
Published by Harry N. Abrams
If you’re trying to get kids over their back-to-school jitters, climb aboard the puppy bus for a riotously good time with a boy who accidentally gets on the wrong bus on his first day of school.
Knight Owl by Christopher Denise
Published by Christy Ottaviano Books
A wise little owl finds out what has been wiping out the bigger knights and uses his nocturnal skills to defeat it–and then befriend it. Don’t rule this out for a Caldecott.
Hot Dog by Doug Salati
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers
This nearly wordless book was a close second in many of my mock Caldecott votes. The colors and details help the reader share the relief of the dog and its owner when they escape the city on a hot summer day.
Endlessly Ever After: Pick Your Path to Countless Fairy Tale Endings by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Dan Santat
Published by Chronicle Books
This choose-your-own fairy tale adventure was one of the biggest hits of the year with both students and teachers. It’s engaging and interactive, and Dan Santat’s fabulous illustrations could win him another Caldecott.
