Monthly Archives: January 2024

Elem. – Beulah Has a Hunch! Inside the Colorful Mind of Master Inventor Beulah Louise Henry

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Mazeika, Katie. Beulah Has a Hunch! Inside the Colorful Mind of Master Inventor Beulah Louise Henry. Beach Lane Books. 978-1-665-90363-9. 40 p. $18.99. Grades 2-5. 

From the time she was a young girl, Beulah Henry searched for problems and imagined solutions for them. Whenever she came across a problem, she would fixate on it, turning possibilities over and over in her head until at last she visualized an answer. Beulah had hyperphantasia, meaning in her mind, she pictured things in extreme three-dimensional detail. She also had synesthesia, which made words, numbers, and musical notes appear in different colors. Throughout her career, she worked with draftsmen, mechanics, and model makers to create detailed, technical drawings of the inventions she visualized. She held forty-nine known patents and is credited with more than one hundred inventions. One of her most famous inventions was the Snappon Umbrella which had a collapsible handle and interchangeable fabric covers that women could snap on and off to match their outfits. She also invented spring-limbed stuffed animals, a doll voice box, ways for dolls to open and close their eyes, and innovative parts for sewing machines and typewriters. This title brings Beulah’s story to life through vibrant digital illustrations, and backmatter includes biographical information, a timeline, and photographs.

THOUGHTS: Nicknamed “Lady Edison,” Beulah’s accomplishments are all the more remarkable because she lived during a time when public education was a new idea, and girls were not expected to study math and science. This title not only celebrates a little-known inventor who thrived in a field dominated by men, but it also highlights Beulah as someone who spoke openly about neurodiversity. Share this with STEM teachers and those looking for fresh subjects for biography projects.

609.2 Inventors
Biography

Elem. – 100 Chapatis

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Mascarenhas, Derek. 100 Chapatis. Illustrated by Shantala Robinson. Owlkids Books, 2023. 978-1-771-47563-1. Unpaged. $18.95. Grades K-3.

Breaking the tension of waiting for a new baby, Simon and his grandfather, cook up a plan: making 100 chapatis–just like Pappa did when he waiting for Simon to be born. Large font and lots of white space are a perfect background for the simple and clear cut illustrations accompanying the text. Simon’s parents are preparing for the new baby, which sometimes means taking over some of Simon’s things. Pappa takes Simon through the steps of making the chapatis. Simon thinks of how he likes to eat chapatis different ways, and worries that his chapati doesn’t look round enough. Pappa tells Simon they look like the map of India. The pair spend the afternoon together piling up chapatis, a welcome distraction as they wait for the new addition to the family. Students can share favorite foods, figure out sequence of events, or swap birth stories. Or extend the lesson with a multicultural flair by introducing tacos, flatbread, empanadas, and, or course, chapatis.

THOUGHTS: This simple story with its large illustrations will make a good read aloud.

Picture Book

YA – Fatima Tate Takes the Cake

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Vanbrakle, Khadijah. Fatima Tate Takes the Cake. Holiday House, 2023. 978-0-823-45485-3.  267 p. $19.99. Grades 8-12.

Black Muslim Fatima Tate has a passion for baking, but is also an obedient daughter to her two loving, hard working parents living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her mother has Fatima’s whole life planned as a nurse and regards her talent for baking as a hobby. Fatima spends her free time volunteering at a soup kitchen where she meets the charming and handsome Raheem Harris. When she accepts a ride home from Raheem one day–a definite no-no–that culminates in a kiss, Fatima starts down a slippery slope of secret dating that quickly escalates to a marriage proposal. Though at first, Fatima is thrilled to be matched with her crush, she starts to have serious misgivings especially when her best friend, Zayneb Baker, confesses her disapproval of the match based on hard evidence she discovered. Fatima’s parents are thrilled with Raheem and dazzled by his generous gifts and wealth because they believe it assures their daughter’s secure future. Fatima is reluctant to share her doubts with her parents, just as she keeps secret her participation in a baking competition that could enable her to attend the Culinary Institute. As her fiance and his family pressure Fatima into an early wedding quickly following her high school graduation, Fatima views the unmasked Raheem who is controlling and manipulative, but she feels trapped because of what he holds over her. The situation comes to a head during the engagement party, when Fatima confronts Raheem and his mother. Her honesty allows her to continue in the baking competition and recognize the support of her parents. Vanbrakle has a smooth way of writing authentic dialogue. While Fatima represents the docile, traditional Muslim, Zayneb, her lesbian friend who is also Muslim, wears no hijab and her relationship with her girlfriend is out in the open. Although Fatima appears modest and shy most of the time, she does have a sarcastic side to her and, ultimately, has the courage to address some very difficult issues. This well-rounded description of Muslim characters, beliefs, and customs is refreshing and genuine, but could have been enhanced by a glossary of terms. The book does, however, have some of Fatima’s favorite dessert recipes.

THOUGHTS: Gorgeous cover. Thankfully, in recent years more books have been published including Muslim characters, but Fatima Tate Takes the Cake makes the reader understand what it must be like to be a Muslim teen. This work provides the mirror and window so desired in reading. Some foul language,  description of kissing, and implied sexual intercourse.

Realistic Fiction

YA – Dear Medusa

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Cole, Olivia A. Dear Medusa. Labyrinth Books, 2023. 978-0-593-48573-6.  377 p. $18.99. Grades 9-12.

This feminist novel in verse interspersed with texts details the aftermath of Alicia, a young white girl, presumably from Ohio, who has been sexually abused by a seemingly affable, popular teacher whom the reader never meets. Alicia’s parents are recently divorced because of her father’s infidelity; her mother is depressed and her once-accomplished older brother takes to hanging out with a less desirable, racist group of boys. Traumatized by her sexual experience which she has kept secret, Alicia has lost her best friend, dropped out of her beloved track team, and resorted to bad behavior and casual sex with random partners, often men older than she. She is well aware of her bisexuality and her sensual effect on men. Now in her junior year of high school, she starts getting unsigned notes in her locker implying a commiseration. She takes some refuge in her job at the fast food restaurant, Meat Palace–at least when her creepy manager isn’t present, and the support of two new friends: Deja, a straight-talking African American asexual girl and Geneva, a intuitive Pakistani girl who proves to be Alicia’s love interest. As the school year progresses Alicia grows deeper into depression. Though readers are given no description of the abuse, they learn that Alicia returned to her abuser several times. Alicia infers her feelings of guilt and compunction for this conduct.When she is chosen to be part of special all-female study led by a charismatic visiting professor, she starts to find her voice and finally makes a connection with the secret note-writer who has also suffered sexual abuse from the same teacher. The professor encourages the girls to accept their sexuality and speak frankly of sexual matters. In the end, the other girl reveals the abuse to the authorities, but Alicia finds a new sense of freedom and a new connection with her mother.

THOUGHTS: This dark story takes the reader within the mind of a sexually abused girl who reacts to this trauma by taking random sexual partners, often older than herself. It contains some foul language, but no graphic descriptions of her sexual encounters. The writing is the highlight of this novel, but the story is a sad and troubled one. Not many adults come off well in this story, only Alicia’s mother finally comes to her aid and one older co-worker at the Meat Palace.

Realistic Fiction      

Elem. – Give

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Arena, Jen. Give. Illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell. Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. 978-1-524-71499-4 . Unpaged. $18.99. Grades Pre K-2.

In a colorful neighborhood setting, a young boy receives a gift tied with a ribbon from his mother. A young girl loses her hair tie in a blast of blustery wind, and the boy takes the ribbon from his gift and offers it to the girl. The two travel to school and throughout the school day, the diverse classmates practice the concept of paying it forward. Their actions of being there for those in need are described with terse phrases. In full-spread pages splashed with bright colors, the reader enters the classroom and meets the teacher and students as they share, help, and make friends. The simple text will appeal to very young children with its circular story and repetitive words that reinforce the concept of giving–even the illustrations repeat the kindness theme with their heart-shaped leaves.

THOUGHTS: Hopefully, this relatable book featuring school children will impress readers with the fragile concept of being generous, a value so appreciated but often not addressed in our contemporary society. This book takes a light touch and is not preachy.

Picture Book

Elem. – The Light She Feels Inside

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Wallace, Gwendolyn. The Light She Feels Inside. Illustrated by Olivia Duchess. Source Books, 2023. 978-1-728-23979-8. 32 p. $18.99. Grades PreK-2. 

Maya goes through her day and talks about her glow that she feels inside especially when positive things are happening to her and around her. She also talks about the glow she feels when something bad happens to her, or when she hears her parents worrying. Maya begins to feel like that glow she has is heavy, and she isn’t sure what to do with it. When Maya goes to her public library, she ends up talking with her librarian who recommends several biographies to help Maya understand what she’s feeling and how other women in history have dealt with that. Maya ends up learning about several famous women in history and she decides to do something about her world and use her glow to help others. 

THOUGHTS: This was a wonderful picture book that has some great biographical information about famous women in the back matter of the book. Highly recommended for an elementary school library.

Picture Book

MG – Imagine a Garden: Stories of Courage Changing the World

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Singh, Rina. Imagine a Garden: Stories of Courage Changing the World. Illustrated by Hoda Hadadi. Greystone Kids, 2023. 978-1-771-64713-7. Unpaged. $18.95. Grades 3-6.

Thoughtful, detailed illustrations of paper overlays accompany author Rina Singh’s verses extolling the ingenuity, compassion, and hopefulness of seven global figures who are lights burning in dark times. In an afterword, she names each one and explains in prose how their acts of selflessness helped less fortunate people; but in the body of the book, Singh weaves a verse tale about their actions and Hadadi describes it in her art. The Palestinian mother who uses grenades to hold flowers in memory of her son; the Brazilian dancer who had to forgo a promising career but opened a free ballet school; the would-be engineer who turned his talents toward teaching children in India; the South African man who shared his love of soccer with poor boys in his township; the Canadian Anishinaabe water activist advocating for clean water for indigenous peoples; the Mexican artist who melts down and transforms guns into beautiful art; the Greek restaurant owner who opened her doors to hungry Syrian refugees.This book would be difficult for younger students to read independently. It requires an awareness of suffering and a broad worldview. The relative obscurity of the book’s heroes paves the way for readers to look for their own hidden heroes. Students can extend the book through biographical searches, ideas for service learning projects, interpretation of facts into verse, or depiction of scenes of people doing good works in the paper medium. Teachers can use this book in lessons highlighting peace and social justice.

THOUGHTS: This book is beautiful to behold; the illustrations tell a story on their own. The true stories of the featured people following the verses may need to be read first for young readers to comprehend the verse’s meaning. Creative teachers can link current events to these varied geographical, contemporary settings. A specialized addition to a school library collection. 

302 Social Communities

Elem. – Spanish is the Language of My Family

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Genhart, Michael. Spanish is the Language of My Family. Illustrated by John Parra. Neal Porter Books. 978-0-823-45004-6. 36 p. $18.99. Grades K-3. 

When Manolo’s school holds a Spanish-language spelling bee, he is the first in his class to sign up because Spanish is the language of his family. He already knows how to spell some Spanish words, but he turns to his Abuela for help preparing. They review the list of words together, and as she quizzes him, Abuela also shares stories about how school was a very different place when she attended as a little girl. She describes how students were not allowed to speak Spanish and how they were sent home, spanked, or had their mouths washed out with soap if teachers heard them speaking the language. Her stories inspire Manolo to study even harder, and on the day of the contest, his whole family is in the audience to cheer him on. He takes a deep breath and spells his first word correctly. More and more correct spellings follow, until only he and one classmate remain on the stage. His final word, “respeto” reminds him of the respect he has for his family’s language, and he spells the word correctly. Backmatter includes the letters and sounds of the Spanish alphabet. Also included is a note from the author that describes the inspiration for this story; information about the National Spanish Spelling Bee; a history of the prohibition of Spanish in schools during long periods of American history; and background information about El Dia de Los Ninos, or Children’s Day. This title was simultaneously published in Spanish as El espanol es la lengua de mi familia. 

THOUGHTS: This intergenerational story celebrates being bilingual as a strength and a source of family pride. Short sentences and vibrant acrylic illustrations will hold students’ attention, making this title a good choice for a read-aloud, particularly at the end of April when Children’s Day is celebrated. 

Picture Book

Elem. – The Wishing Machine

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Hillman, Jonathan. The Wishing Machine. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. 978-1-665-92230-2. 36 p. $18.99. Grades K-3. 

After breakfast every Sunday, Sam and his Mom walk to the laundromat. Here, they not only clean and dry their clothes, but they also visit with friends and spend time together – just the two of them. But, this Sunday is different because tomorrow, they’re moving out of the city and into Grandpa’s far away trailer. Sam is sad to say goodbye, but Mom tries to cheer him up with the promise that he can buy a bag of cookies if they have any leftover change. Sam listens to Mom dropping coins into the washing machine slot, and the noise reminds him of coins falling into a wishing well. Sam makes a wish: to be able to stay in their apartment. He then surveys everyone in the laundromat, asking their wishes. Answers range from a new scooter to a green card to a fat, fluffy cat. When Sam drops the leftover coins into the vending machine, he’s surprised when more than a bag of cookies tumbles out. A cascade of coins spills from the machine, making him think the machine heard his earlier wish! Sam and Mom return the coins to the laundromat owner but share the cookies with their friends. As they leave the laundromat for the final time, Sam realizes he and his Mom will be happy wherever they are because they’ll be together. The colored pencil and digital illustrations, with hand-lettered text, feature a soft pastel palette that reflects the snowy weather outside the laundromat. Cozy jackets, hats, and scarves are a nod to the warmth depicted between mother and son. 

THOUGHTS: Although this title depicts the big emotions that come with a life-changing event such as moving away from a familiar community, it does so with sensitivity, and the overall tone remains optimistic. It will serve as a good conversation starter for students who may be struggling with big life changes too, and the message about being together and happy wherever you are will resonate widely. 

Picture Book

YA – Chloe and the Kaishao Boys

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Coyiuto, Mae. Chloe and the Kaishao Boys. Putnam, 2023. 978-0-593-46163-1. 341 p. $18.99. Grades 9-12.

Chloe Liang’s ultimate dream is to study animation. When she gets waitlisted from the California college of her choice, she resigns herself to stay in Manila; study business; eventually, take over Zip and Lock, her father’s lucrative business; and continue enduring her quirky family’s mandatory Sunday brunches. Then as the school year ends, she receives her USC acceptance and her dream is back in gear: go to college abroad where her Filipino-American mother resides. Her extended family, however, has not gotten the message that Chloe is serious about this pursuit. Her father, who constantly congratulates Chloe through hashtags but has difficulty actually talking to her, continues to refer to animation as her “hobby.” Her well-meaning but intrusive Auntie Queenie insists on planning an extravagant debut when Chloe turns eighteen in August. Part of the ceremony (think Quincenera, Filipino style) involves the selection of 18 of Chloe’s closest male friends to surround her. When Chloe comes up with only her uncles, Auntie Queenie takes things into her own hands. She sets up “kaishao,” occasions where Chloe can “meet up” with eligible boys. Though her best friend, Cia, is sympathetic, she volunteers her older brother, Jappy and her own secret boyfriend, Raf. The preparation for the debut takes center stage, with Chloe suffering some guilt for abandoning her single dad. Chloe feels some sparks with some of her kaishao boys and learns to appreciate the traditions as well as the concessions her Chinese-Filipino family. Though this book has the makings of a Netflix movie all over it, debut author Coyiuto presents a nuanced, colorful cast of Chinese-Filipino characters, whose dialogue–interspersed with Hokkien and Tagalog– is witty, snappy, and funny. Includes glossary of Hokkien and Tagalog vocabulary.

THOUGHTS: Truly funny books with an interesting plot don’t come along often. This is one. Coyiuto has a good ear for picking out the humor in a chaotic family situation and makes sure Chloe never takes herself too seriously. The animation theme is thin, but some students may be drawn to Chloe’s passion. Two situations that aren’t addressed in the book: Chloe’s mother emigrated to America as a child and met and married her father when he studied in the U.S., but never adjusted to life in Manila and left her daughter with her father while she returned to America, and Chloe’s perfect cousin Peter who comes to brunch with his perfect girlfriend, Pauline, shares with Chloe that he is gay. These situations highlight some taboos of this Chinese-Filipino family: homosexuality and divorce. Nevertheless, share this book with any student who needs a laugh, but particularly with Asian-Americans. 

Realistic Fiction