Monthly Archives: December 2020

Elem. – Ravi’s Roar

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Percival, Tom. Ravi’s Roar. Bloomsbury, 2020. 978-1-547-60300-8. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades PreK-2.

Ravi is having a bad day. Nothing is going his way! There are no seats for him on the bus, he’s too short to reach the monkey bars, and he’s too small to go on the big slide. The final straw is when the ice cream vendor runs out of ice cream, and Ravi doesn’t get any. This prompts him to lose his temper; he turns into a tiger and lets out a huge roar. He stomps around the playground roaring at others and doing whatever he wants. He soon finds, however, that his actions are only making matters worse, as no one wants to play with him. Ultimately, he apologizes and makes amends. A very relatable story about losing one’s temper, this book conveys some important messages about working through one’s feelings.

THOUGHTS: This book would make an excellent resource for anyone who teaches young children about feelings, coping mechanisms and emotional health. It is the perfect segue into a discussion about healthy methods of dealing with anger. An author’s note at the end of the book even provides questions to ask when one is mad. As an added bonus, there is a degree of diversity in this book, as the main character and his family are dark-skinned, and the only parent present in the story is the father. This is definitely a solid purchase for any collection serving young children.

Picture Book          Julie Ritter, PSLA Member

Elem. – Nonsense! : The Curious Story of Edward Gorey

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Mortensen, Lori. Nonsense! The Curious Story of Edward Gorey. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. 978-0-358-03368-4. Unpaged. $17.99. K-3.

Edward Gorey was an unconventional, eccentric author and illustrator who was known for his dark, bizarre work. This illustrated biography details his life from his childhood through his young adulthood (he served in the army and later attended Harvard) and his subsequent career. The lyrical prose is complemented by sketchy illustrations that are reminiscent of Gorey’s own work. An intriguing and well-written account of Gorey’s life, this book provides an excellent introduction to the subject while simultaneously inspiring readers to learn more about him.

THOUGHTS: If I’m being honest, I had no idea who Edward Gorey was before I read this biography. However, after reading this narrative, I am somewhat fascinated! The book ends with an author’s note about Edward Gorey, stating that his style lives on through works like Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and Neil Gaiman’s Coraline. This title would be perfect to pair with one of those works, or even with one of Gorey’s own works. It would be a stellar addition to classroom libraries and/or elementary nonfiction collections.

Picture Book          Julie Ritter, PSLA Member

Elem. – Love From Alfie McPoonst, The Best Dog Ever

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McNiff, Dawn. Love From Alfie McPoonst, The Best Dog Ever. Kane Miller, 2020. 978-1-684-64027-0. Unpaged. $14.99. Grades PreK-2.

Written as a series of letters between a deceased dog and its former owner (Izzy), this story details Alfie’s new life in dog heaven. Although Alfie misses Izzy, he describes heaven as a place where he can chase postmen, eat burgers and ice cream, chew on shoes, and more–all without any punishment. A tender and somewhat humorous look at the loss of a pet, this story will encourage readers to creatively express their thoughts and feelings about death.

THOUGHTS: I actually read this story to my five-year-old daughter shortly after we lost our cat, and the first thing she wanted to do after reading it was to write a letter to our cat in heaven. Therefore, I love how this book inspires children to acknowledge their grief and make sense of death through the therapeutic act of letter writing. Pair this with Brian Lies’s The Rough Patch (2018) to spark important discussions with young children who have recently experienced loss.

Picture Book          Julie Ritter, PSLA Member

Elem. – The Chalk Giraffe

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Paxton, Kirsty. The Chalk Giraffe. Capstone Editions, 2020. 978-1-684-46096-0. Unpaged. $17.95. Grades PreK-2.

A little girl draws a giraffe on the pavement in chalk, and then she imagines that he comes to life. Her giraffe, however, is unhappy, and starts asking her to draw other objects to appease him. She eventually grows frustrated and erases the giraffe, only to draw him again the next day. This time, the giraffe draws her into the picture, too, and she is finally able to see that he is simply lonely. After she draws some other animals, including another giraffe, her chalk friend finally begins to smile. A beautiful story about companionship and seeing the world through someone else’s perspective, this imaginative book is sure to convey some important messages to young readers.

THOUGHTS: Rhyming verses make this a delightful read aloud. Pair it with Fiona Roberton’s A Tale of Two Beasts (2015) for a lesson on different points of view, or use it to introduce a chalk art lesson. Have students think about what makes them happy and draw their own picture that includes all of their favorite things.

Picture Book          Julie Ritter, PSLA Member

Elem. – The Bear’s Garden

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Colleen, Marcie. The Bear’s Garden. Imprint, 2020. 978-1-250-31481-9. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK- 2.

Where most people in the city see an empty lot, one little girl sees potential. She imagines what the lot could be–a beautiful place to grow and play. She begins to care for the delicate seedlings that grow in the lot. When the girl has to leave the city, she decides to leave her stuffed bear behind to care for the garden. Amazingly, with a little help from the community, her dreams begin to come to life, and the little lot becomes everything she imagined it could be. An inspirational story about the power of dreams, dedication, and community, this book will inspire readers to find beauty in the most ordinary places.

THOUGHTS: Because this book was inspired by the true story of a community garden in Brooklyn, New York, there are many extension activities that could be done with it. Students could research and/or take a virtual field trip to the Brooklyn Bear’s Pacific Street Community Garden. They could brainstorm projects that might be done in their own community to beautify a particular area. The book could be paired with other gardening books for a unit on gardening, or paired with Sydney Smith’s Small in the City (2019) for a display about life in the city.

Picture Book          Julie Ritter, PSLA Member

MG – The Deep End

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Kinney, Jeff. The Deep End (Diary of a Wimpy Kid). Amulet Books, 2020. 978-1-419-74868-4. $14.99. 217 p. Grades 4-8.

I have to admit–I thought the last few “Wimpy Kid” books left something to be desired…but Jeff Kinney and Greg are back, and Greg is in rare form. After the Heffley home disaster in “Wrecking Ball,” the family decides to escape from their temporary digs in Gramma’s basement and take a family vacation in Uncle Gary’s RV. Sounds great! What could possibly go wrong? Accidental trespassing on farms and baseball fields, water tubing mishaps, and an epic few days at Campers’ Eden Luxury Campground all make The Deep End one of the best Wimpy Kid books in the past few years. Kinney’s signature illustrations are as funny as ever.

THOUGHTS: Your readers will love Greg’s new adventures.

Realistic/Humorous          Lindsey Long, Lower Dauphin SD

Elem. – Act (Click)

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Miller, Kayla. Act (Click). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. 978-0-358-24218-5. $21.69. 203 p. Grades 3-6. 

When Olive realizes that some friends are excluded from the class field trip, she decides to run for an open spot in student government and make some changes. Olive enlists the help of friends and family to help campaign, make posters, and research protests, but relationships are strained when some friends aren’t loyal to her cause. Her friends Sawyer and Trent decide to run against her on a “Pudding for all!” ticket. Ultimately, Olive loses the election but still gets to serve as a rep when Sawyer steps down and offers Olive, third in line for one of the two open spots, his position. He and Trent realize that Olive will make an excellent rep, and they want to give her a chance to do some good. I love Olive’s diverse friendships–her middle school experience helps so many readers identify with some part of the “Click” series.

THOUGHTS: If your students already know Olive and friends, they’ll love the new offering–very timely in 2020. If you and your students don’t know Olive, you must meet her. Start with Click and enjoy!

741.5 Graphic Novel          Lindsey Long, Lower Dauphin SD

Elem. – I Voted: Making a Choice Makes a Difference

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Shulman, Mark. I Voted: Making a Choice Makes a Difference. Neal Porter Books, 2020. 978-0-823-44561-5. $19. Unpaged. Grades K-3. 

A great introduction to voting! Author Mark Shulman guides young readers through the process of voting, from the basic concept that voting equals making a choice, to Election Day for adult voters. He uses excellent, applicable examples (“Some choices are easy to make: Ice cream or onions? Some choices are harder: Ice cream or cupcakes?” and “Imagine you’re choosing a classroom pet…”) and stresses the importance of talking to others about their opinions. No matter the outcome, “…your vote might be the one that makes a difference.” While Shulman’s text is great, it’s really Serge Bloch’s illustrations that set the book apart. There is generally one illustration for each sentence, which sounds like a lot, but Bloch’s cartoon illustrations really help young readers see and identify with examples. Back matter consists of sections on how our government works, five easy steps for voting, information on state and local governments, and a reminder that “You Can Start Now.”

THOUGHTS: A must-have for elementary school collections looking to beef up their government/election offerings.

324.6 Election Systems           Lindsey Long, Lower Dauphin SD

YA – Grown

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Jackson, Tiffany D. Grown. Katherine Tegen Books, 2020. 978-0-062-84035-6. $17.99. Grades 9 and up.

Enchanted Jones wants to sing, so when she auditions for a music competition and catches the eye of artist Korey Fields, her dream seems to be within reach as Korey befriends her and begins singing and recording with her. When Korey proposes Enchanted go on tour with him, her parents refuse, but soon Enchanted is on tour with Korey and begins to learn the truth about him. Now in an abusive relationship, Korey controls Enchanted’s every move – how she looks, what she sings, when she can leave a room, who she can speak to.  Korey swears his love for Enchanted and desire to marry her once she turns 18.  Enchanted believes that everything Korey does is because of his love for her, yet she questions his continued control of her. When she learns of charges filed against Korey for a relationship with an underage girl, Enchanted can’t believe it. Yet, she sees herself in the story. Does Korey truly love her, or does he just love controlling her? Can Enchanted escape the abuse alive, or will Korey be the end to her?

THOUGHTS: Tiffany D. Jackson is a genius. She is a master of suspense, and her ability to tell truth through story is uncanny. I cringed through most of Grown (and was physically nauseous at times), but I also couldn’t put it down. The truth of abuse is so real, and yet Enchanted’s lack of recognition is so real. This novel made me uncomfortable, angry, sad, and so many more emotions. To me, it is the most intense of Jackson’s novels. It does include a content warning at the beginning: “mentions of sexual abuse, rape, assault, child abuse, kidnapping, and addiction to opioids.” This is a phenomenal addition to all HS library collections.

Realistic Fiction          Erin Bechdel, Beaver Area SD
Mystery

YA – Poisoned

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Donnelly, Jennifer. Poisoned. Scholastic Press, 2020. 978-1-338-26849-2. 307 p. $17.99. Grades 7-12.

All of her life Sophie, Princess Charlotta-Sidonia Wilhelmina Sophia, has been told that kindness will be her downfall, her heart is to soft to be a good leader. And Sophie believes every word. Fearing her stepmother’s strict ways, Sophie tucks her kind heart away, trying to hide her true self. She agrees to give her heart to a prince who is better suited to lead her kingdom. Sophie “locks away” her heart as she prepares to become Queen, but she doesn’t have the chance to fulfill this destiny. Her stepmother has other plans in mind. When Sophie awakens, following a violent event, she is greeted by seven brothers and their helpers, who have taken in Sophie and nursed her back to health in seemingly impossible ways. Not feeling completely herself, Sophie tentatively accepts her life in The Hollow. But Sophie feels like there’s more to the story, and she won’t have all of the answers until she embarks on a dangerous journey. Sophie’s character and her kind heart are tested repeatedly, as Sophie learns what it takes to be a true leader. But is her faulty heart up to the challenge, and will she survive all the evil that wishes her dead? Sophie’s story is not a romantic fairytale but instead is about one’s journey towards self discovery.

THOUGHTS: Young adult readers need Sophie in their lives. I loved this reimagined Snow White story and appreciate Donnelly’s incorporation of other themes – like how women are told what they are and are not capable of doing or being. Poisoned deserves a place in every middle or high school collection.

Fantasy          Maryalice Bond, South Middleton SD