Monthly Archives: July 2023

Elem. – Opossums

Posted on by
Reply

Andrews, Elizabeth. Twilight Animals. ABDO Books, 2023. 24 p. $21.95 ea. $131.70 Set of 6. Grades K-2. 

Barn Owls. 978-1-098-24205-3. 
Bears. 978-1-098-24206-0.
Bobcats. 978-1-098-24207-7.
Moose. 978-1-098-24208-4.
Opossums. 978-1-098-24209-1.
Skunks. 978-1-098-24210-7.

This reviewer had the opportunity to read Opossums. Opossums are some of nature’s most unique twilight animals. As the sun sets, opossums ready themselves for an evening of eating. They eat anything from insects to vegetables, trash, roadkill, and even poisonous snakes and ticks. This title highlights additional facts about these unique nocturnal animals, including information about their physical characteristics, habitat, and behavior. Large, colorful photographs showcase opossums in their natural surroundings and highlight features such as their paws, ears, and tail. QR codes sprinkled throughout the book offer access to digital resources such as a PBS video about opossums, information about other marsupials, and activities like a word search and a maze. Backmatter includes a section titled “Making Connections” that challenges readers to make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections about opossums. Additional text features include a Table of Contents, Glossary, and Index. 

THOUGHTS: This eye-catching title will draw in the youngest nonfiction fans, and the QR codes add an additional dimension to the title’s simple text. This book will work well for units featuring nocturnal animals or discussions about marsupials or omnivores. 

598-599 Aves (Birds), Mammalia (Mammals)

Elem. – All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown Jackson

Posted on by
Reply

Weatherford, Carole Boston. All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown Jackson. Illustrated by Ashley Evans. Crown Books for Young Readers.  978-0-593-65016-5. 36 p. $18.99. Grades K-3. 

“Whatever she did, wherever she was, Ketanji Brown Jackson rose to the top.” Grounded in the refrain “she rose,” this title outlines Ketanji Brown Jackson’s journey from school girl to the first Black woman to serve as an associate justice in the U.S. Supreme Court. She learned the value of education from her parents, who always encouraged her to work hard and believe in herself. She rose to student government leadership positions in her middle school and high school, and she gained confidence as a public speaker by participating in the debate club. After graduating with honors from Harvard and continuing on to Harvard Law School, Ketanji eventually rose to her goal of becoming a federal judge. In 2022, President Biden nominated her to serve on the Supreme Court. Carole Boston Weatherford’s lyrical text is punctuated by Ashley Evans’ vibrant full-spread digital illustrations. Backmatter includes “A Letter to My Granddaughter and All of Our Daughters” by Carole Boston Weatherford and a timeline. 

THOUGHTS: This book is a nod to Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise,” and Angelou, as well as other Black women including Constance Baker Motley, Shirley Chisholm, and Mae Jemison are referenced as well. This will be a valuable and timely addition to all elementary collections. 

347.73 Civil Procedure & Courts
Biography

Elem. – Papá’s Magical Water-jug Clock

Posted on by
Reply

Trejo, Jesus. Papá’s Magical Water-jug Clock. Illustrated by Eliza Kinkz. Minerva, 2023.  978-1-662-65104-5. 44 p. $18.99. Grades K-3. 

It’s Saturday morning, and Jesús can’t wait to spend the day helping his father with their family landscaping and gardening business. Jesús loves mowing and trimming trees, but he’s most excited to spend the whole day with his Papá. As he fills Papá’s big, orange water jug, Papá explains that the jug is also a magical clock. It tells them how much work is left to do, and when the jug is empty, it’s time to go home. Papá puts Jesús in charge of the jug, and Jesús takes the responsibility very seriously. However, he also drinks liberal amounts of the water, splashes some on his face, and shares cup after cup with thirsty-looking cats, dogs, and peacocks. By the time Jesús and Papá reach the third job site, the jug is empty. Father and son take the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart conversation about the balance of work and play and the importance of completing an honest day’s work. Reader’s will be charmed by Jesús’s nonstop energy and heart, and they’ll relate to the big feelings he exhibits throughout the story. Vibrant mixed-media illustrations reflect the lighthearted tone of the words and perfectly balance the text. 

THOUGHTS: This title will be a charming addition to English and Spanish picture book collections. It realistically depicts the loving relationship between father and son while maintaining a lighthearted and mischievous vibe and celebrating a hard-working male role model. 

Picture Book

Elem. – The Piper’s Promise

Posted on by
Reply

Cypess, Leah. The Piper’s Promise. Delacorte Press, 2023. 978-0-593-17891-1. 281 p. $16.99. Grades 3-5.

The Piper’s Promise follows Clare whose brother is the pied piper who stole the children of Hamelin. Clare shows up to the town in order to offer her help to rescue and return the children. The mayor of Hamelin agrees, but insists that Clare must take his daughter Anna with her. As Clare and Anne go off on this adventure into the Faerie Realm, nothing is as it seems and the girls will encounter traps and try to stay away from the Rat Prince in order to accomplish their mission. But Clare knows there has to be a good reason why her brother took the children, and she is determined to find that out!

THOUGHTS: This is the third book in the Sisters Ever After series, but I think this can be read as a stand alone. There isn’t a ton of fantasy/world building within this book, so it’s extremely approachable for younger readers.

Fantasy

YA – Midnight Strikes

Posted on by
Reply

Shahnaz, Zeba. Midnight Strikes. Delacorte Press, 2023. 978-0-593-56755-5. 442 p. $19.99. Grades 9-12.

Midnight Strikes starts with Anais wishing this ball was over so she could stop pretending to like all the bachelors, one of whom her mother is hoping she will choose to marry. When the ball is attacked by bombs and she watches everyone die, Anais thinks this is the end. Imagine her shock when she wakes up the next day, to repeat the same thing over and over again with no one believing her and no way for her to stop this madness. However, in order to stop this from happening and so she can move on (for better or worse), she needs to figure out what is happening and stop this before midnight. Will Anais be able to find anyone who believes her?

THOUGHTS: This is an extremely unique plot twist that keeps the reader guessing what’s going to happen as well as feeling the main character’s frustration at no one believing her. There is some romance in this book; however, it doesn’t show up until the second half of the book.

Fantasy

Elem. – Shall We Dance? 

Posted on by
Reply

Page, Robin. Shall We Dance? Beach Lane Books, 2023. 978- 1-665-91605-9. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades 2-3.

In her latest work Page describes the intriguing rituals that creatures from across the Animal Kingdom perform to attract a mate. On each page or double page, a description of the courtship behavior for an animal is presented, accompanied by the illustrator’s signature images. The bold text at the top of the page is a simple two to three word sentence, like “Crabs wave” and “Newts shimmy.” There also is a paragraph in a smaller font that gives more details about that critter’s particular style of attracting attention. Readers might be surprised to learn that most courtship behaviors involve dance or movement, like the tapping finches, prancing sifakas, and waltzing whales. Page uses Adobe Photoshop to create colorful illustrations on a large scale, which will attract young readers.

THOUGHTS: This is another stunning picture book from the Caldecott honoree, who often collaborated with her late husband Steve Jenkins to produce high quality nonfiction for young readers. This book works as a read aloud and the topic is discussed in a manner appropriate for young children. This is a must-have for all elementary collections. Highly recommended.

591.5 Animals – Habits and Behavior

YA – Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

Posted on by
Reply

Hibbert, Talia. Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute. Joy Revolution. 2023. 978-0-593-48233-9. $19.99. 315 p. Grades 9-12.

Senior year at a British upper school finds ex-best friends, spunky, outspoken Tik-Toker Celine Bangura and the popular, accomplished bisexual Bradley Graeme circling each other as they compete for a $30,000 scholarship senior year from the Breakspeare Enrichment Program (BEP). A human rights lawyer noted for her attention to other minority groups, Katharine Breakspeare has set up a series of weeklong outward-bound type of challenges in surrounding forests for a selected group of which academically-driven Celine and Bradley are a part. Told in monthly installments in the stream of consciousness of the two protagonists, the reader is privy to their initial barbed repartee and secret attractions, then their insecurities about each others’ ability to fall in love. Bradley comes from a tight-knit family and suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder (though it seems to be a mild condition) who is struggling with his college major decision. Abandoned by her lawyer father, Celine has daddy issues making trust difficult for her. Her feelings become more complicated as a contender in the BEP because her father’s firm is one of the sponsors. Diverse and authentic minor characters enrich the story as Brad and Celine rekindle their friendship and teeter on making it more. Though the plot may be predictable, the witty exchanges of Celine and Brad are not. Author Talia Hibbert usually writes for adults but this young adult novel maintains a breezy, humorous tone throughout with minimum foul language and sexual situations. Hibbert’s adept talent to create a teen world with interesting feelings and conversations sets this book above the usual meet-cute books. Includes a glossary of Britishisms for teens who do not frequent BritBox, Acorn, or PBS.

THOUGHTS: Suitable for grade 8 readers searching for a funny romance. Nothing heavy about this story. Though Hibbert could have delved into Brad’s OCD or Celine’s feelings of abandonment, or the failure of each of them to admit their feelings, she doesn’t. That decision is more than okay; it’s refreshing. Give this book to a reader who might go for Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’ Diary.

Realistic Fiction 

Elem. – Our Pool

Posted on by
Reply

Cummins, Lucy Ruth. Our Pool. Atheneum Books for Young Children, 2023. 978-1-534-49923-2. $18.99. 48 p. Grades K-2.

A city community pool is the focus of this refreshingly cool book. The unseen child narrator describes each step in the process of getting ready for a swim – the locker room, putting on sunscreen, playing in the pool, losing sight of Mom for a moment, worrying that a rain cloud will end the fun early, being cuddled in a warm towel, a visit to the ice cream truck, and heading home exhausted and happy. The glory of this book is that every reader can see themselves in it. Each illustration depicts adults and children of all races, ages, body-types, and family configurations without ever revealing which of these categories the narrator identifies with. A stunning tribute to the joy of a community pool on a hot summer day.

THOUGHTS: This is a beautifully illustrated book that is absolutely pitch perfect. The gouache, colored pencil, and digitally finished artwork is simple yet stunning in its ability to convey inclusivity. The narrative is joyous and full of kid fun. Highly recommended for all children’s library collections.

Picture Book 

Elem. – A Garden in my Hands

Posted on by
Reply

Sriram, Meera. A Garden in my Hands. Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. 978-0-593-42710-1. $18.99. 40 p. Grades K-2.

This beautiful picture book shows a mother applying henna to her daughter’s hands in preparation for a family wedding. As she decorates with intricate designs, the mother tells the young girl stories of her own wedding, and their extended family. Once the henna has been applied the young girl must not touch anything or put her hands down until the henna has dried. This is hard for the girl, who accidentally smudges the design a bit, and then gets henna on her mother’s scarf. The girl is worried she will ruin the stories woven into the henna. Mama is ever patient, and reassures her that all will be well. Mama helps the young girl to eat, drink, brush her teeth and wrap her hands before bed. In the morning the henna has dried and the girl is delighted with the design, which she imagines is an entire garden in her hands. The entire family gathers to celebrate the wedding, filled with pride in the stories of their homeland. Though the henna will eventually fade, the girl understands the family stories will be in her heart forever. The author’s note includes information on henna traditions throughout the world.

THOUGHTS: The bright and bold pinks, purples and deep greens used in Sandhya Prabhat’s illustrations add delight to this sweet mother-daughter relationship story. The continued theme about family stories is beautiful and the story is filled with joy and family love. A gorgeous addition for children’s library collections.

Picture Book 

Elem. – The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of

Posted on by
Reply

Larson, Kirsten W. The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of. Illustrated by Katherine Roy. Chronicle Books, 2023. 978-1-452-17287-3. $18.99. 48 p. Grades 2-5.

Cecilia Payne was born in Wendover, England in 1900. As a young girl she would spend hours outdoors studying nature. She was endlessly fascinated by insects, plants, and animals. In 1912 her family moved to London so that her brother could receive a proper education. Cecilia was sent to a religious school for girls. There were no science classes, and there was no opportunity to spend time with nature in the busy city. Then Cecilia discovered a science lab meant for older students. She would sneak into this lab to read the textbooks and work with the chemicals to educate herself in chemistry. When a new science teacher was brought to her school, Cecilia was encouraged to study and learn all she could about science. Cecilia earned a scholarship to study botany at Cambridge University. One day she heard a lecture by a famous astrophysicist. Fascinated, Cecilia attempted to change her major, but she wasn’t allowed to. She decided to move to the United States where she was accepted into the astronomy program at Harvard College Observatory. While at Harvard, Cecelia discovered that stars are made of hydrogen and helium. Author’s notes include a timeline, bibliographic references and an explanation of star development that is easy to understand.

THOUGHTS: Cecilia Payne is not well known to most children. Her research laid the groundwork for modern astrophysics. This picture book biography compares Cecilia’s journey to becoming a scientist with the physical creation of a star. The gentle story, combined with pencil and walnut ink illustrations by Katherine Roy, makes an inspiring biography.

Biography
Picture Book