Monthly Archives: October 2023

Elem. – How the Sea Came to Be (and All the Creatures in It)

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Berne, Jennifer. How the Sea Came to Be (and All the Creatures in It). Illustrated by Amanda Hall. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-802-85478-0. $18.99. 56 p. Grades 2-5.

4.6 billion years ago our Earth was formed. For the next 600 million years the Earth’s surface was hot enough to melt rock. As the Earth began to cool, water formed from condensation, creating clouds and rain. Our oceans were born, and along with them came the first signs of single-cell life. Two billion years ago oxygen began to fill the oceans and atmosphere leading to more complex lifeforms in the oceans. This beautiful nonfiction picture book tells the story of the creation of the oceans and the life within them in rhymed verse. From the fiery start in bold reds and oranges, through the cooling period in icy shades of blue, and the eventual growth of life in luscious greens, the illustrations depict thousands of pre-historic and current day ocean creatures with detailed accuracy. End notes from the author and illustrator explain that our understanding of how the oceans formed is constantly evolving. This book’s information is based on what is currently known about the formation of the Earth, our oceans, and ocean life. Extensively illustrated factual information, recommendations for further research, reading, and viewing for students and educators as well as a selected biography, timeline, and glossary are all included.

THOUGHTS: A treasure trove of extensively researched information in a beautifully illustrated verse story. Useful as a read aloud, read alone, or elementary research resource.

551.46 Oceans

Elem. – Hooked on Books

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Greanias, Margaret Chiu. Hooked on Books. Illustrated by Kristyna Litten. Peachtree, 2023. 978-1-682-63367-0. $18.99. 32 p. Grades K-3.

Pearl is an anglerfish who loves to read. Using the light of her lure, she attempts to settle down to enjoy a good book but is constantly interrupted by her ocean friends. Pearl longs for peace and quiet, so she dives deeper and deeper into the ocean zones, seeking a place to be alone. Whether she hides beneath seaweed or seeks the refuge of a shipwreck, Pearl is continually disturbed by a variety of amusing, illuminated creatures. At last, Pearl finds a dark and cozy nook where she can finally be alone to read her book. When Pearl finishes reading the book, she realizes she is all alone and is in fact lonely. Pearl longs to tell others about the book she enjoyed. Rising through the ocean zones, she finds her friends and offers to start a book club so everyone can share their love of books.

THOUGHTS: This book is absolutely delightful. Filled with information about the ocean that is cleverly woven into the story, the many puns and amusing illustrations will amuse children and adults alike. Deliciously detailed and adorable pencil, ink-texture, and digital illustrations by Kristyna Litten will entice readers.

Picture Book

Elem. – The Story of a Book

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McCullough, Joy. The Story of a Book. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-1-665-90385-1. $18.99. 40 p. Grades PK-2.

Sitting high atop the “New Books” display at the library, a book waits to be discovered. Sometimes this book is not the right book for every reader. When the right reader comes along, it is absolutely magical. The book can transport a reader, comfort a reader, and be shared with other readers. There is even greater magic when it is a book that was self-selected. As this library book’s journey continues, some readers are confused by it, while others devour it. Some readers take extra good care of the library book, but others spill on it, crease the pages, or let it fall into the hands of babies or pets. The well-loved library book eventually reaches the end of its usefulness as a circulating library book and is sold at the library book sale to a family that recycles the pages to create something new.

THOUGHTS: This simple story depicts the life of a well-circulated library book. The gentle narrative is a guide to the gorgeous and fantastical illustrations by Devon Holzwarth. Each page is filled with rich details in gorgeously bright colors that depict each step of the book’s journey. An absolutely delightful find, this title could lead to a fabulous discussion about book choice, book care, books as windows and mirrors, and what happens to library books that can no longer be circulated.

Picture Book 

Elem. – Tumble

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Bergstrom, Adriana Hernandez. Tumble. Orchard Books. 2023. 978-1-338-82867-2. 32 p. $18.99. Grades K-2.

This simple story takes readers on a journey through the life of a tumbleweed. Follow tumbleweed as he gets blown around the desert, encountering any animals along the way. Watch as the rain allows tumbleweed to root and sprout. The back of the book names all of the animals tumbleweed encounters along the way along with a Fun Facts page.

THOUGHTS: This title will be a good addition for classes that study the desert. It would be a great jumping off point to the unit.

Picture Book 

Elem. – Mermaid Day

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Murray, Diana. Mermaid Day. Illustrated by Luke Flowers. Sourcebooks. 2023. 978-1-728-27132-3. 32 p. $18.99. Grades K-2.

It’s Mermaid Day, and the mermaid queen is having a party. All sorts of sea creatures attend the festivities. When a shark shows up, is the party over? No! He came to party too, and he does not bite.

THOUGHTS: This title will be great to add to a collection where mermaid books are popular.

Picture Book 

Elem. – How Birds Sleep

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Obuchowski, David. How Birds Sleep. Illustrated by Sarah Pedry. Minedition US, 2023. 978-1-662-65097-0. $17.99. Grades K-3. Unpaged.

As the title implies, this book seeks to shed light on the mysterious and fascinating sleeping habits of various birds throughout the world. Each spread features a bird species or two, along with a brief description of how that species sleeps. Some of the facts presented are highly interesting; for instance, mallards stand on one leg to sleep, vernal hanging parrots sleep upside down, and sooty terns sleep while they fly! Beautiful, detailed illustrations complement the text. End matter includes information about sleep and climate change, as well as a list of resources for readers aiming to learn more about birds in their area.

THOUGHTS: This book is perfect for elementary science collections, as it contains well-researched, factual information that is accessible and appealing to young children. While it is not a very fast-paced book, it would be a great bedtime read for fact-loving and/or bird-loving kids.

598.15 Birds

MG – The Beautiful Something Else

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Van Otterloo, Ash. The Beautiful Something Else. Scholastic Press, 2023. 978-1-338-84322-4. 288 p. $17.99. Grades 3-7.

Sparrow Malone, who’s birth name is Magnolia Grace, realizes they don’t quite tick any one gender box in this middle grade novel about family, identity, and growing up. Sparrow’s mom, Abigail, is very protective and insists Sparrow dons dresses and frills, but Abigail is also dealing with her own addiction to opioids. After a car accident, mom is sent to rehabilitation, and Sparrow is sent to live with her Aunt Mags. Aunt Mags lives on the grounds of Windy Hill, the huge estate where Sparrow’s mother also grew up. However, Aunt Mags has transformed Windy Hill into a rainbow-colored safe haven for gardeners, college students, and professors from a nearby university. While meeting friends, neighbors, and family, Sparrow begins to form a new understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community that Abigail seems to fear. Sparrow soon realizes they aren’t quite fitting the mold that Abigail desires in a daughter. The question is: will Sparrow feel empowered enough to tell their mom how they feel? Or anyone else?

THOUGHTS: The Beautiful Something Else is a great addition to diverse middle grade library collections. The characters in this book are layered and diverse, and the feelings Sparrow experiences are written realistically as they realize their nonbinary identity. A “shadow” (think: Peter Pan) is introduced throughout the book as a fantastical character that causes Sparrow to explore their identity and own their feelings. Otherwise, the book is wholly realistic fiction. While the book would be equally as strong without its “shadow,” this element is a good metaphor for readers to realize there is something itching at Sparrow and following them around. In this case, it’s simply the need for Sparrow to be true to themself. Written with care for middle grade audiences.

Realistic Fiction

YA – Once There Was

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Monsef, Kiyash. Once There Was. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-665-92850-2. 406 p. $18.99. Grades 7-12.

Marjun is a sophomore in high school when her father suddenly dies. She also lost her mother to cancer when she was only eight years old. She finds herself now in charge of running her father’s veterinary business when a stranger approaches her with a seemingly impossible task. She is whisked away to help a sick animal, but this is not your average family pet – it is a magical creature! Marjun soon discovers secrets that her father has kept from her, and she now finds herself immersed in a magical world where she holds more power than she could ever imagine. At first, she believes she is helping these creatures, but she soon discovers that there are sinister motives of those in this new world where magical creatures are bought and sold. Marjun tries to make things right, but she discovers this is not something that she can do alone.  

THOUGHTS: This magical realism book is for serious readers of fantasy. It is not a light read, and there are some sad events. I am confident true lovers of magical creatures will love this story.

Fantasy

Elem./MG – ThunderBoom

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Briglio, Jack. ThunderBoom. Illustrated by Claudia Dávila. Kids Can Press, 2023. 978-1-525-30496-5. 128 p. $16.99. Grades 3-6.

Logan, a nonverbal child, wants to attend a holiday parade with his family. In order to attend, he will have to cope with his fear of masked people and other things. After arriving at the parade via train with his family, Logan is separated from his mom and dad. While on his own, he channels the power of ThunderBoom, his imaginative superhero alter ego, to help a lost neighbor girl, Becky, find her mom. Logan is reunited with his family quickly, and he concentrates on his super powers to repel anything that scares him.

THOUGHTS: This short graphic novel offers a unique window into a nonverbal child’s deep imagination. The author includes very little dialogue throughout the story; the emphasis on emotions and images make this an accessible graphic novel for all upper elementary and middle grade students. The author’s note includes information on Angelman’s Syndrome, the causation behind the character Logan’s nonverbal and developmental behaviors within the story. Brilgio also explains in his author’s note that Logan’s character is based on his own son, Lucas, and Lucas’s experiences living with the same genetic disorder.

Graphic Novel