Tag Archives: Confidence

Elem. – Baller Ina

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Casal, Liz. Baller Ina. Alfred A. Knopf. 2023. 978-0-593-56709-8. $18.99. Grades K-2

Swish! Ina loves ballet! She loves her sparkly pink tutu, her leaps, and her pirouettes. She also loves to play basketball. She loves to dribble, be a guard, and wear her shorts over her leotard. Despite some negative cheers that can be heard, Ina is confident and knows that no matter what she does, she is a superstar!

THOUGHTS: A fantastic story of being whatever you want to be! You can dance and play basketball and be fantastic at both!

Picture Book

Elem. – Harmony & Echo

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Barrager, Brigette. Harmony & Echo. Random House Studio, 2023. 978-1-9848-3042-5. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-2. 

Harmony & Echo follows two young mermaids who are getting ready to perform in their first dance recital. They are best friends who have a lot of things in common, except Harmony is more relaxed and doesn’t worry about a lot. Echo worries about all kinds of things, especially this upcoming dance recital. Echo is worried that she won’t remember the steps and will mess up in front of everyone. Harmony comes up with a plan to help Echo. If Echo gets scared all she has to do is squeeze Harmony’s hand and she will squeeze it back which means that Echo is doing great! The night of the dance recital, as they go through the routine Echo has to squeeze Harmony’s hand, but Harmony squeeze’s hers right back and they finish the dance recital!

THOUGHTS: This is a wonderful book about friendship and confidence told using these two sweet mermaid girls. This book would fit in wonderfully in any elementary school collection.

Picture Book

Elem. – Arlo Drans an Octopus

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Mortensen, Lori. Arlo Drans an Octopus. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2021. 978-1-419-74201-9. $16.99. Grades K-3.

Arlo likes to draw. One day he decided to draw an octopus because he likes them. Arlo begins to draw when he realizes that it does not look quite right. He continues to draw, only to realize that everything he is drawing does not look right. In fact, this is the worst octopus drawing ever! In his frustration, Arlo throws his drawing, only to remember that he should not litter. As he goes to pick up his drawing, he picks up someone else’s drawing and someone else has his! As he stares at the drawing of a boy, he realizes that an octopus has drawn it and it is fantastic! What will the octopus think of Arlo’s drawing?

THOUGHTS: A fun picture book on confidence and realizing that although we are not perfect, we can still create amazing things!

Picture Book                        Rachel Burkhouse, Otto-Eldred SD

Elem. – Aaron Slater, Illustrator

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Beaty, Andrea. Aaron Slater, Illustrator. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2021. 978-1-419-75396-1. $18.99. Grades K-4.

Aaron Slater loves stories! He loves to listen to them and draw his very own pictures. When it is time for him to go to school, he is so excited to be able to read and write his very own stories. The words, however, look like jumbled squiggles to him and don’t really make any sense. Instead of standing out like he used to, he decides to fit in and be like everyone else. When requested by a teacher to write a story, Aaron struggles until inspiration hits him and he is able to create his very own story his way. With the help and support of those around him, Aaron begins to overcome his obstacles and struggles, becoming a reader and a writer, as well as continuing his illustrating.

THOUGHTS: This is another great book by Andrea Beaty! Written in text style Dyslexie to help individuals with dyslexia, we learn of a famous illustrator’s struggles to become a storyteller, and gain inspiration along the way.

Picture Book          Rachel Burkhouse, Otto-Eldred SD

Elem. – The Little Butterfly That Could

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Burach, Ross. The Little Butterfly That Could. Scholastic, Press, 2021. 978-1-338-61500-5 p. 40. $17.99. Grades K-3.

In Ross Burach’s The Very Impatient Caterpillar, we met a very dramatic yet adorable caterpillar-turned-butterfly. The little critter learns the importance of patience in a STEM-friendly picture book that integrates facts on metamorphosis. Fabulous news! Our favorite impatient butterfly is back in Ross Burach’s companion tale titled: The Little Butterfly That Could. In this comical picture book, our adorable butterfly is distressed and anxious as ever as the realization sets in that he must migrate 200 miles away. Lucky for him, he meets a gentle and encouraging whale that helps the butterfly build confidence to start his migration journey. Armed with new tools, the butterfly learns a lesson in perseverance and resilience.

THOUGHTS: Ross Burach’s second tale of this silly caterpillar-turned-butterfly will elicit giggles and laughs with every age reader! Written through dialogue from each character, the story will appeal to Mo Willlem fans while teaching STEM-related themes in science. A great companion to any school or classroom library!

Picture Book          Marie Mengel, Reading SD

Elem. – The Crow and the Peacock

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Fernihough, Jo. The Crow and the Peacock. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2021. 978-0-802-85568-8. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades K-3.

Crow is living a perfectly happy life until he encounters a dove in the forest one day. Her beautiful, bright feathers and soft cooing cause him to question his dark feathers and loud “caw caw.” Suddenly, his self-confidence dwindles. In talking to the dove, however, he discovers that the dove actually envies the nightingale, whose singing is even more magnificent. The nightingale, in turn, envies the rooster, whose call is so famous it is heard across the land. As the crow travels from bird to bird, he discovers that they all want something another bird has. Ultimately, he meets a caged peacock, who only wishes to fly free like a crow. It is then that the crow realizes how good he has it and that the only thing that could possibly make him happier is sharing his joy with others. A thought-provoking tale complete with lively, colorful illustrations, this book would be an excellent read aloud selection.

THOUGHTS: This book would be a great introduction to self-esteem/confidence building activities. After hearing the story, young listeners could reflect on their own special traits and characteristics. Perhaps they could even share with their peers the attributes they like most about each other. The book might also prompt discussions about jealousy and the problem with comparing oneself to others. This is definitely a must-have for those looking to build social and emotional learning collections.

Picture Book          Julie Ritter, PSLA Member

Elem. – Eyes that Kiss in the Corners

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Ho, Joanna. Eyes that Kiss in the Corners. Harper Collins for Children, 2021. 978-0-062-91562-7 40 p. $17.99. Grades K-3. 

This is a heartfelt and breathtaking portrait of a young Asian girl drawing strength from the women in her family. In the story, a girl notices that her eyes seem different from her friends’. Most of the friends have “big round eyes and long lashes”; where she has eyes that “kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea.” With pride and confidence, the girl shares with the reader that her eyes resemble her mother’s, her amah’s, and her little sister’s! With each turn of the page, the girl (and the reader) learn less about physical appearances and more about the legacy of family, relationships, history, and heritage. Eyes that Kiss in the Corners is a vibrant celebration of self-discovery and love! The brilliant illustrations and poetic words will resonate with readers of any age.

THOUGHTS: Eyes that Kiss in the Corners is a must-have picture book for home, classrooms, and school libraries! I appreciate that there is no bullying, teasing, or conflict with the characters in the story. Instead this title is written as a lyrical celebration with a tender message: to love oneself.

Picture Book          Marie Mengel, Reading SD

Elem. – Be Your Best You (Series NF)

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Olsen, Elsie. Be Your Best You (series). Abdo, 2020. $20 ea. $120 set of 6. 24 p. PreK-2.

Be Aware! A Hero’s Guide to Being Smart and Staying Safe. 978-1-532-11964-4.
Be Bold! A Hero’s Guide to Being Brave. 978-1-532-11965-1.
Be Kind! A Hero’s Guide to Beating Bullying. 978-1-532-11966-8.
Be Respectful! A Hero’s Guide to Being Courteous. 978-1-532-11967-5.
Be Strong! A Hero’s Guide to Being Resilient. 978-1-532-11968-2.
Be Well! A Hero’s Guide to a Healthy Mind and Body. 978-1-532-11969-9.

Designed for a preschool and early elementary audience, this series encourages readers to be heroes by becoming the very best version of themselves they can be. This involves actions like being brave, standing up to bullies, being respectful, exercising, eating healthy, and more. By including tips, examples, and real-life scenarios, these straightforward books are very easy to understand and perfect for very young readers.

THOUGHTS: I personally read Be Bold! A Hero’s Guide to Being Brave and was impressed with the simplicity of the book and the importance of its message. I especially liked the scenarios at the end, which provide readers with an opportunity to think critically and decide how they might display bravery in specific situations. I could absolutely see this being used with preschool and early elementary students to supplement a character education curriculum, or even in a life skills classroom to teach valuable social skills and fundamental health and wellness concepts.

302 Social Interaction          Julie Ritter, PSLA Member
613 Personal Health & Safety

YA – It Sounded Better in My Head

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Kenwood, Nina. It Sounded Better in My Head. Flatiron Books, 2020. 978-1-250-21926-8. 260 p. $18.99. Grade. 8-12.

Natalie had a good grip on her life until her parents jovially announce they’re getting a divorce. They’ve known this for months but waited until the Christmas holidays and high school graduation (which coincide in Australia, where the book was first published). A rarity for literature, Natalie has a great relationship with her parents and is devastated by the news and hurt by their deceit. She turns to her support network, her best friends Lucy and Zach. But since they started dating, Natalie sometimes feels like a third wheel. Having suffered through severe, scarring acne during puberty, Natalie has a shattered self image and has not dated. At a party, she connects with Alex, Zach’s older brother, but quickly convinces herself Alex’s interest was an act of kindness perpetrated by Zach. But an accidental case of musical bedrooms at a beach house over New Year’s brings Natalie and Alex back into close proximity, and as they talk they again feel a positive connection. However, Natalie’s lack of confidence and poor self image quickly threaten to sabotage the burgeoning relationship. This engaging book covers a topic not discussed in YA literature, the trauma of severe teen acne, and the scars it leaves, both physical and psychological. Natalie is a bright teen with caring parents and friends, but the long term effects of her acne are evident in her image, (styling her hair to cover which side of her face looks worse) confidence, and self-worth. American readers will need to translate Australian terms and references but will recognize themselves in the three friends as they shakily navigate through the next phase in their lives.

THOUGHTS: A welcome addition to YA realistic fiction collections. While some characters have sex off-page, Natalie and Alex discuss the issue and decide they are not ready.

Realistic Fiction          Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor SD

Eighteen-year-old Natalie is looking forward to her well-planned future: she and her close friends and new couple, Zach and Lucy, will join her in their respective majors at a local Australian university. Perhaps then, Natalie will be able to shed some of the body shame she has from her years with inflammatory, scarring acne and finally experience a love life.

When Natalie’s seemingly loving parents announce their divorce on graduation night, Natalie relies even more on her friends, though she’s feeling more and more like a third wheel. As the trio await their uni placements, they join Zach’s family at their beach house in Queenscliff to vacation and celebrate New Year’s. What follows is a comedy of errors. Going against his house rules, Zach asks Natalie if she will trade rooms so he and Lucy can sleep together. Older brother, Alex, shows up at the beach house in the middle of the night and crashes in Zach’s room surprising both Natalie and himself. It doesn’t help that Natalie has a secret crush on handsome Alex since he gave her a peck on the cheek during a game of Spin the Bottle at a pre-graduation party. As their nights together multiply, romance blossoms. The revelation of the pair as boyfriend and girlfriend causes a ruckus not just in Alex’s and Zack’s family but also in Zach’s and Natalie’s relationship. Natalie’s first-person narrative reveals her insecurities in navigating the new terrain of sex and a boy/girl relationship. Though no graphic sex scenes occur, It Sounded Better In My Head does percolate the angst and delight of true friendship, first love, and new beginnings. Author Kenwood makes this story light and funny and her characters seem very real.

THOUGHTS: Natalie spends a lot of time obsessing over her bad skin and her lack of a love life. Natalie and Alex spend a lot of time talking and kissing in bed during the room switch and afterward. At this time when there are so many serious issues abound, Natalie’s common concerns about friendship, sex, appearance, university, and her parents may seem a bit trite; however, young readers may share Natalie’s insecurities and longings and enjoy her sense of humor.

Realistic Fiction          Bernadette Cooke, School District of Philadelphia