Tag Archives: Legends

MG – The Invincible List of Lani Li

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Bybee, Veeda. The Invincible List of Lani Li. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2025. 978-1-639-93433-1. $18.99. 216 p. Grades 5-7.

Lani Li, a 13‑year‑old Chinese American saxophonist from Utah, heads to London with her school’s competitive band while her younger brother Gavin stays behind due to complications from a heart condition. Before she leaves, Gavin challenges her to draw courage from a traditional tale their family loves—the story of the Eight Invincible Brothers—and to embody each of their strengths during her trip. In England, Lani works through her long list of fears by pairing each one with a “superpower” from the folktale, whether it involves trying something new, stepping into the spotlight, or pushing herself past her comfort limits. Alongside her best friend and supportive classmates, she explores London, prepares for the band festival, and wrestles with the promise she made to Gavin: entering the dangerous cheese‑rolling race he had hoped to run himself. As the trip unfolds, Lani’s experiences blend travel adventure, family worries, and lessons from Chinese folklore as she learns what courage looks like in her own life.

THOUGHTS: This novel blends heartfelt family dynamics, cultural heritage, and travel adventure into an engaging story about finding bravery in unexpected ways. Lani’s growth feels genuine, and the connection to Chinese mythology gives her journey added depth and meaning. The artwork interspersed throughout supports the story’s themes, while the mix of humor, friendship, and personal challenge keeps the narrative accessible for middle‑grade readers. Altogether, it’s a warm and encouraging book that highlights resilience, identity, and the strength found in family stories.

Realistic Fiction 

Elem. – The Giving Flower: The Story of the Poinsettia

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Dobbs, Alda P. The Giving Flower: The Story of the Poinsettia. Illustrated by Emily Mendoza. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2025. 978-1-728-29781-1. $18.99. Unpaged. Grades K-3.

The poinsettia is popular in the United States at Christmastime, but the flower actually originated in Mexico. This engaging botanical history of the poinsettia traces the history of the flower, beginning with the flower’s discovery and use by the ancient Nahuas. The book then goes on to explain how Spanish friars came to celebrate the poinsettia as the “Flower of the Holy Night.” When a U.S. ambassador named Joel Roberts Poinsett visited Guerrero, Mexico, he sent cuttings of the flower back to the United States. After years of cultivation and an advertising campaign that promoted the poinsettia as a Christmas flower, it finally became the modern symbol of Christmas that it is today. Digital, cartoonish illustrations and extensive back matter – including a history and timeline of the poinsettia – round out this informative account of the popular Christmas flower.

THOUGHTS: I love how this book takes a well-known symbol and uses it to show how the histories of the United States and Mexico are irrevocably linked. The information is very accessible and will delight young garden enthusiasts and budding botanists. It would be a great nonfiction addition to any holiday display.

635.9 Horticulture

This book gives readers the rich and long history of the Poinsettia flower, also known as the Giving Flower. With beautiful illustrations and lyrical prose, young readers get to know how the poinsettia became a beautiful and popular winter flower.

THOUGHTS: I honestly had no idea the rich and deep history of the poinsettia flower prior to reading this book. I think students who are interested in flowers and nature as well as history and holidays would really enjoy this book.

639.5 Horticulture

Elem./MG – The Gate, The Girl, and the Dragon

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Lin, Grace. The Gate, The Girl, and the Dragon. Little Brown and Company, 2025. 978-0-316-47832-8. 340 p. $18.99. Grades 3-8+.

Testing parental boundaries, having a father who doesn’t understand your love for the game, and not being seen all are themes of Grace Lin’s newest novel. Jin, a lion cub and a Gongshi (stone spirit) lives beyond the Gates of Chinatown in a world that Gongshi play and rest from their regular duties of watching over humans. Jin loves to play Zuqiu, a soccer-like game. One day, Jin accidentally knocks the Sacred Sphere out of the lion’s house and through the gates thus setting off events that trap the Gongshi and lock the gate. Jin is trapped outside the gates in the human world, a world that he didn’t care much about. Jin, with the help of a young girl Lulu and a worm who is a dragon, has to find and return the sphere, opening the gate and returning balance to the worlds. There is a dust storm, earthquake, humans, sorrow, and acceptance that all play a role in the story.

THOUGHTS: As Grace Lin often does in her books she weaves a main story and then various Chinese legends into the fabric of the words. She is a masterful storyteller who plays at your emotions throughout the story. While a bit predictable reading it as an adult, kids will enjoy the tension set from various points. A wayward dragon who thrives on sending people in the wrong direction just to fulfill his own wishes and desires to a grieving father who only wants to see his wife and daughter again, Lin intertwines stories that flow from one to another and wraps up all in a neat bow at the end. The reader is taken on a roller coaster ride of emotions and ultimately cheers in the end. There is an author’s note that explains where the ideas for this story come from and why it took nine years to complete. She has been making little vignettes on her social media accounts telling about some of the history she used in this book.  This book definitely will make a wonderful read aloud for the coming years.

Fantasy
Adventure

MG – Mabuhay!

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Sterling, Zachary. Mabuhay! Scholastic, 2023. 978-1-338-73860-5. $12.99. 240 p. Grades 3-7.

Siblings J.J. and Althea have two things in common. They both have trouble fitting in at school, and they both despise working for their parents. Their parents run a Filipino food truck called The Beautiful Pig, and expect their children to help out because “family comes first,” as their mother often reminds them. Spending a lot of time around their parents’ place of work means they hear a lot of Filipino folklore, and these tales all seem to end with an important lesson J.J. and Althea must learn. One day after work, the family arrives home to find Tito Arvin has arrived from the Philippines. His impromptu visit comes with lamentations about life back home and dreams about a monster who is after their family, a dream both J.J. and Althea have on the same night. Suddenly, the witches and monsters from Filipino folklore are more than just fairy tale creatures, and J.J. and Althea work together to save their heritage and their family.

THOUGHTS: Author Zachary Sterling weaves Filipino folklore with humor and adventure to create a heartwarming story about family, friendship, and food. The illustrations are vibrant and expressive. Tagalog words are used throughout and defined at the bottom of the page, and Sterling includes a Filipino recipe for Chicken Adobo in the back of the book. This graphic novel is a must-have and must-read for middle grade students.

Graphic Novel

Elem. – Tall Tales

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Tall Tales. Child’s World, 2022. $19.95 each. $169.60 set of 8. 24 p. Grades K-3.

Dolbear, Emily J. Alfred Bulltop Stormalong. 978-1-503-85006-4.
—. Calamity Jane. 978-1-503-85004-0.
York, M.J. Casey Jones. 978-1-503-84999-0.
Dolbear, Emily J. John Henry. 978-1-503-85005-7.
York, M.J. Johnny Appleseed. 978-1-503-85000-2.
Dolbear, Emily J. Molly Pitcher. 978-1-503-85003-3.
York, M.J. Paul Bunyan. 978-1-503-85001-9.
—. Pecos Bill. 978-1-503-85002-6.

Traditional American tall tales such as Casey Jones and Paul Bunyan get a new look in this set aimed at early readers. The slim volumes are youngster-friendly; the large print, clean graphic design, and conversational text will draw readers into the story. The scope of the stories is necessarily pared down, but all the fun is intact. Readers learn how Pecos Bill got his name and became the best cowboy in Texas, and they are introduced to the early days of railroading in Casey Jones. Bold, full page illustrations add to the enjoyment. The “Beyond the Story” afterward clues readers into the exaggeration classic in tall tales, and offers insight into real-world connections.  

THOUGHTS: This set provides an abridged version of tall tales where the Steven Kellogg volumes may be too advanced. A good purchase if the collection is in need of such books. 

398.2 Traditional Literature        Nancy Nadig Penn Manor SD

MG – The Legend of Auntie Po

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Khor, Shing Yin. The Legend of Auntie Po. Kokila, 2021. 978-0-525-55489-9. 290 p. $12.99. Grades 5-8.

The Legend of Auntie Po is a story about stories, specifically the legend of Po Pan Yin and her trusty blue water buffalo, Pei Pei, as told by 13-year old Mei. Mei lives in a Sierra Nevada logging camp with her father, Hao, who is the camp’s head cook. At night she gathers the little ones around the campfire and shares tales of Auntie Po, the matriarch of all loggers who “stood taller than the tallest white pine.” While gathering kindling in the forest, Mei bumps into Auntie Po and Pei Pei, and wonders if she can actually conjure the stories she tells. This magical revelation collides with the all-too-real anti-Chinese violence of 1885. When the camp manager is forced to fire all of his Chinese workers, Hao must move into town and leave Mei behind at camp. In the midst of this upheaval, stories about Auntie Po allow Mei to express her emotions, which include anger, frustration, fear, jealousy, and also wonder. In her Author’s Note, Shing Yin Khor writes that this graphic novel is, among other things, “about who gets to own a myth.” Some readers will recognize a reclaiming of the Paul Bunyan legend, while others will simply appreciate the stories and accompanying rustic pencil-and-watercolor illustrations.

THOUGHTS: This remarkable blend of history, legend, and art has multiple layers to explore and enjoy!

Graphic Novel          Amy V. Pickett, Ridley SD

MG – Shark Summer

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Marcks, Ira. Shark Summer. Little, Brown, and Company, 2021. 978-0-316-46138-2. $24.99. 281 p. Grades 5-8.

Gayle, an ace pitcher for the local softball team and new to Martha’s Vineyard, hurts her wrist badly in a game. Her summer plans and hopes shattered, she teams up with a visiting son of a journalist, Elijah, and local girl Madison to make a film about a local legend.  With a big budget film crew on the island filming a blockbuster hit (similar to Jaws), the kids decide to focus their no budget film on the Atwood Terror legend, a story of a fishing-club owner who fed victims to a shark. Will there be some truth to this storied legend that the kids uncover?

THOUGHTS: Fans of Jaws and shark movies will enjoy this graphic novel.

Graphic Novel          Krista Fitzpatrick, Wissahickon Charter School

The Cemetery Boys and Seed…new YA Suspenseful Reality

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cemetery

Brewer, Heather. The Cemetery Boys. New York: Harper Teen, 2015. 978-0062307880. 48p. $17.99. Gr. 9 & up.

Forced to make some huge changes, Stephen is moved by his father to desolate Spencer, Michigan, a sparsely populated town with an old-fashioned blue collar community. Mounting hospital bills have driven his father to move in with his estranged mother who has never engaged in a relationship with her grandson. Apprehensive Stephen befriends a set of twins, Cara and Devon. Hardened by their father’s death and their mother’s obvious mental health issues, Cara and Devon introduce Stephen to the town’s paranormal urban myth. Meeting at the cemetery nicknamed “The Playground” on a nightly basis, the teens drop subtle clues to build up Stephen’s anxiety about his new living arrangement. Even more, Stephen questions himself and his sanity, focused on his own mother’s breakdown as he puts together the “Winged Ones” legend and its hold on the town. Determined to fit in and make this town a stepping stone to move on and move out, Stephen uncovers the hard truth about the myth and his new “friends”. Suspenseful and filled with the unknown, the book details Stephen’s inner struggle with his own demons while discovering the myth behind Spencer.

Originally, this book was chosen because it promised paranormal suspense. If I was aware of the bird myth, I would not have chosen the book, as realistic fiction is my first choice. It did not fall short in twists, fear factor, or reckless teen behavior. Filled with reckless behavior and peer pressure, the book had characters who failed to pique interest, but readers can relate to the characters’ traits and those of their own peers. Loyalties and deception are paramount, keeping the reader cheering on Stephen and Cara, while disliking Devon. Educators may use this as a way to show the power of suggestion, twisted plots, and surprise endings. If nothing else, it is a guilty pleasure read to be shocked. There will be no sequel, as a definite ending is imminent.

Suspense    Brooke Gerlach, Manheim Central MS

 

 

seed

Heathfield, Lisa. Seed. Philadelphia: RP Teens, 2015. 978-0762456345. 336p. $16.95. Gr. 8 & up.

Seed is home for 15-year-old Pearl. Within the first pages of the book, Pearl is being held in seclusion as she goes through her first monthly cycle.  Confused and frightened, she is helped through the week by a woman who Pearl wishes to be her “biological mother”. A child of Nature, Pearl does not know her biological mother. In Seed, girls are raised to become companions of Papa S. Each girl, after they have successfully gotten through their first menstrual cycle, will eventually be chosen to spend time in Papa S’s living quarters.  Old enough to finally be a companion to Papa S., Pearl is confused when Ellis, a well-rounded and versed young man, moves to Seed with his mother and younger sister. Selling produce to the outside world, members of Seed are discouraged from creating acquaintances, much less friends.  Therefore, when Pearl’s friend strikes up a conversation with a boy from the outside, Pearl becomes fearful of the repercussions.  Pearl begins to question the world around her and the people who she once thought protected her. Eventually, Pearl has more questions than answers in her quest for what is real and what is her perceived reality.

Heathfield creates a book rich in the power of brainwashing and mind control. Reminiscent of recent polygamist cults, the book details a cult in which Nature is considered as supreme mother and to be held in high regard. The characters are similar to polygamists who have asked congregations to abandon worldly possessions and live secluded from the norms of society. Heathfield creates the characters to further aid Pearl in her search for answers.  Readers will do a lot of self talk with this book, especially when female characters are made to lie with grown men. Educators will be able to discuss the ways in which cult mentality is formed and the characteristics of human behavior in a group. Recommended for grades 9-12.

Realistic Fiction       Brooke Gerlach, Manheim Central MS