Tag Archives: Schools

MG – Mascot

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Waters, Charles, and Traci Sorell. Mascot. Charlesbridge, 2023. 978-1-623-54380-8. 248 p. $17.99. Grades 5-8.

In the greater D.C metro area, eighth grade students grapple over an English assignment where they must debate the pros and cons of indigenous mascots. Callie, one of the students involved, catalyzes the debate project after sharing her original poem. The poem disparages the school’s indigenous mascot and the offensive “tomahawk chants” students perform (and, in turn, must endure) at school sporting events. All perspectives and feelings about this issue are represented. During the course of the multiple-perspective verse novel, each stakeholder develops their argument, and some change their minds in the process. The students are also empowered to take action by addressing the school board.

THOUGHTS: After reading this verse novel in its entirety, I am moved by how Charles Waters and Traci Sorell use diverse character perspectives to artfully build an argument against the use of indigenous mascots. The plot itself takes its time building through exposition because Waters and Sorell use the diverse character perspectives to weave in necessary historical context for middle grade readers. It’s worth the wait. Mascot contains a diverse cast of characters with different opinions about the issue. I was concerned that the teacher in this novel would assign a debate project about such a triggering issue, but my fears were put to rest almost immediately through the novel’s carefully planned development. Recommended as a relevant addition to all middle school realistic fiction collections. 

Realistic Fiction

Elem. – I’m From

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Gray, Jr, Gary R. I’m From. Illustrated by Oge Mora. Balzer + Bray, 2023. 978-0-063-08996-9. 32 p. $19.99. Grades K-3.

A boy starts his day as many kids across America do, with breakfast and getting ready for school. A ride on the bus and a, “you better hurry up” from his dad. I’m from doesn’t mean a location, but more of an answer to who am I? What makes me, me? The boy encounters racial comments at school that make him visibly uncomfortable, but he moves on with his day as any child would. All of the small moments of his day are depicted with Mora’s illustrations in her characteristic collage layered with various paint mediums.  

THOUGHTS: A must purchase, as much for the story as for the illustrations. Would be a perfect title to include in an illustrator study of Oge Mora.  Could also be used to introduce a unit on memoirs or personal narratives.

Picture Book 

Elem. – Bitsy Bat, School Star

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Windness, Kaz. Bitsy Bat, School Star. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-1-665-90505-3. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-3.

Bitsy Bat has big star dreams but is nervous. It’s her first night at a new school, and she’s worried she isn’t ready. After a quick review of raising her wing, painting friends, and sharing snacks Bitsy feels more confident in going to school. As Bitsy flies into Crittercrawl Elementary, readers will see things from Bitsy’s perspective. While the beginning of the story features the bats right side up (close observers will note them hanging not standing), Bitsy’s school looks like a typical elementary classroom with tables and chairs and a variety of students. After her initial confusion over sitting in a chair, Bitsy feels dizzy from being wrong side up. Then she doesn’t paint like her classmates, and her snacks make them squeal. Constantly being told she’s doing things “Wrong, wrong, wrong!” makes Bitsy “Screeeeeeech!” with awful feelings of never, ever fitting in. After being comforted by Mama and Papa, Bitsy flies home and  dreams she was “a very small star.” Refusing not to attend school, Bitsy’s Mama and Papa have some good advice for her, explaining how “Everyone shines a little differently.” With a few tools to help her feel safe, Bitsy is ready to share her big star idea. Will her classmates and teacher like Bitsy’s idea, or will it be another way for her to feel like she’s doing everything wrong?

THOUGHTS: The book ends happily then shares more about autism and an author’s note in which Windness compares herself with Bitsy (no, she doesn’t fly or hang from her toes). Highly recommended for elementary collections, this title will help teachers promote an inclusive environment which celebrates the many different ways we each are special stars.

Picture Book

YA – Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl

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Shrum, Brianna R., and Sara Waxelbaum. Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl. Inkyard Press, 2023. 978-1-335-45365-5 . 304 p. $19.99. Grades 9-12.

During a party game of spin the bottle – with her boyfriend Chad in the circle – Margo Zimmerman realizes something: She really likes kissing Viv Carter. Margo is gay. After doing research on how to be part of the gay culture and lifestyle, really a few months of failed internet searches, Margo goes to a local club’s teen night dressed in her gayest attire. Pushing her autism brain aside, Margo gives it her best shot and fails epically. All she manages to do is amuse fellow swimmer Abbie Sokoloff, a queer classmate with quite a reputation. Determined to learn from the best, Margo asks Abbie to teach Margo her how to be gay. It isn’t until Abbie needs something from Margo – help improving her grade in AP US History class to prevent the revoking of her admission to Florida International University – that the two strike a deal. Gay tutoring for AP US tutoring, and Margo is more than ready to learn and to school Abbie. As the two (from very different groups at school) get to know each other, they also become friends, possibly more. But do opposites attract and can these two very different teens open up to each other, or will this friendship implode?

THOUGHTS: Readers will root for both of these characters and their quirks as they get to know each other and themselves. With graduation only a few months away and mature relationships, this romance is best suited for high school readers.

Romance

YA – The Headmaster’s List

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de la Cruz, Melissa. The Headmaster’s List. Roaring Book Press, 2023. 978-1-250-82738-8 . 400 p. $19.99. Grades 9-12.

Earning a coveted top spot on the elite Headmaster’s List at Armstrong Prep, senior Spencer Sandoval’s future plans seem to be falling into place. Some people’s family’s have to donate buildings to get them on the list, but that’s not a big problem in L.A. When a high speed car crash ends in tragedy, leaving Chris Moore – son of a Armstrong teacher – dead, Spencer wishes she could remember the details. Why was she in the car with her ex Ethan, who she caught cheating at the party; Chris, an underclassmen; and Tabby, a newer transfer student? Missing the first week of classes definitely wasn’t part of Spencer’s plan. Upon her return to school, Spencer gets plenty of unwanted attention and everyone wants to know what she can’t remember. Perhaps more than anyone else, classmate Peyton Salt wants an exclusive interview to propel her – and her podcast Get Salty – into fame. Recovering from her injuries means Spencer can’t play field hockey, and no one seems to look away new scar on her face. While her new service dog Ripley helps keep Spencer’s emotions in check and wake her from recurring night terrors, she also notices the pitying glances that come her way despite her best friend Olivia’s attempts to shield Spencer. Ethan, who admitted to causing the accident, couldn’t have meant it, and now he’s being charged as an adult. Spencer has a nagging feeling if she just could remember something, all would be resolved. Teaming up with Jackson Chan, Ethan’s best friend, who is helping Spencer catch up from her absence gives Spencer the sense of purpose she’s been missing – and hope that she’ll fill in the pieces of that night.

THOUGHTS: Readers looking for a puzzle will appreciate Spencer’s unreliable narrative as she tries to remember (and accept) what happened and her part in it. Recommended for high school collections where mysteries with memory gaps like We Were Liars and Monday’s Not Coming are popular.

Mystery, Realistic Fiction

YA – Promise Boys

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Brooks, Nick. Promise Boys. Henry Holt and Company, 2023. 978-1-250-86697-4. 294 p. $19.99. Grades 9-12.

J.B., Ramón, and Trey are students at the Urban Promise Prep School in Washington, DC. They do their best to follow the ultra-strict rules established by their principal as part of his “Moore Method.” But when Principal Moore is murdered, each of the three boys (who were all in detention and adjacent to the crime scene that day) become suspects. Although they do not trust each other at first, they soon realize that their best chance at clearing their names is to work together to expose the real killer. Debut author Nick Brooks does a great job of developing each character’s unique voice and personality, which is pivotal because the story is told from numerous points of view. Each teen has his own struggles, triumphs, and secrets that play into how they approach the world and each other. In addition to being a propulsive murder mystery, Promise Boys poses some serious questions about the prep school’s toxic culture of excellence. 

THOUGHTS: Readers who enjoy books by Jason Reynolds, Angie Thomas, and Karen M. McManus will gravitate to this novel, which is both entertaining and rich with opportunities for deep discussion.

Mystery          

J.B.Williamson, Trey Jackson, and Ramon Zambrano all attend Promise Academy, an all-male charter school in Washington D.C. intended to groom young men of color with its high standards and academic rigor. Its principal and founder, Kenneth Moore, is both slick and tough. The reader meets him as he is unraveling. He rules the school with an iron fist, yielding his power with impossible demands and punitive measures–a far cry from the environment of the school at its inception. The students keep silent in the building; follow straight, blue lines through the hall; and angst over demerits for petty infractions that threaten detention or expulsion. On the afternoon of an important basketball game, the three protagonists find themselves in detention when Principal Moore is mortally shot. All three are suspects for the murder. What follows is an examination from each character’s point of view of the events that brought them to that moment and their efforts to exonerate themselves and uncover the real murderer. Though the three are not friends, their common trouble unites them, and they join forces with their friends’ support to trace the downfall of a formerly idealistic leader and find his killer. Told in different voices and scenes, Promise Boys depicts cameos of boys of color striving to be their best selves but thwarted by an academic system that degrades and punishes them. Author Nick Brooks tells a compelling story featuring loving families and friends juxtaposed against the pressure of living in a world that deems one guilty before innocent. An important novel for any high school library.

THOUGHTS: This layered story provokes discussion around student voice and justice which keeps readers turning the pages. Both a mystery and a commentary on black young men in American society, the nature of school and punishment, and greed and corruption, Promise Boys reveals people are not all they seem. It forces the reader to see that each person has complicated workings and what they deal with may not be evident–even to those closest to them. Some curse words, some illegal activity (breaking into the school building), police shown in a negative light,  and an intimation of sex (JB has his first girlfriend, and it is implied they had intercourse.), notwithstanding, this book relates a truthful tale relatable to many eighth grade students as well as upper high school. Weaving in text messages and multiple perspectives of various characters, Brooks’s unusual plot engages even reluctant readers. Compare this significant novel with Jason Reynolds’s and Brendan Kiely’s All American Boys or Kekla Magoon’s How It Went Down.

Realistic Fiction

Elem. – Puppy Bus

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Brockington, Drew. Puppy Bus. Abrams Books, 2022. 978-1-419-75191-2. 40 p. $17.99. Grades PK-2.

Puppy Bus begins with a young boy who reluctantly climbs on the bus for his first day at a new school after a big move. He takes his seat… and quickly realizes that he has climbed onto the wrong bus. He’s on the PUPPY BUS!  And where does the puppy bus go!? Puppy school! What to do!? Go to class! But class is strange and confusing, and the food is terrible! The boy begins to miss his old friends and family…and wants to go home–until a friendly puppy offers friendship. Puppy school might not be so bad after all! 

THOUGHTS: Unique to this book is the storyline that the main character is starting a new school after a move (rather than it being the first day of school). This welcome addition to shelves of school stories will bring smiles to young readers’ faces and make the task of going to school seem just a little less daunting (at least they serve people food at school!). Recommended, particularly for schools looking to refresh their school stories shelves and for those looking for a fun welcome for their move-ins!

Picture Book          Hannah J. Thomas, Central Bucks SD

Elem. – The Name Jar

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Choi, Yangsook. The Name Jar. Alfred A. Knopf, 2022. Reprint of 2001 copyrighted book. Unpaged. $17.99. 978-0-375-80613-1. Grades K-5. 

Unhei is new to America from Korea, and she’s worried, mostly about kids mispronouncing her name. When her teacher introduces her to the class, she decides to wait and possibly choose a different name. “I haven’t picked one yet, but I’ll let you know by next week.” That night, her mother tells her how they chose her name, and that it means Grace. Unhei tries new names at home, but none of them sound right for her. At school the next day, she finds a jar on her desk with pieces of paper in it. Each piece of paper has a name suggested by her classmates: Daisy, Tamela, etc.  When classmate Joey presses her, “Don’t you have any name?” Unhei decides to show him her name using the wooden block ink stamp given to her by her grandmother. Joey thinks it’s beautiful, and they walk to the school bus together. That night, Unhei receives a letter from her Grandma, and she sees Joey at the Korean grocery. The next day at school, the name jar is missing. Unhei and her classmates search but do not find it. Then Joey approaches her at the end of the day to say he took the name jar because he wanted her to keep her own name. Also, the grocery store owner, Mr. Kim, has given Joey a name stamp like Unhei’s; this stamp spells, “friend,” and Unhei and Joey realize that they are friends.   

THOUGHTS: This is a very kind way to show friendship arising from self-acceptance and acceptance of others. Unhei learns courage in herself and her cultural background.  

Picture Book          Melissa Scott, Shenango Area SD

Elem. – Dress-Up Day

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Gomez, Blanca. Dress-Up Day. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2022. Unpaged. $17.99 978-1-4197-4410-5. Grades PK-2.

A little girl is excited about the upcoming costume day at school. She plans to wear a rabbit costume that she helped her mother make. But on the day of the costume party, she wakes up sick and must miss school. When her mother suggests she wear the costume the next day, the girl embraces the idea–until she arrives to see inquisitive, staring, possibly mocking faces of other children. The arrival of another student–in costume–“Hugo…had been sick the day before…and he was dressed up as a carrot”–entices the girl out to play. Soon, the other children ask to join, and by the end of the day, “Hugo had become my best friend.” And when, on the next day of school, Hugo and the little girl arrive to find everyone but them wearing hats, another student offers hers, and the fun continues. Gomez’s illustrations convey an innocence and hopefulness of the children, who are of varying skin tones and fashion styles, and who are open to changes. 

THOUGHTS: Share this book as an encouragement to readers to try something new and accept something new as well.  

Picture Book          Melissa Scott, Shenango Area SD

Elem. – Gross-Out Books (Series NF)

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Rosenberg, Pam. Gross-Out Books. Child’s World, 2022. $22.00 ea. $176.00 set of 8. 24 p. Grades 3-6.

Gross Stuff in Your Body. 978-1-503-85019-4.
Gross Stuff in Your Food. 978-1-503-85020-0.
Gross Stuff in Your Garden. 978-1-503-85021-7.
Gross Stuff in the Hospital. 978-1-503-85022-4.
Gross Stuff in Your House. 978-1-503-85023-1.
Gross Stuff in Your School. 978-1-503-85024-8.
Gross Stuff Underground. 978-1-503-85025-5.
Gross Stuff Underwater. 978-1-503-85026-2.

When looking at the world, there are gross things in it! If you want to dive into some of the things in the world that make you say “yuck!” then this book series is for you! From home, to your body, to the outside world, there are tons of things that will gross you out – so start reading to learn about them! This reviewer read Gross Stuff in Your Garden and Gross Stuff in Your House. Gross Stuff in Your Garden focuses on all the yucky things that can be found in your garden. The dirt, garden bugs, and even meat-eating plants are just a few of the gross items you may run into! Gross Stuff in Your House notices all the yucky things you may just ignore. From fleas and mites to mold growing in many places, there is always something around to make you say “yuck!”

THOUGHTS: A truly gross book! Readers will enjoy the photographs and illustrations filled in this series, all the while learning about the things that make you wrinkle your nose!

577.5 – 641.3 Science          Rachel Burkhouse, Otto-Eldred SD