Elem. – Spanish is the Language of My Family

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 – You Are Loved: A Book About Families

O’Hair, Margaret. You Are Loved: A Book About Families. Scholastic, 2023. 978-1-338-85007-9. 36 p. $18.99. Grades K-3. 

The idea of families coming in all shapes, sizes, and combinations is beautifully celebrated in this inclusive picture book. This title is inspired by Down syndrome advocate Sofia Sanchez, and the story begins with an introduction to her multicultural adoptive family. Readers also learn that love holds families together, and no two families look the same. Families can be loud or quiet, big or small, similar looking or not, and family members might all live together or be spread throughout the world. Vibrant illustrations feature people of all races, religions, abilities, genders, and ages. Backmatter includes a note from Sofia Sanchez’s mother explaining how Sofia’s adoption completed their family. 

THOUGHTS: The important ideas of family loving you just the way you are and families being made of people who care for you no matter what take center stage in this uplifting book. The text also touches on the idea of people in a school and community caring about you and being part of your family too. This is a valuable addition to library collections and should also be shared with school counselors. 

Picture Book

Elem. – A Garden in my Hands

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 

MG – A Duet for Home

Glaser, Karina Yan. A Duet for Home. Clarion Books, 2022.  978-0-544-87640-8. 358 p. $16.99. Grades 4-7.

The Yang family has just experienced a terrible loss, and June, her little sister Maybelle, and her mother are homeless as well as grief-stricken. They end up at Huey House, a shelter for homeless families in New York City, and begin to try to fit into a new and unfamiliar life. A whole host of characters, including some long-time residents of the shelter, rally around June and support her as she begins to put her life back together, but then the shelter itself is threatened as the director looks for ways to save money.

THOUGHTS: This is a heart wrenching and heartwarming story highlighting the plight of homeless children and the importance of empathetic and helpful assistance programs to help families get back on their feet. June struggles to be as strong and brave as her mother and sister need her to be, and Tyrell struggles to keep his life going in a positive direction even when it seems almost impossible to do the right thing. The characters in his book are so real and appealing that readers cannot help but root for them to succeed in spite of all the hardships they face.

Realistic Fiction Erin Faulkner, Cumberland Valley SD

Elem. – Mommy’s Hometown

Lim, Hope. Mommy’s Hometown. Candlewick Press, 2022. 978-1-536-21332-4. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades K-2.

Every night, a young boy’s mother tells him all about the place in Korea where she grew up. It sounds incredibly peaceful, complete with dirt roads, mountains, and a river that runs through the village. However, when the boy finally visits the village with his mother, it is nothing like she described. Instead, there are tall buildings, paved roads, and traffic. The boy is disappointed at first, but soon realizes that while some things change, other things always remain the same. 

THOUGHTS: This is a beautiful story about the unchanging bond between parents and their children. It would be a great book for introducing young students to urbanization or for completing compare and contrast activities. As an added bonus, the characters are Korean, making this an outstanding choice for multicultural collections.

Picture Book          Julie Ritter, PSLA Member

Tags: Asia; Korea (South); Family stories.

MG – The Lost Ryu

Cohen, Emi Watanabe. The Lost Ryu. Levine Querido, 2022. 978-1-646-14132-6. 200 p. $17.99. Grades 5-8.

This book explores an alternate history full of magical realism where dragons or “ryu” are real; some big ryu even helped Japan fight in WWII, but now most big dragons have disappeared. Even though they both care for small family dragons as pets and companions, Kohei and his new friend Isolde want to try to find a “big” dragon and bring back the majestic creatures who were lost after the war. Kohei is also trying to discover more about the father who passed away when he was three and reconnect with his mother and grandfather, who both seem stuck in the past. Will Kohei and Isodle ever discover where the big ryu have gone, and will that discovery help to heal all the terrible scars the war has left on the world?

THOUGHTS: Students who like historical fiction and fantasy will like this imaginative take on friendship, family, and Japanese dragon mythology. Kohei is Japanese, Isolde is Japanese-Jewish, and the story uses their mutual love of dragons to help them deal with the complicated history of Japan, World War II, and the Holocaust. The relationships in this book also show the struggles of children who cope with the trauma suffered by their parents and contain hopeful messages about learning how to move forward after tragedies have happened within a family.

Historical Fiction          Erin Faulkner, Cumberland Valley SD

Elem. – My Hands Tell a Story

Lyons, Kelly Starling. My Hands Tell a Story. Reycraft Books, 2022. 978-1-478-87061-6. 36 p. $17.95. Grades K-3. 

When Zoe’s grandmother waves her into the kitchen so they can bake bread together, Zoe is mesmerized by the magic and power in her grandmother’s hands. Grandma’s hands knead, push, and pull the dough until it’s just right. Grandma gently guides Zoe’s hands through the motions as well. While they wait for the dough to rise, the pair sit and talk. Readers learn about Grandma’s past and all the things her hands have done: Raised children, planted gardens, typed and filed. Zoe wonders what she might accomplish with her own hands someday, considering possibilities like drawing, building, writing, making music, and baking. When she and Grandma high-five to celebrate the first bites of their freshly-baked treat, Grandma notes that although Zoe’s hands are similar to her own, they will go places Grandma has never been. This inspiring, intergenerational story is rooted in love and celebrates the strong bond between grandmother and granddaughter. Vibrant, oil-painted illustrations beautifully capture heartfelt moments and the closeness these two share. The endpapers include a recipe for the same cinnamon bread Zoe and her grandma bake together in the book. 

THOUGHTS: Many students will make connections to the idea of cooking or baking a favorite food with a grandparent. This will also be a perfect choice for Grandparents’ Day read-alouds. Additionally, this title can be used as a discussion starter about things students hope to accomplish with their own two hands. 

Picture Book          Anne Bozievich, Southern York County SD

MG – Caprice

Booth, Coe. Caprice. Scholastic, 2022. 978-0-545-93334-6. $17.99. 243 p. Grades 6-8.

Sensitive, poetical Caprice is a rising eighth grader with a big decision: should she grab the opportunity of attending a prestigious boarding school or stick with her friends in Newark, New Jersey? Though she loved her seven-week stint at summer camp at Ainsley School for Girls, she is torn because of her closeness to her best friend, Nicole, a budding romance with Jarrett, and her commitment to the Center, the community place that fosters fun and leadership in her neighborhood. Through her poems and flashbacks, the reader learns of sexual abuse that Caprice keeps buried and secreted from her family. She is considerate of her parents’ precarious financial situation because of their faltering business and is scared that her need to be in Newark keeps her mother and father apart. Her return home a week before school starts corresponds with a call from Baltimore informing the family of her maternal grandmother’s serious illness. Caprice’s mother and grandmother have been estranged since Caprice was four-years-old when her grandmother sent Caprice and her mother away from the family home after a dangerous incident. Only Caprice and her grandmother know the real reason for their banishment, but her mother has lived all these years with hurt and resentment, alienated from her mother and brother, Raymond. The reader meets Caprice over an important week when school, friendships, and soul-searching come to a head. Her sporadic panic attacks increase, and she waffles between closing herself off and speaking up for herself in new ways. In Caprice, Coe Booth tackles a difficult topic by mining the memories and feelings of Caprice as she faces her demons and challenges herself to esteem who she is. Caprice’s immediate family is loving and communicative. Her friendships with both adults and kids at the Center are genuine and nicely developed. Though the confrontation with her abuser at story’s end avoids any expected messiness and description, the emotions Caprice experiences throughout the novel will resonate with many readers dealing with changes in their lives. The students at Ainsley are international: New Zealand, Ghana, Toronto. Race is not mentioned directly in the book; however, Caprice gets her locs done and the book’s cover art displays an African American girl, so there are implications that the other characters are African American.

THOUGHTS: Coe Booth lets Caprice’s voice come through in the narration and the typical middle school dialogue with which readers will relate. The thriving Center Caprice attends is core to the community and helps to shape the kids who participate in the different activities it affords, from a Women’s Club, to film making, to dance. Caprice takes part in some neat poetry activities that readers can replicate. Her leadership qualities come out in her refusal to be treated less than boys and to tolerate snide remarks about her body. The adults surrounding Caprice–even though they know nothing about her abuse at the time–are nurturing and say the right things. Caprice’s pride in her neighborhood and loyalty to her friends are good discussion points.

Realistic Fiction   Bernadette Cooke   School District of Philadelphia

Twelve-year-old Caprice should be having the time of her life. She just finished a seven week summer program at a prestigious school in upstate New York, and she has now been offered a full scholarship through high school. She has a week to make the decision to accept the scholarship. She returns to her home in Newark, NJ and learns that her grandmother is seriously ill. This brings back the memories of the abuse that she endured while living there with her grandmother and uncle. She has remained quiet about this abuse and has told no one. The deadline to commit to Ainsley is coming closer and closer, and Caprice is struggling with her past while trying to make a decision about her future. 

THOUGHTS: This book is a powerful read for a middle schooler. It addresses the issue of child abuse – sexual and emotional. It could have some triggers for some readers.    

Realistic Fiction          Victoria Dziewulski, Plum Borough SD

Sometimes it’s hard for kids to decide what they want from life, and what they are willing to let go of, until they are faced with some life-changing events. This is certainly true for Caprice, a smart, motivated, and mature 7th grade girl who has just finished an exclusive summer leadership experience at a private school in an affluent part of Washington, D.C. She loved that school, but she also loves her home and friends in urban New Jersey. After she is offered a full scholarship to return to the private school for her 8th grade year, she quickly must decide whether she is willing to give up her familiar home and her best friend in favor of the school opportunity of her dreams. In addition to the stress of her impending education decisions, past childhood trauma and the declining health of a grandmother she hasn’t seen in years add to her troubles. Will Caprice be able to navigate her painful past, her complicated family, and her new and old friendships to see her way to a brighter future?

THOUGHTS: Caprice and her family are warmly drawn, and her friendships feel so real! This book deals with difficult topics including childhood abuse, family secrets, divorce, adolescent feelings, and confusion about the direction and meaning of one’s life, but everything is dealt with a sensitive and graceful hand that still makes the book a pleasure to read and recommend to students.

Realistic Fiction        Erin Faulkner, Cumberland Valley SD

Elem. – My City Speaks

Lebeuf, Darren. My City Speaks. Illustrated by Ashley Barron. Kids Can Press, 2021. 978-1-525-30414-3. Unpaged. $17.99. Grades PreK-3.

A young girl takes readers through a day of exploring her city the way she experiences it – through sound. Though readers may not notice the narrator’s visual impairments, the intricate illustrations – a combination of cut-paper collage, watercolor, acrylic, and pencil crayon, with some digital assembly – show her using a white cane and yellow tactile paving at a crosswalk. Sounds from the city help highlight things one may not notice with so many beautiful sights – “hasty honks, impatient beeps, distant chimes, reliable rumbles, speedy sirens and urgent clangs.” A fun pre-reading activity would be to ask students to close their eyes and identify sounds they hear then compare what they hear with what they see.

THOUGHTS: This title is an opportunity to discuss diverse abilities and show children how similar people’s experiences may be, regardless of ability. Highly recommended for picture book collections, especially those seeking representation.

Picture Book          Maryalice Bond, South Middleton SD

Elem. – Adventures with My Daddies

Peter, Gareth. Adventures with My Daddies. Illustrated by Garry Parsons. Peachtree, 2021. 978-1-682-63281-9. Unpaged. $16.99. Grades PreK-3.

An unnamed child shares why her daddies are amazing in this sweet picture book. When they read stories together “exciting journeys start” – battling dragons, hunting dinosaurs, and exploring the moon and secret islands are just some of their fun adventures. But their favorite story is their adoption story which brought them together. The narrator talks about different types of families: “Some children have two mommies, and some a mom and a dad.” before explaining why she’s “SO glad” her “SUPER daddies” chose her. Even if they’re “not the best at everything” she knows “they’re always there.” A diverse cast of characters are featured by beautiful acrylic and pencil illustrations in this sweet, rhyming picture book.

THOUGHTS: This beautiful story will show children that all families have unique characteristics. Highly recommended for elementary schools looking to add family stories and LGBTQ representation to their picture book collections.

Picture Book          Maryalice Bond, South Middleton SD